2020-21 NIU Men’s Basketball NIU Huskies (0-2, 0-0 MAC) at Pittsburgh Panthers (1-1, 0-0 ACC) 2020-21 SCHEDULE Date: Saturday, December 5, 2020 Time: 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET) Day Date Opponent Time/Result Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. Arena: Petersen Events Center Wed. Nov. 25 UIC L, 65-61 TV: ACC Network Extra Wed. Dec. 2 SIU Edwardsville (ESPN3) L, 73-53 TV Talent: Kevin Wheeler (pxp) and Julius Page (color) Sat. Dec. 5 at Pittsburgh (ACC Network Extra) 6 p.m. NIU Radio: WLBK (1360-AM, 98.9-FM, DeKalb), TuneIn Tues. Dec. 8 Ball State* 6 p.m. Radio Talent: Brendan Gulick (pxp) Sun. Dec. 13 at Iowa (FS1) 1 p.m. HUSKIE QUICK HITS Fri. Dec. 18 Chicago State 6 p.m. • NIU and Pittsburgh have met just once previously, a 59-50 Panther victory last season (Dec. Tues Dec. 22 at Toledo* TBA 16, 2019) in Pittsburgh. • Zool Kueth made his fi rst career start for the Huskies last time out against SIU Edwardsville Sat. Jan. 2 Bowling Green* 4 p.m. (Dec. 2), scoring four points in 19 minutes of action. Tues. Jan. 5 at Ohio* TBA • Tyler Cochran made his fi rst start of the season against the Cougars and tied a career high Sat. Jan. 9 at Miami* TBA with 15 points. • The trio of Darius Beane, Tyler Cochran and Trendon Hankerson has combined to average Tues. Jan. 12 Akron* 6 p.m. 35.5 points and 14.0 rebounds per contest through two games this season. Sat. Jan. 16 at Ball State* TBA • NIU has allowed just six second chance points combined in its fi rst two games. Huskie Tues. Jan. 19 Ohio* 6 p.m. opponents averaged just 9.1 second chance points per game last season. Sat. Jan. 23 Buff alo* 4 p.m. • NIU head coach Mark Montgomery is third on NIU’s career wins list with 123, just two behind Chick Evans (1929-40) for second all-time. Tues. Jan. 26 at Bowling Green* TBA • NIU’s 84 wins over the last fi ve years (2015-16 through 2019-20) is the winningest fi ve-year Sat. Jan. 30 Eastern Michigan* 4 p.m. period in program history. NIU has the fourth-most wins in the State of Illinois during that Tues. Feb. 2 at Western Michigan* TBA fi ve-year period, behind only Loyola, Southern Illinois and Illinois State. • NIU has ranked in the top 100 nationally in fewest turnovers per game in each of the last Sat. Feb. 6 Central Michigan* 1:30 p.m. three seasons. The Huskies averaged just 11.8 turnovers per game in 2017-18 (78th), 11.9 Tues. Feb. 9 Toledo* TBA per contest in 2018-19 (80th) and 12.0 per game in 2019-20 (72nd). Sat. Feb. 13 at Kent State* TBA Tues. Feb. 16 at Akron* TBA TALE OF THE TAPE Sat. Feb. 20 Miami* 4 p.m. NIU .....................................................2020-21 Stats ........................................Pittsburgh Sat. Feb. 27 at Eastern Michigan* TBA 0-2 ...........................................................................Record ......................................................................... 1-1 0-0 ..............................................................Conference Record ............................................................ 0-0 Tues. March 2 Western Michigan* 6 p.m. 57.0 ................................................................Points Per Game ............................................................. 76.5 Fri. March 5 at Central Michigan* TBA 69.0 ...................................................Opponents Points Per Game ................................................. 77.0 27.0 ........................................................... Rebounds Per Game ......................................................... 36.5 9.0 ................................................................Assists Per Game ............................................................. 16.5 Home games in bold, all times central 2.0 ................................................................ Blocks Per Game ................................................................6.0 * - denotes Mid-American Conference game 5.5 .................................................................Steals Per Game .................................................................6.5 .404 ..........................................................Field Goal Percentage ........................................................ .492 On this date in NIU Men’s Basketball History... .208 ........................................................ Three Point Percentage ...................................................... .256 Dec. 5, 1970: NIU set a school record with 123 points in a 123-105 vic- .618 .........................................................Free Throw Percentage ...................................................... .684 tory over Cal Poly Pomona. Three Huskies posted double-doubles with .450 ............................................. Opponents Field Goal Percentage ........................................... .456 Cleveland Ivey scoring a team-high 39 points with 12 rebounds, Jerry .365 ........................................... Opponents Three-Point Percentage ......................................... .273 Zielinski had 24 points and 14 rebounds while Dennis Taylor had 17 points and 17 rebounds. Dec. 5, 1989: Behind 18 points each from Donnell Thomas and Donald NIU POSSIBLE STARTERS Whiteside, the Huskies topped Nebraska, 65-56, at Chick Evans Field House. Thomas also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to fi nish with a double-double. Follow NIU Athletics and NIU Men’s Up Next: Basketball on Social Media @GoHuskiesMBB @NIUAthletics @NIUscores /NIU Men’s Basketball G • 1 • JR F • 12 • Jr C • 13 • JR G • 23 • SO G • 24 • JR /NIU Huskies Trendon Zool Adong Tyler Darius Ball State Hankerson Kueth Makuoi Cochran Beane /NIUHuskiesdotcom DeKalb, Ill. Tuesday, Dec. 8 PPG ............... 8.5 PPG ............... 3.5 PPG ............... 4.5 PPG .............14.0 PPG .............13.0 /NIUMensBasketball 6 p.m. CT RPG ............... 5.0 RPG ............... 2.0 RPG ............... 3.0 RPG ............... 4.5 RPG ............... 4.5 /NIUHuskies FG% .............538 FG% .............333 FT% ..............833 FG% .............500 FT% ..............727 December 5, 2020: at Pittsburgh 2020 MAC West Division Champions NIU Huskies (0-2, 0-0 MAC) Head Coach: Mark Montgomery, 10th Season (123-165) Last Game: Dec. 2, 2020 v. SIU Edwardsville (L, 73-53) Next Game: Dec. 8, 2020 vs. Ball State Chris Johnson PPG RPG APG FG% 3-PT% FT% Notes: Appeared in 27 games, all in a reserve role, 6-7 • 215 • F • Senior last season ... Came to NIU from South Suburban 0 Chicago, Ill. Career Highs Pts: 10 (11/16/19) College, where he averaged 9.7 pts and 14.5 reb South Suburban College Reb: 5 (twice) Ast: 1 (3x) per game in 2018-19, leading NJCAA DII in rpg. Trendon Hankerson PPG RPG APG FG% 3-PT% FT% Notes: Led the MAC in 3-point shooting last season at 6-2 • 185 • G • Junior 8.5 5.0 0.5 .538 .333 .500 46.1% ... Started all 31 games a season ago ... Scored in 1 Novi, Mich. Career Highs Pts: 18 (12/21/19) double fi gures 9 times last season ... Has appeared in 53 Novi Reb: 6 (12/7/19) Ast: 6 (1/11/20) consecutive games dating back to his freshman season. Kaleb Thornton PPG RPG APG FG% 3-PT% FT% Notes: Has 1.5 AST/TO ratio ... Averaged 10.8 pts, 3.4 6-0 • 170 • G • Sophomore 5.5 3.5 3.0 .500 .333 .500 ast, 3.2 reb and 1.5 stl per game last season at Iowa 2 Bolingbrook, Ill. Career Highs Pts: 7 (12/2/20) Western CC ... Earned NJCAA D1 Region XI All-Region Iowa Western CC Reb: 4 (12/2/20) Ast: 4 (12/2/20) Second Team honors ... HS teammate of Tyler Cochran. Justin Lee PPG RPG APG FG% 3-PT% FT% Notes: Appeared in six games a season ago while 6-8 • 210 • W • Junior battling injuries ... Scored seven points in 14 min- 3 Lawrenceville, Ga. Career Highs Pts: 7 (12/16/19) utes at Pittsburgh (12/16/19) and fi ve points in 14 Collins Hill Reb: 4 (1/4/20) Ast: 1 (12/19/19) minutes at Buff alo (1/4/20). Tavon Jones PPG RPG APG FG% 3-PT% FT% Notes: Averaged 13.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 6-3 • 180 • G • Junior assists per game last season at Odessa College ... 4 Linden, N.J. Career Highs Pts: n/a Earned All-Western Junior College Athletic Con- Odessa College Reb: n/a Ast: n/a ference honorable mention. Chinedu Kingsley Okanu PPG RPG APG FG% 3-PT% FT% Notes: Averaged 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per 6-7 • 225 • F • Junior 4.0 6.0 0.0 .250 .000 1.000 game last season at Vincennes ... Earned NJCAA 11 Gary, Ind. Career Highs Pts: 4 (11/25/20) D1 District 24 All-Region honors ... Helped Vin- Vincennes University Reb: 6 (11/25/20) Ast: n/a cennes win the 2018-19 national championship. Zool Kueth PPG RPG APG FG% 3-PT% FT% Notes: Averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 6-7 • 200 • F • Junior 3.0 2.0 0.0 .250 .000 .500 blocks per game last season at Pratt CC ... Earned 12 Gallatin, Tenn. Career Highs Pts: 3 (11/25/20) All-Kansas Jayhawk CC Conference West Second Pratt CC Reb: 2 (11/25/20) Ast: n/a Team honors. Adong Makuoi PPG RPG APG FG% 3-PT% FT% Notes: Averaged 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds 6-9 • 220 • C • Junior 5.0 5.0 0.0 .333 .000 .750 per game last season at Daytona State College ... 13 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Career Highs Pts: 5 (11/25/20) Earned All-Mid-Florida Conference Second Team Daytona State College Reb: 5 (11/25/20) Ast: n/a honors. Daniel Filippone PPG RPG APG FG% 3-PT% FT% Notes: Did not see action last season ... Averaged 6-1 • 175 • G • Sophomore 25.5 points, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game 20 Antioch, Ill. Career Highs Pts: n/a as a senior at Antioch Community HS ... Finished Antioch Community Reb: n/a Ast: n/a as Antioch’s all-time leading scorer. Tyler Cochran PPG RPG APG FG% 3-PT% FT% Notes: Averaged 6.6 pts and 5.3 reb per game over the fi nal 6-2 • 220 • G • Sophomore 13.0 5.0 1.0 .600 1.000 .000 11 games of last season ... Finished 2nd among MAC fresh- 23 Bolingbrook, Ill. Career Highs Pts: 15 (2/25/20) men in rebounding a year ago ... Scored in double fi gures 7 Bolingbrook Reb: 10 (1/28/20) Ast: 2 (3x) times last season ..