Mark Montgomery, NIU men’s basketball coach, said he is slowly building up the program the way he wants to. Montgomery, following in the footsteps of Joe Novak, former NIU football coach, said he wants to build the basketball program with a certain...
Zach Miller may be out for the rest of the season after tearing the meniscus cartilage in his knee. According to webmd.com, the meniscus is a rubbery, C-shaped disc that cushions your knee, and a torn meniscus can prevent your knee from working right....
NIU football players DeMarcus Grady and Cameron Bell are contributing in different roles this season."I'm just thankful that the coaches are giving me an opportunity and taking the chance of me playing a new position I've never experienced before," Bell...
Even in a world of 24/7 media scrutiny, DeMarcus Grady managed to keep a secret from NIU football fans. Basketball is the only game Grady truly wanted to play in college. The redshirt junior found himself playing football, however, after a series of...
On Tuesday night, NIU head coach Ricardo Patton saw exactly how far the NIU men's basketball team could get without a productive Xavier Silas in the lineup.NIU (7-17 overall, 3-9 MAC) lost 77-65 in the second game of a four-game home stand. Silas struggled...
DeKALB | Coming into Saturday afternoon’s matchup against the Huskies, Akron women’s basketball had never won a game in DeKalb. That streak came to a convincing halt, as the Zips (10-12, 3-7 MAC) put together a dominating first half to beat the Huskies...
DeKALB | Bowling Green head coach Louis Orr opened Wednesday night's press conference with a prayer. Perhaps it was to give thanks for NIU guard Xavier Silas missing a good look at a game-tying three in overtime. The Huskies lost 73-70 in front of a sparsely-attended...
Xavier Silas' brief tenure as the nation's leading scorer and the addition of NIU quarterback DeMarcus Grady highlighted winter break for the NIU men's basketball team. Silas shot to the top of the nation's Division I scoring list in the Huskies' first...
When the lights click on tonight at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, the NIU football team will shed the practice shells and don full uniforms for the first time in 2010. Unlike the NFL, there have been no preseason games for NIU head coach Jerry Kill...
Phil Horvath is gone and so are the quarterback controversies of last year, as this is clearly Dan Nicholson's team.
The junior from Brother Rice high school has two years experience under his belt, including a 2005 season in which he took over for an injured Horvath and led the team to three straight victories.
Last year, Nicholson played in seven games and threw for 658 yards and five touchdowns but with six interceptions.
Grade: B-
He has experience but this is the year he needs to show what he's made of.
RB
The running back position has always been a point of pride at NIU.Every few years, one star leaves and another emerges.
This year, Coach Novak will take a running back-by-committee approach to start off the season to see who can replace Garrett Wolfe.
Junior Montell Clanton has been named the starter for the opener against Iowa but
Justin Anderson will see significant time and true freshman Chad Spann figures to see some action.
Clanton is coming off an season-ending injury last year and will have to prove he can stay healthy. Anderson has the strength and speed but like the rest of the backs, but is unproven, having only 25 carries last season. Spann turned heads in camp but is probably a year or two away.
Grade: C-
The potential is there, it just needs to be displayed. Under Wolfe, the Huskies lost four fumbles, the second lowest total in D 1-A. This group also needs to prove they can hang onto the ball.
OL
Doug Free is gone and the offensive line is a huge concern heading into this season.
However, three starters from last year return in center Eddie Adamski, right guard Jason Onyebuagu, and the lone senior of the unit, left tackle Chris Acevedo. Junior Jon Brost is expected to start at right tackle and has the most career starts of the group.
Tim Mayerbock is expected to get the start at left guard. The redshirt sophomore played in the last 10 games of 2006 but is the most inexperienced of the group.
Grade: C-
Very talented group but young. The lack of experience may contribute to them getting worn out too soon, setting up for quite an interesting fourth quarter.
WR
This looks to be a strong point for NIU this season. Junior's Britt Davis and Marcus Perez both started and were the leading receivers from a year ago.
Everyone is still waiting for Davis to break-out and reach his full potential. Junior Matt Simon played in all 13 games last year and was the third-leading receiver.
Junior Greg Turner has impressed former Huskie and current wide receivers coach P.J. Fleck as more of a possession-type of receiver. Also, Freshman Landon Cox will also look to make an immediate impact.
Grade: B-
Talented and fast. Younger guys need to step up and help out Davis, Perez and Simon to solidify the corps.
DeKALB | Fundamentally, the laces of a football are the quarterback's road map around the brown, leather pigskin. It is the simplest way to find grip and increase accuracy in the passing game. At least that's how things used to be. In an era of college...
The battle has already begun for Chandler Harnish. Despite being listed as the backup quarterback on the preseason depth chart, the redshirt junior is looking forward to getting on the field and winning back the starting signal caller spot. Harnish suffered...
