Northern Illinois

[Wolf]

Northern Illinois
The Huskies could be the real sleeper in the MAC this season. They lost only two players from a year ago and add Ben Rand, a 6-6 transfer from the University of Iowa.

The top returnees for NIU are guard Mike McKinney (12.6 ppg) and forward Todd Peterson (11.3). McKinney made nice progress last season, leading the team in rebounds with 6.1 per game and hitting 51 percent of his field goals.

“Mike obviously took a step forward and now we need him to make that next step towards being a premier player in this conference,” coach Rob Judson says.

Guard Anthony Maestranzi seems to get the little things done in Judson’s offense and hounds teams in the Huskies’ defensive schemes.

NIU also shot the ball well from behind the 3-point line last year at 39.3 percent and just needs to clamp down on its defense, which ranked ninth in the league.

sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/ncaa/specials/preview/2005/teams/others/mac.html

[Wolf]

Norther Illinois' current RPI is #3. They are 3-1 on the year.

Missouri St. 87, Northern Illinois 51
Northern Illinois 102, Aurora 61
Northern Illinois 77, DePaul 68
Northern Illinois 73, Toledo 69

[Wolf]

Official Athletic Site:
www3.niu.edu/athletics/mbball/index.html

Fan Site:
www.niufans.com/

Message Board:
mb4.scout.com/fnillinois12981frm1

[Big D]

Pomeroy has NIU as 12 point favorites.

kenpom.com/sked.php?team=Wright%20St.&t=p

[wsu97]

Raiders will again use big lineup
By Marc Katz

Dayton Daily News

FAIRBORN | Well, it worked once. Wright State basketball coach Paul Biancardi says he'll probably try it tonight and see if it works again.

What worked was a massive lineup change that moved three big men in as starters instead of Biancardi's usual smaller three-guard lineup.

The change came before the Detroit game last week and the Raiders responded with a 69-58 victory over the Titans after losing their first four games.

That same lineup will likely be in place tonight as the Raiders hit DeKalb, Ill., about 60 miles northwest of Chicago, to play

3-1 Northern Illinois in the return match from last year's Bracket Buster game the Raiders won

72-66. Northern Illinois is the fourth Mid-American Conference team the Raiders will have played this season. They've lost to the other three — but not with the big-man starting lineup.

"We liked the way it looked in practice," Biancardi said of using 6-foot-6 Scottie Wilson to augment 6-8 Jordan Pleiman and 6-6 Drew Burleson as starters. "We've come a long way since the (opening) Belmont game. We've had some success. You don't want to tinker with success too much.

"You want to get guys in the flow that can help you with your team, whether it's eight guys or nine guys or ten guys. Whether it's a big lineup or three guards, you try to play the players that will help you win the game."

Wright State began the season with DaShaun Wood, Jaron Taylor and Reinaldo Smith as starting guards, a lineup that lasted three games until Smith sprained his foot. In the fourth game, against Miami, 6-5 Everett Spencer took Smith's spot, but is also considered a guard.

When the Raiders continued to lose, Biancardi made the big adjustment, and while he correctly pointed out he has used three big men on the floor before, he had not done it to the extent he did in the Detroit game in either of the previous two seasons.

It's not just Pleiman, Burleson and Wilson playing together, either. Bulky 6-5 Walter Chancellor and 6-10 James Craft have been seeing playing time in a three-big lineup, and 6-5 Parysh Munroe has played, too.

"You go by what you see in practice, and make adjustments along the way," Biancardi said. "Guys had an opportunity, and they took advantage of it. When a result comes out like this (the Detroit game), I'm happy with everything."

Of course, it wasn't just the big men who helped move the Raiders into the victory column. Biancardi also changed another of his starting guards, inserting previously suspended Tyrone Scott into the lineup with Wood.

Scott responded with an 11-point night and was a catalyst in other ways for the Raiders.

