I was more impressed than I expected by the Panthers. I don’t think they have a star, but they go at least eight deep and maybe 10. You can win a lot of games with that many good players. Everybody knows what to do and when to do it. They can give small teams problem with Eglseder and Koch. Rodenberg looks like a player who can really help inside. Might UNI be better with him instead of Eglseder? I can see Rodenberg’s minutes increasing. That appears to be very solid three-man combo in the lane. Lucas O’Rear is not tall, but he can play inside as well. I don’t see the Panthers as a challenger to Creighton or Illinois State for the MVC title. They could finish in the upper half easily. The win at SIU balances out a home loss to Indiana State.
- After watching most of the game again, I think I underestimated the importance of UNI’s Kwadzo Ahelegbe’s three jumpers – all contested by the Shockers – late in the first half and early in the second. Each one was a dagger.
- I expected to watch the replay and see WSU’s offense go stagnant during the critical times. It wasn’t a lack of movement or effort so much as it was turnovers and missed shots. WSU’s offense doesn’t look pretty, but I think it is mostly because of missed shots and bad passes, not a flawed approach. The Shockers seem to get a reasonable amount of open looks. I won’t say WSU runs its motion and plays perfectly.There are stretches of too much dribbling and too little moving. I’m sure the precision and execution will improve with time. It won’t show until shots start to fall. Can that happen? Well, UNI was shooting 31 percent from three in its first 10 games. In the past four, it is shooting 50 percent. I wouldn’t expect that much improvement from WSU, but even a slight increase in percentage would help immensely. Saturday’s loss obscured the fact WSU did shoot 38.9 percent from three (although some of those came too late to matter).
- WSU did just as much damage to its chances in the first half. The Shockers had the lead and the momentum for stretches, yet couldn’t build much of a cushion. They were stuck on 19 points from 9:58 until 3:48. Then they didn’t score for the final 2:23 of the half.
- I would think deep inside the coaching staff had to be prepared for a difficult start to the MVC schedule. In the first eight games, WSU gets Creighton twice, Illinois State, SIU and Drake (the top four teams in the preseason poll). I’m not sure how much easier the schedule gets. We will get an indication when WSU goes to Missouri State, a team that is just as inexperienced as WSU.
- Over an 18-game schedule, most teams will go through ups and downs. Shocker fans should hope they are catching Bradley and UNI when they are hot. If the Shockers keep practicing and playing hard, they will improve. They may catch teams on the slide later. That’s the hope anyway. UNI only has one senior, so it is not a super-experienced team. However, the Panthers have three juniors who have played their whole career at UNI. That right there trumps anything WSU has, without looking at the rest of the UNI roster.
- For example, take a look at UNI sophomore Kerwin Dunham, who redshirted in 2006-07. So he is a third-year Division I player (WSU has one of those, J.T. Durley, and he played his redshirt for a different coach). Dunham didn’t do anything splashy on Saturday. He scored four points, had two assists and four steals. More important, he didn’t hurt the Panthers. No turnovers. One foul. Didn’t take a bunch of bad shots. Getting two or three positive possessions from your bench, as opposed to two or three mistakes from a reserve, makes a big difference. WSU coach Gregg Marshall said last week that at some point youth and inexperience no longer is an excuse. He is right. However, there are reasons why UNI looks sharper than WSU. The Panthers still shouldn’t run the Shockers out of the gym like they did on Saturday.
- Iowa’s population is about 2.9 million. Kansas is about 2.7. That does not seem to account for the fact that Iowa seems to produce many more good shooters than Kansas. Why? Drake, UNI and Creighton operate on a never-ending supply of accurate shooters from Iowa. Where are the similar Kansas kids?
Around the MVC
- The view from Cedar Falls. and Des Moines. I may call in sick for next season’s trip to the Cedar Valley. I saw at least 15 cars abandoned, at least two overturned, on the side of the highway after an ice storm. Next time, I’m taking flares, survival gear and snowshoes.
- Big game of Saturday in Normal. The Redbirds shut down Booker Woodfox. Illinois State has out-rebounded Creighton by a total of 45 in the past three meetings. Redbird guard Lloyd Phillips is a second-half player. The Big O stands for Osiris, not Omaha.
- Missouri State continues to play, and lose, without Chris Cooks.
- It’s been a tough week at SIU. Two players quit. A loss at home. You can watch the Salukis play Drake tonight on ESPNU.
- Evansville wins in Terre Haute.