Making the Grade: UNI men’s basketball (Nov. 15-22)

The college basketball season is now in full swing, with non-conference/destination tournaments hitting their tradition stride in Thanksgiving week, and the Northern Iowa men's basketball team - which is receiving votes in both the AP poll and Coaches poll - is off to sunny and warm Cancun, Mexico to play some good competition in Virginia Tech and either Northwestern or Miami (OH).

So while the Panthers (4-0) prepare to play in paradise, it's as good a time as any to debut what will be the weekly 'Making the Grade” in which the previous week's UNI men's basketball games are reviewed and the Panthers' offense and defense are graded. In addition, each contributing player's week will receive a brief recap. This week's entry, since it's the first one, will cover all of the first four games, even though they came in more than seven days. UNI won each of those, most notably the 79-77 overtime win at Stephen F. Austin, a tournament team from last year and favorite to go again this season.

This new feature still is in its infancy, so tweaks could be coming. But for now, here's how the Panthers made the grade through their first four games. Agree or disagree? Feel free to send in your thoughts.

SCHEDULE/RESULTS

UNI vs North Dakota; W, 64-52

UNI at Stephen F. Austin; W, 79-77 (OT)

UNI vs Morgan State; W, 73-53

UNI vs North Florida; W, 66-49

OFFENSE

Grade:

B-

Why:

Coach Ben Jacobson said before the season started his team's focus was going to be on defense and rebounding, so it stands to reason that's why the offense hasn't been stellar out of the gate. The Panthers had some trouble with zone defenses - particularly the 1-3-1 style implemented most recently by North Flordia - mostly because it wasn't a priority in practice to that point. Still, with guards Deon Mitchell and Wes Washpun on the floor at the same time, UNI was able to beat the zone with quickness. Jacobson said after North Florida he was happy to see it for such an extended time because it gave them plenty to learn from going forward. The Panthers have shot well so far, shooting 49.2 percent overall and 39.2 percent from 3-point range in the first four games. Free throws were a bit iffy - save for the North Florida game, in which they went 13 of 14 - at 72.3 percent. The biggest issue came on the offensive glass, most notably against Morgan State where UNI was out-rebounded 21-7. The scoring was balanced, with four players at 8.3 points or above, led by Seth Tuttle at 17.0. Minutes were distributed widely as well, with nine players averaging double-digit minutes. The turnovers further highlight the need for polishing, as UNI averaged 12.75 turnovers a game in the first four, with a high of 16 in the season-opener against North Dakota. UNI's assist-to-turnover ratio wasn't bad, even with the turnover numbers, at 1.1.

DEFENSE

Grade:

B

Why:

If defense and rebounding were the focus in practice, then the results through the first four games have to be seen as a mixed bag for Jacobson and Co. They held all four opponents to less than 50 percent shooting, with the high mark not coincidentally coming from the best team they played in Stephen F. Austin, which shot 46.7 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range. Otherwise, the other three UNI opponents were 37.2 percent or below from the field. Morgan State and North Florida were both less than 30 percent from 3 at 29.2 and 21.1 respectively. Those numbers speak to the consistent and almost aggressive switches on ball screens from UNI, as well as tight man-to-man perimeter defense. The communication on defense is solid and the Panthers rarely find themselves in a bad matchup, even with all the switching off screens. The only glaring example came when Wes Washpun got switched to 6-foot-8 North Florida forward Chris Davenport for a possession, but was able to hold his ground and prevent any kind of easy basket. The Panthers forced an average of 12 turnovers per game in the first four. They also won the rebounding battle three of the four games, being out-rebounded, 38-33, by Morgan State. UNI had the defensive rebounding edge in each game, though, averaging 25 defensive rebounds per game to opponents' 11 offensive boards per game. Overall this season, the Panthers have the rebounding edge, 33.5-30.5. Given the quality of teams they've played so far, those numbers can and should improve.

PLAYERS

Seth Tuttle

, forward (4 GP, 4 GS) - 17.0 pts, 74.2 FG (23 of 31), 100 3FG (3 of 3), 7.3 reb, 2.5 ast.

Tuttle was pegged as the team leader going into this season and has lived up to the billing so far. Aside from his solid numbers offensively, he's also got four blocked shots. His floor presence made a difference more than once, too, especially against North Florida when he gathered the team during an Ospreys run that refocused everyone. The heart of the team so far.

Wes Washpun

, guard (4 GP, 0 GS) - 12.0 pts, 76.2 FG (16 of 21), 100 3FG (3 of 3), 3.3 reb, 3.0 ast.

