CEDAR FALLS - Northern Iowa doesn't carry itself with the swagger of a conference champion.

And that, says fourth-year head coach Ben Jacobson, is one reason his Panthers have a chance to build on the success they experienced on the Missouri Valley Conference hardwood a year ago.

UNI went 23-11, shared the MVC regular-season title, won the Valley tournament and lost a 61-56 battle with Purdue in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Nine regulars return, including all five starters.

During media day Monday, those players hardly sounded like a team that's all that. In fact, Jacobson and his Panthers sounded more like a team that only scratched the surface of its potential last season.

"My approach and our staff's approach with this team from the end of last year until today has been about getting better," said Jacobson. "I've been very impressed with their work ethic. I've been very impressed with how they've prepared themselves. I really like the way they practiced the first three days of practice.

"The way they're approaching things right now, we do have an opportunity to get better and because of that we feel like we've got a team that can contend for our league title."

UNI took the first steps in that development last December when it was playing .500 basketball. That commitment was renewed shortly after the NCAA loss to Purdue.

Entering this season, 7-footer Jordan Eglseder is 20 pounds lighter and in the best shape of his life. Adam Koch, a 6-8 forward, put on 15 pounds of muscle. Johnny Moran, banged up as a freshman guard, is better-prepared this time around. And on it goes.

"Our approach can't be any different," said junior guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe. "Everybody on our team worked tremendously hard this summer, and I think that will carry over.

"The sky's the limit. We have to make sure we take care of the things we can take care of, and it starts in practice, but the sky's the limit."

Eglseder said the Panthers haven't gotten caught up in any of the preseason hype.

"People have us ranked at the top (of the MVC) this year and that's different than last year (UNI was picked sixth), but we just need to go and approach it like we did last year," he said.

"Last year, we were underdogs the whole year. We proved people wrong. This year we just need to do what we do. We just need to try to get better at practice every day. We know as a team we can be up there just like we were last year, but we need to work on it and see where it goes from there."

You won't catch Lucas O'Rear living in the past, either.

"That was last season," he said. "We're going out there with a clean slate. We're just going to go out there and work every day to get better.

"If we don't, the other teams are."

On the court, not much will change, either.

Jacobson said his team will try to score in transition when it can. It will take advantage of Eglseder's and Koch's improved size and strength on the block. A deep, experienced and versatile guard court will be expected to attack the basket, shoot the 3 and handle the ball with care.

The Panthers will strive for offensive balance. Last season, five players averaged between 8.4 and 12.1 points per game.

"I think we can have six or seven guys who are going to average between eight and 12 points a game again," said Jacobson. "You've also got to have some guys who can jump up and get 18 or 20 points on a given night. One of the keys for us last year was, it was different players."

On the other hand, defense remains the foundation for Jacobson's program.

"This is where my staff feels the championship is won ... at the defensive end of the floor," he said. "There's no question in terms of our commitment to defense. Our players understand that's our commitment, and it has to be at the defensive end of the floor if we're going to have an opportunity to be in the hunt for a conference championship."

Jacobson said the Valley will be an improved conference. There is an abundance of experience returning, and a handful of newcomers with the ability to make an immediate impact, including a couple of Panthers. Redshirt freshman Anthony James and true freshman Marc Sonnen, a pair of guards, have the best chance to contribute this season.

"I feel like our league is going to be much better than it was a year ago," said Jacobson, whose team will also be tested by non-league opponents like DePaul, Siena, Iowa, Iowa State and possibly Tennessee and Purdue at the Paradise Jam. "I think there are a number of teams that can be in position to win our league title.

"I feel like we're one of them."