ISU will have to match UNI?s hunger for victory
With the Missouri Valley Conference as it presently stands, there?s not another program than has more reasons to be proud in its recent past than Northern Iowa does.
The Panthers have been to the NCAA Tournament four times in Ben Jacobson?s 12 seasons, twice advancing out of the opening round, once making a memorable run to the Sweet 16. No coach is more respected than Jacobson is in the Valley.
So to have UNI come to Indiana State at Hulman Center tonight with an 0-4 conference record and a six-game losing streak? It?s jarring and unexpected.
It also makes the proud Panthers very dangerous. No one expects UNI to stay in the league basement, which the Panthers have sole possession of at present. That means the Sycamores will have to be on-guard not only to fix what has ailed them in a 2-2 MVC start, but to also be ready to absorb UNI?s best punch from a team desperate to end their skid.
?We know they?re going to try and come in here and get their first win. We know we just have to play hard. No game is easy in the conference,? ISU point guard Jordan Barnes said.
What?s held UNI (8-8 overall) back in conference play is a collapse offensively and on the boards.
The Panthers play at a deliberate pace, and that?s always held their per game averages down, but pace-independent statistics don?t paint a good picture either.
In conference play, UNI is converting just 37.5 percent of its field goals, a full four percentage points below ninth-place Valparaiso. UNI is also last in 3-point shooting at 29.6 percent.
The Panthers are getting hammered on the boards too. UNI has a minus-6.2 rebounding margin in conference games.
?In the league, they just haven?t made shots. I think in some of their bigger nonconference games they were knocking down shots at a higher percentage. Lately? They just haven?t been going. It?s our job to keep that percentage low and make them take tough, contested shots,? ISU coach Greg Lansing said.
However, in other respects, it?s the same old UNI. The Panthers, with veteran forwards Bennett Koch and Klint Carlson, still make it tough for opponents inside the arc.
The Panthers rank sixth nationally in 2-point field goal as opponents have converted 40.9 percent inside the arc. In conference play, MVC teams have made just 39.6 percent of their two-pointers.
?I watch Northern Iowa and they look like the same Northern Iowa team. I think other than Bradley in the last 10 minutes, they?ve been in games just like we have. We know they?ll be well-prepared whether they?re 4-0 or 0-4,? Lansing said.
The notion that ISU (7-9 overall) has to rise to competitiveness than UNI will likely bring to the table was one that wasn?t warmly received by all of the Sycamores. At 2-2, they feel like they?ve left two would-be wins on the table in an overtime loss at Illinois State and a three-point home loss to Drake in which the Sycamores started too slowly.
Several players said that they have their own things to be hungry about and that they can?t get pre-occupied with UNI?s desire to get over the hump.
?We?re kind of desperate ourselves. We didn?t play the last game like the way we needed to play and we lost on our home court. We don?t overlook anybody. We have a lot of things to work on ourselves as far as individually, paying attention to details and all of those little things we need to focus on. I wouldn?t say we?ll be too focused on them, we?ll be focused on those details so we can fix ourselves,? ISU swingman Qiydar Davis said.
?We can?t overlook any teams because of their record. I told the team that before the season started. A team may look like they?re 7-20 or something, but they?re not. We have to play hard every night, no matter what the record says they are,? ISU center Brandon Murphy said.
ISU may be dealing with some absences. Center Emondre Rickman and guard Demonte Ojinnaka missed practice time this week with illnesses. Forward Devin Thomas is also expected to be out.
Guard Trey Knight, who hasn?t played since Dec. 22, is out for the season as he will have surgery on his hip next Monday.
ISU split the season series with UNI last year and the overall series is tied at 27 wins apiece.
With the Missouri Valley Conference as it presently stands, there?s not another program than has more reasons to be proud in its recent past than Northern Iowa does.
The Panthers have been to the NCAA Tournament four times in Ben Jacobson?s 12 seasons, twice advancing out of the opening round, once making a memorable run to the Sweet 16. No coach is more respected than Jacobson is in the Valley.
So to have UNI come to Indiana State at Hulman Center tonight with an 0-4 conference record and a six-game losing streak? It?s jarring and unexpected.
It also makes the proud Panthers very dangerous. No one expects UNI to stay in the league basement, which the Panthers have sole possession of at present. That means the Sycamores will have to be on-guard not only to fix what has ailed them in a 2-2 MVC start, but to also be ready to absorb UNI?s best punch from a team desperate to end their skid.
?We know they?re going to try and come in here and get their first win. We know we just have to play hard. No game is easy in the conference,? ISU point guard Jordan Barnes said.
What?s held UNI (8-8 overall) back in conference play is a collapse offensively and on the boards.
The Panthers play at a deliberate pace, and that?s always held their per game averages down, but pace-independent statistics don?t paint a good picture either.
In conference play, UNI is converting just 37.5 percent of its field goals, a full four percentage points below ninth-place Valparaiso. UNI is also last in 3-point shooting at 29.6 percent.
The Panthers are getting hammered on the boards too. UNI has a minus-6.2 rebounding margin in conference games.
?In the league, they just haven?t made shots. I think in some of their bigger nonconference games they were knocking down shots at a higher percentage. Lately? They just haven?t been going. It?s our job to keep that percentage low and make them take tough, contested shots,? ISU coach Greg Lansing said.
However, in other respects, it?s the same old UNI. The Panthers, with veteran forwards Bennett Koch and Klint Carlson, still make it tough for opponents inside the arc.
The Panthers rank sixth nationally in 2-point field goal as opponents have converted 40.9 percent inside the arc. In conference play, MVC teams have made just 39.6 percent of their two-pointers.
?I watch Northern Iowa and they look like the same Northern Iowa team. I think other than Bradley in the last 10 minutes, they?ve been in games just like we have. We know they?ll be well-prepared whether they?re 4-0 or 0-4,? Lansing said.
The notion that ISU (7-9 overall) has to rise to competitiveness than UNI will likely bring to the table was one that wasn?t warmly received by all of the Sycamores. At 2-2, they feel like they?ve left two would-be wins on the table in an overtime loss at Illinois State and a three-point home loss to Drake in which the Sycamores started too slowly.
Several players said that they have their own things to be hungry about and that they can?t get pre-occupied with UNI?s desire to get over the hump.
?We?re kind of desperate ourselves. We didn?t play the last game like the way we needed to play and we lost on our home court. We don?t overlook anybody. We have a lot of things to work on ourselves as far as individually, paying attention to details and all of those little things we need to focus on. I wouldn?t say we?ll be too focused on them, we?ll be focused on those details so we can fix ourselves,? ISU swingman Qiydar Davis said.
?We can?t overlook any teams because of their record. I told the team that before the season started. A team may look like they?re 7-20 or something, but they?re not. We have to play hard every night, no matter what the record says they are,? ISU center Brandon Murphy said.
ISU may be dealing with some absences. Center Emondre Rickman and guard Demonte Ojinnaka missed practice time this week with illnesses. Forward Devin Thomas is also expected to be out.
Guard Trey Knight, who hasn?t played since Dec. 22, is out for the season as he will have surgery on his hip next Monday.
ISU split the season series with UNI last year and the overall series is tied at 27 wins apiece.
