UNI, Evansville Set to Open 2018 Arch Madness

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Arch Madness Tournament Central

#9 UNI (15-15, 7-11) vs. #8 Evansville (17-14, 7-11)
Thurs., March 1, 2018 • 6 p.m.
St. Louis, Missouri (Scottrade Center)

WATCH* | LISTEN | STATS
* - note ESPN3 will be blacked out in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TV INFO FOR THURSDAY'S GAME
The UNI-Evansville opening round MVC Tournament game Thursday will be broadcast on the Missouri Valley Conference TV Network.
   Tip is set for just after 6 p.m. (CT) at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.
   Mitch Holthus (play-by-play), Kevin Lehman (analyst) and Tom Ackerman (sideline) will call the contest.

Clearances: FOX Sports Midwest, FOX Sports Indiana, FOX Sports Kansas City, NBC Sports Chicago, FOX Sports GO (within FOX Sports Midwest footprint in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska), ESPN3 (outside state of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

RADIO INFO FOR THURSDAY
Gary Rima (play-by-play) and Kevin Boyle (analyst) will call the action on the Panther Sports Radio Network. The flagship station for Panther athletics is NewsTalk 1540 KXEL.
   The game will also air locally in St. Louis on KTRS (550 AM). Bob Ramsey (play-by-play) and Rich Zvosec (analyst) will call the action.

Television
MVC TV
Play-by-Play: Mitch Holthus
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: UNI leads, 27-26
Last Meeting: UNI 47, Evansville 41 (Feb. 13, 2018)
UNI is 3-0 vs. Evansville in the MVC Tournament, including a 56-54 victory in the 2016 title game.
The teams split the season series in 2017-18.

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL STORYLINES VS. EVANSVILLE
• The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team (15-15 overall) will begin play in the 2018 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference
Tournament Thursday against the Evansville Purple Aces (17-14 overall). No. 9-seeded UNI and No. 8-seeded Evansville will tip at 6 p.m. at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

• The winner of Thursday night's game will take on No. 1-seeded Loyola Friday at noon.

• UNI ranks No. 4 in the nation in scoring defense (62.9 ppg).

• UNI is tied with Southern Illinois for second all-time in the league with five MVC Tournament titles. Creighton holds the MVC record with 12.

• UNI has played in six previous opening round games in the MVC Tournament. This year marks the first time the Panthers have played in the opening round since 2003.

• Bennett Koch has earned third-team All-MVC honors. Koch leads the team in scoring (12.7 ppg) and blocked shots (24).

• Tywhon Pickford has been named to the MVC's All-Freshman and All-Newcomer teams. Pickford ranks No. 2 in the MVC in rebounding
(8.0 rpg) and No. 11 among NCAA freshmen in rebounds per game.

UNI MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES VS. EVANSVILLE

UNI VS UE AT MVC TOURNEY
UNI holds a 3-0 advantage in three previous matchups vs. Missouri State at Arch Madness.
   The programs last met in the 2016 MVC Tournament championship with the Panthers scoring a 56-54 win. UNI's Wes Washpun sank the game-winning shot at the buzzer to give the Panthers an automatic bid into the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

UNI vs. Evansville at MVC Tournament
1997 - UNI 73, Evnasville 65 - Quarterfinal
2002 - UNI 78, Evansville 75 - Opening Round
2016 - UNI 56, Evansville 54 - Championship

UNI, UE SPLIT SEASON SERIES
The teams split the season series with the home team winning each contest.
   Evansville scored a 57-49 win in the Ford Center on Jan. 31. UNI evened the season series with a 47-41 triumph in the McLeod Center on Feb. 13.

UNI AS 9 SEED AT ARCH MADNESS
This marks the second time that UNI has been the No. 9 seed for the State Farm MVC Tournament. The Panthers are 0-1 in their previous try as a No. 9 seed in 1998.
   The No. 9 seed has gone 13-22 since the tournament moved to St. Louis, while the No. 8 seed has gone 9-27.
   The lowest seed to advance to the MVC Tournament semifinals was the No. 7-seeded Bradley Braves in 1998. The Braves beat No. 10 seed Drake in the opening round and then knocked off No. 2 seed Creighton in the quarterfinals. Bradley fell to No. 3 seed Missouri State in the semifinals.

