When freshmen come to a new team, they are faced with the pressures of succeeding.

The pressure may be a little more intense for the NIU men’s basketball 2008 freshmen class as the first-year players make up the majority of the team.

Seven players are new to the squad this year, and each one stands as a different brick in the rebuilding process of the Huskies.

“I think we’ve got a real talented class,” said freshman forward Lee Fisher. “All of the freshmen have certain roles that fit in perfectly with the team.”

Fisher, along with Michael Fakuade, were red-shirted last season which gives the pair an inkling more experience than the other five newcomers. The Dolton native said he used the time off last year to become more acquainted with playing college ball and that it helped him prepare for this year.

“The coaches wanted me to be fully ready to play at the collegiate level,” Fisher said. “They wanted me to get a little bigger and get a little more experience under my belt.”

Mike DiNunno, Bryan Hall, Michael Peaster, Keith Smith and Tyler Storm round out the rest of the class.

DiNunno, a guard out of Chicago, brings a winning attitude to the Huskies. The business major led Von Steuben to a 24-6 record and sectional title while averaging 22 points and 5.2 assists per game in his senior year and took NIU’s ranking in the MAC preseason polls personal.

“They had us ranked at the bottom of the MAC in preseason and I expect for us to win the conference,” DiNunno said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been on a team through middle school or high school that didn’t win conference.”

Despite his small stature, Smith expects to play a key role on this year’s team.

“I’ll bring some energy to the game and pressure the ball,” Smith said. “I’ll help keep the offense in order by getting some assists and knocking down jumpshots.”

Peaster, a guard out of Aurora, was a McDonald’s All-American nominee at Waubonsie Valley and was the team’s top defender.

This year’s freshman class is made up of different pieces. Fisher feels all of the pieces will fit perfectly and will produce promising results.

“DiNunno and Tyler Storm will be knocking down shots,” Fisher said. “Keith Smith is probably our best ball handler and is a ‘get-in-your-face’ type defender.”

Right now the biggest challenge for the freshmen is to work on its team chemistry.

“With all of us being so young, the main thing right now is just getting the feel for one another in game settings,” Fisher said. “As the season goes along, everyone is going to click more.”