Next season the NIU women’s basketball team will have an all-MAC guard and forward on its bench.

The only catch is they’ll be coaching. But that’s not to say it’s a bad thing.

The Huskies are hoping to return to the glory days with the additions of new head coach Carol Owens and assistant coach E.C. Hill.

Both Owens and Hill spent their college days at NIU and both had a lot of success individually and as a team while in DeKalb.

Between them, Owens and Hill won 140 games in a combined seven seasons.

That alone should help bring a winning attitude to a team that has won only 100 games in the last decade.

The two NIU Hall of Famers happen to mirror the current cornerstones of the Huskies squad – sophomores Stephanie Raymond and Kristin Wiener.

Hill was a scrappy point guard who is second all-time in assists and steals at NIU and third in scoring average.

Sounds familiar?

Raymond led the Huskies with 15.5 points and 3.3 assists as well as leading the MAC in steals with 3.82 per game.

Once Hill teaches Raymond how to put the ball in the basket more consistently and cut down on turnovers, she should be the top guard in the MAC.

Owens is perhaps the most dominant post-player ever to don a Huskies uniform.

She owns at least 13 school records, including career points, field-goal percentage and career blocks.

Wiener also has the potential to be a double-double threat on a nightly basis and Owens could be the one to bring it out.

With all of the pieces now in place, the Huskies should finally play up to their potential.

While a conference title may be wishful thinking in year one of the Owens regime, the Huskies could be on top of the MAC sooner rather than later.