#6 ISU vs #3 UNI

[Redbird23]

Close, gonna be a really good game....but have to take Birds here. Let's take the arch!!

Birds-64
UNI-57

[DA-BIRDS90]

I understand a lot of people think this game will be close... UNI has been the most consistent team all year... I am so excited to leave tomorrow morning and get down to the Lou to watch all the great games before this one.... that being said... ISU wins by 15+... Tyler Brown gets 26... Jackie with another double double..

[shoxrox]

A pretty confident bunch. You'd figure the Redbirds would be coming into the game having won 4 out of their last 5 instead of losing 4 of their last 5.

[UNIFanSince1983]

I understand a lot of people think this game will be close... UNI has been the most consistent team all year... I am so excited to leave tomorrow morning and get down to the Lou to watch all the great games before this one.... that being said... ISU wins by 15+... Tyler Brown gets 26... Jackie with another double double..

Just like the last game when Jackie had 5 points and 6 rebounds?

And Koch and Tuttle both had double doubles. Yeah I would be confident too

[PantherSigEp]

Interesting fact: UNI averages about 63 pts/gm this season in MVC play. They average 75 against Illinois State. Only Bradley (76) and Drake (78) have allowed more to the Panthers and only Creighton (64.5) have allowed an average over 60 to UNI.

And that is critical because UNI is very tough to beat if you let them get to 60 pts. In the past 2 season the Panthers are 32-13 in games where they have scored 60 pts including a 14-3 (losses to Iowa, Indiana St and Creighton) record this season.

Hopefully Muller has focused on the Redbirds defense because even the unathletic and unskilled Panthers have been able to score against it this season, much like everyone else. The only team that didn't score more than 60 pts against ISU in conference game this season (and didn't play Thursday) was Indiana State in a 60-58 Redbird win. UNI on the other hand held every MVC to 60 pts or less at least once this year.

And you can say this is all because of UNI's style of play but the difference between UNI (8th in possessions per game) and Drake (1st in possessions per game) is only 7. A decent number but hardly enough to discount UNI's defensive efficiency this season. Heck, they allowed less points per game (59.3) and possession (.96) in conference play than the MVC Defensive Team of the Year: Wichita State (61.4 and .97).

Now I'm not guaranteeing a UNI victory, this game scares me because ISU is a strong team and it's always difficult to beat a strong team, especially when they have a 3rd chance at you. But given Muller's inexperience and the way the Panthers have performed as of late and against ISU this season, I do think they will win.

[Deanthonybowdenfan]

Illinois State by 10. You will be surprised.

[CaliRdBrd]

It pains me to say this, but the Redbirds are the Kentucky of the MVC...loads of talent and hype, but not much else... UNI 76, Birds 68.

[jwa123]

ISU has the talent to win the whole thing this weekend. However, they are so inconsistent that they just barely avoided the Thursday night (Bradley Invitational) by the skin of their teeth. If they had slid out of the top 6 into Thursday night, they would have been just as capable of losing big on Thursday night with the same probability of winning a game or two starting tonight.

UNI has a good team that is playing good basketball right now. I think UNI wins tonight. I hope I am wrong.

I think WSU wins the whole thing this weekend.

[zippydeedoodawgs]

Still a nail-biter with under 4 to go. IlSU up 62-60

[Shockerfan13]

Well that's too bad.