It’s not easy being the lone senior on a young team that’s in the process of rebuilding.

Naturally, younger players may look to Sean Smith for guidance as he is the most seasoned player on the NIU men’s basketball team roster. But Smith does not see it as that big of a challenge.

The 23-year-old Gary, Ind. native has two younger brothers and is used to being looked at as a role model.

“I set an example for them and mentor them,” Smith said. “We do a lot of hanging out and I talk a lot with them about life. I’m used to it. It’s a way of life. You never know who’s looking up to you.”

Smith also takes that big brother role with him to the court. This year’s squad is loaded with seven freshmen, all of whom are adjusting to playing college basketball. Smith, with one year at NIU, and two years at Vincennes Junior College under his belt tries to make that transition easier for them.

“I try and bring energy and keep the team motivated,” Smith said. “Being the only senior, you want to show maturity and make a way for the younger players to follow.”

The soft-spoken Smith admits he may not be the most vocal leader on the team, but where he may not have an impact in that area, he makes up for it elsewhere.

“Everyone tries to motivate each other in different ways, but I am more of a physical example,” Smith said. “I just try to play well on the court.”

The forward began the season providing a spark off the bench, but has started in all five of the Huskies’ conference games. Smith averages 9.8 points a game, shooting 46.5 percent from the field in conference play. He also hit 50 percent of his 3-pointers, going 15-30.

After his NIU career ends, Smith believes the future is pretty bright for the young team.

“This team is going to constantly improve,” Smith said. “Every year they’re going to grow and mature.”

However, he still has a full month to play in his final season and coming off a tough home-loss to Central Michigan Saturday, Smith is looking forward to getting back on track by staying focused.

“When we’re focused on what we’re doing, we play better,” Smith said. “We need to just believe at the beginning of the game that we’re going to outplay them and focus on the win.”

The Huskies (6-11 overall, 2-3 MAC) face Miami (10-7, 3-2) in the Buckeye state at 6 p.m. tonight.

NIU has not won on the road since Nov. 28, 2008 and looks to turn that around this evening.

“All losses stay with me until I get another win,” said NIU head coach Ricardo Patton. “But we’ve shown the ability to play well and bounce back, so we should be alright.”