Team preview: Northern Iowa

Blue Ribbon Illustrated previews the 2004-05 college basketball season, exclusively on Insider.

Updated: November 3, 2004, 9:56 AM ET
Blue Ribbon Yearbook
Editor's Note: Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, long known as the Bible of college basketball, to provide a comprehensive look at all 326 Division I teams.

COACH AND PROGRAM

In one season, Northern Iowa has gone from pretender to contender in the Missouri Valley.

When Greg McDermott took over a struggling program in 2001, he opted for a youth movement instead of a quick fix to get UNI back on track. By going with homegrown talent, not JUCO players, the Panthers went through two sub-.500 seasons before making their big move.


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