Lucas O'Rear's injury already costing Northern Iowa

The most under reported news item of the past week was Lucas O'Rear, Northern Iowa's burly (and bearded), fracturing his ankle on Wednesday night. The injury requires surgery and will ended O'Rear's season and career at Northern Iowa.

The big Irishman isn't the Panthers best player. At 6'6", 260 lb, he looks more like a bartender at your friendly neighborhood O'McSally's than a basketball player for a team that made the Sweet 16 last season. He doesn't score all that many points (6.9 per game) and doesn't grab all that many rebounds (5.7 per, although that leads the team), but what he provides doesn't get tabulated in a box score.

O'Rear is a leader on that team. He's an experienced player -- he was a integral part of that trip to the Sweet 16 team last season -- that provides toughness and physicality on the block. He doesn't need or want the ball. He's fine pushing around opposing big men, setting picks, diving on the floor, and doing the dirty work around the rim.

Every team needs a player like that, especially if you want to compete in the ultra-competitive Missouri Valley Conference.

Evidence?

Today's game at Drake. The Panthers lost to the Bulldogs 72-69. That is the same Drake team that had lost six of their last eight games, with the only two wins coming against Southern Illinois and Illinois State. Its also the same Drake team that lost by 20 -- and you don't lose by 20 in the Valley, every game is close -- to Northern Iowa just two weeks ago.

The loss dropped the Panthers two full games behind Wichita State in the loss column in the Valley standings. With only five games left on their schedule, the Panthers now look like a long shot to win the Valley's regular season title.