Look Back at Iowa Basketball Wins Against AP No. 10

Historic Hawkeye Win at Famed Allen Fieldhouse Highlights Rundown

(From L-R) J.R. Koch, Kent McCausland, Tom Davis, Ryan Bowen

Twenty-three years later, Kent McCausland will tell you he got a bit carried away that night in Allen Fieldhouse.

Iowa had just snapped the nation’s longest home-court winning streak at 62 games with an 85-81 victory over Kansas inside one of the nation’s most legendary buildings. 

“For crying out loud, it’s the greatest win in Hawkeye history as far as I’m concerned,” gushed McCausland, whose fourth 3-pointer of the second half with 40 seconds to play was the biggest hoop of the game.

So you can’t blame McCausland for getting caught up in the moment that December night in 1998.

“I always feel pretty embarrassed about that quote,” McCausland says now. “I consider myself a Hawkeye historian, and obviously I know this was not the biggest win in Hawkeye history. But at the time, to win in that building with that win streak on the line, with a team that didn't have an identity yet, it just felt like an exhilarating win. And the things that fly out of your mouth at that point.. I was just excited.”

In many ways, the end result summed up the game perfectly. Because in a lot of ways it defied description. Iowa won despite committing 31 turnovers.

“You can’t win with 31 turnovers, ever, let alone on the road against Kansas and their winning streak,” said Jess Settles, a senior on that team. “We had some special wins that year. It was TD’s last year. Kent was out of his mind that game. It was incredible.”

Davis had entered his 13th season at Iowa as a lameduck coach. His team rallied behind him, taking him to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament as a parting gift

“It was certainly our goal to send him out in the best light possible,” McCausland said. 

That Kansas game will forever carry a soft spot in Dr. Tom’s heart.

“Sixty-two straight, that speaks to how hard it is to win there,” Davis said. “Not the building as much as the talent on the court. But it was fun, because of how much fun it was for the players.” 

A Cedar Rapids television station carries past Iowa games on occasion. Davis recently came across that Kansas game and watched it.

“I don’t think I’ve ever watched a game where the announcers gave up on a game like that,” Davis said. “They pretty much wrote it off that it was over, and they started announcing that way. It was like this game was already in the record books. Then all of a sudden it started to change. And it was fun to watch, knowing the result. It was a great comeback.”

The late Ron Franklin was the play-by-play announcer and Dan Bonner was the analyst on the game, carried by ESPN.

“They gave us no chance,” said McCausland, who has watched that game numerous times. Kansas had a 59-41 lead with 12:49 to play, and Iowa was turning the ball over at an alarming rate.

“Obviously it didn’t look very good,” McCausland said. “We probably had no business winning that game.”

Three straight Guy Rucker baskets, and a 3-pointer by Dean Oliver, cut the deficit to 61-50 with just over 10 minutes to play. As Iowa chipped away the deficit, Kansas cooperated by making just 11 of 23 free throws for the game.

The first of McCausland’s four second-half triples was a bank shot with 8:12 remaining that got the deficit under double figures at 66-58. An Oliver jumper at the 5:57 mark trimmed the Kansas advantage to 68-67.

It was a 70-69 Kansas lead when Bonner said, “Ron, you would not have been able to convince me that this was going to happen. Iowa looked dead in the water.” Franklin responded, “Yes, they did. They really did.”

Kansas Coach Roy Williams went to a zone late in the game, which he often did. That gave McCausland some room to roam.

“Iowa better find McCausland,” Bonner said with the score tied at 70-70.

Right on cue, McCausland got the ball and nailed a 3 at the 4:07 mark. With Iowa trailing, 76-74, he made another 3 with 1:41 to go. A minute later, he made his last triple for a 82-78 advantage. 

“Those are shots that I’d take every day in practice,” McCausland said. “The coaching staff and the players had confidence in me to shoot, no matter how the game was going.” 

Ryan Robertson’s 3 cut the Kansas deficit to 83-81 with :16.6 to play. McCausland inbounded the ball to J.R. Koch in the left corner, and he was trapped immediately. Koch pivoted, saw Ryan Luehrsmann running free toward the Iowa basket and fired a pass that resulted in the clinching layup at the :08.4 mark.

