Northern Iowa may have to cut sports

Northern Iowa became the darlings of college basketball last season, making a memorable run to the Sweet 16, capped off by an unforgettable shot by The Sultan of Swish, Ali Farokhmanesh, that helped the Panthers eliminate Kansas.

But according to an article from Friday's Des Moines Register, the Panthers may be forced to drop their status as a member of Division I athletics.

The recession has hit a lot of schools hard. The University of New Orleans, for example, will be dropping all of their athletic programs from the D-I level to D-III. UNI is getting hurt as well, as they have already cut their century old baseball team, and that could just be the beginning.

This is one of the lasting images of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
(photo credit: ESPN)

Right now, the UNI athletics program receives $4.45 million of their $11.6 million -- or 38% -- budget from the University's general fund, a number that the school wants reduced to 30-35% by 2015. If the contributions the athletics department receives from the general fund dips much lower than it is right now, the results could be disappointing for athletes at the school. Colleges and Universities, at their core, are businesses, and business can only operate for so long in the red.

What's interesting, however, is that this article comes out just a month and a half after Dana O'Neil wrote this splendid piece on how beneficial the Farokhmanesh shot and the Panther's upset was for the University.

Look, going to college is not about partying or going to sporting events or trying to bring home as many sorority girls as possible. Its about getting an education, and getting the best one possible given your circumstances, monetary and academic. I get that.

But, when everything else is equal, for a very large population of high school seniors, the determining factor for picking a institution of higher learning will be the place with the more desirable extra-curriculars. Perfect example is a friend of mine who was picking law schools. His choices came down to Georgetown and Texas. The two schools both have very good law schools, and tuition for law school is never cheap. He picked Texas because of the nightlife in Austin and the Longhorn football and basketball games. And I guarantee he's not the only kid whose decision is made based on something as inconsequential to the real world as a school's athletics program.

I have no clue how to run a college or university, but that's the point that the UNI folks seem to be missing.

Farokhmanesh hit his game-winner on a Saturday night. How many students do you think had their best night on the semester on that Saturday? How many of those students do you think told all their friends about how great that night was? How many younger brothers and younger sisters, and the friends of those younger brothers and younger sisters, heard about how much fun that night was and immediately considered Northern Iowa as a school to get an education and to, for lack of a better term, party your ass off?

As O'Neil's article indicated, Farokhmanesh's shot and UNI's run to the Sweet 16 piqued interest in the school. In all likelihood, it will increase the number of kids that want to go to the school. Simply put, athletics that are competitive on a national level, especially for sports like basketball and football, are a way to increase the number and quality of students that want to enroll in your university.

Northern Iowa has one of the better basketball programs in the Missouri Valley, which is routinely one of the most competitive mid-major leagues. They also have a football program that is routinely one of the best in the country at the I-AA level.

It would be a shame to see them lose their sports programs.

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Ali Farokhmanesh surfaces in Switzerland

If anyone became the darling of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, it was Northern Iowa. More specifically, it was Ali "The Sultan of Swish" Farokhmanesh, a six-foot-nothing Iranian-American with a jumper.

It was Farokhmanesh who hit the game-winner against UNLV that sent UNI into a second round match-up with Kansas. And it was Farokhmanesh who hit the shot heard round the world, a clutch, terribly ill-advised three with 36 seconds left to put the Panthers up four and help seal a trip to the Sweet 16.


It was one of those moments that make the NCAA Tournament so great. Not just because it was an upset, or because it was a clutch shot, but because UNI was a team with no pros knocking off a Kansas team with four or five draft picks on it.

Well, let me rephrase that.

UNI had no NBA players.

Because two former Panthers -- MVC player of the year Adam Koch and Farokhmanesh -- signed contracts to play overseas. Koch will be heading to Nymburk, a town right outside of Prague, to play professionally in the Czech League.

As for Farokhmanesh?

He's headed to Switzerland, where he will play for a team in Massagano.

Now, this may not be as glorious as the NBA. Neither player will likely make as much money as Cole Aldrich or Xavier Henry, two Jayhawks that went in the lottery. But it is a professional career. And I don't think anyone would complain about making a living playing the sport they love.


We'll always have March 20th, 2010.

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Northern Iowa's Lucas O'Rear gets drafted...

Lucas O'Rear doesn't look like an athlete.

6'7" and a hefty 256 lbs with a curly mini-fro and mutton chops that would impress Ambrose Burnside, O'Rear looks like he belongs serving pints of Guinness at McMurphy's, not on a D1 scholarship. As one friend so aptly put it, O'Rear is "the Irishman of Irishmen".

Believe it or not, O'Rear is one of the best athletes in the country.

