With a roster looking to the future, filled with experienced veterans and young newcomers to lead the way, UNI will look to defend its MVC regular-season title from a year ago.
UNI finished the 2021-22 season with a 20-12 record and league-best 14-4 mark in conference play, earning the top-seed the MVC Tournament. After a semifinal exit Arch Madness last spring, the Panthers returned to the Gateway City, earning an NIT first round win over Saint Louis in the NIT before falling to BYU in the second round.
The Panthers will be tested early in the non-conference schedule with consecutive road games against the reigning Atlantic-10 Tournament champion Richmond Spiders, as well as ACC power Virginia. UNI’s home non-conference schedule includes matchups with Northern Illinois, Toledo, McNeese State, South Florida and St. Bonaventure.
The Panthers will also compete in three neutral site games, including the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Mo. prior to the Thanksgiving holiday with an opening round matchup with San Francisco, as well as a showdown with Towson at the United Center in Chicago.
UNI enters the new year after saying farewell to five letterwinners from the 2022 MVC championship team, including reigning Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year AJ Green, who signed a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason. Among the returning Panthers are guards Bowen Born, the 2022 MVC Sixth Man of the Year, and Nate Heise, who led UNI with 34 steals a year ago. Forward Austin Phyfe also returns to the roster, looking to return to form after battling personal ailments last season, as does utility guard Tytan Anderson and forward Cole Henry.
Ben Jacobson enters his 17th season at the helm of the UNI program, brining in a class of four new faces, including a pair of Cedar Falls, Iowa, natives in Trey Campbell and walk-on Hunter Jacobson, both of whom were part of multiple Class 4A state tournament teams for the Cedar Falls Tigers. The Panthers also recruited internationally, signing guard Ege Peksari from Turkey, who competed in the FIBA U20 European Championships over the summer. UNI also picked up a walk-on in Charlie Miller from Lumberton, N.C. Miller, who spent last season with the post-graduate team Flight 22, is the grandson of former UNI head coach Eldon Miller.