UNI has power of belief headed into ISU game

CEDAR FALLS — On paper, Iowa State is better than Northern Iowa.

On paper.

Higher-ranked recruits, the best basketball conference in the country, multiple All-Americans and future NBA players will tell that tale.

The Panthers (6-3) don't care about what's on paper. That much was true on Nov. 21, and it's true headed into Saturday for the Big Four Classic against the Cyclones (9-0). By nearly every measure, UNI players have evidence to believe they're not as good. But the last 18 months have shown what's on paper doesn't always translate.

And they're tired of hearing otherwise.

'We don't care about any of that stuff. We don't care about what the media says, that they're No. 2 and they have that number next to their name,' said senior guard Matt Bohannon. 'We feel just as confident as they do. We don't care about that stuff. We showed that last year. We don't care if it's Iowa or Iowa State. We're playing Iowa State, but they're playing us, too.

'It's something that kind of irritates me. We don't care what all these people have to say. We want to go out and prove how good we are.'

Tell us how you really feel, Matt.

Seriously though, it's not like UNI's confidence in big games is irrational. Since the beginning of last season, they have wins against six NCAA Tournament teams — not to mention against the No. 12 and No. 1 teams in the country for two of those.

The confidence they have started at the beginning of last year's magical run. Bohannon, Wes Washpun, Paul Jesperson and Jeremy Morgan were all key parts of what the Panthers did, and learning to believe in what they can do had its roots there.

'I think for this group, it started with the Stephen F. Austin game last year. That's where Bo, Wes, Paul and Jeremy — the guys who have been here a little longer — I don't think they were sure two years ago and three years ago. This group was trying to find their way,' said Coach Ben Jacobson. 'That feeling of confidence is simply from what happened a year ago and how hard they've worked to get to this point. They know two things: one, that we've got a good basketball team and we're confident we belong on the floor with anybody we play, and two, they know Iowa State is really good. There's excitement knowing we're going to play a really good team and we're going to have to play really well.

'The importance (of that belief) I don't think can ever be overstated. Believing in your ability to do well and having confidence that you belong is way more than half the battle. I've always felt that way.'

To that end, Jacobson is not worried about overconfidence in his players — even with the shroud of an in-state rivalry and its inherent familiarity.

He's not worried precisely because they do know, in fact, Iowa State is a team with the ability to do great things this season. Confidence in themselves is not ignorance to the Cyclones' talent.

Georges Niang and Jameel McKay present significant matchup problems, and that's doubled when considering their experience gaps UNI's frontcourt in that area by a wide margin. Still, Jacobson believes what they've been through already this season will go a long way toward bridging that gap Saturday.

'North Carolina has one of the best backcourts in the country, and (Niang and McKay) are in that same group. New Mexico is very good up front. George Mason is very good up front. Richmond is very good up front,' Jacobson said. 'It's not like we fed these three sophomores nine home games against teams that are playing young guys up front. They've had to do it game after game.

'I think that we've played against some high-level guys already and they've seen, they're going to be more prepared for it.'

Given how some teams early this season have made UNI pay in transition, what Iowa State has in store will be far from easy to deal with. The Panthers also lean on forcing turnovers, and Monte Morris is one of the best in the country — if not the best — at taking care of the ball.

Depth will play a factor for both teams, as well. UNI is down to eight or nine in its rotation with the loss of Aarias Austin, and Iowa State is down to seven with the loss of Naz Mitrou-Long. But that won't stop either team from running.

'Iowa State is one of the handful of teams best at transition offense in the entire country,' Jacobson said. 'There might not be one team better than Iowa State at transition offense. If there is, I'm not sure who that team is. They just get the ball on top of you so fast. It really doesn't matter for them.

'Part of that is because they've got so many guys who can handle the ball. They don't have to outlet to (just) Morris. … It allows them to get on top of you so fast.'

All that said, the chip is firmly on the Panthers' shoulders as they head to Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Belief their talent — Washpun's ball-handling and court vision, Bohannon and Jesperson's shooting, Morgan's defense and hustle — can match up and their complete lack of fear in taking on a highly-ranked team makes this team feel dangerous.

More than that, it makes them feel as good or better than who they're about to play — no matter what anyone says, or what's down on paper.

'It adds a little extra motivation. We're just as good as Iowa — we showed that last year when we beat them. We're going to show Saturday we're just as good as Iowa State,' Bohannon said. 'We're going to compete with them and hopefully come out with the win. That's the reason we play the game. We want to show how good of a team we are. It's something that adds a little chip on your shoulder. At the end of the day we want to go out and show the state of Iowa who we think is the best team in the state.'

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