University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Sunday, December 10
Cedar Falls, Iowa
4 p.m.
University of Northern Iowa
vs
Dubuque
Men's Basketball Plays Host to Dubuque Sunday
12/9/2017 2:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Complete Release (PDF)
Dubuque (5-3) at UNI (7-2)
Sun., Dec. 10, 2017 • 4 p.m.
Cedar Falls, Iowa (McLeod Center)
ESPN3 | AUDIO | STATS
TICKETS
Fans can purchase single-game tickets to UNI men's basketball home games through UNITIX. Call 319-273-4849 or visit www.unipanthers.com/tickets.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television
The Valley on ESPN3
Play-by-Play: Brad Wells
Analyst: Kevin Lehman
Radio, TuneIn App
Panther Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Rima
Analyst: Kevin Boyle
Flagship Station - KXEL 1540-AM
On the Web - www.UNIPanthers.com
Stats
UNI.Statbroadcast.com
SERIES NOTES
All-Times Series: UNI leads, 11-8
Last Meeting: UNI 83, Dubuque 63 (Nov. 25, 2015)
UNI has won eight straight matchups vs. Dubuque, dating back to the 1924-25 season.
UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL STORYLINES VS. DUBUQUE
• The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team (7-2 overall) will continue its non-conference slate this Sunday at home against the University of Dubuque Spartans (5-3 overall) at 4 p.m. in the McLeod Center.
• UNI is building a strong resume during its non-conference play with a mark of 7-2. The Panthers have posted wins over SMU (61-58), North Carolina State (64-60), UNLV (77-68 OT) and UT Arlington (62-58). UNI was ranked No. 19 in Saturday's NCAA RPI release.
• UNI ranks as the most-improved (+9.6) rebounding team in the nation through its first nine games. UNI has improved its rebounding from 29.3 last season to 38.9 this season. Duke is second in the nation by improving its rebounding by +9.2.
• UNI ranks No. 4 in the nation in scoring defense. The Panthers are giving up 58.4 points per game.
• UNI freshman guard Tywhon Pickford is one of six freshmen in the country to be averaging double figures in rebounds. Pickford is the only player in the country under 6'5" averaging double-figures in rebounds (10.7).
• UNI junior forward Klint Carlson scored his second consecutive career high with 24 points in a 62-58 win over UT Arlington. Carlson had scored 23 points vs. UNLV (Nov. 29) to set his previous career high in points.
UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES VS. DUBUQUE
UNI REMAINS AT HOME TO TAKE ON DUBUQUE ON SUNDAY
The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team will continue its non-conference slate this Sunday at home against the University of Dubuque Spartans.
UNI (7-2 overall) and Dubuque (5-3 overall) will tip at 4 p.m. following the UNI women's basketball game vs. Wisconsin-Parkside at 1 p.m. in the McLeod Center.
TICKETS
Fans can purchase single-game tick-
ets to UNI men's basketball home games through UNITIX.
Call 319-273-4849 or visit www.unipanthers.com/tickets.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Sunday's game will be shown live on The Valley on ESPN3.
Brad Wells (play-by-play) and Kevin Lehman (analyst) will call the contest.
DUBUQUE SPARTANS
Dubuque is an NCAA Division III institution and a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC).
Head coach Robbie Sieverding is in his 11th season at the helm of the Dubuque men's basketball program having taking over in Sept. 2007.
Sieverding has led his teams to National tournament berths in 2013 and 2015 after winning the Iowa Conference Tournament Championship in both seasons.
During his collegiate career, Sieverding played basketball at Marshalltown Community College from 1997-1998, and transferred to UNI where he played from 1998-2002. He received All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 2000 and 2002; along with finishing his career sixth on the UNI all-time scoring list, as well as sixth on the all-time assist list.
SPARTANS THIS SEASON
Dubuque began the 2017-18 season by winning its first five games. Since then, they have dropped three straight contests to in-state foes Wartburg, Central and Simpson.
UNI and Dubuque share a common opponent so far this season in Wartburg. UNI downed Wartburg on Nov. 15, 72-43. Dubuque lost to Wartburg on Nov. 29, 77-51.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS DUBUQUE
UNI owns an 11-8 lead in the all-time series vs. Dubuque. The teams last met on Nov. 25, 2015, when the Panthers posted an 83-63 win over the Spartans.
UNI has won eight straight games vs. Dubuque dating back to 1924-25.
RESUME BUILDING
UNI is building a strong resume during its non-conference play with a mark of 7-2.
The Panthers have posted wins over SMU (61-58), North Carolina State (64-60), UNLV (77-68 OT) and UT Arlington (62-58).
UNI's only two losses this season have come at No. 9 North Carolina and on a neutral floor to No. 5 Villanova in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
In fact, both of those two teams are the last two NCAA champions with Villanova claiming the crown in 2016 and North Carolina raising the trophy in 2017.
CLIMBING IN THE NCAA RPI
The Panthers were ranked No. 19 Saturday's NCAA RPI release.
MOST-IMPROVED REBOUNDING TEAM IN NATION
UNI ranks as the most-improved (+9.6) rebounding team in the nation through its first nine games.
UNI has improved its rebounding from 29.3 last season to 38.9 this season.
Duke is second in the nation by improving its rebounding by +9.2.
Rk. Team 16-17 17-18 Margin
1. UNI 29.3 38.9 +9.6
2. Duke 36.2 45.4 +9.2
NO. 4 IN SCORING DEFENSE
UNI ranks No. 4 in the nation in scoring defense. The Panthers are giving up 58.4 points per game.
