Missouri Valley Basketball: Northern Iowa benefits from chaos in standings

Is Northern Iowa the best team in the Missouri Valley?

Ben Jacobson’s squad’s hot streak has included wins over the Bears, Drake, and Bradley (16-12, 10-6). UNI is the Valley’s top offensive team (75.3 ppg during Valley play), makes the most three-pointers, and makes over 82% of its free throw opportunities.

Their lone loss over the last eight games was to Loyola, and it wasn’t close. The two teams play in Cedar Falls, Iowa on the final day of the season.

Star guard A.J. Green has saved his best basketball for this closing kick. The 6’4 guard is averaging 18.5 points per game and has reached the 20-point plateau 12 times, including the last four contests. Sunday Green scored 21 points and handed out seven assists.

The former Iowa ‘Mr. Basketball leads the Valley in minutes played and three-pointers made. A former ‘Valley Player of the Year’ is battling Missouri State’s Isaiah Mosley for this year’s award.

With former all-Valley center Austin Phyfe largely unavailable, Jacobson has re-tooled his starting rotation and placed 6’6 Noah Carter in the position and the sophomore has thrived. Carter is averaging 16.5 points during Valley contests by using his quickness on the opposing ‘bigs’.

Since Phyfe’s involvement is so limited (long-term covid effects), wing Trae Berhow who is known as a three-point shooter, has become the team’s leading rebounder and is still connecting from long distance.

The members of the UNI roster have dug deep to find a way to win games without their highly efficient pick-and-roll game. Six Panthers that average over twenty minutes per game also make better than 74% from the free-throw line. UNI’s patient offense causes opponents to defend of long periods of time.

Jacobson has twice led his teams to victories over the number one teams in the nation. His teams don’t get rattled and he is a master tactician.