Coach Tom Jorgenson has done a marvelous job of bringing in talent to DeKalb Illinois even if this program has bounced around trying to find a home in a conference.  He is so popular in DeKalb that the fans were wearing buttons that said ‘We love Jorgy.’  He has to figure out a way though of keeping his talent in DeKalb or this program will get a bad rap and then things could get ugly.  After all the fans in DeKalb were more than excited with all of the hype and the administration decided to build a new arena (the NIU Convocation Center) which will seat over 10,000 fans to replace the much smaller Chick Evans Fieldhouse.  The ‘Convo’ looks to be ready to open by midyear but the fans and Jorgenson got a heck of a jolt when superstar Kenny Battle told him two months before the start of this year he was leaving to join the Fightin’ Illini.  You see with the new portal these powerhouse programs get to cherry pick the smaller ones for their best talent and without a loss of a year of eligibility there are no consequences to the players or Universities for that matter. Now it was all up to the players and Coach Tom Jorgenson to get the job done in DeKalb and keep the new arena filled.

Speaking of Bradley he may be the most complete big man in the country.  He is a six foot ten scoring and rebounding machine who can seemingly do whatever he wants on the basketball court.  He is tenacious and athletic and has a great offensive game that does not just rely on dunks and fadeaways.  He can also handle the ball like a guard and passes probably better than anyone on the Husky team.  He might be a household name ala Magic Johnson if he was not playing for such a small program hidden away in DeKalb.  Of course part of that is his doing as he led his team the East Chicago Roosevelt Roughriders to an Indiana state basketball championship but decided to come to this out of the way school when Coach Jorgenson came calling.  It didn’t help his status by missing the end of last year after his brilliant Sophomore season.  He did average 16, 12 n 5 before he was hurt and was still named League MVP even though he missed 8 games. When this kid is on the court he is something special.  He has a reputation for liking the fringe benefits of being a star and most definitely does not like school.  If he decides to stay and plays a full schedule the Huskies have a chance of being a really good team.  Without him they will still compete but whoever he plays for next year has got a one of a kind talent.  And hopefully that is the Huskies because they love him here.  If they can keep him on the court and in Dekalb?

Sophomore Allen Rayhorn will team with juniors Paul Dawkins and Bradley to form one of the best front court combos in the Midwest.  They are not only talented but complement each other well and will do the dirty work.  Rayhorn is a gifted low post scorer who can also hit an open jumper.  The primary offensive weapon in the paint on the Huskies roster especially when Bradley was off doing his thing, Rayhorn was unstoppable at times.  He does not have great athleticism but knows how to post up and get his shot from the blocks.  He is tough and consistent but an injury slowed him down some midway through the year but the kid showed his toughness by playing through most of it and coming back for the stretch run.  Dawkins is a very athletic small forward who loves to fill it up from anywhere.  This ‘smooth’ lefty can flat make other wings look ridiculous and he just smiles and keeps shooting.  Dawkins is great going to the hoop or shooting from the corners.  This 6’5 stud can score or board but with Rayhorn and Bradley around does not have to do the dirty work.  This frees up this kid who was born in Saginaw Michigan to do what he does best which is humiliate other wings with his crazy slick moves.  He has great skills are the perfect small forward compliment to Bradley and Rayhorn up front.  Of course these two were nowhere near as effective when Bradley was out of the game.  He is the straw the stirs the drink in DeKalb.The biggest problem with the Huskies is that they are front heavy.  Of course that is also their biggest asset.  Behind the big three they had a great group of quality bench players who contributed huge minutes to the productivity of the team.  Junior Matt Hicks is a backup up front who is perfect coming off the bench with his ability to score.  Hicks is terrific inside and on the boards and he is only six four.  If he was bigger he could be a great player but he does not seem to notice his height or lack thereof.  This 6’4 195 pound kid can flat leap through the ceiling as he shared the role with Battle coming off the bench as the designated athletic wings who will throw it down from anywhere.  This duo was outstanding with 82 combined dunks.  Hicks, from Aurora Illinois (Schwing), plays bigger than his height as is sensational on the boards.  He might push Dawkins to start but either way will get more than enough minutes with Battle gone.  Sophomore Tim “Marshall” Dillon has the ability to make a push at a starting job this season but he combines with Hicks to give this team as good of depth up front as any team in this league. A gifted scorer, Dillon has range for a big man and gives Coach Jorgenson some options.  He played often last year as Jorgenson rotated freely up front and of course will be in the mix for a starting role if Bradley shuffles on.  There is depth down the line here as well as senior Jim Smith is a great example.  A 6’7 225 pound JC transfer, this senior to be showed in limited minutes he can hang at this level.  Smith came home after he was walking in Memphis as he was raised in Des Plaines, Des Plaines Illinois.  Smith is not just security for Bradley as he can and will play and help this team here. Junior Jerry Zielinski has a real shot at getting some minutes on the wing.  This 6’4 native of Hennepin Illinois has had some amazing runs while with the Huskies and he does have that lad dog mentality but took a back seat to Dawkins, Hicks and especially Battle last year.  With Battle gone Zielesnky is back in the mix and this solid all-around player.  He can score and board and hit the open shot though he has not yet mastered the 3.  Basically with this group of wings the first one that does is going to get some serious minutes.  Seniors John Olsen and Larry Gentry, Juniors John Harris and Cleveland Ivey are all in the mix for leftover minutes but none will play more than mopup unless there are some injuries.  Heck, Gentry, who moonlights on the baseball team and is one heck of a pitcher, was once the star here for the Huskies on the front line but at 6’4 that was way before they joined D-1. The Huskies have a plethora of choices up front and this will carry Coach Jorgenson’s team as far as it goes.  There is even more coming as the Huskies have some big time recruits coming in, most of them like most on this team from the Chicago area.  Of course none of these guys are even close to Bradley in talent.