He looks like a baseball player, doesn't he?
(photo credit: Bleacher Report)

O'Rear has won back-to-back Missouri Valley sixth man of the year awards for Northern Iowa, helping this year's team to a national ranking, an MVC regular season and tournament title, and an upset of Kansas in the second round on the NCAA Tournament which propelled the Panthers to the Sweet 16.

Graceful? Nope. Pretty? Uh-uh. Explosive? Not a chance.

But it was O'Rear's grit and hard work that made him such a valued member of the team. Whether it was setting a pick, taking a charge, battling for position in the paint, or grabbing a rebound, O'Rear was the guy that did UNI's dirty work.

O'Rear was also a member of the UNI baseball team. I say 'was', because UNI no longer has a baseball team, a victim to budget cuts back in 2009. As a sophomore, O'Rear appeared in 10 games, carrying a 4.67 era in 17.1 innings, although he did strike out 15 hitters. He was also able to hit low-90's on the radar gun, which, despite not playing collegiate baseball during the 2010 season, was enough to get him workouts from Major League teams.

O'Rear expected to get scooped up somewhere in the late rounds of Tuesday's MLB draft.

The Cincinnati Reds grabbed him up in the 13th round.

"I never thought the 13th round was in the equation, no way," O'Rear told FanHouse Tuesday night. "I would like to think the Reds took a chance on me. I don't think it's really sunk in yet, kind of like after we beat Kansas. It's probably going to take a few days, but it's also going to be fun to see how far I can take this."

Ironically, he got the news while participating in an off-season workout for the basketball team.

O'Rear said that he will likely return to finish his basketball eligibility and get his degree, but that doesn't mean baseball isn't in his future. He could play in the Reds minor league system this summer if he was so inclined.

O'Rear is going to need to put in the work to build his arm strength back up, but that's expected when you are forced to miss an entire baseball season.

A broad, 6'7", mutton-chopped pitcher throwing in the 90's?

O'Rear may just have a future in baseball.

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2010 NCAA Tournament: Previewing the cinderellas: Pt. 1 Northern Iowa

(Ed. Note: First things first: don't call Butler or Xavier cinderellas.

Cinderellas are mid-major programs that string together an upset or two while making a surprise appearance in the tournament's second weekend.

Xavier is not a mid-major program. They haven't been in a long time. This is a team that is always in contention for at-large bids, conference championships, and top 100 recruits. Just because they play in a "mid-major" conference doesn't mean they are a mid-major program. Same with Gonzaga and Memphis. Butler is well on their way to reaching that level.

Washington is not a cinderella either. I have a tough time considering any major conference program a "cinderella" in the NCAA Tournament. But when that program, which was top 15 in the preseason, disappointed all season long, sneaking their way into the dance as an 11 seed after winning their conference tournament, they absolutely cannot be considered a cinderella.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way...)

This year's NCAA Tournament is chock full of cinderella stories. Only eight of the Sweet 16 teams were the highest seeded team in their first weekend pod. 11 different conferences are represented. There are still three double digit seeds and one nine seed left.

And three certified cinderella stories - Northern Iowa, St. Mary's, and Cornell.

Who can make it to the weekend in their glass slipper?

Northern Iowa: #9 seed, Midwest Region

• Why the slipper will fit: Defense.
  
  The Panthers probably have the easiest matchup of the Sweet 16 games. Michigan State has not been a great offensive team this year, and now they are playing without the one true point guard on their roster -- last year's Big Ten player of the year Kalin Lucas. Don't get me wrong, Korie Lucious is a talented basketball player. He can shoot Maryland found that out the hard way) and he can score. But is he a facilitator? When Lucas missed the Illinois game with an ankle injury, Lucious looked very uncomfortable setting up the Spartans in the half court. He turned the ball over six times and shot just 1-5 from the floor. He just isn't a natural playmaker.
  
  And if there is anything that Northern Iowa can do, it is defend. They have a bunch of tough, scrappy defenders on their team. They don't allow penetration and they take you out of what you want to do offensively. For a team dealing with leadership and focus issues, losing their star player and offensive focal point could be disastrous. Will someone from Michigan State step up and take charge?


• Why the slipper won't fit: Tom Izzo and the offensive glass
  
  There may not be a better "game" coach than Tom Izzo. From game-planning to late game management, I don't think there is another coach in the country I would want leading my team in March over Tom Izzo. It shows in the results. How often does Izzo make it farther than expected in March? Every season? His kids come ready to play, and this tournament is no different. Against both New Mexico State and Maryland, the Spartans jumped out to big leads before holding on down the stretch.
  
  And "ready to play" is going to be the key term for the Spartans. They aren't going to be getting many good opportunities for them to score, which means they will have to maximize the chances they get. Their best offense may actually be throwing up a shot and going to get the rebound. Michigan State is the sixth-best offensive rebounding team in the country, and against Northern Iowa they are going to have a decided athleticism advantage against the Panthers. Nothing against guys like Jordan Eglseder, Adam Koch, and Lucas O'Rear -- who are clearly all exceptional athletes, otherwise they wouldn't be scholarship players -- but Delvon Roe, Raymar Morgan, Durrell Summers, and Draymond Green are athletic freaks. MSU doesn't force many turnovers and could struggle in transition, making it all the more important to get easy baskets off of second chance opportunities.