UNI's Record By Seed in MVC Tourney
#1 - 6-0
#2 - 6-0
#3 - 0-3
#4 - 4-4
#5 - 2-3
#6 - 2-2
#7 - 1-5
#8 - 0-1
#9 - 0-1
#10 - 1-1

UNI vs. MVC Tourney Opponents
vs. Bradley - 3-2
vs. Creighton - 0-2
vs. Drake - 2-2
vs. Evansville - 3-0
vs. Illinois State - 4-6
vs. Indiana State - 1-1
vs. Loyola - 1-0
vs. Missouri State - 2-2
vs. Southern Illinois - 2-4
vs. Tulsa - 1-0
vs. Wichita State - 3-1

UNI IN THE 8-9 GAME
UNI has taken part in the No. 8 vs. No. 9 seeded game in two previous MVC Tournaments. The Panthers are 0-2 in those matchups.

UNI's Results in No. 8 vs. No. 9 Games
1998 vs. #8 Southern Illinois - L, 91-72
1999 vs. #9 Wichita State - L, 74-72 OT

UNI IN OPENING ROUND GAME
UNI has played in six previous opening round games in the MVC Tournament. This year marks the first time the Panthers have played in the opening round since 2003.
   UNI is 2-4 in MVC Tournament opening round games. The Panthers scored opening round victories in 2001 vs. Drake (59-53) and in 2002 vs. Evansville (78-75).

UNI's Results in Opening Round Games
1998 vs. #8 Southern Illinois - L, 91-72
1999 vs. #9 Wichita State - L, 74-72 OT
2000 vs. #10 Drake - L, 58-57
2001 vs. #10 Drake - W, 59-53
2002 vs. #10 Evansville - W, 78-75
2003 vs. #10 Indiana State - L, 61-60

NO. 4 IN SCORING DEFENSE
UNI ranks No. 4 in the nation in scoring defense. The Panthers are giving up 62.9 points per game.

Rk.   Team   W-L   Points
1.   Virginia   26-2   52.1
2.   Cincinnati   25-4   57.5
3.   UCF   17-11   61.2
4.   UNI   15-15   62.9
5.   New Mexico St.   24-5   63.0
6.   UNC Greensboro   24-7   63.3
7.   Loyola   25-5   63.4
8.   Michigan   24-7   63.4
9.   Old Dominion   22-6   63.5
10.   SMU   16-13   63.7

UNI HOLDS MVC TOURNEY RECORD FOR POINTS ALLOWED
UNI owns the MVC Tournament record for fewest points allowed in winning a championship.
   In 2010, UNI gave up 132 points (44.0 ppg) in winning the title with victories over Drake (55-40), Bradley (57-40) and Wichita State (67-52).
   UNI has three of the top-10 defensive scoring performances in MVC Tournament history. UNI gave up 155 points in 2015 and 166 points in 2016 in claiming MVC Tournament titles.

Fewest Points Allowed by MVC Champ
132 (44.0 ppg) - UNI, 2010
147 (49.0 ppg) - SIU, 2006
153 (51.0 ppg) - Tulsa, 1996
155 (51.7 ppg) - UNI, 2015
157 (52.3 ppg) - Creighton, 2007
160 (53.3 ppg) - Indiana State, 2011
161 (53.7 ppg) - Creighton, 2013
162 (54.0 ppg) - Drake, 2008
166 (55.3 ppg) - UNI, 2016
169 (56.3 ppg) - Creighton, 2005

KOCH AT THE LINE
Senior forward Bennett Koch ranks as the No. 2 active leader in free throws made in Arch Madness games. Koch has made 14 free throws in six previous MVC Tournament contests.
   Only Missouri State's Jarred Dixon has made more with 16 made free throws in two MVC Tournament games.

CARLSON HAS SCORED IT AT SCOTTRADE CENTER
Senior forward Klint Carlson enters the 2018 MVC Tournament ranked as the fourth active leading scorer.
   Carlson has tallied 44 points in five previous Arch Madness games.
   The only four active players to have scored more entering this year's tournament are Loyola's Donte Ingram (48 pts.), Loyola's Ben Richardson (47 pts.) and Indiana State's Brenton Scott (47 pts.).

