Nothern Iowa Panthers Q&A w/Kelly Beaton - WCF Courier

[MVCfans]

Our fifth MVC Q&A is with Kelly Beaton of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. This is Kelly's second year covering UNI. He tweets frequently on UNI and MVC related items, even during practices. You can follow him- @ Kellyatcourier. His blog can be read at Beaton's Blog


Question 1.
Last year, UNI became the darling of the dance with a colossal upset of
the overall #1 tournament seed, Kansas. Can you put into words what the
win meant to the university and the overall athletic department?

A. Well, as you might guess, UNI fans are still talking about that win over top-ranked Kansas. And, that win at least provided enough of an economic boon for the basketball program that they got new uniforms this year. Coach Jake also spoke at a million off-season clinics as a result of that Kansas win. But, surprisingly, UNI's crowds haven't been overwhelmingly large this year. UNI is averaging around 4,300 fans per home game, and the McLeod Center seats around 7,200. A fair amount of UNI fans still consider it a "football school," though that might change with another year or two of attention-grabbing postseason success in basketball.


Question 2.
Coach Ben Jacobson quickly quashed the hopes of potential suitors by
agreeing to a long term extension with UNI. Why do you think Coach
Jacobson agreed to stay at UNI when he could have made significantly more
at another school? Do you think he will be in Cedar Falls for the
duration of the new contract? Are the funding issues in the state of Iowa
a concern to Coach Jacobson?

A. Coach Jake is an Upper Midwest guy, and I think he likes having his parents -- who live in North Dakota -- within a short flight or 9-hour drive of Cedar Falls. He's also a somewhat quiet, introverted guy, and I know he appreciates the fact he can go out in Cedar Falls and not be overwhelmed by autograph seekers.

I'd say there's a reasonable chance he stays in Cedar Falls for at least the next five years or so. For starters, he's best friends with Greg McDermott, and he's well aware, from McDermott's Iowa State experience, that coaching in a 'Big Six' conference doesn't always mean your life will become infinitely more enjoyable. Also, I genuinely think Coach Jake isn't as motivated by money as many coaches are -- he doesn't roll around town in a Mercedes.


Question 3.
The Panthers graduated several key players from last year's team -
Farokhmanesh, Koch, and Eglseder. In your opinion, who will the Panthers
miss most during the MVC season? What are team and fan expectations for
this team?

A. Without a doubt, UNI will miss Adam Koch the most in conference play this year. Farokhmanesh and Eglseder were valuable assets, but Adam Koch was last season's MVC player of the year for a reason. Adam Koch was an unbelievably clutch player as a senior -- he shot like 90 percent from the free-throw line in the last 3 minutes of games last winter. Right now, UNI doesn't have a guy like that -- a guy who can take over in the clutch and consistently produce points even when the offense breaks down. This year, UNI has a tendency to simply settle for 3-point shots; last year, Adam Koch often attacked the rim in key situations.

As far as expectations for this year's UNI squad: I asked UNI fans about that in a pregame webchat recently, and the majority of them still said they expect this team to win around 20 or 21 games.

As far as the expectations of UNI players: the Panthers still carry themselves with confidence. I get the feeling from talking to them that the Panther players still feel like they can claw their way into this year's NCAA Tournament, though they know most pundits don't expect that.


Question 4.
Jake Koch has shown some of the traits of his brother, MVC Player of
the Year, Adam Koch. How would you compare the two at similar points in
their respective careers?

A. That's a good question -- and it's a question I posed to Jake Koch recently. He said "I hate to admit this, but (Adam) is probably a little bit quicker and a little more athletic than me. But, after that, I'd like to say I'm a better shooter." I tend to agree with Jake Koch's sentiment.


Question 5.
Lucas O'Rear is one of the more recognizeable players in the MVC and he
was remarkably effective as UNI's 6th man over the past couple of years.
Now a starter, how has O'Rear's game changed with the role he is being
asked to fill? It seems as though O'Rear would be the class clown in the
Panther locker room - is that a correct assumption?

A. O'Rear has adapted to the role of a starter surprisingly well. I assumed he'd get in foul trouble every game, but O'Rear only fouled out in two of UNI's first 10 games this year. And, he has passed the ball stunningly well out of double teams. So far, the 6-foot-6 senior is averaging 7.2 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game -- pretty solid production.

And yes, O'Rear -- who trimmed his sideburns this year in favor of growing a majestic mullet -- is a pretty funny guy. Kwadzo Ahelegbe is probably UNI's biggest "class clown" type of guy though; Kwadzo often raps around his teammates, trying to get them to laugh with his silly lyrics.


Thanks again to Kelly for participating in our team by team MVC Q&A. Previous Q&A's can be found in the MVC links section of the forum.

Dec 13 - Drake Bulldogs - Mark Emmert
Dec 16 - Jim Benson - Illinois State
Dec 18 - Paul Suellentrop - Wichita State
Dec 20 - Steve Pivovar - Creighton
Dec 22 - Kelly Beaton - Northern Iowa
Dec 24 - Todd Hefferman - Southern Illinois