Pre-NCAA National Teams It was the era of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his New Deal, the National Industrial Recovery Act, and the Depression. Wool suits cost $9.95. Coffee went for 33 a pound and steak was just 11 a pound. Newspapers were three cents apiece. Katherine Hepburn, Richard Dix, and Clara Bow were the box office movie attractions of the day. Sally Rand kept the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago air-conditioned with her fans. John Dillinger broke out of jail faster than the sheriff could buy locks. This was the early 1930s. The period in which Northern Illinois University nee Northern Illinois State Teachers College dominated the sports scene in the Little 19 Conference. Legendary head coach George "Chick" Evans led the Huskies then known as the "Profs" to back-to-back Little 19 conference cage crowns and 31 triumphs in 36 games during those storied 1932-33 and 1933-34 campaigns. The 1933-34 Northern Illinois squad gained national recognition and eventually became the first team inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1984. Five members of this squad later won induction into the Northern Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame as individuals Elzie Cooper, Jack Mustapha, Reino Nori, Leonard Skoglund, and Benny Westlake. Great expectations surrounded that 1933-34 NISTC unit. Five veterans forwards Westlake, Nori, and Joe Jepsen, pivotman Lester Johnson, and guard Skoglund all returned from the 15-3 champions the previous season. Mustapha had played for Northern Illinois a few years before. Guard John Clark did not practice until he got off crutches from a football injury. Freshmen who contributed were Rupert Miller, Bruce Smith, John Strever, and Cooper the school's first black athlete. Oh, what a year. The Evansmen posted a 16-2 mark, successfully defended their Little 19 title, and earned a postseason trip to Atlanta, GA, and exhibitions against the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Kansas. This team turned out to be Evans' best, record-wise, in 11 seasons as the NISTC basketball taskmaster. Only eleven other Northern lllinois men's quintets have equaled or exceeded that 16-win total in the duration. But the 20-minute exhibitions illustrating various styles of play and proposed rule changes against the legendary "Phog" Allen at Kansas and "Doc" Carlson and his similar rotating offense at Pitt was the big moment 64 years ago. The story goes that the Atlanta trip to the annual National Basketball Coaches Association meeting was arranged by Bloomington, IL, sports editor Brick Young, who figured that the local team, Illinois Wesleyan, would take the Little 19 crown. But Northern Illinois had other ideas. Northern Illinois State Teachers College captured its last seven league games to finish 11-2 in the Little 19. Wesleyan had to defeat Millikin to tie the Profs and force a playoff for the trip. Wesleyan lost and finished 10-3. It was such big news that the Northern Illinois student newspaper put out an Extra edition. The Huskies departed for Atlanta from the Chicago and NorthWestern railroad station. A four-column picture in the Chicago Tribune heralded NISTC s two-day Pullman trip to Atlanta and the forerunner of future National Collegiate Athletic Association postseason tournaments. To finance the journey, the school hosted a sports night including an Alumni basketball game and also played an exhibition against Southern Illinois University in Carbondale en route to the South. Skoglund made First- Team All-Little 19, mostly for his defense and dependability not to mention a thenradical one-handed push shot. His two late buckets helped beat Western Illinois, 29-26, during the regular season. Smith s foul shot was the winner in a 31-30 loop victory at Illinois State that avenged one of Northern Illinois State Teachers College s two Little 19 setbacks. The Profs moved into first place in the conference, winning their seventh in a row from Augustana, 40-25, behind Cooper s offensive moves. Westlake, a Second-Team All-Little 19 pick, finished as NISTC s leading scorer and his speed was vital in Evans squirrelcage offense. Nori, better known for his Prof gridiron exploits, proved to be an aggressive sparkplug in spite of his small stature, the 1934 Norther yearbook reported. Oh, what a year. Northern Illinois 1933-34 Hall of Fame Men's Basketball Team Front Row (from left): Reino Nori, Ben Westlake, Lester Johnson, Leonard Skoglund, Joe Jepsen. Back Row (from left): Bruce Smith, Jack Mustapha, Robert Frazer, Head Coach George "Chick" Evans, Allan Minnegan, John Strever, Rupert Miller. Absent from photo: Elzie Cooper. 122 2003-04 Northern Illinois Men s Basketball Media Guide
The Benchmark Game There's no debate. It's no contest. It was the benchmark game in a benchmark season. In 103 intercollegiate campaigns, this game screams off the record book page as the biggest single triumph in Northern Illinois University men's basketball history. The Huskie Classic of classics. The date: Tuesday, January 4, 1972. The site: A delirious, jam-packed Chick Evans Field House with an SRO crowd of 4,442 cage hedonists. The final score: Northern Illinois 85, Indiana 71. Yes, fifth-ranked Indiana. America's No. 5 quintet in both major wire service polls. The tradition-laden, Big Ten Conference Hoosiers, coached by a 31-year-old hardwood genius named Bobby Knight. An awe-inspiring conquest for a Huskie program in only its fifth year as a major-college. Right here in Evans. The next day, United Press International called it a "stunning 85-71 loss to unsung Northern Illinois..." Well, head coach Tom Jorgensen's run-and-gun Huskies weren't unsung for long. Two weeks later, Northern Illinois went national and crashed the Top 20 for the first time (see pages 124-125). You don't have to ask Huskie sports information director emeritus Bud Nangle twice. "It's the biggest win in the history of the school in men's basketball," Nangle said. "I've been associated with the school since 1939 and I cannot think of any win that carried more national impact than that game did. Sure, over the years, there's been many big wins, games that led to the NCAA Tournament. We're talking Indiana here. Our kids knew who we were playing." For NIU and its gung-ho Baby Boomer Generation fans, it was Christmas, New Year's Eve, and spring break all rolled into one. Jorgensen had scheduled the Hoosiers three times in Bloomington, IN, to get one DeKalb date the first Big Ten school to play in Evans. After 71-65 (1967-68), 89-81 (1969-70), and 113-112 (1970-71) setbacks at IU the latter included a 45-point outing by George McGinnis Jorgy and Co. felt it was finally their year. Particularly with the presence of 6- foot-9, soph All-America forward Jim Bradley. "There wasn't a doubt in any of our minds that we were going to win," recalled Huskie Hall of Famer Jerry Zielinski, a 6-4 senior cornerman whose deadly jump shot made the Evans faithful chant "Zee, Zee, Zee..." in anticipation. "This was our turn now, our advantage playing at home." For Nangle, Zielinski, and others interviewed about The Game, the answer is the same. Specific details are long forgotten, but not the environment. "To me now, the whole game is a blur," said 1969 NIU grad Dave Rasmussen. "The atmosphere was electric. It was a zoo. The crowd. The feelings. There was tremendous enthusiasm. What a night that was." Zielinski and his teammates got an Evans ecstasy sneak preview 24 hours early. "I'll never forget the night before," Zielinski said. "We walked outside of the field house after practice at 5:30. You know, it was a typical Northern night. Cold. Sleet. And there were a couple hundred people camped by the ticket office waiting to get in the game. They were cheering, patting us on the back, and wishing us good luck." Bill Wesselhoff, the former sports