Paul Suellentrop’s MVC report (Jan. 23)

Northern Iowa is playing good basketball again, just as other MVC coaches feared.

It’s a surprise it took this long. It’s a surprise the Panthers remain in danger of a bottom-four finish in the MVC. It’s not a surprise that playing the Panthers won’t be easy going forward.

Their late-December, early-January slump called into questions all the usual assumptions about the solid nature and steady character of the Panthers. A three-game win streak doesn’t erase the damage, but it does appear that coach Ben Jacobson, as expected, is pulling his team back in the right direction.

If your team got the Panthers early — as Wichita State did — that is probably a fortunate scheduling break.

The Panthers needed scoring threats to help guard Jeremy Morgan. Juniors Bennett Koch and Klint Carlson are coming around after disappointing production for much of the season. Koch scored 21 points against Drake and Loyola. He added 12 points and 11 rebounds against Southern Illinois. Carlson started his rally with 12 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to WSU.

“Bennett Koch has had two great games, back to back,” Jacobson said. “Klint Carlson, I think it’s five in a row now for him where he’s been a much more aggressive player. He’s taking more shots. He’s just had more impact.”

Guard Jordan Ashton averages 13.2 points over his past six games.

With those three players kicking in, Morgan no longer carries such a heavy scoring burden. A sprained ankle that kept Morgan out of a loss to Bradley is healed.

The trend is also good on defense. Loyola made 27 of 47 shots — 13 of 19 in the second half — in a 77-66 win on Jan. 4. UNI won the rematch 72-69 in double overtime and held the Ramblers to 43-percent shooting.

“We’ve made it more difficult for teams to get what they’re looking for,” Jacobson said. “At Loyola … we could not keep them out of the lane.”

Fast breaks

▪  Wichita State junior center Shaq Morris earned his first MVC player of the week honor on Monday.

Morris averaged 20.5 points in wins over Evansville and Indiana State. He recorded his first double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds at Evansville. He set a career high with 24 points against Indiana State and a career high four assists.

Missouri State’s Alize Johnson, who scored 26 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in a win over Indiana State, is the newcomer of the week. Johnson, a junior forward, earned the award for the fifth time this season.

▪  Wichita State’s scoring margin of 17.7 points ranks fifth nationally and first in the MVC. Over the past 20 seasons, WSU’s margin of 15.7 in 2013-14 is the highest.

▪  Drake averages 93.2 points in its past five home games, all wins. It is shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 45.7 percent from behind the arc in those game.

The Bulldogs play at Missouri State on Tuesday.

Trending up

Loyola’s bench, a weak spot most of the season, provided important contributions in Saturday’s 67-61 win over Evansville. Bruno Skokna, who averages 3.9 points, scored 13. Tyson Smith added five rebounds to help Aundre Jackson’s usual scoring punch. The Ramblers can match up with most MVC teams five or six deep. Adding a player or two to that rotation matters.

Trending down

Evansville surprised in non-conference play with a seven-game non-conference win streak. MVC schools are making the end of the transition from the Balentine-Mockevicius era hurt. The Aces are 1-7 in the MVC and play at Northern Iowa on Wednesday, followed by a home date against Illinois State. The Aces can’t score and turn the ball over way too much.

Get to know an MVC neighbor

Q: Who is the last player from one of the MVC’s six public universities to lead the conference in scoring?

A: Illinois State’s Osiris Eldridge averaged 15.5 points in 2010. Since then, Bradley’s Andrew Warren (2011), Creighton’s Doug McDermott (2012, 2013) and Evansville’s D.J. Balentine (2014, 2015, 2016) led. Evansville’s Jaylon Brown (21 points) is the leader entering this week’s games.

One to watch

Drake (6-14, 4-4) at Missouri State (14-7, 5-3), 7:05 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN3.com) — Props to the much-criticized Bulldogs, who are interesting because of their fast-paced style. They are 0-4 in MVC road games, however. The Bears can’t afford a slip if they want to stay close to the leaders.

This story was originally published January 23, 2017 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Paul Suellentrop’s MVC report (Jan. 23)."