Huskie basketball fans are in for a real south-of-the-border treat this weekend as the NIU men’s basketball team hosts Club Rio Claro, Brazil Saturday at 7:05 p.m. for an exhibition game.

Rio Claro is sure to give NIU a tough test in the Huskies’ first game against outside competition. Brazilian head coach Jose Roberto Lux will lead his team of seasoned professionals into Chick Evans Field House to take on the younger Huskies.

“This is an Olympic-type situation,” NIU head coach Jim Rosborough said. “We’ll be playing against paid professionals, so I want to keep everything in perspective.”

The two coaches are good friends who met when Rosborough was an assistant at Iowa. Back in Lux‘ basketball playing heyday, his nickname was “Ze’ Boca” which translates to “the mouth,” Rosborough said.

“I know Jose real well,” he said. “We call each other ‘our Brazilian/American brothers.’ By ‘96 he might have a shot at coaching the Brazilian Olympic team.”

Although Rosborough said he hasn’t scouted Rio Claro, he expects them to run the floor and put pressure on the Huskies defensively.

“He (Lux) is a big advocate of (Arizona coach Lute) Olson-style ball—a real up-tempo pace,” Rosborough said. “I envision him pressing us a lot and his team playing with a lot of intensity.”

With the Huskies’ affinity for the running game, it could end up being a high-scoring affair.

“I don’t know quite what to expect except that we’ll play hard,” Rosborough said. “If we get a good barometer on how our kids are playing, I’ll be happy.

“It’ll give us a better look at what our kids can do against someone else. It’s important that we have a good experience.”

Tuesday’s day off from practice seems to have been a positive experience for the Huskies. Since then, they’ve had two straight days of intense preparation, including a scrimmage Wednesday with NCAA officials making the calls.

“It was a very good effort,” Rosborough said of the scrimmage. “We were just a little frantic on offense, but we got a lot of offensive boards. There was lots of talking, and we had a much better effort at the defensive end. I thought the top group’s defense was quite good today.”

The “top group” for Saturday’s contest is expected to include 6-foot-8 freshman Randy Fens at center; Donnell Thomas and Andrew Wells at the forward spots; and Donald Whiteside and Stacy Arrington in the backcourt.

At halftime Saturday, a ceremony will be held to present the NIU softball team with trophies and plaques for its All-American, Academic All-American, All-Region and All-Conference athletes.