editor of the DeKalb Daily Chronicle, was a high school senior that winter night. "I don't remember much about the game," Wesselhoff admitted, "but I'll never forget the crowd. The place was packed. I was way, way up on the top row in the 'townie' section. Everybody went wild. It was so loud you couldn't hear yourself talk." Along with the David vs. Goliath aspect reputationwise, the game featured contrasting styles. Jorgy preferred a full throttle, runaway Mercedes on the autobahn approach on offense, while Knight brought a stopper reputation from Army where his cadets finished No. 1 in the country on defense for three straight seasons. NIU entered the showdown with a 7-1 record and a gaudy 102.5 points-per-game scoring average against mid-level major opposition the exception being a 112-85 humiliating loss at Purdue. IU came in 8-1 and yielded only 65.6 ppg. on defense after besting Kansas, Kentucky, BYU, and Notre Dame (92-29 in its Assembly Hall dedication game). "Coach Knight has made many changes. They are a completely different team. That game (last year) is not a factor. Indiana will play intense basketball for 40 minutes," said Jorgy, expressing concern about the Hoosiers' 6-8, 222-pound Joby Wright and 6-8, 218-pound Jerry Zielinski (44) Steve Downing. "This is going to be an awfully tough contest," Knight told sports editor Stan Shalett of the DeKalb Daily Chronicle. "Northern has tremendous offensive potential. They are a very strong rebounding team. This is the game we want." While both coaches' pregame comments hit a couple nails on the head, the game proved to be a showcase for an underrated Huskie defense, Bradley's ballhandling abilities years before "Magic" Johnson at Michigan State and Jorgensen's disciplined delay game at the finish. "Psyched up" NIU start to finish, running off to a 10-3 lead in the first 2:41, building a 43-33 lead at half, and fighting off several IU runs. "They pressed us and Jorgy crossed them up by having Jim Bradley bring the ball upcourt," Zielinski remembered. Bradley canned a 25-foot jump shot and Larry Jackson's lay-up capped a 10-4 Huskie run at the start of the second half for a 53-37 advantage that caused a Hoosier timeout with 15:37 left. Northern Illinois opened a 21- point lead, 63-42, on a Jackson 10-footer with 11:27 in the game. Knight's Hoosiers kept plugging away and cut the lead to 75-64 on two foul shots by forward Rick Ford with 3:44 to play. Jorgensen went to the four corners, the Huskies hit six consecutive foul shots in the final 1:39, and the Evans fans went home happy. While being outshot from the floor, NIU still got off 19 more field goal attempts, forced 16 IU turnovers, and outboarded the visitors, 57-40. Bradley played 40 minutes and dominated with a 24-point, 20-rebound "doubledouble." Wright paced Indiana with 28 points. "We (team) talked a lot about what Purdue did to us," Bradley said afterwards. "We just weren't ready then, but we were for Indiana." "We were a damn good defensive team tonight," Jorgy said. "Bradley played an excellent game...and was a dominant factor on the boards. I've never had a bigger victory." Neither has Northern Illinois. 2003-04 Northern Illinois Men s Basketball Media Guide 123
1971-72: Cornfields To The Top 20 When comparisons are made, there s no doubt that Northern Illinois University s storied 1971-72 quintet stacks up as the best in the school s 103-year cage history. How good were those Huskies, you ask? Huskie Hall of Fame Good enough to inflict first-year Indiana University head man Bobby Knight with an Excedrin headache that lasted into the offseason. NIU attracted national attention with an 85-71 success over Knight s No. 5-ranked Hoosiers that January. Bobby still talks about that game, recalled former University of Kentucky boss and Knight fishing buddy Joe B. Hall a few years later. He just shakes his head. Indiana s comeuppance that winter evening was neither accident nor upset. Instead, it was orchestrated by a young, energetic coach named Tom Jorgensen, a former Chicago Parker High School All-Stater and University of Michigan basketball captain. Jorgy arrived in DeKalb after serving as an assistant to Dave Strack at Michigan in the Wolverine glory days of All-American Cazzie Russell, the Big Ten title, a 23-5 year, and runner-up honors to UCLA in the 1966 National Collegiate Athletic Association finals. In seven subsequent seasons, Jorgy lifted a burgeoning Northern Illinois program from the College Division to the big-time, literally from the cornfields into the Top 20. His early Huskie clubs played competitive ball against an upgraded schedule. Prior to 1971-72, Jorgy posted respectable 13-11 (1968-69), 13-12 (1969-70), and 13-10 (1970-71) records. The stage was set for prep phenom Jim Bradley. Yes sir, The Franchise. Called a 6-foot-9 Oscar Robertson, Bradley was personification of Al McGuire s figurative aircraft carrier. Once Bradley signed the National Letter of Intent in May, 1970, Northern Illinois had turned the corner and the hoopla began. After all, Jim Bradley had led East Chicago, IN, Roosevelt to a 28-0 season and the coveted Indiana state championship that season. Recruited by over 300 schools including UCLA he drew comparison to such Hoosier prep notables as Robertson, McGinnis, Wooden, etc. By his sophomore year, he was legend before making his varsity debut. Sport magazine put Bradley on its preseason Sophomore All-America squad that year with Houston s Dwight Jones, Maryland s Northern Illinois 1971-72 Hall of Fame Men s Basketball Team Front Row (from left): Dan McDowell, Gordon Nuber, Jim Bradley, Larry Turner, Morrey Scott, Bob Patterson, Mark Voreis. Back Row (from left): Assistant Coach Emory Luck, Assistant Coach Darryl Day, Walt Perrin, Billy Harris, Tom McKiernan, Jerry Zielinski, Larry Jackson, Floyd Williams, Don Hamel, Cleveland Ivey, Head Coach Tom Jorgensen. Absent from photo: Managers John Niemeyer, Doug Wilson, and Bill Finucane. Tom McMillen, UCLA s Keith Wilkes, and Pepperdine s Bill Averitt. Of course, everybody remembers the spread in Sports Illustrated. Full-page, four-color Jim Bradley wearing his white No. 24 Huskie jersey and that infectious smile in a cornfield. The SI caption read: As high as an The Lineup Northern Illinois (21-4) elephant s eye are 6-9 Jim Bradley, Northern Illinois, and the good XL-66 DeKalb corn. In its November 19, 1971, college preview issue billed on the cover as the Year of The New Giants Sports Illustrated projected the Huskies into its Top 25. Why not? Jorgensen returned all five starters 6- foot-4 forwards Cleveland Ivey and Jerry Zielinski, 6-9 postman Larry Turner, plus quicksilver 6-2 guards Billy Harris and Larry Jackson from a team that averaged a blistering 92.7 points-per-game in 1970-71. Teams traveling to DeKalb, IL, this winter had better think in terms of Alfred Hitchcock s North by Northwest. That s the picture in which Cary Grant is strafed by a loaded crop duster. Northern Illinois has a 6-9 duster named Jim Bradley and everybody, but everybody is saying he is the finest sophomore in the Midwest. In Northern s opening scrimmage, Bradley snatched the first two defensive rebounds, dribbled behind his back to the center of the floor, and when the fastbreak stalled, drilled 15- F 44 Jerry Zielinski (18.1 ppg / 6.8 rpg) (6-4, 195, Senior) F 24 Jim Bradley (22.9 ppg / 15.9 rpg) (6-9, 230, Sophomore) C 54 Larry Turner (3.9 ppg / 7.3 rpg) (6-9, 210, Senior) G 12 Billy Harris (17.8 ppg / 3.0 rpg) (6-2, 170, Junior) G 32 Larry Jackson (13.5 ppg / 5.9 rpg) (6-2, 190, Junior) footers... Jorgy s Huskies lived up to the Sports Illustrated billing. From the opening tip, Northern Illinois rolled up Wall Street numbers: a 21-4 record, an 11-game winning streak, ten 100- plus scoring games, seven home sellouts, and a No. 19 Associated Press rating in January. Bradley made his debut with a game-high 29 points and 17 rebounds in a 116-82 romp over Cal State-Fullerton. The Huskies reached 100 with 9:03 left. The soph forward left the game a minute earlier with a standing ovation from the Evans Field House faithful. Each week, Northern Illinois found itself all over the weekly NCAA stats report finishing third in team offense (95.2 ppg), seventh in team rebounding (52.2 rpg), and 10th in team scoring margin (+12.7 ppg) at season s end. What could be more fun than Jorgensen s free-wheeling offense? Easy. His Ed Sullivanlike showmanship. Placekicking folding chairs. Tossing sportcoats. Ordering wild, striped warm-up suits. All years before Entertainment Tonight. Beat man Gary Stein of the Rockford Register Star nicknamed the Huskies The Mod Squad. Columnist Robert Markus of the Chicago Tribune wrote: If Northern Illinois is not the best team in the college ranks, it surely must be the most exciting. 124 2003-04 Northern Illinois Men s Basketball Media Guide