NO. 7 IN FEWEST FOULS
UNI is ranked No. 7 in the nation in fewest fouls per game (14.2).
PLAYING WELL IN DECEMBER
UNI has won 10 consecutive home games in December vs. non-conference foes.
SECOND STRAIGHT CAREER HIGH FOR CARLSON
UNI junior forward Klint Carlson scored his second consecutive career high with 24 points in a 62-58 win over UT Arlington.
Carlson had scored 23 points vs. UNLV (Nov. 29) to set his previous career high in points.
Active 20-Plus Point Scoring Games
Bennett Koch (6)
Klint Carlson (3)
Hunter Rhodes (1)
KLINT WAS IN THE ZONE
Klint Carlson buried six three-pointers against UT Arlington on Thursday night in the McLeod Center.
Carlson entered the game having made six three-pointers on the season.
Carlson was 6-of-8 from three-point range and bested his previous career high of four made triples vs. Oklahoma last season.
ELITE FRESHMAN REBOUNDER
UNI freshman guard Tywhon Pickford is one of six freshmen in the country to be averaging double figures in rebounds.
Freshman Rebounders 10.0/Game
1. Marvin Bagley III (Duke) 11.3
2. Deandre Ayton (Arizona) 11.2
3. Brandon McCoy (UNLV) 11.2
4. Tywhon Pickford (UNI) 10.7
5. Eric Williams Jr. (Duquesne) 10.6
6. Mohamed Bamba (Texas) 10.1
PICKFORD TO THE GLASS
UNI freshman Tywhon Pickford is the only player in the country under 6'5" averaging double-figures in rebounds per game (10.7).
He ranks No. 14 in the country in rebounding among all NCAA Division I players.
He leads the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding (10.7 rpg) and is tied for second in the league in offensive rebounds (27).
Pickford has reached double figures in rebounds in six of UNI's nine games this season.
Pickford ranks fourth on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game.
RARE CLASS OF STATS
Pickford is looking to become the first UNI Panther to average double-figure rebounds for a season since Joe Breakenridge averaged 10.5 rebounds per game in the 2000-2001 season.
Prior to Breakenridge averaging double figures in rebounds you have to go all the way back to the 1975-1976 season which saw Mark Enright average 10.5 rebounds per game for the Panthers.
KOCH PERFORMS AT HIGH LEVEL
Senior Bennett Koch leads the Panthers in scoring (15.4 ppg), field goal% (60.0%) and free throw% (79.6%) through their first nine games.
He ranks second on the squad in rebounding (7.8 rpg).
MCCLOUD'S CONFIDENCE SOARS
UNI sophomore point guard Juwan McCloud leads the squad in assists (22) and steals (12).
McCloud ranks second on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game.
McCloud has reached double-figure scoring five times this season. Last year, McCloud had four double-figure scoring games as a true freshman.
McCloud has drained 13 three-pointers this season after making nine three-pointers during the 2016-17 season.
SCORING SPARK OFF THE BENCH
UNI sophomore guard Spencer Haldeman is the leading bench scorer for the Panthers.
Haldeman has made 16-of-36 three-pointers this season and is averaging 7.8 points per game.
Haldeman drained the game-clinching three-pointer with :25.2 left vs. UT Arlington to give UNI a 62-58 lead.
RHODES CAN'T MISS
UNI senior guard Hunter Rhodes has made the most of his limited time on the floor this year by making all three of his field goal attempts.
Rhodes played seven minutes against UNLV and was 3-for-3 from the field, including a three-pointer in nine minutes of action vs. the Runnin' Rebels.
DEFENSE, REBOUNDING KEYED UNI'S 7-2 START TO SEASON
UNI's 7-2 start to the 2017-18 season has been built on the strength of its defense and ability to rebound.
The Panthers have limited the opposition to 58.4 points per game and 36.9 percent field goal shooting.
UNI is enjoying a +4.9 rebonding margin this season. UNI has outrebounded five of its eight opponents, including a +8.0 advantage over No. 5-ranked Villanova in the Battle 4 Atlantis title game.
RATCHETING UP THE DEFENSE
Since giving up 86 points in the season opener against North Carolina, UNI has ratcheted up the defensive effort.
In its last eight games, UNI is 7-1 and allowing only 55.0 points per game. UNI has limited the opposition to 35.1 percent shooting from the field and only 29.2 percent from three-point range in its last eight contests.
UNI is enjoying a plus 8.3 advantage (41.7 to 33.4) on the boards in its last seven games.
KEEP IT IN THE STATE OF IOWA
UNI will play its next four games in the state of Iowa including Sunday vs. Dubuque in the McLeod Center.
Three of UNI's next four games (Dec. 10 - Dubuque; Dec. 22 - Xavier; Dec. 28 - Southern Illinois) will be played in the McLeod Center - the only game away from Cedar Falls is Dec. 16 vs. Iowa State in Des Moines at The Hy-Vee Classic.
COUNTLESS 3-POINT BOMBERS
Through nine games, UNI has five players who have made at least 11 3-pointers this season.
Spencer Haldeman (16), Juwan McCloud (13), Klint Carlson (12), Tywhon Pickford (11) and Isaiah Brown (11) have all made at least 11 shots from 3-point land this season.
UNI is averaging 7.8 made 3-pointers per game.
UNI'S 3-POINT STREAK
UNI has made at least one 3-pointer in 570 straight games – the longest active streak in the Missouri Valley Conference.
The last time UNI failed to make a 3-point basket came Feb. 3, 2000, vs. Southern Illinois in a 72-58 Panther victory in the UNI-Dome. UNI went 0-for-4 from 3-point land vs. the Salukis in that contest.