Carlson Scoring at MVC Tournament
2015
0 pts. vs. Bradley (W, 71-46)

2016
8 pts. vs. Southern Illinois (W, 66-60)
9 pts. vs. Wichita State (W, 57-52 OT)
17 pts. vs. Evansville (W, 56-54)

2017
10 pts. vs. Missouri State (L, 70-64)

CARLSON NABBED ALL-MVC TOURNEY HONORS IN 2016
Klint Carlson averaged 11.3 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game and was also named to the 2016 MVC All-Tournament Team.
   Carlson scored a then career-high 17 points in the MVC title game win over Evansville. Carlson scored nine points and grabbed a career-high nine rebounds in UNI's 57-52 overtime win over Wichita State.

FIVE MVC TOURNEY TITLES
UNI is 5-1 all-time in MVC Tournament title games.
   The Panthers have won five straight MVC tourney championship contests.
   UNI is tied with Southern Illinois for second all-time in the league with five postseason crowns. Creighton holds the MVC record for tourney titles with 12.

UNI's Results in MVC Title Games
1994 - Southern Illinois 77, UNI 74
2004 - UNI 79, UNI 74 (2 OT)
2009 - UNI 60, Illinois State 57 (OT)
2010 - UNI 67, Wichita State 52
2015 - UNI 69, Illinois State 60
2016 - UNI 56, Evansville 54

ALL-TIME IN MVC TOURNEY
UNI has posted a record of 22-20 all-time in the MVC Tournament.

COACH JAKE IN MVC TOURNEY
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson has the Panthers to a 13-7 mark in the MVC Tournament since taking over the head job in the 2006-07 season.
   Jacobson ranks fifth in league history with 13 MVC Tournament victories.
   Dana Altman (Creighton) holds the record with 21.

Jake at MVC Tournament   13-6
Opening Round   0-0
Quarterfinals   5-6
Semifinals   4-1
Championship   4-0

MVC Tourney Coaches, By Wins
1. Dana Altman, CU   21-9
2. Rich Herrin, SIU   17-8
3. Gregg Marshall, WSU   15-8
4. Barry Hinson, MSU/SIU   14-14
5. Ben Jacobson, UNI   13-7
6. Greg McDermott, UNI   12-5

COACHING TITLES
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson ranks second in MVC history with four tournament titles. He is a perfect 4-0 in MVC title games.
   Dana Altman (Creighton) holds the league record with six MVC Tournament crowns. Altman was 6-0 in MVC title games.

MVC Tourney Coaches, By Titles
1. Dana Altman, CU   6
2. Ben Jacobson, UNI   4
3. Greg McDermott, UNI/CU   3
Rich Herrin, SIU   3
5. Kevin Stallings, ILS   2
Tom Apke, CU   2
Tony Barone, CU   2
Nolan Richardson, TU   2
Gregg Marshall, WSU   2

ONLY TWO HAVE WON TITLES AMONG THIS YEAR'S COACHES
Of the 10 coaches in this year's MVC Tournament only two have won Arch Madness titles - UNI's Ben Jacobson (2009, 2010, 2015, 2016) and Indiana State's Greg Lansing (2011).

PANTHERS IN MVC TOURNEY SINCE '01
UNI has an 18-11 record (with four titles) at the MVC Tournament since Ben Jacobson arrived on staff in 2001-02.
   Prior to that, UNI owned a 4-9 mark all-time (with no titles) at the Valley Tournament.

KOCH EARNS THIRD-TEAM ALL-MVC HONORS
Senior forward Bennett Koch earned a spot on the All-Missouri Valley Conference Third Team.
   Koch leads the Panthers in scoring (12.7 ppg) and in blocked shots (24).
   He had 20 double-figure scoring games this season, including a career-high 30 points in an overtime win over UNLV on Nov. 29.

PICKFORD NAMED TO MVC FRESHMAN, NEWCOMER TEAMS
Tywhon Pickford has earned a spot on the MVC's All-Freshman and All-Newcomer teams.
   Pickford ranks No. 2 in the the MVC in rebounds (8.0 rpg). He has 11 double-figure rebounding games. He is tied for the team lead in offensive rebounds (58).
   He is a two-time MVC Newcomer of the Week honoree this season.
   Pickford is the 10th UNI Panther to earn a spot on the MVC All-Freshman squad.

