Coming out of Lincoln College, a small junior college near Normal, Jay Bates knew where he wanted to play basketball for the rest of his college career.

The University of Missouri-St. Louis, a Division II program, was where Bates, a 6-foot, 190-pound point guard, was all but enrolled.

In June 2001, Bates took an on-campus visit and was close to committing to the Rivermen – until Rob Judson got the head job at NIU.

“I saw him play in high school, and helped Lincoln identify him,” Judson said. “When I was an assistant in Champaign, Jay came to a game or two there when Coach [B.J.] McCullum would bring the team down.”

Coach McCullum and Judson have a tight relationship, which includes frequent communication on the recruiting trails.

When Judson was an assistant at the University of Illinois (1996-2001) he set it up so prep star Marcus Griffin (Peoria Manual), who didn’t have qualifying grades out of high school, would take a two-year stint at Lincoln before he went on to play for the Illini.

The relationship worked out again when Judson accepted the post at NIU, his second – from 1989 to 1991 he was an assistant for the Huskies.

Bates, now a senior for the Huskies, was Judson’s first recruit as a Division I college head coach.

“It was late when we came to recruit and Jay was still available,” Judson said. “Jay was about to go somewhere, but we got in there right in June, which is real late in the recruiting process, and Jay’s really helping us.”

The chance to play Division I basketball and be closer to home was something that Bates didn’t want to pass up. Plus, he remembered Judson from attending Illini games.

“[McCullum] said don’t go to Missouri-Saint Louis because Coach Judson called,” Bates recalled. “I said, ‘Coach Judson?’ It sounded familiar, and he told me he got the head coaching job at Northern Illinois. He said, ‘You’re the first guy he called.’

“And when I went home [to Chicago], Jud was calling my high school coach, and from there I knew he was serious. Once I knew that, I got to talk to Coach Jud over the phone, and two days later I took the visit and I liked it. I always thought I was good enough to play Division I.”

Starting 12 games last season as a junior, Bates led the team in steals and was fifth in the MAC with almost two a game.

This year, as one of only two seniors (Mike Morrison is the other), Judson looks to Bates for leadership.

However, against Drake and Marshall in early December, Bates lost his starting job to freshman Anthony Maestranzi. But he quickly gained it back.

“Jay’s a senior, he should be our starter,” Judson said. “We are going to reward those players that play well. In that stretch, Anthony was playing really well, and he’s continued to play well. But for our team now, Jay’s role needs to be a senior leader. And if he continues to do that, we’ll be a very good basketball team.”

Right now, riding a two-game winning streak and attempting to sweep a three-game road stand against Ohio tonight, Bates will once again be looked at for guidance.

He brings a team leading 37 assists to the table. Also, he is second on the team and No. 13 in the MAC in steals (1.43) and third on the team in points (8.9).

Perhaps Bates’ biggest improvement came from the free-throw strip. Last year, he was fourth worst on the team (with over 10 attempts) shooting at a 57 percent clip. This year, he not only is first on the team, but No. 15 in the MAC with a 73 percent mark.

“Our players are playing much more consistently right now. Jay, his effort is outstanding, especially on the defensive end. He’s strong, he’s quick and he can take the ball to the basket for us.”

With his college career winding down, Bates is thinking about post-grad options.

The proud father of an eight-month-old, Janiya, Bates has a goal to be a Chicago police officer. He also said the NIU coaches are talking to him about continuing basketball after college.

“If it comes, it comes,” he calmly said.

With patience, just as his rout to NIU took, things have admittedly worked out for Bates. And taking the Division I path, does he feel he belongs on this level?

With a sly grin on his face, he leaned back in his chair and in a deep tone said, “Yeah, I belong.”