UNI Hosts First-Place Drake Tuesday in McLeod

UNI Notes | Drake Notes

Drake (11-8, 5-1) at UNI (9-9, 1-5)
Tues., Jan. 16, 2018 • 7 p.m.
Cedar Falls, Iowa (McLeod Center)

WATCH | LISTEN | 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
Tuesday's Drake at UNI game will be shown live on the Panthers Sports Television Network and on ESPN3.
   Eric Braley (play-by-play) and Kevin Lehman (analyst) will call the game in the McLeod Center.
   Clearances: Cedar Falls Utilities Ch. 15/HD415, KCRG Ch. 9.2, WHO 13 D-2, KGCW Ch. 26, NBC Sports Chicago, KSMO - Kansas City.

SERIES NOTES
All-Time Series: UNI leads 45-25
Last Meeting: UNI 71, Drake 63 (Jan. 28, 2017)
Overall, UNI has won 15 of the last 17 matchups. The Panthers are 27-5 at home vs. the Bulldogs. Drake is 3-8 in the McLeod Center.

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL STORYLINES VS. DRAKE
• The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team (9-9 overall, 1-5 MVC) will play host to fellow in-state foe the Drake Bulldogs (11-8 overall, 5-1 MVC) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the McLeod Center.

• UNI's starting five has a combined 131 career starts heading into Tuesday's game vs. Drake. By comparison, Drake's starting lineup features a group that has combined to have started 289 games. UNI's starters have played in 225 career games, while Drake's starters have played in 448.

• UNI freshmen guard Tywhon Pickford is the squad's leading scorer and rebounder through six games in Missouri Valley Conference play. Pickford is averaging 15.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in league play.

• Pickford (6'4") is the nation's top rebounder (8.9 rpg) under 6'5". Pickford ranks No. 7 in the nation in rebounds among all freshmen.

• For the first time since Jan. 28, 1987, UNI had a pair of freshmen each score 20 points in a game. Tywhon Pickford (23 points) and Austin Phyfe (20 points) each went for 20 points in UNI's 81-76 win over Valparaiso.

• Junior guard Wyatt Lohaus ranks first and sophomore guard Spencer Haldeman ranks second among MVC players in scoring without making a start this season. Lohaus is scoring 9.1 points per game, while Haldeman is averaging 6.9 points per game.

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES VS. DRAKE

DRAKE BULLDOGS
Drake is under the direction of first-year head coach Niko Medved. Prior to arriving at Drake, Medved served as the head coach at Furman University for four seasons. He compiled a mark of 62-70 at Furman and led the Palladins to a record of 23-11 in 2016-17.
   The Bulldogs began conference play by winning its first four league games.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. DRAKE
UNI holds a 45-25 lead in the all-time series vs. Drake.
   Overall, UNI has won 15 of the last 17 matchups vs. Drake.
   The Panthers are 27-5 at home vs. the Bulldogs. Drake is 3-8 in the McLeod Center.

WELCOME HOME, ALI
Former UNI Panther Ali Farokhmanesh will return to the McLeod Center Tuesday for the first time as an opposing assistant coach. Farokhmanesh serves as an assistant coach for Drake.
   Farokhmanesh will always be remembered for his 2010 NCAA Tournament heroics and three-point shooting in victories over UNLV and Kansas.
   Farokhmanesh ranks No. 76 on UNI's all-time scoring list with 667 points from 2008-2010. He ranks ninth on UNI's all-time three-point field goals made chart with 152.

FOUR UNDERCLASSMEN IN STARTING FIVE
UNI went young in its starting lineup on Saturday vs. Valpo by starting four underclassmen.
   UNI's starting five consisted of senior Klint Carlson, sophomores Isaiah Brown and Juwan McCloud to go along with true freshmen Tywhon Pickford and Austin Phyfe.
   UNI's starting five has a combined 131 career starts heading into Tuesday's game vs. Drake. By comparison, Drake's starting lineup features a group that has combined to have started 289 games.

Drake's Starters (Played, Started)
Reed Timmer (112, 110)
C.J. Rivers (96, 57)
De'Antae Murray (50, 41)
Nick McGlynn (80, 38)
Ore Arogundade (110, 43)

UNI's Starters (Played, Started)
Juwan McCloud (48, 46)
Isaiah Brown (44, 20)
Tywhon Pickford (18, 18)
Klint Carlson (100, 46)
Austin Phyfe (15, 1)

TWO FRESHMEN WITH 20 POINTS
For the first time since Jan. 28, 1987, UNI had a pair of freshmen each score 20 points in a game.
   Tywhon Pickford (23 points) and Austin Phyfe (20 points) each went for 20 points in UNI's 81-76 win over Valparaiso on Saturday.
   Pickford and Phyfe are the first pair of Panther freshmen to both score 20 or more points in the same game since Maurice Newby (31 points) and Jason Reese (23 points) performed the feat in a 99-79 win over Northern Illinois in the UNI-Dome.