1971-72: Cornfields To The Top 20 Head coach Tom Jorgensen was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame in the fall of 1998. Jorgy ran more than Ohio State s Woody Hayes. Organized Helter Skelter. Halfcourt outlet passes for two-on-one or three-on-two situations. A cloud of dust and a fast break. l guess you d have to say that I m an offensive-minded coach, Jorgensen said. There s a fine line between playing with reckless abandon and playing with freedom. You re liable to see Billy Harris put the ball between his legs twice and behind his back three times on the way to the basket when he doesn t have to do it. I might say something. But if I never let him do it all, the game wouldn t be as much fun for him. If I have my choice, this is the way I like to play. During a recruiting visit, Bradley noticed, too. When I visited there (NIU), I watched Billy Harris and Larry Jackson play and saw them do things with a basketball I had never seen guards do before, he admitted. Harris, aptly named The Kid, could outgun anybody, anytime, from anywhere. No one in the game owned a better repertoire of moves, double-clutch shots, fingerrolls, and chutzpa. Jackson (13.5 ppg in 1971-72) might have been the best all-around athlete on the club. Zielinski made the partisans in Evans chant Zee... Zee... Zee... for every 20-footer. A product of tiny Putnam County, The Big Z made the transition from a prep center into a major-college cornerman, thanks to diligence and a Rick Mount jump shot. Turner (7.3 rpg) played a workman-like center and left the flamboyance to others. Four Huskie starters eventually went in the pro draft Bradley (NBA Los Angeles Lakers, ABA San Diego Conquistadors), Zielinski (ABA Dallas Chaps), Harris (NBA Chicago Bulls), and Jackson (NBA Milwaukee Bucks). The same quartet still ranks among the all-time school scoring leaders Zielinski No. 8 at 1,402 career points, Harris No. 10 at 1,331, Bradley No. 16 at 1,134, and Jackson No. 38 at 798. Bradley, Zielinski and Jorgensen were inducted into the Hall of Fame as individuals. Bradley, of course, received a ton of post-season honors in 1971-72 team Most Valuable Player, Midwestern Conference MVP, All-Midwestern, All- District Four, and Fourth-Team All-America not to mention many of the 52 NIU records the Huskies rewrote that banner season. The 6-foot-9, 230-pounder wound up fifth among NCAA rebounders with a norm of 15.9 caroms per game and 36th in scoring at 22.9 ppg. Pro scouts started drooling. People in the know called him the first Magic. He is the complete player, Jorgy said. I guess the best way to describe Jim is that he does for us what Bill Walton does for UCLA. At 6-9, he can play anywhere on the court forward, center, guard, you name it. Two years later, Bradley was ruled ineligible during his senior year and signed as a free agent with the Kentucky Colonels. By the playoffs, he started with Artis Gilmore and Dan Issel in 1973-74 on the ABA club and then played on the league champs the next winter. A New Giant indeed. The Indiana game was the frosting on the cake in 1971-72. Bradley produced 24 points, 20 boards, and coach Knight s fishing tales. Northern Illinois out-rebounded IU with Joby Wright and Steve Downing upfront, 57-40. I ve never had a bigger thrill personally, Jorgy beamed afterwards. Three weeks later came the Chicago Stadium showdown with South Carolina. But the Huskies struggled early and late versus Tom Riker, Kevin Joyce, and Brian Winters, falling 83-72, despite 18,462 fans and a heroic 23-point night by Zielinski. The memories linger. Northern Illinois students by the hundreds camping out in front of Evans Field House overnight for the best seats in the house, etc., etc. But the storybook year ended without a post-season tournament bid. A last-second 86-85 setback to Doug Collins and Illinois State at home might have soured the NCAA selection committee. Still, Jorgy put things into proper perspective. We wanted three things this season: 20 or more victories, a conference championship, and a national ranking. We got all three. What more can you ask? It was a tremendous year. AP Top 20 Rankings W-L Pts. 1. UCLA (40)... 12-0... 818 2. Marquette University (1)... 12-0... 722 3. University of North Carolina... 11-1... 652 4. Long Beach State... 14-1... 511 5. University of South Carolina... 9-2... 484 6. University of Louisville... 11-1... 445 7. Ohio State University... 10-2... 421 8. University of Southern California... 11-2... 274 9. University of Virginia... 12-1... 232 10. University of Pennsylvania... 9-2... 205 11. Florida State University... 13-2... 204 12. Southwestern Louisiana... 11-1... 166 13. Brigham Young University... 11-2... 121 14. Princeton University... 14-2... 103 15. Villanova University... 11-2... 89 16. Marshall University... 12-2... 47 17. University of Minnesota... 8-3... 45 18. University of Hawai i... 13-1... 41 19. University of Tennessee... 9-2... 31 20. Northern Illinois University... 10-1... 18 Note: On January 18, 1972, Northern Illinois University s basketball team was ranked 20th in the country by the Associated Press. The AP rating marked the first time in the school s history that any of its teams had received a national ranking among the NCAA major schools. The next week, Northern Illinois moved up to the No. 19 position in AP before losing to South Carolina. 1971-72 Results (21-4) NIU OPP. 116 82 Cal State-Fullerton 85 112 at Purdue University 118 91 at Western Illinois University 107 90 McMurry (TX) College- 111 94 Hardin-Simmons University- 105 75 Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo 97 71 Hardin-Simmons University 83 68 Western Michigan University 85 71 Indiana University 103 83 at Ball State University- 93 79 Loyola University-New Orleans 93 64 Central Michigan University 106 96 at Western Michigan University 72 83 University of South Carolina- 106 86 at University of Buffalo 81 96 at St. Bonaventure University 77 65 at Kent State University 99 85 at Illinois State University- 66 61 Indiana State University- 96 82 Southern Illinois University- 103 88 Ball State University- 85 86 Illinois State University- 97 93 at Southern Illinois University- 102 81 at Bowling Green St. University 94 80 at Indiana State University- -Midwestern Conference game -Cowboy Classic at Abilene, TX -at Chicago Stadium (Home Games in Bold) 2003-04 Northern Illinois Men s Basketball Media Guide 125
