The regular season is now underway for the NIU men’s basketball team, and the obligatory butterflies undoubtedly bothered the Huskies freshmen in Tuesday’s inaugural game. Right?

“I wasn’t real nervous,” freshman guard Mike Lipnisky said. “It was really just a game to us.”

What about you, Mark Layton? Since you were in the starting lineup Tuesday, you must have been nervous during the contest?

“I was kinda nervous, (but) once I got in the flow of things, all that changed,” the freshman guard said.

No, those are not normal words you hear from freshmen. But this seemingly is an atypical group of freshmen head coach Jim Molinari has recruited.

Lipnisky came off the bench Tuesday and scored five points in 20 minutes of play. Layton, after a slow start, regrouped to tally seven points and two steals in 26 minutes of play.

“I thought the freshmen played well,” Molinari said. “Layton had a shaky start.” Molinari quickly added that Layton played much better after a brief stint on the bench.

“He (Layton) helped turn the tide of the game,” Molinari said, while once again emphasizing that Layton is the best freshman defender he has ever seen in his years of coaching.

Layton himself was marginally pleased with how he played. “I think the effort was there. I think I was lacking concentration on offense and discipline,” Layton said.

Layton said his main contribution to the team will be his defensive pressure. “I think that’s everyone’s main contribution. That is the first thing coach looks for.”

Molinari said Lipnisky, still suffering from mononucleosis, isn’t at his best due to his illness. But Molinari was as equally delighted with his performance Tuesday as he was with Layton’s. Molinari said Lipnisky did an “excellent job in feeding the ball in the post.”

Lipnisky was more subdued and critical in his appraisal of his play. “I felt I played average,” Lipnisky said. “I missed some open shots that hopefully will fall later.”

Lipnisky said for the remainder of the year, his niche on the club will basically be determined by how well he shoots.

Lipnisky said, “I think I can help with my outside shooting, and just playing hard when I’m in there.”