KEY MATCHUP
A pair of 6-foot-8 senior forwards will go at each other, and both teams couldn’t be more dependent on them. Wyoming’s Larry Nance Jr. tops the Cowboys with averages of 16.1 points and 7.2 rebounds. Northern Iowa’s Seth Tuttle leads his team with 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Look for Nance to stay active and make Tuttle chase him all over the court. Tuttle is deceptively athletic, but Northern Iowa can’t afford to have him get worn down. The Panthers’ offense runs through him.
UP HIGH
Northern Iowa is the top shooting team (.483) in the Missouri Valley Conference, and much of that is attributed to outside shooting. Guards Deon Mitchell, Jeremy Morgan and Matt Bohannon can each knock down shots from long range. The trio has combined for 109 3-pointers this season, led by 50 from Bohannon. Wyoming’s three guards, Josh Adams, Charles Hankerson Jr. and Riley Grabau, must limit UNI’s open looks.
DOWN LOW
Outside of the Nance vs. Tuttle battle, Wyoming has a height advantage with its other starting post player. Derek Cooke Jr. is a bouncy, 6-9 forward. UNI counters with 6-6, 232-pound Marvin Singleton. If Cooke can get some room, that could be an advantage Wyoming needs to pull an upset.
THE COACHES
Wyoming’s Larry Shyatt and Northern Iowa’s Ben Jacobson share similar coaching philosophies: play smart on offense without forcing anything, and be tenacious on defense. Look for one of the better cat-and-mouse coaching matchups in the tournament.
UNIUW VS. UW
Record: 30-3/25-9
Average points: 65.4/61.7
Opp. average points: 54.3/56.0
Margin: 11.1/5.7
Field-goal percentage: 483./462
Opp. field-goal pct.: 391./401
3-point field-goal pct: .397/.323
Opp. 3-point FG pct: .316/.343
3-pointers per game: 7.3/5.9
Opp. 3-pointers/game: 6.0/6.2
Free-throw pct: .726/.707
Rebound margin: 2.4/0.1
Turnover differential: 0.8/-0.3
Average steals: 5.9/5.6
Avg. blocked shots: 2.5/2.9
