NIU Preview (MBB)

 So, BG hits Game 10 of the MAC season...the first game of the second half of the slate.  At 4-5 and with four of the remaining 9 against top-ranked MAC teams, these games that are not against Kent or UT (and I'm adding @BSU in here) are important.

Not that NIU is a pushover. They were picked dead last in the MAC poll and 9th by Blue Ribbon. They had a really rough pre-season before a road win against a pretty good Indiana State team right before Christmas.  They lost their first two MAC games @UA and @UB, but are 5-2 since then.  They are the only MAC team to beat Kent.

The Huskies have had their struggles.  They have not played in the NCAA tourney since 1995, when they were not playing in the MAC. Since returning to the MAC in 1998, they have had 3 winning records in conference play.  The third of those was in 19-20, when they got to 11-7 but then started 1-7 the next year and Coach Montgomery was let go.  (He's back at MSU).  

They brought in Raushon Burno. He played in HS for Hurley JR, and came to NIU after six seasons with Hurley JR.  He also was an assistant for Billy Donavan. He played at DePaul.

And he has NIU humming.

BG has beaten NIU the last 6 times they have played and 7 out of the last 10.

Both teams are scoring what they are allowing, which is what .500 teams do. 

One thing to note with these numbers.  he MAC average is 1.08 points per possession, which is the most efficient scoring conference in D1 basketball right now.  So, NIU's 1.05 is a good number for a D1 team, it is not as good relative to its MAC competitors.

NIU is #9 in offense and #5 in defense. BG is pretty much the opposite, at #4 and #9.

First of all, NIU is a good shooting team, #3 in the MAC.  They are even better than BG is bad at defending the shot.  They take 40% from 3FG, which is #4 in the MAC.  They make 38% which is #3 in the MAC and make 52% on 2FGs, which is #7.  They also get to the line a lot, although they make only 67%. They are held back by too many turnovers and terrible offensive rebounding.  BG notably does not force turnovers, leaving them possibly unable to capitalize on that weakness.  BG is just average on the defensive boards, but you'd hope to see a good number here.

As mentioned, they are a good defensive team. They are #4 defending the shot, and #4 against 2FGs and #5 against 2FGs, so decent all around.  As we have seen, BG can pick up wins when shots fall.  They do force turnovers--and BG has turned the ball over, though better last time out.  NIU is awful on the defensive boards and they also give up a lot of FTs.  So, beyond shooting well, BG needs to take care of the ball and then maybe capitalize on second chance points to score against a good defensive team.

Their top scorer this season is Keshwn Williams, who transferred in from Tulsa.  He got injured in the UB game and has missed the last 7 (during which NIU was 5-2).

In MAC play, David Coit leads NIU in scoring at 17.9 PPG. He's 5'11" and played last year in JUCO, where he lead JUCO DIII in scoring. He's a good shooter at 53% from 2FG and 39% from 3FG.  He's the second-best FT shooter in the MAC as well.

Their next leading scorer is Zarique Nutter, another JUCO transfer, with 12.6 PPG and a team high 5.2 RPG. He's 6'6".   He shoots 48% and 20%.

After that is Kaleb Thornton, in his 3rd year in DeKalb (though a JUCO before that). He is scoring 12.3 PPG on 45% and 49% shooting.  That latter number is #4 in the MAC.  He also leads the MAC with 25 steals.  He is also #3 in the MAC in assists and #12 in A/T.

Darweshi Hunter scores 10 PPG on 44% AND 47% shooting, the latter #7 in the MAC. He played at Central State, Weber State and then at NIU last year.

As is often the case, BG is a box of chocolates.  But at home this is a game you need to win to reach even modest levels of success.