LATE SECOND-HALF SURGE LIFTS UNI PAST UT ARLINGTON
UNI trailed UT Arlington by seven points with eight minutes left in the second half, 50-43.
But the Panthers used a 16-2 run to take a 59-52 lead en route to a 62-58 victory. During the 16-2 surge, UNI made all six shots from the field.
16-2 Run UNI FGs Made vs. UTA
6:56 Brown 3-pointer (46-50)
6:25 Haldeman layup (48-50)
5:44 Pickford jumper (50-50)
4:58 Brown jumper (52-50)
3:30 McCloud jumper (56-52)
2:54 McCloud 3-pointer (59-52)
SPENCER CLINCHES UTA WIN
UNI's Spencer Haldeman clinced the Panther victory over UT Arlington when he buried a 3-pointer out of the corner with :25.2 left to give UNI a four-point lead at 62-58.
22 POWER-FIVE VICTORIES
UNI reached the championship game of the 2017 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament with victories over SMU and Atlantic Coast Conference's North Carolina State Wolfpack.
The triumph over N.C. State marked the 22nd victory for the Panthers over a Power-5 conference foe (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC) since head coach Ben Jacobson took over the program in 2006-07.
Power 5 Victories (since 2006-07)
Iowa State (60-57 - 2006-07)
at Iowa (57-55 - 2006-07)
at Iowa State (61-48 - 2007-08)
vs. Auburn (67-61 - 2008-09)
vs. Boston College (81-69 - 2009-10)
at Iowa State (63-60) - 2009-10)
Iowa (67-50 - 2009-10)
vs. Kansas (69-67 - 2009-10)
Iowa State (60-54 - 2010-11)
vs. Indiana (67-61 - 2010-11)
at Iowa State (69-62 - 2011-12)
Iowa (80-60 - 2011-12)
vs. Virginia Tech (73-54 - 2014-15)
vs. Northwestern (61-42 - 2014-15)
vs. Iowa (56-44 - 2014-15)
North Carolina (71-67 - 2015-16)
vs. Iowa State (81-79 - 2015-16)
vs. Washington State (63-59 - 2015-16)
vs. Texas (75-72 - 2015-16)
vs. Arizona State (82-63 - 2016-17)
vs. Oklahoma (73-67 - 2016-17)
vs. North Carolina State (64-60 - 2017-18)
9 HOME WINS IN 11 STRAIGHT YRS
UNI has won nine or more home games in the McLeod Center in 11 consecutive seasons.
UNI will play 16 home games during the 2017-18 season - the most regular seaso home games since the 2007-08 season when the Panthers had 17 on the slate.
UNI's Home Record Since 2006-07
Year Record
2006-07 9-4
2007-08 11-6
2008-09 11-4
2009-10 14-0
2010-11 13-5
2011-12 13-3
2012-13 16-4
2013-14 11-2
2014-15 15-0
2015-16 11-3
2016-17 9-4
2017-18 5-0
JAKE RANKS AMONG MVC's ALL-TIME TOP COACHES
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson ranks No. 6 in the Missouri Valley Conference history in victories with 241.
Jacobson ranks No. 7 in league history in MVC games only with 123 wins.
Henry Iba tops both lists with 486 total wins and 187 league wins.
MVC Coaching Victories
1. Henry P. Iba (Oklahoma State) 486
2. Eddie Hickey (Creighton/St. Louis) 337
3. Dana Altman (Creighton) 327
4. Gregg Marshall (Wichita State) 261
5. Barry Hinson (Missouri State/SIU) 252
6. Ben Jacobson (UNI) 241
7. Rich Herrin (Southern Illinois) 225
8. Ralph Miller (Wichita State) 220
9. Maury John (Drake) 211
10. Joe Stowell (Bradley) 197
MVC Coaching Wins (Conf. Games Only)
1. Henry P. Iba (Oklahoma State) 187
2. Dana Altman (Creighton) 182
3. Eddie Hickey (Creighton/St. Louis) 163
4. Barry Hinson (Missouri State/SIU) 134
Gregg Marshall (Wichita State) 134
6. Dr. F.C. Allen (Kansas) 126
7. Ben Jacobson (UNI) 123
8. Rich Herrin (Southern Illinois) 111
9. Jim Molinari (Bradley) 110
10. Maurice John (Drake) 95
TOP-FOUR FINISHES IN MVC
UNI extended its streak of top-four finishes in the Missouri Valley Conference to a ninth straight season with its third-place finish in 2016-17.
IN THE UPPER HALF
UNI recorded its 14th straight upper-half finish Missouri Valley Conference.
It is the longest active streak in the league.
Prior to the 2003-04 season, when the current streak began, UNI had finished in the top half of the MVC on two occasions (1993-94 - 5th, 1996-97 - 4th) since joining the league in 1991-92.
14 STRAIGHT YEARS OF 9 OR MORE MVC WINS
UNI also extended its streak of nine or more MVC victories in a season to 14 straight years. It is the longest active streak in the league.
Wichita State has the second-longest active streak at eight.
