NIU on pace for another disappointing ending
Tuesday Commentary
Article by:
Mark Pickrel - Sports Reporter
• mpickrel@northernstar.info
Disappointment officially set in. Three months ago, the football team
was undefeated and ranked in the top 10 of the BCS.
Nearly every major media outlet in the United States featured the Huskies.
NIU was the media pick to win the MAC Championship and was more than
living up to the hype.
Three wins over BCS conference teams stunned everybody.
Then it happened.
NIU went on national television and lost to Bowling Green.
Then it happened again.
Three weeks later, NIU went on the road again and lost — this
time to conference rival Toledo.
Suddenly, NIU was on the outside looking in for a conference championship
and a bowl bid.
Still, the NIU faithful hung onto the the slim chance of NIU receiving
a bowl bid.
No such luck.
There was a new buzz around conference when the NIU men’s basketball
team was picked to win the West Division Championship and the overall
conference championship.
Again, there was hope at the beginning of the season.
Although not to the extent of that of the football team, a win over
the University of Illinois-Chicago and an impressive showing at South
Bend against Notre Dame had people dreaming.
Then came the championship game of the Gazette Hawkeye Challenge —
specifically, the 15:58 mark of the second half.
NIU led 40-27 after an Anthony Maestranzi three-pointer.
Then it happened a third time.
NIU didn’t score for the next 6:36 and fell apart to an overrated
Iowa team, losing 65-57.
Since then, the men’s basketball season has been full of disappointments.
The team stands 6-8 and 1-3 in MAC play.
Of the six wins, two came from schools that have to specify their respective
states just so people know who the team is playing: Cornell (Iowa) College
and St. Francis (Ind.).
The other four have come from teams with a combined record of 21-33.
Only UIC (11-5) has a winning record.
Four of NIU’s six wins have been at home.
Last year’s team finished 11-7 in conference and earned the No.
4 seed in the MAC tournament.
The Huskies would have to go 10-4 the rest of the season to duplicate
last year’s performance. And the toughest part of the conference
schedule is still ahead.
The team still could make a run in what is a weak MAC conference for
basketball this year.
If not, it will be another disappointing end to a season for NIU fans.
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