University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Panther men’s hoops begins chase for Arch Madness title on Friday night
3/6/2025 2:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UNI looks for MVC Tournament crown in St. Louis on Friday beginning with a quarterfinal matchup against UIC or Valparaiso.
UNI men's basketball (20-11 / 14-5 MVC) at 2025 MVC Tournament
Quarterfinal vs. UIC or Valparaiso
- 8:30 p.m. CT | Mar. 7, 2025
- Enterprise Center | St. Louis, Mo.
- MVC TV Network (John Rooney: Play-by-Play / Rich Zvosec: Analyst)
- Panther Sports Radio Network (J.W. Cox: Play-by-Play / Kevin Boyle: Analyst)
- LIVE STATS
Semifinal Round
- 5 p.m. CT | Mar. 8, 2025
- Enterprise Center | St. Louis, Mo.
- CBS Sports Network (Rich Waltz: Play-by-Play / Avery Johnson: Analyst / Evan Washburn: Sideline)
- Panther Sports Radio Network (J.W. Cox: Play-by-Play / Kevin Boyle: Analyst)
- LIVE STATS
Championship Game
- 1 p.m. CT | Mar. 9, 2025
- Enterprise Center | St. Louis, Mo.
- CBS (Kevin Harlan: Play-by-Play / Dan Bonner: Analyst / Evan Washburn: Sideline)
- Panther Sports Radio Network (J.W. Cox: Play-by-Play / Kevin Boyle: Analyst)
- LIVE STATS
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI's men's basketball postseason is set to begin on Friday night as the Panthers prepare for the quarterfinal round of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament (commonly known as Arch Madness) at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
Northern Iowa will face the winner of Thursday's first round game between sixth-seeded UIC and 11th-seeded Valparaiso at 8:30 p.m. CT with live coverage available on the MVC TV Network. Live radio coverage of the game can be found on the Panther Sports Radio Network with J.W. Cox and Kevin Boyle on the call.
Panther fans are also encouraged to join the UNI spirit squads, band and special guests at a pregame fan rally at Shark Bar inside Ballpark Village in downtown St. Louis beginning at 4:30 p.m. CT on Friday, right across the street from Busch Stadium.
The third-seeded Panthers will be in search of their sixth MVC Tournament championship and the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, looking to return to the big dance for the first time since 2016. UNI holds a 29-26 all-time record at Arch Madness, having won at least one game in St. Louis in each of the past four seasons. Northern Iowa heads to the Gateway City winners of seven of its previous nine games, and nine of its last 12.
Northern Iowa continues to maintain a hot shooting hand this season, ranking 14th in all of Division I with a 49% shooting clip, shooting over 50% in 14 of its 31 games this year. The Panthers are also on pace for a top-ten team shooting percentage in program history and highest mark this century.
In 30 games against Division I opponents this season, UNI has outscored its opposition in the paint 22 times, going 18-4 in such games. On average, the Panthers score 32.3 points per game in the paint, outscoring their opponents by 5.9 points per game inside. Twelve times in 30 games against D1 opponents, Northern Iowa has outscored their opponents by ten or more points in the paint In league only games, the Panthers were outscored in the paint only twice.
Tytan Anderson, a 2025 First Team All-MVC honoree and All-Defensive Team selection, enters the tournament as the league's leader in made free throws (135) and attempts (190). Averaging a team-best 15.3 points per game and a team-high 6.5 rebounds a game on 57.9% shooting, Anderson is also seventh all-time in program history in career steals (148) and rebounds (790) and fifth in games played with the Panthers (137).
Jacob Hutson has notched 12 points and 4.5 rebounds, while Trey Campbell, a Third Team All-MVC honoree, has posted 11.2 points and a team-high 92 assists. Ben Schwieger has put up 10.2 points and five boards per game as a starter in the Panther lineup in the last 23 contests. Will Hornseth, meanwhile, is shooting at a high percentage in his freshman season, posting a 68% clip on 66-of-97 shooting, currently on pace to set a new single-season field goal percentage record. Leon Bond III, who returned to the court in UNI's last game at Bradley on Sunday, has notched ten points per game and 4.6 rebounds with a 56% shooting percentage.
From beyond the arc, Cael Schmitt, who has appeared in 13 games since his UNI and Division I debut at Southern Illinois in January, has steadily increased his minutes on the floor each game while shooting ten-for-33 from range. Max Weisbrod has also been a spark for Northern Iowa's three-point shooting having started the last nine games and trailing on Campbell for the team lead with 43 made three pointers on 40.2%.
2025 MVC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
First Round
- Game 1: #8 Southern Illinois vs. #9 Indiana State - 12 p.m. CT (MVC TV Network)
- Game 2: #5 Illinois State vs. #12 Missouri State - 2:30 p.m. CT (MVC TV Network)
- Game 3: #7 Murray State vs. #10 Evansville - 6 p.m. CT (MVC TV Network)
- Game 4: #6 UIC vs. #11 Valparaiso - 8:30 p.m. CT (MVC TV Network)
Quarterfinals
- Game 5: #1 Drake vs. Game 1 Winner - 12 p.m. CT (MVC TV Network)
- Game 6: #4 Belmont vs. Game 2 Winner - 2:30 p.m. CT (MVC TV Network)
- Game 7: #2 Bradley vs. Game 3 Winner - 6 p.m. CT (MVC TV Network)
- Game 8: #3 UNI vs. Game 4 Winner - 8:30 p.m. CT (MVC TV Network)
Semifinals
- Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner - 2:30 p.m. CT (CBS Sports Network)
- Game 10: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner - 5 p.m. CT (CBS Sports Network)
Championship
- Game 11: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner - 1 p.m. CT (CBS)
UNI men's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Men's Basketball), X (@UNImbb) and on Instagram (@uni_basketball). The full 2024-25 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
