NIU Men s Basketball

Transcription

1 NIU Men s Basketball Prospectus

2 NIU Men s Basketball Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL UNIVERSITY INFORMATION Location... DeKalb, Ill. Founded Enrollment...19,015 Nickname...Huskies Affiliation...NCAA Division I Conference...Mid-American (West Division) Colors... Cardinal and Black Arena... NIU Convocation Center (9,100) Acting President... Dr. Lisa C. Freeman Assoc. VP/Athletic Director...Sean Frazier Alma Mater, Year...Alabama, 92 Faculty Athletics Rep... Mark Groza Ticket Office Phone PACK (7225) Website... NIUHuskies.com Twitter...@NIUAthletics Men s Basketball BASKETBALL STAFF Head Coach... Mark Montgomery Alma Mater... Michigan State, 2003 Career Record/Years /Entering 7th NIU Record/Years...Same Best Time to Reach Coach...Contact SID Associate Head Coach... Jon Borovich Alma Mater...Central Michigan, 2001 Assistant Coach...Lamar Chapman Alma Mater... Lane College, 1993 Assistant Coach... Brandon Watkins Alma Mater...Penn State, 2007 Director of Player Development/Operations...Chad Pecka Graduate Assistant... Chris MacMartin Athletic Trainer...Kelsey Cannon Basketball Sport Performance Coach...Jacob Ricketts TEAM INFORMATION Record overall (9-8 home, 6-9 away) MAC Record (T-4th MAC West) Starters Returning/Lost...2/3 Letterwinners Returning/Lost...6/5 Newcomers...Marlo Brown... Brandon Danowski... Gairges Daow...Anastasios Demogerontas... Owen Hamilton... Rod Henry-Hayes...Dante Thorpe... Brennen Woods NIU BASKETBALL HISTORY First Year of Basketball All-time Record First Year of Division I Basketball All-time Division I Record Postseason Appearances... 4 (1982, 1991, 1996, 2016) NCAA Appearances... 3 (1982, 1991, 1996) Record in the NCAA Tournament NCAA Tournament Games...March 12, 1982: L, v. Kansas State...March 8, 1991: L, v. St. John s...march 15, 1996: L, v. Texas Tech Vegas 16 Game...March 28, 2016: L, 70-63, v. UC Santa Barbara NIU MEDIA RELATIONS Basketball Contact...Jeremy Reid Office Phone Cell Phone jreid1@niu.edu Mailing Address Convocation Center W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL Press Row Phone LETTERWINNERS RETURNING (6) No. Name Pos. Year PPG RPG APG FG% 3-PT% FT% 5 Justin Thomas* G So Eugene German G So Noah McCarty F So Jaylen Key* F Jr Jon Siu G Jr Levi Bradley W Jr OTHER RETURNEES (2) No. Name Pos. Year PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 3-PT% 4 Lacey James F Jr. sat out last season following transfer from Rider 32 Andrew Zelis C 5th Sr. sat out last season following torn ACL LETTERWINNERS LOST (5) No. Name Pos. PPG RPG APG FG% 3-PT% FT% 3 Dontel Highsmith* G Sean Damaska C Aaric Armstead* G Austin Pauga G Marin Maric* C * denotes starter last season NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 1

3 NIU BASKETBALL Season NIU Men s Basketball Roster NUMERICAL ROSTER No. Name Ht. Wt. Pos. Year Hometown/Last School 0 Dante Thorpe G Jr. Washington, D.C./Friendship Academy/Triton College 2 Gairges Daow G Fr. Melbourne, Australia/Victory Rock Academy 3 Marlo Brown G Fr. Southfield, Mich./DME Academy 4 Lacey James F Jr. Grand Rapids, Mich./Wayland Union/Rider 5 Justin Thomas G So. Indianapolis, Ind./Pike 10 Eugene German G So. Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter 11 Noah McCarty F So. Rock Falls, Ill./Sterling Newman 12 Anastasios Demogerontas W Jr. Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg/Moraine Valley CC 15 Jaylen Key F Jr. Milwaukee, Wis./Homestead 20 Jon Siu G Jr. Hong Kong/Middlesex School 22 Rod Henry-Hayes G Fr. Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton Township 25 Brennen Woods F Fr. Carpentersville, Ill./Harvest Christian Academy 32 Andrew Zelis C 5th Sr. Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North/Kaskaskia College 33 Owen Hamilton C Fr. Prescott, Wis./Prescott 42 Levi Bradley W Jr. Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI 55 Brandon Danowski G Fr. Wilmette, Ill./Loyola Academy ALPHABETICAL ROSTER No. Name Ht. Wt. Pos. Year Hometown/Last School 42 Levi Bradley W Jr. Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI 3 Marlo Brown G Fr. Southfield, Mich./DME Academy 55 Brandon Danowski G Fr. Wilmette, Ill./Loyola Academy 2 Gairges Daow G Fr. Melbourne, Australia/Victory Rock Academy 12 Anastasios Demogerontas W Jr. Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg/Moraine Valley CC 10 Eugene German G So. Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter 33 Owen Hamilton C Fr. Prescott, Wis./Prescott 22 Rod Henry-Hayes G Fr. Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton Township 4 Lacey James F Jr. Grand Rapids, Mich./Wayland Union/Rider 15 Jaylen Key F Jr. Milwaukee, Wis./Homestead 11 Noah McCarty F So. Rock Falls, Ill./Sterling Newman 20 Jon Siu G Jr. Hong Kong/Middlesex School 5 Justin Thomas G So. Indianapolis, Ind./Pike 0 Dante Thorpe G Jr. Washington, D.C./Friendship Academy/Triton College 25 Brennen Woods F Fr. Carpentersville, Ill./Harvest Christian Academy 32 Andrew Zelis C 5th Sr.. Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North/Kaskaskia College Head Coach: Mark Montgomery (Seventh Season at NIU) Associate Head Coach: Jon Borovich (Seventh Season at NIU) Assistant Coach: Lamar Chapman (First Seventh at NIU) Assistant Coach: Brandon Watkins (First Season at NIU) Director of Player Development/Operations: Chad Pecka (Sixth Season at NIU) Graduate Assistant: Chris MacMartin (First Season at NIU) By Class Fifth-year Senior (1): Andrew Zelis Seniors (0): none Juniors (6): Levi Bradley, Anastasios Demogerontas, Lacey James, Jaylen Key, Jon Siu, Dante Thorpe Sophomores (3): Eugene German, Noah McCarty, Justin Thomas Freshmen (6): Marlo Brown, Brandon Danowski, Gairges Daow, Owen Hamilton, Rod Henry-Hayes, Brennen Woods By Height 5-11: Brandon Danowski, Justin Thomas 6-0: Eugene German 6-4: Gairges Daow, Rod Henry-Hayes, Dante Thorpe, Brennen Woods 6-5: Marlo Brown, Jon Siu 6-7: Levi Bradley, Anastasios Demogerontas, Noah McCarty 6-8: Jaylen Key 6-9: Lacey James 7-0: Owen Hamilton, Andrew Zelis By State/Country Australia (1): Gairges Daow (Melbourne) Hong Kong (1): Jon Siu Illinois (6): Brandon Danowski (Wilmette), Anastasios Demogerontas (Orland Park), Rod Henry-Hayes (Zion), Noah McCarty (Rock Falls), Brennen Woods (Elgin), Andrew Zelis (Wheaton) Indiana (2): Eugene German (Gary), Justin Thomas (Indianapolis) Michigan (2): Marlo Brown (Southfield), Lacey James (Grand Rapids) Washington, D.C. (1): Dante Thorpe Wisconsin (3): Levi Bradley (Milwaukee), Owen Hamilton (Prescott), Jaylen Key (Milwaukee) NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

4 Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL NIU Men s Basketball Schedule DAY DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME TV Friday November 10 St. Francis (Ill.) DeKalb, Ill. 7 p.m. Tuesday November 14 Green Bay DeKalb, Ill. 7 p.m. ESPN3 Gulf Coast Showcase (Florida Atlantic, Georgia Southern, Manhattan, Missouri State, Penn, Towson, UMKC) Monday November 20 Penn Estero, Fla. 4 p.m. FloHoops.com Tuesday November 21 Florida Atlantic or Towson Estero, Fla. 12:30 or 6:30 p.m. FloHoops.com Wednesday November 22 TBD Estero, Fla. TBA FloHoops.com Sunday November 26 Rockford DeKalb, Ill. 3:30 p.m. Wednesday November 29 Milwaukee DeKalb, Ill. 8:30 p.m. ESPN3 Saturday December 2 at Chicago State Chicago, Ill. 2 p.m. Monday December 4 at Iowa State Ames, Iowa 8 p.m. ESPNU Saturday December 9 Central Connecticut State DeKalb, Ill. 12 p.m. ESPN3 Monday December 18 at Marquette Milwaukee, Wis. 6 p.m. FS1 Thursday December 21 UIC DeKalb, Ill. 7 p.m. ESPN3 Friday December 29 at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 7 p.m. BTN Plus Tuesday January 2 Kent State* DeKalb, Ill. 7 p.m. ESPN3 Saturday January 6 at Ohio* Athens, Ohio 2:30 p.m. Tuesday January 9 at Bowling Green* Bowling Green, Ohio 6 p.m. ESPN3 Saturday January 13 Eastern Michigan* DeKalb, Ill. 3:30 p.m. ESPN3 Tuesday January 16 at Buffalo* Buffalo, N.Y. 6 p.m. Saturday January 20 at Akron* Akron, Ohio 1 p.m. ESPN3 Tuesday January 23 Bowling Green* DeKalb, Ill. 7 p.m. ESPN3 Saturday January 27 at Western