Fun Facts: Alcorn State-Iowa

The North Florida men's basketball team won at Purdue Saturday. North Florida plays at Iowa on Dec. 22.

Which means Alcorn State, Iowa's foe tonight, is the last of the pushovers on the Hawkeyes' schedule.

Well, there's also Rutgers, which lost 45-26 to Virginia on Nov. 29 and is fresh off an 81-54 beating from state-rival Seton Hall Saturday.

On with the Fun Facts:

1. Iowa is going for its 400th victory in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in its 523rd game there.

2. This is the first meeting between Alcorn State and the Hawkeyes. Iowa is 10-0 against teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

3. Alcorn State's last three games against Big Ten teams were a 60-46 loss at Nebraska in 2011, a 103-48 defeat at Purdue in 2010, and a 78-57 loss at Nebraska in 2010.

4. The Braves are 1-5, with the win against NAIA school Dillard. They have outscored by an average of 20.6 points against Division I opposition, including an 82-69 loss to Hampton. Iowa beat Hampton, 90-56.

5. Alcorn State's LeAntwan Luckett was named the SWAC's Player of the Week for last week after averaging 18.3 points and 4.0 assists in three games. He was the SWAC's Preseason Player of the Year.

6. Iowa has won its last five games despite making just 27.4 percent of its 3-point tries in that stretch. Its opponents hit on just 24.5 percent of their threes and 31.2 percent of all shots in those games.

7. Through Sunday, Iowa was seventh in the nation in field goal defense (33.8 percent). The six teams ranked above the Hawkeyes in that category (Kentucky, Louisville, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina and Washington) are 45-3. Texas' lone loss was to Kentucky, and one of North Carolina's two defeats was against Iowa.

8. This will be the 100th game Luther Riley has coached at Alcorn State. His record is 32-67.

9. Alcorn State's last NCAA tournament appearance was 2002, when it lost to Siena, 81-77. That was pre-Fran McCaffery at Siena. McCaffery became coach there in 2005.

10. The SWAC's 10 teams have a combined record of 14-59. None have a winning record. Seven had just one victory.

11. Alcorn State won the SWAC football championship game Saturday, 38-24 over Southern University. It was the Braves' first league football title since 1993.

12. Alcorn State is located in Lorman, Miss. Lorman is unincorporated. It is home to the Old Country Store Restaurant. According to Yelp reviewers, the fried chicken is superb.