Northern Iowa Basketball: 2023-24 season preview and outlook for the Panthers

Projected starters for Northern Iowa Basketball

Bowen Born – Guard

This is a deep and talented team, but Born (17.9 ppg) is the man that makes this engine run. His ability to drive and score in traffic, makes the 5’10 guard multi-dimentional. He can hit the three and his ability to stop and start and change directions might be the best in the league.

While Heise and Phyfe were out last season he felt he had to ‘make something happen’ and this year he feels content play within Jacobson’s system and let shots come to him. He is a fourth-year junior and is one of the few players that could contend with Drake’s Tucker DeVries for player of the year honors.

Tytan Anderson – Forward

Anderson is the Panthers’ ‘Mr. Energy’. His rebounding ability comes largely from his passion to go get the ball. His perimeter shooting game has grown and that will make him harder to defend. He is the king of the put back and open court drives. This 6’6 lefty will harass offensive players and is never out of a play.

While there are no seniors on this UNI squad, like Born, Anderson (12.6 ppg) is a fourth year junior. He and Born combined to collect 72 steals and 243 free throws. These two make things happen.

Nate Heise – Guard

Heise is the quintessential Northern Iowa player. Fundamentally sound, situationally wise and can bury the long ball. While he only played two games last year, this junior will be playing in his fourth season too. Heise is the ‘king of the back cut’ and is a plus defender. At just 6’5 he has a career rebounding average above four and though never being the top offensive option has collected nearly 500 points during his two full seasons.

Michael Duax – Guard

Duax was last year’s third double-digit scorer (10.0 ppg). After redshirting his first season in Cedar Falls, the uber-athletic Duax broke on to the scene after Heise’s injury. He started every game after Heise went down. The 6’5 wing converted over 63% of his two-point shots and is an impressive dunker. Jacobson demands that his players defend and Duax was a master thief, with 42 steals. Duax needs work on his long-distance shooting and on free throws.

Jacob Hutson – Center

Don’t bother looking at Hutson’s numbers at Loyola. During the Ramblers 2021 Sweet Sixteen run, Hutson was an energy guy that made an occasional three and was a physical presence in the pick and roll part of their offense. He is a career .540 shooter and had a solid sophomore season.

Hutson got lost in the shuffle during LUC’s confusing first Atlantic Ten season. He has skill and at 6’10 and 240 pounds, he’ll be going back to a roll where he can excel in the UNI’s guard-oriented, pick-and-roll offense. Yes, he too is a fourth-year junior.