The U.N.I. Panthers are on the verge of a Missouri Valley Conference championship and perhaps locking up an NCAA Tournament spot but coach Ben Jacobson says his team is not feeling any added pressure.
The 18th ranked Panthers clinched a share of the Valley title with a Wednesday night win at Drake and can clinch their first outright title with a win at Bradley on Saturday afternoon. Jacobson says the team has done a good job of taking things in stride, including the wins and the losses and the publicity.
U.N.I. is 13-1 in the Valley and 22-1 overall. Jacobson believes experience has helped the Panthers avoid the peaks and valleys most teams go through during a season. He says they come to practice with the same attitude and approach and that ability to take things in stride has kept the bigger picture from being too important. Jacobson says he doesn’t see things changing.