UNI Senior Day Saturday Against Missouri State

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Missouri State (17-13, 7-10) at UNI (14-15, 6-11)
Sat., Feb. 24, 2018 • 1 p.m.
Cedar Falls, Iowa (McLeod Center)

WATCH | LISTEN | STATS

TICKET INFORMATION
Fans can purchase single-game tickets to UNI men's basketball home games through UNITIX. $5 tickets are available to purchase for Saturday's senior day game vs. Missouri State. Call 319-273-4849 or visit www.unipanthers.com/tickets.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television
ESPN3
Play-by-Play: Eric Braley
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-Time Series: Missouri State leads 44-31
Last Meeting: Missouri State 62, UNI 55 (Jan. 4, 2018)
UNI has won five of the last six matchups vs. Missouri State in the McLeod Center.

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL STORYLINES VS. MISSOURI STATE
• The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team (14-15 overall, 6-11 MVC) will honor a quartet of seniors Saturday prior to its matchup with the Missouri State Bears (17-13 overall, 7-10 MVC). Tip is set for 1 p.m. in the McLeod Center.

• UNI will honor seniors Klint Carlson (Waverly, Iowa), Ted Friedman (Ankeny, Iowa), Bennett Koch (Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin) and Hunter Rhodes (Canton, Illinois) before Saturday's tipoff vs. Missouri State.

• The four seniors have combined to have been a part of two NCAA Tournament teams and a pair of MVC tournament championships. The quartet have helped the Panthers win 98 games. The four players have combined to score 1,902 points and have grabbed 1,033 rebounds.

• UNI ranks No. 7 in the nation in scoring defense (63.1 ppg).

• Senior Bennett Koch became the 42nd UNI Panther to score 1,000 career points. Koch scored 25 points Tuesday in a 68-63 win at Valparaiso.

• Guard Tywhon Pickford has set the UNI freshman record for rebounds (234) in a season.

• Pickford ranks as the nation's best rebounder under 6'5" at 8.1 rebounds per game. He ranks No. 12 in the nation in rebounds among freshmen.

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. MISSOURI STATE

MISSOURI STATE BEARS
Missouri State, the preseason MVC favorite, has lost eight of its last 10 games heading into the regular season finale Saturday.
   The Bears are 4-7 away from JQH Arena this season, who two of the wins coming in MVC play at Indiana State (81-62) and at Valparaiso (67-50).
   Missouri State is led in scoring by Alize Johnson (15.2 ppg) and Jarrid Rhodes (10.2 ppg). Johnson leads the league in rebounding (11.6 rpg).

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. MISSOURI ST
Missouri State holds a 44-31 lead in the all-time series vs. UNI.
   The Bears are 19-16 all-time in games played in Cedar Falls, however they are 3-8 in 11 games in the McLeod Center.
   UNI has won five of the last six matchups vs. Missouri State in the McLeod Center.
   UNI head coach Ben Jacobson is 16-8 vs. Missouri State.

IN OUR LAST MEETING
The Missouri State Bears scored a 62-55 victory over the University of Northern Iowa Panther men's basketball team Jan. 4 at JQH Arena.
   The Bears tallied a 51-26 rebounding edge against the Panthers. MSU's Alize Johnson tallied 24 points and 20 rebounds in the contest. Johnson posted six of MSU's 17 offensive rebounds.
   UNI trailed by as many as 19 points in the second half, but rallied to cut the lead to four with 27.3 seconds left. Missouri State led 55-36 with 6:11 before UNI used a 17-2 run to make it close.
   UNI was led by freshman Tywhon Pickford's double-double. Pickford recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds against the Bears.