Michigan* Kalamazoo, Mich. TBA Tuesday January 30 at Central Michigan* Mt. Pleasant, Mich. 6 p.m. ESPN3 Saturday February 3 Miami (Ohio)* DeKalb, Ill. 3:30 p.m. ESPN3 Tuesday February 6 at Toledo* Toledo, Ohio 6 p.m. Saturday February 10 Buffalo* DeKalb, Ill. 3:30 p.m. ESPN3 Tuesday February 13 Central Michigan* DeKalb, Ill. 7 p.m. ESPN3 Saturday February 17 Western Michigan* DeKalb, Ill. 3:30 p.m. ESPN3 Tuesday February 20 at Ball State* Muncie, Ind. 6 p.m. ESPN3 Saturday February 24 at Eastern Michigan* Ypsilanti, Mich. 11 a.m. ESPN3 Tuesday February 27 Toledo* DeKalb, Ill. 7 p.m. ESPN3 Friday March 2 Ball State* DeKalb, Ill. 7 p.m. ESPN3 Mid-American Conference Tournament Monday March 5 First Round campus sites TBA Thursday March 8 Quarterfinals Cleveland, Ohio TBA Friday March 9 Semifinals Cleveland, Ohio 5:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network Saturday March 10 Final Cleveland, Ohio 6 p.m. ESPN2 NCAA Tournament Tues.-Wed. March First Four Dayton, Ohio TBA Thurs.-Sun. March First and Second Rounds TBA TBA Thurs.-Sun. March Regional Round TBA TBA Sat.-Mon. March 31-April 2 Final Four San Antonio, Texas TBA Home games in bold, all times central * - denotes Mid-American Conference game Saturday Mid-American Conference games are subject for selection for national television which could result in time changes as well as being moved up one day to Friday NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 3

5 NIU BASKETBALL Season NIU BASKETBALL ROSTER DANTE THORPE GAIRGES DAOW MARLO BROWN LACEY JAMES JUSTIN THOMAS EUGENE GERMAN 0 Junior Guard 2 Freshman Guard 3 Freshman Guard 4 Junior Forward 5 Sophomore Guard 10 Sophomore Guard NOAH McCARTY ANASTASIOS DEMOGERONTAS JAYLEN KEY JON SIU ROD HENRY-HAYES BRENNEN WOODS 11 Sophomore Forward 12 Junior Wing 15 Junior Forward 20 Junior Guard 22 Freshman Guard 25 Freshman Forward ANDREW ZELIS OWEN HAMILTON LEVI BRADLEY BRANDON DANOWSKI MARK MONTGOMERY 32 Fifth-Yr Senior Center 33 Freshman Center 42 Junior Wing 55 Freshman Guard Head Coach Seventh Season NIU HUSKIES No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Hometown (Last School) First Name Last Name 0 Dante Thorpe G Jr. Washington, D.C. (Friendship Academy/Triton College) common common 2 Gairges Daow G Fr. Melbourne, Australia (Victory Rock Academy) grr - giss dow 3 Marlo Brown G Fr. Southfield, Mich. (Southfield Christian/DME Academy) common common 4 Lacey James F Jr. Grand Rapids, Mich. (Wayland Union/Rider) common common 5 Justin Thomas G So. Indianapolis, Ind. (Pike) common common 10 Eugene German G So. Gary, Ind. (21st Century Charter) common common 11 Noah McCarty F So. Rock Falls, Ill. (Sterling Newman) common common 12 Anastasios Demogerontas W Jr. Orland Park, Ill. (Carl Sandburg/Moraine Valley CC) a-nas-ta-sios deemo - jer -on - tiss 15 Jaylen Key F Jr. Milwaukee, Wis. (Homestead) common common 20 Jon Siu G Jr. Hong Kong (Middlesex School) common sue 22 Rod Henry-Hayes G Fr. Zion, Ill. (Zion-Benton Township) common common 25 Brennen Woods F Fr. Carpentersville, Ill. (Harvest Christian Academy) common common 32 Andrew Zelis C th Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton North/Kaskaskia College) common zell iss 33 Owen Hamilton C Fr. Prescott, Wis. (Prescott) common common 42 Levi Bradley W Jr. Milwaukee, Wis. (Pius XI) common common 55 Brandon Danowski G Fr. Wilmette, Ill. (Loyola Academy/Gateway Sports Academy) common dan - ow - ski Head Coach: Mark Montgomery Associate Head Coach: Jon Borovich Director of Player Development/Operations: Chad Pecka Assistant Coaches: Lamar Chapman, Brandon Watkins Graduate Assistant: Chris MacMartin NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

