Transcript
Home of the Panthers Pre-Game · Thu Nov 10, 2022
Welcome to the Home of the Panthers podcast produced by News Talk 1540 KXCL and presented by Imon Communications.
Experience the Imon difference on the road, a ways from a home.
It's one of the longest trips that the Panthers will make this season.
And with UNI out east, we've connected with Panther sophomore Bowen.
Bowen, thanks for being back with us.
Yep.
Thanks for having me on.
The opponent today is Richmond and we'll get to the Spiders coming up.
First though, while we're still early in this season, I wanted to rewind a little bit to last year and talk about some of the highlights that the Panthers experienced because it was really terrific 2021-22 season.
Before I talk about any of the things I might want to bring up from last year, what stands out to you about what made last year special?
Yeah, last year we had a really special group.
Lots of really talented guys and obviously when you talk about last year, the first thing that comes to mind is the MVC Regular Season Championship.
That was something that, you know, is something that we focused on throughout last year.
And is a super hard goal to get.
Winning the regular season title is almost more difficult than winning it down in St.
Louis.
And in my opinion, with how good the league was.
We had to play really good to get, you know, that outright title and, you know, with that playing Loyola at our place, you know, packed gym and overtime game.
It was just a super cool experience to be in that position and then to have it come down to the final game like it did.
Just made for, yeah, a really cool home experience on senior night and just for all those guys, you know, that had been there for a long time, you know, to win a championship.
You know, the second one in three years, that was just a really special, special group.
And then obviously going on and playing in the NIT, everybody wants to play in March Madness.
And so there was a little bit of a, you know, it kind of sucks that, you know, we didn't go win down in St.
Louis.
But to play in the postseason is really difficult to do.
And I think.
A lot of the times people look at it as all March Madness or bust.
But for us, getting to play in the NIT was a really special event that we got to go and do and play in more games with this group.
And I think that was the biggest takeaway is that we got two more games as this group because we all got along and we all just really liked each other.
And so it was definitely cool to be able to win that championship and then as well play in the NIT.
Even before we get to the conference part of the schedule last season, I don't think that there was anything foregone about you and I having a chance to win.
the regular season title.
The non-conference schedule was a little below 500, had some trouble with some opponents at home early on that were competitive games.
Everyone expected them to be competitive, but I think that Panther fans maybe were a little surprised to see Nickel State and Vermont leave the McLeod Center with wins.
What was the light switch moment if there was one that you go from that non-conference schedule that's sort of pedestrian to
being right there at the top of the valley.
Yeah, I mean, I think one game that stands out is our game at Saint Bonaventure.
For us, it was a little bit of a wake-up call into how good we really were.
And so going through and losing those first two home games, as you mentioned, and then getting Dubuque, and then going to Arkansas, losing to Arkansas, but then playing Saint Bonaventure.
uh... those two games for us kind of yeah just opened our eyes a little bit and uh... everybody felt like we were good enough you know like man like we got a good team you know why are why are we losing you know why are we not beating some of these teams and as the basketball season progresses that's just something that you know pretty much every group throughout the country goes through is just being able to uh... just a consistent and you know
belief in yourself, belief in your team.
And so I feel like that's one thing that all the guys on the team had was everybody felt like, man, we're a good enough team.
We know that we're good.
And unfortunately, in basketball and a lot of sports, it doesn't always show up right away.
It doesn't always show up in the wins.
Because a lot of the times, basketball is just a weird game.
And some nights, you don't play as great.
And so to start the season, you obviously have AJ, who was a guy that
Eventually got to a point where he is now, you know, he's playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and so coming off a year where he didn't play basketball at all Just kind of getting adjusted like to stuff like that playing with the guys again And and having a group that was you know fully together it kind of took us a couple games just to kind of get our feet under us and You know and then obviously beat st.
Bonaventure and then we play Bradley and get beat at Bradley and so there was kind of yeah like
this kind of built up like, man, we know that we have a good team.
And I feel like that's what kind of kept us going was the belief that we have a good team.
