THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK MEN'S BASKETBALL
Men's basketball tips off the 2024-25 season with two contests at the Midwest Region Crossover hosted by the University of Springfield. The Peacocks take on UW Parkside on Saturday at 6 p.m. and Roosevelt on Sunday at 2 p.m.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans unable to make it to the road games this weekend can stay connected with a pair of live options at
UIUPeacocks.com/Live, with access to live stats and a pay-per-view webcast through GLVCSN. Fans can also refer to the links attached to this story for all live options.
In addition to GLVCSN.com, viewers can catch the Peacocks on the GLVCSN iOS and Android mobile app, as well as the GLVCSN app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.
TICKETS
General admission for the tournament will be $10, and a link to purchase tickets online is attached to this story. Kids 12 and under are free with the accompaniment of an adult.
THE FOUR CORNERS
UIU returns four starters from last season:
Nick Reid,
Caleb Delzell,
Kyle Hrncir, and
Noah King. Reid was slotted 14th in the GLVC in scoring last season with 14.3 points per game. He recorded shooting splits of 137-295 (46.4%) from the floor, 56-144 (38.9%) from three, and 126-143 (88.1%) from the free throw line. He hauled in 222 rebounds (6.9 RPG), with 50 coming on the offensive end, while adding 42 assists (1.3 APG), 17 steals and blocking a team-high 32 shots.
Delzell started all 32 games last season, scoring 9.3 PPG and shooting 39.2 % (8th in GLVC) from long distance. He recorded 5.8 rebounds per game and added 35 assists and 22 steals while rejecting 31 shots.
King was a First Team All-GLVC selection who ranked fifth in the conference in scoring last season with 17.4 PPG. In league play, King averaged 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 45.2% from the floor, 74.5% from the foul line and 33.3% from long distance.
Hrncir was tabbed on the GLVC All-Defense and All-Freshman Team last season. Against conference competition, the starting forward nabbed 6.8 rebounds (8th in GLVC) per game while grabbing 39 steals (2.0 per game), good for fourth in the league. He contributed 9.6 points per game while shooting 56.7% from the field.
THE DRIVING FORCE
Head Coach
Brooks McKowen is at the helm of the men's basketball program for his 12
th season and holds an overall mark of 188-139 (120-90 NSIC, 15-5 GLVC). He is aided on the sidelines by first-year assistant coach
Joel Hanson and graduate assistant
Danny Tabaska. Hanson was a graduate assistant for Peacock men's hoops in 2021-23 prior to his return, while Tabaska enters his second season as the graduate assistant after playing a key role in the success of the program last season.
RECEIVING VOTES
Upper Iowa is receiving votes in the NABC Top 25 Preseason Poll. The Peacocks finished last season with a 22-10 record (15-5 GLVC) and returned to the NCAA DII Central Regional Championships after receiving an at-large bid. They defeated nationally-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan 82-72 in game one before dropping to Lake Superior State 88-80 in the Round of 32.
NEXT PLAY
Men's basketball is back on the road again next weekend as they travel north to challenge Minnesota Crookston on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. and St. Cloud State on Monday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m.
