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Weird season so far for the Panthers.

Good performance in MTE in Orlando. A loss (embarrassing) to the local B1G team, the Sqwaks. Losses at Xavier and UNC. 0-5 to start MVC, followed by 5-0. So, what's the deal with this team? Terrible? or Good? How good are they?

I think things are coming together for a lot of the guys and team.
In all cases, comparing our slump (0-5) to surge (5-0):
Luke McDonnell: Playing time hasn’t really changed much. 13 vs 14.2 min/gm. But Points/Min went from 0.37 to 0.55.
Bennett Koch: PT 17.4 vs 26.2 min. And Pts/Min 0.53 vs 0.66.
Meanwhile, together they totaled 4 vs 13 blocked shots.

Spencer Haldeman is smart and consistent, except his 3pt% 35% vs 24%. He’s driving to the bucket and playing better defense.

Klint Carlson: Playing time 32 vs 38 min/game (counting his 50 at Loyola as 40). Becoming team leader.

Juwan McCloud: Min/Gm - 20.2 vs 12.6 …’nuff said. He’s showing flashes… I still think he'll be really good when things click for him.

Weirdness: 3Pt% Opponent: 53.3% vs 30.9% - It’s just weird to have 5 teams average 53.3% from 3.
(File under: "We weren't as bad as we looked during the slump.")

Worth noting: UNI not winning lately on flurries of 3’s. TotalAttempt3: 115 vs 103, 3pt%: 28.6% vs 29.7%

TEAM Defense: PointsAllowed/Game 73.75 vs 60
A lot of pieces are improving. Defense is the big one, of course. When it comes to defense, I think the results are the square or cube of the effort.

This reminds me of the annual excitement from Evansville fans when they win 5 straight against SWAC and DII schools.

sivert wrote:Weird season so far for the Panthers.

Good performance in MTE in Orlando. A loss (embarrassing) to the local B1G team, the Sqwaks. Losses at Xavier and UNC. 0-5 to start MVC, followed by 5-0. So, what's the deal with this team? Terrible? or Good? How good are they?

I think things are coming together for a lot of the guys and team.
In all cases, comparing our slump (0-5) to surge (5-0):
Luke McDonnell: Playing time hasn’t really changed much. 13 vs 14.2 min/gm. But Points/Min went from 0.37 to 0.55.
Bennett Koch: PT 17.4 vs 26.2 min. And Pts/Min 0.53 vs 0.66.
Meanwhile, together they totaled 4 vs 13 blocked shots.

Spencer Haldeman is smart and consistent, except his 3pt% 35% vs 24%. He’s driving to the bucket and playing better defense.

Klint Carlson: Playing time 32 vs 38 min/game (counting his 50 at Loyola as 40). Becoming team leader.

Juwan McCloud: Min/Gm - 20.2 vs 12.6 …’nuff said. He’s showing flashes… I still think he'll be really good when things click for him.

Weirdness: 3Pt% Opponent: 53.3% vs 30.9% - It’s just weird to have 5 teams average 53.3% from 3.
(File under: "We weren't as bad as we looked during the slump.")

Worth noting: UNI not winning lately on flurries of 3’s. TotalAttempt3: 115 vs 103, 3pt%: 28.6% vs 29.7%

TEAM Defense: PointsAllowed/Game 73.75 vs 60
A lot of pieces are improving. Defense is the big one, of course. When it comes to defense, I think the results are the square or cube of the effort.

Full Disclosure, I can't stand UNI....with that said, if all those stats are accurate, it means that if nothing else, the team is playing with more confidence. They aren't an easy out for anyone in the league at all and without McIntosh, I fully expect this to be the ultimate test for ISU on this streak....but at the end of the day, I don't think UNI has a good enough roster to get serious about winning in St. Louis.

Not trying to pick a fight, but how often have they won the free throw battle? I know they got to the line a ton against LU and it was ultimately the deciding fact. As well as late free throws against SIU and a big disparity against Drake.

Blers wrote:Not trying to pick a fight, but how often have they won the free throw battle? I know they got to the line a ton against LU and it was ultimately the deciding fact. As well as late free throws against SIU and a big disparity against Drake.

The only people you're picking a fight with is UNI fans too blind to see it.

Blers wrote:Not trying to pick a fight, but how often have they won the free throw battle?...

(Again, "Slump vs. Streak")

UNI:
FT-Attempts: 82 vs. 74,
FT% 77.0% vs. 82.9%
PFouls 69 vs. 54

Opponents:
FT-Attempts: 68 vs. 43,
FT% 76.5% vs. 67%
FT% 76 vs. 77

Now, I did not try to separate end-of-close-game desperation fouls from real fouls in the flow of the game. In a close game the losing team will always try to extend it by fouling, which I think all of the Streak games were.

btw, I don't see your question as picking a fight. Playing tough defense without fouling is the goal.

Cdizzle wrote:The only people you're picking a fight with is UNI fans too blind to see it.

Maybe this is fair. I don't know. Fans always have purple, red, or wheat colored glasses.
It's just tough to know with this team, so I thought it would be an interesting thread.
UNI has a LOT of young players who are all new to Coach Jake's system. They're at the steep end of the learning curve, so a lot of growth makes sense.

Average RPI of opponent during losing streak: ~ 160

Average during win streak: ~ 215

Three games remain vs ISUr and WSU.

UNI was not as bad as their losing streak would indicate. UNI might be as good as their winning streak would indicate, which is better than Drake, Evansville, and SIU.

Wufan wrote:Average RPI of opponent during losing streak: ~ 160

Average during win streak: ~ 215
...

I considered looking at SOS, but I have no idea what to say about Drake, honestly.

The OP isn't making outlandish claims like saying UNI is final four bound or even that they are going to make the tournament. He's just understandably excited at the turnaround. And making a case that they might be relevant again after the horrendous start. Right or wrong there's nothing wrong with that.

I'm curious to see what UNI does the next few games myself.

They'll probably win Arch Madness.