UNI: Game against Kansas school’s first with a top-ranked team

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Friday's forecast called for a high near 70 degrees in central Oklahoma. In fact, it was downright hot in downtown Oklahoma City at midday.

Today's forecast predicts the “OKC-area” may get blanketed by as much as a foot of snow ... not quite a sign of the apocalypse, but close, considering this region rarely gets snowstorms.

If Northern Iowa could upset No. 1 Kansas here at 4:40 p.m. today, the world really would tilt on its axis, right?

This is UNI's first game with a No. 1-ranked team. The last Missouri Valley Conference school to beat the No. 1 team in the nation was Cincinnati ... in 1962.

“They're an amazing team,” said UNI freshman Marc Sonnen, “But we just have to go out there and give it our all. What else do we have to lose?”

The 33-2 Jayhawks average 82 points, have surpassed the 90-point barrier eight times and have four players who average more than 11 points.

“They're a pretty impressive team, top to bottom,” said Adam Koch, the MVC player of the year. “They've got so much talent.”

“When you start to dig into Kansas (game tape) and try to pick them apart,” UNI Coach Ben Jacobson said, “they're a better team than I thought. No weaknesses.

“The opportunity that has presented itself is certainly important for our program.”

A key matchup? UNI center Jordan Eglseder (11.9 points) vs. KU's Cole Aldrich (3.5 blocks). Eglseder and the Panthers have Aldrich's respect.

“They really have very few lapses on the defensive end,” Aldrich said of the 29-4 Panthers. “(Eglseder) is their main presence to go to down low. It's going to be a battle in the paint.”

Kansas Coach Bill Self insisted his team has the utmost respect for UNI.

“To me (the Panthers) are not Cinderella,” Self said. “Northern Iowa can beat anybody in the country on any night. Northern Iowa, if they played a series with many schools in America, would have success in a series against a lot of teams, let alone one game.”

By Kelly Beaton

The Courier