UNI in the MVC Since 2003-04
2003-04 - 12-6 (T-2nd)
2004-05 - 11-7 (T-3rd)
2005-06 - 11-7 (T-5th)
2006-07 - 9-9 (5th)
2007-08 - 9-9 (T-5th)
2008-09 - 14-4 (T-1st)
2009-10 - 15-3 (1st)
2010-11 - 10-8 (T-4th)
2011-12 - 9-9 (T-3rd)
2012-13 - 11-7 (3rd)
2013-14 - 10-8 (3rd)
2014-15 - 16-2 (2nd)
2015-16 - 11-7 (T-4th)
2016-17 - 9-9 (T-3rd)
EIGHT NCAA TRIPS FOR UNI
UNI made its eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2016. The Panthers are 5-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
UNI's All-Time NCAA Tourney Results
1990 - W, 74-71 vs. #3 Missouri
1990 - L, 84-81 vs. #6 Minnesota
2004 - L, 65-60 vs. #3 Georgia Tech
2005 - L, 57-52 vs. #6 Wisconsin
2006 - L, 54-49 vs. #7 Georgetown
2009 - L, 61-56 vs. #5 Purdue
2010 - W, 69-66 vs. #8 UNLV
2010 - W, 69-67 vs. #1 Kansas
2010 - L, 59-52 vs. #5 Michigan State
2015 - W, 71-54 vs. #12 Wyoming
2015 - L, 66-53 vs. #4 Louisville
2016 - W, 75-72 vs. #6 Texas
2016 - L, 92-88 (2OT) vs. #3 Texas A&M
7TH NCAA APPEARANCE SINCE 2004
The Panthers have made seven NCAA appearances since the 2004 season. Only 27 other teams have made more than seven NCAA Tournament appearances since 2004.
That is the most NCAA Tournament apperance since 2004 for any current member of the MVC. New MVC member Valparaiso has made three NCAA Tournaments in that same time frame (2004, 2013, 2015).
Current MVC NCAA Appearances Since 2004
UNI (7) - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016
Southern Illinois (4) - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Valparaiso (3) - 2004, 2013, 2015
Indiana State (1) - 2011
Drake (1) - 2008
Bradley (1) - 2006
PANTHERS PICKED SECOND IN MVC PRESEASON POLL
UNI has been slotted to finish second in the preseason 2017-18 Missouri Valley Conference poll.
UNI received eight first-place votes in the preseason poll. It is the most preseason first-place votes in a year that the Panthers were not picked as the preseason favorites.
MVC Preseason Poll
School (First-Place Votes) Total
1. Missouri State (30) 381
2. UNI (8) 337
3. Loyola (1) 321
4. Illinois State (1) 256
5. Southern Illinois 226
6. Valparaiso 214
7. Bradley 182
8. Indiana State 116
9. Evansville 88
10. Drake 79
KOCH, CARLSON EARN ALL-MVC PRESEASON HONORS
University of Northern Iowa seniors Bennett Koch and Klint Carlson have been named to the Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference teams.
Koch earned first-team all-MVC honors, while Carlson was selected to the second team.
Koch is UNI's top returning scorer at 11.0 points per game. In his last 14 games last season, Koch averaged a team-best 14.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game.
Carlson averaged more points per game for the third consecutive season (8.3 ppg). He ranked No. 4 in the league at 36.6 minutes per game.
RADIO INFORMATION
This year's UNI men's basketball games can be heard on the UNI Sports Radio Network, with KXEL (1540 AM, Waterloo, Iowa) serving as flagship station. Affiliates include KBGG (1700 AM, Des Moines), KGYM (1600 AM, Cedar Rapids), KQCR (98.9 FM, Hampton), KILJ (105.5 FM, Mount Pleasant), KFXE (1160 AM, Decorah-Waukon) and KVFD (1400 AM, Fort Dodge).
Long-time Panthers announcer Gary Rima handles play-by-play duties, while Kevin Boyle serves as analyst. Head coach Ben Jacobson's weekly radio call-in show will air on Thursdays, beginning in December at 6 p.m., live from The Other Place in Cedar Falls.
UNI INKS TOP-100 RECRUIT GREEN
University of Northern Iowa head men's basketball coach Ben Jacobson has announced the signing of consensus top-100 recruit A.J. Green to a National Letter-of-Intent to play for the Panthers beginning in the 2018-19 season.
Green (6'4", 175 lbs., Guard – Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls HS) is ranked among the top-100 recruits by ESPN (No. 74), 247 (No. 77), Scout (No. 77) and Rivals (No. 88). He is a four-star recruit and a first-team all-state pick by the Iowa Newspaper Association in both 2016 and 2017.
"A.J. has a tremendous work ethic and drive to be the absolute best. It has been a lot of fun watching him work and grow as player over the course of all these years," Jacobson said. "In A.J., we are getting a player who knows our program, comes in with lofty goals and has made himself one of the best players in the country. Most importantly we are getting a terrific young guy. This is an exciting day for our basketball family and for Panther Nation as A.J. officially becomes a Panther."
Green has scored 1,120 points entering his senior season at Cedar Falls High School. Green averaged 21.5 points per game and grabbed 4.2 rebounds per game, while he shot 47.4 percent from the floor (43.4 – 3-point range) as a junior. He averaged 17.8 points per game and made 44 percent of his three-point shots as a sophomore. Green scored 186 points and averaged 8.0 points per game as a freshman.
Green played AAU basketball for the Iowa Barnstormers. He is the son of Kyle and Michele Green.
WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson or a member of his coaching staff will be available at the weekly press conference held each Monday beginning at noon in the McLeod Center's Alumni Suite.
FOLLOW THE PANTHERS ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER & YOUTUBE
Fans of UNI Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube will have access to updates, score recaps and special announcements.
UNI Athletics on Facebook will give fans the chance to connect with other Panther fans, as well as providing information on upcoming events. Followers on Twitter will be able to access news and scoring updates. Followers on YouTube will be able to access game highlights and press conference footage.
FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/UNIAthletics
www.facebook.com/UNIMensBasketball
TWITTER
www.twitter.com/UNIAthletics
www.twittercom/UNIMBB
YOUTUBE
www.youtube.com/UNIAthletics
INSTAGRAM
www.instagram.com/UNIAthletics
Dubuque (5-3) at UNI (7-2)
Sun., Dec. 10, 2017 • 4 p.m.
Cedar Falls, Iowa (McLeod Center)
ESPN3 | AUDIO | STATS
TICKETS
Fans can purchase single-game tickets to UNI men's basketball home games through UNITIX. Call 319-273-4849 or visit www.unipanthers.com/tickets.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television
The Valley on ESPN3
Play-by-Play: Brad Wells
Analyst: Kevin Lehman
Radio, TuneIn App
Panther Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Rima
Analyst: Kevin Boyle
Flagship Station - KXEL 1540-AM
On the Web - www.UNIPanthers.com
Stats
UNI.Statbroadcast.com
SERIES NOTES
All-Times Series: UNI leads, 11-8
Last Meeting: UNI 83, Dubuque 63 (Nov. 25, 2015)
UNI has won eight straight matchups vs. Dubuque, dating back to the 1924-25 season.
UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL STORYLINES VS. DUBUQUE
• The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team (7-2 overall) will continue its non-conference slate this Sunday at home against the University of Dubuque Spartans (5-3 overall) at 4 p.m. in the McLeod Center.
• UNI is building a strong resume during its non-conference play with a mark of 7-2. The Panthers have posted wins over SMU (61-58), North Carolina State (64-60), UNLV (77-68 OT) and UT Arlington (62-58). UNI was ranked No. 19 in Saturday's NCAA RPI release.
• UNI ranks as the most-improved (+9.6) rebounding team in the nation through its first nine games. UNI has improved its rebounding from 29.3 last season to 38.9 this season. Duke is second in the nation by improving its rebounding by +9.2.
• UNI ranks No. 4 in the nation in scoring defense. The Panthers are giving up 58.4 points per game.
• UNI freshman guard Tywhon Pickford is one of six freshmen in the country to be averaging double figures in rebounds. Pickford is the only player in the country under 6'5" averaging double-figures in rebounds (10.7).
• UNI junior forward Klint Carlson scored his second consecutive career high with 24 points in a 62-58 win over UT Arlington. Carlson had scored 23 points vs. UNLV (Nov. 29) to set his previous career high in points.
UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES VS. DUBUQUE
UNI REMAINS AT HOME TO TAKE ON DUBUQUE ON SUNDAY
The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team will continue its non-conference slate this Sunday at home against the University of Dubuque Spartans.
UNI (7-2 overall) and Dubuque (5-3 overall) will tip at 4 p.m. following the UNI women's basketball game vs. Wisconsin-Parkside at 1 p.m. in the McLeod Center.
TICKETS
Fans can purchase single-game tick-
ets to UNI men's basketball home games through UNITIX.
Call 319-273-4849 or visit www.unipanthers.com/tickets.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Sunday's game will be shown live on The Valley on ESPN3.
Brad Wells (play-by-play) and Kevin Lehman (analyst) will call the contest.
DUBUQUE SPARTANS
Dubuque is an NCAA Division III institution and a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC).
Head coach Robbie Sieverding is in his 11th season at the helm of the Dubuque men's basketball program having taking over in Sept. 2007.
Sieverding has led his teams to National tournament berths in 2013 and 2015 after winning the Iowa Conference Tournament Championship in both seasons.
During his collegiate career, Sieverding played basketball at Marshalltown Community College from 1997-1998, and transferred to UNI where he played from 1998-2002. He received All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 2000 and 2002; along with finishing his career sixth on the UNI all-time scoring list, as well as sixth on the all-time assist list.
SPARTANS THIS SEASON
Dubuque began the 2017-18 season by winning its first five games. Since then, they have dropped three straight contests to in-state foes Wartburg, Central and Simpson.
UNI and Dubuque share a common opponent so far this season in Wartburg. UNI downed Wartburg on Nov. 15, 72-43. Dubuque lost to Wartburg on Nov. 29, 77-51.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS DUBUQUE
UNI owns an 11-8 lead in the all-time series vs. Dubuque. The teams last met on Nov. 25, 2015, when the Panthers posted an 83-63 win over the Spartans.
UNI has won eight straight games vs. Dubuque dating back to 1924-25.
RESUME BUILDING
UNI is building a strong resume during its non-conference play with a mark of 7-2.
The Panthers have posted wins over SMU (61-58), North Carolina State (64-60), UNLV (77-68 OT) and UT Arlington (62-58).
UNI's only two losses this season have come at No. 9 North Carolina and on a neutral floor to No. 5 Villanova in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
In fact, both of those two teams are the last two NCAA champions with Villanova claiming the crown in 2016 and North Carolina raising the trophy in 2017.
CLIMBING IN THE NCAA RPI
The Panthers were ranked No. 19 Saturday's NCAA RPI release.
MOST-IMPROVED REBOUNDING TEAM IN NATION
UNI ranks as the most-improved (+9.6) rebounding team in the nation through its first nine games.
UNI has improved its rebounding from 29.3 last season to 38.9 this season.
Duke is second in the nation by improving its rebounding by +9.2.
Rk. Team 16-17 17-18 Margin
1. UNI 29.3 38.9 +9.6
2. Duke 36.2 45.4 +9.2
NO. 4 IN SCORING DEFENSE
UNI ranks No. 4 in the nation in scoring defense. The Panthers are giving up 58.4 points per game.
NO. 7 IN FEWEST FOULS
UNI is ranked No. 7 in the nation in fewest fouls per game (14.2).
