NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT / SOUTHEAST AND MIDWEST REGIONALS : TODAY’S SOUTHEAST REGIONAL GAMES : Northern Iowa Tries to Find New Level

RICHMOND, Va. â€”  Three months ago, Northern Iowa was more or less another of those Hawaii Loas or St. Leos--a patsy for Georgetown to practice with in the early season. Shortly after Thanksgiving, the Panthers played their role well, losing to the Hoyas, 83-49.

But that was light years ago in a basketball sense.

Northern Iowa has reached Georgetown’s level--at least for a weekend. Both are in the second round of the NCAA tournament--Georgetown perhaps not unexpectedly, the 14th-seeded Panthers (23-8) a surprise courtesy of Marcus Newby’s three-point basket that beat Missouri, 74-71, Friday.

Ahead for Northern Iowa lies Minnesota today in the Southeast Regionals after a game between second-seeded Syracuse (25-6) and seventh-seeded Virginia (20-11).

Is the clock edging toward midnight? Panther Coach Eldon Miller isn’t buying it.

“There aren’t any small schools anymore because there are so many good basketball players around,� Miller said Saturday. “You don’t need many good players to build a good team. We don’t recruit many players who can’t drive home for Thanksgiving and we’re able to win with them.�

One of those good players is 6-8, 240-pound center Jason Reese, who had 18 points and 15 rebounds while working against Missouri’s 6-10 Doug Smith and 6-9 Nathan Buntin.

His job will be different against 20th-ranked Minnesota (21-8). The Gophers feature a group of interchangeable leapers from 6-4 to 6-7.

“Size can create a problem,� Reese said. “Everybody plays inside and out. They just don’t have one guy underneath.�

Minnesota has seen this act before. Last season, its second-round game was against Siena, a team out of the Northern Iowa mold. The Gophers won, 80-67.