UNI, MVC seeing experience pay off

CEDAR FALLS - Since the Missouri Valley Conference season started, Northern Iowa Coach Ben Jacobson has brought up experience to highlight why the No. 22 Panthers' starters had taken over as the weight-carrying unit from the bench, which had a stellar non-conference.

With all five starters having been through the league at least once, they're prepared for the style and pace of play, and are better able to adapt to players they've already seen and coaching styles they've played against.

But Jacobson said Monday that's not just a UNI (14-2, 3-1 MVC) thing - it's everyone in the Valley. And it shows in how much better the league is across the board.

'It's quite a bit (deeper); I don't think there's any question,” Jacobson said. 'The league is much better than it was a year ago, really the result of there being a lot of guys who are going through the league for a second time or a third time. Last year, we had a really young group of guys. That experience, I think, has helped across the board.

'There's obviously some very good new guys, but when our league is at its best, it's when guys are getting into their second, third and fourth year. I think we've got more of that this year. Certainly more of that this year than what we had last year.”

A quick glance at the conference standings and who the lead contributors are, and Jacobson's assessment becomes abundantly clear.

No. 14 Wichita State returned a large chunk of the team that was a No. 1 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament, and the Shockers' top two scorers are upperclassmen in Ron Baker and Darius Carter. They also have one of the best point guards in the country in junior Fred VanVleet.

Indiana State, which was 4-8 in non-conference but is 4-0 to start Valley play, is led by junior guards Devonte Brown and Khristian Smith in the back court and seniors Jake Kitchell and Justin Gant in the frontcourt to secure rebounds and defend.

And Evansville, which handed UNI a conference-opening loss on New Year's Day, has the supremely-talented junior D.J. Balentine averaging 21.4 points per game.

Every team, Jacobson said, has one or two guys there to anchor them through the buzz saw that is the Valley schedule, and that's what's going to make it likely a two-bid league this season.

'I think you could go almost one through 10 and pick out a number of guys that have been through the league for at least a year, and a lot of them for their second and third time through this league,” Jacobson said. 'I do think it's leaguewide and I think that's what's made the biggest difference.”

Jacobson and the Panthers prefer it this way, too.

They certainly aren't afraid of the competition, and figure if they're better the league might as well be better, too. After all, even if it's a little more stressful night to night this year than last, it's not like the Valley has ever been a cake walk.

It wouldn't mean as much to them if it was.

'Last year the league was younger and it wasn't quite as good - but it wasn't any easier,” Jacobson said. 'I think how hard guys play and how hard it is to play on the road and the coaching that takes place in this league; and the quality of the players, it's going to be hard every year. My feeling is, it might as well be hard in a year like this where we're better. It's fun when we've got a better league

'We've got a bunch of teams that are battling and getting healthy now and playing better. So for all of us, we'd like to see it as it is this year, where it's better than it was a year ago.”

BACK IN THE RANKINGS

After a week away from the Associated Press Top 25, Northern Iowa returned to the poll this week - back to No. 23, where the Panthers were before they fell out. They also moved up one spot to No. 22 in the USA Today Coaches Poll from No. 23 last week.

UNI joins Wichita State as the only other Valley team in either poll.

In terms of RPI, UNI fell a few spots to No. 19 as of Monday. The Panthers are one of five Valley teams in the top 100 in RPI. Wichita State sits 10th, Loyola 52nd, Evansville 82nd and Illinois State 89th.

THIS WEEK

Northern Iowa heads to Peoria, Ill. to play at Bradley on Tuesday at 7 p.m., then returns to the McLeod Center on Sunday to play Missouri State at 3 p.m.

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