PLAYING WELL IN DECEMBER
UNI has won 10 consecutive home games in December vs. non-conference foes.
SECOND STRAIGHT CAREER HIGH FOR CARLSON
UNI junior forward Klint Carlson scored his second consecutive career high with 24 points in a 62-58 win over UT Arlington.
Carlson had scored 23 points vs. UNLV (Nov. 29) to set his previous career high in points.
Active 20-Plus Point Scoring Games
Bennett Koch (6)
Klint Carlson (3)
Hunter Rhodes (1)
KLINT WAS IN THE ZONE
Klint Carlson buried six three-pointers against UT Arlington on Thursday night in the McLeod Center.
Carlson entered the game having made six three-pointers on the season.
Carlson was 6-of-8 from three-point range and bested his previous career high of four made triples vs. Oklahoma last season.
ELITE FRESHMAN REBOUNDER
UNI freshman guard Tywhon Pickford is one of six freshmen in the country to be averaging double figures in rebounds.
Freshman Rebounders 10.0/Game
1. Marvin Bagley III (Duke) 11.3
2. Deandre Ayton (Arizona) 11.2
3. Brandon McCoy (UNLV) 11.2
4. Tywhon Pickford (UNI) 10.7
5. Eric Williams Jr. (Duquesne) 10.6
6. Mohamed Bamba (Texas) 10.1
PICKFORD TO THE GLASS
UNI freshman Tywhon Pickford is the only player in the country under 6'5" averaging double-figures in rebounds per game (10.7).
He ranks No. 14 in the country in rebounding among all NCAA Division I players.
He leads the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding (10.7 rpg) and is tied for second in the league in offensive rebounds (27).
Pickford has reached double figures in rebounds in six of UNI's nine games this season.
Pickford ranks fourth on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game.
RARE CLASS OF STATS
Pickford is looking to become the first UNI Panther to average double-figure rebounds for a season since Joe Breakenridge averaged 10.5 rebounds per game in the 2000-2001 season.
Prior to Breakenridge averaging double figures in rebounds you have to go all the way back to the 1975-1976 season which saw Mark Enright average 10.5 rebounds per game for the Panthers.
KOCH PERFORMS AT HIGH LEVEL
Senior Bennett Koch leads the Panthers in scoring (15.4 ppg), field goal% (60.0%) and free throw% (79.6%) through their first nine games.
He ranks second on the squad in rebounding (7.8 rpg).
MCCLOUD'S CONFIDENCE SOARS
UNI sophomore point guard Juwan McCloud leads the squad in assists (22) and steals (12).
McCloud ranks second on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game.
McCloud has reached double-figure scoring five times this season. Last year, McCloud had four double-figure scoring games as a true freshman.
McCloud has drained 13 three-pointers this season after making nine three-pointers during the 2016-17 season.
SCORING SPARK OFF THE BENCH
UNI sophomore guard Spencer Haldeman is the leading bench scorer for the Panthers.
Haldeman has made 16-of-36 three-pointers this season and is averaging 7.8 points per game.
Haldeman drained the game-clinching three-pointer with :25.2 left vs. UT Arlington to give UNI a 62-58 lead.
RHODES CAN'T MISS
UNI senior guard Hunter Rhodes has made the most of his limited time on the floor this year by making all three of his field goal attempts.
Rhodes played seven minutes against UNLV and was 3-for-3 from the field, including a three-pointer in nine minutes of action vs. the Runnin' Rebels.
DEFENSE, REBOUNDING KEYED UNI'S 7-2 START TO SEASON
UNI's 7-2 start to the 2017-18 season has been built on the strength of its defense and ability to rebound.
The Panthers have limited the opposition to 58.4 points per game and 36.9 percent field goal shooting.
UNI is enjoying a +4.9 rebonding margin this season. UNI has outrebounded five of its eight opponents, including a +8.0 advantage over No. 5-ranked Villanova in the Battle 4 Atlantis title game.
RATCHETING UP THE DEFENSE
Since giving up 86 points in the season opener against North Carolina, UNI has ratcheted up the defensive effort.
In its last eight games, UNI is 7-1 and allowing only 55.0 points per game. UNI has limited the opposition to 35.1 percent shooting from the field and only 29.2 percent from three-point range in its last eight contests.
UNI is enjoying a plus 8.3 advantage (41.7 to 33.4) on the boards in its last seven games.
KEEP IT IN THE STATE OF IOWA
UNI will play its next four games in the state of Iowa including Sunday vs. Dubuque in the McLeod Center.
Three of UNI's next four games (Dec. 10 - Dubuque; Dec. 22 - Xavier; Dec. 28 - Southern Illinois) will be played in the McLeod Center - the only game away from Cedar Falls is Dec. 16 vs. Iowa State in Des Moines at The Hy-Vee Classic.
COUNTLESS 3-POINT BOMBERS
Through nine games, UNI has five players who have made at least 11 3-pointers this season.
Spencer Haldeman (16), Juwan McCloud (13), Klint Carlson (12), Tywhon Pickford (11) and Isaiah Brown (11) have all made at least 11 shots from 3-point land this season.
UNI is averaging 7.8 made 3-pointers per game.
UNI'S 3-POINT STREAK
UNI has made at least one 3-pointer in 570 straight games – the longest active streak in the Missouri Valley Conference.
The last time UNI failed to make a 3-point basket came Feb. 3, 2000, vs. Southern Illinois in a 72-58 Panther victory in the UNI-Dome. UNI went 0-for-4 from 3-point land vs. the Salukis in that contest.
LATE SECOND-HALF SURGE LIFTS UNI PAST UT ARLINGTON
UNI trailed UT Arlington by seven points with eight minutes left in the second half, 50-43.
