NIU coach Rob Judson has been shaking up the lineup recently, but for yesterday’s game against Kent State, one prominent figure was missing.

Marcus Smallwood, the preseason First-Team All-MAC selection and the Huskies’ leading scorer and rebounder, didn’t start for the first time since his sophomore year because of what Judson said was “lateness.”

Smallwood scored four points and grabbed six rebounds in 24 minutes of action.

Kent State averages two more rebounds per contest than its opponents, while NIU averages almost 3.5 rebounds more per game than its opponents.

But with Smallwood on the bench, the Huskies were outworked on the boards 35-27.

“We’re a pretty good rebounding team, but obviously [Smallwood] is their best rebounder,” Kent State coach Jim Christian said. “Him not being in the game gave us an advantage, but I thought the kids that went in played extremely hard.”

Smallwood, who averages 14.8 points per game and 9.9 rebounds, played only six minutes in the first half. In that half, the Huskies were outrebounded by one. In the second half, Smallwood played 18 minutes and NIU was outrebounded by seven.

“In the first half, we were pretty even and I was pleased with that because Marcus is a pretty good rebounder,” Judson said. “I thought in the second half, where Marcus played 18 of the 20 minutes, that would help us more, but they still outrebounded us in the second half.”

Judson would not expand on what Smallwood was late for or when the incident occurred.