Matt is in his fifth season of covering the Panthers for the W-CF Courier, which means he barely knows what a UNI loss to WSU looks like.
Q: Johnny Moran seems like one of the better freshmen in the MVC. What role does he play for UNI?
A: He brings a level of toughness to their backcourt that was really needed. Besides his ability to score and operate in the open floor, he has a knack for being around the ball. He takes charges, gets into the passing lanes and isn’t afraid to dive on the floor for a loose ball. It’s been a process, but that competitive spirit has started to rub off on the rest of the team.
Offensively, he’s already shown that he’s not tentative to take the shot when the game is on the line. In that regard, there are some parallels to former Panther Ben Jacobson (and not the head coach). I don’t need to remind Shocker fans of that.
Q: UNI’s defensive numbers aren’t as good as in past seasons. Is that a worry for coach Ben Jacobson?
A: The lack of consistency is his biggest concern. Thirteen games into the season, you really don’t know what you’re going to get from this club each half, let alone each game. They have really struggled at times guarding the 3-point shot, evident by Indiana State’s 41-point outburst in the first half last week. Also, 7-footer Jordan Eglseder struggles with his lateral movement and teams have taken advantage of that inside.
However, they were much better defensively in Carbondale on Wednesday, probably their best outing of the season. The question now becomes, can they sustain it for longer than a 20- to 30-minute stretch?
Q: Is the Southern Illinois era over in the MVC?
A: The Salukis won’t win the league this year and may not finish in the top four. With their youth and really no leadership other than Bryan Mullins, they are going to struggle on the road. It seems to me they’ve almost lost the identity that made their program so successful, in terms of getting into teams and frustrating them with their physical play.
Currently, they’re in the bottom half of the league in scoring defense (65.2 ppg.), field goal percentage defense (43.3), 3-point defense (37.8) and steals (5.8). Those were all categories they excelled at when their program was at a championship level.
Granted, they have talent. Kevin Dillard is a special freshman, Carlton Fay has elevated his game significantly and Ryan Hare has played well at times. They may be down now, but Chris Lowery will have them back toward the top in a year or two.
Q: Besides traveling to Waterloo for baseball games, what is your favorite MVC road trip and why?
A: Omaha wins out narrowly over Wichita. For different reasons, I love the basketball atmosphere at both venues. In my fifth year on the beat, Wichita is the loudest environment I’ve encountered, but the Qwest Center gives you a feel of big-time basketball with more than 16,000 fans there. Wichita has the better eating establishments, but Omaha is half the distance and I won $250 on my last trip there at the casino in nearby Council Bluffs. I can’t wait to get back next week.