Which Direction for Northern Iowa?

(St. Louis, MO) – Is Northern Iowa climbing the ladder or settling in? Are the Panthers the new power of the Missouri Valley Conference or have they hit their peak and will now become just a ‘good Valley team’?

No one has won more big games and produced as many marquee players as Ben Jacobson and UNI. No coach is more respected in America’s second oldest conference than ‘Jake the Giant Killer’ and yet, the program has spent the past two years watching their win total go down and their RPI numbers go up.

The high water mark of 31 wins in 2015 was an amazing, Seth Tuttle-led team that battled Wichita State for the regular season title and then triumphed at Arch Madness, heading for the NCAA Tournament.

In 2016 a Wes Washpun jumper with no time left sent the Panthers to the Big Dance once again. In both of the seasons UNI won an opening round game before succumbing in the second round. Northern Iowa finished 2016 with 23 wins.

Last season’s win total of 14 games was the lowest in Cedar Falls since 2002. Nine conference wins (out of 18 games) tied for the lowest in the Jacobson era, which has happened four times in 11 seasons.

So with largely the same cast back from last season, minus do-everything win Jeremy Morgan, but the return of Wyatt Lohaus, are the Panthers bouncing back or have they settled in? With the ascension of Loyola, Illinois State and league preseason favorite Missouri State are the Panthers capable of playing in that top tier of the league?

In full disclosure, for MidMajorMadness.com I picked them second to the Bears. The Valley coaches and beat writers did too, so questioning their capabilities might seem ludicrous, but UNI has something to prove this season and it starts on the defensive end of the floor.

Jacobson preaches defense, defense and then more defense, but he told me last year’s team did not play Panther defense.

 

 

Northern Iowa uncharacteristically struggled shooting the three last year (.326) and that problem should be solved. Lohaus’ return should help and the expected improvement from Juwan McCloud and the addition of Adam McDermott are keys to that improvement.

Jacobson says Lohaus’ return is huge for the team looking for perimeter leadership and that McCloud has looked like a different player in preseason workouts. He calls McDermott (Doug’s cousin) an outstanding long distance shooter.

 

 

This team, however belongs to the two ‘bigs’, Bennett Koch and Klint Carlson. Both players were named to the Valley’s preseason all-conference team. The 6’9 Koch (11.0 ppg & 3.8 rpg) was a first-teamer and the 6’7 Carlson (8.3 ppg & 4.9 rpg) was slotted on the second.

Both have shown flashes of being dominating players, but they’ve each lacked the consistency Jacobson is looking for in a championship caliber player.

As a sophomore Carlson looked as though he was ready to take off and become one of the most explosive players in the Valley. His junior year, did not go as planned. He shot just .253 from long distance and never quite lived up to expectations. Jacobson says his confidence took a hit and has been regaining that confidence with long summer hours in the gym.

With lesser expectations on his junior year, Koch seemed to emerge.

Jacobson says this year’s Panther team will go as far as the two senior forwards will take them, and he adds, both of his seniors are in the best shape of their lives.

 

 

Jacobson is very high on freshman guard Tywhon Pickford and junior college transfer Miles Wentzien and believes they will contribute significantly. The 12-year head coach simply raved about the growth in the sophomore McCloud and believes he will be a difference maker.

So which direction for Northern Iowa? I believe north. The Bears of Missouri State and the Panthers should have some epic battles this season.

Do Good