I know you're in the dumps. You lost a game you should have won and that sucks. But there are good reasons you should want UNI to win it all.
1. We are a home team, even for you. 11 of our 16 players are from the state of Iowa. Rooting for us is rooting for your state.
2. $$$. We are not as financially self-sufficient as ISU or UofIowa. The MVC doesn't give us big TV money. We don't sell out a huge stadium for football and we usually have fewer home games anyway as we go after more money. We do what we can, but we end up needing financial support from the State. NCAA Tournament money for UNI, therefore, is money for everyone in the state. Rooting for UNI is rooting for your own pocketbook.
3. Learn new things. UNI is quite different from ISU in terms of basketball strategy. Some fans watch a team like UNI or Virginia and think that nothing is happening. Or that certain players, like Jeremy Morgan, disappear on the court and have no impact. Let me tell you, even if he has few points and assists, he is having a HUGE impact. When you watch UNI, pick one player and just watch him the whole time. You'll learn a lot about what defense is and it will make you a better fan of the sport.
4. We root for you, too. UNI and ISU have very little reason to wish ill on each other. Over the last few years, UNI and UofIowa have both been interested in the same players. Some we got; some they got. So a strong UNI hurts IofIowa (especially for any players out there who realize they don't want to play for a psycho coach). But there doesn't seem to be that overlap between UNI and ISU. We don't recruit the same kids so we're not a threat to each other.
5. UNI is not just defense. UNI is sometimes criticized for being slow and boring. We slow things down when we're on defense - yes. We don't usually commit more than one player for offensive rebounding. The rest get back to set up for defense. So when we're on D, you can expect that if the shot clock isn't used, we made a mistake somewhere. But on offense, we're more fun to watch than we have been at times. You're not going to see the fireworks you're used to from your squad, but we make offense very efficiently.
There you have it - so find a purple shirt and keep rooting for your other team!
1. We are a home team, even for you. 11 of our 16 players are from the state of Iowa. Rooting for us is rooting for your state.
2. $$$. We are not as financially self-sufficient as ISU or UofIowa. The MVC doesn't give us big TV money. We don't sell out a huge stadium for football and we usually have fewer home games anyway as we go after more money. We do what we can, but we end up needing financial support from the State. NCAA Tournament money for UNI, therefore, is money for everyone in the state. Rooting for UNI is rooting for your own pocketbook.
3. Learn new things. UNI is quite different from ISU in terms of basketball strategy. Some fans watch a team like UNI or Virginia and think that nothing is happening. Or that certain players, like Jeremy Morgan, disappear on the court and have no impact. Let me tell you, even if he has few points and assists, he is having a HUGE impact. When you watch UNI, pick one player and just watch him the whole time. You'll learn a lot about what defense is and it will make you a better fan of the sport.
4. We root for you, too. UNI and ISU have very little reason to wish ill on each other. Over the last few years, UNI and UofIowa have both been interested in the same players. Some we got; some they got. So a strong UNI hurts IofIowa (especially for any players out there who realize they don't want to play for a psycho coach). But there doesn't seem to be that overlap between UNI and ISU. We don't recruit the same kids so we're not a threat to each other.
5. UNI is not just defense. UNI is sometimes criticized for being slow and boring. We slow things down when we're on defense - yes. We don't usually commit more than one player for offensive rebounding. The rest get back to set up for defense. So when we're on D, you can expect that if the shot clock isn't used, we made a mistake somewhere. But on offense, we're more fun to watch than we have been at times. You're not going to see the fireworks you're used to from your squad, but we make offense very efficiently.
There you have it - so find a purple shirt and keep rooting for your other team!