• The BIAH Prediction: This game ends up somewhere in the 50's. A slugfest that is not the most watchable game, it comes down to a chessmatch in the final minutes between Ben Jacobson and Izzo, with Izzo winning. Is it too much to predict the game coming down to another three point attempt from the UNI-bomber, Ali Farokhmanesh?
  

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Northern Iowa locks up Jacobsen for a decade

I doubt that I'm the only one that made the "I wonder where Ben Jacobson will be coaching next year joke" as I watched Northern Iowa put the finishing touches on Kansas on Saturday.

Well, now we know.

Today, Jacobson agreed to a 10 year contract extension with Northern Iowa, locking him up through the 2020 season.

He got a raise as well, getting bump in salary from $289,000 to $450,000, with another $25,000 bump each year throughout the deal.

Jacobson deserves it. For the first time in program history, the Panthers are in the Sweet 16.

I guess Jacobson likes it at Northern Iowa. Stating the obvious, the contract is for a full decade. But the bigger issue is that this might have been Jacobson's best chance at a high-profile job, and there are a lot of places looking to hire, including Iowa. He loses MVC player of the year Adam Koch, 7'0" center Jordan Eglseder, and new SI cover boy Ali Farokhmanesh. While he won't be graduating everyone -- Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Jonny Moran, Lucas O'Rear and promising freshmen Jake Koch and Marc Sonnen all return -- the UNI program may never reach this level of publicity ever again.

But to each, his own. If Jacobson is happy at Northern Iowa and wants to stay there, more power to him. Its rare to find a coach that isn't chasing the bright lights and hefty paychecks that come with major conference coaching gigs.

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Ali Farokhmanesh, aka The Sultan of Swish, helps Northern Iowa upset Kansas

I don't think that I was the only one that assumed Kansas was going to win this game.

I'm not talking about in the pregame either.

I'm talking about after Northern Iowa had controlled the first 30 minutes of the game. I'm talking about after the Panthers had built a lead that grew as big as 12. I'm talking about after a Johnny Moran three with 4:07 left in this game put an end to a Jayhawk run and pushed the Panther lead back to 59-53. I'm talking about after an Adam Koch dunk in traffic made the score 63-56 with 1:17 left on the clock.

The biggest shot of Ali Farokhmanesh's life.
(photo credit: Gazette Online)

The Panthers, for 30 minutes, looked so poised and so composed, immune to the pressures of playing the No. 1 team in the country in March.

They controlled the pace of the game, calmly running their offense and protecting the ball. They routinely found the open man and, more importantly, hit shots when they were there. Defensively, they took the Jayhawks out of everything they wanted to do, stymieing an offense that was as efficient as any in the country this season.

That all changed in the last 10 minutes.

Kansas, clearly the more athletic team (and its not even close), threw on a press that rattled the Panthers. Instead of a slow-paced battle based on the ability to execute on both ends, the game turned into a haggard, up-and-down, glorified AAU game.

UNI lost their ability to play with the poise that allowed them to build the lead.

And the Jayhawks took full advantage.

The Panthers were unable to get the ball over half court. Every pass seemed destined to end up in the Jayhawks hands. There was no chance UNI was going to be able to hang on to this game.

That all changed thanks to the "Sultan of Swish".

Before I go any further, let me rewind to Thursday. UNI and UNLV were locked in a great game that was overshadowed by a day's worth of fantastic finishes. UNI had blown a late nine point lead against the Rebels, allowing UNLV to tie the game on an Oscar Bellfield three. On the ensuing possession, the Panthers didn't call a timeout, instead working the ball around UNLV's pressure before Ali Farokhmanesh found himself open 28 feet from the basket.

Yes, he was 28 feet from the hoop. Yes, he was open.

So he fired.

Swish.

Farokhmanesh buried the three with 4.9 seconds left and UNI would hold on to beat the Rebels and advance to face Kansas.

Fast-forwarding back to today, Kansas had scored six points in the blink of an eye to trim a 63-56 deficit to 63-62 on a Sherron Collins floater with just 42 seconds left on the clock. Following a Bill Self timeout, Kansas put their press back on. If you don't call Cedar Falls home, you probably expected the worst.

But Northern Iowa broke the press. Jake Koch inbounded the ball to Adam Koch, who avoided a trap sending the ball right back to his brother. Jake nearly threw the ball away as he hit Kwadzo Ahelegbe who then found Farokhmanesh up the sideline. Farokhmanesh was wide open on the three point line and, well, as they say, the rest is history:



Now lets call a spade, a spade.

