With only one senior on the NIU men’s basketball team, coach Rob Judson stressed the youth movement at the NIU basketball media day Wednesday at the Convocation Center.

NIU, which was 10-20 last year after being eliminated in the first round of the MAC tournament, has the task of replacing senior starters Marcus Smallwood and Perry Smith with younger, less experienced players. But being a young team is not a worry for Judson.

“With young players, you always wonder who is going to give you what,” Judson said. “But all will be answered when we move into the season. It’s probably the most fun when you have a young team because you can see your guys grow.”

And this season, despite the lack of experienced players, is not a rebuilding year, junior guard Anthony Maestranzi said.

When the preseason polls come out, NIU will probably not be the favorite to win the MAC as was the case last season, Maestranzi said. But that takes the pressure off of this young team and will allow them to surprise some teams.

But in order to surprise teams, the Huskies are going to have to get healthy.

Right now, Bryson McKenzie can only watch his team play after having arthroscopic knee surgery on his right knee – and he has some company. Freshman forward Craig Reichel has missed some practice time with a sprained ankle and sophomore Ryan Paradise has had two surgeries in his wrist and may not be able to play for months.

Judson only stressed the positive, though – and positives NIU does have are size and shooters, Judson said.

For size, sophomore James Hughes, 6-foot-11, and McKenzie, 6-foot-10, will try to replace the rebounds and defensive abilities left by the departed Smallwood.

Freshmen Zach Pancratz and Frank Clair’s shooting abilities will complement that of junior college transfer Cory Sims, Maestranzi and Paradise.

“We have got a great blend,” Judson said. “We have got some tall guys inside with a lot of athleticism on the perimeter who can shoot.”

But despite all the good that could come from this team, Judson knows that it’s going to take time.

“This team is striving to get better every day, just as a young team should,” Judson said. “What I am looking for out of them is a steady incline in improvement.”