No. 2 – Northern Iowa Panthers
UNI returns three starters that have each been named to the league’s all-conference teams. Ben Jacobson’s squad won 19 games last year and despite losing a ton of talent in the portal, seems situated to battle for Jacobson’s fifth regular season title.
First-teamer Tytan Anderson (11.9 ppg) is a rabid rebounder (7.1 per game). The 6’6 senior has been working on his outside shooting and is a team leader. Second-teamers Trey Campbell (40 percent from deep) and 6’11 Jacob Hutson are staples to this team. Hutson is a threat as a pick and pop center.
Sophomore returners Kyle Pock R.J. Taylor expect to take big steps this season. Wes Rubin missed last season due to injury and Jacobson expects big things from the Chicago native.
Transfers Ben Schwieger (Loyola), Leon Bond III (Virginia) expect to play big roles. Schwieger was a part of the Atlantic Ten’s all-rookie team (2023) but played just ten games last season. Anderson says Schwieger is an outstanding athlete and Bond (4.1 ppg) is an outstanding defender.
Transfers from lower levels are expected to contribute. Max Weisbrod was an outstanding D2 player (17.2 ppg and 4.4 assists per game) and Cael Schmitt was a stellar D3 player. Schmitt was a four-time all-conference and two-time defensive player of the year while playing for Coe College.
Jacobson’s teams play outstanding defense and routinely are a good three-point shooting team. This season, he wants his team to play through the big men Anderson and Hutson. Northern Iowa has made four trips to the NCAA Tournament, but their last trip to the ‘Big Dance’ was 2016.
This could be the year they return to March Madness.