Active 20-Plus Point Scoring Games
Bennett Koch (7)
Klint Carlson (3)
Austin Phyfe (1)
Tywhon Pickford (1)
Hunter Rhodes (1)

TYWHON TAKES CHARGE IN MVC
UNI freshmen guard Tywhon Pickford is the squad's leading scorer through six games in Missouri Valley Conference play.
   Pickford is averaging 15.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in league play.
   He has been UNI's leading scorer in four of the six league games and the Panthers's top rebounder in its last five MVC contests.

Pickford in MVC Play
13 pts., 5 rbs. vs. Southern Illinois
8 pts., 8 rbs. at Bradley
18 pts., 10 rbs. at Missouri State
15 pts., 11 rbs. vs. Loyola
18 pts., 7 rbs. at Indiana State
23 pts., 9 rbs. vs. Valparaiso

PHYFE ENJOYS FIRST START
UNI freshmen forward Austin Phyfe took full advantage of his first collegiate start by posting 20 points and eight rebounds in an 81-76 win over Valparaiso.
   Phyfe was 6-of-7 from the field and was a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line vs. the Crusaders.
   Phyfe entered the game having scored 27 total points in the season - including only 11 points in MVC play.

GOING YOUNG
Of UNI's 81 points against Valparaiso, the Panthers underclassmen accounted for 77 percent of the scoring with 62 points, which included 18 of UNI's 22 field goals (82 percent).
   The underclassmen also accounted for 75 percent of the team's rebounds with 30 caroms.

THE YOUNG SHALL LEAD
A trio of underclassmen stepped up at Indiana State on Wednesday for the Panthers in sophomore Isaiah Brown and true freshmen Austin Phyfe and Tywhon Pickford.
   Brown stuffed his stat sheet with 13 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Brown made 6-of-11 shots from the field as he played a career-high 39 minutes.
   Phyfe buried both of his field goal attempts and scored six points to go with three rebounds in 11 minutes against the Sycamores.
   Freshman Tywhon Pickford matched his then career-high scoring with 18 points and seven rebounds against the Sycamores. Pickford tied the game at 67-67 on a layup with :10.6 seconds left after a steal from sophomore point guard Juwan McCloud.

TWO SPARKS OFF THE BENCH
UNI is getting a pair of scoring bursts off the bench from junior Wyatt Lohaus and sophomore Spencer Haldeman.
   Lohaus ranks first and Haldeman ranks second among MVC players in scoring without making a start this season.
   Lohaus is scoring 9.1 points per game, while Haldeman is averaging 6.9 points per game.

NO. 10 IN SCORING DEFENSE
UNI ranks No. 10 in the nation in scoring defense. The Panthers are giving up 62.1 points per game.

Rk.   Team   W-L   Pts Allowed
1.   Virginia   15-1   53.0
2.   Cincinnati   15-2   58.4
3.   UCF   12-5   59.1
4.   Liberty   12-6   60.4
5.   Miami (Fla.)   13-3   60.6
6.   Texas Tech   15-2   60.8
7.   SMU   12-6   61.1
8.   Rutgers   11-7   61.7
9.   UNC Greensboro   12-5   61.8
10.   UNI   9-9   62.1

NO. 17 IN FOULS PER GAME
UNI is ranked No. 17 in the nation in fewest fouls per game (15.4).

NO. 22 IN FG% DEFENSE
UNI is ranked No. 22 in the nation in field goal percentage defense (39.4).

COUNTLESS 3-POINT BOMBERS
Through 18 games, UNI has six players who have made at least 16 3-pointers this season.
   Spencer Haldeman (29), Tywhon Pickford (24), Isaiah Brown (21), Klint Carlson (20), Juwan McCloud (17) and Wyatt Lohaus (16) have all made at least 16 shots from 3-point land this season.
   UNI is averaging 7.7 made 3-pointers per game.

UNI'S 3-POINT STREAK
UNI has made at least one 3-pointer in 579 straight games – the longest active streak in the Missouri Valley Conference. It also ranks as the 32nd-longest active streak among all NCAA Division I teams.
   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.

