GAME FOUR	GAME FIVE
VS #14 NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE	VS MISSOURI WESTERN STATE
MWSU FIELDHOUSE	MWSU FIELDHOUSE
ST. JOSEPH, MO.	ST. JOSEPH, MO.
FRIDAY, NOV. 13, 2015 || 5:30 PM	SATURDAY, NOV. 14 || 7:30 PM
LIVE STATS	LIVE STATS

 

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WEEKLY NOTES

UPPER IOWA || NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE || MISSOURI WESTERN STATE || HILLYARD CLASSIC || NORTHERN SUN
 

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THIS WEEKEND IN MEN'S BASKETBALL 
 
The Peacocks will return to regular season play by heading to the Hillyard Tip-Off Classic in St. Joseph, Missouri. UIU will open the classic with a matchup against preseason #14 Northwest Missouri State on Friday at 5:30 p.m., then play the host school Missouri Western State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

NOTES FROM LAST WEEKEND

UIU finished their exhibition season with a 113-77 loss to NCAA Division I Creighton University in front of 15,015 fans at the CenturyLink Center Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. The Peacocks stuck with the Bluejays for periods of the game, but Creighton took over and stretched its lead late.

KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER
 
1     A CENTURY IN THE MAKING: Upper Iowa enters its 100th year of men's basketball with the start of the 2015-16 season and third year under the tutelage of Brooks McKowen. The Fairbank, Iowa native was named the 18th head coach in Peacock men's basketball history prior to the 2013-14 season and holds a 33-30 record at UIU.  

2     CRASHING THE GLASS: After UIU had just one player average more than 3.9 rebounds per game in 2014-15, the Peacocks have four players (Josh Weeber, Carson Parker, Dennis Austin, Jarrob Gamble) averaging more than 4.0 rebounds per game so far this season.
 
3     STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: The Peacocks knew the start of the season would be tough as UIU faced three nationally ranked opponents in their first four games. Over the course of the year, Upper Iowa will play 11 games against teams that received votes or was ranked in the NABC Preseason Poll.

4     WEEBER FEVER: Junior forward Josh Weeber has started the 2015-16 campaign averaging 16 points per game, including the sixth 20-plus point effort of his career when he dropped 22 on Alaska Anchorage in the season opener.
THE SERIES...

vs NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE: The Peacocks will play the Bearcats for the fourth consecutive season, but are still seeking that elusive first win over NMSU. UIU is 0-6 all-time against in series, with the first game dating back to the 1940-41 season when Northwest Missouri State beat UIU 43-12.
 
vs MISSOURI WESTERN STATE: This will be the third straight season where the Peacocks and Griffons do battle, with UIU coming out victorious last year, 82-70. MWSU, however, owns the upper hand in the series winning two of the three matchups.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT... 

NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE: Northwest Missouri State was ranked No. 14 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division II preseason poll. The Bearcats were picked first in the MIAA preseason coaches' poll after going 25-7 with an outright MIAA regular season title in 2014-15. Northwest also advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the second consecutive season. First team All-MIAA performer Justin Pitts was also named the MIAA Freshman of the Year. Senior guard Conner Crooker earned second team All-MIAA honors while Zach Schneider was an All-MIAA honorable mention performer. Head coach Ben McCollum was named the MIAA's Co-Coach of the Year with Kevin Muff of Pittsburg State.

MISSOURI WESTERN STATE: Missouri Western was picked in a ninth place tie in the preseason coaches' poll. The Griffons finished 10th last season, going 12-15 overall, 8-11 in the MIAA. The Griffons lost two starters to graduation, including leading scorer Cortrez Colbert but return six letter winners from the 2014-15 team. Kevin Thomas leads a group of three returning starters. Thomas' 8.6 points per game were second on the team last season and he led MWSU with a 6.2 rebound per game average and 17 blocks. Cole Clearman's 49 made three-pointers led the team. He returns after averaging 7.9 points per game last year. Other returning starters include Currie Byrd and Aaron Emmanuel. Emmanuel's 81 assists led the team and Byrd was fourth on the team with six points per game.