Busting Brackets
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MVC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

By Harry Schroeder

Mar 6, 2022; St. Louis, MO, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Darian DeVries reacts to a call against the Loyola Ramblers during the first half in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2022; St. Louis, MO, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Darian DeVries reacts to a call against the Loyola Ramblers during the first half in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ben Jacobson of the Northern Iowa Panthers (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
Ben Jacobson of the Northern Iowa Panthers (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

4. Northern Iowa Panthers – Head Coach Ben Jacobson
 
2021-22 record: 20-12 overall; 14-4 in the MVC

Ben Jacobson is the ‘Dean of Valley Coaches’ for a reason. He has won over three hundred games, four Coach of the Year awards and his teams have defeated the nation’s top-ranked teams on two separate occasions.

While UNI lost Valley Player of the Year (A.J. Green) to the NBA, second-leading scorer Noah Carter to Missouri and third-leading scorer Trae Berhow to graduation, it’s business as usual in Cedar Falls.

Assuming sixth-year center Austin Phyfe can return from his long-term covid effects, this will be a team to contend with. Guards Bowen Born and Nate Heise will lead Jacobson’s ‘four-out’ offense. Both sophomores are playing in their third season due to covid eligibility. They were on the all-freshman team together two seasons ago. Born was the freshman of the year when he had to take a major role when Green went down with a hip injury.

Last season he was the Valley’s ‘Sixth Man’.

Fellow sophomore, wing Tytan Anderson is a ‘high-flyer’ energy-producing player and will be in that starting mix this season. There are other veterans on this team, but they are unproven in high-leverage moments of games. Cole Henry and James Betz have taken turns being Phyfe’s backup or replacement, but have yet to prove they are quality MVC starters.

Jacobson red-shirted three players last season that he expects to contribute this year. Landon Wolf, Michael Duax and Chase Courbat are local players and outstanding athletes.

The only true freshmen on the squad are Trey Campbell and Ege Peksari. Campbell comes from the same high school as Green, Wolf, Courbat and walk on Hunter Jacobson. The all-state basketball player averaged over 24 points per game and was a football and track star as well.

Peksari is from Izmir, Turkey where he played in the Turkish Basketball League and trained with the U20 team after playing in both the U19 and U16 tournaments. The slick ball-handler has turned heads during preseason practices.

However, the key to the Panther season is Phyfe. If he can play heavy minutes and be nearly the player he was when he was an all-conference post player in 2020 or a third-team member like he was in 2021, UNI will be a force.

They will have solid guard production, play stingy defense and make threes. If Phyfe is healthy, this may be too low of a ranking. If he isn’t this may be way too high.