Cedar Falls, anyone?

So it's No.22 Northern Iowa for ODU in the "BracketBusters" game. If Siena-Butler is the marquee matchup of the series, this is the clear No.2, pitting a pair of similar, defensive-minded teams.

I caught the announcement at Blaine Taylor's radio show at University Pizza on Colley Avenue, along with a smattering of Monarch stalwarts. After the applause died down, folks were checking their smart phones to find out:

1)Where is Northern Iowa located?

2) How does one get there?

It's 90 miles from Des Moines, it turns out. Not so out of the way.

Getting there is one thing. Winning there is another. Here's coach Blaine Taylor's quick take on the Panthers:

“They’ve been really good in recent years,” Taylor said. ““Their reputation is they’re big, they’re strong defensively, and they’re well-coached. And they’ve got a great home court.”

Sounds a lot like ODU, some would say. The teams rank 2-3 in the nation in scoring defense, with the Panthers giving up 55.1 points, and the Monarchs 55.6.

The plum matchup is a reward for ODU's 17-6 start, Taylor said. It'll give the Monarchs a chance to beat another ranked team (assuming Northern Iowa is still ranked) on the road.

We'll have more on Northern Iowa as the game gets closer. Meanwhile, in case you missed it, Sports Illustrated did an in-depth story a couple weeks back.

-- Ed Miller

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