That shot was idiotic.

Up one, 35 seconds left in the game, 28 on the shot clock, no offensive rebounders.

Simply put, you DO NOT take that shot.

But the "Sultan of Swish" did. And he swished it.

It takes stones to take that shot. It takes stones to make that shot. Shots like that are the reason that March Madness is called March "Madness". Shots like that are what makes this month the best month of the year. Shots like that are what makes legends out of Iranian-Americans playing for a mid-major team in a state known for their corn, not their hoops.

Farokhmanesh is not going to be on an NBA roster. Ever. A six-foot-nothing guard that can't do much other than shoot it is not a pro prospect. He doesn't have agents knocking down his door. Draft Express not only doesn't have a profile for Farokhmanesh, they probably have never heard of him.

Ten years down the road, there may be 30 guys playing in this tournament that will be cashing NBA checks.

But Farokhmanesh's shot -- well, shots -- are going to be what people remember from this tournament.

And if they're not, then we all have something to look forward too.
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BracketBusters actually worked, the teams that needed wins just didn't win

BracketBusters weekend did not exactly have the outcome that many believed it would this year.

Instead of mid-major teams playing their way into the tournament, the consensus seems to be that the bubble teams that did participate in the event only hurt their chances of earning an at-large bid. With the outcome of so many games going against the teams on the bubble, the big winners of the weekend were teams like St. Mary's, UConn, and Mississippi State; teams that vaulted up a few spots on the bubble thanks to the losses of the BracketBusting mid-majors.



All this has led to some talk of the BracketBusters system being imperfect.

Its not.

Think about it. For a mid-major playing in BracketBusters, it is really no different than playing one of the best teams from your conference. Is there all that big of a difference between Old Dominion losing at Northern Iowa and losing at a William & Mary or Northeastern? Is Wichita State losing at Utah State any worse than if they lost at Northern Iowa or Illinois State?

If there is not BracketBusters, then where do these mid-majors go to fill that game? Do they schedule a middle-of-the-pack power conference team to play on the road? If you are looking to solidify a resume, would you rather play Butler or Alabama? Northern Iowa or Seton Hall?

More than anything, the bottom line is that the BracketBuster game is just one game. And one game is not going to make or break a team's resume.

Butler beat Siena in a brunch-time tipoff on Saturday.
(photo credit: SBRSports)

There were four teams on the bubble that lost their BracketBusters game - Old Dominion, William & Mary, Siena, and Wichita State. How much of an effect did the loss really have on their at-large chances?

• Old Dominion lost at Northern Iowa on Friday night. Northern Iowa has three losses all season, none of which came at home. They are currently sitting at 15th in the RPI. This is a team that is rated as high as a six seed according to some of the mock brackets that have come out. There is no shame in losing to Northern Iowa on the road, and its a loss that should have a minimal effect on the Monarch's seeding. If they had won, however, it would have been ODU's second best win of the season. As it is, ODU still probably needs to win three games - two regular season, at least one in the CAA tourney - if they want to feel at all comfortable on Selection Sunday. I probably would have said the same thing before the Northern Iowa game.
  
• Siena lost at Butler on Saturday in a situation similar to Old Dominion's. Before this game, Siena was probably not going to get an at-large bid. That's what happens when you don't have a win against anyone in the RPI top 50. If they had pulled off the upset in Hinkle Fieldhouse, it might have been enough to give the Saints some insurance should they get upset in the MAAC Tournament. If Siena really wanted to gripe, they should be mad at themselves for losing at Niagara and blowing their best chance at an at-large bid - going undefeated in league play.
• Wichita State lost at Utah State late on Saturday night. Even with a win, the Shockers were a long shot to make the field thanks to a disappointing few weeks in the MVC, which included a loss to Evansville. The win did help Utah State so long as the Shockers finish the season strong. WSU is currently sitting at 50th in the RPI, giving the Aggies their second top 50 win.
• William & Mary was the only team that really suffered in BracketBusters, as they lost to Iona on the road. The loss may have been the end of the Pride's at-large chances. William & Mary may have the best non-conference resume for mid-major bubble teams - beating Richmond at home and Maryland and Wake Forest on the road. To be honest, I don't feel bad for W&M. They wouldn't be in this predicament if they had beaten UNC-Wilmington at home or James Madison on the road, two teams that are 4-12 in the CAA. Or, and this may be a crazy thought, they could have simply beaten Iona.
  

The bottom line? No matter who you play, you must win games to make the tournament.

Old Dominion, Siena, and Wichita State lost games that would have helped their tournament resume. William & Mary lost a game it should have won. If ODU and Siena had both won, and that win helped the two teams to earn an at-large bid, people would be singing a much different tune about BracketBusters.

