CEDAR FALLS - Jared Josten and Adam Viet have been roommates for five years.

"That's a lot of time with Josten," Viet quipped earlier this week.

Tonight, the two, who have been friends since the eighth grade, will close out their home Northern Iowa basketball careers together at the McLeod Center against Indiana State, along with seniors Eric Coleman and walk-on Joe Green.

Josten and Viet have followed somewhat similar career paths. Both redshirted in their initial season. Both waited for two years behind Ben Jacobson, Erik Crawford and John Little to get an opportunity on the court.

Now, the two are starters and hoping to get the Panthers (15-13, 7-9 MVC) out of their late-season slump and continue their journey just a bit longer.

"Any time you live with somebody, you're going to have a different type of bond," Viet said. "It's been pretty neat to go through this together."

Unlike many senior classes that come in together as freshmen, this class is unique. Josten and Viet are five-year members, while Coleman came in a year later. Green, meanwhile, just entered the program this season.

"We're all different personalities," Coleman said. "I'm more of the loud, outspoken one of the group. Everyone knows that. Jared and Viet aren't as verbal. They just get the job done."

Head coach Ben Jacobson said, "One of the things that's been fun to watch is seeing Jared and Eric warming up next to each other in practice and laughing amongst each other. They've always gotten along, but their personalities are so different and backgrounds are very different.

"It's two guys maybe that didn't have a ton in common when they got here, but they have a ton in common now."

Coleman has been a four-year starter and the only Division I player in school history to score more than 1,400 points and grab more than 940 rebounds.

"You knew instantly he was a good find for this program," Viet said. "The first time he came in here, he played with energy at all times. You could tell he was good.

"There were a few parts of his game that needed to be polished up, but over the years he's done that."

And for the past two years, Coleman has been a primary target for opposing defenses.

"He's had the spotlight on him for a long time," Jacobson said. "Everything he does gets magnified because he's got the spotlight on him all the time. He's had to learn to deal with certain situations, and he's going to be better prepared when he's done playing because of that."

Josten said the perfect script for tonight's home finale would be a "20-point blowout."

"A nice, easy win," he said.

Coleman just hopes it's better than the send-off they gave Jacobson, Crawford and Little two seasons ago - a 20-plus point loss to Bradley.

"It wasn't fun," he said. "That's not really a way you want to send out your seniors, especially a group like that. Everybody felt it, too. You felt bad you sent them out on that kind of note.

"Nobody wants to lose that last game. It's an added emphasis among everyone trying to get that last one for the seniors."

EGLSEDER QUESTIONABLE:

UNI center Jordan Eglseder is questionable for tonight's game. Eglseder, who has missed three of the last four games with a bulging disc in his lower back, practiced Monday but tweaked an ankle toward the end of the workout.

Contact Matt Coss at (319) 291-1468 or matt.coss@wcfcourier.com

GAME TRACKER

Men's basketball

Indiana State (14-13, 8-8)

at Northern Iowa (15-13, 7-9)

When: Today, 7:05 p.m.

Where: McLeod Center, Cedar Falls

TV: CFU Channel 17, Mediacom Channel 22

Radio: KXEL (1540-AM)

Line: UNI favored by 5 1/2

Series: The Sycamores lead 18-14, but the Panthers have won five straight in Cedar Falls.

Last time out: ISU rallied from a 17-point deficit to win at Murray State, 79-62, Saturday. UNI lost for the fifth time in six games with a 70-58 setback to Illinois-Chicago.

RPI: ISU 95, UNI 139

Next up: ISU closes the regular season at home against Missouri State on Saturday. UNI travels to Evansville for a 7:05 p.m. tip Saturday.

Starting lineups

Indiana State

Name Ht. Yr. Ppg. Rpg.

Todd McCoy 6-4 Sr. 5.3 3.3

Marico Stinson 6-3 So. 12.7 2.6

Jay Tunnell 6-8 Jr. 7.9 4.3

Harry Marshall 6-0 So. 9.9 3.0

Gabe Moore 6-1 Sr. 12.1 3.4

Northern Iowa

Name Ht. Yr. Ppg. Rpg.

Adam Koch 6-8 So. 8.4 6.0

Eric Coleman 6-6 Sr. 11.5 8.3

Adam Viet 6-3 Sr. 4.8 1.4

Travis Brown 6-3 Jr. 6.6 2.0

Jared Josten 5-11 Sr. 10.0 1.9