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LOCATION: Cedar Falls, IA
CONFERENCE: Missouri Valley
LAST SEASON: 9-18 (.333)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 6-12 (t-8th)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 1/4
NICKNAME: Panthers
COLORS: Purple & Old Gold
HOMECOURT: UNI-Dome (10,000)
COACH: Sam Weaver (Henderson State '84)
record at school 9-18 (1 year)
career record 29-78 (4 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Grady Bean (Henderson State '80)
Ron Smith (Illinois State '76)
Tom Bardal (Mankato State '89)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 8-14-16-10-9
RPI (last 5 years) 237-122-85-226-168
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference play-in round.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Sam Weaver could offer plenty of reasons why his first season as Northern Iowa's head coach ended abysmally at 9-18. He could mention the loss of the Panthers' home court. The cavernous UNI-Dome, which routinely gives visiting teams nightmares, was available for only two games all season because a new $12 million roof sprang a leak, forcing UNI to play in a cramped, 74-year-old campus gym. He could point to a roster depleted by injury and defection, making practice difficult and games a series of marathons for the few able-bodied uniformed players. He could argue that introducing a new coaching staff and a new system to a mostly veteran team recruited by others is a dicey prospect at best. But when the 41-year-old native of McNeil, Ark., reflects on his debut year coaching in Cedar Falls, none of those convenient excuses are trotted out to explain away the record. "We lost (seven) games by five points or less," Weaver said. "We were just right there last year. I don't know why we didn't win those games. We blew a 16-point lead at Drake. We had a 16-point lead on Wichita State in the Valley Tournament.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT C+ BENCH/DEPTH C
FRONTCOURT C INTANGIBLES C
Had all of Weaver's recruits arrived on campus eligible, the Panthers could have become one of the Valley's most improved teams. But the preseason losses of Slaven Markovic, Cloy Miller, and for at least part of the season, Arlando McHenry, greatly reduces the positive impact the newcomers can add to the nucleus of seven lettermen. And the probable loss of guard Sean Stackhouse, last year's leading scorer, is a devastating blow. As it is, center David Bivins may be the only significant new face, at least until McHenry becomes eligible. And departed swingman Tony Brus, whose toughness and competitiveness was rivaled by few in the league, will be greatly missed. But Sam Weaver has a year under his belt in the Missouri Valley and the Panthers should have their old homecourt advantage back in the UNI-Dome. Those two factors will count for a lot, but probably not enough to lift the Panthers out of the second division for the first time in three years. |
"I'm putting a lot of it on (poor) rebounding. There were a lot of teams bigger and stronger than us, and second shots are something we've really got to work on." Through a strong recruiting effort to complement his four returning starters, Weaver appears to have addressed the rebounding and the depth weaknesses. And the UNI-Dome roof is fixed and apparently ready to withstand the usual hard northern Iowa winter. "The (lack of a) homecourt thing was something of a distraction for us, but I didn't think it was worth worrying about," Weaver said. "You're talking to a guy who didn't even have a homecourt (as a junior college player at Three Rivers Community College in Missouri) and won the national championship. (Last year) we never talked about it. It was talked about more in the media. We were just trying to get to the court and play." Northern was 1-1 at the Dome, 5-3 at cozy West Gym and 0-2 at nearby Young Arena. "The Dome looks like it's in great shape," Weaver said. "We'll be happy to get back in there. But we may have to play some early-season games at West Gym (which has been renovated) because our football team may have some late-season (Division I-AA playoff) games in the Dome." Wherever they play, the Panthers would be hard-pressed to encounter more adversity than last year. Leading returning scorer Tony Brus and top returning rebounder Cory Jenkins missed the season's first eight games because of injury and academic inefficiency, respectively. Six-nine forward Burt Lappe missed the entire season with exercise-induced asthma and eventually had to end his career. Three players quit the team in January. Two of them, TyJuan Finley and Terry Cress, were counted on to be major contributors, but found themselves at odds with the new coach. Then, top scorer Sean Stackhouse badly sprained an ankle late in the year and missed the last three regular-season games. "The inconsistency is the thing that