1981-82: 11 Days in March Leonard Hayes (24) Memories. Those personal recollections are some of the best things in life. Twenty years ago. 1981-82. It was one of Northern Illinois University s finest basketball hours. Cameramen, media people, and remote television crews all congregated at one of the gates at Chicago s O Hare Field. This was one of 11 Days in March, 1982. All the floodlights shone on the Huskies 1981-82 men s basketball team en route to what the campus newspaper referred to the Great 48 i.e., the school s first Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship appearance. Looking back, the 1981-82 season was also filled with turmoil and controversy. There were rumors of in-house dissention. Head coach John McDougal rode this emotional roller coaster all winter. At the time, Northern Illinois entered the NCAA Tournament as the Cinderella team and topped the field with 13 losses. For the record, NIU did beat Northwestern, 77-70, and Notre Dame, 70-65, that season, plus featured 6-foot-10 Ron Lindfors, 6-9 Allen Rayhorn, and 6-8 Tim Dillon. In hindsight, Johnny Mac s entry would boast of four National Basketball Association draft picks, two of the school s top five all-time scorers, and three Hall of Famers. After the interviews at O Hare, the Huskies embarked to the NCAA Midwest Regional, the ultra-modern, 18,000-seat Reunion Arena, and the plush Hyatt Regency headquarters in downtown Dallas, TX. Yes, in 1981-82, Northern Illinois did Dallas. Bill Baker, Huskie Radio Network play-by-play voice: I remember waking up Friday morning, the day of the Kansas State game, and walking out of the Hyatt Regency for breakfast. When I saw all the people in the lobby involved with the regional, I was awestruck. It was my first personal experience in the NCAA Tournament, and all the glitz and glamour took awhile to sink in. All of a sudden, the magnitude of the accomplishment hit me: We had made the Big Show. Forward Tim Dillon: The Chicago media really came out. Here we are at the airport, and coach McDougal was getting interviewed by John Drummond from Channel 2 (WBBM- TV). Everybody kind of ignored us all season. Now all of a sudden, we got this attention. Things came together for us. We really clicked in the MAC Tournament. It s the most fun I ve ever had in basketball. The plays worked as they were designed. Five guys worked together for a common goal. It was a fitting tribute to coach McDougal. March 2 Flashback: With 12:07 left to play in the Mid-American Conference Postseason Tournament opener versus Ohio at Chick Evans Field House, Northern Illinois trailed by 14 points on its own floor. Coach McDougal ordered a full-court press and inserted guard Carl Armato into the lineup. In five minutes, Northern Illinois outscored the Bobcats by a 16-2 margin and forced the issue into overtime, where a Leonard Hayes basket and three free throws by Rayhorn lifted the hosts to a 70-68 victory. The 4,000 fans in Evans sounded like 40,000, wrote Reed Schreck of the Rockford Register Star. On to Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, MI, and the Mid-Am Final Four. Guard Carl Armato: The most exciting part of the year were the games in Ann Arbor when we won the MAC Tournament. Those games erased all the controversies we had during the season. The Ohio game in the field house was great, too. When we tied the game at 54-all, The Lineup Northern Illinois (16-14) F 50 Tim Dillon (10.3 ppg / 5.8 rpg) (6-8, 220, Sophomore) F 34 Jon Collins (7.6 ppg / 3.5 rpg) (6-4, 192, Freshman) C 40 Allen Rayhorn (15.3 ppg / 9.0 rpg) (6-9, 202, Senior) G 22 Keith Gray (8.4 ppg / 2.0 rpg) (6-2, 166, Freshman) G 24 Leonard Hayes (14.8 ppg / 2.9 rpg) (6-0, 184, Sophomore) that was as loud as I ve ever heard a crowd anywhere. When Keith Gray slammed the ball, it was deafening. My ears were ringing. Our fans were great. March 5 Flashback: Rayhorn s steal and threepoint play on a finger-roll bucket with five seconds left pushed the Huskies past Bowling Green State, 67-66, in the semifinals. The Horn led all scorers with 24 points on 10-of-13 from the field. Now Northern Illinois first MAC Postseason Trophy and the automatic NCAA bid appeared to be a matter of logical progression since the McDougal-men 1981-82 Results (16-14) NIU OPP 66 84 at University of Iowa 77 70 Northwestern University-* 60 63 at Illinois State University 68 71 Western Illinois University 75 97 at Loyola University-Chicago 70 65 at University of Notre Dame 56 81 at Fresno State University 67 65 at University of the Pacific 46 55 DePaul University-* 62 57 Loras College 65 73 at Ball State University- 74 66 Miami (Ohio) University- * 60 59 at W. Michigan University- 67 69 Ohio University- (OT) 62 64 at C. Michigan University- 61 59 Bowling Green St. University- 55 62 at E. Michigan University- 67 64 University of Toledo-s (OT) 79 73 Kent State University-s (OT) 70 72 at Miami (Ohio) University- 82 61 W. Michigan University- 70 68 at Ohio University- 55 50 Central Michigan University- 80 89 at Bowling Green St. University- 72 62 Eastern Michigan University- 84 85 at University of Toledo- 70 68 Ohio University- (OT) 67 66 Bowling Green St. University- 79 75 Ball State University- (OT) 68 77 Kansas State University- -Mid-American Conference game -MAC Tournament at Ann Arbor, MI -NCAA Midwest Regional at Dallas, TX *-at Rockford MetroCentre (Home Games in Bold) 126 2003-04 Northern Illinois Men s Basketball Media Guide
1981-82: 11 Days in March wound up third in 1980, and second in 1981. Team manager Glen Sam Krupica: A week before the MAC Tournament, everyone couldn t wait to go home for spring break. Then it was one amazing finish after another. Ohio in overtime, Bowling Green by one point, and then Ball State in overtime. The next thing you know and we re in the NCAA Midwest Regional and playing in Reunion Arena. Amazing. Center Ron Rollo Lindfors: Beating Ball State in the finals of the MAC Tournament was really special because they had beat us in the last game of the year before. March 6 Flashback: In the rematch of the 1981 MAC title game won by Ball State (79-66), the Huskies dethroned the regular-season champion Cardinals in a 79-75 overtime thriller as all five NIU starters scored in double figures headed by, naturally, Rayhorn s 23 points. Northern Illinois rallied from two first-half eight-point deficits and earned the trip to J.R. Ewing Country by scoring the first six points in the extra session on Hayes corner jumper and four straight one-and-one foul shots by Jon Collins in a 70-second stretch. Rayhorn made all-tourney for the third time and was an obvious pick for Most Valuable Player with 61 points, 27 rebounds, and a.710 field goal percentage in three games. Hayes quarterbacked the club, added 17 points, and limited BSU s standout guard Ray McCallum to 14 points. Center Allen Rayhorn, now farming in Rock City, IL: Ball State was always tough to beat. A lot of us remembered that the year before when we finished second (in the MAC Tournament), the NIT took the third place team (Toledo). That was just a slap in the face. Winning the MAC was fun. Just getting to the NCAA was like the icing on the cake. Tim Dillon (50) vs. Kansas State University in NCAA Midwest Regional in Dallas Lindfors: The two things I remember best were throwing Bill Baker in the pool after we won the MAC and then the next year when we received our NCAA rings. I ll never forget the look of joy on (teammate) Chuck Schramm s face. March 12 Flashback: Matched against Big Eight Conference runner-up and tourneywise Kansas State, coached by Jack Hartman, Northern Illinois scored first, stayed close, and eventually succumbed, 77-68. Midway through the first half, a nine-footer by Dillon cut the Kansas State lead to 43-40. Later, the Huskies trimmed the deficit to five twice before losing Rayhorn (17 points and a game-high 13 rebounds) and Dillon on fouls. Hayes paced the Huskies with 18 points. In defeat, Rayhorn established himself as the MAC s all-time career scorer with 1,848 points and the loop s No. 3 boardman (1,077 career rebounds). His rebound lay-up at the 14:08 mark of the opening half eclipsed the 1,834-point mark held by Bowling Green State s Howard Komives since the 1960s. Armato: For that one week, we came together. It was a great experience. Players like Allen Rayhorn deserved better. I don t think we could ve gotten anywhere without Allen. He could do so many things and was so unselfish. No one can ever challenge the character of John McDougal. He deserved to have the first Huskie team in the NCAA. Lindfors: I had a great time playing with guys like Horn, and Dill, and Terry Green, and Shawn Thrower. My (NCAA) ring is put away and I do have my No. 53 uniform. There s a lot of good memories. Krupica: Being the first (NIU team in the NCAA Tournament) was probably the greatest aspect of the whole thing, that and the fact that Northern Illinois did not make the tourna- ment with the great individual players and teams it had in the early 1970s. The alumni were proud. The NCAA gave people in town a lot to talk about. The alums were proud to say: I went to Northern Illinois. It was a good school. Allen Rayhorn was a great sleeper. When you look at his career, he was the cog in the wheel. He was the guy that got us there. Allen Rayhorn (40) 1982 MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player 2003-04 Northern Illinois Men s Basketball Media Guide 127
