Mickey Johnson is now gone, and so are her 11 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The Huskies need to make up for the loss of those numbers, and junior Jessica Shattuck accepts the challenge.

The 6-foot-4 inch center has a different attitude this season knowing that she will be the Huskies main center. With Jen Youngblood as her counterpart in the post, NIU seems to have a nice balance of offense and defense from their inside players.

Shattuck, for her first two years at NIU, has been hard to manufacture a shot against. Last season she averaged .93 blocks a game in only 10.2 minutes. This year though, she should drastically improve upon that statistic.

“I feel I’m going to play a big role on this team,” said Shattuck. “We don’t have much height on this team, so I’ll be able to contribute in that respect. I need to be able to help Jen [Youngblood] out in the post, too.”

Having played limited minutes in her NIU career thus far, Shattuck will be called upon more this season than ever, especially against teams that have more of an inside game.

Pressure will be placed upon the junior this season as teams will more than likely double on Youngblood, making Shattuck beat them. This means that it is imperative for her to make a lasting impression on teams with not only her defense, but offense as well. Coach Carol Hammerle believes that she is ready to step up.

“She’s just done a turnaround for us,” said Hammerle. “She’s really trying to demonstrate her leadership ability and is working very hard. As a matter of fact, she’s probably going to be the biggest difference that we’re going to see initially.”

How quickly things change. For four seasons, NIU had one of the conference’s most reliable centers, and now this season a new face will be called upon to fill those shoes.

Jessica Shattuck and NIU are hoping that the shoes will be a perfect fit.