Age is catching up with Ben Jacobson.
"I'm getting old,'' said Jacobson, 22, Northern Iowa's senior guard. "It's hard to believe they've moved out of Vets and on to a different place.''
Jacobson ended his high school career by leading Sioux City East to the State Class 4-A title in 2002 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines.
Just across Third Street is Wells Fargo Arena, where Jacobson starts the final season of his college basketball career today.
Drake plays Detroit at 4:05 p.m. today in the first basketball game ever at Wells Fargo Arena. Northern Iowa meets Western Carolina in the second game at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Both Drake and Detroit are celebrating their 100th seasons of basketball in 2005-06.
Drake coach Tom Davis heads into his third season with a deeper, more athletic team.
"Our consistency has been lacking,'' Davis said. "The more inconsistency we have, the deeper I'll be going on the bench to try and find somebody who is ready to play.''
Detroit was 14-16 last season, but got a boost when Michigan State transfer Brandon Cotton became eligible to play the second semester.
The Titans lost a one-point heartbreaker to Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the finals of the Horizon League Tournament, but it should help Detroit coach Perry Watson prepare for today's test.
Wisconsin-Milwaukee was coached by Bruce Pearl, a former Davis assistant who coaches the same frenetic style that Drake plays.
Cotton, a 6-foot guard, averaged 18.8 points last season and was a preseason first-team all-Horizon League pick.
"He's going to be a tough defensive challenge for us," Davis said.
One reason for Drake's improved athleticism is junior college transfer Ajay Calvin, a starting forward. Calvin is from Ecorse, Mich., a Detroit suburb, and was recruited by the Titans.
"I gave it some serious thought,'' said Calvin, who played at Butler Community College in Kansas last season. "My family is in Detroit. I just didn't want to be that close to home anymore. I wanted to get out and grow up."
Drake, 13-16 last season, hasn't had a winning record since 1987-88, or played in the postseason since 1986.
"We believe that we can make a postseason tournament,'' senior guard Chaun Brooks said. "That would be a heck of an accomplishment for a Drake team right now.''
Northern Iowa has won 21 games and been to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons.
With five starters back, the Panthers were the preseason pick to win the Missouri Valley Conference.
Jacobson said that playing two exhibition games helped the Panthers deal with all the hype surrounding the team.
"This is something we've never had to deal with,'' Jacobson said.
Western Carolina, 1-3 this season after Friday's home loss to South Carolina, is led by sophomore guard Antonio Russell's 14.3 points per game.
The Catamounts are coached by Larry Hunter, a finalist for the Northern Iowa job in 2001 when Greg McDermott was hired.
"It appears Western Carolina does a good job of trying to control the tempo,'' McDermott said. "We'll have to do what we can to see if we can play the game at the speed we'd like."
McDermott was at Vets to watch Jacobson play in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the 2002 state tournament, then caught the final on television.
"He just took the team on his back and made big shot after big shot,'' McDermott said. "Fortunately for us, he's continued that throughout his college career.''
McDermott never made the state tournament during his playing days at Cascade High School.
His best shot came as a senior in 1983, when Cascade took an 18-2 record into a substate final against Dyersville Beckman, only 6-13. Cascade lost. McDermott said he still hasn't gotten over it.
"Playing at Vets was always something I hoped would happen,'' McDermott said. "It never did. So I guess coaching in Wells Fargo Arena will have to take a close second.''
"I'm getting old,'' said Jacobson, 22, Northern Iowa's senior guard. "It's hard to believe they've moved out of Vets and on to a different place.''
Jacobson ended his high school career by leading Sioux City East to the State Class 4-A title in 2002 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines.
Just across Third Street is Wells Fargo Arena, where Jacobson starts the final season of his college basketball career today.
Drake plays Detroit at 4:05 p.m. today in the first basketball game ever at Wells Fargo Arena. Northern Iowa meets Western Carolina in the second game at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Both Drake and Detroit are celebrating their 100th seasons of basketball in 2005-06.
Drake coach Tom Davis heads into his third season with a deeper, more athletic team.
"Our consistency has been lacking,'' Davis said. "The more inconsistency we have, the deeper I'll be going on the bench to try and find somebody who is ready to play.''
Detroit was 14-16 last season, but got a boost when Michigan State transfer Brandon Cotton became eligible to play the second semester.
The Titans lost a one-point heartbreaker to Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the finals of the Horizon League Tournament, but it should help Detroit coach Perry Watson prepare for today's test.
Wisconsin-Milwaukee was coached by Bruce Pearl, a former Davis assistant who coaches the same frenetic style that Drake plays.
Cotton, a 6-foot guard, averaged 18.8 points last season and was a preseason first-team all-Horizon League pick.
"He's going to be a tough defensive challenge for us," Davis said.
One reason for Drake's improved athleticism is junior college transfer Ajay Calvin, a starting forward. Calvin is from Ecorse, Mich., a Detroit suburb, and was recruited by the Titans.
"I gave it some serious thought,'' said Calvin, who played at Butler Community College in Kansas last season. "My family is in Detroit. I just didn't want to be that close to home anymore. I wanted to get out and grow up."
Drake, 13-16 last season, hasn't had a winning record since 1987-88, or played in the postseason since 1986.
"We believe that we can make a postseason tournament,'' senior guard Chaun Brooks said. "That would be a heck of an accomplishment for a Drake team right now.''
Northern Iowa has won 21 games and been to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons.
With five starters back, the Panthers were the preseason pick to win the Missouri Valley Conference.
Jacobson said that playing two exhibition games helped the Panthers deal with all the hype surrounding the team.
"This is something we've never had to deal with,'' Jacobson said.
Western Carolina, 1-3 this season after Friday's home loss to South Carolina, is led by sophomore guard Antonio Russell's 14.3 points per game.
The Catamounts are coached by Larry Hunter, a finalist for the Northern Iowa job in 2001 when Greg McDermott was hired.
"It appears Western Carolina does a good job of trying to control the tempo,'' McDermott said. "We'll have to do what we can to see if we can play the game at the speed we'd like."
McDermott was at Vets to watch Jacobson play in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the 2002 state tournament, then caught the final on television.
"He just took the team on his back and made big shot after big shot,'' McDermott said. "Fortunately for us, he's continued that throughout his college career.''
McDermott never made the state tournament during his playing days at Cascade High School.
His best shot came as a senior in 1983, when Cascade took an 18-2 record into a substate final against Dyersville Beckman, only 6-13. Cascade lost. McDermott said he still hasn't gotten over it.
"Playing at Vets was always something I hoped would happen,'' McDermott said. "It never did. So I guess coaching in Wells Fargo Arena will have to take a close second.''