1990-91: A Wonderful Year It was the Jim Molinari version of It s a Wonderful Life. In full black and blue hues. Defense, defense. Did Northern Illinois University play defense in 1990-91? Boy, did it. Molinari s Huskies proved to be stingier than Jack Benny in his prime. Molinari parlayed this halfcourt style into a record-setting 25-6 season, into the Mid-Continent Conference regular-season championship, into Top 40 national rankings, and into the school s first National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament berth since the 1981-82 season. Those NCAA rings sure looked great, particularly to those Huskie seniors that went 8-20 as freshmen. Their trademark was no secret. This was blue collar basketball. Northern Illinois averaged 57.5 points per game on defense and would finish No. 2 nationally in NCAA Division I team scoring defense, No. 2 in field goal percentage defense (.388), and No. 5 in team rebound margin (+7.5 rpg). Defense, defense. Defense, Molinari indicated, is our identity. No kidding, Mo. Your Huskies made halfcourt D an art form. Seventeen times that winter, Northern Illinois limited the opponent to 60 points or less. Only five times did the opposition shoot.500 or better from the floor. The last Huskie quintet to give up fewer points? Would you believe 1947-48 and 55.6 points per game? Playing defense for us is like, well, you know when you get up in the morning, you take a shower. We play defense, recalled Northern Illinois 6-foot-7 forward Antwon Harmon. Molinari s Huskies started fast. Northern Illinois jumped off to its best start in school history (12-1) and tied the school s longest winning streak (11). En route, the Mo -men gained valuable tourney experience by winning the Southwest Texas State / Jowers Jamboree and posted W s over Evansville (77-51), Rice (76-66), plus DePaul (70-61) before a Chick Evans Field House record 6,261 approving fans. Yeah, we beat DePaul, because 7,000 fans in the field house wouldn t let us lose, Molinari said. That, and because 6-foot-4 Huskie forward Donnell D-Train Thomas Does Broadway Donnell Thomas, better known as D-Train, outworked a 6-7, 6-9, and 6-10 Blue Demon frontline for 20 points and a game-high 17 rebounds for his 33rd career point-rebound double-double. Work ethic. Discipline. Attitude. Shot selection. Defense. That was the formula all season long. Two weeks later, Northern Illinois would set a Mid-Continent record by holding Akron to 30 points and 12-of-44 (.273) shooting from the field on its own court. When telephoning that 48-30 final to the television stations in Chicago and Rockford, one sports director responded: We only take final scores. The reply? That is the final score. Defense, defense. On defense, we felt that anything inside the three-point line was ours, offered Huskie junior swingman Mike Hidden. Defense Molinari believed was the one constant in a game filled with variables (off shooting nights, turnovers, hostile environments, so-so officiating, etc.). Mo knew basketball. So Northern Illinois regrouped for an eight-game winning streak. On the night of February 11 in Charleston, the Huskies outlasted Eastern Illinois, 74-69, in double overtime. It marked the team s fourth game in a 10-day span. The Huskies were leg-weary. Conditioning and mental toughness carried Northern Illinois to its 20th victory of the year only the school s second 20-win campaign since 1900-01. Defense, defense. Senior guard Donald Whiteside hit a key three-pointer with 44 seconds left in the first extra session to send the game into the second overtime period, where the Huskies outscored EIU, 9-4, for the triumph. It was a typical game for Whiteside, who played all 50 minutes and posted 18 points and eight assists. Thomas scored the winner on a jump hook with 0:47 left and finished with a game-high 20 points and 11 boards. A week later, Northern Illinois created some more waves in Lincoln, NE. Against 14th-ranked Nebraska, the Huskies never trailed until the game s last 4:51. Twice in the first half, NIU led by nine points and then by a seven-point margin, 43-36, at halftime. The Cornhuskers 7-foot-2 center Rich King a first-round National Basketball Association draft choice powered for 23 of his school-record 40 points in the second half. But the NCAA selection committee noticed. Defense, defense. We were like a machine that year, Whiteside said. We all came in as freshmen and we took our lumps, but we worked hard, every guy accepted his role and we came together. The last time Northern Illinois clinched a regular-season league title was the Mid- American Conference trophy back in 1980-81. On Feb. 28 at the UIC Pavilion, Hidden sank a clutch three-pointer from the left side with 0:43 remaining that gave the visitors a 71-70 victory over Illinois-Chicago, the Mid- 128 2003-04 Northern Illinois Men s Basketball Media Guide
1990-91: A Wonderful Year Playing in his 115th and final game in a NIU uniform, Thomas vaulted into the top spot on the all-time Huskie scoring list with 1,853 points by scoring a game-high 23 points and adding 12 rebounds. For his efforts, D-Train was named the Chevrolet Player of the Game on CBS-TV. Whiteside contributed 20 points in 39 minutes. It was a great atmosphere, Whiteside added. It was a tremendous experience. I wish every college player had the chance to go through what we did that season. For seniors Thomas, Whiteside, Harmon, Andrew Wells, and Stacy Arrington, it was a great finish. Forty-two wins in their last two seasons. No Northern Illinois team has won more in back-to-back years. This was a very special year and a very special team, Molinari said. This was probably the most rewarding year that I ve had in 13 years of coaching. Defense, defense. Coach Mo had the Huskies attention in 1990-91 Continent championship, and a leaguerecord 14th loop triumph in 16 games. That Illinois-Chicago victory left the Huskies the No. 1 seed at the Mid-Continent Postseason Tournament in the Brown County Veteran s Memorial Arena the homecourt of second-place Wisconsin- Green Bay. Northern Illinois almost didn t make it to the title game. After wearing down UIC (77-52) in the first round, Whiteside had to convert The Shot, a running, NBA-plus three-pointer at the buzzer that tied things in regulation versus Northern Iowa. Spurred by Whiteside s basket, NIU outscored UNI, 19-6, in overtime to advance to the UWGB rematch in the Mid-Con finale with a 76-63 success. Many thought the Huskies could not fall to the Phoenix three times in 1990-91. For the first 25:40 of the game, Northern Illinois battled with Wisconsin- Green Bay and an intimidating, standing-room-only crowd of 6,197 nose-tonose. Mid-Continent Player of the Year Tony Bennett canned a jumper with 14:20 left in the second half for UW- Green