UNI's All-Freshman Team Picks
Chris Foster - 2002
Ben Jacobson - 2003
Brooks McKowen - 2004
Eric Coleman - 2005
Johnny Moran - 2009
Deon Mitchell - 2012
Seth Tuttle - 2012
Jeremy Morgan - 2014
Spencer Haldeman - 2017
Tywhon Pickford - 2018

Pickford is the 12th UNI Panther to land on the MVC All-Newcomer team.

UNI's All-Newcomer Team Picks
Randy Blocker, 1993
Sean Stackhouse, 1999
David Gruber, 2002
Matt Schneiderman, 2003
Ben Jacobson, 2003
Erik Crawford, 2004
Eric Coleman, 2005
Ali Farokhmanesh, 2009
Seth Tuttle, 2012
Wes Washpun, 2014
Paul Jesperson, 2015
Tywhon Pickford, 2018

LOHAUS NABS SPOT ON ALL-BENCH SQUAD
Wyatt Lohaus secured a spot on the MVC's All-Bench team.
   Lohaus has played in 22 games and ranks No. 4 on the team in scoring (9.0 ppg). Lohaus is the leading scorer among all MVC players without a start this season.
   He has 10 double-figure scoring games, including a career-high 25-point performance in a win over Bradley (Feb. 7).
   Lohaus drained a team-best 32 three-pointers in MVC play.
   It marks the ninth time a UNI Panthers has been named to the league's All-Bench team.

UNI's All-Bench Team Picks
Lucas O'Rear - 2009, 2010
Chip Rank - 2012
Matt Bohannon -2013
Nate Buss - 2014, 2015
Wes Washpun - 2015
Klint Carlson - 2016
Wyatt Lohaus - 2018

QUITE A SENIOR DAY
The UNI Panthers sent the 2018 senior class out in style on Senior Day with a 71-56 victory over the Missouri State Bears.
   UNI's starting lineup featured three seniors and all three stepped up when needed.
   Senior Klint Carlson scored a game-high 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Carlson was a perfect 6-of-6 at the free throw line.
   Senior Ted Friedman tallied a season-high seven points. Friedman recorded a pair of dunks and drained a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the victory. Friedman stuffed his stat sheet with an assist, a block and a steal.
   Senior Hunter Rhodes drained a season-best three 3-pointers and scored 14 points to go along with a team-high tying four assists.
   Senior Bennett Koch sat out the game with an ankle injury that he suffered earlier in the week in a win at Valparaiso. Koch was honored prior to the game with a basketball to commemorate his 1,000 career points for the Panthers.

HALFWAY TO 1K FOR WYATT
Junior Wyatt Lohaus became the 103rd UNI Panther to score 500 or more points in his career.
   Lohaus scored 11 points off the bench in a 71-56 victory over Missouri State (Feb. 24).
   Lohaus has tallied 501 career points for the Panthers.

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

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 four times this season.

UNI FG% Highs This Season
.553 at Valparaiso (W, 68-63)
.525 vs. Chicago State (W, 82-44)
.510 vs. Missouri State (W, 71-56)
.500 at Indiana State (L, 69-67)

BACK-TO-BACK HOT SHOTS
UNI has shot better than 50 percent in back-to-back contests to close the regular season.
   It marks the first time UNI has shot 50 percent or better in two consecutive games since the start of the 2016-17 season. UNI shot 52.6 percent vs. Coe (Nov. 12, 2016) and followed it up by shooting 50.9 percent vs. Arizona State (Nov. 17, 2016) in Orlando, Florida.
   UNI will be looking to match a streak of three straight games shooting 50 percent or better that the Panthers did against Dubuque (55.6 - Nov. 25, 2015), North Dakota (61.1 - Nov. 28, 2015) and North Texas (55.6 - Nov. 30, 2015).

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 6.3 points per game in 2017-18.

