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Posts Tagged ‘Northern Iowa Panthers’

March 26th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

The sweethearts of the NCAA Tournament match up with last year's national runners up in the Midwest Region semifinals between the #9 Northern Iowa Panthers and the #5 Michigan State Spartans.

What's At Stake: The winner of this crucial college basketball betting tilt will move on to the Elite 8 at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday afternoon to face off with the winner of the #2 Ohio State/#6 Tennessee matchup.

College Basketball Odds: Michigan State -1 at BetUS

Northern Iowa Notes: The Panthers have made it to this point in the NCAA Tournament thanks to three point shooting and defense. Even though they only shot 35.6 percent from downtown this season, they have connected on 40 percent of their attempts from long range in the tourney through two games. Northern Iowa has the #2 rated defense in America, allowing just 55.0 points per game. HC Ben Jacobsen was just rewarded for his efforts in March Madness with a ten year contract extension. The Panthers have the seventh best free throw shooting team in America at 76.1 percent, and they only turn the ball over an average of 10.5 times per game.

Michigan State Notes: G Kalin Lucas won't be able to play for the rest of the season thanks to his ruptured Achilles tendon suffered against Maryland last weekend. That puts a ton of pressure on the inside men for HC Tom Izzo. Though they typically dominate on the glass (+9.5 rebounds per game), the big guys have a problem being consistent scorers. Sparty's 72.9 points per game is still pedestrian, but they've scored 155 points in two tourney games thus far. With Lucas out of the lineup, there are only two double digit point scorers on this team, and no one is averaging more than a dozen points per game.

Players to Watch

G Ali Farokhmanesh, Northern Iowa Panthers: For a man that is only averaging 9.7 points per game, Farokhmanesh is getting a ton of attention from the media. And rightfully so! He nailed the three pointer that sent UNI past UNLV in the first round of the tournament and followed that up with the absolute dagger of a three bomb that finished off the mighty Wildcats. Farokhmanesh has eight three balls in March Madness, and he'll be the key to victory for the Panthers on Friday night.

G Korie Lucious, Michigan State Spartans: They say that the tournament makes heroes out of players that are otherwise average. Lucious is a perfect example of that after he hit the three point basket as time expired to send the Spartans past the #4 Maryland Terrapins and into the third round of this event. No, we're not highlight Lucious because of that shot. Even though he averaged less than five points per game this year, he's the man that's going to have to step into Lucas' spot in the starting five. It's not that Lucious doesn't know what he's doing out there, as he picked up a ton of valuable experience in last season's run to the NCAA Tournament Final, but he'll have to be a star once again for Sparty to survive.

Trends of Note

-Northern Iowa is 5-0 ATS in its L/5 games following an SU win
-Northern Iowa is 54-24 in its L/78 games as an underdog
-Northern Iowa is 9-2 ATS in its L/11 games against the Big Ten
-Michigan State is 16-4-1 ATS in its L/21 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite
-Michigan State is 21-6-2 ATS in its L/29 games as favorites of less than seven points
-Michigan State is 2-8 ATS in its L/10 games against teams with a winning record

Final Analysis: Michigan State was an awful looking team when Lucas missed a handful of games in Big Ten play this year. That's what dropped Sparty from a potential #2 seed down to a #5. We're going to get on Cinderella's bandwagon as well on this one. The Panthers aren't your average #9 seed either. They're going to use their suffocating defense to put the wraps on a suddenly very inexperienced backcourt for MSU. Expect to see Northern Iowa become the second mid-major team to join the Elite 8 with a 'W' over Sparty.

Selection: Northern Iowa +1

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March 8th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Teams that are already in the NCAA Tournament…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League) 
Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South)
Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley)
East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun)

Teams that clinched automatic bids on Sunday…

Northern Iowa Panthers (28-4, Missouri Valley): The Panthers' win over Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference finale had bubble teams across the country breathing a sigh of relief. Had the Shockers won, an at-large spot surely would've evaporated, as UNI was already in the field of 65. Wichita State may still have a claim to the bubble, but this way, all of the at-large bids are still remaining. Watch out for this Northern Iowa team, though. It played fantastic defense through the MVC Tourney, holding all three foes under 60 points, including keeping the first two to just 40. Seeding the Panthers is going to be tough though. They went 28-4, but they'll probably only be a #6 or so.

Teams vying for automatic bids on Monday…

Fairfield Stags (22-9, Metro Atlantic): The Stags played second fiddle in the MAAC all season long, but that doesn't mean that they can't upset Siena and swipe a bid to the NCAA Tournament. F Anthony Johnson and G Derek Needham scored a combined 38 points in Fairfield's win over Niagara on Sunday. The Stags already know that they can play in the Times Union Center, as they only lost by a bucket at Siena on February 8th.

