Skip to Main Content

Northern Star

 

Advertisement

 

 
Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student media since 1899

 

Ensure student journalism survives. Donate today.

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

A graphic shows redshirt junior quarterback Ethan Hampton, redshirt junior quarterback Jalen Macon and redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Holst. Sports Reporter Skyler Kisellus believes the three have emerged as the top contenders to succeed Rocky Lombardi as NIU’s starting quarterback. (Eddie Miller | Northern Star)

COLUMN: Evaluating NIU’s top quarterback options

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | May 1, 2024

NIU football may have wrapped up spring practices last week, but its ongoing competition for the most important position in team sports remains unsettled. With three-year starter Rocky Lombardi graduated and now vying for a roster spot in the NFL,...

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis celebrates a three-point shot in an NBA game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. Davis ranks eighth on Sports Reporter Eddie Miller's top-10 greatest Chicago-born athletes. (AP Photo/William Liang)

COLUMN: Ranking top-10 Chicago-born athletes

By Eddie Miller, Sports Reporter | April 12, 2024

Chicago is home to some of the greatest athletes in sports, hosting 1,061 total current athletes. I looked at the pool of talent and ranked them into a list of the top-10 athletes born in Chicago.  DERRICK ROSE Beloved to the fans of Chicago...

University of Iowa senior guard Caitlin Clark celebrates with her teammates after defeating Louisiana State University in the Elite 8 on Monday. Opinion Columnist James Bennett believes that women's sports deserve more respect from the general public. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

COLUMN: Women’s sports deserve more respect

By James Bennett, Opinion Columnist | April 2, 2024

Sports are a huge part of modern popular culture. They serve as entertainment for fans and give the athletes involved something to work for as they aspire to reach new heights. There is, however, a problem within sports culture and how it pertains to...

Senior outfielder/infielder Parker Shupe throws from the outfield in an NIU baseball game against Louisiana State University. NIU baseball started the 2024 season 7-14, but already look to surpass the total win count of the 2023 season. (Courtesy of Jonathan Mailhes)

COLUMN: NIU Baseball poised for a bounce back season

By Zachary Bertram and Joseph Segreti | March 21, 2024

Under first year NIU baseball head coach Ryan Copeland, NIU baseball (7-14, 4-2 MAC) is well on its way to shattering both their conference win total and overall win total from a season ago.  After going 5-24 in conference play in 2023, the Huskies...

University of Illinois fifth year guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) celebrates with graduate student guard/forward Marcus Domask (3) at the end of the Big Ten Championship game Sunday. Shannon Jr. and Domask are set to lead Illinois against Morehead State University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Northern Star Sports Staff predicts the ‘Final Four’

By Northern Star Sports Staff | March 19, 2024

The time has finally come for the biggest basketball event of the year: NCAA’s March Madness. Just like the Super Bowl, the Northern Star Sports Staff has returned to its prophetic ways to predict the Final Four of this year’s Big Dance. Join us as...

A graphic shows Sports Reporter Skyler Kisellus above the logos of 12 Illinois universities. Kisellus details how he would fare in a hypothetical fist fight with each of the 12 Illinois universities' mascots. (Eddie Miller | Northern Star)

COLUMN: Rumbling with Illinois mascots

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | March 6, 2024

If you’ve come here in search of rankings to base your early March Madness bracket picks on, keep looking. If you’ve come to find out how I, a wise-cracking and far-from-athletic sports reporter, would fare against the nicknames of Illinois’...

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields throws a pass in an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 7. The Bears' fanbase is torn between keeping Fields or trading him and selecting quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. (AP File Photo)

Look Both Ways: the Justin Fields debate

By Zachary Bertram and Zack Rodriguez | February 27, 2024

KEEP JUSTIN By: Zach Bertram, Senior Sports Reporter For the second consecutive year, the Chicago Bears hold the No. 1 pick of the NFL Draft. Despite having the power to draft any college quarterback they’d like, the Bears should stick with current...

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes gets ready to throw a pass during Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11. Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP after leading the Chiefs to a game-winning drive in overtime. (Ashley Landis | AP Photo)

COLUMN: Ranking the Top 10 Super Bowl MVPs

By James Bennett, Opinion Columnist | February 20, 2024

Every Super Bowl there’s one player that shines brightest under the lights of the big game. For this list I have determined what I believe to be the top ten players' performances.  NICK FOLES (SB 52, 2018)   The ultimate underdog performance,...

Junior guard David Coit drives past a University of Toledo defender on Jan. 23. Coit was selected as the starting guard for Senior Sports Reporter Zach Bertram's MAC men's basketball All-Star team. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

COLUMN: Creating the 2023-2024 MAC men’s basketball All-Star squad

By Zachary Bertram, Senior Sports Reporter | February 12, 2024

With MAC men’s basketball conference play a little more than halfway through and the NBA All-Star Game on the horizon, I decided to make my own MAC men’s basketball All-Star team. These players have not only been the best on their respective teams,...

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) runs the football while Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) attempts to tackle him on Sep. 24 in Kansas City. Sports Reporter Eddie Miller details what the Bears should do with their first round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. (Charlie Riedel | Associated Press)

COLUMN: Why the Chicago Bears should draft Harrison Jr. and keep Justin Fields

By Eddie Miller, Sports Reporter | February 6, 2024

The Chicago Bears go into the 2024 NFL Draft with the first and ninth overall pick after finishing the regular season 7-10. With several changes to the coaching staff and an underwhelming season, quarterback Justin Fields’ job is at risk. Chicago...

Then-redshirt sophomore quarterback Ethan Hampton looks for an open pass during an NIU football game against the University of Tulsa on Sep. 23, 2023. After 3 years of playing behind Rocky Lombardi, Hampton is the favorite to become the starting quarterback for NIU football in 2024. (Northern Star File Photo)

COLUMN: 3 position battles to watch in spring ball

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | February 2, 2024

DeKALB – Spring practice for NIU football is still over a month away, but several positions remain unaddressed after an offseason of player movements. Here are three position battles to watch play out during the 15 practices on NIU’s spring schedule. WIDE...

Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vučević questions a call during a Bulls home game against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. Vučević was traded to Chicago in March 2021 and has yet to represent the Bulls at the NBA All-Star Game. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

COLUMN: The Chicago Bulls need a fresh start

By Zachary Bertram, Senior Sports Reporter | January 31, 2024

With the NBA’s Feb. 8 trade deadline fast approaching and the Chicago Bulls sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, the time has once again come for the Bulls to start over after another failed rebuild.  We are now four seasons into the...