Heading to Marquette University for a four-team shootout, the NIU men’s basketball team is bringing a different look with them.

Having dropped their first two games of the season, the Huskies enter Marquette seeking their first victory. Opening up against Sam Houston State today at 5:30 p.m., NIU will hit the Bearkats with a different starting five.

Looking for a faster team to counteract Sam Houston State’s quick and athletic team, 5-foot-10 Walter Thompson, 6-foot-3 Sean Ezell, 6-foot-4 Perry Smith, 6-foot-6 Marcus Smallwood and 6-foot-6 Leon Rodgers will get the start, said coach Rob Judson.

“We are looking for a different look,” said Judson. “We will have a smaller, quicker and more athletic lineup tomorrow.”

Assistant coach Donald Whiteside, who did extensive scouting on Sam Houston State, said the Bearkats are not very fundamentally sound and rely on their athleticism to win.

“We will have a more athletic team on the court and that is something that we think can give us a little more aggression to start off,” said Whiteside.

While Sam Houston State stands at a 4-1 mark, it has defeated Bobby Knight’s Texas Tech team, 69-65, despite a 16-point deficit at the half.

“We want to play with much more effort,” said Judson. “The basis of our program is that we want to build it with a foundation of effort.”

If NIU wins tonight, that would set it up with the winner of Marquette and Texas Southern on Saturday at either 5:30 or 8 p.m..

A showdown with Marquette would bring these two programs together for the first time since the 1993-94 season.

While MU currently is undefeated at 7-0, the Golden Eagles are coming off a Great Alaskan Shootout title and currently rank No. 23 in the Associated Press poll.