Siena Saints (26-6, Metro Atlantic): Here's another team that will be sitting firmly on the bubble should it not grab its conference crown. The Saints are a team led by a ton of veterans, all of which have been involved in first round upsets in the NCAA Tournament in each of the L/2 seasons. HC Fran McCaffery has what it takes to get this team into the dance and to let it do some damage when it gets there. Watch out for leading scorer F Alex Franklin, who has dropped 41 points in two games in this tourney.

William & Mary Tribe (22-9, Colonial): The Tribe had to be considered at-large bid contenders at one point, but now they know that they have to win this game, or it's off to the NIT. They've had two really close calls to get to this point, winning by a combined seven points in two CAA Tournament games, but at just 64.2 points per game allowed, this is a club that has what it takes to win a conference crown.

Old Dominion Monarchs (25-8, Colonial): ODU is almost certainly in the NCAA Tournament regardless of what goes on in this one, but much like the case was with Northern Iowa yesterday, you won't see this team want to slip up and lose its final tune-up before the real dance begins. Leading scorer F Gerald Lee dropped 26 points yesterday against VCU, but don't be surprised if he has weary legs on Monday. He and several of his teammates played 30+ minutes in a game that went to overtime just 24 hours before this one will tip off on Monday night.

St. Mary's Gaels (25-5, West Coast): Is the third time a charm? St. Mary's has already lost to Gonzaga twice this season, and the only way that it will absolutely be assured of a spot on the dance floor next week is to win this game. The Gaels have one of the most exciting offenses in college basketball at 79.4 points per game, but they've just be stymied time and time again by the Zags this season and in years past.

Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-5, West Coast): HC Mark Few's team knows that it's in fine shape regardless of the outcome of this one, but another WCC Championship sure would be nice. The Zags are also trying to show the Selection Committee that they really were the dominant team in this conference in spite of the fact that they suffered unsightly losses to San Francisco and Loyola-Marymount in the regular season.

Appalachian State Mountaineers (22-11, Southern): App State won the SoCon North Division and is rightfully playing for all the marbles on Monday night. The 'Neers have be dominant of late, posting three straight double-digit victories. G Donald Sims had posted five straight 20+ point performances and 25+ point efforts in four of his previous five before being held to just ten points against Charleston yesterday. He's averaging 20.4 PPG this year and will be a real force in the SoCon finale.

Wofford Terriers (25-8, Southern): The Terriers have also advanced to this point in the SoCon Tournament by recording two convincing double digit 'W's. Expect to see App State struggle offensively against a stout Wofford defense, which is holding foes to just 61.5 points per game this year. The Terriers will have their ears pinned back in this one, as its only home loss of the season came against these Mountaineers.

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March 7th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Teams that clinched spots to the NCAA Tournament on Friday and Saturday…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League) - The Big Red coasted to 13-1 in the Ivy League regular season, winning the only at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament that is handed out without a conference tournament. Cornell was once upon a time a Top-25 team for a few weeks, but it is going to probably be a #12 or #13 in March Madness.

Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South) - The Big South was supposed to belong to Coastal Carolina this year, but the Eagles had other ideas. They bounced the Chanticleers 64-53 behind a huge second half run to pull the upset as nine-point underdogs. Look for Winthrop to be hanging out as a #14 or #15 come Selection Sunday.

Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley) - A 17-1 record in conference play and three relatively easy wins in the OVC Tournament later, and Murray State is racing into the NCAA Tournament. It captured the Ohio Valley crown on Saturday with a 62-51 victory that more than sufficiently covered the four-point college basketball spread. The Racers could be a great potential bracket buster this year out of a #12 or #13 position.

East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun) - The Bucs were only the #5 seed going into the A-Sun Tournament, but they took three tough wins in as many nights, taking out Campbell, Kennesaw State, and Mercer to win the conference crown. ETSU is a candidate for the play-in game, but in all likelihood, it will stick around for the weekend without the extra game as a #16.

Teams vying for automatic bids on Sunday…

Northern Iowa Panthers (27-4, Missouri Valley) - The Panthers are the only team in a conference final tomorrow that knows that it has nothing to worry about come Selection Sunday one way or the other. UNI's stifling defense has held its first two opponents in the Missouri Valley Tournament to just 40 points apiece. In order to win the Valley once again, the Panthers are going to need a great effort out of C Jordan Eglseder, who has scored ten points in each of his first two conference tourney games this year and averaged 12.2 points per game on the season.

Wichita State Shockers (25-8, Missouri Valley) - Could the Shockers be the in the field anyway as well? Twenty-five wins in a tough conference suggests that it is a possibility, but in all likelihood a win is needed in Sunday's Missouri Valley finale to get the job done. Wichita State has coasted to win against Missouri State and Illinois State, both of which were very tough foes, to reach this point. The Shockers have scored at least 73 points in three of their L/4 games, and they'll need to find a way to crack Northern Iowa's stout defense to take down the Valley title.