80 OR MORE IS A GOOD SIGN
UNI is 46-6 when scoring 80 or more points in the Ben Jacobson coaching era.

UNI SCORING 80+IN JACOBSON ERA
Date   Opponent    Results
1/13/18   Valparaiso   W, 81-76
12/10/17   Dubuque   W, 80-47
11/18/17   Chicago State   W, 82-44
12/7/16   South Dakota State   W, 86-58
11/17/16   vs. Arizona State   W, 82-63
3/20/16   vs. Texas A&M   L, 92-88 (2OT)
2/10/15   Missouri State   W, 83-69
2/6/15   at Drake   W, 82-66
12/30/15   Bradley   W, 80-44
12/19/15   vs. Iowa State   W, 81-79
11/30/15   North Texas   W, 93-70
11/28/15   at North Dakota   W, 97-51
11/25/15   Dubuque   W, 83-63
2/11/15   Illinois State   W, 83-64
12/13/14   at VCU   L, 93-87 (2OT)
2/1/14   Indiana State   L, 87-81
1/29/14   Evansville   W, 95-81
1/25/14   at Loyola   L, 93-87 (OT)
1/14/14   Missouri State   W, 94-89
1/8/14   at Evansville   W, 80-53
1/1/14   Bradley   W, 80-46
12/28/13   Iona   W, 90-78
12/7/13   vs. Iowa State   L, 91-82 (OT)
11/22/13   Loyola Marymount   W, 90-81
11/11/13   Coe   W, 86-52
3/26/13   Bradley   W, 90-77
3/2/13   Illinois State   W, 80-72
1/20/13   Drake   W, 85-55
1/12/13   Bradley   W, 84-53
12/23/12   Saint Mary's   W, 82-75
12/8/12   at George Mason   W, 82-77 (OT)
11/14/12   Toledo   W, 84-81 (OT)
11/10/12   Wartburg   W, 103-50
1/7/12   at Drake   W, 83-68
12/19/11   Loras   W, 84-48
12/6/11   Iowa   W, 80-60
12/3/11   Colorado State   W, 83-77
3/15/11   Rider     W, 84-50
2/15/11     at Bradley     W, 80-70
1/9/11     Bradley     W, 83-77
11/16/10   Coe     W, 84-45
1/3/10     Missouri State     W, 84-76
12/12/09   Siena     W, 82-65
11/23/09    vs. Boston College W, 81-69
2/11/09     Southern Illinois     W, 81-55
1/17/09     at Drake     W, 81-59
12/28/08     Indiana State     L, 85-84 (2OT)
11/25/08     Chicago State     W, 81-70
12/15/07     Wartburg     W, 99-48
12/20/06     Wartburg     W, 83-61
12/09/06     UMKC     W, 85-53
11/13/06    vs. Pepperdine     W, 83-58

FROSH GUARD DOUBLE-DOUBLES
UNI freshman guard Tywhon Pickford is tied for third among freshman guards who have recorded double-doubles this season.
   Oklahoma's Trae Young (8) and Duquesne's Eric Williams Jr. (6) are the only freshman guards with more than four double-doubles this season.
   Pickford is tied with Murray State guard Ja Morant with four double-doubles in 2017-18.

PICKFORD DOUBLES UP
UNI freshman guard Tywhon Pickford has reached double figures in rebounds eight times this season.
   Pickford has registered a team-best four double-doubles. Pickford has recorded double-doubles against Alcorn State (16 pts., 10 rbs.), North Carolina State (18 pts., 18 rbs.), Missouri State (18 pts., 10 rbs.) and Loyola (15 pts., 11 rbs.).
   Pickford is the first MVC freshman since Bradley's Josh Cunningham (2014-15) to register four double-doubles as a freshman.

UNI's Active Double-Double List
Bennett Koch (4)
Tywhon Pickford (4)
Klint Carlson (1)
Luke McDonnell (1)

UNI's Double-Double Leaders (since 2000)
Joe Breakenridge (17) - 2000-01
Eric Coleman (16) - 2007-08
Grant Stout (13) - 2005-06
Eric Coleman (13) - 2006-07
Grant Stout (12) - 2006-07
Grant Stout (8) - 2004-05
Seth Tuttle (7) - 2013-14
David Gruber (6) - 2001-02
Jordan Eglseder (6) - 2008-09
Jordan Eglseder (6) - 2009-10
Matt Schneiderman (5) - 2002-03
Seth Tuttle (5) - 2012-13
Seth Tuttle (5) - 2014-15
David Gruber (4) - 2002-03
Eric Coleman (4) - 2005-06
Adam Koch (4) - 2008-09
Seth Tuttle (4) - 2011-12
Tywhon Pickford (4) - 2017-18

NATION'S BEST REBOUNDER UNDER 6'5"
UNI freshman guard Tywhon Pickford is the nation's top rebounder under 6'5". Pickford (6'4") is averaging 8.9 rebounds per game.
   Buffalo's C.J. Massinburg (6'3") is the nation's next best rebounder under 6'5". Massinburg is averaging 8.3 rebounds per contest.

