Fun Facts: Maryland-Iowa

A Sunday afternoon Big Ten basketball matchup between Maryland and Iowa. Does that sound right to you?

Well, that's reality. I watched the latter part of the Penn State-Maryland game last week. Penn State vs. Maryland in a Big Ten game. What's next, West Virginia in the Big 12? Notre Dame in the ACC?

Oh well, let's have some Fun Facts.

1. Iowa is going for its 1,000th home victory. The Hawkeyes are 999-351 at home, dating back to 1902.

2. This is only the fourth basketball game between 'league rivals” Maryland and Iowa. The first three were in Honolulu (1984), Baltimore (1999) and New York (2013).

3. The last meeting was Iowa's 71-60 NIT semifinal win over the Terrapins in Madison Square Garden. Current Iowa players scored 27 points in that game. Current Maryland players scored 13.

4. Maryland is 2-2 over its last four games, but has been outscored by 36 points over those games.

5. Nine different players have started this season for Maryland. Only six players have started for Iowa.

6. Freshman guard Melo Trimble leads Maryland in scoring, assists and steals. Trimble and Aaron White ranked 1-2 in the Big Ten in free throws made through Thursday. Trimble's 138 ranked fourth in the nation through Thursday's games. White has made 126 foul shots.

7. Trimble's full name is Romelo Delante Trimble. I'm putting him on the Big Ten's all-name team with Basil Smotherman of Purdue, Maverick Morgan of Illinois, Moses Abraham of Nebraska and Lourawls 'Tum Tum” Nairn Jr. of Michigan State. Honorable mention to Shavon Shields of Nebraska and Bishop Daniels of Rutgers. Marc Loving of Ohio State would have been on the squad, but he has been suspended by his coach.

8. Maryland is the last current Big Ten member to win the NCAA tourney, in 2002. The last team that was a Big Ten member at the time it won the national-title was Michigan State, in 2000.

9. The Terrapins haven't been to the NCAA tourney since 2010.

10. When Iowa beat Michigan 72-54 Thursday night, it marked the first time in 11 years in which all five Hawkeye starters scored in double figures.

11. This is Iowa's 23rd game of the year and the Hawkeyes haven't played before a crowd smaller than 11,541 (In New York, vs. Texas) anywhere they've played. Maryland's average home crowd is 11,708.

12. Iowa lost the TaxSlayer Bowl by a score of 45-28. Maryland lost the Foster Farms Bowl by a score of 45-21.

13. Maryland has had men's basketball since 1923, but has had just eight head coaches. That's an average of 11.4 years per coach.

14. ESPN poker commentator Norman Chad is a Maryland alumni. To listen to my podcast with him, click here.