It doesn't always show in the boxscore.

Sometimes it can be tough to detect on the court, and on occasion behind the closed doors of the locker room is where it truly can be found.

At the onset of 2009-10 college basketball season, leadership takes a number of different forms for Division I programs in the Quad-City region.

For Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite Northern Iowa, coach Ben Jacobson detects a group effort emerging.

At Iowa and Illinois, vocal and non-vocal leaders are helping form the core of leadership that will help those teams compete in the talent-rich Big Ten. And as is the case at Iowa State, occasionally a player simply grows into a leadership role.

"Every year and every team are different. You have to have leadership from within. Sometimes it is one player, sometimes two or more, but it has to be there," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said.

"Last year, there was no question that Chester Frazier was the one guy our players leaned on lead. This year, that isn't so cut and dry."

Weber says he has players who can and will lead. But with Dominique Keller as the only senior figuring into the Fighting Illini rotation, he suspects leadership will take a different form.

"You can be every bit as successful with younger players leading - and I think Dominique will help lead us - but I suspect it might be more of a collective effort," Weber said.

Jacobson says that will be the case for the Panthers.

"A couple of years ago, Brooks McKowen was our leader. But it came naturally to him. He had been a leader his entire life on every team he had been a part of," Jacobson said. "Travis Brown didn't start for us last season, but he did a good job of accepting that role and leading."

As Northern Iowa vies for its fifth NCAA berth in seven years, Jacobson expects leadership to come from many in a group of juniors and seniors that number eight.

"Some, like Adam Koch, will lead with the tough work ethic they display on a regular basis. Others are more likely to speak up," Jacobson said. "I could see this being a year where we have leadership by committee."

Iowa has one senior, guard Devan Bawinkel, who shares co-captains responsibilities with Jarryd Cole, one of two Iowa juniors.

"I am real comfortable with the leadership I am seeing from Devan and Jarryd," Iowa coach Todd Lickliter said. "They have the respect of their teammates and they believe in what we are working to accomplish."

That extends beyond what transpires in 40 minutes of basketball a couple of times each week.

Lickliter expects upperclassmen to assist in teaching new players the intricacies of the offensive and defensive schemes.

"We're there for the new guys to lean on. If they have questions, they can come to us for answers," Bawinkel said. "We're here for each other."

Cole was among Iowa's captains last season, and although he started nine of the 32 games he played, his leadership help nudge the Hawkeyes program forward.

"Jarryd did a terrific job of leading last year. A lot of it has to do with how he goes about his business from one moment to the next and how he deals with situations as they arise," Lickliter said. "That is what you look for in a leader."

Iowa State coach Greg McDermott has watched the Cyclones leader emerge over time.

Craig Brackins has been a floor leader the past two seasons. He is the top returning scorer in the Big 12 after averaging 20.2 points last season.

This year, McDermott expects his 6-foot-10 junior to lead in different ways.

"I think he gained confidence from his performances on the court, but when he made the decision to come back and his experience this summer with USA Basketball, those were tremendous growing experiences for Craig," McDermott said.

"They took him out of his comfort zone, and he came back a much more mature leader. That's carrying over to what he's done for our team and as with any leader, that can only be a positive."