FRESHMEN REBOUNDERS
UNI's Tywhon Pickford ranks No. 7 in the nation in rebounds among freshmen at 8.9 per game.

Freshman Rebounders
1.   Marvin Bagley III (Duke)   11.7
2.    Deandre Ayton (Arizona)   11.3
3.   Mohamed Bamba (Texas)   10.4
4.   Brandon McCoy (UNLV)   9.9
5.   Eric Williams Jr. (Duquesne)   9.7
6.   Oshae Brissett (Syracuse)   9.6
7.   Tywhon Pickford (UNI)   8.9
8.   Wendell Carter Jr. (Duke)   8.8
9.   Terry Taylor (Austin Peay)   8.6
10.   Romello White (Arizona State   8.1

MVC Frosh Double-Doubles (since '97)
9 -- Doug McDermott, Creighton (2010-11)
6 -- Danny Granger, Bradley (2001-02)
6 -- Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley (2004-05)
5 -- Jamar Howard, Wichita State (2001-02)
4 -- Josh Cunningham, Bradley (2014-15)
4 -- Tywhon Pickford, UNI (2017-18)

PICKFORD TO THE GLASS
Pickford ranks second in the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding (8.9 rpg). He ranks fourth in the MVC in offensive rebounds (40).
   Pickford ranks second on the team in scoring at 10.9 points per game.

MCCLOUD CONTINUES HIS DEVELOPMENT
UNI sophomore point guard Juwan McCloud leads the squad in assists (44) and steals (22).
   McCloud ranks fifth on the team in scoring at 7.8 points per game.
   McCloud has reached double-figure scoring six times this season. Last year, McCloud had four double-figure scoring games as a true freshman.
   McCloud has drained 17 three-pointers this season after making nine three-pointers during the 2016-17 season.

SLOW STARTS IN MVC
For the third straight season, UNI has gotten off to a slow start in Missouri Valley Conference play.
   UNI began the 2015-16 season with a 2-6 mark MVC play and rallied to an 11-7 mark in league play and a fourth-place finish.
   UNI started the 2016-17 season by losing its first five MVC games and rallied to a 9-9 mark and a tie for third place in the MVC.
   The Panthers are 1-5 in MVC play this season. It marks the fifth time that UNI has started 0-5 in the MVC since joining the league in 1991-92

UNI's 0-5 MVC Starts
0-5 - 1994-95 - finished 4-14 (T9th)
0-5 - 1998-99 - finished 6-12 (T8th)
0-7 - 2000-01 - finished 3-15 (10th)
0-5 - 2016-17 - finished 9-9 (T3rd)
0-5 - 2017-18 - finish TBD

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 season 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   7-3

MCLEOD CENTER
UNI is playing its 12th season in the McLeod Center and the Panthers have made winning a priority in their home venue.
   UNI has posted an all-time mark of 140-38 (.787) in games played in the McLeod Center.
   UNI secured a school-record 16 home wins in the 2012-13 season.
   UNI has posted a trio of perfect home seasons since moving to NCAA Division I. UNI was a perfect 14-0 in both the 1983-84 and 2009-10 seasons and then UNI notched a 15-0 mark at home in 2014-15.
   UNI set its home-court win streak of 21 consecutive victories between the 2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons.
   The McLeod Center opened in November 2006.

STRONG NON-CONFERENCE WINS
UNI built a strong resume during its non-conference play with a mark of 8-4.
   The Panthers posted wins over SMU (61-58), North Carolina State (64-60), UNLV (77-68 OT) and UT Arlington (62-58).

COACH JAKE AMONG THE MVC'S ALL-TIME BEST
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson ranks No. 6 in MVC coaching victories with 243 triumphs heading into Tuesday's game vs. Drake.
   Jacobson ranks No. 7 in league history in MVC games only with 124 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)   259
6.   Ben Jacobson (UNI)   243
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)    137
5.   Gregg Marshall (Wichita State)    134
6.    Dr. F.C. Allen (Kansas)    126
7.   Ben Jacobson (UNI)    124
8.    Rich Herrin (Southern Illinois)    111
9.    Jim Molinari (Bradley)    110
10.   Maurice John (Drake)    95

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 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

Calendar

Upcoming Events

UNI Hosts First-Place Drake Tuesday in McLeod

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Isaiah Brown

Klint Carlson

Spencer Haldeman

Bennett Koch

Wyatt Lohaus

Juwan McCloud

Luke McDonnell

Austin Phyfe

Tywhon Pickford

Hunter Rhodes

Upcoming Events