THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCKS MEN'S BASKETBALL… No. 22 Upper Iowa is set to open their 2022-23 season on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11-12 in Warrensburg, Mo. UIU is one of four teams competing in the Weekend Classic hosted by the University of Central Missouri at the UCM Multipurpose Building. The Peacocks will take on East Central University on Friday at 4 p.m. and Central Missouri on Saturday at 6 p.m.
LIVE OPTIONS... Fans that can't make the trip to Warrensburg can still follow along with a pair of live options. UCM will be providing lives stats for both games, a limited webcast for Friday's game due the University hosting NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Central Regional games, and a full webcast on Saturday when the Peacocks take on the Mules. Links for all the live options can be found above or at UIUPeacocks.com/Live.
NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT… The Peacocks are currently ranked No. 22 in the NABC Preseason Top 25. Upper Iowa spent 14 weeks in the NABC Top 25 last season and finished the year ranked No. 17 after a five-point loss, 65-60, to No. 8 Augustana in the NCAA Division II Championships round of 32. UIU also grabbed a spot in the D2SIDA Top 25 for 12 weeks a season ago, but was not part of the D2SIDA Preseason Top 25.
NSIC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL... Upper Iowa was selected second in the NSIC South Division with one first-place vote and fifth in the overall standings of the 2022-23 Northern Sun Conference Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll. The University of Minnesota Duluth was selected by the league coaches as the preseason favorite after receiving 222 points and 13 first places votes to sit 16 points ahead of second place MSU Moorhead. The Dragons had 206 points and a first-place vote. Wayne State was third with 197 points and the final two first place votes in the overall poll. In the divisional rankings, UMD was the unanimous choice in the north, picking up all seven first place votes for 49 points. MSU Moorhead was second with 43 points and the other first place vote. In the south, Wayne State was the unanimous choice with 49 points and seven first place votes. Upper Iowa was second with 39 points and the other first place vote.
HIGH PRAISE FOR HILMER… Point guard
Jake Hilmer was voted as the NSIC South Division Preseason Player of the Year by the coaches. The three-time All-NSIC performer reached the 1,000-point mark midway through Upper Iowa's incredible run in 2021-22 and scored a total of 527 points, averaging 16.5 per game. Hilmer racked up 127 assists (4/game) and added 72 rebounds (2.3/game) and 33 steals. He reached double-digits in scoring 28 times, including nine times of 20-plus points. Hilmer's notched a career-high of 30 points on the road at Augustana last season. He also established a new program-record with 39-straight made free throws during the campaign.
HITTING THE HIGHLIGHTS… The Peacock men's basketball team put together the best season in the program's history this past year. Upper Iowa posted a 26-6 overall record and an 18-4 mark in the Northern Sun Conference. The Peacocks qualified for their fifth NCAA Regional Championship since 1995-96, but unlike the first four times, UIU scored a victory in the postseason and advanced to the round of 32 after a 91-74 win over No. 18 University of Central Oklahoma. The season came to an end in the regional semifinals in a 65-60 loss to No. 6 Augustana University. After a 6-0 start that was capped off by a 103-77 dominant win over No. 2 Truman State University, the Peacocks cracked into the national Top-25 poll and stayed in the poll for the remainder of the season reaching as high as No. 12 in the nation and No. 2 in the NCAA Central Region. The win over Truman State was just one of the many highlights from the season, which also included an 84-65 win over No. 23 Augustana University, a 94-85 win over No. 5 University of Minnesota Duluth, an 89-80 win over Northern State University in the NSIC quarterfinals, and a 91-74 victory over No. 18 University of Central Oklahoma in the NCAA Central Region quarterfinals.
AND THE BEAT GOES ON… While the Peacocks lost some of the most talented and decorated student-athletes in program history to graduation highlighted by
Joe Smoldt and Jareese Williams, the team returns a load of talent for the 2022-23 season including Hilmer,
Lucas Duax (9.7 points, 4 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.8 assists),
Max Duax (4.3 points, 2 rebounds),
Nick Reid (6.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1 block), and
Dylan Jones (6.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 61% shooting). The Peacocks will also rely on returners
Baden Noennig,
Carter Janssen and
Jackson Foley, as well as newcomers like
Caleb Delzell and
Austin Hilmer.
THE END OF THE RAINBOW… The 12-team NSIC Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championships are set to take place February 25-28 at the Sanford Health Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The top two seeds in each division will receive a first-round bye. First round games will be played on campus on Wednesday, Feb. 22.
NEW LOOK FOR THE TIGERS... East Central has a different look this season with a new head coach, Daniel Wheeler, and a roster featuring 11 newcomers and just four returners. The Tigers were picked 11th in the Great American Conference heading into the season. The newcomers include a bunch of transfers to bring in both talent and depth to mix with the quartet of returners. Romello Wilbert (7.3 rebounds/game) and Jakeem Acres (6.9 points, 2.7 rebounds/game) return to the ECU lineup this season.
MATCHING UP WITH THE MULES... Central Missouri closed last season with a
13-14 record overall and a 10-12 mark in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association. In the 2022-23 MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Mules have been picked to finish ninth in the standings. A season ago, UCM scored 69.1 points per game converting at a 44.2% clip from the floor and 30.6% from behind the three-point line. The weekend host will rely on returners like Gaven Pinkley, Garrett Luinstra, Trey Sides, and Mark Mayle this upcoming season.
UP NEXT… The Peacocks will stay in non-conference mode for another week when they depart Fayette and the state of Iowa for a pair of games in Missouri on Wednesday and Friday, Nov. 16 and 18. Upper Iowa takes on Truman State University on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Kirksville and then battles Maryville University on Friday at 6 p.m. in St. Louis.
