THIS WEEKEND IN UIU MEN'S BASKETBALL… The Peacocks are back on the court this Friday and Saturday in Kenosha, Wis. for the Haribo Invitational hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Upper Iowa will face Davenport University on Friday at 5 p.m. and then take on the host Rangers on Saturday at 3 p.m. UIU enters the weekend with a 2-0 record after wins against Missouri Southern State University and Pittsburg State University at the Central Region Challenge last weekend in Kansas City. Both the Panthers and Rangers also come into the weekend with 2-0 early season records.
LIVE OPTIONS... Live stats and a pay-per-view webcast are available for both games for fans that can't be in Kenosha for the games. All live options can be found at the links above or at UIUPeacocks.com/Live.
CHECKING THE REARVIEW... UIU posted a 2-0 record with wins in two very different games last weekend at the Municipal Audtiorium in Kansas City, Mo. The Peacocks defeated Missouri Southern State 96-83 on Friday and then posted a 69-66 come-from-behind win against Pitt State on Sunday.
Jareese Williams and
Jake Hilmer led the Peacocks in the two games. Williams, a super-senior guard averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 40% from three and knocking down all 17 of his free throws. Williams also handed out 5 assists as UIU defeated Missouri Southern State and Pitt State in Kansas City. Hilmer averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 55% from the floor; the point guard dropped in 15 points to lead the Peacocks in scoring in the team's win over Pitt State.
MAKING A SPLASH… Nick Reid made a big splash in his Peacock debut on Friday. The sophomore forward scored 20 points and pulled down six rebounds in his first regular season game in Peacock blue after transferring to UIU from Emporia State University. Reid knocked down five of his eight shots including four of five from deep.
CHARITABLE PEACOCKS… Upper Iowa has converted 43 of their 49 free throw attempts through the first two games of the season for an 87.8 percentage and a 21.5 points per game average. The conversion rate is the third-best mark in the nation and leads the NSIC. Williams leads the way for UIU with 17 makes in 17 tries at the free throw line.
OFFENSIVE-MINDED… Four players averaged double figures in scoring last weekend including Williams (19.5), Hilmer (14.5),
Joe Smoldt (12.5) and Reid (11), but the Peacocks also got nine points per game from both
Connor Duax and
Dylan Jones; both forwards are shooting 75% from the field this season.
CLEANING THE GLASS… Upper Iowa has averaged 41.5 rebounds per contest while holding their opponents to nine less boards (32.5). Included in UIU's 83 total rebounds are 23 on the offensive glass which Upper Iowa has turned into 31 second chance points.
Cade Moritz has a team-high eight rebounds per game, while Williams is just behind at 7.5 and Jones (5.5), Smoldt (5) and
Max Duax (5) all average at least five rebounds per contest.
NSIC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL... The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference released their 2021-22 Preseason Coaches' Poll on Thursday and the Peacock men's basketball team was selected fifth overall and third in the NSIC South Division. Minnesota State University Moorhead was selected by the league coaches as the preseason favorite in the NSIC for the 2021-22 season. In the south, Minnesota State and Wayne State each had 42 points, with Wayne State collecting four first place votes and the Mavericks two. Upper Iowa was third with 39 points and the other two first place votes.
PREDICTING THE PANTHERS... Davenport is coming off a two-win weekend to open the 2021-22 campaign. The Panthers defeated Rockhurst University, 77-64, and William Jewel College, 75-67, last weekend while shooting 51% as a team from the floor and 50% from the three-point line. Chris Rollins leads the Panthers with an 18.5 points per game average, while Marcedus Leech Jr. scored 16 in one game. Jairus Stevens averaged 12.5 points and Jakub Dombek scored 10 and pulled down 8.5 rebounds per game.
REPORTING ON THE RANGERS… Parkside defeated Lindenwood University, 79-75, and the University of Illinois-Springfield, 92-79, to kick start their 2021-22 season with two victories. The Rangers are averaging 85.5 points per game while shooting 48.8% from the floor, 41.3% from three and 86.5% from the free throw line. UWP is also outrebounding their opponents by a margin of 14 per game. Tray Croft averaged 31 points and five rebounds in the opening weekend knocking down 20-35 from the floor, 7-12 from three and all 15 free throw attempts. Jamir Simpson (14 ppg) and Colin O'Rourke (13 ppg) each grabbed seven rebounds per game for the Rangers.