And so we just stayed consistent and ended up winning some games in the valley and then ended up winning the whole thing.
So I think that was the biggest thing, that we just stayed consistent in our belief in ourselves.
We're talking with UNI Panther men's basketball sophomore Bowen Bourne the Panthers taking on Richmond tonight and we'll talk more about that game coming up One of the other things that people may not remember about last season was that in the Valley
There was this race to the end and this hope that UNI and Loyola were going to meet on the last day of the season, but Panthers had to win all these games and have things fall into place for that to really be the meaningful game that it was.
How special was that?
Yeah, it was super special.
Like you mentioned, it was, yeah, kind of this race to the end.
And so the game before we played Loyola, we played at Indiana State and didn't play super great in that game.
You know, went over there and I think just squeaked out a win.
And so I'd say for that game, we were almost more nervous to get to...
the last game then we were to actually be in the last game so yeah just the kind of the hype of it you know knowing what was on the line and knowing that you know this is what we needed to do to get to this last game to give ourselves a chance and and that's all you're trying to do you know in the basketball world and in basketball games is just to give yourself a chance to win and that was something that yeah
felt at least you know me I felt more nervous going into the Indiana State game than I was for the Loyola game because once you're there and once you're in the moment
Then it's easy to just go out and play, but there was almost more pressure for that game to get to the Loyola game.
Because then, yeah, once we got to the Loyola game at home, then you're pumped and you're just ready to go and ready to be there.
And yeah, it was a tremendous game that we played with them.
I think one of the best basketball games I think I've ever been a part of there.
wasn't a whole lot of defense in that game.
You know, both teams almost scored 100 points.
But I just, yeah, it was one of the most just.
fun environments that I've been a part of and that was a lot of the credit just to all the fans and for everybody showing up and bringing some tremendous energy.
That aspect of it I think also goes a little bit unnoticed is just how much that helps and how much the vibe of the crowd and just the energy that the McLeod gives and that's one of the reasons that I love it so much is that
When you get fans in there and they get loud, it produces a really good environment and has produced some really fun games for us.
We're talking with UNI Panthers sophomore Bowen Bourne Panthers and the Richmond Spiders tonight.
And last year Richmond Atthema Cloud Center a 60 to 52 win.
Give us the insights from that game, the things that you will take and use tonight.
Yeah, I mean, last year they had a really good squad and having some guys that they lost, but also having some returners.
And so going into it, we know it's going to be a battle, having played there.
two years ago, so my freshman year, the COVID year, playing them with no fans in the building.
So this year, we know it's going to just be a different environment.
You know that there's going to be lots of fans in there, and especially with them being a really good team and having a really good program over the last few years.
We know that that's something that it's going to be tough to go in there and get a win, but it's something that we feel ready for.
Does it
feel almost like you're playing a conference opponent because you have seen this team year after year after year now?
This year your third year in the program you're seeing Richmond a third time
That doesn't happen too often with a non-conference opponent, especially one that's this far away that's in a totally different region.
Yeah, it definitely kind of does feel like, you know, that they're almost in our conference, because like you said, yeah, every year I've been here, we've played against them.
And I think that's a lot of credit to Coach Jake.
You know, he gets some team schedule that are really, really solid programs.
And so them with the four-year deal that we have with them, that was something, you know, that like...
Coach Jake wants to play the best teams and you and I, basketball wants to play the best teams as possible.
And so always trying to schedule good teams and good programs.
And so yeah, it almost feels like we know them just like anybody in our conference because we have played them.
This is going to be the third year in a row now.
So it definitely makes it fun just because now you also have
kind of you get to know the guys a little bit better and you know their program a little bit better and so it just makes for a better game too because you've played against them and you scouted them and you have a little bit just more knowledge of you know these are things they like to do these are things they like to run and so it makes yeah it makes it for you know almost like a conference game in the non-conference little area so it definitely
feels like they're in our conference because we have played them, you know, for the last three years, but it definitely makes for just more competitive basketball games.
