The Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship game features defense, defense and more defense. With none of the top four seeds in the championship game, the contest features the fifth seeded Illinois Chicago Flames and the sixth seeded Northern Iowa Panthers.
During the conference season, UIC led Valley teams in defensive field goal percentage (.422), rebounding margin (+3.75) and offensive rebounds per game. Northern Iowa leads the entire nation is scoring defense (61.1 ppg) and were third nationally in preventing three-point baskets.
Both teams prefer a slower pace on the offensive end. UIC is 229th in adjusted tempo and 213 in average length of offensive possession. UNI is even slower coming in at 362 in tempo and 317 in how long they take to shoot.
The Coaches
Ben Jacobson is coaching in his twentieth season in Cedar Falls, Iowa and Rob Ehsan is toiling in his second season in the Windy City. Jacobson has won four Arch Madness titles and this is Ehsan’s first championship game appearance.
The Teams
UIC (19-14) is an athletic and aggressive team that scrambles for every loose ball. They have interchangeable parts. Forwards bring the ball up the floor, guards rebound with passion and will switch all five positions on the defensive end.
Ehsan routinely employs a lineup that includes three freshmen and a sophomore. Leading scorer Elijah Crawford has been outstanding in St. Louis, but this balanced team has seen five different players reach double-figures in scoring with four of them doing it in each Arch Madness game.
UNI (22-12) is playing in its fourth game in four days, but they seem to be getting better every day. The Panthers built a big first half lead over Bradley and then weathered the Braves’ second half storm.
Leading scorer Trey Campbell is averaging 16-points-per game in St. Louis and is a 1,300-point scorer at UNI. Leon Bond III has matched Campbell’s St. Louis output and the Panthers are averaging nearly 18 assists per Arch Madness game.
The winner becomes the next entrant in the NCAA Tournament, likely landing somewhere between a thirteen or fourteen seed in March Madness.