But the Panthers used a 16-2 run to take a 59-52 lead en route to a 62-58 victory. During the 16-2 surge, UNI made all six shots from the field.
16-2 Run UNI FGs Made vs. UTA
6:56 Brown 3-pointer (46-50)
6:25 Haldeman layup (48-50)
5:44 Pickford jumper (50-50)
4:58 Brown jumper (52-50)
3:30 McCloud jumper (56-52)
2:54 McCloud 3-pointer (59-52)
SPENCER CLINCHES UTA WIN
UNI's Spencer Haldeman clinced the Panther victory over UT Arlington when he buried a 3-pointer out of the corner with :25.2 left to give UNI a four-point lead at 62-58.
22 POWER-FIVE VICTORIES
UNI reached the championship game of the 2017 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament with victories over SMU and Atlantic Coast Conference's North Carolina State Wolfpack.
The triumph over N.C. State marked the 22nd victory for the Panthers over a Power-5 conference foe (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC) since head coach Ben Jacobson took over the program in 2006-07.
Power 5 Victories (since 2006-07)
Iowa State (60-57 - 2006-07)
at Iowa (57-55 - 2006-07)
at Iowa State (61-48 - 2007-08)
vs. Auburn (67-61 - 2008-09)
vs. Boston College (81-69 - 2009-10)
at Iowa State (63-60) - 2009-10)
Iowa (67-50 - 2009-10)
vs. Kansas (69-67 - 2009-10)
Iowa State (60-54 - 2010-11)
vs. Indiana (67-61 - 2010-11)
at Iowa State (69-62 - 2011-12)
Iowa (80-60 - 2011-12)
vs. Virginia Tech (73-54 - 2014-15)
vs. Northwestern (61-42 - 2014-15)
vs. Iowa (56-44 - 2014-15)
North Carolina (71-67 - 2015-16)
vs. Iowa State (81-79 - 2015-16)
vs. Washington State (63-59 - 2015-16)
vs. Texas (75-72 - 2015-16)
vs. Arizona State (82-63 - 2016-17)
vs. Oklahoma (73-67 - 2016-17)
vs. North Carolina State (64-60 - 2017-18)
9 HOME WINS IN 11 STRAIGHT YRS
UNI has won nine or more home games in the McLeod Center in 11 consecutive seasons.
UNI will play 16 home games during the 2017-18 season - the most regular seaso home games since the 2007-08 season when the Panthers had 17 on the slate.
UNI's Home Record Since 2006-07
Year Record
2006-07 9-4
2007-08 11-6
2008-09 11-4
2009-10 14-0
2010-11 13-5
2011-12 13-3
2012-13 16-4
2013-14 11-2
2014-15 15-0
2015-16 11-3
2016-17 9-4
2017-18 5-0
JAKE RANKS AMONG MVC's ALL-TIME TOP COACHES
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson ranks No. 6 in the Missouri Valley Conference history in victories with 241.
Jacobson ranks No. 7 in league history in MVC games only with 123 wins.
Henry Iba tops both lists with 486 total wins and 187 league wins.
MVC Coaching Victories
1. Henry P. Iba (Oklahoma State) 486
2. Eddie Hickey (Creighton/St. Louis) 337
3. Dana Altman (Creighton) 327
4. Gregg Marshall (Wichita State) 261
5. Barry Hinson (Missouri State/SIU) 252
6. Ben Jacobson (UNI) 241
7. Rich Herrin (Southern Illinois) 225
8. Ralph Miller (Wichita State) 220
9. Maury John (Drake) 211
10. Joe Stowell (Bradley) 197
MVC Coaching Wins (Conf. Games Only)
1. Henry P. Iba (Oklahoma State) 187
2. Dana Altman (Creighton) 182
3. Eddie Hickey (Creighton/St. Louis) 163
4. Barry Hinson (Missouri State/SIU) 134
Gregg Marshall (Wichita State) 134
6. Dr. F.C. Allen (Kansas) 126
7. Ben Jacobson (UNI) 123
8. Rich Herrin (Southern Illinois) 111
9. Jim Molinari (Bradley) 110
10. Maurice John (Drake) 95
TOP-FOUR FINISHES IN MVC
UNI extended its streak of top-four finishes in the Missouri Valley Conference to a ninth straight season with its third-place finish in 2016-17.
IN THE UPPER HALF
UNI recorded its 14th straight upper-half finish Missouri Valley Conference.
It is the longest active streak in the league.
Prior to the 2003-04 season, when the current streak began, UNI had finished in the top half of the MVC on two occasions (1993-94 - 5th, 1996-97 - 4th) since joining the league in 1991-92.
14 STRAIGHT YEARS OF 9 OR MORE MVC WINS
UNI also extended its streak of nine or more MVC victories in a season to 14 straight years. It is the longest active streak in the league.
Wichita State has the second-longest active streak at eight.