So until a situation arises in which a team winning their BracketBusters game has a negative effect on their tournament resume, I think BracketBusters is working just fine.

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UNI's Jordan Eglseder arrested for drunk driving

Northern Iowa's season couldn't have been going much better.

Heading into Saturday's game at Bradley, the Panthers were 22-2 on the season and 13-1 in the Valley. A win, and UNI would clinch their first outright MVC title.

The Braves had other ideas. After trailing 32-23 at the break, Bradley turned up the defense, going on an 11-0 run to open the half as Northern Iowa missed their 10 of their first 11 shots from the floor. Andrew Warren would score all of his 15 points in the second half as the Braves held Jordan Eglseder without a second half field goal in outscoring the Panthers 45-27 over the final 20 minutes.

Jordan Eglseder is not a small person.
(photo credit: Wash Post)

But that wasn't their worst loss on Saturday.

Eglseder, the Panther's seven foot center that is second on the team in scoring, first in rebounding, and is the anchor inside offensively as not many Valley teams can matchup with the big fella, was nabbed for drunk driving early Sunday morning. He will be suspended for three games.

"Jordan used extremely poor judgment and as a result has let down himself, his teammates, his fellow students, as well as our alumni and fans," Panthers coach Ben Jacobson said in the press release. "I am highly disappointed in Jordan and his actions."

Eglseder will miss home games against Creighton and Old Dominion in a bracketbuster's matchup before a roadie against Evansville.

The loss to Bradley probably won't have much of an effect on UNI's bid to win the MVC outright. They need just one win to clinch, and even without their center, the Panthers at the very least should be able to handle Evansville, who is 1-14 in the league.

But it will put a crimp into the Panther's hope for an at-large bid.

UNI does not have a lot of great wins this season. They've only played one team in the RPI top 50, a win over Siena, and have won 15 games against teams with an RPI outside of the top 100. They cannot afford another loss is they want some tournament security on the chance they get upset in the MVC Tournament.

That will be all the more difficult playing without Eglseder.

"I made a regretful decision last night," Eglseder said in the press release. "I want to apologize to my teammates as well as everyone who supports our basketball program. In particular, our student body, our fans and the University. I deeply regret my actions."

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Complete list of the Bracket Buster matchups

On Monday, ESPN released their schedule of televised Bracket Buster games, and we got a couple of very good ones. If you are planning on filling out a bracket (which, if you read this site, is probably true multiple times over), than this is a pretty big weekend for you. Upsets are what make the tournament exciting, but not just because everyone loves an underdog story.

We do.

Watching Stephen Curry carry undermanned Davidson to within a shot of the Final Four is the stuff Disney movies legends are made of.

But lets not kid ourselves. The reason upsets are so exciting is because you called that 12 seed beating that 5 seed; or you picked the 4 seed that's about to lose to a 13 seed to make the Elite 8; or you thought that 10 seed would beat that 2 seed. The key to winning a bracket is predicting those upsets. Everyone had UNC making the Final Four last season, but it was the guy that had Arizona in the Sweet 16, Dayton beating West Virginia, and Wisconsin getting past Florida State that probably won money.

So what is so great about Bracket Busters weekend?

It allows the nation a chance to see the team's that will make or break our brackets. Bragging rights will be earned and money will be made by the people that take Saturday to enjoy some of the best mid-major hoops in the country. Hit the jump for the full breakdown of games.


Games with Bubble implications

• 2/19 - 7:00 pm: Old Dominion @ Northern Iowa (ESPN2): Barring a collapse, Northern Iowa is in. They are 20-2 on the season and 10-1 in the MVC, with their only loss coming at a Wichita State, another bubble team with one of the best home courts in the country. Old Dominion, on the other hand, has a little bit of work to do to feel safe. The Monarchs are 17-6 on the season, but they don't exactly have any bad losses. The worst, believe it or not, is probably to Mississippi State. They are 9-2 in the CAA, but those losses came at George Mason and at Northeastern, the two other teams competing for the CAA title. They've knocked off Georgetown and William & Mary on the road as well. The Monarchs still could earn an at-large bid if they lose to UNI with a strong finish in league play, but beating a team on the road with an RPI in the top 20 is always a good thing.


• 2/20 - 11:00 am: Siena @ Butler (ESPNU): I feel like I could just retype the previous preview, exchange Butler with Northern Iowa and Siena with Old Dominion, and nothing would change. Butler should be in. They are 18-4, they have a top 20 RPI, and if the regular season has shown us anything, they shouldn't have a problem cruising to a win in their conference tournament. Siena, on the other hand, whiffed on all of their chances for a signature win. But they have no bad losses (at Temple, at Georgia Tech, at Northern Iowa, only vs. St. John's is questionable), an RPI in the 40's, and a 13 game winning streak. There is a shot that they could still get in even with a loss, and will definitely be the favorites to win the MAAC Tournament, but I'm sure every Saints fan will like to see them pad that resume a little bit.


