“It’s not a glamourous job being a walk-on basketball player.”

Despite NIU men’s assistant coach Mike Shepherd’s unappealing introduction Wednesday night at the Office of Campus Recreation, there were 28 NIU students in attendance who were trying to make the squad.

Looking to stand out from the crowd with a nice move, good rebound or just all-out hustle, everyone there had the same objective: to impress one of the four NIU coaches in attendance.

Looking to bring in anywhere from zero to three players, Shepherd, Ed Molitor, Donald Whiteside and head coach Rob Judson all were evaluating the talent on hand.

Starting off with layup lines and going into five-on-five scrimmages, there were players of all shapes, sizes and ages.

Six-foot-4-inch freshman Keyon Lee was one of the hopefuls displaying his skills last night.

“Making the team would give me something to work for and help inspire me to keep my grades up,” Lee said. “I just love the game.”

Lee and former Chicago Carver High School teammate and good friend Michael Love, a 5-foot-10 point guard, both were hoping for a shot to make the NIU team.

Averaging 27 points and eight rebounds last year for Carver, Lee received mention for the All-City team and brought with him a solid resume to the tryouts. But nothing is guaranteed at walk-on tryouts.

“We just want to see if there are some guys that are at a level of play to practice with us,” said Judson. “We want to give everybody an opportunity to show their stuff.”

However, there is at least one player who has higher goals set for himself than to just make the team and be a good ‘practice player.’

Starting last year for City Champion Morgan Park High School, 6-foot-1 point guard Clarence Kelly has high goals set for himself.

“I played against much better than this,” Kelly said about the competition at the tryout.

Having gone up against — and beaten — former Crane High School player and current Arizona freshman Will Bynum and facing 6-foot-10 current Chicago Bull Eddy Curry in the first round of the Illinois High School State Championships last year, Kelly has indeed gone up against some great talent.

Seeing mild interest from Western Illinois and several Division II and junior colleges, the seriousness never was there and that is why Kelly has taken the route to NIU.

“I figured I would take my chances and stay close to home at NIU and go out for the team here,” Kelly said.

Although his chances at making the team are not set in stone, Kelly feels that he has some positive attributes to bring to the team.

“I’m a winner,” proclaimed Kelly. “I’ve been winning my whole life and I think I could bring that to Northern. I’m not just playing right now just to be a practice player.”

The coaches said that a decision will be forthcoming in the next week on who, if any, made the team, and all the players will have to wait.

However, if 5-foot-11 sophomore guard Lewis Rivera doesn’t make the team, it will not faze him one bit.

“I’m out here just trying to impress the coaches,” Rivera said. “I’ve got nothing to lose, so why not do it? I’m putting it all out on the floor. I only live life once, so I’m just going to give my best. If I don’t make it this year, I’ll be back next year.”