FINISHING, SEEDING OPTIONS
UNI can finish as high as a tie for sixth in the standings and as low as ninth with one game remaining in the MVC schedule.
   As a result of the tiebreakers, UNI will either be seeded No. 8 or No. 9 for the 2018 MVC Tournament.
   It marks UNI's first opening round game at Arch Madness since the 2003 MVC Tournament.
   The 2018 MVC Tournament will take place March 1-4 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

SENIOR DAY ON SATURDAY
UNI will honor four seniors on Saturday prior to the tip vs. Missouri State in the McLeod Center.
   The four seniors have combined to have been a part of two NCAA Tournament teams and a pair of Missouri Valley Conference tournament championships. The quartet have helped the Panthers win 98 games. The four players have combined to score 1,902 points and have grabbed 1,033 rebounds.
   Klint Carlson (Waverly, Iowa) has seen action in 111 games with 57 starts. Carlson has averaged 7.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Carlson earned a spot on the 2016 MVC All-Tournament team after he averaged 11.3 points per game in helping the Panthers to the title.
   Ted Friedman (Ankeny, Iowa) has played in 106 games. Friedman is a two-time MVC Scholar-Athlete team selection. Friedman possesses a 3.97 cumulative grade point average with a triple major in business economics, finance and psychology.
   Bennett Koch (Ashwaubenon, Wis.) has made 83 starts and has played in 122 career games. Koch became the school's 42nd player to score 1,000 career points.
   Hunter Rhodes (Canton, Ill.) has played in 41 games and has made three career starts. Rhodes is averaging 3.2 points per game and scored a career-high 20 points against South Dakota State on Dec. 7, 2016.

KOCH HAD ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST PERFORMANCES
UNI senior forward Bennett Koch is the only player in the country to have twice scored 25 or more points, while shooting 100 percent from the field with a minimum of eight field goal attempts.
   Only six other players in the country have performed that feat this season, but Koch is the only one to have done it twice this year.

Min. 8 FG Att., 1.000 FG%, 25+ Points
Holland Woods (Portland St.), 10-10 FGs, 29 Pts
Trae Bell-Haynes (Vermont), 10-10 FGs, 27 Pts
Josh Davis (W. Michigan), 10-10 FGs, 26 Pts
Bennett Koch (UNI), 8-8 FGs, 25 Pts
Jackson Rowe (Cal St.-Fullerton), 10-10 FGs, 25 Pts
Luke Garza (Iowa), 8-8 FGs, 25 Pts
Keenan Simmons (SIUE), 12-12 FGs, 25 Pts
Bennett Koch (UNI), 8-8 FGs, 25 Pts
Courtesy - http://cbbref.com/tiny/gYP07

KOCH TOPS 20 POINTS AGAIN
Senior Bennett Koch registered his eighth career 20-point scoring game with 25 points in UNI's 68-63 win at Valparaiso (Feb. 20).

Active 20-Point Scoring Games
Bennett Koch (8)
Klint Carlson (4)
Isaiah Brown (1)
Wyatt Lohaus (1)
Austin Phyfe (1)
Tywhon Pickford (1)
Hunter Rhodes (1)

KOCH REACHES 1,000 POINTS
Bennett Koch reached 1,000 points in UNI's 68-63 win at Valparaiso on Feb. 20.
   Koch becomes the 42nd member of the Panther 1,000 point scoring club.

FOURTH SET OF THREE BROTHERS TO REACH 1,000 POINT MARK
Bennett Koch is the third member of his family to score 1,000 points for the Panthers. His older brothers Adam (1,186 points - 2006-2010) and Jake (1,113 points - 2009-2013) each surpassed the 1,000-point mark in their careers.
   The Koch brothers become the fourth trio of brothers at the NCAA Division I to have all reached the 1,000-point mark in their careers.

Koch
Adam, UNI (2006-10) 88-278-412-408--1,186
Jake, UNI (2009-13) 122-333-282-376--1,113
Bennett, UNI (2014-pres.) 39-273-319-367--1,000

Tripucka
Tracy, Lafayette (1970-72) 628-675-670--1,973
Todd, Lafayette (1974-76) 243-523-679--1,445
Kelly, Notre Dame (1978-81) 362-415-415-527--1,719

Barry
Jon, Pacific/Ga. Tech (1988-92) 275-478-602--1,355
Brent, Oregon St. (1992-95) 161-165-411-567--1,304
Drew, Ga. Tech (1993-96) 218-194-361-480-1,253

Tallent
Bob, Ky./G.W. (1966-69) 54-240-723--1,017
Mike, G.W. (1969-72) 445-527-113--1,085
Pat, G.W. (1973-76) 490-64-549-622--1,725

NO. 7 IN SCORING DEFENSE
UNI ranks No. 7 in the nation in scoring defense. The Panthers are giving up 63.1 points per game.

