Judging by the sparse crowd at Chick Evans Field House, excitement for the NIU women’s basketball team isn’t exactly at an all-time high at this early point in the season.

That’s unfortunate because coach Carol Hammerle has a young squad playing at a level that has not been seen here since NIU made it to the NCAA Tournament in 1995.

Here are three reasons to pay attention to the Huskies this season as they try to build on last season’s run to the MAC tournament semifinals.

Hammerle’s pursuit of 500 victories

Thanks to the Huskies’ 3-2 start, Hammerle now has 491 coaching victories and is just nine away from a coaching landmark: 500 wins.

Based on early returns, the Huskies should have no trouble winning at least this many during the season, assuring Hammerle her proper place in coaching history. With those nine wins, Hammerle would become the 19th coach in Division I history to record 500 wins.

Taking all of this into account, it’s time for us to stand up and take notice of what Hammerle has accomplished and continues to accomplish. Go out and be a part of history. Hammerle deserves it.

The Inside Game

All this talk about Hammerle is not to take attention away from Hammerle’s players, who are the ones who actually go out and win the games. After a couple of rather sloppy preseason games and an uninspiring opening game, the Huskies have won three out of their last four games, including a solid 65-58 win over explosive New Mexico State Saturday.

The most consistent part of the Huskies’ game has arguably been the production they’ve gotten from their inside players. The Huskies are averaging 37.4 rebounds per game compared to opponents’ 33.4 per game.

Six-foot-four junior center Jessica Shattuck finally has gotten her chance at regular playing time, and has responded in a big way. She has averaged 11.4 points and 6.4 rebounds a game through five games. Perhaps most impressively, Shattuck has hit on 55 percent of her shots from the field. It’s a cliche, but watching Shattuck play, one gets the feeling the only player who can stop her is herself.

Someone else to note is sophomore forward Jennifer Youngblood, who is proving that her outstanding freshman season was no fluke. Her averages of 14.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game are tops on the team.

Rachel Sillar

Freshman point guard Sillar plays at continuous full speed, like she’s just been shot out of a cannon.

While that’s a good thing for the casual fan, Hammerle probably wishes Sillar would turn it down a notch. In the limited playing time Sillar has seen so far, she’s made some dazzling passes while also committing unnecessary turnovers.

She is able to do things with the ball that add a definite spice to the Huskie viewing experience. Over time, Sillar should push incumbent Monique Davis for the starting point guard position and no doubt make Hammerle’s heart beat a little faster.