UNI men’s basketball happy with summer progress

CEDAR FALLS — While the anticipation for the 2024 college football season nears its peak, work continues across the country for college basketball teams.

With summer development largely in the rearview mirror and fall semesters beginning soon, the Missouri Valley Conference’s 12 head coaches spoke Monday and Tuesday on the league’s annual summer Zoom call.

Entering his 19th season, UNI men’s coach Ben Jacobson described changes to his program’s summer practices as a result of seven newcomers that include three freshmen recruits and four transfers.

“We made the decision this (summer) to spend more time with our offensive stuff — our base offense and then putting in some of our set plays — and we were able to build our playbook,” Jacobson said. “And I told the guys before we left (that) because the emphasis this summer was getting some things in offensively, it doesn’t change what needs to get done when we get to the season, and that of course is guarding people, rebounding the basketball and making tough, hard-nosed plays.”

While the offensive improvement was encouraging this summer, the Panthers have dealt with injuries.

Sophomore forward Kyle Pock (knees) and junior guard Max Weisbrod (foot) have shown improvement despite missing a good portion of their summer access.

“(Max’s) rehab has gone great,” Jacobson said. “His foot feels really good — the area where he had surgery (is) pain free. He will now ramp up his workouts (because) he didn’t use any of his time in June and July with coming back from the injury.”

Pock, meanwhile, has suffered from an injury that’s been less definitive than Weisbrod’s.

“He had some pain in the patella in both knees. One would get better, (then) the other would get a little bit worse, then it would flip,” Jacobson said. “He was really limited in terms of his time with the team. Now, he was able to do enough. He worked hard on his conditioning. We do expect that he will be fully healthy when we start in September.”

Much of the attention this offseason has been on the seven newcomers Jacobson has on his roster, but if the Panthers are going to contend for an MVC championship this season it’ll require steps forward from their decorated returnees — Trey Campbell, Tytan Anderson and Jacob Hutson.

Jacobson said Campbell is working on playing with more physicality, finishing at the rim, getting to the free-throw line more frequently and getting his 3-point shot off quicker.

Anderson has spent considerable time this summer in the perimeter players’ workouts and honing in his 3-point shot to develop more small forward skills. At the same time, Jacobson said Anderson’s as invested as ever in what he brings as a power forward who helps the team.

Finally, Jacobson described how Hutson is in the best shape of any big man he’s had in his 19 seasons and has increased his leadership by making his voice heard more frequently at practice.