UNI men’s basketball has pieces to end NCAA tournament drought

CEDAR FALLS — Expectations are high for the Northern Iowa men’s basketball team.

Picked second in the Missouri Valley Conference’s preseason poll, the Panthers have big goals this season despite seven players departing and four arriving via the transfer portal this offseason.

“They’re adding to our culture,” UNI Coach Ben Jacobson said of the team’s new transfers. “In the spring when we’re in the transfer portal we’re looking for the same type of young guy that we’re looking for when we’re recruiting high school players. We feel like we’ve hit on the right four (transfers).”

Entering his 19th season, Jacobson described at Wednesday’s annual media day how an eight-year NCAA tournament drought sits with him.

“Seems like longer. Seems like 80 (years),” Jacobson said. “As a staff we wouldn’t want to be somewhere where our administration, our university, our fans didn’t expect us to be in the NCAA tournament. Or, expect us — as you get late in February — to win a Missouri Valley Conference championship. What we talk about as a staff, what we do at practice, (our) formula in terms of recruiting and getting a team ready and playing games — feel great about all of it. Now (we’ve) got to go do it.”

Fourteen of the MVC’s 15 first, second and third-team honorees from a season ago left the conference via the transfer portal or graduation, leaving a target on the Panthers’ returning starters. Tytan Anderson, Trey Campbell and Jacob Hutson each received preseason All-MVC honors.

Seven newcomers — four transfers and three high school recruits — have been added to a returning group of nine that provided nearly 50 percent of the team’s scoring a year ago. While plenty of attention has been on UNI’s newcomers this offseason, its prominent returnees are the reason for its second-place preseason prediction.

“Those nine players that return — led by Tytan and (Hutson) in particular as fifth-year seniors, Trey as well going into his now third year and a guy who’s been a starter for us for two years — that’s where our identity starts,” Jacobson said. “The other piece would be our staff. I wouldn't trade our staff for anybody.”

Jacobson has how Anderson has improved his 3-point shooting and guard skills, how Hutson has continued to build off a strong finish to last season and how he’s challenged Campbell to play more physically as his usage rate is poised to skyrocket.

“(Campbell) has dedicated time to the weight room. He’s using that strength and he’s got more of an edge to him defensively. We need some consistency there,” Jacobson said. “I talked directly with Trey; there were two plays in a scrimmage I just didn’t feel like a guy who’s going into his third year, a two-year starter, (wasn’t) good enough. So there’s some consistency defensively that comes with now being a third-year guy. He’s working tremendously hard to do it and get there.”

Leon Bond, Ben Schwieger, Max Weisbrod and Cael Schmitt make up UNI’s group of transfers.

Bond offers athleticism and versatility, along with an improving 3-point shot. Schwieger — a 2022-2023 Atlantic 10 all-freshman honoree — moves well without the basketball and can attack the basket off the dribble.

Weisbrod and Schmitt provide point guard capabilities. Weisbrod boasts perimeter shooting skill and Schmitt has flashed defensive prowess since joining the team.

Jacobson didn’t commit to a starting lineup Wednesday for the No. 4 season opener against Dubuque, but said Bond and RJ Taylor would start alongside Hutson, Anderson and Campbell if they had a game this week. He did reveal though that freshmen Redek Born and Cade Courbat will both redshirt, while freshman Will Hornseth is expected to play.