Panthers unique personalities mesh surprisingly well

Kwadzo Ahelegbe and Lucas O'Rear come from far different backgrounds - the Minneapolis area and small-town southern Illinois - but there they are on road trips, making each other laugh.

Adam Koch is destined to be a dentist, and roommate Ali Farokhmanesh hopes to tour Europe extensively after graduation. Those two seniors serve as the team's Siskel & Ebert, offering film critiques to anyone who will listen.

The 2009-10 Northern Iowa Panthers are 15 players with umpteen personalities. It makes you wonder: How does a group with so many free spirits move with such uniform, military precision once games begin?

“You know,” UNI Coach Ben Jacobson said, “we're fortunate right now that, all the way up and down our lineup, guys have a lot of respect for each other.

“I think that's a real key to having a successful program. The way guys interact with each other, on and off the floor. They get along very well. It's made us a better basketball team.”

Basketball requires split-second, almost involuntary reactions. And, if you're Farokhmanesh throwing a behind-the-back pass, you had better be certain Koch will be there to receive it in the proper position.

The Panthers' top seven scorers have played a combined 675 college games heading into tonight's Sweet 16 showdown with Michigan State. When you've played that many games together you know how teammates will react in certain situations. It's akin to the muscle memory Farokhmanesh forms while hoisting 600 shots each summer day.

“We've been together a long time,” said Ahelegbe, who nicknamed his teammates for The Courier. “Our bond has grown.”

The roster features players from five states. Ahelegbe has a young child, Marc Sonnen looks like he's never had to shave. Yet, any given Thursday this winter, you were liable to see 10 UNI teammates watching “Avatar” at a Cedar Falls theater.

“After a loss,” Sonnen said, “you can't separate from each other. You have to go out, have fun, and maybe not think about basketball.”

Right now, this close-knit group has a singular focus - to ride the NCAA tournament trail as long as humanly possible.

The pressure on this year's Panthers was immense from day one, ever since they were chosen as overwhelming preseason favorites in the MVC.

But Jake Koch's constant “clowning” helped alleviate anxiety by inciting fits of laughter from teammates, as did Farokhmanesh's sarcasm. Or one glance at O'Rear's mangy, mutton-chop sideburns.

“That looseness has helped our team,” second-year assistant Ben Johnson said. “Those personalities make this team what it is.”

There is occasional cattiness at UNI practices. But when push comes to shove, the Panthers are pulling in the same direction.

“They're willing to push each other,” Jacobson said, “because they're highly competitive. And, at the end of the day, they want to win basketball games. But they really trust each other, have a lot of respect for each other and they're a lot of fun to be around.”

Even after an ugly November loss to Big East-bottomfeeder DePaul, the Panthers never pointed fingers. And even after losing Feb. 23 to an Evansville team ranked 275th in the RPI, this group remained unified, thanks to levelheaded leadership from the likes of Adam Koch. That might shed some light on why UNI has reached uncharted territory.

Now the Panthers will lean on each other as they step into the brightest spotlight they've experienced.

“We just care about each other so much,” Ahelegbe said. “We all have one, common goal, and it really shows.”