University of North Carolina Athletics
Know Your Opponent: UNI
November 10, 2017 | Men's Basketball
By Bobby Hundley
UNI (UNIPanthers.com)
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Rankings: UNI - No. 129 KenPom, NR AP; UNC - No. 13 KenPom, No. 9 AP
Records: UNI - 0-0; UNC - 0-0
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Series tied 1-1 (UNC 85, UNI 42, Dec. 21, 2016, Smith Center)
The 2016-17 season saw UNI finish below .500 for the first time in 11 seasons under head coach Ben Jacobson. It was a streaky campaign in which the Panthers lost 11 of 13, then won nine of 10, and finally lost four in a row to close out the season. Poor shooting ultimately torpedoed the season, as UNI slumped to 315th nationally in effective FG%.
The Panthers struggled both inside and outside of the three-point arc, but the lack of consistency from deep was especially damaging for a team that took 45.1 percent of its shots from the outside. Of the team's volume shooters, only senior Jordan Ashton made more than 35 percent of his 3s.
Ashton and fellow senior Jeremy Morgan are the big losses from the 2016-17 roster. While Ashton was UNI's best outside threat, Morgan led the team in almost every counting category, including points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
Despite those losses, the Panthers return a solid core led by the senior frontcourt duo of Bennett Koch and Klint Carlson. At 6-10, Koch is UNI's tallest player and basically the only regular who won't be expected to shoot from the perimeter. The Wisconsin native made 57 percent of his 2s last season and only attempted one 3. Carlson is comfortable inside and out and rarely leaves the court, averaging close to 37 minutes per game as a junior.
Sophomore Juwan McCloud is back for a second year as the starter at point guard, and he'll be joined in the backcourt by Wyatt Lohaus and Tywhon Pickford. Lohaus returns after missing most of 2016-17 with an ankle injury, while Pickford figures to start as a true freshman.
UNI was picked to finished second in the new-look Missouri Valley, with Missouri State tabbed as the favorite in the post-Wichita State era. The departure of the Shockers will cost Valley teams a chance to take on a national power in league play, but it also means that the auto bid is well and truly up for grabs. If Jacobson's squad can quickly return to being a consistently strong shooting team (UNI had a top-100 KenPom offense for eight straight seasons before 2016-17), the Panthers will like their chances to represent the MVC in March.
UNI (UNIPanthers.com)
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Rankings: UNI - No. 129 KenPom, NR AP; UNC - No. 13 KenPom, No. 9 AP
Records: UNI - 0-0; UNC - 0-0
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Series tied 1-1 (UNC 85, UNI 42, Dec. 21, 2016, Smith Center)
The 2016-17 season saw UNI finish below .500 for the first time in 11 seasons under head coach Ben Jacobson. It was a streaky campaign in which the Panthers lost 11 of 13, then won nine of 10, and finally lost four in a row to close out the season. Poor shooting ultimately torpedoed the season, as UNI slumped to 315th nationally in effective FG%.
The Panthers struggled both inside and outside of the three-point arc, but the lack of consistency from deep was especially damaging for a team that took 45.1 percent of its shots from the outside. Of the team's volume shooters, only senior Jordan Ashton made more than 35 percent of his 3s.
Ashton and fellow senior Jeremy Morgan are the big losses from the 2016-17 roster. While Ashton was UNI's best outside threat, Morgan led the team in almost every counting category, including points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
Despite those losses, the Panthers return a solid core led by the senior frontcourt duo of Bennett Koch and Klint Carlson. At 6-10, Koch is UNI's tallest player and basically the only regular who won't be expected to shoot from the perimeter. The Wisconsin native made 57 percent of his 2s last season and only attempted one 3. Carlson is comfortable inside and out and rarely leaves the court, averaging close to 37 minutes per game as a junior.
Sophomore Juwan McCloud is back for a second year as the starter at point guard, and he'll be joined in the backcourt by Wyatt Lohaus and Tywhon Pickford. Lohaus returns after missing most of 2016-17 with an ankle injury, while Pickford figures to start as a true freshman.
UNI was picked to finished second in the new-look Missouri Valley, with Missouri State tabbed as the favorite in the post-Wichita State era. The departure of the Shockers will cost Valley teams a chance to take on a national power in league play, but it also means that the auto bid is well and truly up for grabs. If Jacobson's squad can quickly return to being a consistently strong shooting team (UNI had a top-100 KenPom offense for eight straight seasons before 2016-17), the Panthers will like their chances to represent the MVC in March.
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