Most college basketball players have four years plus to mature, both on and off the court.

While Stacy Arrington still has two more years and 10 games to perfect his pull-up jump shot, the 6-2 NIU guard has commpacted the off-court maturity process into a short two years.

Nobody matures overnight. But coach Jim Rosborough said he thinks a key happening over Christmas Break sped up Arrington’s maturity process.

Following a disagreement with Rosborough during practice, Arrington took a five-game leave of absense from Dec. 8 to Jan. 3 that still puzzles the Huskie boss.

“You can’t go out there and practice and have 13 different kids doing different things,” Rosborough said. “We expect all the kids to work hard at practice.

“I think he has grown to understand and appreciate our standpoint, just as I have grown out of that five-game hiatus and learned to understand his concerns.

“The whole thing was he was gone, and I had to know from him if he wanted to be back, and his teammates needed to know from him that he wanted to be back.

“I think it was difficult on him not being here those times. Maybe that’s the lesson he learned – that, ‘Hey, there are a couple things that are important in my life, basketball being one and I miss that.’

“We have increased his responsibilities since he’s been back, and he’s done those very, very well.”

While Arrington felt he was going through a “phase,” Rosborough said he had picked up on “Air’s” immaturity during his Chicago Calument high school days.

“The summer before his senior yar in high school,” Rosborough said, “Stacy was being recruited or looked at by a number of Big Ten schools and a number of Pac-10 schools. The same thing that caused Stacy to not play a great deal may have caused him in high school for people to back off from that level.

“With regard to Stacy, it’s been a matter of maturity and us sticking with Stacy out of high school…and giving him a chance to play out here in what I think is a good environment.

Arrington, who has improved his points per game from 0.6 last season to 16.6 tis season, said he thinks he has pinpointed what the problem was.

“I’m a sensitive person, and I’ve got to quit being so sensitive,” Arrington said. “When people say things or do things, I kind of get offended.

“In a way of caring for others, sensitivity can be good. But in the way of being too sensitive and taking things the wrong way – like when the coaches tell me something, and I take it the wrong way – that’s when it’s bad.

Rosborough has detected a difference in Arrington’s attitude since he rejoined the team.

“After we got back from Nebraska, (assistant) coach (Bill) Harris had spent a lot of time getting Stacy’s athletic schedule set up,” Rosborough said. “The thing that showed me a great deal about Stacy was that he has grown up enough to be able to thank Coach Harris for helping him and being concerned.

Although patches seem to be mending between the coach and his player, both must deal daily with the team’s tattered 5-13 record.

“It’s just frustrating,” Arrington said. “We have the tools and mechanics and everything. We do everything right, but we just can’t win a game.

“It’s not fun because a lot of people are talking about you and questioning you. But that’s part of maturity – growing up and taking the criticism.”