6 Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL News and Notes NIU has recorded 65 wins over the last four seasons, beginning with the campaign, the second-best four-year stretch in program history. NIU scored 2,310 points a season ago, the third-highest single-season total in school history. The Huskies made 828 field goals, tied for the seventh-highest total in NIU history. NIU made 493 free throws, the sixth-best total in school history. The Huskies return 42.5 percent of their scoring from a season ago. NIU also returns 41.3 percent of its minutes, 34.3 percent of rebounds, 34.9 percent of assists, 36.3 percent of blocks and 32.3 percent of steals from the season. Brandon Watkins returns to NIU as an assistant coach after serving as the head coach at Morton College last season. Watkins was previously a member of the Huskie staff from as a graduate assistant. Watkins played collegiately at Penn State from The Huskies will compete in the Gulf Coast Showcase, Nov in Estero, Fla. The event will be NIU s first in-season tournament played outside of the NIU Convocation Center since the 2008 Great Alaska Shootout. NIU will open the tournament against Penn, the field for the event also includes Florida Atlantic, Georgia Southern, Manhattan, Missouri State, Towson and UMKC. NIU s tournament opening game against Penn will be the first alltime meeting between the Huskies and Quakers. The NIU men s basketball team earned its highest APR in program history with a 966, recording the biggest single-year improvement of any NIU team with a 25-point jump from a year ago. seasons of eligibility at NIU. Jaylen Key has played in 66-straight games as a Huskie, including 51 starts. Key ranked 14th in the MAC in field goal percentage a season ago, shooting 48.8 percent (100-of-205) from the field. Key scored in double figures 14 times last season. Justin Thomas appeared in all 32 games during his freshman season, making 17 starts. The Indianapolis, Ind., native averaged 1.3 steals per game in league play, tied for 12th-best in the MAC and second among conference freshmen. Thomas averaged 17.0 minutes per game and shot 47 percent from the field. Andrew Zelis returns for a fifth season of collegiate eligibility after tearing an ACL in the first official practice of the season. Zelis began his college career at Stetson University before spending one year at Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Ill. He joined the Huskies in , appearing in 27 games while averaging 2.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest. NIU s incoming class includes a pair of junior college transfers, Anastasios Demogerontas and Dante Thorpe. Demogerontas was a 2017 NJCAA All-Region IV First Team honoree at Moraine Valley CC as he averaged 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Thorpe was a 2017 First Team NJCAA Division II All-American after averaging 20.1 points per game at Triton College. NIU freshman Owen Hamilton was named to the Mid-American Conference All-Newcomer Team by Street & Smith s. Hamilton averaged 25.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game as a senior at Prescott High School in Wisconsin, leading his team to a 24-4 record and a state runner-up finish last season. Lamar Chapman joined the NIU staff as an assistant coach. A native of Muskegon Heights, Mich., Chapman has spent the last nine years as an assistant coach at Stony Brook, helping the Seawolves win four conference regular season titles and compete in the postseason seven times. Chapman has previous experience in the MAC at Toledo and Central Michigan. NIU will be playing Marquette for the eighth time in school history, but the first time since The game will be a homecoming for Huskie juniors Levi Bradley and Jaylen Key who hail from the city of Milwaukee. The contest is scheduled for Dec. 18 and will be televised on FS1. Levi Bradley has not missed a game in his NIU career, appearing in 66-straight, including eight starts. For his career, the Milwaukee native is averaging 7.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Bradley is a career 77 percent free-throw shooter. Eugene German earned MAC All-Freshman honors last season, becoming the fourth Huskie to earn All-Freshman honors during head coach Mark Montgomery s first six seasons at NIU. German averaged 11.7 points per game in league play, third-best among conference freshmen. German led the Huskies in scoring seven times and scored in double figures on 15 occasions, including eight of the last nine games. After sitting out last season following his transfer from Rider, Lacey James will be eligible for the Huskies this season. James appeared in 12 games at Rider during the season and will have three NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 5

