THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK HOOPS… Upper Iowa is on the road for a pair of NSIC games this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 10-11. The Peacocks will visit the University of Sioux Falls in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn. on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The men's team will play the first game of the men's/women's double header on both days.
LIVE COVERAGE OPTIONS… Live stats and a webcast will be available for both games through the links at UIUPeacocks.com/Live. Both contests will also stream live on the NSIC Network app through Roku and Fire devices, as well as Apple and Android TV. Search for "NSIC Network" to find the app on your relevant device.
PEACOCKS POLLING... The Peacock men's basketball team dropped out of the National Association of Basketball Coaches NCAA Division II Top 25, but stand just one spot out of the rankings. Upper Iowa is 7-1 overall and 2-1 in Northern Sun Conference action. Upper Iowa tallied 35 points this week after splitting last week's NSIC games with an overtime loss 98-96 at No. 17 Minnesota State University, Mankato and an 86-73 win at home over Concordia University, St. Paul. Last week UIU earned the No. 19 ranking and tallied 91 points last week and seven points in the rankings two weeks ago. The Mavericks of Minnesota State stayed in the rankings just ahead of UIU at No. 25, while fellow-NSIC member the University of Minnesota Duluth is ranked No. 22 with a 9-0 record. Augustana University got 24 points and sits right behind the Peacocks in those also receiving votes. D2SIDA also releases a Division II Media Top 25 Poll and regional polls. UIU are ranked sixth in the Central Region after moving from a tie for eighth in week one to sole-ownership of fifth place last week. Last week, Upper Iowa earned 16 points in the D2SIDA Media Top 25 Poll.
ONE POINT AT A TIME… Upper Iowa is converting free throws at a higher rate than any other team in the nation through the first eight games. The Peacocks have made 107 of their 122 opportunities at the charity stripe for a percentage of 87.7. While several UIU players have contributed to the nation's top mark,
Jake Hilmer and
Jareese Williams have combined to make all 59 of their chances at the line. Both have broken the UIU-record of 19 consecutive free throws made by Greg Von Arx in 1993-94. Williams is 28-28 this season, while Hilmer is 31-31; Hilmer made his final two free throws of the 2020-21 season and holds the slight edge, 33 to 28, in terms of setting the new record for Peacock basketball.
SCORING WITH THE BEST OF THEM… The Peacock offense is ranked 24th nationally and third in the Northern Sun Conference with their 87.6 points per game average. UIU's attention to detail at the free throw line is one piece of the puzzle, but several other factors are leading to the great production. The team is knocking down 10.3 three-pointers per game, which ranks 30th in NCAA Division II and second in the conference. Williams (18.8 ppg) and
Joe Smoldt (18.2 ppg) are making the most of their super senior season on the court for UIU. Their scoring averages are both in the top ten among NSIC scorers. Both shooters are knocking down 3.25 triples a game, which leads the Northern Sun in three-pointers made per game. Hilmer is averaging 4.9 assists per game, good for fifth in the NSIC, to go along with his 14.4 points per game average. The final piece is turnovers, or the lack of turnovers in this case. Upper Iowa averages 10.6 turnovers per game, which is the 29th lowest average in the nation and third-best mark in the conference.
DEFENSIVE DIFFERENCE… While UIU is averaging 87.7 points per game this season, a huge difference from past seasons can be found on the defensive side. Upper Iowa has held their opponents to 75.5 points for a scoring margin of 12.2 points per game. The Peacocks are holding their opponents to a below-average percentage (29.9%) from beyond the arc and are posting a plus-4.3 in rebounds through the first eight games.
Dylan Jones is leading the team on the glass with 7.3 per game, while Williams (5.9) and
Nick Reid (5.5) are both averaging over five boards per game. Jones has averaged 10.6 rebounds over the last three games.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS... The Cougars of Sioux Falls are 5-4 this season and 1-2 in NSIC games. After a season-opening 73-52 loss, USF bounced back with an 83-77 win over No. 1 Northwest Missouri State University. USF has also posted wins at Minnesota State University Moorhead and at home against Wayne State College; both the Dragons and Wildcats were picked to win their respective NSIC Divisions. USF is led by Matt Cartwright, who is averaging 21.2 points per game while shooting 48.2% from the floor and 42.9% from three. Jack Thompson and Chase Grinde are adding 13.4 and 10.9 points per game.
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS… The Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State are 5-3 on the year with a 1-2 mark in NSIC games. After a season-opening loss, SMSU won five straight games including wins over the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Davenport University and at Sioux Falls. Southwest Minnesota State has lost their last two games at Wayne State (68-65) and at home versus Augustana University (103-74). Kenny Byers returns to lead the Mustangs this season with averages of 13.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while Jake Phipps is also averaging 13.5 points and adds 7.1 rebounds per game.
