If you followed UNI Panther basketball last year, you probably heard a lot about the man in the No. 10 jersey. You probably heard about a 6’8” senior forward that hailed from a small town no one had heard of in the north central part of Iowa. If you’re nodding along then you probably remember Seth Tuttle (or King Tut, as the fans called him).
I remember hearing about him when I was in high school. He went to West Fork, which was in the same local news coverage area as West Hancock. I remember watching the local sports highlights after returning from managing the West Hancock girls’ basketball team and seeing the West Fork highlights. Upon hearing how he would be signing and playing for UNI, and coming from a UNI family, I was like “YES GO CATS!”
Tuttle was a key player on the Panthers team. This is reflected in his impressive basketball career. For one, he made history as UNI’s first men’s basketball player to earn NCAA Division I All-America 2nd Team honors. He also earned Third Team All-America honors, and finished as the fourth all-time scorer in Panther history (racking up a whopping 1,747 points) among numerous other achievements.
In 2015, Tuttle helped lead the team to victory, clinching an MVC championship win and an automatic spot in the biggest dance in basketball.
“The feeling was one that I had been waiting a long time to experience," Tuttle said. "The thrill of finally making it to the big dance and having the opportunity to do so with the amazing teammates and coaches that I had. We weren’t entirely sure what seed we would get but we knew it was going to be a good opportunity to win some games so when we saw we got a 5 seed we were pretty excited.”
In the bracket, UNI faced Wyoming before falling to Louisville.
Each encounter was its own experience as both opponents had their own style of play. “When we played Wyoming it was pretty strange because they played a very similar style to us. A slow pace, but a very efficient offense and a tough defense. They had a couple really good players, including Larry Nance Junior, who is now on the Los Angeles Lakers [team]. It was a great match up in the second round and we were pretty happy to get the win. We knew Louisville was going to be a tough game because we have played against them a couple years back and we know how they play. Very fast, very athletic, and very aggressive. They were loaded with talent, but we felt like we had a great opportunity to advance,” Tuttle said.
Though it may seem that the pressure would be on, with games being at a “win or go home” pace and the nation watching, Tuttle felt at ease, prepared, and confidant. “I truly just went and played the games to the best of my abilities and tried to have fun at the same time. This would be some of the best memories of our lives.”
The Panthers hadn’t been to the tournament in five years and the 2015 Panthers had to follow up the performance the 2010 team had left on the floor. But Tuttle felt that with a new team, new opportunities would come. “I never really took what they did in 2010 and said that we had to surpass that. Every year you have a new team and a new challenge and a new opportunity to just create as many amazing memories as you can and to see how much that group can accomplish. There is so much that goes into this whole process that it is impossible to compare one year to another. We just know that both of those teams had amazing seasons and really helped continue to grow the name that is Northern Iowa.”
Even though there was a lull between their NCAA tournament appearances, and with their happy return this year, Tuttle no longer thinks the UNI basketball program is a Cinderella story. “I don't believe that we are considered a Cinderella team at Northern Iowa anymore. What we have managed to achieve has put our university on the map and we are no longer unknown. We haven't had just one year or one big game that has defined our success at UNI. That 2010 team that beat Kansas was not a fluke, that was a really good team. Our team last year reached the top 10 and got a five seed in the NCAA tournament. And this year's team has knocked off two top five teams and won the [Missouri] Valley tournament back to back. We are no longer a Cinderella team.
Now, we all see the March Madness tournament as a just that, a tournament: a nation-wide competition for a single trophy, for that one that one moment of collegiate basketball glory. But is there more? Is there more to it than just gameplay and brackets? For a “March Madness Alumni” like Tuttle there was more to it- there were life lessons reflected in the game he loved. “I just took away that hard work pays off and that if you put your mind to something 100 percent that you can accomplish it. I also took away from the experience how important the relationships I have in my life are to me.”
As for the experience itself, it was certainly one to remember, but it wasn’t just the tournament that he would remember, but the season leading up to it as well. Tuttle said, “Overall it was one of the best experiences of my life. I hope I have a bunch more later on that I will be able to enjoy as well but the memories I have gained through March Madness and really that entire season are going to be some of my best ones.”
His parting advice to the 2016 Panthers is this, “go and enjoy it. When it comes to college basketball there is nothing like it. It is why you wake up super early in the morning to get up extra shots or go to the weight room. It is why you put your body and mind through such tough times so you can experience this with your teammates. You will have memories from this for the rest of your life, so make sure you make the best of this experience.”
Tuttle is currently playing his first professional season for s.Oliver Baskets in Germany.
