By Woodrow Carroll
Rashon Burno is back for his second season guiding the fortunes of the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team. Burno, who was graduated from DePaul University as a basketball team leader, was head coach at Marmion Academy in Aurora, 2007-2010. He will be challenged in his task to turn the Huskies into a winning program.
Last season Burno’s Northern Illinois finished with a 9-21 overall record and 6-14 in the Mid-American conference (MAC). For the Huskies to improve this season, three returning starters will have to come to the fore.
In Keshawn Williams, 6-3 junior, Kaleb Thornton, 6-0” senior, and Anthony Crump, 6-8 redshirt senior, Burno has the three returning starters who have what it takes to move Northern Illinois ahead.
Similar to so many schools, the Huskies have been plagued by the COVID pandemic, plus, Northern Illinois has been plagued by coaching uncertainty and for want of a better term a scheduling malaise in recent seasons.
Three years ago, Northern was 18-13 and cochampion of the MAC West entering into the Conference tournament. Then came the pandemic and the season abruptly ended.
Mark Montgomery started his 10th season in DeKalb in 2020-2021 as the head coach. Eight games into the campaign, Montgomery resigned with Huskies’ record 1-7. Lamar Chapman filled in for Montgomery for the rest of the season.
The Mark Montgomery story is an unfortunate one. Given the task of fumigating the mess left by his predecessor, Ricardo Patton, Montgomery’s first two seasons at Northern Illinois netted a combined 10-51 record. Then, with his own recruits, the picture changed.
In his final seven seasons, as men’s basketball coach at Northern Illinois, Montgomery’s charges won more than 13 games each season. No MAC championship, yet, the Huskies were competitive.
Is there a friendly schedule for the Huskies this season? Not unless the objective is to hit the road.
Northern Illinois is scheduled to play 13 games before starting MAC games, and. 10 are non-conference games on the road.
The Huskies opened November 7 at home and suffered an 83-77 defeat at the hands of lightly-regarded Illinois Springfield. The Huskies’ play has been fitful in the early going and after being pounded 84-47 at Idaho Friday, Dec. 2, the Huskies were 3-6. Life figures to get no better in the short term. Next up for the Huskies will be a road game with national power Gonzaga, December 12.
The limited Huskies’ home schedule has one more game before the new year and MAC games.
Northern Illinois will welcome the Albany Great Danes to the Convocation Center, December 20 for a 1 p.m. game. The Great Danes will be on a Midwest tour taking on Chicago-Loyola, December 18, then Northern Illinois. Albany is a member of the America East Conference. Similar to Northern Illinois, the Great Danes have struggled out of the gate and after an 87-74 loss to UMass Monday, Dec. 5, their record was 3-7.
Northern Illinois will play 18 conference games this season. The MAC is seeking to find the right fit in number of Conference games. The Huskies played 20 MAC games last season with a 6-14 record. Northern Illinois will play Toledo and Kent State only at home in DeKalb and Akron and Bowling Green only away. The Huskies’ first MAC game will be at home January 10, 2023 against Central Michigan.