Southeast Missouri (5-6) at Iowa (7-3)

Game Information
Date: Saturday, December 17, 2022
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m., CT
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Facility: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500)
Series: Iowa leads, 1-0
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (30-40 overall; 30-40 at SEMO; 17-20 OVC). Fran McCaffery (500-342 overall; 249-165 at Iowa; 115-110 Big Ten).

Follow the Redhawks
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
TV: Big Ten Network (Mike Hall, Bruce Weber)
Live Stats: HawkeyeSports.com
Twitter: @SEMOMBB
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)

Redhawks Travel to Iowa for Final Non-Conference Road Game 
Southeast Missouri (5-6) travels to Big Ten Conference member Iowa (7-3) for its final non-conference road game Saturday. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m., CT at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen live on the radio at Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Sean will be on the call. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network with Mike Hall and Bruce Weber calling the action courtside. Live stats are available at HawkeyeSports.com and Twitter updates will be provided @SEMOMBB.

Well Connected
Former Kansas State, Illinois and Southern Illinois Head Coach Bruce Weber, now an analyst for the Big Ten Network, will be on the call for Saturday's game between Southeast Missouri and Iowa. Brad Korn, who is in his third year as SEMO's head coach, spent five seasons at K-State working four of those as an assistant under Weber. As a player, Korn helped Southern Illinois to one of its greatest periods of success from 1999-2004. He was part of three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances under Weber and current Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter. Korn also won three Missouri Valley Conference titles as a Saluki.

Series History
This year marks the second meeting between Iowa and Southeast Missouri. The Hawkeyes beat the Redhawks, 75-41, in the first matchup on Nov. 25, 2008 in Iowa City. Iowa is one of only four NCAA Division I schools in the Hawkeye State. Iowa State, Drake and Northern Iowa are the others. SEMO has also played Drake and Iowa State in its basketball history

Against the Big Ten
Southeast Missouri is 0-10 all-time against Big Ten Conference schools. SEMO last faced a Big Ten foe three years ago on the exact same day it plays Iowa this week. The Redhawks fell to then-#5 Ohio State, 80-48, on Dec. 17, 2019. Here are SEMO's records vs. Big Ten opponents:
vs. Illinois                        0-3
vs. Indiana                      0-1
vs. Iowa                          0-1
vs. Nebraska                  0-1
vs. Ohio State                0-1
vs. Purdue                     0-2
vs. Wisconsin                0-1

SEMO vs. Power Five Schools
When the Redhawks take the court at Iowa Saturday, it will mark the second time Brad Korn goes up against a Power Five Conference opponent as a head coach. Since Southeast Missouri became an NCAA Division I program in 1991-92, it has never defeated a Power Five school. SEMO dropped 35 games against opponents across the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 or SEC during its Division I era. The closest the Redhawks came to knocking off a Power Five school was in 1999-2000 (L, 61-64, vs. LSU, first round of the NCAA Tournament, Mar. 16) and 1997-98 (L, 59-62, at Colorado, Nov. 16). Korn is 0-1 against Power Five schools following a 96-89 loss at Missouri (Dec. 4) earlier this month.

Battling Through It
Southeast Missouri has not played with a full roster all season. The short-handed Redhawks hav battled various injuries and illnesses, and, at times, played games with three or more players inactive. Most recently, SEMO was without its second- leading scorer Israel Barnes (illness) at Arkansas State (Dec. 14). The Redhawks used six different starting lineup combinations through their first 11 games.

Five-Game Skid
After starting the 2022-23 season at 5-1, the Redhawks dropped each of their last five contests. Southeast Missouri's last win was a 63-52 victory over Boston University at the Milwaukee Cream City Classic on Nov. 26.

Last Time Out
Southeast Missouri let an 11-point lead get away in a 68-61 road loss to Arkansas State (Dec. 14). SEMO led 39-28 with 16:41 left to play before ASU mounted its comeback. The Red Wolves led the final 9:01 of the game after the Redhawks were ahead for 28 minutes. SEMO held a two-point (26-24) at halftime.