MVC's Most-Improved Scorers
1. Jordan Barnes (INS)   +10.7 (6.5, 17.2)
2. Keyshawn Evans (ILS)   +9.7 (5.8, 15.5)
3. Dru Smith (UE)   +8.1 (5.3, 13.4)
4. Ryan Taylor (UE)   +8.0 (14.1, 22.1)
5. Aaron Cook (SIU)   +6.9 (3.0, 9.9)
6. Phil Fayne (ILS)   +6.4 (9.1, 15.5)
7. Nick McGlynn (DU)   +6.2 (4.9, 11.1)
8. Isaiah Brown (UNI)   +4.5 (1.8, 6.3)
9. Sean Lloyd (SIU)   +4.3 (7.6, 11.9)

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 9.0 points per game, while Haldeman is averaging 6.5 points per game.

MVC Bench Scorers (no starts)
1.    Wyatt Lohaus (UNI)       9.0 ppg
2.   Spencer Haldeman (UNI)   6.5 ppg
3.   Micah Bradford (Valpo)   5.0 ppg
4.   Casey Schlatter (Drake)   4.2 ppg
5.   Bruno Skokna (Loyola)   3.8 ppg
6.   Isaac Gassman (Ill. St.)   3.6 ppg
7.   Rudy Stradnieks (SIU)       3.2 ppg

PHYFE FEASTING IN MVC PLAY
UNI freshmen forward Austin Phyfe is shot 62.9 percent from the field (22-of-35 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 57 points for the Panthers.

PICKFORD SETS UNI FRESHMAN REBOUNDING MARK
Guard Tywhon Pickford has set the UNI Panther freshman rebounding record.
   Pickford has registered 240 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) - 240
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. Cameron Krutwig - Loyola (2017-18) - 189
20. Luke Jackson - BU (1986-87) - 188

PICKFORD EYEING UNI'S 8TH 300-POINT FRESHMAN SEASON
UNI freshman Tywhon Pickford is looking to become the eight UNI Panther in the Division I era to score 300 or more points.
   Pickford has scored 285 points this season. Pickford ranks third on the team in scoring this season at 9.5 points per game. He has recorded 11 double-figure scoring games.
Jason Reese holds the school record for freshman scoring with 395 points in the 1986-87 season.

UNI Freshmen 300 Points (Division I Era)
Jason Reese (1986-87)       395 pts
Randy Kraayenbrink (1982-83)   384 pts
Maurice Newby (1986-87)       378 pts
Chris Foster (2001-02)       364 pts
Eric Coleman (2004-05)       342 pts
Seth Tuttle (2011-12)       325 pts
Ben Jacobson (2002-03)       315 pts

NATION'S 2ND-BEST REBOUNDER UNDER 6'5"
UNI freshman guard Tywhon Pickford is the nation's second-best rebounder under 6'5". Pickford (6'4") is averaging 8.0 rebounds per game.
   UMass Lowell's Jahad Thomas (6'2") is the nation's best rebounder under 6'5". Thomas is averaging 8.2 rebounds per game.

FRESHMEN REBOUNDERS
UNI's Tywhon Pickford ranks No. 11 in the nation in rebounds among freshmen at 8.0 per game.

Freshman Rebounders
1.    Deandre Ayton (Arizona)   11.2
2.   Marvin Bagley III (Duke)   11.1
3.   Mohamed Bamba (Texas)   10.6
4.   Brandon McCoy (UNLV)   10.0
5.   Loudon Love (Wright St.)   9.7
6.   Wendell Carter Jr. (Duke)   9.5
7.   Oshae Brissett (Syracuse)   8.8
8.   Eric Williams Jr. (Duquesne)   8.8
9.   Cameron Lard (Iowa St.)   8.2
10.   Naz Bohannon (Youngstown St.)   8.1
11.   Tywhon Pickford (UNI)   8.0
12.   Steffon Mitchell (Boston College)   8.0
13.   Terry Taylor (Austin Peay)   7.9
14.   Jalen Canty (UCSB)   7.8
15.   Omari Spellman (Villanova)   7.7
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 30 games, UNI has six players who have made at least 18 3-pointers this season.
   Spencer Haldeman (43), Wyatt Lohaus (39), Klint Carlson (34), Isaiah Brown (32), Tywhon Pickford (29) 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 591 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 249 and also No. 6 in MVC games only wins with 130.
   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)   249
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)    130
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. 48 and SMU was ranked No. 99 in Tuesday's NCAA RPI.

