The Ben Jacobson era has officially come to a close for Northern Iowa after amassing a 397-259 record over the course of 20 years. He ended it on a high note, reaching the Arch Madness Championship and taking down UIC to punch the Panthers’ ticket to the NCAA Tournament as a 12-seed. Following the end of the season, Jacobson took a jump to Utah State following Jerrod Calhoun’s departure to Cincinnati.
Northern Iowa named Kyle Green as their official head coach for the 2026 season. He’s been a long-time assistant, including three separate stints with the Panthers underneath Jacobson. He was the Associate Head Coach from 2017 to 2021 before spending the last five years with Iowa State as an assistant. He brings a ton of experience and notable ties to the surrounding region.
The Panthers weren’t a deep team last year, but the coaching change made roster turnover even harder. Head Coach Green was able to retain a couple of players and incoming freshman recruits, but he, like many others around college basketball, had to resort to using the transfer portal to put together his team for the upcoming season. Let’s take a look at how their roster is shaping up for the 2026-2027 season!
Use the code “BracketBusters” when checking out at Crow’s Nest Coffee Roasters to receive 20% off your order! Want two bags of coffee shipped to your door every month? Sign up for a monthly subscription here and receive 25% off your monthly subscription!
Roster Turnover
Max Weisbrod (Senior) ~ TBD
6.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Ben Schwieger (Senior) ~ TBD
9.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5, 1.1 steals
Ismael Diouf (Senior) ~ TBD
3 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1 assist
Trey Campbell (Senior) ~ Utah
13.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.7 steals
Leon Bond III (Senior) ~ Iowa State
11.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Will Hornseth (Junior) ~ Utah State
11.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Marino Dubravcic (Junior) ~ Hawaii Pacific (D-II)
DNP
R.J. Taylor (Junior) ~ Oakland
2.6 points, 1 rebound, 1.1 assists
With Ben Jacobson heading to Utah State, Northern Iowa fans knew that they were going to be in for some turnover. Trey Campbell and Leon Bond III are both heading to the power conference ranks, while Will Hornseth followed his head coach where he’ll play in Utah State’s inaugural season within the newly reformed Pac-12.
For the rest of their players, they didn’t run a deep bench last season. Just six players averaged more than 12 minutes per game. Keep in mind, this was a team that finished 6th in the Missouri Valley before going on a run and defeating UIC in the Championship game of Arch Madness. With that being said, they didn’t lose a ton of talent that was going to obviously step up in the coming year aside from their graduating seniors. Though at this point, who knows whose eligibility is truly expired.
Returning Players
Kyle Pock (Senior)
3.7 points, 1 rebound
Levi Valdo (Sophomore)
DNP
Geon Hutchins (Sophomore)
1.5 points, 1.2 rebounds
Jalen Wilson (Sophomore)
DNP
Cade Courbat (Sophomore)
0.9 points, 0.5 rebounds
Redek Born (Walk-on)
DNP
Kyle Pock (6’6)
Pock has spent the last three seasons with the Northern Iowa Panthers, bringing in the most experience on the returning list. He’s appeared in 99 games and averaged 3.2 points with 0.8 rebounds over that stretch of time. Last year, he shot 38.9% overall and 34.5% from three-point across 34 games.
He didn’t average a ton, but he had some nice games in expanded opportunities. He went on a three-game stretch while playing UC Irvine, Loyola Chicago, and Tulsa during the non-conference where he averaged 13.7 points, one rebound, and one assist. On the season, he finished with a 105.8 offensive rating and 53% true shooting percentage.
He isn’t going to take a leap into double-digit points per game this season, but he provides valuable experience and he’ll have an impactful role off the bench.
Levi Valdo (6’4)
Levi Valdo redshirted last season for the Panthers, but this was just his first season in college basketball after playing for Fidenza in the Itally-B professional league. Across 41 games, he averaged 16.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.3 steals while shooting 39.8% from the floor. He shot just 28.3% from beyond the arc, while finishing 45.2% of his shots from inside the arc.
At 6’4, he fits well into more of a complimentary off-ball guard rather than a point guard. He isn’t a playmaker, but he can be a strong rebounder and there is no doubt about his ability to score. He took a developmental season last year as a redshirt, so you should expect to see him have an opportunity to earn some minutes in the rotation this season with a new head coach.
Geon Hutchins (6’4)
After committing to Northern Iowa over Western Michigan, Robert Morris, Oakland, and Central Michigan, Geon Hutchins averaged 1.5 points and 1.2 rebounds while shooting 36% from the floor across 35 games. The majority of his production came against a non-division one opponent where he was just one rebound shy of a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds.
There was a stretch of six games where he saw the court for at least ten minutes, but he shot just 3-11 from the floor in those opportunities. You shouldn’t expect to see him take a huge step forward this season, but don’t be surprised if you see more of him on the court for Northern Iowa.
