Tag: Northern Iowa Panthers

Alabama Softball lands commitment from Northern Iowa transfer Alexis Pupillo

The Alabama softball program picked up a commitment from Northern Iowa transfer Alexis Pupillo on Monday.

The Alabama Crimson Tide softball program added a commitment from Northern Iowa transfer Alexis Pupillo on Monday.

Pupillo spent two seasons in Cedar Falls. The Illinois native amassed a .324 batting average as a true freshman. He hit 19 home runs while driving in 54 runs.

As a sophomore, Pupillo held a .442 batting average to go along with 16 home runs and 44 runs batted in.

She will be an immediate impact player in Tuscaloosa next season. She can play multiple positions for the Crimson Tide. Her primary position is catcher, but she is able to play other positions as well. Following the conclusion of the 2023-2024 season, Pupillo was named Softball America’s No. 3 catcher in the country.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama softball program.

Vikings 2024 NFL draft scouting report: Northern Iowa DT Khristian Boyd

Northern Iowa DT Khristian Boyd made some waves at the Shrine Bowl. What does the FCS product’s NFL Draft stock look like?

Welcome to SKOL Search!

This series will be your guide to the 2024 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we will be covering the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from all angles.

The focus of the draft class in this space will be on the Vikings’ major needs at quarterback, running back, defensive line and edge rusher. We will also focus on wide receiver since it’s a loaded class and an increased chance to get a Stefon Diggs-type steal in the later rounds.

The Vikings are slated to have 9 picks going into the NFL draft and they need to make the most out of them.

Florida basketball has reached out to this Nothern Iowa transfer

Could Northern Iowa standout Noah Carter be the first transfer of the Golden Era?

The Florida Gators will look like an entirely new team next season. [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] has replaced [autotag]Mike White[/autotag] as head coach, and six seniors are set to move on from the program barring a surprise return.

That means Golden will likely be dipping into the transfer portal and an early name being linked with the Gators is Nothern Iowa sophomore Noah Carter, according to 247Sports. The 6-foot-6-inch, 229-pound forward averaged 15.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 2021-22 and has heard from several other programs since entering the portal on Wednesday.

Florida, Arkansas, BYU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech are the early suitors, but Carter wants to take things slow.

“At the end of the day I’m trying to find a school that I fit in best and where I can make an impact,” Carter said. “Entering the portal has been something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I have some dreams and goals I want to achieve and I just believe that I’ll need to go to a different school and start a different chapter of my life to achieve them.”

UF has produced plenty of NBA players in the past and certainly has more eyes on it than UNI does. That said, Florida also plays in the much tougher Southeastern Conference, and Carter is relatively unproven against that level of play on a consistent basis.

With a few years of eligibility left on the table, Carter would have time to settle in wherever he lands. Often underlooked over his career, Carter is hoping he’ll finally get a chance to make the impact he knows he’s capable of.

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2022 Missouri Valley Conference tournament: Best bets, sleepers and storylines

Previewing the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament.

When you think of the Missouri Valley Conference, what comes to mind? Some will think of Larry Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores. Many will remember “The Shot” from Ali Farokhmanesh to lift Northern Iowa over Kansas in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. But the majority of people will bring up Loyola Chicago and all the noise the team has made in recent years come tourney time.

Although the MVC has its household name (Loyola), the conference has continuously proven its competitive balance through the years — 2022 is no different. The MVC standings concluded with at least four teams turning in double-digits conference wins for the fourth straight season. Likewise, it was the fourth year in a row that the top two seeds finished no more than a game apart in the standings.

Another competitive tournament is slated for March 3rd. Let’s dig into everything from sleeper teams to players to watch.

All odds via Tipico Sportsbook

Badger moments: Kammron Taylor leads UW over Northern Iowa in 2005

Kammron Taylor saved the day

The 2005 Wisconsin Badgers reached the Elite Eight, marking the first time Bo Ryan led a UW team that deep into the NCAA Tournament. It would take nine years for Wisconsin to return to the Elite Eight, but the 2005 team put down a marker which increased expectations within the program and moved the Badgers forward.

That journey began in Oklahoma City in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. The opponent for UW was Northern Iowa. The Panthers are currently coached by Ben Jacobson. Back then, Jacobson was an assistant coach for UNI… and the 2005 team was led by a separate man named Ben Jacobson, a player with no relation to the coach.

Ben Jacobson the player was a formidable scorer for Northern Iowa, making the Panthers a tough No. 11 seed which figured to give the sixth-seeded Badgers a battle.

That’s exactly what happened.

Wisconsin led by 16 at one point in the game, but Northern Iowa pulled within three points, at 53-50, late in regulation. The Badgers needed someone to step up. Kammron Taylor answered the call.

On a night when Alando Tucker scored nine fewer points (6) than his season average (15), and Mike Wilkinson scored seven fewer points (7) than his season average (14), Wisconsin needed a pick-me-up from a surprising source, the kind of unexpected gem which forms a deep run in March Madness.

Taylor was that man, scoring 16 of Wisconsin’s 57 points in a five-point rock-fight victory, 57-52. Taylor hit four free throws in the final minute to make sure UNI could not complete its valiant comeback.

Sharif Chambliss helped Taylor and the Badgers by scoring 15 points, but Taylor’s burst off the bench — he scored his 16 points in just 20 minutes — was the true revelation and salvation for Wisconsin, whose win didn’t point to a long NCAA Tournament run… until third-seeded Kansas lost to Bucknell, opening up the bracket for the Badgers and giving them the path they needed.