Pepperdine poised to challenge Iowa

IOWA CITY - If Iowa's men's basketball team was looking for a layup after two tough losses in New York City, its next opponent won't necessarily provide it.

The Hawkeyes (2-2) return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena tonight against Pepperdine (3-0). Iowa struggled early in the second half against Texas on Thursday in a 14-point loss in Madison Square Garden. Friday, the Hawkeyes rallied from a 15-point deficit only to fall short 66-62 against Syracuse.

Iowa's backcourt struggled against both opponents, shooting a combined 10 of 48 from the field. Starters Mike Gesell and Anthony Clemmons combined to sink just five of 26 shots.

Sophomore guard Peter Jok scored only two points on four shots in New York. Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said involving Jok is vital on the Hawkeyes' three-game homestand this week.

'We've got to get Pete going. He's a good player,” McCaffery said in a postgame radio interview on Friday. 'He's not himself right now.”

Iowa's frontcourt trio of Jarrod Uthoff, Aaron White and Adam Woodbury combined to score 41 points against Texas and then 47 against Syracuse. White scored 23 against Texas, then followed up 15 points and 12 rebounds against Syracuse. Uthoff scored 20 against Syracuse.

Pepperdine is poised to provide a challenge. The Waves have won their three games by at least 15 points, the first time in more than 20 years they've won three straight by that margin. Their 19-point win at San Jose State was Pepperdine's biggest margin in a road victory since 2003.

The Waves boast a talented scorer in junior forward Stacy Davis, a first-team all-West Coast Conference first team selection last year. Davis, who stands 6-foot-6, was the WCC's Newcomer of the Year in 2012-13 as a freshman and averaged 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds as a sophomore last year.

Davis scored 22 points and grabbed nine boards in a season-opening win against Fresno State. He averages 17.7 points and 7.7 rebounds and has scored in double figures for 13 straight games.

But Pepperdine has more than just Davis. Junior forward Jett Raines had a double-double against California Lutheran and scored 21 at San Jose State. Guard Jeremy Major ranked fifth in the WCC in assists per game last year and his 138 assists were the most by a Wave since 2000. He averages 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists game this year.

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