Over the next several days, I'll be posting previews of each team in the Valley. Today I take a look at the Northern Iowa Panthers.
No. Iowa
2006-07: 18-13
(9-9 MVC)
01.15 at UNI
02.05 at CREI
2006-07 REWIND: What was more annoying for fans of the Panthers last year: hearing the media mention for the 9000th time that their new coach Ben Jacobson was not THAT Ben Jacobson, or missing the NCAA tourney for the first time in four years?
Jacobson's first year saw the team race out to a 13-3 record, and 4-1 in the Valley when the Panthers hosted Creighton in a Friday night tilt in Cedar Falls. Creighton jumped out early, hitting 6 of their first 8 shots and grabbed a 14-4 lead before the first media timeout. The Jays led the entire way, beating UNI 62-54.
By the time the teams rematched in Omaha, UNI was in a free fall. They had won just 3 of their last 10 games, and by the end of the Jays' 66-55 win the Panthers were 16-11 and 7-9 in the league. The game was noteworthy for a huge Creighton comeback, as they trailed from the opening tip until late in the game, before holding UNI without a field goal over the final nine minutes of the game in a 19-3 run.
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Northern Iowa was selected to represent the U.S. in the World University Games over the summer, and it gave Coach Jacobson and his players invaluable practice time and game action to work towards getting back to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year absence. Their 5-1 record in the Games shows the team has promise despite the loss of key players Grant Stout and Brooks McKowen to graduation.
Stout and McKowen were key parts of the best four-year stretch in Panther basketball history, a span of three NCAA Tourney bids and four winning seasons. Along with Ben Jacobson (the player) and Eric Coleman, they were part of the group that brought consistent winning to the Cedar Valley for the first time.
Luckily for UNI, Coleman returns for his senior season hungry to get back to the NCAA Tourney. A second-team All-Valley selection last year, he averaged nearly a double-double every night out (13 points, 9 boards) and was a presence in the paint.
Outside of Coleman, the faces will be unfamiliar to fans around the Valley. That doesn't mean you should expect UNI to fall back into the abyss, though. Seven-footer Jordan Eglseder and 6'-8" Adam Koch are talented, if young, backups for Coleman. Eglseder progressed nicely in his freshman campaign last year, although he needs to bulk up to really dominate against other big men. Koch, on the other hand, almost prefers to play 10-12 feet away from the basket. His shooting range makes defenders respect him and pulls them away from the lane, opening up rebounding lanes for his teammates.
The tandem of Eglseder and Koch could be potent next year. This year, they'll play the role of understudy to the starter, Coleman.
If the frontcourt is an exclamation point, the backcourt is a huge question mark. McKowen's departure leaves them with little experience at either guard spot, a fact that hasn't gone unnoticed by Coach Jacobson. Returning players Travis Brown, Jared Josten and Kwadzo Ahelegbe are joined by transfers Carlton Reed and Matt Culliver.
Reed, in particular, excites Panther fans. A Steve Alford recruit at Iowa, Reed was a solid player on the Hawkeyes' Big Ten Championship team two years ago. A 6'-4" guard with explosiveness around the rim and underrated quickness on defense, Reed will give the Panthers needed experience.
Will the influx of new guards be enough to return them to the Big Dance? It seems to me that with Coleman anchoring the post, simply getting competent play from their guards ought to help them win at least half their games. If their backcourt players can mature into a plus, this team could get to 18 or 19 wins. And if their backcourt can become a strength and carry the team through stretches when the frontcourt is neutralized by teams with solid post defenders, its feasible UNI could win 20 games and return to the NCAA tournament.
PREDICTION: 19-11, Fifth in the Valley.
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