Jalen Wilson (6’8)
Wilson was another freshman that redshirted last season after committing to the Panthers over Nebraska, Kansas City, and Bryant. Per 247 Sports, he was a three-star recruit and ranked 313th in his class. During his senior season of high school, he was a monster at Benilde-St. Mary’s. He finished as the program’s all-time leading scorer while averaging over 22 points per game.
It’s great to see that Wilson stuck around after the head coaching switch. He won’t start in his first season, but you should see him on the floor in what will be a developmental season for the forward.
Cade Courbat (6’8)
Courbat is technically entering year three with Northern Iowa, but he redshirted as a freshman then missed the entire season last year due to an injury. He is one of several players on the roster that played at Cedar Falls High School where he averaged 10.8 points with 5.7 rebounds and two assists.
Redek Born (6’3)
Born is a walk-on, so you should expect to see a minimal contribution this season.
Roster Additions
Tate McCubbin (Junior) ~ Austin Peay
9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds 1.4 assists, 1.3 steals
Isaiah Johnson-Arigu (Junior) ~ St. Thomas
10.5 points, 4 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Ian Smikle (Junior) ~ Tulsa
3.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1 assist
Greyson Uelmen (Sophomore) ~ North Dakota
16.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals
Carson Vis (Sophomore) ~ Western Michigan
5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds
Jaydon Kimbrough (Freshman)
Jules Isebaert (Sophomore)
Will lGerdes (Freshman)
Guards
Greyson Uelmen (6’2)
It was tough to find a better player over the second half of last season, let alone as a freshman in the mid-major ranks. Uelmen had a standout season overall, averaging 16.8 points with 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 49.7% overall and 33.9% from beyond the arc. From January 17th through the end of the season, he was phenomenal. The 6’2 guard averaged 22.4 points with three rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. It was no coincidence the Fighting Hawks went 7-4 to end the regular season and went on a run to the Summit League Tournament where they battled to the end against North Dakota State as they fell 70-62.
Looking at his metrics, he finished with a 29.5% possession usage which was 72nd best in the country and a 60.4% true shooting percentage which was 251st. He also featured an 18.6 assist rate, 2.2% steal percentage, 57.7 free throw rate which was 102nd overall and a strong 56.2% shooting percentage from inside the arc.
While there is still plenty of room for him to grow as both a playmaker and from beyond the arc, Uelmen will immediately be one of the best offensive players in the rotation for the Panthers this season.
Carson Vis (6’3)
Carson Vis had several mid-major offers coming out of high school from Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Toledo, and Eastern Michigan, but he opted to committed to the Broncos at Western Michigan. As a freshman, he appeared in 31 games while averaging 14.8 minutes per game. He finished with a line of 5.8 points and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 43.5% overall and 30.6% from three-point.
As with any freshman, he had some up-and-down games throughout the season, but he was a consistent scorer in larger opportunities. Over the final four games of the year, he averaged 11.3 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting a strong 53.8% from the floor. Vis featured a 104.9 offensive rating, 51.4% true shooting percentage, 12.6% defensive rebounding percentage, and a 2% steal percentage.
We should see plenty of him this season as he looks to take a large step forward as a sophomore with the Panthers.
Jaydon Kimbrough (6’3)
The Iowa native only had two other Division I offers from Vermont and North Florida, but he is very underrated in my opinion. The 6’3 guard was dominant at Cedar Falls High School where he averaged 19 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. He led his team to an undefeated state championship season, solidifying himself as one of the stronger prospects in the state.
Kimbrough has a remarkable ability to score the ball, one that will absolutely translate to the next level. After originally committing to Winona State, he decommitted after garnering more attention from Division I programs. I don’t think he’ll be starting as a freshman given others at the position. They lack depth at the point guard position, so he’ll have a good opportunity to see some minutes as a back-up in year one.
Forwards
Tate McCubbin (6’8)
After spending the last two seasons with Austin Peay, the 6’8 forward hit the transfer portal and landed with the Northern Iowa Panthers. McCubbin immediately made a splash as a freshman, starting in 22 out of 31 games and averaging 10.6 points with 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals. As a sophomore, he averaged 9.7 points with 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.3 steals while starting in all 31 games. It’s worth noting with Collin Parker, Rashaud Marshall, and Zyree Collins, it was to be expected that his offensive production slightly decreased. However, he still shot 37.5% overall and 34.6% from three-point.
He finished the season with a 108.3 offensive rating, 52.3% true shooting percentage, 15.6% defensive rebounding percentage, and 2.4% steal percentage. These metrics were down a bit from his freshman season. For example, he featured a 56.8% true shooting percentage, 56% effective field goal percentage which was 257th overall, and a 115.3 offensive rating the year prior.
The Panthers are getting a reliable forward in McCubbin, one that if he can regain what he did as a freshman then he’ll make a nice slash this season.
Isaiah Johnson-Arigu (6’7)
The former three-star was a top-150 recruit before he committed to Miami heading into his freshman season. He appeared in just eight games as a freshman, so he entered the transfer portal and landed with St. Thomas last season. He appeared in 33 games off the bench while averaging 21.4 minutes per game. The sophomore had a strong season as he averaged 10.5 points with four rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 54.3% overall and 32.5% from three-point.
