Northern Iowa – Building a Schedule

Jacobson Is Optimistic About the Season

(St. Louis, MO) – Repeating last season’s successes won’t be good enough for Northern Iowa’s basketball team. Ben Jacobson’s team (25-6, 14-4) won the regular season title but stumbled during Arch Madness. Now, the Panthers are looking for bigger things.

During this pandemic-altered summer and early fall, every college basketball team is scrambling to find non-conference games, manage their multi-team events and protect their players from coronavirus. When the NCAA announced an official start date to the season, it sparked a flurry of activity for coaching staffs.

Jacobson says Associate Head Coach Kyle Green is working tirelessly, developing a scheduling. UNI is making progress and Jacobson thinks they have four games locked up, but obviously they are looking for more. Current games include one home game (unnamed opponent) and contests with Richmond, Marshall and New Mexico State.

 

 

UNI was scheduled play in the Cayman Islands MTE, which has moved to Niceville, Florida. Northern Iowa’s participation there is unlikely. Jacobson is looking into possible events in Nashville and Indianapolis with the priority on finding high-level opponents.

Panthers are Poised

Northern Iowa returns two, all-conference players in ‘Player of the Year’ A.J. Green and Austin Phyfe. Forming a ‘big-three’ is talented wing Trae Berhow. The 6’5 junior averaged 12.5 points while making 45% of his long distance shots. They are the nucleus.

Sophomores Antwan Kimmons and Noah Carter seem ready to lead the next wave of UNI success. They were role players last season. Kimmons earned Jacobson’s trust by playing solid defense and making efficient offensive plays. Carter showed flashes of offensive talent and after an offseason of getting in better shape, could be UNI’s ‘surprise player’.

 

 

Jacobson was able to sign Iowa’s ‘Mr. Basketball for the second time in three years. Bowen Born scored over 2,400 career points and last year, averaged 36 points per game. Jacobson thinks he has four very solid guards in Green, Born, Kimmons and freshman Nate Heise.

The Panthers haven’t been scrimmaging, but are getting significant work done in the weight room and on the court. Jacobson is being patient with practices and is preaching patience about how the season will unfold.

 

 

The Loyola Rivalry

Northern Iowa and Loyola have a growing and respectful rivalry. Last year the two heavy-weights split their regular season games. They were both decided in overtime. Over the past four years the teams have played  nine times. While Loyola has won seven of those contests, seven have either been decided by six or fewer points or gone into overtime.

Valley schedule makers have noticed. The squads finished one-two last year and they play one another on this season’s final day.

Jacobson enjoys their respectful rivalry.

“All of them, except maybe one, have come down to the last play,” said Jacobson. “We look forward to those games. Porter and I have become good friends. Our guys have a great deal of respect for the way that they play and how they execute. I look forward to those games as much as any we play, because it’s going to be highly competitive.”

The ‘Dean’ of the Valley coaches is optimistic. He believes the season will happen and that his team has a chance to be truly special. He is also realistic. Coronavirus interruptions are likely, but Jacobson says his team, the MVC and the NCAA have good plans in place.

Our full interview is at Valley Hoops Insider Podcasts. During that interview we discuss pandemic protocols, UNI’s latest racial injustice initiatives and other members of Jacobson’s team.

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