Ready or not the Northern Iowa men open the Missouri Valley Conference race Wednesday night at Illinois-Chicago. The Panthers are 3-4 after dropping two games at the NIT Season Tip Off in Florida and it has been a few years since the Valley started conference play in December in the wake of expansion.

That’s Panther coach Ben Jacobson who says conference games have a different level of intensity.

Under first year coach Rob Ehsan, Illinois-Chicago is off to a 4-3 start.

Jacobson says the Panthers need to be ready for the challenge they face.