really got us," Weaver said. "We had people in the system who didn't really believe in what we were doing. They had some other ideas and I think that held us back a little." Weaver's strong emphasis on defense didn't play out on the court. The Panthers ranked last in the MVC in scoring defense, opponents' rebounds and rebound margin and opponent three-point field-goal percentage. "I think we had an understanding of what we had to do," he said. "There are just some areas we weren't very good at. Rebounding is the last phase of defense and we weren't very good at it." Size usually counts for something on the boards, and the Panthers are at least much taller and bulkier than they were a year ago. Besides 6-8 junior forward Joe Breakenridge (11.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg), whose rebound average led the Valley as a sophomore, the 6-5 Jenkins (6.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg) is back as is 7-foot senior Tyler Peterson (4.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg), who has dropped 25 pounds and should be more mobile. Newcomers inside include 6-10, 250-pound junior David Bivins (Irvington, N.J./Kennedy-King JC), 6-9 sophomore Blake Anderson (Stanwood, Iowa/Marshalltown CC) and 6-6, 240-pound Arlando McHenry (Owensboro, Ky./Three Rivers JC), who probably won't become eligible until second semester begins in December. "Arlando is a very strong prototype power forward," Weaver said. "He's kind of like what we have except he possesses the mental toughness unmatched by anyone on our basketball team. He's relentless." McHenry averaged 12.9 points and 7.9 rebounds at Three Rivers, while Anderson's numbers at Marshalltown were 9.8 points and 8.8 rebounds. Bivins, who averaged 10 points and 12 rebounds at Chicago's Kennedy-King Junior College, is most likely to contribute immediately. "The thing most important about David is his work ethic," Weaver said. "He really gets after it. He played with great guards last year who didn't go to him as much as we'll go to him." One summer disappointment was freshman Slaven Markovic, a Bosnian via Sioux City, who wasn't accepted into school for academic reasons. A late summer addition who could eventually contribute to the front line is 6-5, 220-pound freshman Javorie Wilson (Miami, Fla./Senior High), who averaged 15 points and nine rebounds as a senior. Aaron Middendorf, a 6-6 sophomore who averaged 4.5 points in backup duty at small forward, has added 20 pounds of muscle and will play behind Breakenridge and can also step out when a big guard is needed. Freshman Derek Paben (Pickrell, Neb./Beatrice), who averaged 22.7 points and 7.6 rebounds last season, provides depth at the position. The starting backcourt of 6-0 junior Robbie Sieverding (15.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.7 apg) and Stackhouse, the team's top two scorers a year ago, would have been back intact if not for the latter's suspension last spring for possession of drugs and intent to deliver. Stackhouse was convicted in late September and immediately dismissed from the team. The loss of Stackhouse is significant. A 6-1 senior and the Panthers' shooting guard, Stackhouse averaged 16.4 points and was chosen second team all-MVC. Stackhouse and Sieverding were selected to the league's all-newcomer team. Sieverding will be backed up by 5-8 sophomore Andy Woodley (1.9 ppg, 0.7 rpg) and 6-1 junior college transfer Kelvin Hill, (Minneapolis/North Dakota State College of Science), who averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists as a sophomore. The departure of Stackhouse means 6-4 sophomore transfer Martin Coon (Rochester, Minn./St. Olaf College), who averaged 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds as a freshman, might have to start at the shooting-guard position. Cloy Miller (Shawnee Mission (Kan.) North), a 6-1 freshman who averaged 15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists last season, didn't qualify academically and will sit out his freshman year as a Prop 42 player. "Our guards are good," Weaver said. "Robbie will see the most time at the point because of his experience and he knows the value of the basketball. I think we're pretty deep at the twos and we're probably top heavy, but guards have the ability to control and change games." Since last season ended, Weaver is pleased with the effort and dedication his players have made to make themselves better. "They all stayed around this summer and have worked hard in the weight room to make themselves bigger and stronger," he said. "We have a tough schedule, but I still like our chances. It's just as tough, if not tougher, than last year's. We feel pretty good about the coming year." Because, all else aside, it would be pretty difficult for the Panthers to equal all the tough times they faced last season.
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