"I've been playing this game for quite some time," Scott said. "I thought I was just one more guy that could bring aggressiveness. I was pretty much satisfied with my effort. I thought I could do a little more."

He took no more credit than that, and pointed out the Raiders still have to overcome an 0-4 start.

"The more you lose, the more work that has to be done," Scott said. "We made a big step, and we've got to continue."

Contact Marc Katz at [phone].
www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/wsu/daily/1213wsubb.html

[wsu97]

game notes from NIU website.

www3.niu.edu/athletics/mbball/agate05-06/Box%20Scores/Game%20Notes/WSU12-13.pdf

[Big D]

Meija's prediction:
Northern Illinois 74 Wright State 66

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/exclusives/mejia

[bballraider]

The NIU notes posted by WSU97 says that Larry Farmer (former coach of the Ramblers) is going to do the color for WONE tonight. I think he used to do some of the HL games on Fox TV too.

On a side note, DaShaun may actually have a height advantage over his 5'10" counterpart on NIU tonight.

Also which of our two 6'6" forwards, Burleson or Wilson, do we put on NIU's leading scorer and rebounder, Peterson, who is 6'8" and 225 lbs?

[bballraider]

We need to get a good start against NIU as they have won their last six contests when taking a lead into intermission, and have out scored their opponents by 7 pts a game in the first half, but have been out scored by their opponents by over 2 pts in the second halves this year.

NIU also gets Mike McKinney back after sitting out the Toledo game with a pulled groin. He was averaging almost 9 pts a game before sitting out the win in Toledo, and was one of NIU's returning leading scorers from last year.

NIU has 2 players Pancratz (50%) and Maestranzi (46%) that shoot well from 3, so the Raiders will have to keep an eye on them. WSU will also have watch out for the big man Peterson, as he too will put up the long ball quite frequently. NIU shoot 38% from 3pt range as a team, but they have not defended the 3 very well, allowing opponents to shoot 41% from behind the arc.

[wsu97]

WSU 42
NIU 62 Final

[Wolf]

Boxscore:
sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/boxscore?gid=200512130417

[Big D]

I really started to think that the guys finally understood after the Detroit win that you need to play 2 complete halfs to win a game. You can go back and read any of the game stories from our other 4 losses to understand what happened tonight. We played a very good first half and somehow forgot how to play basketball at halftime. Tonights game was the same story just a different opponent.

[PapaRaider]

This was the first game I did not see in person this season, which proves I am not the reason we have been losing. We are what we are: a bunch of role players with highest aspirations of maybe righting the ship and getting back near .500

If any of you followed Ohio State program under Jim O'Brien, they had a similar makeup of the team. Three guard offense, which never scored a lot. They went to the Final Four when they had a star backcourt with Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd (who was recruited by the previous coaching staff if I recall it correctly) yet not much success after that. Those teams always played tough defense and had problems scoring.

I am sure it will get better ...

[bballraider]

Big D is right about us not playing 2 halfs, well actually it might be that we can't playa consistent 2nd half. I not sure if we have won a second half this year other than the Detroit game. We seem to lose focus coming out of the locker room at the half. Maybe something should be done to raise the focus coming out to start the 2nd half. We have depth of comparable talent and maybe we should consider raising the energy level by pressing or 3/4 trapping with the defense and maybe that could create some easy buckets or at least a few turnovers. Why not use our one sure strength of depth a press and run a little more, just my thoughts.

[WSUGRAD]

Papa,

The sad fact is that O'brien's assisstant coaches were not considered very strong. I know some will go crazy at this statement but I follow OSU basketball too. They also weren't considered strong recruiters.

I havn't been impressed with PB's recruiting. Yes he got Wood. But the second best player on the team right now was recruited by Ed. The rest of the players he has recruited are role players at best.

This is his 3rd year and they are 1-5 and all but one player is his recruit and he is the 2nd best. What does that say? Big drop off after those 2.