NIU coach Rob Judson and the men’s basketball team have a 1 p.m. Saturday game against MAC East-leading Western Michigan before it begins the MAC tournament on Monday.

With 13 teams in the MAC, the top three get byes and, if the Huskies (10-18 overall, 5-12 MAC) lose to WMU (22-4, 14-3), they will be locked into a No. 12 seed – ahead of only Central Michigan.

With six games still to be played, NIU’s first-round opponent is likely to be Miami-Ohio, Buffalo or Ball State.

All first-round MAC tournament games are held at the higher seeded team’s home court. The remaining games of this single-elimination tournament, which sends its champion to the NCAA tournament, are held at Cleveland’s Gund Arena on March 11 to 13.

NIU will play its first-round game on the road, where it is 1-10 on the season with its first road win being on Saturday against Eastern Michigan.

“We were a good road team last year,” Judson said. “I think the big thing for us is our chemistry is becoming better and better and, with that, our confidence is growing.”

The Huskies are on a three-game winning streak straight off a 10-game losing streak – one loss away from tying the longest losing streak in NIU history.

“We’re pretty consistent right now, so we just want to keep that going,” Judson said. “Our confidence offensively has risen. Our defense has been pretty consistent the whole season. Confidence is fragile, but it’s powerful.”

NIU has lacked a consistent starting lineup all season, and Judson said he wouldn’t be surprised if the team has the same lineup as it did during its last game against Central Michigan – an 88-58 win on Monday.

The Huskies started sophomore Rome Sanders and their four seniors: Marcus Smallwood, Perry Smith, Walter Thompson and Al Sewasciuk. On Senior Night, the foursome accounted for 48 of the team’s points.

Judson said Kent State, WMU and Buffalo, which has won its last five games, are playing the best basketball right now.