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

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.