The Creighton men’s basketball team is on a roll to start conference play, checking in at 5-0. They have gotten there in a variety of ways, whether it was an offensive explosion like against Drake, a stellar performance from Doug McDermott, or even a back and forth game like the win at Illinois State.
Next up: Northern Iowa Tuesday night at the CenturyLink Center. Every time this game comes up, the nightmare of what if Doug McDermott went to UNI always pops into mind. Luckily, he is on Creighton’s side. The downside is that this is always a tough game. The good news is that it is a nice challenge before the Bluejays head to Wichita State on Saturday.
To get us a little more info on the Panthers, we talked to Carson Tigges from the WCF Courier. He gets us up to speed on Northern Iowa.
White & Blue Review: There was a lot of buzz going into the season for the Panthers. Was the pressure too much for them with that tough non-conference slate? What were the challenges they ran into during the non-conference season?
Carson Tigges: It wasn’t too much pressure, UNI just ran into teams that were bigger, more athletic and they kept coming game after game. There weren’t many breaks, the losses piled up and it kind of snowballed from there. I do think their confidence took a hit when games against good teams that would’ve been great to beat just ended up as losses… tough to get up for a game, then get let down over and over. It’s a reason why many, many teams schedule soft, rack up the “sure wins” and UNI’s outcome was a legitimate concern of mine before the year. (Although, I certainly don’t blame them. Being in the MVC and wanting to go to the NCAA Tournament, you have to schedule as tough as you can.) The offense became too predictable at times and teams that were long and athletic enough to extend its defense gave the Panthers fits. That led to them never really putting together a full 40 minutes that’s required to beat top-tier teams.
WBR: UNI started 0-2 in MVC play, but have gone 2-1 since. What has been the difference over the past three games?
CT: Probably the opponents. After starting with Wichita State and Indiana State, UNI went to Illinois State and got off the schneid. Nobody predicted it and we didn’t even know it at the time, but the Redbirds have issues and are the only MVC team without a win. That helped. The next game was a loss at home to Evansville. UNI gave it away in the final minute, but didn’t really have much business being in it after trailing by 14 in the second half. So the Panthers didn’t really play all that well and deserved a loss. But that certainly wasn’t the case Saturday vs. Bradley. It was UNI’s most thorough game of the year in every aspect. The biggest reason for that is that shots simply went in from the beginning. Bradley played very poor and gave up plenty of open shots, but UNI has missed its fair share of open shots previously this year. They went in Saturday and everything else fell into place. Many teams live and die by the 3-pointer and it’s just as much the case for UNI.
WBR: It seems at times that Northern Iowa is missing that big leader. Is there a player that is starting to step up here in conference play?
CT: Marc Sonnen is undoubtedly the vocal leader. He tied a career high with seven 3’s Saturday and made some big shots to hold off Illinois State a week ago. But he’s not really the type of guy who can create for himself. The coaches know that and continue to find ways to get him chances to score. If you’re looking for consistent on-court production, it’s Seth Tuttle, an undersized big man but he moves really well. He’s a sophomore so I wouldn’t call him a leader really, but he is playing great in MVC play (last week’s MVC Player of the Week) and is the one who will let out a scream after a big play.
WBR: Who is a player that Creighton needs to look out for on Tuesday that fans may not know much about?
CT: UNI is a veteran team and Ben Jacobson seems to have settled on a rotation that only goes seven (maybe eight) deep, so not many can fly under the radar. In that rotation however, is redshirt freshman Matt Bohannon. He was an unbelievable shooter in high school, but I suspect he had some trouble adjusting to the speed of the game and his confidence got chewed up early this season. He continues to shoot and knocked some down Saturday vs. Bradley, but it will be a much different environment for him at the CenturyLink Center. The kid can shoot, but he has yet to prove he can do it consistently. If things get away from UNI, Jacobson may look to Nate Buss for a spark off the bench. Buss is definitely a scorer (he’s 6-foot-9 and can shoot) and has provided a spark at times this year, but hasn’t had much of an opportunity lately… I suspect because of his defensive liabilities.
WBR: With Doug McDermott ultimately going to Creighton, no one probably expected things to turn out like they have. Are there still fans there at UNI that have hard feelings for the McDermotts? After McDermott’s performance Friday night, what will Northern Iowa do to try and stop him?
CT: Yes, some fans are still sour about the entire situation. However, it’s not because of how good of a player Doug has become. The way the situation went down and the timing in which it happened set UNI back in recruiting for several years. Remember, the Panthers were coming off their Sweet 16 run and had an unbelievable chance to capitalize. Suddenly, the cornerstone of the class was gone and UNI never really replaced it. Throw in the fact that Creighton basically suffered no consequences for swiping a recruit at that stage in the game and Jacobson let it happen as a “favor” to Greg. So yes, the long-last effects still don’t sit well with many fans.
Jake Koch is UNI’s best defender and will guard Doug. UNI will throw another defender (or two) at him any time he has the ball inside the 3-point line. The Panthers did it to Jackie Carmichael earlier with some success. It’s tough to do because of how well Creighton shoots from behind the arc, but you can’t stop everything. You have to limit the other team’s best player and top option, and then bust your butt to contain everything else.
WBR: Anthony James was suspended to start the season. Was there anything that came out as to why he was suspended? How has he responded since in his senior campaign?
CT: The only thing official is the infamous “violation of team rules.” Although, there are some rumors floating as to what the real reason was, but UNI was tight-lipped about it from the very beginning. James has had an up-and-down year, but I don’t think the suspension has had any effect on that. He sat out three games, that was that and everyone moved on. In my opinion, he’s the same player whether the suspension happened or not… a player who can make some big shots but leads the team in field goal attempts by a good margin despite missing three games.
WBR: What is your take on conference realignment? What do you think of the rumors about Creighton possibly leaving the MVC? Where does Northern Iowa stand on this?
CT: I have no doubt UNI desperately wants to keep the status quo. Creighton is in the fortunate position of pretty much holding all the cards. The MVC surely wants to keep Creighton, but the ball isn’t exactly in its court. If the deal is good for the Bluejays, I don’t have much doubt they’ll bolt because that’s the way things are these days. The Valley will try to find a replacement or it could start a domino effect and more schools will look for greener pastures. In UNI’s case, it just joined the MAC for wrestling and the notion has been floated over the past year that a move to FBS for football might be coming. The MAC for basketball could be a decent landing place if Creighton decides to move on and the MVC falls apart.
WBR: What is your final prediction? What will the Panthers need to do to steal a victory in Omaha?
CT: It’s tough for me to see Creighton stop rolling because it is absolutely doing just that. The Bluejays are playing too well and the Panthers have been too inconsistent. However, with inconsistency comes some good performances and we saw that Saturday against Bradley. Creighton is good but they aren’t the ’96 Bulls and UNI has talent and experience… so I wouldn’t be shocked if the Panthers took it. Especially after two close games were played last year. To win, UNI has to hit some shots. Pretty simple, but so important. Making its opponent work for everything it gets has been UNI’s trademark but it has gotten away from that a little bit this year. It will take a tremendous effort, but if the Panthers do that, maybe a Creighton team used to everything going right gets a little frustrated and anything can happen.