Moran on defensive for NCAA-bound UNI

Inside the University of Northern Iowa men's basketball locker room is a scoreboard that doesn't tally points.

"It lists the stuff that doesn't show up in the stats," said P.J. Hogan, an assistant coach for the Panthers. 

The board keeps track of UNI's defensive player of the game, along with offensive rebounds, assist-to-turnover ratio, charges taken and loose balls.

For Jacobs graduate Johnny Moran, a difficult year on offense has not kept him out of the starting lineup.

Despite his offensive struggles, Moran has become one of the most reliable defensive players for the Panthers (28-4), who will play UNLV in the first round of this week's NCAA tournament. For the second year in a row, Moran and the Panthers won last week's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and earned the league's automatic NCAA berth.

Though he is scoring is down by nearly three points a game, Moran has been a fixture on the locker room scoreboard.

"I don't usually get on there for the other stuff, but I'm on there for charges and loose balls," said Moran, who is averaging 5.6 points a game and shooting 33 percent for the season yet leads the team with 33 steals. "A lot of what playing defense is about is just wanting to play defense."

Moran's effort has helped UNI earn a big reputation for its defense. The Panthers, who were ranked No. 25 this week in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll, are second nationally for allowing only 54.3 points a game.

"We're a very confident team right now," Moran said. "I really think we can make some noise (in the tournament)."

While the Panthers, who earned a No. 9 seed, have made plenty of highlight shows by winning 45 of their past 54 games dating back to last season, Moran has his own highlight show.

"I watch film with coach P.J. after every game," Moran said. "He points out my mistakes and points out what I'm doing right."

The personal film sessions, along with Moran's work on improving his quickness, have paid off.

"Usually, it's more bad than good," Hogan joked about the film clips he shows Moran. "But at the end of the day, 95 percent of the time he's in the right spot. The great thing about Johnny is that he wants to get better. He can take the good with the bad. He's done a phenomenal job."

Moran's skills on defense, according to Hogan, came with him from Jacobs but they have been sharpened in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

"He was one of the best help defenders we've ever had come into our program from high school," Hogan said. "He's taken it on himself to focus on the defensive end of the floor. He's done a better job guarding the ball. He's in a better stance. He's done a better job chasing guys around screens."

In three games at last week's MVC Tournament in St. Louis, Moran and UNI allowed three opponents to shoot 33 percent from the field and score only 44 points a game. It was more evidence of how stifling the Panthers can be to opposing offenses.

"You can tell when you see the other team getting frustrated," Moran said. 

Even though Moran has scored in double figures six times this season -- in contrast to 11 last year -- he has been a fixture as a starter.

Moran, who started every game last season as a freshman, has made 30 starts this season. He missed two games in January because of an ankle injury and could have missed more time, Hogan said. 

"He wanted to be back on the floor," Hogan said. "He's been pretty banged up. I don't know too many guys who would've played with that injury. That's what Johnny's all about. And I know every one of his teammates appreciate that about him."

Barry Bottino writes a weekly column and a blog about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and check out his On Campus column every Saturday in the Northwest Herald sports section.