7 NIU BASKETBALL Season Mark MONTGOMERY Head Coach Seventh Season A winner and a program builder. When looking for ways to describe Northern Illinois University men s basketball head coach Mark Montgomery, those would be two of the most obvious phrases that come to mind. In 24 seasons in college basketball, as a player and a head coach, Montgomery has been a part of 15 postseason teams. In six seasons as head coach at NIU, Montgomery rebuilt a program that had produced just two winning seasons in the 15 years prior to his arrival and led it to just its fourth-ever postseason appearance, and the second-most wins in school history. On March 24, 2011, Montgomery was introduced as the 27th head coach in the history of the NIU men s basketball program. In , he enters his seventh season at NIU following 10 years at his alma mater, Michigan State University, six as an assistant coach and four as associate head coach. In , Montgomery guided NIU to 21 victories, tied for the second-most in school history, while taking the Huskies to the postseason for just the fourth time in school history, and the first time in 20 years, as NIU accepted an invitation to the Vegas 16. Montgomery earned national coaching honors when he received the midseason Hugh Durham Award as the nation s top mid-major head coach. NIU led the Mid-American Conference in field goal defense, rebounding offense and rebounding margin as the principles of the program established by Montgomery had firmly taken root. NIU s success came despite having the second-youngest team in the MAC, a squad that saw nearly 40 percent of its scoring come from freshmen. Three Huskies earned conference postseason honors, including sophomore Marin Maric who was named to the All-MAC Third Team; Aaric Armstead was named to the MAC All-Defensive Team and Marshawn Wilson was recognized on the MAC All-Freshman Team. It marked the first time since the season that NIU has three all-league honorees. In addition to its success on the court, the NIU men s basketball team also achieved in the classroom in , posting the highest team GPA on record during the 2015 Fall Semester. More milestones were reached during the season as the Huskies earned 15 victories, giving the program 65 total wins over the last four seasons, the second-best four-year stretch in school history. Maric was again named to the All-MAC Third Team while Eugene German became the fourth MAC All-Freshman Team honoree of Montgomery s tenure. The recent success of Huskie basketball is the result building blocks set in place during Montgomery s first four seasons at the helm in DeKalb. During his first season at NIU in , Montgomery guided one of the youngest teams in the nation to the program s first MAC Tournament victory since 2003, defeating MAC West Champion Eastern Michigan in the opening round of the conference tournament to advance to Cleveland. NIU saw 55.9 percent of its minutes played by freshmen during the season, the sixth-highest percentage in the country. The Huskies laid the foundation for Montgomery s style of play, leading the MAC in offensive rebounds while ranking second in rebounding defense and third in rebounding margin. Under Montgomery s tutelage, Abdel Nader became the first Huskie since 2009 to be named to the MAC All-Freshman Team. Montgomery s second season at NIU saw the Huskies continue to build the foundation of the program with the fourth-least experienced team in the country. The Huskies achieved a number of milestone victories in , including the program s first win at Miami (Ohio) since 1981, its first win at Central Michigan since 2006 and its first victory over Kent State since NIU suffered a number of near-misses, losing seven games by five