• 2/20 - 11:59 pm: Wichita State @ Utah State (ESPN2): If you want an idea of how weak the bubble is this season, both the Shockers and the Aggies have a shot at earning an at-large bid this season. The Shockers probably have the better chance at making a run to a bid, simply because they get another shot an Northern Iowa on Wednesday. They probably need to sweep UNI (they beat them in their first meeting at home earlier in the season) and pick up the win at Utah State if they want any serious consideration. The Aggies have a very nice win over BYU, but other than that they have not played much of anyone. The WAC probably doesn't warrant an at-large bid this season, but if anyone is going to get it, it will be USU. To do that, however, the Aggies are probably going to have to win out.
  

Other televised games

• 2/19 - 9:00 pm: William & Mary @ Iona (ESPN2)
  
• 2/20 - 12:00 pm: Morgan State @ Murray State (ESPNU)
• 2/20 - 1:00 pm: Louisiana Tech @ Northeastern (ESPN2)
• 2/20 - 3:00 pm: Nevada @ Missouri State (ESPN2)
• 2/20 - 4:00 pm: Akron @ VCU (ESPNU)
• 2/20 - 8:00 pm: Charleston @ George Mason (ESPN2)
• 2/20 - 8:00 pm: Western Carolina @ Kent State (ESPNU)
  
• 2/20 - 10:00 pm: New Mexico State @ Pacific (ESPNU)

Non-televised games: These games have not had their times or dates announced by the schools as of yet. They will be trickling out over the course of the next week or so.

Tennessee Tech at Appalachian State
Oral Roberts at Austin Peay
Tennessee-Martin at Ball State
California-Davis at Boise State
Valparaiso at Bowling Green
Drexel at Bradley
Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at Cal State Fullerton
Drake at Cal State Northridge
Marist at California-Irvine
Youngstown State at California-Riverside
Fresno State at California-Santa Barbara
James Madison at Canisius
Tennessee State at Central Michigan
Toledo at Cleveland State
Loyola (Ill.) at Creighton
Boston University at Delaware
Eastern Michigan at Detroit
Northern Illinois at Eastern Illinois
Winthrop at Eastern Kentucky
Illinois-Chicago at Evansville
Elon at Gardner-Webb
South Carolina State at Georgia State
Cal Poly at Hawaii
Rider at Hofstra
Long Beach State at Idaho
Morehead State at Illinois State
Presbyterian at Jacksonville State
New Hampshire at Loyola (Md.)
Towson at Manhattan
Southeast Missouri at Miami (Oh.)
San Jose State at Montana State
Wright State at Ohio
North Carolina-Wilmington at Radford
Buffalo at Saint Peter's
Western Michigan at Southern Illinois
Fairfield at Vermont
Indiana State at Wisconsin-Green Bay
Niagara at Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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Tuesday's Shootaround: Purdue wins a dogfight, Cinci knocks off Vandy, and the Pac-10 struggles some more

Purdue 73, Tennessee 72: The Boilermakers won a great game in the finals of the Paradise Jam as Wayne Chism, who had 24 points and 6 boards, missed a wide-open three from the top of the key as time expired. E'Twuan Moore had 22 to lead the Boilermakers. A back-and-forth game throughout, Purdue used a 8-0 sparked by Moore to take a 64-59 lead, eventually pushing it to 72-66 with 2:13 left. But Tennessee would get back into it by getting a couple stops, a couple easy baskets, and catching a break as Purdue missed three of four free throws, setting up the final possession.

Tennessee's final shot was a bit questionable. Sure, Chism can knock down a three, but is that really the shot you want when you are down one point on the final possession? And why doesn't Tyler Smith touch the ball on the final possession? This poor decision making is just one example of why people don't have a ton of faith in this Tennessee team.

E'Twuan Moore scored 22 points to lead Purdue.
(photo credit: AP/Brennan Linsley)

As I said, this was a dogfight between two teams that rely on their defense. Where the Vols use a full court press to try and force turnovers, the Boilermakers play an extended man-to-man defense in the half court. It really was a pleasure watching the contrast of styles, as both teams left everything they had on the floor.

Purdue really battled foul trouble in the first half, which resulted in Robbie Hummell having to play some time at the five spot. It also forced a lot of minutes to be played by Barlow, who was helping to fill in for the injured Lewis Jackson. Barlow, who is not a point guard, played a valiant 16 minutes, with a couple of really pretty assists while playing excellent defense on Bobby Maze and Melvin Goins.