Now for the Achilles heel for this team, the back court.  Junior Billy Harris is returning at one position for sure but whether he plays point or the two depends on who Jorgenson decides wants to be next to him.  Harris played often next to Battle next year as Jorgenson got his best team on the court but is probably better suited as a shooting guard.  Billy the Kid as he is dubbed is one of the great school yard players ever in Chicago hoops history.  He has great range on his jump shot and can get to the hoop and oh can he finish.  For a streetball player he is extremely consistent.  He gets up and down the court like a gazelle.  He is not at Bradley’s talent level but is probably the next best talent on the roster and that is saying something.  He needs to get better defensively as many of the Huskies do but he can play.  Harris relies on pickpocketing too much instead of playing straight up man which he has the skill for.  He showed he is a team player by passing up some shots and getting the ball to his bro Bradley.  He is not a pure point guard but the Kid has crazy handles and can pass when he wants to.  Sometimes he just does not want to.   Now for the competition for the other back court spot:

Sophomore Rodney Davis got some opportunities at the point and did show the skills to lead the team. He, like his compatriots, is more of a two guard but this 6’3 185 from Aurora (Schwing) is a complete player.  He was moved up midway through the year due to inuries and showed he can really defend.  He played point to get on the court and did okay but this team could really use a true point.  When you got your superstar big man bringing the ball down half of the time then you know you have a problem.  Jorgenson tried several options trying to find some depth in the back court but none really worked though junior Jay Bryant is a heck of a distributor and at 6’5 has the size to play next to Harris.  They did this often last year and are the odds on favorites to start the year together but this team needs help in the back court.  Senior Bob Wood, Larry Wylie and Willie Hanson are in the mix and some of these kids will play but none are going to set the court on fire. All three of these dogs are scorer’s first and though they have all played point this is not where they shine.  Wood and Hanson are 5’10 and can let it fly but are not the though Hanson had 5 games he scored in double figures last year.  Wylie is 6’1 and has been dubbed the shooter’s shooter and he will play and yes get some minutes next to Harris but this team, and let me be clear about this, really needs a true point guard. 

The Northern Illinois Huskies may have the best returning front line of any mid major team in the country and let me reiterate they may.   The whole season could be predicated much on this one on whether or not stud big man Jim Bradley is on the court.  He is that good.  Without him this team competes but has a hard time keeping up with the talent of the MAC.  They are blessed to have a large group of talented players who can score on their roster but without Bradley locking down the middle and doing everything on the court but selling popcorn this team is just a little short in talent.  The Huskies were an abysmal 4 and 6 in games that Bradley missed averaging almost 8 points a game less when he was out. Now imagine if you will how good this team could have been if he would have been available for all of the games? Even moreso imagine if the magnificent Kenny Battle was coming back to DeKalb?  OMG!  They would have had to build a new stadium in DeKalb.  Oh wait they did and to be honest the Huskies might miss the friendly confines of the ‘doghouse.’ That historic stone structure which had become infamous for eating big time opponents alive (ask Indiana or DePaul about playing there) always had the red and white plaid fans going nuts whether it was one of Battle or Hicks dunks or a no look pass from Bradley to Billy the Kid for a slam off the break.  Too bad those days are gone in Chicago because for a minute last year this program had more fans in the Windy City than the Bulls.  No Really!  Schwing!