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STATE FARM MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 3, 2017

St. Louis, Missouri - Arch Madness

Missouri State - 70

Northern Iowa - 64

THE MODERATOR: Panthers of Northern Iowa are with us. Bennett Koch and Jeremy Morgan represent the student-athletes. Ben Jacobson is in the middle. We're going to ask him to start off with a statement on this game.

BEN JACOBSON: Yeah, in terms of the game, I thought both teams played really hard. We had chances to rebound the ball better, and that was going to make a difference. I thought we battled hard in the second half. We went and got some offensive rebounds that really helped us. We didn't get enough done there.

I thought the guys played -- I thought we really played good offense. I thought we moved the ball well. I thought we found guys. And we had some opportunities to get a little rhythm and get a little bounce in our step, and we weren't able to get a couple going. Sometimes that happens.

So give Paul and his guys credit. Both teams played really hard.

Q. For either one of you guys, I know when you played them in Springfield, you guys were able to contain Alize Johnson pretty well, and then tonight you really -- there was a big difference in the game. What was the biggest difference in his performance in this game from the last time you saw him?
THE MODERATOR: Bennett, please.

BENNETT KOCH: I guess he just came out pretty aggressive. I guess that's how everyone should come out. We struggled to defend him, and I guess that really hurt us.

Q. This one's for Jeremy. I know maybe you haven't had time to think about it, but with this being your last game and everything you accomplished, both individually and with team success over the years, I mean, just what's your thoughts on your overall legacy at Northern Iowa?
JEREMY MORGAN: Yeah, it's gone by fast. It's obviously a tough way to go out, not the way you want to go out. I've been around a lot of great teams and a lot of great guys over the past four years. I wouldn't take that back for anything.

So just got to say how much I love the guys and everybody I played with and the coaching staff. I just want to thank everybody for getting me to where I am today.

Q. Kind of along the same lines, I've been out on the floor with you when you guys have been celebrating and then in here. What's your message back to those young guys about the journey that they're still on?
JEREMY MORGAN: Two things. One, your time goes by fast, so take advantage of every moment that you have. And, two, just never waste an opportunity, whether that's getting in and getting some extra shots, getting some extra lifting in. There's always more you can do, which I've been told from guys before me. There's always more you could do. So I would definitely pass that message on to them. There's always more you can do.

Q. Jake, talk a little bit about Jeremy, but also thinking about the game, they get 50 rebounds. How did you -- that was maybe the biggest issue.
BEN JACOBSON: Yeah, it was. I mean, that's -- their ability to rebound the ball at their offensive end was -- ended up being the difference in the game without question. At the end of the day, we didn't do it well enough. We didn't get them blocked out, and we didn't come up with enough rebounds. If we do, we got a pretty darn good chance to be playing tomorrow.

And then Jeremy's -- he is -- he's in that group of best guys to come through our program. And we talked about it in the locker room, and I've said it before. His numbers -- his name's always going to be in those top 10 school records. He's got plenty of them in the top 10, and his name's always going to be in there. But that doesn't -- that just doesn't go anywhere close to describing who he is and what he's meant to our program.

For a player -- I just told the guys this. For a player to be as good as Jeremy is and unselfish and care as much as he does about his teammates and about the program, I don't know. I mean, we've got great guys in our locker room, but to come across a young man that has got that type of character when it comes to being unselfish and it comes to caring about the people around him, he's a special, special guy that way.

Man, I can't tell you how lucky our program is to have Jeremy come through it and put his impact on our program. We've got a lot of good things going, and it's because of Jeremy and guys like him.

Q. Outside of Jeremy and Jordan Ashton, it seems like it's a very young team. Everyone comes back next season. Do you mind talking about the prospects and the potential of this team next season.
BEN JACOBSON: I'm excited about our guys. I made the decision during the week to go with the older guys, given the -- if that's what the decision was going to be. We saw Ted more tonight and didn't see Luke. We saw Hunter more tonight and didn't see Juwan much after the start and didn't see Isaiah.

But having seen those guys every day, I am, I'm excited about our guys. And I think the -- I think Klint and Bennett aren't anywhere close to where they're going to be next year and potentially after that if they continue to play. So I think up front with those two guys, we're going to see a lot of improvement, even though they're going to be seniors.

And then the freshmen, I like them. I'm excited about them. And we've got two guards sitting out that we're really going to like as well.

Q. With Bennett and Klint, it seems like when they play to their next level, the team ascends to a different talent level. Would you mind just speaking about their impacts and how great they could be at Northern Iowa.
BEN JACOBSON: Yeah, the ability to throw the basketball inside is -- that's a big deal. Missouri State was able to do that with Johnson tonight, and that really hurt us. He gave us all kinds of problems.

We've been able to do that with Bennett and with Klint. So I just feel like they're going to be much better players next year. I don't think they're anywhere close to being as good as they're going to be.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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