Hey Fish..it's UNI/Evansville day!!!!!

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The Straightshooter
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UNI looks like the play in this one. Very impressive squad


UNI Men's Basketball
Youthful Panthers keep things humming

By RICK BROWN
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
January 7, 2005

Worried?

Yes, Northern Iowa basketball coach Greg McDermott was worried.

"I know they were worried about losing (Matt) Schneiderman and (David) Gruber," Evansville coach Steve Merfeld said. "Obviously, these guys have stepped up."

"These guys" are freshman forward Eric Coleman and sophomore center Grant Stout, who will be in the starting lineup tonight when Northern Iowa meets Evansville at 7:05 in Evansville, Ind.

Evansville, 6-0 at home this season, is 1-2 in conference play and 7-4 overall. Northern Iowa, off to its best start since the 1989-90 season, is 10-2 overall and 1-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Northern Iowa opened MVC play with a 75-55 victory against Illinois State Monday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

Stout had 18 points and 15 rebounds. Coleman had 13 points and nine rebounds.

"At the beginning of the year, everyone looked on paper and said it was going to be hard for them to replace Schneiderman and Gruber," Illinois State coach Porter Moser said. "But they dominated us inside. I don't think they miss a beat. And the scary thing about it is that they are a freshman and a sophomore."

Schneiderman and Gruber were the heart and soul of a 2003-04 Northern Iowa team that won the MVC Tournament and finished 21-10 after a close loss to Georgia Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Gruber, an undersized post man, averaged 12.1 points and 6.9 rebounds. Schneiderman, a forward who was a threat out to three-point range, averaged 11 points and 6.4 rebounds.

Entering today's game, Stout is averaging 11.5 points and eight rebounds. Coleman is at 13.3 points and 7.5 rebounds.

"Without question they're further along that I anticipated they would be at this point," McDermott said.'

Stout played 31 games off the bench last season, averaging 11.5 minutes.

"Grant played exactly the amount of minutes he needed to play last year," McDermott said. "That was great for his development."

Coleman has played with a maturity beyond his years.

"He's mature enough to handle the pressure of playing college basketball at a young age," McDermott said. "He's picked up our system extremely well. We've been able to throw just about anything at him, and he's been able to handle it."

Stout and Coleman bring something to this Panther team that Schneiderman and Gruber weren't able to.

"I'll never be able to put a price tag on how valuable their leadership was to the development of our program," McDermott said. "But one thing they weren't great at was passing. Stout and Coleman are very good passers."

Stout has 23 assists to 17 turnovers this season. Coleman has 21 assists and 23 turnovers.

"I think the thing that Coleman does that a lot of big frontcourt players don't is that he's an exceptional passer," Merfeld said. "He has a great feel for where people are, and finding the open man."
 

The Straightshooter
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News from Evansville

Rebounding is top priority for Aces
By STEVE FORD Courier & Press staff writer 464-7511 or sford@evansville.net
January 7, 2005

After back-to-back losses, rebounding is what the University of Evansville basketball team wants and needs to do tonight at Roberts Stadium against Northern Iowa.

The Aces (7-4) need to rebound better to get back on track after Southwest Missouri State whipped them on the boards, 42-27, en route to a 78-75 victory on Sunday in Springfield.

Tonight's tipoff is at 7:05 and will air on WYNG-ESPN 94.9 FM and WUEV 91.5 FM. Northern Iowa (10-2), the defending Missouri Valley Conference Tournament champion, is on a seven-game winning streak. "Rebounding has been our nemesis all season," UE coach Steve Merfeld said after Thursday's practice.

"There's no question we need to do a better job on the backboards against a very good team like Northern Iowa.

"Our big guys (sophomores Bradley Strickland and Matt Webster) aren't dominant rebounders at this stage of their careers, so it's one of those things we work on every day. We're going to need them (tonight)."

Strickland, a 6-foot-9 center from Atlanta who possesses a 40-inch vertical jump, admitted as much.

"Second-chance points (by the opposition) have hurt us in all our losses," said Strickland, who is third on the team in rebounding with a 5.0 average behind Webster (5.5) and Andre Burton (5.2). "It's definitely something I have to get better at to help my team.

"It's something I want to do early. It's big to play well from the beginning at both ends. It's not just rebounding; we have to get the ball inside on the offensive end, too. We're a little bigger than (Northern Iowa). We have to make them work to guard us."

Strickland said the ultimate goal of being effective inside is to open up the entire floor.

"When we establish ourselves inside and then go out, it just opens up everything," said Strickland, who averages 11.0 points. "That way their guards have to help defensively, which opens things up for our shooters."

Both teams feature only two true inside threats and three natural guards. But Evansville has a size advantage at every spot, at least against the Panther's starters.

"You'd like to be able to exploit that," said Merfeld, "but the thing that makes them so good is they have good, experienced guards. Then when you add the presence of their freshman (6-6 forward Eric Coleman) and the fact that (6-8 sophomore Grant) Stout is much improved, they're hard to handle."

Northern Iowa is coming off a 75-55 MVC home win over Illinois State on Monday. The Panthers are 1-0 in the MVC while UE is 1-2.

"We're glad to get them at home," said Merfeld. "We definitely need to improve our rebounding and take care of the basketball like we've been doing. I've been very happy with our assist-to-turnover ratio lately."

