Ex-Hawk Jeff Horner leads Truman State vs. Iowa in men’s basketball exhibition

It will be Iowa against Iowa South, sort of.

The Iowa men’s basketball team hosts an exhibition game Monday night at 7 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena against Truman State, an NCAA Division II school in Kirksville, Mo.

Truman State is coached by Jeff Horner, who played at Iowa from 2002-06 after being named the state’s “Mr. Basketball” in his 2002 senior season at Mason City High.

Horner started 122 games for the Hawkeyes. He is second on Iowa’s all-time lists in assists (612) and 3-pointers (262). He scored 1,502 points. He was the Most Outstanding Player in the 2006 Big Ten tournament that Iowa won.

“Some of the greatest years of my life,” Horner said.

Horner’s team has 10 Iowans, including redshirt freshman Caleb Schaak of Kennedy, the Cedar Rapids-Marion Metro’s leading boys’ basketball scorer of 2019-20.

“I played with his dad in the Prime Time League a long time ago,” Horner said.

“I’m excited for all our guys, but I’m super-excited for all our Iowa guys.”

Truman State has gone to the last three Division II national tournaments under Horner, whose 4-year record there is 77-36.

“I love it here,” Horner said.

It will be like old times for Horner as he not only revisits his college arena, but takes his team to Purdue for an exhibition game Wednesday night.

“I feel like it’s because I’ve been annoying to coaches. I’ve bothered Matt Painter for a few years to have us come for a game. Fran (Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery) was gracious enough to play us. I’m truly thankful.”

As for Iowa, it’s another step toward the start of the 2022-23 season that starts next week with home games against Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 7) and North Carolina A&T (Nov. 11). Given that those two teams were a combined 21-41 last season, Truman State may be just as good an early test.

The Hawkeyes undoubtedly will try a variety of players in a variety of roles in Monday’s game. It will be a chance for freshman Dasonte Bowen to get some time at point guard, especially with the one-game suspension of junior Ahron Ulis due to getting cited in Iowa City for disorderly conduct on Oct. 2.

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