Vermont Catamounts (23-9, America East) - Vermont is no stranger to playing in the America East Final. It feels like the Catamounts have been in this spot every single year for the past decade. They've got comfortable victories against Binghamton and Maryland-Baltimore County in this tournament, and thanks to the upsets going on around them, they won't have to face either Stony Brook or Maine to reach the NCAA Tournament. Watch for F Marqus Blakely to have a great final on Sunday, as he is leading the team in scoring (17.4 PPG), assists (3.7 per game), and rebounding (9.2 RPG).

New Hampshire Wildcats (13-16, America East) - If you're wondering where the Wildcats came from, hop on the boat. After going just 11-16 in the regular season, New Hampshire was the only lower seed to advance out of the first round of the America East Tournament. Now, it is on the verge of becoming a sub-.500 team that is going dancing. The Cats may have had an awful offense for this whole season (61.6 PPG), but they have scored 68 and 77 points in their two conference tourney games, and a similar effort may be enough to lift the conference crown come Sunday night.

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February 15th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Just one week after ESPN's "Rivalry Week," the small schools take center stage in the annual "BracketBusters" festivities. Butler and Northern Iowa are both schools that are almost certainly going dancing regardless of what happens for the remainder of the season. However, for many of these teams, this weekend is their last chance to try to impress the Selection Committee in the event that they don't win their conference tournaments. Cappers Info has all you need to know about the teams that are trying to bust brackets this weekend!

Old Dominion Monarchs (20-7, 12-3 in Colonial Athletic)
Key Wins:  vs. William & Mary, vs. Charlotte, @ Georgetown
Key Losses: @ Virginia Commonwealth, @ George Mason
RPI: 33
SOS: 79

If the Monarchs don't capture the auto-bid from the CAA, they're probably in a heap of trouble. The Selection Committee realizes just how good this conference is, but it's hard to justify taking ODU without one more truly marquee win. Heading into UNI is probably the most difficult task that any team has to take on this weekend, but for Old Dominion, it is a test that it must embrace and not fear. The Monarchs already proved that they were good enough to win at Georgetown this year, and a victory against the Panthers would probably get the job done. They've won four straight and gone 3-1 ATS in their L/4 "BracketBuster" appearances, but none are more important than the one this Friday night.

Siena Saints (22-5, 15-1 in Metro Atlantic)
Key Wins: vs. Northeastern
Key Losses: @ Niagara, @ St. John's
RPI: 34
SOS: 123

The good news for the Saints is that they may be the biggest college basketball favorite on the board for a small conference tournament when they take on the rest of the MAAC in a few weeks. The bad news is that their resume, though littered with plenty of wins, doesn't really look like one of a tourney team. HC Fran McCaffery was begging for a battle with Butler or one of the other big schools this week, but he may have gotten more than he bargained for. With four returning starters from last season's Sweet 16 team, the Saints are sure to give the Bulldogs a run for their money in a game that they absolutely have to have in all likelihood to steal an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament if that's what it comes down to. Siena won last season's BracketBuster battle at home against Northern Iowa, but lost on the road against the Panthers earlier this season in the return battle.

Wichita State Shockers (21-6, 10-5 in Missouri Valley)
Key Wins: vs. Northern Iowa, vs. Texas Tech
Key Losses: @ Evansville, @ Drake, @ Creighton, @ Illinois State
RPI: 47
SOS: 120

Wichita State should be happy that it is going on the road for BracketBusters. As you can tell, there isn't a heck of a lot to this resume aside from some nice home wins. A victory at Utah State wouldn't be the most impressive thing in the world, but it would prove to the Selection Committee that the Shockers are capable of playing away from their home court. Right now, they may be the most intriguing side in the entire country, as the Valley's strong history in the dance will probably come into play come Selection Sunday. Still, WSU is going to have to play its way into the field one way or the other, and the far easier route will be a win on Saturday night against the Aggies.

Northeastern Huskies (17-9, 12-3 in Colonial Athletic)
Key Wins: vs. Utah State, vs. Kent State, vs. Old Dominion
Key Losses: vs. Drexel, @ Western Michigan, @ Drexel, vs. Providence, @ Boston
RPI: 62
SOS: 81

One look at this resume, and you're probably thinking to yourself, "How the heck is this team on the bubble?" True, on one glance, the Huskies don't have a great gripe to be a March Madness pick next month. However, the Selection Committee has always asked the question, "What have you done for me lately?" That's where Northeastern thrives. It is 15-2 in its L/17 games, most of which have come against solid CAA foes. The Huskies can play their way into the field if they win out in the regular season and go all the way to the Colonial title game in all likelihood, but a tough test against the WAC's Louisiana Tech stands in their way. Not only does Northeastern have to be good enough to win, but it may have to be incredibly impressive on Saturday to help persuade the committee if it can't take care of business itself.

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