points or less, while finishing the season ranked second in the MAC in offensive rebounds and second in the conference in defensive rebounding percentage. During the season, his third at NIU, Montgomery engineered the largest single-season win improvement in school history, and the 10th-largest nationally for the season, as the Huskies recorded a 10-win improvement, going 15-17, NIU s most victories since the season. Montgomery finished second in the voting for MAC Coach of the Year. Despite having the second-least experienced team in the MAC, Montgomery led NIU to its most non-conference wins, six, since and the Huskies also recorded their first top-50 RPI win, against Toledo on Feb. 26, since December 14, 1999 (Wisconsin). NIU earned the No. 7 seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament and the right to host a first round tournament game for the first time since 2003, while advancing to Cleveland for the second time in three seasons. Under Montgomery s guidance, Jordan Threloff earned All-MAC honorable mention recognition and Aaric Armstead was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team. The Huskies continued to make strides during the season, Montgomery s fourth at NIU. The Huskies posted a record playing against a strength of schedule ranked 147th in the nation, NIU s best since Competing in a much-improved MAC, NIU posted an RPI of 188, the school s best since The Huskies opened the season with six-straight home wins, tying a school-record with 11 consecutive home victories dating back to NIU posted its first winning non-conference record since and Montgomery s charges also finished the season strong, winning each NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

8 Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL of their last four regular season games, including a win at Toledo, NIU s first win over Western Michigan since 2010 and a victory over MAC regular season champion Central Michigan. Prior to his arrival at NIU, Montgomery was named one of the top five high-major assistant coaches in the country by FoxSports.com in 2010, while Rivals.com put him on its list of 10 Assistant Coaches Ready to Move Up. In addition, FoxSports.com national college basketball writer Jeff Goodman named Montgomery the top assistant coach in the Big Ten Conference based on a poll of league coaches. During his 10 seasons on Hall of Famer Tom Izzo s staff at Michigan State from , the Spartans made 10 straight trips to the NCAA Tournament and three Final Four appearances. He helped coach 26 All-Big Ten players at Michigan State and six players that went on to be selected in the National Basketball Association Draft, while on the bench for 235 MSU wins - an average of 23.5 victories per season. In his first season as an assistant coach at Michigan State, Montgomery helped mentor First Team All-Big Ten honoree Marcus Taylor, who went on to be selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2002 NBA Draft. Despite losing 81 percent of its scoring from the previous season, the Spartans finished just one game out of first place in the Big Ten. of An outstanding player during his collegiate career, Montgomery was a four-year letterwinner for Jud Heathcote at Michigan State from A 1992 All-Big Ten Third Team selection, Montgomery ended his career as the then-career leader in games played at MSU (126). A four-year starter for the Spartans, he was part of the 1990 Big Ten Championship team, three NCAA Tournament teams and an NIT Final Four. Montgomery ranks fourth on the career assists chart (561) after leading the team in assists as a junior (169) and senior (190). He also ranks fourth on the MSU career steals list (168). Montgomery averaged 5.3 points and 4.5 assists in his four years as a Spartan. In , he averaged 7.0 points and 6.3 assists as a senior co-captain, leading his team to a 22-8 mark and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Montgomery was also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree during his playing days as a Spartan. Following