Sunday, January 26, 2020 3:00 p.m.
McLeod Center, Cedar Falls, Iowa
The UNI Panthers surged late in the 2018-19 season to make it to the MVC Championship Game as a 6 seed at Arch Madness, and then came within four points of getting an NCAA bid that eventually went to Bradley. This year, the Panthers were ready from the opening bell, showing off the best offense in the MVC and avenging their Arch Madness loss last year by sweeping Bradley. Add in a win over ranked Colorado on the road and a decent SEC team (South Carolina) at a neutral site, and it's no wonder the 16-3 UNI Panthers are on track for an at large bid.
While Northern Iowa was ready to go when the curtain opened on the season, Loyola took some time to get their act together. Early woes with ball handling and shooting/defending the three point shot took a while to get worked out. But after the Ramblers returned from their Cayman Islands tournament at 4-4 overall and stinging from two disappointing losses on the trip, Loyola got the services of Keith Clemons at the point guard spot. The addition of Clemons (and the return of backup center Frank Agunanne a few games later) improved the ball handling and depth. The talented freshmen and newcomers took several games to get up to speed with Division I college hoops, but starter Tate Hall found his three-point shot and Marquise Kennedy became an instant dose of offensive energy coming off the bench. Since returning from the Caymans, Loyola is 10-2 with the only two losses coming against Davidson at home and Drake on the road.
So, unpredictably, we come to Sunday's game with first place Loyola (picked fourth in the MVC Preseason Poll) matched up against second place Northern Iowa (picked for third). UNI is coming off a 68-66 loss to Southern Illinois in Carbondale on Tuesday night. The Ramblers have won four in a row, the last one a 75-55 win over Indiana State at Gentile Arena.
UNI will start four guards and a forward. Six-nine sophomore forward Austin Phyfe is joined by 6'4" sophomore A.J. Green, 6'5" junior Trae Berhow, 6'7" senior Isaiah Brown, and 6'1" senior Spencer Haldeman at the guard spots. That's a really solid starting lineup-- but UNI has experienced players like 6'4" junior guard Tywhon Pickford, 6'9" senior forward Luke McDonnell, 7-footer Justin Dahl, 6'6" freshman forward Noah Carter, and 6'0" freshman guard Antwan Kimmons.
Most Loyola fans who watched the games with UNI last season or tuned into the Arch Madness Final know that A.J. Green is one of the superlative players in the league. He shoots a lot-- from inside and outside, driving to the basket and firing jumpers from everywhere. He leads the league in three-pointers made per game and free throw percentage (92.2%!!). He ranks second in the league in points at 19.5 per game. He will take (and often make) a shot from just about anywhere on the court-- behind screens, behind the arc, driving at players in the paint, making steals and breakaway layups, etc. You get the idea-- he's a dynamic player.
But here's the deal.... UNI has upper echelon stars in particular categories throughout the starting lineup. Austin Phyfe leads the league in offensive rebounds, averages 10.4 points per game, pulls down 7.4 boards per game, and ranks third in field goal percentage. Trae Berhow leads the league in three-point field goal percentage (48.5%), shoots 86.8% from the free throw line, and averages 14.4 points per game. Isaiah Brown averages 8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and is one of the elite defenders in the league, with length, quick hands, athleticism, and vertical. Haldeman is an experienced guard who averages 8.7 ppg mostly shooting from distance.
Loyola's depth is with their guards; Northern Iowa's depth is with their big players in the frontcourt. Isaiah Brown and AJ Green are very difficult matchups offensively; Green has been criticized for lax defense. The matchups will be very interesting--- can Krutwig score on Phyfe, 7-footer Dahl, and McDonnell? Can Marquise Kennedy's quick first step outstrip the length and height of UNI's inside players? Will Brown shut down Tate Hall? Can Aher Uguak use his athleticism for inside scoring behind Krutwig spacing? Will Lucas Williamson concentrate on Green or Berhow? Can Loyola get to the long rebounds from UNI's missed threes, or do the Panthers get second chance bombs?
The Ramblers have won eight of the last nine meetings between the two teams, including the last five straight. Loyola has won the last two games in Cedar Falls, but UNI usually has a great home court advantage and leads the all-time series against the Ramblers in Cedar Falls 6-3. Cameron Krutwig and Lucas Williamson have never lost to UNI. Krutwig averages 13.4 ppg with one double-double in five games against UNI. A.J. Green has averaged 23.8 points per game over has 12 contests. Overall, the all time series is tied at 10-all. Last year, both Loyola wins were by a single point.
It's going to be a good game just because there's a lot on the line for both teams in this one. Loyola will have another shot at UNI at Gentile Arena and the Ramblers are a game up on the Panthers, so it's probably a bit more crucial for UNI to get this game. They are going to come out revved up and focused from the very beginning, so Loyola has to be careful to not let it get away too early.
Loyola game notes: https://loyolaramblers.com/documents/20 ... _26_20.pdfUNI game notes: https://unipanthers.com/documents/2020/ ... Loyola.pdfTV/Streaming video: ESPN U
https://www.espn.com/watch?id=c0f3c17a- ... c85f206c7eRadio/Streaming audio: https://loyolaramblers.com/watch/?Live=22&type=LiveLive stats: https://unipanthers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summaryVegas odds: UNI by 4.5
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