Well, we need to swing it out to the press table, so thanks, Bowen, for being back with us again.
We'll wrap up, but we'll have you back in just a couple of days, and we'll talk about the Virginia Cavaliers, the next opponent on the schedule.
Yep, thanks for having me on.
Thanks for listening to the Home of the Panthers podcast presented by I'm On Communications.
Experience the I'm On difference.
I'm Tim Harwood.
Welcome to the Home of the Panthers podcast produced by News Talk 1540 KXCL and presented by I'm On Communications.
Experience the I'm On Difference.
One of the highlight games on the UNI Panther Men's Basketball schedule is tonight's trip to Charlottesville as the Panthers take on the Virginia Cavaliers.
The game starting in less than an hour before each Panther Men's Basketball broadcast this season
We're talking with Panthers sophomore, Bowen, born to get some perspective from a player's point of view.
Bowen, thanks for being back with us.
Exciting to be going to take on the Cavaliers.
Yeah, for sure.
Super pumped.
They are just a few years removed from their national championship.
We'll come back and talk a little bit more about Virginia, about taking on a major conference opponent coming up.
Last time we talked ahead of the Richmond game, we focused a little bit on last year.
And I want to hone in particularly on the games that were played at the tail end.
last season in the NIT.
You mentioned that those were special opportunities to continue playing after the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament lost to Loyola.
The games were against St.
Louis and BYU.
Just if we could focus in about those two games, what jumps out?
What was the best part?
I'd say the best part for us was just also just getting to play different teams, similar to Virginia.
you know we're playing teams were also playing really good teams and so for some of the non-conference games um a lot of those high major teams don't like to play a lot of mid major teams and so for us i think you know getting to play teams like st louis um and b y u it just it just gives us a great chance to compare ourselves you know to
to not only our conference, but their conference, how different the style of play is.
And so it's one of the reasons that I love the non-conference so much is that you just get to play against different offenses and defenses.
And so playing those two teams, I think it was great to play at St.
Louis and really come away with a.
you know pretty dominant win just because uh... it's it's interesting just to yes see you know this is where they lined up in their conference and kind of just compare
you know your group to their group and so obviously they had their point guard Yuri missing and so that played a pretty big you know factor going down there not having him but yeah just to play you know teams like BYU at BYU hostile environment where the games matter because it's it's just a little bit more because you are playing in the NIT and so similar to tonight
You know, it just gives you a great opportunity to compare yourself to see where you're at, you know, in your season versus some of these super top teams that are really good and have won their league and have won a lot of games in their league.
And so, yeah, it just gives you a unique opportunity to kind of compare yourself and see where you guys are at.
We're talking with Panther sophomore Bowen Bourne when it comes to the Billikens, St.
Louis has a program history that goes back.
decades and decades they've they've been good they've been prominent in basketball but when you compare the Valley and the Atlantic 10 you know I look at it and I see similar successes when you look at some of the best years the best program runs in the NCAA tournament
I think that they're similar.
As a player, do you see that similarity or is there a bigger difference between the A-10 and the Valley?
Yeah, I mean, I see people on Twitter going back and forth about it all the time and obviously with Loyola leaving, I think that kind of heightened the...
the comparison between the two groups because, you know, when a team that is basically, you know, kind of the top of their conference leaves to go to another conference, you always kind of assume that that conference is better.
And so, yeah, I think it was interesting to go down there and play St.
Louis and
And that also kind of gave us a little bit of just an extra edge, you know, a little chip on our shoulder, you know, kind of going in there and wanting to prove, you know, and kind of prove that your conference is better.
And so I think that, you know, also adds a little bit of a competitive aspect to it because, yeah, you want to go in there and you want to represent.
northern Iowa basketball but you also want to represent the valley and mid majors and you want to kind of have you know these set of ideals kind of just in the back your head you know you're not thinking about it too much but uh... yeah definitely just it was yeah cool to to kind of go down there and see uh... their style of play you know how their defense uh... how they had things set up uh... you know how they ran their offense and
Obviously when you're go from playing conference teams for the last two months to then a non-conference game It is a little bit different and so you can't necessarily compare the two because Anytime you're playing a conference team a lot of times they seem a lot harder to play against because they know you so well They've scouted you.
