IOWA FALLS - Troy Muilenburg has seen some talented basketball teams in his time. You might remember, the former Cedar Falls resident was a starting off-guard when Northern Iowa's men briefly tipped the college basketball world on its axis in March 1990, scoring an NCAA Tournament upset over No. 3 seed Missouri.

Muilenburg is 41 now and currently coaches another group of Panthers - the Ellsworth Community College Panthers - with almost as much eye-opening athleticism as his former teammates at UNI.

"The first home game I saw us play, with the ease we scored points, I thought, 'Okay, we have a chance to be pretty good,'" said Muilenburg, in his 10th season at Ellsworth.

Rarely has such a collection of talent converged in Iowa Falls.

Ellsworth, a Division II junior college that entered the weekend 15-0, may have as many as five future Division I players in its midst. Even for a program that won a national title in 1971, this is rare territory.

"If you turn over enough rocks, you find some guys that fit," Muilenburg said slyly, noting recruiting connections that stretch from Milwaukee to Australia.

Forward Tony Lewis, a returning third-team all-American, is among the nation's most versatile players. Guard Mike Candelaria, whose 8.2 assists per game led the nation last month, shoots 25-foot 3s with ease. Grinnell native Nick Wagner's jaw-dropping dunk on Dec. 14 left Western Illinois coach Jim Molinari drooling.

Perimeter players Brad Starken and L.C. Doss have also inspired coaches from schools like Indiana State to "sniff around" Ellsworth, according to Muilenburg, whose program has increased its scholarship funds in recent seasons.

"We have the talent," declared Wagner, one of five Panther players who stand 6-foot-6 or taller. "Our backups … are talented, so they push us hard - it's (comparable) to a game, practicing versus them."

With relentless full-court pressure and a run-and-gun mentality, Ellsworth always gives the scoreboard a workout. On Nov. 21, for instance, the Panthers humbled North Central, 115-82.

"We've got so much depth on this team that we can always go hard," Candelaria explained. "It speeds up the game. That has to irritate opponents.

As always, this year's Ellsworth roster has some Northeast Iowa flavor, with role players like Turrell Foster, an Iowa Falls-Alden graduate, and former Waterloo Columbus Sailor Michael Rhodes.

Muilenburg, a former UNI and NU High assistant, has occasionally struck gold with in-state talent in recent years. Most notably, 6-7 Postville native Denis Ikovlev served Ellsworth well before moving on to Nevada, where he started 30 games last winter.

But most of this season's stars - including four of Ellsworth's five D-I prospects - hail from major metropolitan areas outside of Iowa. To city kids, the farm fields of Hardin County must look like alien landscape, right?

Not necessarily.

"It gets boring sometimes, (but) it helps us focus," said Lewis, a 6-6 sophomore from Chicago.

Said Muilenburg: "They know there's not a lot of night life here. So they get in the gym - and get better."

And, Lewis noted, moving to unfamiliar territory extends the college learning experience beyond Ellsworth's classrooms.

"People from Iowa Falls, they look out for us," said the sophomore. "They let us come into their house, and they cook us meals. They're really nice."

Lewis, Candelaria - and who knows, maybe even Muilenburg - will toil under larger spotlights in the near future. But for now, these Panthers have specific prey in their sights - namely, any foes who stand between them and an NJCAA national title.

"I kinda liken our team right now to that (1990 UNI) group," Muilenburg said. "Because everyone gets along and has a fun time together, but as soon as they get on the floor they're all business.

"I'd like to win a national championship. And that's our goal this year."

Contact Kelly Beaton at (319) 291-1456 or kelly.beaton@wcfcourier.com