The Hunt for the Most Interesting Team in the World is the Dagger's 2009-10 countdown preview series. Check out the overriding principles here.

Last year's record: 23-11 (14-4 Missouri Valley)

2009-2010's toughest games: vs. Iowa, vs. Siena

Primary attraction: Can Northern Iowa make it back-to-back MVC titles and make consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament for just the third time in school history?

Three items of undeniable interest:

1. Can the Panthers avoid a slow start? -- Last year UNI started the year 6-6, with predictable losses to big-time schools like Marquette and Iowa. But there were also some unexpected slip-ups to the Illinois-Chicagos and Wyomings of the NCAA too. Ben Jacobson's squad will hope to avoid a similar start this year, but the schedule does no favors. UNI could see either Tennessee or Purdue in the Thanksgiving Paradise Jam, before playing in-state rivals Iowa and Iowa State ahead of an exciting interconference game with a much-hyped Siena team.

2. Fundamentals -- Is it cliche to say that MVC teams thrive on good fundamentals? Too bad, because Northern Iowa does the little things right. They shoot well from the field and the line, defend well, are formidable on the boards, force turnovers and are able to keep their own handle. In short, Northern Iowa isn't going to beat itself. OK, that did sound pretty cliche, but it's true. (Sorry, I've been watching too much Tim McCarver.)

3. The two Ben Jacobsons -- Ben Jacobson, the player, led UNI to three straight NCAA tournaments from 2004 to 2006. He was named twice to the first-team All-MVC team and is the third leading scorer in team history. Ben Jacobson, the coach, took over the Panthers the year after Ben Jacobson, the player, matriculated. Much to my disappointment, they are not the same person.  

"He hasn't played in 10 minutes!":

For your enjoyment, the biggest shot in Northern Iowa history. Tied with No. 3 seed Missouri in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Maurice Newby drained a three with one second left for the upset of the 1990 tourney. Norm Stewart, the legendary Missouri coach, made his name at Northern Iowa in the 1960s.