Making the Grade: UNI men’s basketball Jan. 12-20

No. 19 Northern Iowa is getting more and more national attention as their win streak rolled to five after last week, and their opponent points per game in Missouri Valley Conference play stayed below 50.

The Panthers (16-2, 5-1 MVC) are playing consistently and cohesively on both ends of the floor, but especially defensively — a unit which has been talked, written, tweeted and Facebooked about ad nauseam for the past few weeks. Their low-scoring games prompt questions to Ben Jacobson about his opinion of the shot clock — he's in favor of a change, by the way — and frustrate opposing offenses.

It may get repetitive, but fans and media should probably get used to — if they aren't already — hearing about the UNI defense on a nightly basis for the next two months.

Schedule/Results

UNI at Bradley; W, 63-52

UNI vs Missouri State; W, 60-46

Offense

B Why: No, the UNI offense is not as good as its defense — not in the last week or over the course of the season. But what the UNI offense is, is a consistent and efficient unit that does exactly what it needs to do to win games.

The Panthers held their top-50 ranking in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency at 46th according to KenPom, even if they remained near the bottom of the country in points per possession and points per game. But as Coach Ben Jacobson has said, neither of those are a concern to UNI. This week, the Panthers' offense flowed through Seth Tuttle as usual, but he was particularly effective. Their set plays were crisp, and their decision making equally as sharp. They've introduced a few new set plays, which include backside screens to free someone up at the rim for a lob or bounce pass and easy score.

The biggest knock on the UNI offense this week was the lack of finishing possessions when Tuttle wasn't on the floor. Offensive rebounding was greatly improved (more on that in a bit), but the Panthers didn't cash in on as many second chance opportunities as they could've. The lack of assists could be pointed to that as well. Guards Wes Washpun and Deon Mitchell did a solid job distributing the ball, but the majority of baskets came elsewhere.

Defense

A Why: Northern Iowa won on Sunday against Missouri State by 14 despite not scoring for the final 4:38 of game time and hitting just one of its final 12 shots. That'll happen when the Panthers are allowing just 47.8 points per game to opponents during conference play and 54.7 per game overall — ranking them fifth in the nation headed into Tuesday night's games.

Jacobson is concerned with just a few numbers statistically, and one he's mentioned repeatedly is opponent shooting percentage. UNI opponents have shot 37.9 percent to this point, and 34.2 in conference play. Bradley and Missouri State combined to shoot 32.8 percent this week, so that number continues to trend down. Additionally, UNI forced a total of 21 turnovers in the last two games, just shy of the 12 per game average they've been forcing this season.

The helpside defense continues to pay huge dividends, forcing a handful of steals across both games last week. It's kept opposing bigs out of the paint, either because of ball pressure, or drawing them out to help the trapped player — which then brings another UNI defender over to help the helper. With how UNI abused the pain offensively, that led to a 52-22 advantage in the paint last week.

Lastly: rebounding. When asked to assess his team, defense and rebounding are always the first two things Jacobson mentions. His team out-rebounded their opponents by 17 combined boards in the last two, which may not have resulted in transition points, but allowed them to run their offense as they saw fit and dictate both pace and rhythm.

Players (in last two games)

Seth Tuttle, forward

(2 GP, 2 GS) — 18.5 points, 51.1 FG (12 of 21), 0.0 3FG (0 of 2), 92.9 FT (13 of 14), 8.5 reb, 4.0 ast.

It's the second straight week Tuttle averaged at least 18 points, and not coincidentally the second straight week he looked totally in command when he was on the floor. His performance against Missouri State was utterly dominant in the first half, when a trio of defenders had absolutely no answer for him. Don't think that's the last time those last six words will be written this year.

Deon Mitchell, guard

(2 GP, 2 GS) — 9.5 points, 50.0 FG (7 of 14), 50.0 3FG (3 of 6), 66.7 FT (2 of 3), 0.0 reb, 1.0 ast.

Mitchell has played well in three straight games, something his coach was quick to mention following the Missouri State game. He's in control of the offense both on the break and in their sets, and was the calming presence on the floor this week that Jacobson had hoped he'd be all season.

Marvin Singleton, forward

(2 GP, 2 GS) — 8.0 points, 46.2 FG (6 of 13), 0.0 3FG (0 of 1), 100.0 FT (4 of 4), 7.0 reb, 0.5 ast.

He was described as an 'animal,' by Tuttle after the Missouri State game, and had two of his better games all season last week. His defense on forwards two or three inches taller than him was superb, and his rebounding was what's come to be expected from him. His seven offensive rebounds on Sunday were as important to controlling the clock as anything the offense did.

Paul Jesperson, guard

(2 GP, 0 GS) — 6.0 points, 57.1 FG (4 of 7), 57.1 3FG (4 of 7), 0.0 FT (0 of 0), 1.5 reb, 0.0 ast.

When he hit his first 3-pointer of 2015 — and first in MVC play — against Bradley, the reaction from the UNI bench told all it needed to tell about how his teammates and coaches feel about him and the slump he was in. Those three 3s snapped him out of a funk, and as a result he played many more minutes and with a much higher confidence in both games.

Nate Buss, forward

(2 GP, 0 GS) — 5.5 points, 40.0 FG (4 of 10), 25.0 3FG (1 of 4), 100.0 FT (2 of 2), 5.0 reb, 0.0 ast.

Buss' contributions offensively have fluctuated week-to-week all season. He was the No. 2 option offensively at Bradley, but saw that role reduced against Missouri State with how effective Singleton was playing. That second-scorer role rotates, and Buss will have it again.

Wyatt Lohaus, guard

(2 GP, 0 GS) — 5.5 points, 40.0 FG (4 of 10), 33.3 3FG (1 of 3), 100.0 FT (2 of 2), 1.0 reb, 0.5 ast.

Lohaus hit some timely shots both against Bradley and Missouri State, and continued to show improvement on defense. He continues to make smart plays on offense as well, instilling more and more trust in his coach and teammates — a fact supported by his being one among the first group of substitutes in both games.

Wes Washpun, guard

(2 GP, 0 GS) — 4.5 points, 33.3 FG (3 of 9), 0.0 3FG (0 of 2), 42.9 FT (3 of 7), 3.5 reb, 1.5 ast.

Washpun lost out on a few assist opportunities on missed shots and fouls, otherwise that number would look a little better from the last week. Still, he might have seen a reduction in scoring output, but like Mitchell his command of the offense is as strong as it's been all season. He did struggle at the free throw line, something that'll need to change with his being on the floor in late situations so often.

Jeremy Morgan, guard

(2 GP, 2 GS) — 2.0 points, 0.0 FG (0 of 2), 0.0 3FG (0 of 1), 66.7 FT (4 of 6), 4.5 reb, 0.0 ast.

Morgan's offensive output has always been secondary to his defense in terms of what he brings to UNI. He continued to be rock solid defensively — his high-energy effort evident once again on 50-50 balls. It's a role his coach wants him to fill and he's doing just that.

Matt Bohannon, guard

(2 GP, 2 GS) — 1.5 points, 16.7 FG (1 of 6), 20.0 3FG (1 of 5), 0.0 FT (0 of 0), 0.5 reb, 1.0 ast.

He didn't get many good looks, and as a result fell into facilitate mode on offense. His decision-making may have been a little conservative, but didn't have a turnover in either game. Like early in the season, he'll get back to making shots soon.

Upcoming Week

UNI vs Indiana State, 7 p.m. Wednesday at McLeod Center in Cedar Falls

UNI at Illinois State, 3 p.m. Sunday at Redbird Arena in Normal, Ill.

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

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