“A very heads-up play by J.R.,” McCausland said.

When the final horn sounded, McCausland clenched both fists and ran down the floor. 

“I just remember yelling, “It’s over, it’s over,’ ” McCausland recalled. “I was very aware of the streak.”

The team celebrated with an impromptu dog-pile on the court, then carried it over to the locker room.

“I’ll never forget the players after the game in the locker room,” Davis said. 

Settles got the team together to do the Hokey Pokey, the dance that Iowa football Coach Hayden Fry celebrated big victories with.

“It was straight intense Hokey Pokey,” Settles said.

McCausland was out in the hallway, doing interviews.

“I remember John Streif (the team trainer and travel coordinator) running down the hallway saying, “Kent, you’ve got to get in the locker room, you don’t want to miss this,’ ” McCausland said. “I had no idea what he was talking about. I was giving out crazy quotes like “the greatest win in Hawkeye history.’ I missed the whole thing.”

Someone shot video of the celebration, and Fry saw a copy of it. He showed up at Iowa’s basketball practice a few days later to do a little coaching.

“I’m the first guy on the court,” McCausland remembered. “He goes, “You guys, I’m so proud of you.’ I reach out for a handshake. There’s no way I’m hugging this man. This is Hayden Fry. I reach for a handshake and he comes in with a big hug. I’m sweating and he’s wearing a suit.” 

Fry greeted all the players, and Davis, then held put on his coaching shoes. 

“What a fantastic win,” he said. “I’m proud of you guys. Fantastic game, coming from 18 down and winning it, then doing such a terrible job with the Hokey Pokey. You guys, come on now. You’ve got to get this right. When you celebrate, you’ve got to shine and polish a little bit on your Hokey Pokey.”

Then he gave the team a lesson. The Hawkeyes did the Hokey Pokey several more times that season.

Admitting now that it was not the biggest victory in Hawkeye history, McCausland still calls his 3-pointer with :40 remaining the most memorable shot of his career.

“For me, the Arkansas win was extremely special because it got us to the next round (Sweet 16),” McCausland said. “But as far as a shot, that was probably my most memorable one. You bet.”

All-time record vs. No. 10: 4-17

Other victories vs. No. 10

Iowa 91, Michigan 82 (Feb. 21, 1966, Iowa City) - Iowa won its 10th consecutive game at Iowa Fieldhouse, thanks to a big game from sophomore forward Ben McGilmer. He scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half to lead the upset charge.

Michigan all-American Cazzie Russell scored 31. Iowa looked to be in trouble when Chris Pervall (20 points), George Peeples and Gary Olson all fouled out within a 60-second span. But McGilmer and senior guard Denny Pauling made enough big plays over the final 6 minutes to secure the victory.

Iowa 56, Oregon State 45 (Dec. 3, 1983, Iowa City) - Ralph Miller coached the Hawkeyes for six seasons before leaving for Oregon State in 1970. He returned with the Beavers shorthanded. Three players, including two starters, were suspended for the Hawkeye Invitational. One of them was A.C. Green.

That took some of the luster off this Top 10 duel with No. 5 Iowa. Hawkeye center Greg Stokes was a one-man wrecking crew, earning MVP honors for the second season in a row with two double-double games, including 16 points and 11 rebounds against Oregon State. “Physically, we just weren’t able to stay with them,” Miller said.

The teams played again a week later in Corvallis with the Beavers winning, 53-48. 

Iowa 85, Michigan 67 (Feb. 8, 2014, Iowa City) - With home losses in its previous two games, against Michigan State and Ohio State, Devyn Marble led Iowa back to the win column at Carver-Hawkeye Arena with a game that Michigan Coach John Beilein called “a Big Ten player of the year performance.”

Marble scored 26 points, 22 in the first half, and locked down Wolverine scoring star Nik Stauskas defensively. Stauskas scored just 10 points and got off just six shots from the field. He had torched Iowa for a career-high 26 points in a 75-67 victory in Ann Arbor five games earlier.