The Northern Star sat down with men’s basketball assistant coach Jon Borovich to talk about his experience with the Huskies in his last three seasons.

In 2011, Borovich became the first addition to head coach Mark Montgomery’s staff. Over the last three years, he has worked with one of the youngest basketball teams in college basketball, and this season the Huskies are starting to see results.

Borovich talked about what it’s been like to see the growth of this team as well as a turnaround this season.

Northern Star: What initially drew you to NIU to work with coach Mark Montgomery?

Jon Borovich: Coach Mark Montgomery is a guy that I’ve always had a ton of respect and admiration for. I think there’s something to be said when you can take over a program and help build it and leave your footprint somewhere, and as coaches obviously it make you feel great knowing that you did have a profound impact on the program and the direction that it’s headed and the individuals within that program, and coach Montgomery’s a guy that I would run through a wall for.

NS: In the last three years, the Huskies have been one of the youngest, inexperienced teams in college basketball. What’s it been like to see the growth of this young team over that period of time?

JB: It’s been awesome; it’s been awesome. With our group, you can see on a daily basis that they have a strong desire to get better, and as coaches that’s all you could ever ask for. They put together practices consecutively where they’re listening, buying in, and they can see the growth. I think when you’re a player and you see growth that encourages you to continue to work as hard as you can to get better.

NS: What’s it been like to teach and work with these guys in practice every day and now start to see the program start to turn around after the last few seasons?

JB: I think it gives you a lot of pride in what you’re doing. To see the program heading in the right direction and growing both individually and collectively, it does make you feel proud of the efforts you’re putting in. As coaches we do spend a lot of time and a lot of hours, a lot of dedication, a lot of commitment, and so it is nice to see that things are heading in the right direction, and it motivates you to continue to work hard because you know the future is very bright.

NS: You’ve been an assistant coach at Dayton as well as NIU. Do you have an aspiration to someday down the line be a head coach of a collegiate program?

JB: Yeah, I think when you’re an assistant coach, for the most part I think all assistant coaches at some point in time want to lead their own program, and if that’s something that I have the opportunity to do down the road obviously I would love that opportunity. But I think the biggest thing you have to focus on as an assistant coach is making sure that when that time does present itself that you’re fully prepared for that opportunity.

NS: In your three seasons at NIU, what has been your greatest experience so far?

JB: It’s hard to pinpoint one thing specifically. I think every year has been a little different. I think in our first year, the win at Eastern Michigan and going to Quicken Loans Arena was something that we were very proud of … .

In year No. 2, to see the growth of our program and all of a sudden those 20-point losses were turning into much closer games and we were right there on the verge.

This year, I think our story is still a little bit unwritten, I think we’re close. We’re not exactly where we want to be, but we are right on the brink and that’s got us very excited, that’s got our team hungry and passionate about coming to practice every day and getting better, and hopefully in the next two to three weeks we’ll continue to write a story that’s very memorable.