Rk.   Team   W-L   Points
1.   Virginia   25-2   52.7
2.   Cincinnati   23-4   57.1
3.   UCF   17-10   60.7
4.   Old Dominion   21-5   62.0
5.   SMU   16-12   62.9
6.   New Mexico St.   22-5   63.0
7.   UNI   14-15   63.1
8.   Texas Tech   22-6   63.1
9.   UNC Greensboro   22-7   63.3
10.   Loyola   24-5   63.4

ROAD LOSING STREAK CURE
UNI snapped its 11-game road losing streak with a 68-63 win at Valparaiso on Tuesday.
   It marks the fifth time in program history that UNI has snapped a road losing streak of eight games or more at Valparaiso.
   UNI snapped a 15-game road losing streak in the 1982-83 season at Valparaiso.
   UNI ended a nine-game road losing streak at Valpo in 1983-84.
   The Panthers halted another eight-game road losing streak at Valpo in 1985-86.
   The Panthers stopped a 10-game road losing skid at Valpo in 1987-88.

HOT SHOOTING AT VALPO
UNI recorded its highest field goal percentage shooting night of the season in a 68-63 win at Valparaiso. UNI drained 55.3 percent (21-of-38) of its shots at Valpo.
   It's the highest UNI has shot in a game since the Panthers made 56.9 percent of their shots against Drake in a 79-60 win on Jan. 15, 2017, in the McLeod Center.
   UNI has shot 50 percent or better three times this season.

UNI FG% Highs This Season
.553 at Valparaiso (W, 68-63)
.525 vs. Chicago State (W, 82-44)
.500 at Indiana State (L, 69-67)

MOST IMPROVED MVC SCORERS
UNI sophomore guard Isaiah Brown is one of the more improved scorers in the Missouri Valley Conference this season.
   Brown averaged 1.8 points per game as a true freshman in 2016-17. Brown has upped his scoring to 6.4 points per game in 2017-18.

MVC's Most-Improved Scorers
1. Jordan Barnes (INS)   +10.8 (6.5, 17.3)
2. Keyshawn Evans (ILS)   +9.7 (5.8, 15.5)
3. Dru Smith (UE)   +8.1 (5.3, 13.4)
4. Ryan Taylor (UE)   +7.9 (14.1, 22.0)
5. Aaron Cook (SIU)   +7.1 (3.0, 10.1)
6. Nick McGlynn (DU)   +6.5 (4.9, 11.4)
7. Phil Fayne (ILS)   +6.4 (9.1, 15.5)
8. Isaiah Brown (UNI)   +4.6 (1.8, 6.4)
Sean Lloyd (SIU)   +4.6 (7.6, 12.2)

PICKFORD SETS UNI FRESHMAN REBOUNDING MARK
Guard Tywhon Pickford has set the UNI Panther freshman rebounding record.
   Pickford has registered 234 rebounds this season, besting the previous mark of 205 set by Eric Coleman in the 2004-05 season. Pickford's 209 rebounds ranks as the eighth-best freshman single-season mark in Missouri Valley Conference history.
   Only three players have put up higher freshman rebounding numbers in the MVC in the past 25 years - Doug McDermott (Crieghton) had 280 in 2010-11; Josh Cunningham (Bradley) had 247 in 2014-15); Jamie Arnold (Wichita State) had 242 in 1993-94.

MVC Freshman Rebound Leaders
1. Cliff Levingston - WSU (1979-80) - 294
2. Doug McDermott - CU (2010-11) - 280
3. Bob Harstad - CU (1986-87) - 272
4. Benoit Benjamin - CU (1982-83) - 259
5. Josh Cunningham - BU (2014-15) - 247
6. Ashraf Amaya - SIU (1989-90) - 245
7. Jamie Arnold - WSU (1993-94) - 242
8. Tywhon Pickford - UNI (2017-18) - 234 9. Michael Ruffin - TULSA (1995-96) - 232
10. Cleo Littleton - WSU (1951-52) - 231
11. Danny Granger - BU (2001-02) - 207
12. Jordan Caroline - SIU (2014-15) - 206
13. Eric Coleman - UNI (2004-05) - 205
14. Patrick O'Bryant - BU (2004-05) - 201
-------------------------------------------------------
15. Obediah Church - MSU (2015-16) - 195
16. Rick Shipley - SIU (1987-88) - 194
17. Carl Richard - INS (2008-09) - 192
18. Seth Tuttle - UNI (2011-12) - 190
19. Luke Jackson - BU (1986-87) - 188
20. Hersey Hawkins - BU (1984-85) - 182

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 active MVC players in scoring without making a start this season.
   Lohaus is scoring 8.9 points per game, while Haldeman is averaging 6.8 points per game.

