Ben Jacobson had to deal with some stiff competition during the first week of preseason practice, and not just from his teammates. Jacobson and his roommate, reserve guard John Little, were among dozens of students searching for a new place to live after a fire damaged their apartment complex in October. "Most places had already been rented, so it was kind of a rat race with so many people suddenly looking," he says. But the pair needed only a few days to find new digs, which isn't surprising because Jacobson, a 6'3" senior guard, is something of a celebrity in Cedar Falls, where he has led the revival of the Northern Iowa program.
This season he's the biggest reason that the Panthers are expected to have a new residence of their own at the top of the Missouri Valley Conference standings. With all five starters returning from a 21-11 team, Northern Iowa seems ready and able to supplant Southern Illinois, which has either won or shared the last four league championships.
The Panthers still have the players who accounted for more than 90% of the team's points and 80% of its rebounds last season. Key among them is Jacobson, a long-range marksman who led the team with a 17.9 scoring average and made 45.2% of his three-pointers. Northern Iowa appears to be a lock to make its third straight NCAA tournament appearance, a remarkable turnaround for a team that didn't finish higher than fourth in its conference during the 10 years before coach Greg McDermott arrived in 2001.
The Panthers compensate for a lack of size with a three-guard lineup, including senior Erik Crawford (39.0% from three-point range a year ago), that is dangerous from the perimeter. That makes them a tough out in the tournament, where Northern Iowa nearly pulled off first-round upsets in each of the last two years, losing by five points to eventual finalist Georgia Tech in 2004 and by the same margin to Wisconsin last season.
"When I came, the perception was that the program was down in the dumps," Jacobson says. "I'm proud that I've been a part of turning things around." The Panthers have come so far that next year the school will open a 7,000-seat, multisport arena. Jacobson won't be around to help his team get settled, but in a way, he's already helped them make the move.
 
PIPELINE
HOWARD PULLEY PANTHERS
Since 1999 Northern Iowa has mined this Minneapolis-based AAU team for seven players, including current starters Eric Coleman and Erik Crawford and a high school guard who has committed for next season.
 
FAST FACTS
Coach: Greg McDermott 2004-05 record: 21-11 (11-7, T3 in MVC)
2005 tournament: Lost in 1st round to Wisconsin
 
STARTING LINEUP
POS. | PLAYER | HT. | CLASS | KEY STATS |   |
PF | Grant STOUT [RETURNING STARTER] | 6'8" | Jr. | 11.3 ppg | 7.7 rpg |
C | Eric COLEMAN [RETURNING STARTER] | 6'6" | Soph. | 10.7 ppg | 6.4 rpg |
SG | Erik CRAWFORD [RETURNING STARTER] | 6'4" | Sr. | 13.3 ppg | 2.6 apg |
SG | Ben JACOBSON [RETURNING STARTER] | 6'3" | Sr. | 17.9 ppg | 48.8 FG% |
PG | Brooks MCKOWEN [RETURNING STARTER] | 6'2" | Jr. | 3.4 ppg | 2.2 apg |
--KEY RESERVE-- |   |   |   |   |   |
G | John LITTLE | 6'0" | Sr. | 4.4 ppg | 1.5 rpg |
  |   |   |   |   |   |
RETURNING STARTER
 
ENEMY LINES an opposing coach's view
You'd better extend your defense, fight through screens and rotate really well, otherwise they'll bury you from the arc.... Ben Jacobson has a quick release and can get off a good shot even when you think he's totally covered. The best thing to do is body him before he gets the ball.... Erik Crawford is the unsung hero, a dirty-work kind of player who rebounds well for a guard and seems to get every loose ball.
PHOTO
DAVID E. KLUTHO
 ON THE RISE
Jacobson led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring last season and hopes to elevate his team to the top of the standings.
ILLUSTRATION
