MVC basketball: Drake, UNI set to collide amid very different seasons

More than 11 months have passed since Drake and Northern Iowa last tangoed under the Arch Madness lights at Enterprise Center. Given the way the world — and these two programs — look since that emphatic March 6, 2020 afternoon, the matchup may as well have been 11 years ago. Then the regular-season Valley champs looking to cement an NCAA Tournament berth, the Panthers have slogged through this COVID-infected season without their most potent weapon . It’s a large reason why UNI is on the Valley cellar’s doorstep with 2 ½ weeks remaining. Drake, meanwhile, has undergone a massive flip too — from a dreaded bottom-four MVC finish to fighting for a league title one year later. Not many would’ve put an 18-0 start and poll appearance on the Bulldogs’ preseason agenda.
Yet here we are, readying for the first of two UNI-Drake battles in an eight-day span, with the Bulldogs (18-1, 9-1) garnering more national chatter than the Panthers (6-12, 4-8) ever had last season. Wednesday’s showdown in Des Moines marks just the sixth time in the last 31 matchups that Drake is a favorite over UNI, according to historical data on oddsshark.com .
But, if there is something worth reflecting on from that St. Louis stunner , it’s that recent performances and accolades mean little when in-state rivalries are on the docket.
“I don’t think records matter at all when we play UNI. It’s two teams in the state, and it’s a fun rivalry that’s certainly very competitive,” Drake coach Darian DeVries said Wednesday. “We’ve got a lot respect for (Panthers coach Ben Jacobson) and his staff and their team and how they play.”
How the Panthers have had to play this season offers a quality lesson on flexibility. With Green sidelined indefinitely after just three games, UNI has trotted out seven different starting lineups — including four in conference play alone. That seesawing snapshot applies to the bench too, where minutes have largely fluctuated from the opening tip.
Jacobson has used the same opening five in UNI’s previous five games, but don’t take that to mean something is solidified. Nothing has unfolded as planned in this Panther campaign. All the veteran UNI coach asks is for guys to be ready for whatever.
“It’s where our roster’s at right now, and I think it will continue,” Jacobson said Monday. “It’s not ideal — and it’s hardest on the guys — not having a starting lineup that’s been set the entire year. And then the next rotation, whether it be three guys or four guys, we’ve just had a year where that hasn’t been part of things
“The most important thing is for our guys to be doing all of the things in practice, outside of practice … to where they are ready to get things done correctly on gameday. That’s not an easy situation to be in, where your minutes go up and down. The whole key is you’ve got to be working your tail off every day to be prepared. That’s the situation we’re in. And we’re not at a spot right now where I see a big change in that.”
Contrast that with Drake, which has rolled with the same starting five in all 19 games. The unit of Roman Penn , D.J. Wilkins, Tremell Murphy, Darnell Brodie and ShanQuan Hemphill haven’t provided any reason for a switch-up, nor has the Bulldogs’ near-flawless ledger. Put that cohesiveness alongside the countless other reasons for Drake’s upward trend.
The Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the year Sunday at Valparaiso, falling by 17 in what was a rare all-around off performance. The loss concluded just a few hours before the Panthers toppled Indiana State for just their second Valley win in the last seven attempts, UNI did so by rallying from a 13-point hole with 12 minutes left.
What do those outcomes mean for Wednesday?
“It’ll be a great game, DeVries said. “Fans, however they’re getting to watch it, will really enjoy this.”
Dargan Southard covers Iowa and UNI athletics, recruiting and preps for the Des Moines Register, HawkCentral.com and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.