They know what you run.
They know your tendencies.
So it's hard to compare
conference to conference in which is better but yeah going down there it was yeah just cool to to get a little bit of an idea of you know how the A-time kind of compared to what what we were doing.
One of the things about the NIT that really is a big difference from the NCAA tournament is the uncertainty of it you don't know
where you're going to be playing, for example.
You can tell on the NCAA tournament bracket, if we win this game, we're going to be in this location.
So you go from winning that game against St.
Louis to thinking we might go here, we might go here, you find out BYU and you got to be there in just a few days.
How challenging was that?
And what was the most challenging part?
Was it the scouting, the basketball part?
Was it just getting there?
Was it making the arrangements and being in the right place at the right time?
What was the part about that that stands out?
Yeah, I mean, it gave a little bit of just kind of a fun factor as well.
It is a little bit different than knowing who you're going to play and where you're going to play and having everything scheduled out.
It does give you a little bit of like, yeah, like a tournament, you know, kind of feel and that adds just a, yeah, aspect of kind of, you know, unknown.
And so it's kind of fun just to, yeah, you know, watching the game, you know, after ours to see who we're going to play knowing, oh, if this team, you know, wins, we're now the higher seed and we're going to get the home game.
And so, you know, stuff like that was, yeah, just kind of cool, like to be able to.
kind of watch other games and see, wow, this team got beat.
Now this team does have a home game.
And so we were obviously hoping that BYU lost because we knew they were a good squad.
But yeah, it was also cool to want to be able to play at home.
But yeah, it did give it just a little bit of just an extra niche and an extra kind of just randomness to it that gave it a little bit of extra fun feel.
Well, let's come back to the current circumstances because there's a huge game tonight We're talking with Panthers sophomore Bowen born and that huge opponent is the Virginia Cavaliers.
I mentioned when we got started They're not far removed from their national championship just a few years ago So getting the chance to go to Charlottesville and play this opponent again When I look at this schedule, this is one of the highlights.
Do you feel that way as a player?
Yeah, for sure And it's something that I've yet talked about before but just
Being able to go to a program that you know has really good players, really good coaches, and just have the previous history of winning a national title.
And so I think it just gives us a unique opportunity, again, just to be able to go out and kind of just see where you're at.
Because when you play these top ranked teams, it's just really fun to go play good teams because they're going to make you better.
Going into it, you have nothing to lose and you go in there with a lot of confidence and knowing that you're going to play in a super cool arena with some different fans.
Just to have the opportunity, that's one of the great things that Northern Iowa does is that we schedule really good opponents to give ourselves the best chance to get in that large bid.
For us, it's just a great opportunity to be able to go out and play some really good players and a really good team.
So we've referenced the national championship a couple of times, but if we go back, I think it was only a year, maybe it was two years before that, Virginia lost to a 16 seed as a number one in the first round.
They were the first school to do that.
I can't imagine that there's another program.
that takes its mid-major conference opponents more seriously than the Virginia Cavaliers after having that collective memory of losing that game.
So this is going to be an opponent I have to assume that will not take you when I lightly.
Yeah, for sure.
And I think that's all part of just basketball.
Once you kind of get to this level, you realize that anybody you play is going to be a really good team.
And if you don't bring it, that team is going to beat you.
I think, yeah, like you said, if there's any team in the country that is going to be highly ranked and locked in, it's going to be them.
And so that also adds just another edge for them, but also for us knowing that we're going to get their best shot as well, because it's only going to make us better.
Well, Bowen, good luck in Charlottesville, and we'll talk again soon.
Yeah, thank you very much.
Thanks for listening to the Home of the Panthers podcast presented by I'm On Communications.
Experience the I'm On difference.
