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Posted on Mon, Jan. 24, 2005
Panthers move up with Iowa recruits
Signing guard Ben Jacobson helped move UNI into the MVC's top level.
BY ADAM KNAPP
The Wichita Eagle
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Coach Greg McDermott has nailed the secret to success at Northern Iowa: Get more players who are like him.
That is, recruit good Iowa prospects who are convinced you don't have to play at Iowa or Iowa State to be cool.
McDermott was himself one of those, a big-bodied, small-town kid from Cascade who ended up scoring 1,033 points at UNI.
"I think Iowa's a special state for high school basketball," said McDermott, whose Panthers host Wichita State tonight. "There are great high school coaches all over the country. But Iowa kids seem to come into college with a knowledge for the fundamentals that is somewhat unique."
Creighton coach Dana Altman realized that a long time ago.
When McDermott took over as UNI's coach for the 2001-02, Creighton was ruling the Missouri Valley Conference with Iowa kids. The 2002-03 Bluejays went 29-5 with four starters from Iowa, including two-time Valley Player of the Year Kyle Korver.
But meanwhile, McDermott quietly managed to pull off a signing that may well have shifted the Valley's power balance. He landed Ben Jacobson, a Sioux City native who was also being heavily recruited by Creighton.
Jacobson, a 6-foot-3 guard, was the Most Valuable Player of last season's Valley Tournament as a sophomore, averaging 20.3 points and shooting 56 percent over the three games. He scored 26 points in the championship game against Southwest Missouri State, and led the Panthers to their first NCAA Tournament in 14 years.
Once there, UNI lost by a mere five points to Georgia Tech, the eventual national runner-up.
This season, Jacobson totaled 40 points and 21 rebounds in UNI's games against Iowa and Iowa State. The Panthers routed Iowa State 99-82 and lost 76-73 at Iowa. With a 18.3-point average, he's the Valley's second-leading scorer.
"He was one of the first players to commit to us," McDermott said. "He was able to see there was a real need for him here, and that appealed to him. Obviously, he was a very important signing."
There have been others. Seven of the Panthers are Iowa natives, including starters Grant Stout and Brooks McKowen.
The Panthers' fundamental play is obvious on paper. They lead the Valley in field goal percentage with 50.8 -- which ranked fifth nationally entering last weekend -- as well as team assist-to-turnover ratio (plus-1.29 per game).
McKowen, from Fairbank, was on the Valley's all-freshman team last season. Stout, from New Sharon, averaged just 11.7 minutes last season. But he's now averaging double-figure scoring and is the Valley's second-leading shot-blocker (2.2 a game) as a sophomore.
The Panthers are just 4-3 in the Valley. But there are signs of future success. They start no seniors and center Eric Coleman, a Minnesota native who leads the Valley with a 60.7 field-goal percentage, is a freshman.
Plans are also in the works for the 7,000-seat McLeod Center, which means the Panthers won't have to play in an indoor football stadium anymore.
"We don't want last season's success to be a flash in the pan," McDermott said. "We wanted it to build some tradition. And that's started with keeping some of the best players in Iowa home. That's a very high priority."
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Adam Knapp covers Wichita State sports. Reach him at 268-6284 or [email protected].
Posted on Mon, Jan. 24, 2005
Panthers move up with Iowa recruits
Signing guard Ben Jacobson helped move UNI into the MVC's top level.
BY ADAM KNAPP
The Wichita Eagle
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Coach Greg McDermott has nailed the secret to success at Northern Iowa: Get more players who are like him.
That is, recruit good Iowa prospects who are convinced you don't have to play at Iowa or Iowa State to be cool.
McDermott was himself one of those, a big-bodied, small-town kid from Cascade who ended up scoring 1,033 points at UNI.
"I think Iowa's a special state for high school basketball," said McDermott, whose Panthers host Wichita State tonight. "There are great high school coaches all over the country. But Iowa kids seem to come into college with a knowledge for the fundamentals that is somewhat unique."
Creighton coach Dana Altman realized that a long time ago.
When McDermott took over as UNI's coach for the 2001-02, Creighton was ruling the Missouri Valley Conference with Iowa kids. The 2002-03 Bluejays went 29-5 with four starters from Iowa, including two-time Valley Player of the Year Kyle Korver.
But meanwhile, McDermott quietly managed to pull off a signing that may well have shifted the Valley's power balance. He landed Ben Jacobson, a Sioux City native who was also being heavily recruited by Creighton.
Jacobson, a 6-foot-3 guard, was the Most Valuable Player of last season's Valley Tournament as a sophomore, averaging 20.3 points and shooting 56 percent over the three games. He scored 26 points in the championship game against Southwest Missouri State, and led the Panthers to their first NCAA Tournament in 14 years.
Once there, UNI lost by a mere five points to Georgia Tech, the eventual national runner-up.
This season, Jacobson totaled 40 points and 21 rebounds in UNI's games against Iowa and Iowa State. The Panthers routed Iowa State 99-82 and lost 76-73 at Iowa. With a 18.3-point average, he's the Valley's second-leading scorer.
"He was one of the first players to commit to us," McDermott said. "He was able to see there was a real need for him here, and that appealed to him. Obviously, he was a very important signing."
There have been others. Seven of the Panthers are Iowa natives, including starters Grant Stout and Brooks McKowen.
The Panthers' fundamental play is obvious on paper. They lead the Valley in field goal percentage with 50.8 -- which ranked fifth nationally entering last weekend -- as well as team assist-to-turnover ratio (plus-1.29 per game).
McKowen, from Fairbank, was on the Valley's all-freshman team last season. Stout, from New Sharon, averaged just 11.7 minutes last season. But he's now averaging double-figure scoring and is the Valley's second-leading shot-blocker (2.2 a game) as a sophomore.
The Panthers are just 4-3 in the Valley. But there are signs of future success. They start no seniors and center Eric Coleman, a Minnesota native who leads the Valley with a 60.7 field-goal percentage, is a freshman.
Plans are also in the works for the 7,000-seat McLeod Center, which means the Panthers won't have to play in an indoor football stadium anymore.
"We don't want last season's success to be a flash in the pan," McDermott said. "We wanted it to build some tradition. And that's started with keeping some of the best players in Iowa home. That's a very high priority."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adam Knapp covers Wichita State sports. Reach him at 268-6284 or [email protected].