Monday night five NIU seniors lead the Huskies to a school-record 22nd win. After the game, the seniors reflected on their four years together.

Half a continent away in Tuscon, Ariz., the man responsible for bringing them together calls NIU to catch up on the score of the latest Huskies’ win. He occasionally talks to the players, but he has his own concerns to occupy his time: He’s an assistant coach for the 7th-ranked Arizona Wildcats.

As the players he recruited and coached pile up win after win and garner increasing national attention, it’s hard to imagine that an occasional smile doesn’t cross his face.

It’s easier to imagine, however, when one hears the undercurrent of bitterness that still lingers when he remembers why he was separated from them.

Jim Rosborough left his job as assistant coach at Tulsa in 1986 to take over the head-coaching reigns at NIU.

At the time of his hiring, Rosborough was given a four-year verbal commitment from former athletic director Robert Brigham. Three years later, current AD Gerald O’Dell fired Rosborough.

A storm of controversy followed. Athletic Board Chairman Curt Norton resigned in protest. But when all was said and done, Rosborough was on his way to Arizona to become an assistant for Lute Olson. Former DePaul assistant Jim Molinari took over at NIU and in the process, inherited the young men who came to NIU to play for Rosborough.

Two years later, Rosborough continues to keep an eye on his former squad.

“I’ve followed them as closely as I can,” Rosborough said from his Arizona office. “I’m very, very happy for the kids and the staff.”

“We brought in kids that we thought are good people, they deserve a lot of credit. They’re a good group of kids, doing everything we expected them to on and off the court,” he adds. “They’re where we expected them to be.”

A cynic would say that his mention of the team’s current performance is his way of proving that he was not given enough time. Rosborough, however, remains gracious and declines to comment on any negative aspects of his time at NIU.

But Rosborough’s disappointment isn’t totally contained. “There was a verbal agreement,” Rosborough said. “I would have been crazy to come here if it (the contract) were only for three years.”

Only 60 miles away another assistant coach for a nationally known team, DePaul, follows the Huskies’ success with more than passing interest.

Rosborough brought in Chicago’s Robeson High School coach Robert Collins as chief recruiter and assistant coach. Collins brought with him an overachieving 6-4 forward, Donnell Thomas. Donald Whiteside, Antwon Harmon, Andrew Wells and others followed.

But with Rosborough’s departure, Collins also left behind “his” players.

“I’m awfully proud of those kids getting to this point,” Collins said, echoing Rosbourough. “When I first brought these kids to Northern, people told us that they weren’t good enough to play at Northern or wouldn’t make it academically. They showed that they’re good enough.”

As for any bitter feelings remaining from Rosborough’s dismissal, Collins remains philosophical.

“What happened to us, we have to learn to live with. You have to make positives out of negatives. I can’t live with the bitter feelings all my life.”