By Woodrow Carroll
It was not a classic two-game run for the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball program for sure. Yet, the two victories turned in by the Huskies last week were important.
First, Northern Illinois edged Kent State, 65-63, on the road in a Mid-American Conference (MAC) match. Then, back home Saturday, Jan. 15 against Eastern Michigan in another MAC battle, the Huskies were 77-70 victors. The two victories left Northern Illinois 5-8 overall and 2-1 in the slow-to- unfold Conference schedule.
Getting worked up over a 5-8 record can be difficult, even after back-to-back victories.
Last season was a challenge for collegiate programs everywhere.
Eight games into the 2020-2021 season, Mark Montgomery was relieved of his duties as men’s basketball head coach at Northern Illinois. Lamar Chapman was the interim replacement. Montgomery deserved a better fate in DeKalb than what befell him.
Given the tasked with fumigating the stench left by his predecessor, Ricardo Patton, Montgomery’s first two hardwood seasons the Huskies’ record was a combined 10-51. And, with a start such as that, it was unlikely that Montgomery would never see the light of .500 as the Huskies’ taskmaster.
In the final analysis, Montgomery’s nine plus seasons at Northern Illinois saw him conclude with a 124-170 overall won-loss record.
Once he took command of his own recruits, Montgomery had Northern Illinois playing solid basketball. Sadly, the ravage of COVID-19 played havoc with Northern Illinois, as well as a host of other programs. After canceled games were factored in, the Northern Illinois men closed out with a 3-16 record last season.
Rashon Burno is now calling shots for the Northern Illinois men’s basketball program. Burno formerly coached at Marmion Academy in Aurora and played good basketball at DePaul University in Chicago. Burno has to be aware of the challenges he is facing.
The Burno Era at Northern Illinois got off to a great start. On the road at the University of Washington Huskies of the Pac-12, Northern Illinois won, 71-64.
The euphoria of the victory over Washington was brief. Losses at the hands of hosts Indiana and Marquette, among others, soon followed.
In the pre-COVID Era, conference standings would reveal a good approximation of where the teams’ stand.. With games postponed and canceled with regularity, the standings are often a jumbled mess. After the victory over Eastern Michigan, the Huskies of Northern Illinois were 2-1 in the MAC. Toledo, a team that handed Northern a 94-63 defeat prior the Northern Illinois victory at Kent State, entered this week with a 5-1 Conference record.
• The Cincinnati Bearcats reached the football playoffs undefeated before being rudely dismissed by Alabama. There are no undefeated teams in NCAA men’s basketball, albeit in a greater number of games.
Baylor and Gonzaga, the two finalists in last season’s NCAA Final Four, have tasted defeat and so has every other major college basketball team.
Baylor defeated Gonzaga in the tournament championship game last year. Baylor started the with 15-2 following two defeats last week are No. 5 in this week’s poll. Gonzaga (14-2) just moved into the top spot in this week’s ranking. Both Baylor and Gonzaga likely will be highly-seeded at tournament time this season.