his collegiate career, Montgomery played four years of professional basketball in Europe. He averaged more than 25 points a game during his time playing in Germany, Lithuania and Sweden. Montgomery received his bachelor s degree in food industry management from Michigan State. He and his wife, Alexandra, have a son, Nicholas. Montgomery helped the Spartans reach the 2005 NCAA Final Four, the sixth Final Four in school history. Along the way, MSU defeated top-seeded Duke and second-seeded Kentucky in the Austin Regional, becoming the only school to defeat the Blue Devils and Wildcats in the same year. In May of 2007, Montgomery was elevated to associate head coach by Izzo. The Spartans returned to the NCAA Sweet 16 the following season before falling to national runner-up Memphis. Michigan State won the Big Ten championship and made its second Final Four appearance of Montgomery s coaching tenure in The Spartans went 31-7, 15-3 in Big Ten play, including 8-1 on the road in conference, and won the league by four games. MSU knocked off No. 1 seeds Louisville and Connecticut in the regional final and national semifinal, respectively, before succumbing to top-ranked North Carolina in the championship game in Detroit, Mich. Michigan State led the nation in rebounding margin (+9.3) and also led the Big Ten in scoring offense (72.0 ppg). The Spartans again won the Big Ten championship in , amassing a 28-9 overall record, 14-4 in conference, and returned to the Final Four for the third time in six seasons, making a run to college basketball s ultimate stage from the number five seed in the Midwest region. For the second consecutive season, Michigan State again led the nation in rebounding margin (+8.6). During his 10-year coaching tenure with the Spartans, Montgomery mentored four players (Chris Hill, Kalin Lucas, Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton) that rank among the top-10 in career assists at Michigan State. In addition, Montgomery helped eight Spartan perimeter players reach the 1,000-point plateau in his time on the Michigan State staff and helped Lucas earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 2009 and Walton earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year recognition that same season. Montgomery began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Central Michigan where he became a member of Jay Smith s first coaching staff in Following a 6-23 season in , the Chippewas made a worst-to-first turnaround the following season as they finished the campaign with a 20-8 record, winning the MAC with a conference mark NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 7

9 NIU BASKETBALL Season MARK MONTGOMERY S YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING HISTORY Year School Overall Conference Postseason Position Central Michigan None Assistant Coach Central Michigan None Assistant Coach Central Michigan None Assistant Coach Central Michigan None Assistant Coach Central Michigan Totals Michigan State NCAA First Round Assistant Coach Michigan State NCAA Elite Eight Assistant Coach Michigan State NCAA First Round Assistant Coach Michigan State NCAA Final Four Assistant Coach Michigan State NCAA First Round Assistant Coach Michigan State NCAA Second Round Assistant Coach Michigan State NCAA Sweet 16 Associate Head Coach Michigan State NCAA Championship Game Associate Head Coach Michigan State NCAA Final Four Associate Head Coach Michigan State NCAA First Round Associate Head Coach Michigan State Totals NIU None Head Coach NIU None Head Coach NIU None Head Coach NIU None Head Coach NIU Vegas 16 Quarterfinals Head Coach NIU None Head Coach NIU/Head Coaching Totals Career Coaching Totals NCAA Tournament Appearances, 3 Final Fours 2 Big Ten Regular Season Championships 1 MAC Regular Season Championship Akron 2-6 Aurora 1-0 Ball State 5-7 Bethune-Cookman 1-0 Boise State 0-1 Bowling Green 4-4 Buffalo 0-7 Cal Poly 0-1 Cal State Northridge 1-1 Central Michigan 7-5 Chicago State 1-0 Dartmouth 1-1 Dayton 0-1 DePaul 0-3 Eastern Illinois 0-3 Eastern