UNI-Wyoming breakdown

RECORDS

Northern Iowa 30-3; Wyoming 25-9

TV

12:40 p.m. TBS (Spero Dedes, Mike Gminski, Jaime Maggio)

LOCATION

KeyArena, Seattle

LINE

Northern Iowa by 6 1/2

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Wyoming leads series 3-1

TOURNAMENT PROFILE

Northern Iowa is the No. 5 seed; Wyoming is No. 12 seed. Winner faces 4. Louisville/13. UC-Irvine on Sunday

KEY MATCHUP

Larry Nance Jr. vs. Seth Tuttle.

Nance averaged 16.1 points a game this year and was a first-team all-Mountain West Conference pick. Tuttle averages 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds and was named a second-team All-American. Both are versatile post players who can score, defend and rebound the ball. Foul trouble between these two could determine the game's outcome.

KEY STATISTICS

SCORING/OPP:

UNI 65.4/54.3; WYO 61.7/56.0

FG%/OPP FG%:

UNI 48.3/39.1; WYO 46.2/40.1

3PT%/OPP 3PT%:

UNI 39.8/31.5; WYO 32.3/34.3

FT%:

UNI 72.6; WYO 70.7

LIKELY STARTERS

Northern Iowa:

G Deon Mitchell (6-1); G Matt Bohannon (6-4); G Jeremy Morgan (6-5); F Marvin Singleton (6-6); C Seth Tuttle (6-8)

Wyoming:

G Riley Grabau (6-2); G Josh Adams (6-2); G Charles Hankerson Jr. (6-4); F Larry Nance Jr. (6-8); F Derek Cooke Jr. (6-9)

KEY RESERVES

Northern Iowa

: G Wes Washpun (6-1); G/F Paul Jesperson (6-6); F Nate Buss (6-9); G Wyatt Lohaus (6-2); F Bennett Koch (6-9)

Wyoming:

G Jeremy Lieberman (6-1); G Alexander AKA Gorski (6-5); G Jason McManamen (6-5); F Alan Herndon (6-9)

BOTTOM LINE

The NCAA tournament has traditional 5-12 upsets and there hasn't been one so far this year. That sort of superstition gives one pause, but doesn't define this specific match-up. Northern Iowa is a disciplined team built on defense, toughness, passing and execution. And the Panthers can shoot, demonstrated by their 48.3 percent field-goal percentage and nearly 40 percent shooting from 3-point range. Both teams hold opponents to 56 points. Wyoming shoots 32.2 percent from 3 and averages 61.7 points a game. Only twice have the Cowboys scored more than 70 points in regulation in 2015.

Today's games comes five years to the date from Northern Iowa's Ali Farokhmanesh's 3-pointer knocked out top-seeded Kansas in the round of 32. The Panthers were darlings of the basketball world before losing in the Sweet Sixteen. UNI understands the power of an underdog; today, the Panthers are the favorite.

Both teams are coming off conference tournament titles. Northern Iowa hasn't played since March 8 after claiming the Missouri Valley Tournament crown. Wyoming clawed through three nail-biters to win the Mountain West title and earn an automatic bid. Will Northern Iowa be rusty or rested? Will the Cowboys be exhausted or on a roll? Those are intangibles one cannot predict before a game.

UNI's game transitions well regardless of layoff. Defense, toughness and selflessness are a way of life for Ben Jacobson. No matter the surroundings, those aspects never change for the Panthers. That should pay off today.

PREDICTION:

Northern Iowa 67, Wyoming 59

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com