Tweet
Thank You! to the class of 2020 Men’s Basketball players!
Weird ending to their college basketball careers with COVID and the - well, we won’t mention the MVC tourn-anyway- Here's a sad goodbye to some great Panthers who deserved a final postseason run! And since it looks like there will be a season in 20-21, let’s look at each Senior and how we will replace his contributions.
Isaiah Brown
Known for his defense, Isaiah added a significant offensive presence his senior year, shooting 38.6% from 3 and driving to the hoop. Isaiah seems to me to be one of the best panthers ever at running the floor after a turnover and stopping the easy layup. His senior year, his Box+/- was +2.3, playing about 33 minutes per game.
Replacing Isaiah on the floor
UNI ranked #126 last year in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency, so as the team, the defense has room for improvement. Replacing a key defensive player won’t be easy. It will have to be done as a team, and maybe that’s what’s needed anyway. The key defenders have to be Tywhon Pickford, Trae Burhow, and at some point, Tytan Anderson. Tytan will no doubt eventually take the key defensive position and a lot will depend on how quick he is to get there. Antwan Kimmons adds a powerful “I want that ball you’re dribbling” mentality, and perhaps attempting steals in 3/4 court becomes a part of the UNI defense for him and freshman Bowen Born. After all, neither Antwan nor Bowen are going to be defending the 3pt shot particularly well.
Justin Dahl
Justin might be the toughest-to-replace player on the squad. That might be surprising, since he played less than 5 minutes in 12 games and only played an average of 9 minutes per game. But he was a niche player and Coach Jacobson used him very effectively against big heavy centers. He had a respectable Box+/- of 2.4 his senior year. But in the two games he played the most, WVU and Colorado, he had Box+/- of +5.1 and +20.3. The WVU should have been a win* and a huge amount of the credit would have gone to Justin. Justin’s ability to defend that big center is often not needed, especially in MVC play, but would have been a vital key to facing certain teams in a NCAA tourney run.
Replacing Justin on the floor
Sadly, there’s no replacing Dahl in his niche, but that’s ok - the future's still bright with Austin Phyfe and Cole Henry under the bucket and roaming the point. Hard to say, not having seen Cole play, but he seems more similar to Austin than Dahl.
Spencer Haldeman
What a great Panther! At 30 minutes a game, he will leave a void. His 38.6% 3pt shooting has to be considered in light of the fact that so many of his shots were far deeper than 22ft.
Replacing Spencer on the floor
Nate Heise will fit effectively into Spencer’s void, but UNI is not at a loss for 3pt shooters. Trae, Noah, and AJ can all light it up. Bowen will no doubt contribute in time.
Luke McDonald
Another great Panther and fan favorite! LUUUUKE! Luke’s work in his junior season and his work behind the scenes in his senior season were huge. Like Justin, he will be replaced by Austin and Cole.
Lincoln Conrey
Though playing limited minutes, Lincoln was a big home-town fan favorite and his tenacity and teamwork will be missed!
What have I missed, Panther Fans?
*I really want to talk about “over the back” vs “undercutting,” but that’s another thread.
Weird ending to their college basketball careers with COVID and the - well, we won’t mention the MVC tourn-anyway- Here's a sad goodbye to some great Panthers who deserved a final postseason run! And since it looks like there will be a season in 20-21, let’s look at each Senior and how we will replace his contributions.
Isaiah Brown
Known for his defense, Isaiah added a significant offensive presence his senior year, shooting 38.6% from 3 and driving to the hoop. Isaiah seems to me to be one of the best panthers ever at running the floor after a turnover and stopping the easy layup. His senior year, his Box+/- was +2.3, playing about 33 minutes per game.
Replacing Isaiah on the floor
UNI ranked #126 last year in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency, so as the team, the defense has room for improvement. Replacing a key defensive player won’t be easy. It will have to be done as a team, and maybe that’s what’s needed anyway. The key defenders have to be Tywhon Pickford, Trae Burhow, and at some point, Tytan Anderson. Tytan will no doubt eventually take the key defensive position and a lot will depend on how quick he is to get there. Antwan Kimmons adds a powerful “I want that ball you’re dribbling” mentality, and perhaps attempting steals in 3/4 court becomes a part of the UNI defense for him and freshman Bowen Born. After all, neither Antwan nor Bowen are going to be defending the 3pt shot particularly well.
Justin Dahl
Justin might be the toughest-to-replace player on the squad. That might be surprising, since he played less than 5 minutes in 12 games and only played an average of 9 minutes per game. But he was a niche player and Coach Jacobson used him very effectively against big heavy centers. He had a respectable Box+/- of 2.4 his senior year. But in the two games he played the most, WVU and Colorado, he had Box+/- of +5.1 and +20.3. The WVU should have been a win* and a huge amount of the credit would have gone to Justin. Justin’s ability to defend that big center is often not needed, especially in MVC play, but would have been a vital key to facing certain teams in a NCAA tourney run.
Replacing Justin on the floor
Sadly, there’s no replacing Dahl in his niche, but that’s ok - the future's still bright with Austin Phyfe and Cole Henry under the bucket and roaming the point. Hard to say, not having seen Cole play, but he seems more similar to Austin than Dahl.
Spencer Haldeman
What a great Panther! At 30 minutes a game, he will leave a void. His 38.6% 3pt shooting has to be considered in light of the fact that so many of his shots were far deeper than 22ft.
Replacing Spencer on the floor
Nate Heise will fit effectively into Spencer’s void, but UNI is not at a loss for 3pt shooters. Trae, Noah, and AJ can all light it up. Bowen will no doubt contribute in time.
Luke McDonald
Another great Panther and fan favorite! LUUUUKE! Luke’s work in his junior season and his work behind the scenes in his senior season were huge. Like Justin, he will be replaced by Austin and Cole.
Lincoln Conrey
Though playing limited minutes, Lincoln was a big home-town fan favorite and his tenacity and teamwork will be missed!
What have I missed, Panther Fans?
*I really want to talk about “over the back” vs “undercutting,” but that’s another thread.