Making the Grade: UNI men’s basketball Jan. 20-27

If not for a 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left on Sunday, Northern Iowa wouldn't be at its highest Associated Press ranking in program history (matched at 18th in the USA Today Coaches poll) and the hype surrounding some game at the McLeod Center on Saturday would be just a little lower.

The No. 18 Panthers (18-2, 7-1 Missouri Valley Conference) kept their conference winning streak alive, and impressed followers with a new defensive system and resolve after a frustrating game on the offensive end.

Teams that get wins even when they play below the level they know they can typically have a long shelf life come March, and UNI seems to fit that bill so far.

Schedule/Results

UNI vs Indiana State; W, 66-60

UNI at Illinois State; W, 54-53

Offense

C+ Why: The UNI offense had a bit of a roller coaster week this week. The highs were really high – 3-pointers from Marvin Singleton are exceedingly rare, after all – and it was the lows that made a couple key shots necessary.

Players shared the ball as good as they have in weeks, with 11 assists on 18 made baskets against Indiana State, and 14 assists on 18 made baskets against Illinois State. But even with that improvement, the biggest issue the Panthers faced in both games was controlling the ball. They had 11 turnovers against the Sycamores and a whopping 16 against the Redbirds. A lot of that has to do with both teams being skilled defensively, but UNI players made sloppy plays – especially in transition – and were careless at times. Coach Ben Jacobson mentioned it Monday that against Illinois State their man-to-man defense was even affected because the Redbirds got to run in transition as much as they did.

Their set plays were solid overall, and shot selection wasn't an issue. They shot well from 3-point range (47.1 percent in the two games combined) and made free throws when it counted against Indiana State. The clutch shots from Singleton and Nate Buss were exciting, but if they don't improve ball control, they might not have a chance at those moments.

Defense

B+ Why: Raise your hand if you expected Northern Iowa to go zone for an extended period of play at any point this season. No one? Figured.

The decision to implement a zone when your team is succeeding so highly in man-to-man isn't revolutionary – in fact, if Jacobson hadn't had some other option he wouldn't be doing his job. But the vast majority of man-to-man alternatives do not involve a 3-2 zone. A 2-3 or 1-3-1 is much more common, and provides more tape from which to study. Having that fail-safe saved the Panthers on Sunday at Illinois State, as covered in Monday's notebook.

Defensive principles learned and adopted in the last few months have taken root so firmly in this team, it's likely they'd excel in any system. Jeremy Morgan ran the top of the zone like he'd been doing it for years, and when he went out with a fourth foul, Wes Washpun filled in admirably. That position requires tremendous speed, athleticism and intelligence something both clearly possess. The only part that suffered in zone was rebounding, which likely is owed both to the time in the system and issues with rebounding in general this season.

It will be interesting to see if Jacobson goes back to it at any point in the future.

Players (in last two games)

Seth Tuttle, forward

(2 GP, 2 GS) – 18.5 points, 55.6 FG (10 of 18), 25.0 3FG (1 of 4), 80.0 FT (16 of 20), 9.5 reb, 2.5 ast.

He notched his 19th career double-double and his second MVC Player of the Week this week, and also had his third straight week averaging at least 18 points. In that span he's become much more aggressive offensively, and both he and his teammates have benefited. He's playing his best basketball right now.

Matt Bohannon, guard

(2 GP, 2 GS) – 12.5 points, 61.5 FG (8 of 13), 58.3 3FG (7 of 12), 66.7 FT (2 of 3), 1.5 reb, 0.5 ast.

Every week there seems to be a different guy to be the scoring counterpart to Tuttle, and this week Matt Bohannon shot his way into that role. His 17 points against Indiana State were one shy of his season-high, and he showed what he can do if he gets open. Only problem is his ability to get open in the first place with opponents shadowing him.

Deon Mitchell, guard

(2 GP, 2 GS) – 7.5 points, 36.4 FG (4 of 11), 60.0 3FG (3 of 5), 66.7 FT (4 of 6), 3.5 reb, 5.0 ast.

Distributed the ball well in both games, with five assists apiece in the two games. But as happens when a player handles the ball every possession, the risk for turnovers goes up, and he had four against Illinois State. Overall, though, he's played much better in the last month or so and is vital on both ends.

Jeremy Morgan, guard

(2 GP, 2 GS) – 7.0 points, 22.2 FG (2 of 9), 33.3 3FG (2 of 6), 100.0 FT (8 of 8), 4.0 reb, 1.0 ast.

The four or five-minute stretch after the 3-2 zone was implemented was a Jeremy Morgan showcase. He had two steals and a block, disrupted passing lanes and was on the floor diving for loose balls. His role this season has been doing just that, but it was on display against the Redbirds.

Marvin Singleton, forward

(2 GP, 2 GS) – 4.5 points, 54.5 FG (6 of 11), 100.0 3FG (1 of 1), 0.0 FT (0 of 0), 6.0 reb, 0.5 ast.

Headed into Sunday, Singleton had taken just six 3-pointers all season, and just 25 in his four-year UNI career. That didn't stop him from pulling the trigger on one of the biggest shots he's hit in a Panther uniform with a 3 from the corner. A cool moment for a guy whose job usually consists of the dirty work in the post.

Wes Washpun, guard

(2 GP, 0 GS) – 4.0 points, 37.5 FG (3 of 8), 0.0 3FG (0 of 1), 33.3 FT (2 of 6), 3.0 reb, 2.0 ast.

His stats haven't been as good in conference as they were in non-conference, but his defense hasn't dipped a bit. He didn't have the same highlight plays Morgan did at the top of the 3-2, but was similarly effective. And offensively, he's taken care of the ball very well.

Nate Buss, forward

(2 GP, 0 GS) – 4.0 points, 50.0 FG (3 of 6), 66.7 3FG (2 of 3), 0.0 FT (0 of 2), 1.5 reb, 0.0 ast.

Talk about night and day differences in two games. His performance against Indiana State was the definition of forgettable, and he'll remember that 3-pointer for the rest of his life. The confidence with which he played against Illinois State was especially good to see after how he played against Indiana State.

Paul Jesperson, guard

(2 GP, 0 GS) – 0.0 points, 0.0 FG (0 of 2), 0.0 3FG (0 of 2), 0.0 FT (0 of 0), 0.0 reb, 0.0 ast.

Played very little this week, mostly due to an illness he was recovering from. Consistency in terms of performance and health has been hard to find for him this season.

Upcoming week

UNI at Southern Illinois, 7 p.m. Wednesday at SIU Arena in Carbondale, Ill.

UNI vs No. 12 Wichita State, 3 p.m. Saturday at McLeod Center in Cedar Falls

Previous weeks: Past weeks: Nov. 15-22; Nov. 23-30; Dec. 1-8; Dec. 8-15; Dec. 16-23; Dec. 23-30; Dec. 30-Jan. 6; Jan. 6-12; Jan. 12-20

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com