Game Day Essentials
Northern Illinois (1-0) at Indiana (1-0)
- Tip Time: Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. Eastern
- Location: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana
- Television: Big Ten Network Plus (subscription required)
- Radio: IU radio network
- Point Spread: Indiana is a 25-point favorite
- KenPom Projected Score: Indiana, 81-57
- Series: Indiana leads the all-time series 3-1
See also:
IU basketball looking for more up-tempo offense, sustained defensive intensity in game two
Meet NIU’s Rashon Burno
Friday’s game marks head coach Rashon Burno’s second as a collegiate head coach.
He previously served as head coach at Marmion Academy in Aurora, Ill., from 2007-10. He comes to NIU following six seasons on staff at Arizona State (2016-21). He worked under Billy Donovan at Florida for three seasons (2012-15), helping the Gators to the 2014 Final Four. Burno also spent one season at Towson and one at Manhattan. As a player, Burno earned 58 starts in four seasons at DePaul (1998-2002).
Huskies assistant coach Drew Gladstone was on the IU staff under Archie Miller.
An upset of Washington
NIU opened the season with a 71-64 victory over Washington in Seattle on Tuesday night.
The victory against Washington was NIU’s first against a “Power Five” opponent since downing Kansas State, 75-70, in overtime on Dec. 20, 2005.
The Huskies built a 16-point first half lead, watched Washington rally and take a 52-51 advantage with 5:26 remaining, and then pulled away down the stretch.
Last meeting against Indiana memorable for NIU
The last meeting between Northern Illinois and Indiana holds a special place among the great days in the history of NIU basketball as the Huskies toppled the fifth-ranked Hoosiers 85-71 50 seasons ago on Jan. 4, 1972, at NIU’s famed Chick Evans Field House. Under head coach Tom Jorgensen, the Huskies entered the matchup with a 7-1 record, with their only blemish coming against Purdue in the second game of the season. NIU would go on to post a 21-4 overall record.
Bob Knight was in his first season as the head coach at Indiana, and the Hoosiers came to DeKalb with an 8-1 overall record. Joby Wright led Indiana with 28 points and 11 rebounds.
Projected Starters (Northern Illinois)
#0 Keshawn Williams: Guard, 6-3, Sophomore
#1 Trendon Hankerson: Guard, 6-2, Senior
#13 Asong Makuoi: Center, 6-9, Senior
#24 Darweshi Hunter: Guard, 6-5, Junior
#50 Anthony Crump: Guard, 6-8, Senior
More Notable Players:
#2 Kaleb Thorton: Guard, 6-0, Junior
#5 Chris Osten: Forward, 6-9, Senior
#11 Chinedu Kingsley Okanu: Forward, 6-7, Senior
#12 Zool Kueth: Forward, 6-7, Senior
#13 Adong Makuoi: Center, 6-9, Senior
A Closer Look at NIU and their win over Washington
NIU posted a 3-16 overall record a season ago, including a 2-12 mark in Mid-American Conference play. NIU’s roster includes six returnees from last season and seven newcomers among its 13 scholarship players. The seven newcomers are made up of three Division One transfers, one junior college transfer and three freshmen.
NIU landed in the No. 12 spot on the Mid-American Conference preseason coaches’ poll for their 2021-22 season in the MAC.
When Burno was hired in March he talked about his style of play and influences.
“We are going to play an exciting brand of basketball,” he said. … “We are going to be more concept based than set plays, we are going to press, that is in my DNA from under Coach (Billy) Donovan and Steve Masiello. We are going to play 94 feet; we are going to try to create a lot of possessions but I’m also going to give my kids freedom to go out and perform.”
All six returnees from last season started at least three games in 2020-21, including leading returning scorer Trendon Hankerson who averaged 13.9 points per game last year and started all 19 contests. Among the three Division I transfers, Chris Osten comes with head coach Rashon Burno from Arizona State. Osten played in 24 games for the Sun Devils in 2020-21, making six starts.
Hankerson scored a game-high 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting against Washington, including a career-best 6-of-11 from three-point range. Hankerson’s 28 points is tied for the most by a Huskie in a season opener in the last 30 years. Anthony Crump posted his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-best 11 rebounds. He also had a career-best, and game-high, six assists.
NIU recorded a school record 14 blocks against Washington, led by four from Chinedu Kingsley Okanu.
NIU held Washington to just 26.7 percent shooting from the field including 16.7 percent (3-of-18) from three-point range.
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