The Gentile Center is a familiar place for NIU men’s basketball coach Rob Judson.

The Huskies last played there in 2001, when Judson was looking for a win in his first game as a head coach.

Loyola handed NIU a 75-63 loss, forcing Judson to wait for his first win.

The Ramblers’ new coach, Jim Whitesell, will now face a similar situation. Hired in April, he’ll look to become the 10th Loyola coach to win his first game at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Gentile Center.

“It’s nice when it comes,” said Judson of the first win, which for him came in his fourth game against Texas Southern, “but you’re more concerned about your team making progress and improving in areas you need it.”

The Huskies won their two preseason exhibition games, outscoring Illinois Institute of Technology and Laval University of Quebec 195-106.

“Offensively, we want to continue to play the way we played in the exhibitions,” Judson said. “Defensively, we need to make some improvements.”

NIU won the last meeting between the two teams 69-67 in 2002 in DeKalb, but Loyola has won the last three meetings in Chicago.

“First games are always different,” Judson said. “It’s really a game of two unknowns. They have a new coach with a new system, and we have a young group with a new system.”