NO 'BAD' LOSSES
UNI is 15-15 overall and went 7-11 in the MVC but you have to search to find a 'bad' loss for the Panthers in 2017-18.
   Twelve of UNI's 15 losses have come against top-138 RPI opponents. UNI's RPI sits at No. 141 in Monday's NCAA RPI report.

RPI for UNI's Losses in 2017-18
No. 2 Xavier - L, 77-67
No. 3 vs. Villanova - L, 64-50
No. 4 at North Carolina - L, 86-69
No. 32 Loyola - L, 56-50
No. 32 at Loyola - L, 70-47
No. 87 Illinois State - L, 79-75
No. 91 at Southern Illinois - L, 64-53
No. 91 Southern Illinois - L, 56-53
No. 114 at Bradley - L, 72-53
No. 115 vs. Iowa State - L, 76-65
No. 133 at Missouri State - L, 62-55
No. 137 at Evansville - L, 57-49

THE UNDER 50 CLUB
UNI limited Evansville to 41 points in its win over the Purple Aces on Feb. 13 in the McLeod Center.
   It marks the 50th time in the Ben Jacobson coaching era that the Panthers have held a team to under 50 points. UNI is 49-1 in those contests.
   UNI has won 42 straight games when holding the opposition to less than 50 points.

OPP. HELD UNDER 50 PTS IN JACOBSON COACHING ERA
Date   Opponent   Result
2/13/18   Evansville   W, 47-41
12/10/17   Dubuque   W, 80-47
11/18/17   Chicago State   W, 82-44
11/15/17   Wartburg   W, 72-43
11/13/17   Alcorn State   W, 73-45
2/8/17   Southern Illinois   W, 49-41
11/12/16   Coe   W, 74-37
2/24/15   Indiana State   W, 66-44
1/9/15   Drake   W, 77-44
12/30/15   Bradley   W, 80-44
3/7/15   vs. Loyola   W, 63-49
   (MVC Tournament)
3/6/15   vs. Bradley   W, 71-46
   (MVC Tournament)
2/21/15   Bradley   W, 56-39
2/18/15   at Loyola   W, 58-39
1/18/15   Missouri State   W, 60-46
1/10/15   at Drake   W, 64-40
1/7/15   Southern Illinois   W, 55-39
12/20/14   vs. Iowa   W, 56-44
11/26/14   vs. Northwestern   W, 61-42
11/22/14   North Florida   W, 66-49
1/1/14   Bradley   W, 80-46
2/5/13   Missouri State   W, 48-37
1/23/13   Southern Illinois   W, 58-45
11/17/12   North Dakota   W, 72-47
1/31/12   Southern Illinois   W, 58-49
1/4/12   Indiana State   W, 65-48
12/19/11   Loras   W, 84-48
11/22/11   Western Carolina   W, 59-39
11/12/11   Old Dominion   W, 63-46
1/22/11   Drake   W, 69-49
1/12/11   at Illinois State   W, 46-44
12/19/10   SIU Edwardsville   W, 68-47
11/16/10   Coe   W, 84-45
3/6/10   vs. Bradley   W, 57-40
   (MVC Tournament)
3/5/10   vs. Drake   W, 55-40
   (MVC Tournament)
2/10/10   at Drake   W, 57-48
1/16/10   vs. Indiana State   W, 62-40
1/9/10   at Illinois State   W, 59-44
1/6/10   at Southern Illinois   W, 61-49
1/1/10   vs. Evansville   W, 65-46
12/19/09   at North Dakota   W, 64-41
11/28/09   vs. Northern Illinois   W, 52-45
2/18/09   vs. Drake   L, 47-46
12/6 /08   vs. North Dakota   W, 69-49
3/7/08   vs. Southern Illinois   W, 54-49
   (MVC Tournament)
12/29/07   at Bradley   W, 59-46
12/15/07   vs. Wartburg   W, 99-48
11/27/07   at Iowa State   W, 61-48
11/9/07   vs. Northern Illinois   W, 75-45
12/2/06   at Bucknell   W, 57-48

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

Calendar

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UNI, Evansville Set to Open 2018 Arch Madness

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Players Mentioned

Isaiah Brown

Klint Carlson

Ted Friedman

Spencer Haldeman

Bennett Koch

Wyatt Lohaus

Juwan McCloud

Austin Phyfe

Tywhon Pickford

Hunter Rhodes

Upcoming Events