Maui Invitational:

• Gonzaga 76, Colorado 72: The Zags found themselves down 36-21 midway through the first half of this one as the Buffaloes caught fire from beyond the arc in the first half, hitting seven of their first nine from deep. But the second half was a different story as Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray, who combined for 48 points, took this game over. Gray had 27 points on the night but it was Bouldin who took this thing over. He finished with 21 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists, but down the stretch he made so many big baskets and free throws while protecting the ball and setting up teammates. He proved last night why I think he is one of the best guards in the country. Cory Higgins had 19 points for Colorado.
• Cincinnati 67, Vanderbilt 58: Well, at least you saw what this Cinci team is going to be. They are not the most talented team, and far from the prettiest. What the Bearcats are going to do is wear you out with tough, physical defense while crashing the glass on the offensive end (they had three tip dunks yesterday). And with talents like Deonta Vaughn, Lance Stephenson, and Cashmere Wright on the perimeter, Cincinnati is going to be able to score enough to win quite a few games. Vandy looked unimpressive. Jeff Taylor is still not much more than an athlete, AJ Ogilvy is soft and gets pushed around by more physical big men, and the Commodores just looked lost offensively. They were just 14-51 from the field (27.5%) and had only five assists. John Jenkins, their freshman shooter, looks like he will be a star, however, once Vandy figures out how to use him more effectively.
• Maryland 79, Chaminade 51: Greivis Vasquez struggled once again, finishing with just 6 points on 2-7 shooting, but Sean Mosley and Eric Hayes picked up the slack. Mosley had 19 points and 8 boards, while Hayes aded 12 and 5 assists. The Terps advance to face Cinci.
• Wisconsin 65, Arizona 61: Trevon Hughes led the Badgers with 24 points, 7 boards, 5 steals, and 3 assists as the Badgers held on against a young Arizona team. Wisconsin was up 31-23 at the half, but the Cats were able to battle back and tie the game at 55. After two Hughes free throws with 2 minutes left, Keaton Nankivil had two dunks sandwiched around a Jamelle Horne three pointer. Arizona would come away empty on their next possession, and the Badgers made four of six free throws down the stretch to ice it. Nic Wise had 13 points, but was just 3-12 from the field. Freshman Derrick Williams scored 25 points, but could have had more as he was just 13-21 from the line.
  

Paradise Jam

• Northern Iowa 81, Boston College 69: Kwadzo Ahlegbe scored 20 of his 32 points in the second half as the Panthers outscored the Eagles 43-28 after halftime. On the night, the Panthers were 35-54 from the floor, shooting 65%. Ahlegbe was 14-17.
  
• DePaul 58, St. Joe's 51: The Blue Demons played without big man Mac Kowshal, their leading scorer and rebounder, but still managed to beat St. Joe's while holding their fourth straight opponent under 60 points. Will Walker had 25 points and 7 boards.
  

CBE Classic

• Texas 85, Iowa 60: The Hawkeyes scored the first basket of the second half, taking a 41-38 lead, but managed just 19 points the rest of the way. The Longhorns would go on a 16-0 run and never look back. Freshman Jordan Hamilton had 16 points to lead five players in double figures.
• Pitt 68, Wichita State 55: Travon Woodall had 19 points, 6 boards,and 5 assists as the Panthers held the Shockers to 37% shooting while forcing 24 turnovers.
  

Other notable games

• Louisville 80, Appalachian State 53: Up 39-30 at halftime, Louisville used a 17-7 run to open up a 68-44 lead midway through the second half. Samardo Samuels led the Cardinals with 16 points as they won their third game in ust over 48 hours.
• North Carolina 93, Gardner-Webb 72: Deon Thompson led the Heels with 22 points and 10 boards while Ed Davis added 15 and 13. Roy Williams spent much of the game experimenting with different line-ups, trying out Dexter Strickland and Larry Drew in the back court together.
• Clemson 102, Winthrop 66: Trevor Booker had 15 and 11 to lead six Tigers in double figures as Clemson own their 30th straight November game.
  
• Virginia Tech 71, Campbell 60: Malcolm Delaney had 15 points and 5 assists shaking off a poor shooting night while JT Thompson added 17 as Tech pulled away down the stretch.
• VCU 63, Hampton 52: Bradford Burgess had 18 and 10 to lead the Rams to a win in their first game since the Oklahoma upset.
• Western Kentucky 68, Cal St Northridge 67: Anthony Sally hit 1-2 free throws with 4.7 seconds left as WKU didn't take their first lead in the second half until there was a minute left.
• St. Mary's 92, Cal Poly 67: Omar Samhan had 33 points and 12 boards to lead the Gaels to another big win.
• Montana 68, Oregon 55: For the second time this week, Oregon lost to a mid-major as the Grizzlies dominated the second half. The only time it was close was after a 9-1 run by the Ducks, but Montana responded by scoring the next eight points.
  
• UCLA 71, Pepperdine 52: Drew Gordon had 18 points and 9 boards, Michael Roll added 17, and Malcolm Lee scored 13 points as the Bruins used a 16-4 second half run to beat the Waves.
  