Bay s first lead at 26-24. The Lineup Northern Illinois (25-6) F 44 Donnell Thomas (17.0 ppg / 8.2 rpg) (6-4, 218, Senior) F 23 Andrew Wells (7.9 ppg / 6.5 rpg) (6-7, 214, Seniors) F 33 Antwon Harmon (6.3 ppg / 4.2 rpg) (6-7, 194, Senior) G 10 Donald Whiteside (11.7 ppg / 1.5 rpg) (5-10, 150, Senior) G 30 Mike Lipnisky (6.4 ppg / 2.7 rpg) (6-2, 183, Freshman) Eventually, Mo s squad ran out of gas and was outscored 21-5 in the game s closing 8:22. For the record, the Phoenix won, 54-39, on a national ESPN cablecast. Actually, with the No. 2 seed winning the postseason tournament, the league and both institutions won on NCAA selection day. For the second year in a row, the Mid-Continent earned two NCAA tourney berths. Wisconsin-Green Bay received the automatic bid and lost, 60-58, on a last-second shot by Michigan State s Steve Smith at the NCAA West Regional in Tucson, AZ. Northern Illinois, making its first at-large NCAA appearance, fell, 75-68, to St. John s University of the Big East Conference in the Midwest Regional at Dayton, OH. In the 20th-ranked Redmen, the Huskies faced a bigger (6-7, 6-8, 6-11 upfront) and NCAA tourney-tested outfit making its 46th consecutive postseason appearance. Suffering a case of early jitters, Northern Illinois fell behind by 14 points, then 16 at intermission, and 25 in the second half. Sure enough, the Huskies fought their way back into the game and cut the SJU lead to six twice in the last 2:16 behind the seniors. 1990-91 Results (25-6) NIU OPP 65 51 at University of Maine 37 65 at University of Minnesota 77 51 University of Evansville 75 53 Alcorn State University-* 69 53 at Southwest Texas State-* 92 52 Idaho State University 76 66 at Rice University 84 60 at Chicago State University 65 45 University of Illinois-Chicago- 75 64 at University of Northern Iowa- 69 68 at Western Illinois University- 79 55 Valparaiso University- 70 61 DePaul University 57 63 Wisconsin-Green Bay- 69 65 Illinois Benedictine College 48 30 at University of Akron- 59 44 at Cleveland State University- 59 47 Eastern Illinois University- 77 51 University of Northern Iowa- 59 57 Western Illinois University- 72 42 at Valparaiso University- 74 69 at Eastern Illinois University- (2OT) 53 61 at Wisconsin-Green Bay- 73 82 at University of Nebraska 65 48 Cleveland State University- 75 62 University of Akron- 71 70 at University of Illinois-Chicago- 77 52 University of Illinois-Chicago- 76 63 University of Northern Iowa- (OT) 39 56 at Wisconsin-Green Bay- 68 75 St. John s University- *-Coca Cola Jowers Jamboree at San Marcos, TX -Mid-Continent Conference game -M-CC Tournament at Green Bay, WI -NCAA Midwest Regional at Dayton, OH (Home Games in Bold) 2003-04 Northern Illinois Men s Basketball Media Guide 129
1995-96: Magic Carpet Ride March Madness is a hardwood magic carpet ride. Come October 15 and the official opening of preseason practice, America s 305 majorcollege quintets all share the same dream. Everybody is a Big Dance wannabe. The endless wind sprints, the dreary 6 a.m. practices, the strange airports, and the my-butt-is-sore bus rides. A small price to be among The Chosen on Selection Sunday. From the final seconds of the 1994-95 season, Northern Illinois University men s basketball coach Brian Hammel talked about reaching the next level. His long-term focus, his energy, and the team centered on reaching the finals of the 1996 Midwestern Collegiate Conference Postseason Tournament. The ultimate Huskie prize: The MCC s automatic bid to the 1996 National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament. Rubbing shoulders with the big boys. The mid-march magic carpet ride. Back in the late 1960s, Hammel may have been more hip to his beloved New York Yankees or his own Basketball Jones playground career than lead singer John Kay and his heavy metal rock and roll band, Steppenwolf, and its Top 40 monster hit Magic Carpet Ride. Well, let the sound take you away. The scene: NCAA East Regional at Richmond Coliseum on March 15 with 7:08 left in the game against third-seeded Texas Tech, Ronald Minter took a long rebound and fired upcourt to teammate Vaurice Patterson. Reese dribbles to the bucket and bounced the ball back to Minter on the other side of the lane. Streaking into the picture comes Chris Coleman. Two-on-one, three-on-one, described CBS-TV play-by-play man Ted Robinson on the play. Trailer, oh, boom! The 11,859 in attendance roared as Coleman took a feed from Minter and soared in from mid-lane for a breathtaking, one-hand tomahawk slam-dunk. That Coleman highlight reel stuff ignited a big-time Huskie comeback. Fourteen seconds later, Darvin Ham s baseline power dunk brought the Tech fans out of their seats. The back-to-back slams signaled a great finish. Was it ever. The 500 or so Northern Illinois root- ers grew louder. The blue-clad North Carolina fans waiting for the UNC-New Orleans nightcap joined the underdogs in a chorus of NIU, NIU chants. Hammel s unranked and 14thseeded Huskies took the 28-1 Red Raiders to the wire. No wonder Basketball Times called it the best first or second round game in the East Regional. A perfect finish for those 6.6 million households watching on CBS-TV across America. Weren t the executives at WBBM-TV in Chicago glad they responded to the hundreds of telephone calls from NIU alums and fans and carried the Huskies instead of ho-hum Indiana versus Boston College? How could Big Ten Conference commissioner Jim Delaney want to deny WBBM-TV's Howard Sudberry and T.J. Lux (right) The Lineup Northern Illinois (20-10) F 41 Mike Hartke (7.4 ppg / 3.6 rpg) (6-8, 227, Junior) C 35 T.J. Lux (15.2 ppg / 8.7 rpg) (6-8, 2-1, Freshman) G 25 Chris Coleman (14.3 ppg / 6.3 rpg) (6-3, 6-3, Junior) G 5 Ronald Minter (12.0 ppg / 3.4 rpg) (5-9, 158, Junior) G 24 Vaurice Patterson (8.6 ppg / 3.9 rpg) Coach Brian Hammel Ronald Minter (5) the nation s No. 3 market from seeing its hometown Huskies and this drama? With Coleman having the half of his life, NIU clawed back into contention. No. 25 canned three-pointers, dunks, power rebounds, fallaway jumpers, etc., for 24 of his game-high and career-best 28 points in the last 20 minutes. Coleman hit 10-of-13 from the floor in the second half. Chris was in a zone, Hammel understated. Eighth-ranked Texas Tech opened four 13-point leads in the second half. During the final 7:31, though, Northern Illinois outscored the Southwest Conference kingpins, 25-11, and pulled within 67-63 on two T. J. Lux free throws with 1:33 remaining. The Coliseum was up for grabs. The Huskies got the ball back. Coleman took it on the wing and went to the hole. Offensive foul with 0:47.2 on the clock. Tech prevailed, 74-73, on five foul shots in the last 40 seconds. Reese made the final score painfully close with a trey at the end. The heroes of the Huskie magic carpet ride were many. Start with Hammel and his staff. They were the visionaries that kept the team sledding through adversity after losing starters Jamal Robinson and Donté Parker to grades in January and Coleman for 13 games with a broken right foot. Still, Northern Illinois finished third in the MCC regular season, entered the 20-win circle for only the third time in school history, and also earned its third NCAA Division I Tournament bid. Symbolically, Hammel s undersized threeguard lineup not only out-rebounded a bigger Texas Tech squad (45-40), but finished the year 14th in NCAA team rebound margin (+6.7 rpg). Coleman the man called Slowb. Looking back, his injury might have been a major Huskie plus in March since he probably possessed the freshest postseason legs in the country. In four tourney games, Coleman averaged 21.5 points, plus made MCC Tournament MVP and Chevrolet NCAA Player of the Game. What a story senior Mike Hartke was. One of 40 student-athletes on 130 2003-04 Northern Illinois Men s Basketball Media Guide
