Ticket sales up for basketball

Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said Thursday that ticket sales were up across the board for men's basketball this year.

Last year Iowa sold between 1,400 and 1,500 student season tickets but they now have exceeded 1,600, Barta said.

Barta said ticket numbers were up in all categories. Iowa finished the season with an average paid attendance of 9,550, well below the school's previous all-time low of 10,761 set in 2008.

"Hawkeye fans can't wait, want badly for men's basketball to return to the days where we're competitive, we're exciting to watch," Barta said. "We haven't been that way for a while, and so I think people are jumping on."

Iowa also finished with the most losses in school history last year (22), which prompted Barta to fire Coach Todd Lickliter. Barta then hired Fran McCaffery two weeks later.

"I think Fran and his staff have done a great job of creating enthusiasm and excitement," Barta said. "We haven't yet played a game, but I think people are anticipating his style with the team we have coming back the types of playing that are committing, I think there's a buzz, an excitement."