The MAC's 300-pound gorilla cast a formidable shadow over Northern Illinois' 2002-03 season, even as NIU posted its first winning season since 1995-96. But huskies are creatures of endurance, which may prove instrumental for the long chase after the West Division title.

 

Central Michigan salted away the West, and essentially the MAC crown, by knocking off NIU three times in a span of 21 days late last season-twice in the regular season, once in the conference tournament semifinals. All three defeats were by double digits, and CMU's NBA lottery pick, center Chris Kaman, figured prominently in two of them (19 points, 14 rebounds in a 73-57 home win, 23 and 14 in a 92-74 victory in the MAC semifinals).

 

"It'll be helpful not to have to figure out how to guard him," Northern Illinois coach Rob Judson said. "He was very hard to guard and he did a great job for our league."

 

Now the king is gone, and for the Huskies, who return three starters, it's time to think Small. Senior forward Marcus Smallwood (13.3 ppg), a first team All-MAC selection, will once again be the fulcrum upon which NIU tilts. Smallwood, 6-6, averaged an impressive 10.1 rebounds. That was good for 17th in the nation. He was the best offensive rebounder in the MAC (4.13 per game) and already ranks among NIU's top six rebounders of all-time.

 

It's more than quick hops and long arms that made Smallwood the top returning rebounder in the league.

 

"The biggest thing about Marcus is he just has a relentless desire to rebound the basketball," Judson said. "Any time you can do what he did, that's a pretty significant accomplishment."

 

Beyond a fail-safe measure on the offensive glass, Smallwood serves as the centerpiece of NIU's pin-wheeling perimeter, which knocked down 38.3 percent of its three-point attempts, fourth-best in the league and 30th in Division I.

 

"When we have that inside presence with Marcus, that really helps our perimeter game," Judson said. "We'd like to play inside-out and have Marcus touch the ball quite a bit. If he doesn't touch it, he usually makes sure that he does on a miss."

 

Two-thirds of the Huskies' most prominent marksmen return for 2003-04-senior Perry (P.J.) Smith (14.7 ppg) and sophomore Todd Peterson (6.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg). Smith, 6-4, was an honorable mention All-MAC pick and earned a berth on the MAC All-Tournament team after scorching Western Michigan for 33 points in a quarterfinal win. Smith also drained 41.5 percent of his three-point attempts and ranked eighth in the MAC with 1.65 steals a game.

 

Whereas Smallwood tended toward Mr. Consistency honors by posting double figures in scoring in 21 of NIU's last 22 games, Smith was all over the map. He ripped off 35 points on a 14-for-18 shooting night in an 84-83 loss at South Florida but also tallied just five points in a 70-68 overtime win at Eastern Michigan.

 

Smith and Smallwood were elected co-MVPs by their teammates and are the only fixtures in Judson's projected starting lineup.

 

"You can start with Marcus and Perry and kind of build from there," the third-year coach said.

 

Peterson, 6-6, set a school freshman record by sinking 54 treys and was selected to the conference's all-freshman team, the first NIU player so honored since T.J. Lux after the 1995-96 season. All of this Peterson earned despite starting just one time in 2002-03.

 

"I don't know that he started many games, but he finished a lot of them," Judson said. "He was mature beyond his years for us last year."

 

Northern Illinois will lose the services of graduated guard Jay Bates (10.7 ppg, 3.4 apg), who supplied stability and scoring from the point. Sophomore Anthony Maestranzi, 5-10, has the edge in experience to replace Bates, but incoming freshmen Ryan Paradise, 6-2, and Mike McKinney, 6-3, should push for time as well.

 

True to the Huskies' bent, Paradise, an honorable mention all-state selection by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, drilled 67 percent of his threes as a senior at Napierville Central High School. McKinney averaged 11.7 points and 7.2 rebounds for Evanston High last year.

 

Al Sewasciuk (5.5 ppg), a 6-4 senior and another bombardier who dropped in 46 triples, is back to supplement the backcourt. Another senior guard, 5-10 Walter Thompson, will be a locker room and practice leader.

 

To complement Smallwood in the frontcourt, NIU returns 6-6 forward Jamel Staten (5.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg), who started all but three games last season. Beefy Mike Morrison has exhausted his eligibility, but 6-9 freshman James Hughes, ditches the red-shirt and will battle with 6-10 sophomore Bryson McKinzie for post duties. Sophomore Rome Sanders, 6-7, and 6-7 freshman Paige Paulsen, South Dakota's Mr. Basketball who originally signed with Lamar, should provide quality depth.

 

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

 

If NIU is to contend for its first MAC championship since 1981, Judson's crew must put the kibosh on turnovers.

 

The Huskies averaged 17 miscues a game, second worst in the MAC, and had the league's worst assist-to-turnover ratio (0.75). NIU must also convert better than 65.3 percent of its free throws-only Eastern Michigan shot worse in the conference.

 

And check these numbers out-165, 175, 182, 188, 192. They aren't just dangerous systolic blood pressure numbers, they're also listed weights of several Huskies. Judson gave his squad a mission-gain strength-in the off-season. To varying degrees, that has been achieved.

 

"They've done a real good job in the weight room this summer and we hope that will carry over into the year," Judson said. "Playing teams like Central Michigan who were real strong on the front line, Western Michigan, Bowling Green, those teams I hope motivated us to get stronger ourselves."

 

The Huskies look to bolster their RPI with a more ambitious non-conference schedule, including a trip to Notre Dame and participation in the Iowa Hawkeye Classic. NIU also takes on Baylor, San Jose State and host BYU-Hawaii at the Surf N' Slam in Honolulu just before Christmas. Perennial in-state foes Eastern Illinois and Illinois State are also on the docket.

 

Northern Illinois' gleaming new arena, the Convocation Center, opened last season. The work continues to roll out a team worthy of its new digs, and with a big monkey off their backs, Judson's Huskies could make history.

 

"When we came, Northern came off a five-win season," Judson said. "Two years ago we won 12 and last year we won 17. So we're just trying to make progress every day and hope that continues through the year."

Thanks Ramp, good article. I expect them to really break in the new digs this year with a MAC West title and an NCAA tournament trip this year. Best team they've had in my lifetime by far.