1995-96: Magic Carpet Ride the national GTE / College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All- America ballot. Renown as The Masked Marvel for his plexiglass mask, this guy made All-MCC Tournament with a broken nose, left knee brace, and a bum right ankle. Hartke perfected his wink for the ESPN cameras during the MCC finals versus Detroit and became the star of SportsCenter for this sound bite. Asked about his reaction to the Huskies NCAA berth, Hartke replied: I ve heard when you have a child, that s the happiest moment of your life. I m not there yet, so this has to be it. His teammates laughed. Why not? They were among The Chosen. Another Northern Illinois key was Lux. The school s best freshman since Kenny Battle a decade earlier. Picked on several frosh All- America teams and All-MCC Tournament, T. J. averaged 17.3 points and ten rebounds per game during the three triumphs in the league tourney. The day before the Texas Tech game, CBS-TV color analyst Larry Farmer related that a scout called Lux a young Kevin McHale. Unfortunately, T. J. had the misfortune of coming down with a serious case of the stomach flu. He literally looked green, scoring a gutty 10 points in 25 gritty minutes. The scene: March 6 at Chicago s O Hare International Airport. Six days earlier Northern Illinois passed through the world s busiest airport virtually unnoticed. Not today. Not after beating a talented Detroit team, 84-63, and winning the MCC tournament crown at Wright State s Nutter Center. Now, there was a phalanx of TV betacams waiting for the NCAAbound Huskies in the United terminal. In the spirit of the moment, freshman Mark Holland did his impromptu celebration dance for The Big Dance. For 90 seconds, pedestrian traffic in this part of O Hare stopped and politely applauded. Hartke, the man with a 3.96 grade point average, could only say: Man, this is awesome. All magic carpet rides are. The scene: The night before in Dayton, OH, after beating Detroit. The Northern Illinois cheerleading squad scampered on the floor with giant cardboard letters that spell N-C-A-A. There are smiles, hugs, and happiness on the Huskies sideline. Patterson became a household name, thanks to CNN s Play of the Day that ran every hour after his spectacular Julius Erving-type reverse lay-up against the Titans. This is what happens when you go to the NCAA. In the world of athletics, you certainly live for the moments, said Hammel. This certainly is a great moment. This is a terrific bunch of guys and they always believed in themselves. These Huskies were among The Chosen. Let the sound take you away. On the magic carpet ride. Above: Chris Coleman (25) Above Right: Mike "Masked Marvel" Hartke (41) Right: Huskie fans in Richmond "ride the carpet" 1995-96 Results (20-10) NIU OPP. 116 77 Aurora University 65 68 at Austin Peay State University 63 65 Southern Illinois University 49 53 Bowling Green St. University 77 52 at Wichita State University 115 75 at Chicago State University 81 61 University of Akron 70 63 at Air Force Academy 69 54 Niagara University 57 54 at University of Maine 65 62 Loyola University-Chicago- (OT) 80 60 University of Detroit- 67 64 Wisconsin-Milwaukee- 67 70 at University of Illinois-Chicago- 76 62 Cleveland State University- 84 57 Butler University- 53 61 at Wisconsin-Green Bay- 71 63 at Wright State University- 68 72 at Loyola University-Chicago- 98 90 University of Illinois-Chicago- 51 57 Wisconsin-Green Bay- 100 90 at Wisconsin-Milwaukee- (2OT) 58 73 at Butler University- 61 53 at Cleveland State University- 81 71 Wright State University- 75 77 at University of Detroit- 80 78 Wisconsin-Milwaukee- 95 60 University of Illinois-Chicago- 84 63 University of Detroit- 73 74 Texas Tech University- -Midwestern Collegiate Conference game -MCC Tournament at Dayton, OH -NCAA East Regional at Richmond, VA (Home Games in Bold) 2003-04 Northern Illinois Men s Basketball Media Guide 131
All-Time Huskie Lettermen A Stan Adams, F (1982-83, 1983-84) Tony Amelianovich, C (1968-69, 1969-70) Burton Anderson, F (1997-98, 1998-99) Brett Andricks, G (1986-87, 1987-88) Carl Armato, G (1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84) Stacy Arrington, G (1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91) Mike Ashford, F (1975-76) Destin Aurelian, Mgr. (2000-01) B Brian Banks, F (1987-88, 1988-89, 1990-91) Steve Bartlett, Mgr. (1973-74, 1974-75) Jay Bates, G (2001-02, 2002-03) Kenny Battle, F (1984-85, 1985-86) Mike Beck, C (1989-90) Dan Bedeker, G (1988-89) Daniel Bellino, Mgr. (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99) John Benson, G (1968-69, 1969-70, 1970-71) Bill Blaisdell, G (1965-66, 1966-67, 1967-68) Wayne Boeckelman, Mgr. (1975-76) Mike Booker, G (1975-76) Jim Bradley, F-C (1971-72, 1972-73) Mike Brown, G (1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01) Jay Bryant, G (1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80) Tim Bryant, G-F (1972-73, 1973-74, 1974-75) Tim Bryant, Jr., G (1997-98) Tywon Burnom, F (1995-96, 1996-97) Jason Bush, Mgr. (1997-98) C Dwayne Caldwell, C (1973-74, 1974-75) John Clark, C (1975-76) Ray Clark, G (1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81) Chris Coleman, G (1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97) Gerald Coleman, F (1972-73) Jon Collins, F (1981-82) Sean Conner, Mgr. (2002-03) Thomas Cook, G (1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97) Marcus Coty, G (1988-89) Jonathan Crocker, Mgr. (1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97) John Culbertson, C (1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88) Chris Curran, G (1974-75) D Rodney Davis, G (1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88) Paul Dawkins, F (1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79) Darryl Day, F (1965-66, 1966-67, 1967-68) Brian Delach, Mgr. (2000-01, 20001-02, 2002-03) Keval Desai, Mgr. (1994-95, 1995-96) Steve Determan, F (1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01) Tim Dillon, F-C (1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84) Jim Dixon, C (1974-75, 1976-77, 1977-78) Dennis Douglas, F-G (1983-84, 1984-85) Phiffney Dukes, G (1997-98, 1998-99) Paul Dumke, F (1968-69) Andre Duncan, G (1999-2000) E Ephraim Eaddy, G (1998-99, 1999-2000) Jim Edmondson, F (1984-85, 1985-86) Sean Ezell, G (2000-01, 2001-02) F Kevin Feeney, Mgr. (1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96) Randy Fens, F-C (1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93) Bill Finucane, Mgr. (1973-74) Joe Fisher, G (1982-83, 1983-84) John Fisher, G (1973-74) G Mike Grabner, F-C (1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88) Keith Gray, G (1981-82) Terry Green, F (1979-80, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83) Wayne Greenbeck, G (1966-67, 1967-68) H Gary Haeger, Mgr. (1982-83) Don Hamel, G (1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73) Bob Hanson, Mgr. (1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02) Matt Hardy, F (1986-87, 1987-88) Antwon Harmon, F-C (1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91) Eric Harrington, F (1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87) Billy Harris, G (1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73) John Harris, C-F (1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79) Mike Hartke, F (1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96) Aubrey Hawkins, F (1965-66, 1966-67, 1967-68) Carl Hayes, G (1982-83) Leonard Hayes, G (1980-81, 1981-82) Matt Hicks, F (1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77) Ron Hicks, F (1977-78) Mike Hidden, F-G (1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92) John Hindes, C (1972-73, 1973-74) Joe Hodder, Mgr. (1998-99, 1999-2000) Mark Holland, F (1995-96) Carroll Holmes, G (1973-74) Tori Hughes, F (1996-97, 1997-98) I Rob Infelise, Mgr. (1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94) Cleveland