Northern Iowa Panthers
Record: 30-3, 16-2 Missouri Valley
Head coach: Ben Jacobson (9th season)
Season summary: The Panthers have the best scoring defense in the Missouri Valley (54.3 pts) and the conference’s Player of the Year in senior Seth Tuttle (61.6 FG%). Tuttle has had one of the more spectacular seasons in all of college basketball this year, as his scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.8 rpg) have powered Northern Iowa to its 30-3 record and a No. 5 seed—its highest tournament seed in school history. Behind Tuttle, the Panthers shoot 48.3 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from beyond the arc and outscore their opponents by an average of 11.1 points per game. On the other end of the court, the team boasts outstanding on-ball defense, having held opponents to 50 points or fewer on 11 occasions this season. The Panthers own quality wins against Iowa, Wichita State and Stephen F. Austin and enter the tournament having lost only one game since New Year's Day—a 74-60 defeat at then-No. 11 Wichita State.
How they make a run: If the team locks down on defense and Tuttle makes the most of his last tournament appearance, Northern Iowa could make it past the opening weekend.
How they falter: Running into a team with a fast-paced offense and failing to corral the opponents’ scorers could spell an early exit for the Panthers.
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