UNI Hits Road For Wednesday at Indiana State

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UNI (8-8, 0-4) at Indiana State (7-9, 2-2)
Wed., Jan. 10, 2018 • 6 p.m. (CT)
Terre Haute, Ind. (Hulman Center)

LISTEN | STATS | ESPN3 (outside of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri)

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Wednesday's UNI at Indiana State game will be shown live on the Missouri Valley Conference TV Network.

John Rooney (play-by-play) and Rich Zvosec (analyst) will call the action in the Hulman Center.

Clearances for the game include: Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Kansas City, NBC Sports Chicago+. The game can also be seen ESPN3 nationally but it will be blacked out on ESPN3 in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri.

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-Time Series: Indiana State leads 28-26
Last Meeting: UNI 65, Indiana State 60 (Feb. 4, 2017)
UNI has won four of the last six meetings between the two programs. The home team won each meeting during the 2016-17 season.

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL STORYLINES AT INDIANA STATE
• The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team (8-8 overall, 0-4 MVC) will head to Indiana State (7-9, 2-2 MVC) for a matchup on Wednesday. Tip is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at the Hulman Center.

• 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 (6'4") is the nation's top rebounder (9.1 rpg) under 6'5". Pickford ranks No. 7 in the nation among all freshmen.

• UNI ranks No. 7 in the nation in scoring defense. The Panthers are giving up 60.8 points per game.

• UNI has played the 12th-toughest schedule in nation. UNI's opponents have combined for a record of 130-74 (.637).

• UNI is ranked No. 15 in the nation in field goal percentage defense (38.2).

• UNI has made at least one 3-pointer in 577 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.

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES AT INDIANA STATE

INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES
Indiana State leads the Missouri Valley Conference in turnovers forced per game (15.63).
   The Sycamores are led in scoring by Jordan Barnes (16.5 ppg), Brenton Scott (14.8 ppg) and Qiydar Davis (10.4 ppg).
   Indiana State is 5-3 at home this season with losses to Ball State (93-85), Elon (73-68) and Drake (75-72).

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. INDIANA ST
Indiana State holds a slim 28-26 lead over UNI in the all-time series.
   UNI has won four of the last six matchups between the two programs.
   The Panthers and Sycamores split the season series last year with the home team winning each game.

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 have lost six in a row this season and will try and avoid matching last year's seven-game losing skid when they take on Indiana State Wednesday in Terre Haute, Indiana.

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 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)

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 9.1 rebounds per game.
   Niagara's Matt Scott (6'4") is the nation's next best rebounder under 6'5". Scott is averaging 8.1 rebounds per contest.

FRESHMEN REBOUNDERS
UNI's Tywhon Pickford ranks No. 7 in the nation in rebounds among freshmen at 9.1 per game.

Freshman Rebounders
1.    Deandre Ayton (Arizona)   11.6
2.   Marvin Bagley III (Duke)   11.5
3.   Mohamed Bamba (Texas)   10.6
4.   Brandon McCoy (UNLV)   10.3
5.   Oshae Brissett (Syracuse)   9.8
6.   Eric Williams Jr. (Duquesne)   9.8
7.   Tywhon Pickford (UNI)   9.1
8.   Wendell Carter Jr. (Duke)   8.7
9.   Terry Taylor (Austin Peay)   8.3
10.   Romello White (Arizona State   8.2

MVC Freshmen Double-Doubles (since 1997)
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 (9.1 rpg). He ranks tied for fourth in the MVC in offensive rebounds (37).
   Pickford ranks second on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game.

KOCH GOES AT A HIGH LEVEL
Senior Bennett Koch leads the Panthers in scoring (13.9 ppg), field goal% (57.0%), free throw% (80.0%) and blocked shots (17).
   Koch ranks second on the squad in rebounding (6.8 rpg).
   Koch poured in 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 10-of-12 at the foul line vs. No. 9-ranked Xavier (12/22).

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

MCCLOUD SOARS
UNI sophomore point guard Juwan McCloud leads the squad in assists (38) and steals (19).
   McCloud ranks fifth on the team in scoring at 8.2 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.

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 is scoring 8.9 points per game, while Haldeman is averaging 7.5 points per game.
   Lohaus ranks second and Haldeman ranks third among MVC players in scoring without making a start this season.
   Missouri State's Reggie Scurry is averaging 9.3 points per game and has not started a game this year.

COUNTLESS 3-POINT BOMBERS
Through 16 games, UNI has five players who have made at least 16 3-pointers this season.
   Spencer Haldeman (28), Isaiah Brown (20), Tywhon Pickford (18), Juwan McCloud (17) and Klint Carlson (16) have all made at least 16 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 577 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.

RESUME BUILDING
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).

TOUGH SLEDDING
UNI has played the 12th-toughest schedule in nation. UNI's opponents have combined for a record of 130-74 (.637).

Rk.   Team   W-L (Pct.)
1.   Temple   152-62 (.710)
2.   Tennessee   133-56 (.704)
3.   Dayton   141-64 (.688)
4.   Duke   143-66 (.684)
5.   Savannah State   133-65 (.672)
6.   North Carolina   147-76 (.659)
7.   Butler    154-82 (.653)
8.   Buffalo   131-70 (.652)
9.   Kansas   139-77 (.644)
10.   St. John's   140-78 (.642)
11.   Kentucky   131-74 (.639)
12.   UNI   130-74 (.637)
13.   Alabama   135-78 (.634)
14.   Providence    155-90 (.633)
15.   Arkansas   133-77 (.633)

NO. 7 IN SCORING DEFENSE
UNI ranks No. 7 in the nation in scoring defense. The Panthers are giving up 60.8 points per game.

Rk.   Team   W-L   Pts Allowed
1.   Virginia   14-1   52.5
2.   Cincinnati   14-2   58.6
3.   UCF   12-4   58.9
4.   Texas Tech   14-1   59.2
5.   Miami (Fla.)   13-2   59.8
6.   Liberty   11-5   59.9
7.   UNI   8-8   60.8
8.   SMU   12-5   60.8
9.   Rutgers   11-6   60.9
10.   Grand Canyon   11-5   61.1

NO. 15 IN FG% DEFENSE
UNI is ranked No. 15 in the nation in field goal percentage defense (38.2).

COACH JAKE AMONG THE MVC'S ALL-TIME BEST
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson ranks No. 6 in MVC coaching victories with 242 triumphs heading into Wednesday's game at Indiana State.
   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)   258
6.   Ben Jacobson (UNI)   242
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)    136
5.   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

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

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UNI Hits Road For Wednesday at Indiana State

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Players Mentioned

Isaiah Brown

Klint Carlson

Spencer Haldeman

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Wyatt Lohaus

Juwan McCloud

Luke McDonnell

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Hunter Rhodes

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