The Panthers showed they can compete with any program in the country when everything falls into place.

During the season, the Panthers rolled past Iowa and reeled off 16 straight wins — including a thrashing of Wichita State — to put the program back in the national spotlight.

Northern Iowa (31-4) set a school record for wins, moved into the top 10 for the first time and won the Missouri Valley conference tournament before losing to Louisville on Sunday night.