MVC Bench Scorers (no starts)
1.    Wyatt Lohaus (UNI)       8.9 ppg
2.   Spencer Haldeman (UNI)   6.8 ppg
3.   Micah Bradford (Valpo)   5.0 ppg
4.   Casey Schlatter (Drake)   4.2 ppg
5.   Bruno Skokna (Loyola)   3.8 ppg
   Isaac Gassman (Ill. St.)   3.8 ppg
7.   Rudy Stradnieks (SIU)       3.3 ppg

PHYFE FEASTING IN MVC PLAY
UNI freshmen forward Austin Phyfe is shooting 65.5 percent from the field (19-of-29 FGs) during Missouri Valley Conference play.
   Phyfe made his first career start vs. Valparaiso on Jan. 13. Phyfe entered the Valpo game having scored 27 total points in the season - including only 11 points in MVC play.
   Following his first start vs. Valpo, Phyfe has scored 48 points for the Panthers.

NATION'S BEST REBOUNDER UNDER 6'5"
UNI freshman guard Tywhon Pickford is the nation's best rebounder under 6'5". Pickford (6'4") is averaging 8.1 rebounds per game.
   UMass Lowell's Jahad Thomas (6'2") is the nation's second-best rebounder under 6'5". Thomas is averaging 8.0 rebounds per game.

FRESHMEN REBOUNDERS
UNI's Tywhon Pickford ranks No. 12 in the nation in rebounds among freshmen at 8.1 per game.

Freshman Rebounders
1.   Marvin Bagley III (Duke)   11.4
2.    Deandre Ayton (Arizona)   10.9
3.   Mohamed Bamba (Texas)   10.9
4.   Brandon McCoy (UNLV)   10.1
5.   Loudon Love (Wright State)   9.6
6.   Wendell Carter Jr. (Duke)   9.5
7.   Oshae Brissett (Syracuse)   9.1
8.   Eric Williams Jr. (Duquesne)   8.9
9.   Cameron Lard (Iowa State)   8.2
10.   Terry Taylor (Austin Peay)   8.1
11.   Steffon Mitchell (Boston College)   8.1
12.   Tywhon Pickford (UNI)   8.1

FROSH GUARD DOUBLE-DOUBLES
UNI freshman guard Tywhon Pickford ranks tied for fourth among freshman guards who have recorded double-doubles this season. Pickford has posted five double-doubles in 2017-18.
   Oklahoma's Trae Young (12), Duquesne's Eric Williams Jr. (10) and Murray State's Ja Morant (6) are the only freshman guards with more than five double-doubles this season.

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)
5 -- Tywhon Pickford, UNI (2017-18)
PICKFORD DOUBLES UP
UNI freshman guard Tywhon Pickford has reached double figures in rebounds 11 times this season.
   Pickford has registered a team-best five 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.), Loyola (15 pts., 11 rbs.) and Drake (16 pts., 10 rbs.).

UNI's Single-Season 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
Tywhon Pickford (5) - 2017-18

UNI's Overall Double-Double Leaders
(Since 2000)
Eric Coleman (36)
Grant Stout (33)
Seth Tuttle (21)
Joe Breakenridge (17)
Jordan Eglseder (15)
David Gruber (13)
Matt Schneiderman (8)
Jeremy Morgan (5)
Adam Koch (5)
Bennett Koch (5)
Tywhon Pickford (5)
Erik Crawford (4)
Jake Koch (4)

COUNTLESS 3-POINT BOMBERS
Through 29 games, UNI has six players who have made at least 18 3-pointers this season.
   Spencer Haldeman (43), Wyatt Lohaus (38), Klint Carlson (34), Isaiah Brown (32), Tywhon Pickford (28) and Juwan McCloud (18) have all made at least 18 shots from 3-point land this season.
   UNI is averaging 7.3 made 3-pointers per game.

