Hawkeye Hardwood: The '87-'88 Season
An analytical exploration of the Iowa Hawkeyes' pivotal 1987-88 basketball campaign, detailing their performance, key players, and tournament journey.
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The Hawkeye Roster
Season Overview
The 1987-88 Iowa Hawkeyes, under second-year head coach Tom Davis, achieved a significant season, finishing with a 24-10 overall record and a 12-6 standing in the competitive Big Ten Conference, securing a tie for third place.
Their performance earned them an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as a #5 seed in the West Region, where they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
Key Statistics
Overall Record: 24 Wins - 10 Losses
Conference Record: 12 Wins - 6 Losses (Big Ten)
Final Ranking: No. 16 (Coaches Poll), No. 17 (AP Poll)
Home Arena: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Tom Davis (2nd Season)
Assistant Coaches:
- Bruce Pearl
- Gary Close
- Rudy Washington
Player Roster
| Pos. | # | Name | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 3 | Kelly Westen | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | — | Antigo, Wisconsin | |
| G | 10 | B. J. Armstrong | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | — | Jr | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan |
| G | 11 | Michael Reaves | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | — | Sr | Milledgeville, Georgia |
| G | 13 | Mark Wetzel | — | — | Portland, Oregon | |
| G/F | 14 | Bill Jones | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | — | Sr | Detroit, Michigan |
| G | 15 | Rodell Davis | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | — | Fr | Thornton, Illinois |
| G | 20 | Jeff Moe | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | — | Sr | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| G/F | 23 | Roy Marble | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | — | Jr | Flint, Michigan |
| G | 24 | Michael Morgan | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | — | Sr | Haughton, Louisiana |
| F | 25 | Ed Horton | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | — | Jr | Springfield, Illinois |
| F | 32 | Mark Jewell | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | — | So | Lafayette, Indiana |
| F | 40 | Kent Hill | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | — | Sr | Wichita, Kansas |
| F | 44 | Al Lorenzen | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | — | Sr | Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
| C | 51 | Les Jepsen | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | — | So | Bowbells, North Dakota |
Game Schedule & Results
| Date | Rank# | Opponent | Result | Record | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Conference Regular Season | |||||
| 11/27/1987 | No. 11 | vs. Stanford | W 78–75 | 1–0 | Lahaina Civic Center, Maui, HI |
| 11/28/1987 | No. 11 | vs. No. 7 Kansas | W 100–81 | 2–0 | Lahaina Civic Center, Maui, HI |
| 11/29/1987 | No. 11 | vs. Villanova | W 97–74 | 3–0 | Lahaina Civic Center, Maui, HI |
| 12/1/1987 | No. 6 | Drake | W 70–59 | 4–0 | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 12/4/1987 | No. 6 | Navy | W 91–61 | 5–0 | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 12/5/1987 | No. 6 | UC Irvine | W 124–88 | 6–0 | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 12/12/1987 | No. 3 | No. 4 Arizona | L 59–66 | 6–1 | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 12/19/1987 | No. 7 | at No. 20 Iowa State | L 100–102OT | 6–2 | Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA |
| 12/21/1987 | No. 7 | Texas-Pan American | W 110–64 | 7–2 | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 12/29/1987 | No. 14 | vs. Illinois State | L 88–89 | 7–3 | Myriad Convention Center, Oklahoma City, OK |
| 12/30/1987 | No. 14 | vs. Oral Roberts | W 126–94 | 8–3 | Myriad Convention Center, Oklahoma City, OK |
| Big Ten Regular Season | |||||
| 1/6/1988 | No. 16 | No. 12 Indiana | W 84–70 | 9–3 (1–0) | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 1/9/1988 | No. 16 | at No. 10 Purdue | L 79–80 | 9–4 (1–1) | Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, IN |
| 1/11/1988 | No. 16 | at Lafayette | W 109–68 | 10–4 | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 1/14/1988 | No. 17 | at Ohio State | L 83–87 | 10–5 (1–2) | St. John Arena, Columbus, OH |
| 1/16/1988 | No. 17 | Northwestern | W 92–68 | 11–5 (2–2) | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 1/21/1988 | No. 19 | No. 13 Illinois | W 93–79 | 12–5 (3–2) | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 1/23/1988 | No. 19 | Dartmouth | W 102–87 | 13–5 | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 1/25/1988 | No. 19 | at Wisconsin | W 104–89 | 14–5 (4–2) | Wisconsin Field House, Madison, WI |
| 1/30/1988 | No. 16 | Minnesota | W 76–51 | 15–5 (5–2) | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 2/3/1988 | No. 13 | at No. 11 Michigan | L 103–120 | 15–6 (5–3) | Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, MI |
| 2/6/1988 | No. 13 | Michigan State | W 101–77 | 16–6 (6–3) | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 2/10/1988 | No. 13 | Ohio State | W 92–75 | 17–6 (7–3) | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 2/15/1988 | No. 13 | No. 2 Purdue | L 68–73 | 17–7 (7–4) | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 2/20/1988 | No. 13 | at Minnesota | W 107–86 | 18–7 (8–4) | Williams Arena, Minneapolis, MN |
| 2/24/1988 | No. 13 | at Northwestern | W 91–74 | 19–7 (9–4) | Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, IL |
| 2/27/1988 | No. 13 | No. 7 Michigan | W 95–87 | 20–7 (10–4) | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 3/3/1988 | No. 11 | at Michigan State | W 103–87 | 21–7 (11–4) | Jenison Fieldhouse, East Lansing, MI |
| 3/6/1988 | No. 11 | at Illinois | L 81–94 | 21–8 (11–5) | Assembly Hall, Champaign, IL |
| 3/10/1988 | No. 15 | at Wisconsin | W 103–70 | 22–8 (12–5) | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| 3/12/1988 | No. 15 | at Indiana | L 89–116 | 22–9 (12–6) | Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN |
| NCAA Tournament | |||||
| 3/18/1988 | (5 W) No. 17 | vs. Florida State | W 102–98 | 23–9 | Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA |
| 3/20/1988 | (5 W) No. 17 | vs. UNLV | W 104–86 | 24–9 | Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA |
| 3/25/1988 | (5 W) No. 17 | vs. Arizona | L 79–99 | 24–10 | Kingdome, Seattle, WA |
Ranking Movements
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | 11 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 17 |
| Coaches | Not released | 10 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 16 |
Increase in ranking Decrease in ranking Not released
Awards & Honors
Individual Accolades
- Ed Horton: First-team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Rebounding Leader
Team Achievements
- Maui Invitational Tournament Champion
- Amana-Hawkeye Classic Champion
NBA Draft Prospects
1988 NBA Draft
The talent from the 1987-88 Hawkeyes was recognized in the professional ranks, with several players being selected in the NBA draft.
| Round | Pick | Player | NBA Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 42 | Jeff Moe | Utah Jazz |
Overall, five players from this team were selected in the NBA draft, showcasing the depth of talent on the roster.
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References
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Disclaimer
Important Notice
This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on publicly available data and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.
This is not professional sports analysis or advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for consulting official team records, historical archives, or seeking expert opinions from sports historians or analysts. Always refer to primary sources for definitive information.
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