Ivey, F (1969-70, 1970-71, 1971-72) J Jo Jo Jackson, G-F (1987-88) Larry Jackson, G (1971-72, 1972-73) Markus Jankus, G (1999-2000, 2000-01) Bruce Janus, F (1968-69, 1969-70, 1970-71) Brad Jepsen, Mgr. (1987-88, 1988-89) Brad Johnson, F (1994-95, 1995-96) Bruce Johnson, F-C (1980-81, 1981-82) Ike Johnson, F-G (1965-66, 1966-67, 1967-68) Ron Johnson, F (1968-69) Kendall Jones, G (1986-87, 1987-88) Rey Jones, G (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000) Stephen Jones, G (1999-2000, 2000-01) K Todd Karner, Mgr. (1987-88) Tim Kelly, Mgr. (1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98) Tai Kim, Mgr. (1989-90, 1990-91) Ross Kingsley, G (1980-81) John Kloak, C (1975-76) Pete Kontos, G (1968-69, 1969-70) Geoff Krause, F-C (1974-75) Glen Krupica, Mgr. (1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1981-82) L Mark Layton, G (1990-91) Phil Leib, G-F (1988-89, 1989-90) Ron Lindfors, C (1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83) Russ Lipinski, G (1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95) Mike Lipnisky, G (1990-91, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95) Gerry Lorenzi, G (1991-92) T.J. Lux, C-F (1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1999-2000) M Mike Madagan, Mgr. (1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87) Anthony Maestranzi, G (2002-03) Nate Mason, G (1968-69, 1969-70) Adrian Maxwell, G (1982-83) Steve McCuiston, G (1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81) Dan McDowell, F (1971-72, 1972-73, 1973-74) Julian McElroy, G (2001-02) Lawrence McGhee, F (1999-2000) Earl McKelvy, F (1974-75, 1976-77) Tom McKiernan, G (1969-70, 1970-71, 1971-72) Bryson McKenzie, C (2002-03) Rodney Michaels-Chamberlain, Mgr. (2002-03) Tom Miller, F (1965-66, 1966-67, 1967-68) Chuck Milliner, F-C (1974-75) Ronald Minter, G (1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97) David Mitchell, G (1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93) Kerry Mitchell, F (1982-83) Brian Molis, G-F (1990-91, 1991-92) Eric Moore, Mgr. (1999-2000) Ron Moore, Mgr. (1968-69) Vernon Moore, Mgr. (1996-97) Mike Morrison, C (1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03) Phil Munoz, Mgr. (1998-99) N David Naves, F (1968-69, 1970-71) Matt Nelson, C (1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02) Bill Newton, F (1972-73, 1973-74, 1974-75) John Niemeyer, Mgr. (1971-72, 1972-73, 1973-74) Randy Norman, G (1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88) Gordon Nuber, F (1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73) O Steve Oldendorf, C (1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94) Tim O'Rourke, G (1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95) P Mike Padden, F-G (1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83) Donte Parker, G (1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98) Bob Patterson, C (1971-72, 1972-73) 132 2003-04 Northern Illinois Men s Basketball Media Guide
All-Time Huskie Lettermen James Patterson, C-F (1995-96) Vaurice Patterson, G (1991-92, 1992-93, 1994-95, 1995-96) Walter Perrin, G (1970-71, 1971-72) Scott Peterson, F-C (1992-93, 1993-94) Todd Peterson, G (2002-03) R Allen Rayhorn, C (1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1981-82) Dan Real, Mgr. (1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95) Hubert Register, F (1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95) Ray Rhone, G (1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81) Charlie Ries, F (1997-98, 1998-99) Jeremy Roach, F (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99) Billy Ray Robinson, G (1982-83, 1983-84) Jamal Robinson, F (1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96) Leon Rodgers, F (1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02) Art Rohlman, F (1968-69, 1969-70, 1970-71) Pete Rohlwing, F (1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97) Benjamin Ross, G-F (1997-98) Bob Russ, C-F (1984-85) Don Russell, G (1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70) Mike Rux, Mgr. (1988-89) S Jerry Sanders, F-C (1999-2000) Rome Sanders, F (2002-03) Chuck Schramm, G (1980-81) Barry Schultz, Mgr. (1995-96, 1996-97) Charles Schultz, Mgr. (1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88) Morrey Scott, C (1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73) Tom Sellers, F (1986-87) Andy Semmelroth, Mgr. (1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78) Al Sewasciuk, G (2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03) Mark Shannon, F (1979-80) Marlin Simms, F (1991-92, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96) Marcus Smallwood, F (2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03) Jim Smith, C (1967-68, 1968-69) P.J. Smith, G (2001-02, 2002-03) Dan Stacey, G (1975-76, 1977-78) Ernie Starks, F (1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81) Jamel Staten, F (2001-02, 2002-03) Scott Sullivan, C (1985-86) Tim Sullivan, G (1986-87) T Mike Taylor, F (1966-67, 1967-68) Bob Thomas, F (1982-83, 1983-84) Donnell Thomas, F (1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91) Garrett Thomas, G (1998-99) Morgan Thompson, G (1999-2000, 2000-01) Walter Thompson, G (2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03) Kevin Threloff, C (1982-83) Shawn Thrower, F (1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81) Tom Tortorello, Mgr. (1979-80, 1980-81, 1981-82) Randy Tucker, G (1992-93, 1993-94) Patrick Tuetken, Mgr. (1997-98, 1998-99) Larry Turner, C (1969-70, 1970-71, 1971-72) V Pete Valaika, F-G (1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77) Brent Varner, C (1988-89) W Brad Waller, F-G (1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85) Jason Walraven, Mgr. (1988-89) Larry Walter, G (1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77) Bruce Washington, G (1975-76, 1976-77) Otis Watkins, G (1975-76) Ray Watson, F-C (1978-79) O'Darie Weathers, G (1992-93) Steve Weber, Mgr. (1983-84) Chad Weeks, G (1992-93) Frank Welch, G (1977-78) Andrew Wells, C-F (1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91) Daron White, G (1984-85, 1985-86) Donald Whiteside, G (1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91) Andre Williams, G (1997-98) Floyd Williams, G (1971-72, 1973-74, 1974-75) Jerry Williams, G (1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87) Doug Wilson, Mgr. (1970-71) Z Dan Zanderson, F (1996-97) Jerry Zielinski, F (1969-70, 1970-71, 1971-72) Current players in bold Northern Illinois University men's basketball lettermen since gaining NCAA University Division status in 1967-68. Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductees Through the years, the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Induction list has come to include an impressive and lengthy roster of Northern Illinois University men's basketball lettermen, coaches, and media members. NIU representatives and the year of their induction into the IBCA Hall of Fame are as follows: CHARTER INDUCTEES Alex Saudargas, Coach (1973) OTHER INDUCTEES John McDougal, Coach (1974) Dick Williams, Player (1987) William Healey, Coach (1974) Larry Wyllie, Player (1987) Willie Hanson, Player (1974) Carl Armato, Player (1989) Russ Piggott, Media (1974) Len Scaduto, Player (1989) Don Hamel, Player (1975) Art Rohlman, Player (1990) Jerry Zielinski, Player (1975) Jon Collins, Player (1990) Bud Nangle, Media (1975) Tim Dillon, Player (1990) Tom Jorgensen, Coach (1977) Brad Waller, Player (1991) Abe Booker, Player (1980) Mike Korcek, Media (1999) Chuck Schramm, Player (1981) Jim Smith, Player (2000) Norm Goodman, Coach (1983) Billy Harris, Player (2002) Larry Hoover, Player (1984) Brian Molis, Player (2002) Matt Hicks, Player (1986) Donald Whiteside, Player (2003) Coach John McDougal (1976-86) Art Rohlman (30) (1968-71) 2003-04 Northern Illinois Men s Basketball Media Guide 133