UNI'S 3-POINT STREAK
UNI has made at least one 3-pointer in 590 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.

UNI'S STREAK OF 9 OR MORE MVC WINS SNAPPED
UNI's streak of 14 straight seasons with nine or more league wins has been snapped after the Panthers dropped their 10th MVC game of the season at Drake (Feb. 10).
   The league's current longest streak of nine or more wins is now Illinois State with five.

AMONG THE MVC'S ALL-TIME BEST
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson is among the all-time leaders in Missouri Valley Conference victories for all games and league games only.
   Jacobson ranks No. 6 in MVC coaching victories with 248 and also No. 6 in MVC games only wins with 129.
   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.   Barry Hinson (Missouri State/SIU)   267
5.   Gregg Marshall (Wichita State)   261
6.   Ben Jacobson (UNI)   248
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)    145
5.   Gregg Marshall (Wichita State)    134
6.   Ben Jacobson (UNI)    129
7.    Dr. F.C. Allen (Kansas)    126
8.    Rich Herrin (Southern Illinois)    111
9.    Jim Molinari (Bradley)    110
10.   Maurice John (Drake)    95

STRONG NON-CONF 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).
   North Carolina St. was ranked No. 57 and SMU was ranked No. 93 in Thursday's NCAA RPI.

NO 'BAD' LOSSES
UNI sits at 14-15 overall and 6-11 in the MVC but you have to search to find a 'bad' loss for the Panthers in 2017-18.
Thirteen of UNI's 15 losses have come against top-140 RPI opponents. UNI's RPI sits at No. 145 in Thursday's NCAA RPI report.

RPI for UNI's Losses in 2017-18
No. 2 vs. Villanova - L, 64-50
No. 3 Xavier - L, 77-67
No. 5 at North Carolina - L, 86-69
No. 33 Loyola - L, 56-50
No. 33 at Loyola - L, 70-47
No. 86 Illinois State - L, 79-75
No. 87 at Southern Illinois - L, 64-53
No. 87 Southern Illinois - L, 56-53
No. 95 at Bradley - L, 72-53
No. 115 vs. Iowa State - L, 76-65
No. 125 at Missouri State - L, 62-55
No. 135 at Drake - L, 71-64
No. 140 at Evansville - L, 57-49

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 TOURNEY 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 set the Cedar Falls High School scoring mark Jan. 16, 2018, with 1,435 points. 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.

HARDWOOD JOURNEY
A HISTORY OF UNI BASKETBALL
Dr. James Kelly has compiled the history and stories from the beginning of basketball at the University of Northern Iowa until present day Panther hoops with his newest book entitled "Hardwood Journey" – a history of UNI basketball.
   This in-depth look at Panther basketball will provide any fan of UNI and the sport of basketball a must-have in their literary collection. Kelly began his quest to compile the history of UNI men's basketball in his previous book "Tutors to Panthers" – a brief history of UNI Athletics.
   "Hardwood Journey" will be available for pre-sale beginning Feb. 13 for $20. The first 500 books purchased will receive a complimentary copy of "Tutors to Panthers". The cost of the book has been underwritten so 100 percent of the sales will go toward UNI men's basketball.
   To purchase a copy log on to www.unipanthers.com.

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.

PANTHERS RETURN TO PARADISE JAM IN 2018
The 2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam will return to the U.S. Virgin Islands, tournament directors announced Wednesday, after the 2017 edition of the annual event was relocated to the mainland United States due to hurricane damage last September.
   The 19th annual event will be held at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center on St. Thomas, Nov. 16-24, 2018, and play host to 16 Division-I men's and women's basketball teams.
   The men's Paradise Jam begins Friday, Nov. 16 and continues through Monday, Nov. 19. The tournament field includes Eastern Kentucky, Kansas State, Kennesaw State, Missouri, Northern Iowa, Old Dominion, Oregon State, and Penn. Old Dominion returns to the tournament for a fourth time, after claiming the tournament title in 2010. Eastern Kentucky, Kansas State, and Northern Iowa also return to St. Thomas after previously participating in the tournament.
   This will mark UNI's third appearance in the Paradise Jam. UNI competed in the event in 2009 and 2013.

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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