Ben Jacobson’s Twentieth Year

UNI Coach Holds to the Blueprint 

(St. Louis, MO) – This is Ben Jacobson’s twentieth year as the head coach of the Northern Iowa Panthers. UNI is also celebrating its 125th anniversary. It is a special year in Cedar Falls, Iowa. While Jacobson has great respect for the celebrations and what they mean, he is focused on the job at hand. The winningest coach in Missouri Valley Conference play history is committed to the blueprint he’s always used and his Panthers are 4-0 for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

That team’s perfect start halted after winning its first five games.

UNI leads the Valley and is sixth nationally in allowing just 56.5 points per game. Jacobson says a preseason emphasis on deflections and steals has fueled this elite-level start on defense.

The Panther defense will be greatly challenged on Saturday. UC Irvine is eleventh nationally averaging 96.8 points per game.

A tough road game with a talented UC Irvine team is on tap for Saturday and then the Panthers play in the Acrisure Holiday Invitational in Palm Springs early next week. These games are part of a schedule that Jacobson believes is built with postseason possibilities in mind. Jacobson has adapted to the changing scheduling dynamics by creating matchups with other very successful mid-major programs.

 

While two of the Anteaters’ (3-2) victories have been over non-Division 1 opponents, they are a quality program. UCI finished last season losing the National Invitation Tournament final and finished last season with a NET ranking of 63. UNI hasn’t and won’t play a Division 1 team that is currently outside KenPom.com’s top 200. In Palm Springs the Panthers face Loyola Chicago and either San Jose State or Tulsa. Saint Mary’s (25 in KenPom) and Wichita State (92) are two of UNI’s December opponents.

Jacobson’s Twentieth Year – Same Blueprint

Twenty years in and Jacobson (378-246) still believes in recruiting high school players and developing them over time. He has eleven returning players from last year’s team, seven of whom played prominent roles. There will be three players redshirting this year. In an era of one-year rentals, UNI’s blueprint in involves retention, and a  culture of continuity, relationships and development.

Jacobson has benefited from portal recruiting. This year’s find is former NAIA all-American Tristan Smith, but for the second straight season UNI’s top players all shunned the portal and returned to ‘build something special’ in Cedar Falls.

 

Smith (14.3 peg) is second to Leon Bond III (14.8) and one of five Panthers averaging over 9.5 points per game. All-conference guard Trey Campbell (13.3), sophomore forward Will Hornseth (9.8) and Ben Schwieger (9.5) are the others.

During Jacobson’s twentieth year, the five-time Valley coach of the year is not thinking of accolades, but development and sticking to the blueprint.

Head to YouTube to watch our entire interview.

Stuck in the middle of the non conference schedule is UNI’s Valley opener with Illinois Chicago. The Panthers visit the Flames on December 17.

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