Larson Delivers
In only his second career start, Adam Larson pitched in a career-high 19 points to lead the Redhawks at Arkansas State (Dec. 14). All five of Larson field goals made were 3-pointers. He also went a perfect 4-of-4 at the free throw line en route to his third double-digit scoring game this season. Larson moved to fifth on the team in scoring with 8.1 points per contest and now ranks second on the team with 16 three-pointers made.

Rebounding Machine
Kobe Clark collected double-digit rebounds for the fifth time when he matched a season-high 16 at Arkansas State (Dec. 14). Clark had 14 defensive rebounds in that game alone. He leads the Ohio Valley Conference with 10 boards per game. Clark also ranks ninth in the nation in total rebounds (110), 17th in rebounds per game and 22nd in defensive rebounds per game (7.0).

110 or More Rebounds
Kobe Clark is one of 11 players in the nation with 110 or more rebounds at this point in the season. Clark is the first Ohio Valley Conference player to reach the century mark in rebounds. Here is the complete list of players with 110 or more rebounds:
Joel Soriano, St. John's                         139
Zach Edey, Purdue                                137
Jesse Edwards, Syracuse                     124
Clarence Daniels, New Hampshire        119
Micah Handlogten, Marshall                   116
Chris Brandon, Northern Kentucky         114
Aziz Bandaogo, Utah Valley                    113
Armando Bacot, North Carolina              113
Kyle Filipowski, Duke                              110
Norchad Omier, Miami (Fla.)                   110
Kobe Clark, Southeast Missouri              110

Non-Conference Winding Down
After Saturday's visit to Iowa, Southeast Missouri closes out non-conference action when it hosts longtime rival Southern Illinois on Dec. 21. SEMO and SIU will meet for the 110th time on the hardwood this year.

Three in a Row
Prior to missing Southeast Missouri's last game at Arkansas State (Dec. 14), Israel Barnes had scored over 20 points in three consecutive contests. Barnes pitched in a season-high 23 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (Dec. 7). Before that, he scored 21 at Missouri (Dec. 4) and 22 at Milwaukee (Nov. 28). Barnes raised his scoring average 10.8 points (4.0 to 14.8) during those three games alone.

Multiple 20-Point Scorers
For the second time this season, Southeast Missouri had two 20-point scorers in a game. Phillip Russell scored 25 points and Israel Barnes added 23 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (Dec. 7). Prior to that, Russell had 26 points and Barnes finished with 21 at Missouri (Dec. 4). Russell (4) and Barnes (3) have accounted for all seven of SEMO's 20-point performances this season.

Starting Streak
Second-year point guard Phillip Russell has started 22 consecutive games. Russell missed only two starts since joining the Redhawks due to COVID protocols during the 2021-22 campaign. He has 41 career starts and is one of three Redhawks that started all 11 games this year.

OVC Top Two
The Redhawks are first in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring defense (68.4 ppg allowed). Southeast Missouri is second in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.294), rebounding margin (+2.1) and defensive rebounding percentage (.754). Individually, Phillip Russell is second in the OVC in scoring (16.5 ppg), second in assists (4.5 apg) and first in free throw percentage (.875), and Kobe Clark ranks first in rebounding (10 rpg), second in defensive rebounds (7.1 rpg) and second in blocks (1.5 bpg).

On the Road Again
Southeast Missouri plays outside of Cape Girardeau for the ninth time this season when it heads to Arkansas State. SEMO is 3-5 in such games with a 2-4 mark in true road contests. The Redhawks beat South Florida (Nov. 7), Evansville (Nov. 16) and Boston (Nov. 26) away from home in 2022-23.

How May I Assist You?
Phillip Russell matched a career-high eight assists vs. William Woods (Nov. 22). Russell has a total of 144 assists in his career and ranks second inthe Ohio Valley Conference with 4.5 per game this season. He has a total of 49 assists through 11 games. Russell finished with six or more assists in four of his starts.