Iowa's Peter Jok vs. UNI's Jeremy Morgan a heavyweight battle

IOWA CITY — Saturday's game between Iowa and Northern Iowa in the Hy-Vee Classic will be about more than Peter Jok vs. Jeremy Morgan.

Can the Hawkeyes pick up where they left off defensively against Iowa State? Can they continue to get the most out of Cordell Pemsl, Jordan Bohannon, Isaiah Moss, Nicholas Baer, et. al? Can the Panthers slow Iowa's transition? Can they make it three in a row against Iowa and Iowa State?

Those things all will matter. But they won't be what's likely to be the most fun or most exciting aspect of the matchup.

Two players from Iowa who've known and played against each other since seventh grade. Two players who started with relatively uncertain paths ahead of them. Two players who became stars and are invaluable to their teams.

Two players who, if they combined for 70 points on Saturday, would surprise no one.

'He plays hard all the time. It's all in how bad he wants it,' Jok said. 'We're stronger and bigger and have gotten better overall as players. I've been watching him for a long time. He's better every time I see him on TV. I keep track of him every time he's on TV.

'I'm not going to go out there and (try to) make it one on one. I'm going to do my part and let the game come to me.'

For most of Saturday night, expect to see them guarding each other. Expect one or both to make a shot normal humans probably shouldn't make. Expect one or both to talk a little trash — albeit under their breath or in creative ways that won't be obvious. Jok and Morgan both said this week they relish that chance to guard each other, as they did in the 2014 matchup at Wells Fargo Arena. It's one more chance to guard their opponent's best player, and a challenge that will force them to be at their best.

Their production is similar, and clearly impressive.

Jok's 23.8 points per game lead the Big Ten and have him fifth in the nation in scoring. He also leads the Hawkeyes in rebounding at 6.2 per game, and trails only point guards Jordan Bohannon and Christian Williams with 2.4 assists per game. Morgan's 18.1 points per game have him third in the Missouri Valley Conference. He also leads the Panthers in rebounding (7.3 per game), assists (3.2 per game), steals (3 per game) and blocks (1.7 per game).

'In watching him, (Jok is) not just one of the best guards in the Big Ten, he's one of the best guards in the country. There aren't a lot of guys who can make all the shots he's making. When you're covered and heavily contested and still making shots, there just aren't many who can do that,' UNI Coach Ben Jacobson said. 'I think Jeremy has had a lot to sort out this year with the graduation of three guys a year ago and his role changing so much. What we've needed from him defensively has been that way for three years. Even within the four or five weeks we've been playing, he's already made improvements (offensively), mostly in his thought-process.'

Their pasts are linked in a few ways, starting with all those AAU matchups and into high school and the state tournament.

Jok and Morgan were the two options for Coach Fran McCaffery's final scholarship spot during their senior years at West Des Moines Valley and Iowa City West in 2012-13. McCaffery has said before, and said again Wednesday, if he had two scholarships available at the time, Morgan would've stayed in Iowa City. At the time, though, McCaffery needed a shooter, and Jok was that guy.

'We needed a shooter in the worst way in that class. And Jeremy was always a great player and always a great scorer,' McCaffery said. 'He's become a terrific shooter. He was always a good shooter. But we felt like Pete was the best fit at that time.'

It would be understandable if Morgan had a chip on his shoulder about it. Who wouldn't if passed over by your hometown team?

If ever there was a player, though, who means it when he says 'I don't care about that,' it's Morgan. He told The Gazette this week that he let go of whatever disappointment might've been tied with not getting an offer from Iowa a long time ago. Almost instantly, in fact.

UNI players often talk about fit and Cedar Falls being that for them. Morgan said as much, too. He just wants to play basketball, and he said he found a place where he's been able to grow in the way he wanted to.

Like Wes Washpun and Matt Bohannon before him, not going to Iowa worked out just fine. The Hawkeyes likely would've been made better by all three, but as Morgan said, there's no way of knowing for sure and no tangible reason to worry about it.

'It was never really there to begin with,' Morgan said. 'I never held a grudge or anything or thought much about it. It was obvious to me UNI was the best fit for me and help me excel to my full potential.'

Jok had 42 points against Memphis, 33 against Stetson and can make basically any shot from all parts of the floor. Morgan had 38 points in 20 minutes — still a hard stat to wrap your mind around — against North Dakota, and has four double-doubles in nine games this season. Both defenses will have to send extra help to stop each other.

What happens with Pemsl and Ahmad Wagner vs. Bennett Koch, Klint Carlson and Ted Friedman will matter. Bohannon vs. Juwan McCloud will matter. Whether or not Nicholas Baer, Brady Ellingson, Spencer Haldeman and Jordan Ashton can hit shots will matter.

Yeah, it's going to be about more than them Saturday, but it's pretty easy to see why one might expect the game will boil down to who wins in Jok vs. Morgan.

'I think the main thing is we respect each other enough to compete against each other as hard as we can,' Morgan said. 'You have that respect for them, so you want to give them the best you've got.'

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