UNI in the MVC Since 2003-04
2003-04 - 12-6 (T-2nd)
2004-05 - 11-7 (T-3rd)
2005-06 - 11-7 (T-5th)
2006-07 - 9-9 (5th)
2007-08 - 9-9 (T-5th)
2008-09 - 14-4 (T-1st)
2009-10 - 15-3 (1st)
2010-11 - 10-8 (T-4th)
2011-12 - 9-9 (T-3rd)
2012-13 - 11-7 (3rd)
2013-14 - 10-8 (3rd)
2014-15 - 16-2 (2nd)
2015-16 - 11-7 (T-4th)
2016-17 - 9-9 (T-3rd)
EIGHT NCAA TRIPS FOR UNI
UNI made its eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2016. The Panthers are 5-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
UNI's All-Time NCAA Tourney Results
1990 - W, 74-71 vs. #3 Missouri
1990 - L, 84-81 vs. #6 Minnesota
2004 - L, 65-60 vs. #3 Georgia Tech
2005 - L, 57-52 vs. #6 Wisconsin
2006 - L, 54-49 vs. #7 Georgetown
2009 - L, 61-56 vs. #5 Purdue
2010 - W, 69-66 vs. #8 UNLV
2010 - W, 69-67 vs. #1 Kansas
2010 - L, 59-52 vs. #5 Michigan State
2015 - W, 71-54 vs. #12 Wyoming
2015 - L, 66-53 vs. #4 Louisville
2016 - W, 75-72 vs. #6 Texas
2016 - L, 92-88 (2OT) vs. #3 Texas A&M
7TH NCAA APPEARANCE SINCE 2004
The Panthers have made seven NCAA appearances since the 2004 season. Only 27 other teams have made more than seven NCAA Tournament appearances since 2004.
That is the most NCAA Tournament apperance since 2004 for any current member of the MVC. New MVC member Valparaiso has made three NCAA Tournaments in that same time frame (2004, 2013, 2015).
Current MVC NCAA Appearances Since 2004
UNI (7) - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016
Southern Illinois (4) - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Valparaiso (3) - 2004, 2013, 2015
Indiana State (1) - 2011
Drake (1) - 2008
Bradley (1) - 2006
PANTHERS PICKED SECOND IN MVC PRESEASON POLL
UNI has been slotted to finish second in the preseason 2017-18 Missouri Valley Conference poll.
UNI received eight first-place votes in the preseason poll. It is the most preseason first-place votes in a year that the Panthers were not picked as the preseason favorites.
MVC Preseason Poll
School (First-Place Votes) Total
1. Missouri State (30) 381
2. UNI (8) 337
3. Loyola (1) 321
4. Illinois State (1) 256
5. Southern Illinois 226
6. Valparaiso 214
7. Bradley 182
8. Indiana State 116
9. Evansville 88
10. Drake 79
KOCH, CARLSON EARN ALL-MVC PRESEASON HONORS
University of Northern Iowa seniors Bennett Koch and Klint Carlson have been named to the Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference teams.
Koch earned first-team all-MVC honors, while Carlson was selected to the second team.
Koch is UNI's top returning scorer at 11.0 points per game. In his last 14 games last season, Koch averaged a team-best 14.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game.
Carlson averaged more points per game for the third consecutive season (8.3 ppg). He ranked No. 4 in the league at 36.6 minutes per game.
RADIO INFORMATION
This year's UNI men's basketball games can be heard on the UNI Sports Radio Network, with KXEL (1540 AM, Waterloo, Iowa) serving as flagship station. Affiliates include KBGG (1700 AM, Des Moines), KGYM (1600 AM, Cedar Rapids), KQCR (98.9 FM, Hampton), KILJ (105.5 FM, Mount Pleasant), KFXE (1160 AM, Decorah-Waukon) and KVFD (1400 AM, Fort Dodge).
Long-time Panthers announcer Gary Rima handles play-by-play duties, while Kevin Boyle serves as analyst. Head coach Ben Jacobson's weekly radio call-in show will air on Thursdays, beginning in December at 6 p.m., live from The Other Place in Cedar Falls.
UNI INKS TOP-100 RECRUIT GREEN
University of Northern Iowa head men's basketball coach Ben Jacobson has announced the signing of consensus top-100 recruit A.J. Green to a National Letter-of-Intent to play for the Panthers beginning in the 2018-19 season.
Green (6'4", 175 lbs., Guard – Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls HS) is ranked among the top-100 recruits by ESPN (No. 74), 247 (No. 77), Scout (No. 77) and Rivals (No. 88). He is a four-star recruit and a first-team all-state pick by the Iowa Newspaper Association in both 2016 and 2017.
"A.J. has a tremendous work ethic and drive to be the absolute best. It has been a lot of fun watching him work and grow as player over the course of all these years," Jacobson said. "In A.J., we are getting a player who knows our program, comes in with lofty goals and has made himself one of the best players in the country. Most importantly we are getting a terrific young guy. This is an exciting day for our basketball family and for Panther Nation as A.J. officially becomes a Panther."
Green has scored 1,120 points entering his senior season at Cedar Falls High School. Green averaged 21.5 points per game and grabbed 4.2 rebounds per game, while he shot 47.4 percent from the floor (43.4 – 3-point range) as a junior. He averaged 17.8 points per game and made 44 percent of his three-point shots as a sophomore. Green scored 186 points and averaged 8.0 points per game as a freshman.
Green played AAU basketball for the Iowa Barnstormers. He is the son of Kyle and Michele Green.
WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson or a member of his coaching staff will be available at the weekly press conference held each Monday beginning at noon in the McLeod Center's Alumni Suite.
FOLLOW THE PANTHERS ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER & YOUTUBE
Fans of UNI Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube will have access to updates, score recaps and special announcements.
UNI Athletics on Facebook will give fans the chance to connect with other Panther fans, as well as providing information on upcoming events. Followers on Twitter will be able to access news and scoring updates. Followers on YouTube will be able to access game highlights and press conference footage.
www.facebook.com/UNIAthletics
www.facebook.com/UNIMensBasketball
www.twitter.com/UNIAthletics
www.twittercom/UNIMBB
YOUTUBE
www.youtube.com/UNIAthletics
www.instagram.com/UNIAthletics
Players Mentioned
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