If Tuttle is the heart so far, Washpun is the spark. Jacobson called Washpun the team's likely best player through four games, as evidenced by a stretch of game time that totaled 81:45 - from 12:30 left in the second half against Stephen F. Austin to 15:44 left in the second half against North Florida - in which he didn't miss a field goal or free throw attempt. His speed and energy on offense consistently ignited the Panthers' offense, and his defense (five blocks, three steals) was as good as anyone on the team.

Deon Mitchell

, guard (4 GP, 4 GS) - 8.3 pts, 21.2 FG (7 of 33), 11.1 3FG (1 of 9), 2.8 reb, 4.3 ast.

Mitchell struggled on the offensive end in the first four games, missing some key layups (a few of which were uncontested) against Stephen F. Austin and not finding a rhythm from 3-point range in any game. Where he made up for it was in distributing the ball, with a team high in assists per game and 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio. He also iced a couple games at the free throw line and had the best percentage of players with 10 or more attempts at 75 percent.

Paul Jesperson

, guard (4 GP, 0 GS) - 8.3 pts, 57.1 FG (12 of 21), 50 3FG (7 of 14), 3.8 reb, 0.3 ast.

Jesperson has lived up to the hype in terms of his ability to contribute so far this season. That's especially true from 3-point range, where he's both shooting well and in timely spots. When the Panthers' lead dipped to 40-33 against North Florida, he hit a couple big shots to halt the run and put UNI's lead out of reach for good.

Wyatt Lohaus

, guard (4 GP, 0 GS) - 6.3 pts, 38.1 FG (8 of 21), 42.9 3FG (3 of 7), 1.8 reb, 1.3 ast.

Lohaus proved pretty quickly anyone who believed he should take a red-shirt season (yours truly included) was very, very wrong. His court presence has been that of a much older player, even with some instances of nerves showing through at times. Through four games, he still has yet to turn the ball over while averaging 18.6 minutes per game. He was vital in the SFA win, 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes. As he matures, his role will increase.

Marvin Singleton

, forward (4 GP, 4 GS) - 6.3 pts, 64.3 FG (9 of 14), 0 3FG (0 of 3), 6.3 reb, 1.0 ast.

Singleton is the quiet consistent one on the floor for the Panthers each night out. He's not the headline-grabber, nor does he make the highlight-reel play, but he's the perfect complement to Seth Tuttle in the low post. And while he hasn't racked up the assists, his work in the high post against North Florida led to some hockey assists (pass to a pass to a score), which doesn't go in the book but makes an offense click.

Jeremy Morgan

, guard (4 GP, 4 GS) - 4.8 pts, 46.2 FG (6 of 13), 40 3FG (4 of 10), 1.8 reb, 0.8 ast.

Morgan had a forgettable start to the season, but has since worked his way out of the Ben Jacobson doghouse. He sat all but 30 seconds of the second half of the season opener for not being 'locked in” mentally, according to his coach, then was in foul trouble for most of the SFA win. But against Morgan State and North Florida, he played an active role on both ends of the floor and earned Jacobson's praise for how he responded to the first two outings.

Nate Buss

, forward (4 GP, 0 GS) - 4.0 pts, 38.5 FG (5 of 13), 45.5 3FG (5 of 11), 2.5 reb, 0 ast.

Buss has been dealing with a nagging foot injury, from which he's still not 100 percent. That's limited his minutes quite a bit and by extension his total numbers. He's still had an impact, though, hitting some timely 3-pointers in each game.

Matt Bohannon

, guard (4 GP, 4 GS) - 2.0 pts, 15.4 FG (2 of 13), 15.4 3FG (2 of 13), 0.3 reb, 0.5 ast.

This is where the term 'short memory” is most applicable. Bohannon has only seen the ball go in twice this season, so it would be totally understandable for frustration to be setting in. But he has the confidence of his coach, who said there's no major fix needed - 'He's right there (holds fingers close together) from them going in.” For now, Jacobson is sticking with the junior in the starting lineup.

Klint Carlson

, forward (4 GP, 4 GS) - 1.8 pts, 66.7 FG (2 of 3), 100 3FG (1 of 1), 1.0 reb, 0.5 ast.

Carlson has served well as the change-of-pace forward when Tuttle or Singleton has come out of the game. He's taken care of the ball - just one turnover - and defended well in his 9.3 minutes per game. Getting minutes early in the season after his red-shirt season is a nice safety net for the other big men as the season rolls on.

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