Evansville is averaging 16.5 assists and 13.5 turnovers.

Senior point guard Lucious Wagner leads the Aces in scoring (12.8) and assists (5.5). Burton, who has averaged 14.6 points over the past five games, has improved his season average to 12.5. Webster averages 10.8 points and sophomore guard Kyle Anslinger 10.5.

It's the first time in Evansville's Division I history that the Aces have gone 11 games into a season with all five starters still averaging double figures in points.
 

Tireless Rebuttter
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Play On - Road teams as an favorite or pick (N IOWA) - off a home win against a conference rival against opponent off 2 covers where the team lost straight up as an underdog.

84.6% 22-4 Last 5 seasons
 

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YES!

Have mentioned to the many INDIANA posters, mainly BUCSFAN, that this would be a great game to attend.

Of course i want UNI to win, but this would be a huge win for EVANSVILLE and i know it would make BUCSFAN extremely proud if they could knock off the MVC favorite tonight because he has stated that this is an EVANSVILLE team that may surprise.

Really looking forward to it and will be watching the game tonight hopefully.

PS- I thought UNI would come a tad higher than -3........maybe -4 or -4.5

Road games are tough to win in the MVC!
 

The Straightshooter
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LIsten Fishstick,

I not only say Evansville is a team that can surprise, BUT WILL SURPRISE....

LOL

Yes, I am still over at my buddy's house, stayed too late watching games last night, watching Gonzaga choke at the end, and he has to come tell me," I posted to fish about the game tonight....."

Hangover is just about gone now, so will be home under my name soon...


Bucsfan67
 
Last edited:

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LOL BUCS!!

You may have to tie another one on tonight if Evansville springs the upset tonight!
 

The Straightshooter
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ego74 said:
LIsten Fishstick,

I not only say Evansville is a team that can surprise, BUT WILL SURPRISE....

LOL

Yes, I am still over at my buddy's house, stayed too late watching games last night, watching Gonzaga choke at the end, and he has to come tell me," I posted to fish about the game tonight....."

Hangover is just about gone now, so will be home under my name soon...


Bucsfan67


Brent's still drunk...bet UNI
 

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Early line movement from PINNY.......

<TABLE borderColor=#333333 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=center border=1><TBODY><TR bgColor=white><TD class=data>2005-01-07
09:51:54</TD><TD class=data align=middle> 0
0
</TD><TD class=data align=middle> -3.5
-104/-106</TD><TD class=data align=middle>OFF
OFF</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD class=data>2005-01-07
09:16:37</TD><TD class=data align=middle> 0
0
</TD><TD class=data align=middle> -3.0
-115/105</TD><TD class=data align=middle>OFF
OFF</TD></TR><TR bgColor=white><TD class=data>2005-01-07
08:24:49</TD><TD class=data align=middle> 0
0
</TD><TD class=data align=middle> -3.0
-112/102</TD><TD class=data align=middle>OFF
OFF</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD class=data>2005-01-07
06:50:02</TD><TD class=data align=middle> 0
0
</TD><TD class=data align=middle> -3.0
-118/108</TD><TD class=data align=middle>OFF
OFF</TD></TR><TR bgColor=white><TD class=data>2005-01-07
04:52:37</TD><TD class=data align=middle> 0
0
</TD><TD class=data align=middle> -3.0
-115/105</TD><TD class=data align=middle>OFF
OFF</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD class=data>2005-01-07
00:32:26</TD><TD class=data align=middle> 0
0
</TD><TD class=data align=middle> -3.0
-111/101</TD><TD class=data align=middle>OFF
OFF</TD></TR><TR bgColor=white><TD class=data>2005-01-06
23:42:17</TD><TD class=data align=middle> 0
0
</TD><TD class=data align=middle> -3.0
-108/-102</TD><TD class=data align=middle>OFF
OFF</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD class=data>2005-01-06
23:18:04</TD><TD class=data align=middle> 0
0
</TD><TD class=data align=middle> -3.0
-107/-103</TD><TD class=data align=middle>OFF
OFF</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
 

The Straightshooter
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Line will only go up..public seems to be all over UNI, and i'll agree with them this time.
 

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ego74 said:
Line will only go up..public seems to be all over UNI, and i'll agree with them this time.
Just like that........PINNY goes to -4 with the Panthers.
 

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who do you like tonight fishman?? thanks and good luck.

stoner
 

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STONER said:
who do you like tonight fishman?? thanks and good luck.

stoner
Laid a good number with UNI at -3

At the current levels of -4, would pass the game.
 

Tireless Rebuttter
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Posters in Iowa.

Tonight is $1.50 beer night @ the Des Moines Bucs hockey game. I will be in attendance.
 

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Fishhead said:
PS- I thought UNI would come a tad higher than -3........maybe -4 or -4.5

Road games are tough to win in the MVC!
The game is a solid -4 now and may be on the verge of going to -4.5 at some places as PINNY is at -4 -110 currently.
 

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Great win for Evansville!

Congrats BUCS!

PS- As illini and Viking pointed out to me at the Capital One Bowl, it is going to be very tough for ANY MVC team to win on the road.

Tonight was a classic example!
 

Beach House On The Moon
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Wow I blew that one too...UNI is playing another road game on Sunday...sorry for anyone that tailed me in CBB room...numbers were right but the humans didn't show.

Sorry again guys, G
 

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