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2009-2010 Team Preview: Northern Iowa

2008-2009 Record: 23-11, 14-4 MVC (t-1st)

Key Losses: Travis Brown (5.1 ppg)

Key Returners: Adam Koch (12.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Kwadzo Ahelegbe (11.8 ppg, 3.1 apg), Jordan Egsleder (10.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg)

Newcomers: Tyler Land, Matt Morrison, Marc Sonnen, Antonio Jones

Northern Iowa, the defending MVC champs, return their entire team.
(photo credit: Rush the Court)

Northern Iowa came into last season with tempered expectations. They had a young roster, starting three guys under 6'2". But they went on to earn a share of the MVC regular season title, win the league's conference tournament, and give Purdue everything they could handle in the first round of the dance. The best news? They return everyone from last year's team.

The Panther's strength is going to be on the interior. Seven foot senior Jordan Eglseder will anchor the front line. He only managed 19 mpg last season, but was so effective when he was on the court, averaging 10.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg. His biggest issue is conditioning (he is listed at 280 lb), as he got tired during last season (hence the limited number of minutes). Blessed with a soft touch around the rim, if Eglseder can get his body into shape, he should be able to hold his own against any center in the country. Joining him up front is 6'8" senior forward Adam Koch. Koch is your stereotypical MVC big man. He has a solid face-up game, can knock down a three, and despite being an under-whelming athlete, Koch is able to hold his own on the glass and in the post. Koch was the Panthers leading scorer last season, and given the mismatch he presents on the offensive end, there is no reason to suspect that will change.

The Panthers will have plenty of depth up front. Lucas O'Rear, a 6'6" junior forward built like a linebacker, is as tough as they come. The reigning MVC sixth man of the year, O'Rear provides Ben Jacobson's team with defense, hustle, and grit on the interior. Given the Panthers defensive and deliberate style of play, O'Rear is the perfect glue guy. Kerwin Dunham is another 6'6" junior. Dunham is mure of a perimeter player than O'Rear and can play either the three or the four spot. His versatility provides Jacobson with the ability to play small. When Dunham shares the front court with Koch, it creates match-up problems all over the court and a ton of spacing inside as both players are threats from deep. Against bigger teams, Dunham can join Koch and Eglseder on the court and slide out to the perimeter. Also expect 6'6" Tyler Lange (a true freshman), 6'10" Austin Pehl, and 6'9" Jake Koch (both redshirt freshmen) to see time as well.

With Illinois State and Creighton both losing their leading scorer from last season, UNI may now have the best back court in the conference. The reason? All three starters are able to score. Kwadzo Ahlegbe will be running the point for Jacobson. Ahlegbe is much more of a penetrator than either of his back court mates. The biggest issue with Ahlegbe at the point is he is not the best creator. When he does drive, he has a tendency to make some poor decisions passing the ball (3.1 apg vs. 2.7 t/o's). Joining Ahlegbe in the back court is 6'0" senior Ali Farokhmanesh and 6'1" sophomore Jonny Moran. Farokhmanesh is the team's best perimeter shooter, knocking down 37.9% of his three's last season. Moran is a shooter as well, but he struggled to consistently find his stroke as a freshman. I expect a pretty big season out of Moran. Where Faroknmanesh is mostly a spot-up shooter, Moran is a bit more of an all-around player. He hits the boards, he plays defense, he is a better passer. If Moran can find consistency with his perimeter stroke, he could end up being one of the best perimeter players in the league.

Jacobson will add three more guards to the rotation this season. Anthony James was expected to be a contributor last season, but after battling mono for the year, decided to sit out and redshirt. Matt Morrison is a tough kid (decorated high school football QB) that should be able to play a role for the Panthers. He will bring some defense and hustle to the back court. The best of the bunch, however, is probably Marc Sonnen. At 6'3", Sonnen is the biggest guard Jacobson will have at his disposal. A good athlete, Sonnen is the kind of point guard coaches love. He can get to the rim where he is big and strong enough to finish through contact, but he is at his best when he is running a team and creating for others. He should get some minutes behind Ahlegbe, giving the Panthers a nice change of pace.

Outlook: It would be tough to say that the Panthers are not the favorite in the MVC as they get their top six scorers back. What makes the Panthers so good is the style they play. It all starts on the defensive end, where they pressure the ball on the perimeter. Offensively, they are one of the best in the country at executing their offense. Jacobson has an experienced and smart group here. They set excellent screens, and their shooters know how to set up those screens and get open. What would normally be a detriment to a mid-major team - lacking a true go-to scorer - actually plays to UNI's advantage. You can't take a break on the defensive end against them, because everyone on the floor is going to be a threat to score and to knock down a three. In a nutshell, UNI is a poor man's Purdue.
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