The 6’7 forward finished with a 113.1 offensive rating, 63% true shooting percentage, 17.8% defensive rebounding percentage, 2.9% block percentage, all while shooting 67.4% from inside the arc which was the 58th best overall in the country. In the Summit League, he metrics improved across the board. He had a 115.7 offensive rating, and he shot an absurd 69.9% from inside which was the third best in the country. He also knocked down 13-38 attempts from three-point within conference play.
Ian Smikle (6’8)
Tulsa was a fantastic story to follow last year, including a run to the NIT Finals. Ian Smikle spent the past two years with the Golden Hurricane where he went from starting in nearly every game as a freshman to coming off the bench while averaging 13.8 minutes last season. He averaged 3.1 points with 3.6 rebounds and one assist per game while shooting 53.3% overall. He serves as more of a smaller traditional big man as he has yet to attempt a shot from beyond the arc.
It was interesting when diving into his metrics. Across the board they were nearly the same with some improvements. He jumped up to a 107.8 offensive rating, 54.5% effective field goal percentage, 11.8 assist rate, and an 11.3% offensive rebounding percentage which were all improvements. Smikle also featured a 17.4% defensive rebounding percentage, 2.3% block percentage, and 1.4% steal percentage.
At 6’8, he’ll provide the Panthers with some solid minutes at the traditional center position. He’s strong at cleaning up the boards, but he’s a liability at the free throw line as he shot just 37% against Division I opponents. It’ll be interesting to see what he can do in an expanded role.
Jules Isebaert (6’5)
Isebaert is another international prospect on the Panthers’ roster this season. He spent the last three seasons in Belgium where he played for Kortrijk. Last season, he averaged 3.2 points with 1.6 rebounds across 31 games while shooting 46.3% overall and 36.7% from three-point. As a part of team Belgium, he appeared in four games throughout the FIBA U20 EuroBasket tournament where he averaged 3.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.
The 6’5 wing has more development to do, but he has the potential to blossom into a reliable player for Northern Iowa. He already has a strong shot and his rebounding could turn him into a solid wing at this level. He’ll be a bit of a longer term developmental player, but he’s someone to keep a watch on this season.
Will Gerdes (6’8)
Gerdes is another incoming freshman that was a bit underrated. The 6’8 guard also played at Cedar Falls high School with Jaydon Kimbrough as they went undefeated on the season. At 6’8, he plays more like a traditional big man with a remarkable ability to lock down the paint. Gerdes is also proficient from inside the arc where he shot 70% on the season during his junior campaign.
With Ian Smikle being the other more traditional center, though similarly undersized at 6’8, you should expect to see Gerdes coming off the bench in the rotation as a freshman.
Gerdes held offers from South Dakota, Bryant, and Nebraska.
Want to support my writing, but don’t want to sign up for a monthly subscription? Consider “buying me a coffee” via the link below!
Sign up for Bracket Busters’ Discord to discuss all things Mid-Major Basketball!
Expectations
This roster is one of the more interesting ones that I’ve written about thus far because there are a lot of unknowns. Greyson Uelmen was a major splash in the portal, but they added a couple of players that weren’t the star of the show at their own mid-major programs. The players that stayed are going to have a similarly equal opportunity as the incoming freshmen to compete for minutes as there won’t be a single true senior on the roster, pending any late additions.
Let’s look at what a potential starting lineup could look like for the Panthers:
Greyson Uelmen
Carson Vis
Tate McCubbin
Isaiah Johnson-Arigu
Ian Smikle
Overall, this is a solid offensive starting lineup. Uelmen is prolific on the offensive end, Vis showed signs as a freshman and he’ll certainly take a step forward, and Tate McCubbin has been consistent over the last couple of seasons. Johnson-Arigu is also poised to take a step up this season in an expanded role, similar to Vis, and then Smikle will be looking to take advantage of sliding into a starting lineup.
This is going to be a fairly physical team, one that poses a majority threat from inside the arc. They will be able to knock down some threes, but that’s most likely not going to be their strong suit. If the season were to start today, I’d expect to watch a slower offense with a focus on isolating defenders to create opportunities for themselves.
I have two areas of concern for the Panthers: lack of point guard depth and lack of height. I wouldn’t consider Uelmen a floor general, but he very well could turn himself into one. If so, paired with his offensive capabilities, he’d be putting himself on the map. However, outside of Uelmen, they only have Jaydon Kimbrough as a freshman that was a bit of a late bloomer. Levi Valdo is more of a shooting guard, so if something happened to Uelmen, it could get wild at the point.
On the other side of the court, they have Ian Smikle and Will Gerdes who are 6’8 and can be smaller traditional centers. The other is Cade Courbat who is 6’8, but has no experience due to missing two seasons. They are going to fall flat when it comes to playing some of the true big men both in the non-conference part of their schedule and the Missouri Valley Conference.
There is still time for them to add a last minute addition to their roster as there have been several new transfers come in over the last week, but what do you think? Can Northern Iowa compete in year one of the Coach Green era?