Iowa notes: Basabe looks to bounce back, possible sellout, 25th anniversary of 1986-87 team on deck

Iowa sophomore Melsahn Basabe turned in perhaps his most disappointing performance of the season Wednesday with no points, one rebound and two turnovers in 11 minutes against Minnesota.

Basabe played only two minutes in the second half was ineffective when he did play, Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said.

"He wasn't getting anything done on either end of the floor," McCaffery said. "At some point you got to go with other people.  That's really all it was."

McCaffery elected to play sophomore Zach McCabe and freshman Aaron White alongside senior Devon Archie in a 2-3 zone for several key stretches in the 64-62 win. White and McCabe combined for 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Archie's long 6-foot-9 frame stifled the Gophers' offense in the post.

"The second half, when we committed to the zone, I thought (Archie's) ability to recover with his length, because they had us spread out like most teams will in a zone, he was fighting the post," McCaffery said. "You got to bluff and recover and you got to have a sense of, 'OK, does our forward have to go out to the wing or is he in tight? Who is covering the high post?

"You remember the second play in the first half, they had four guys up, he came up and contested Sampson. Sampson shoots an air ball. That was his length but more so his recognition of where he's supposed to be."

Basabe, who had scored 14 points in four consecutive games before Wednesday, thanked his teammates for playing well in his absence.

"I just couldn't get it going the other day," Basabe said. "Thankfully my teammates stepped up. Aaron White played a really good game, so that was good. We got the win, I'm always happy with a win."

Basabe likely will be key against Ohio State All-American forward Jared Sullinger. Last year the two waged a battle in the post. Sullinger scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Basabe had 22 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks, four of which came against Sullinger.

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As of Friday morning, only 1,400 tickets remained for Saturday's game against No. 6 Ohio State. Iowa's last two sellouts (Dec. 29, 2010, March 1, 2008) came against border-state Illinois, which helped fill up the arena. It's unlikely Ohio State will bring more than a few dozen fans to this game.

Senior Matt Gatens said he would love to see the arena sold out, like it did when he attended Iowa games as a youth in the 1990s and early 2000s.

"We just need to keep it in perspective, keep going, keep working, and that would be great environment if we get this place sold out, and rocking full of black and gold," he said. "It would make us a tough environment for the Buckeyes. It would be great and definitely help us out."

Basabe said the top crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena he can remember was the Dec. 10, 2010 game against Iowa State.

"That was an insane environment, like nothing I'd ever experienced," Basabe said. "If it's a sellout crowd, that must mean that the fans are happy. That's always good if the fans are supporting you."

McCaffery said he appreciated Iowa fans returning to the arena last year after poor performances against Northwestern and Minnesota. He said he's impressed with the fans' loyalty.

"I think Ohio State creates a certain amount of attention, and deservedly so, what they've done, where they are presently," he said. "I think anytime your team starts to play better, your fan base recognizes that, they typically respond in a positive way. We've always done that."

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Iowa will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its 1986-87 team on Feb. 4 in a 2 p.m. game against Penn State. That team finished 30-5 and advanced to the NCAA West regional finals, where it lost 84-81 to UNLV. Among the players competing on that squad include B.J. Armstrong, Roy Marble, Ed Horton, Kevin Gamble, Brad Lohaus, Jeff Moe, Al Lorenzen, Gerry Wright and Bill Jones. The team was coached by Tom Davis.

That squad won its first 18 games and finished 14-4 in Big Ten play. Among the key wins included an overtime victory at Illinois, a 101-88 win against eventual national champion Indiana and a pair of memorable NCAA Tournament wins against UTEP and Oklahoma.