Michigan 4-12 Elon 0-1 Eureka 1-0 Florida International 2-0 Hampton 1-0 HEAD COACHING RECORD BY OPPONENT Idaho 3-0 Illinois Springfield 1-0 Indiana State 1-1 Indiana Northwest 1-0 Iowa 0-3 James Madison 0-1 Judson 2-0 Kent State 3-5 Loyola Chicago 1-1 Maine 1-0 Massachusetts 0-2 Miami (Ohio) 5-3 Minnesota 0-1 Mississippi Valley State 1-0 Missouri 0-1 Nebraska Omaha 0-4 Notre Dame 0-1 Ohio 2-6 Ohio State 0-1 Olivet Nazarene 1-0 Purdue 0-1 Roosevelt 3-0 Saint Joseph s (Ind.) 1-0 San Jose State 1-0 Seattle 0-1 SIU Edwardsville 1-1 South Dakota 1-0 South Florida 1-0 Southern Illinois 0-1 Toledo 6-6 UC Riverside 2-0 UC Santa Barbara 0-1 UIC 2-2 Utah Valley 0-1 UW Milwaukee 0-3 Valparaiso 0-2 Washington 0-1 Western Michigan 3-11 Wright State NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

10 Jon BOROVICH Associate Head Coach Seventh Season Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL Jon Borovich joined the NIU men s basketball staff on April 5, 2011, becoming the first addition to head coach Mark Montgomery s staff. Prior to his arrival in DeKalb, Borovich had spent the previous four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Dayton. Borovich, who was promoted to associate head coach in August of 2015, has played a large role in the rebuilding process at NIU that has seen a program which had produced just two winning seasons in the previous 15 years grow to earn its fourth postseason appearance, and the second-most wins, in school history in The Huskies posted a record in and accepted an invitation to the inaugural Vegas 16 tournament. NIU s success came despite having the second-youngest team in the MAC, a squad that saw nearly 40 percent of its scoring come from freshmen. Three Huskies earned conference postseason honors, including sophomore Marin Maric who was named to the All-MAC Third Team; Aaric Armstead was named to the MAC All-Defensive Team and Marshawn Wilson was recognized on the MAC All-Freshman Team. It marked the first time since the season that NIU has three all-league honorees. In addition to its success on the court, the NIU men s basketball team also achieved in the classroom in , posting the highest team GPA on record during the 2015 Fall Semester. More milestones were reached during the season as the Huskies earned 15 victories, giving the program 65 total wins over the last four seasons, the second-best four-year stretch in school history. Maric was again named to the All-MAC Third Team while Eugene German became the fourth MAC All-Freshman Team honoree of Montgomery s tenure. The recent success of Huskie basketball is the result of the building blocks set in place since Borovich s arrival with Montgomery in Ranking among the youngest teams in the country in both the and seasons, the Huskies still recorded a number of program milestones, including NIU s first MAC Tournament victory since NIU also posted its first win at Miami (Ohio) since 1981, its first win at Central Michigan since 2006 and its first victory over Kent State since During the season, the Huskies engineered the largest single-season win improvement in school history, and the 10th-largest nationally for the season, recording a 10-win improvement, going 15-17, at the time it was NIU s most victories since the season. The Huskies advanced to the second round of the MAC Tournament for the second time in three seasons while Jordan Threloff (All-MAC honorable mention) and Aaric Armstead (MAC All-Freshman team) earned league honors. The Huskies continued to make strides during the season, Borovich s fourth at NIU. The Huskies posted a record playing against a strength of schedule ranked 147th in the nation, NIU s best since , and posted its first winning non-conference record in nine seasons. Playing in a much-improved MAC, NIU also posted a RPI of 188, the school s best since As an assistant at Dayton, Borovich helped the Flyers advance to the postseason in each of the past four seasons. In his first season, , Dayton started 14-1 and climbed to No. 14 in the Associated Press poll, the highest ranking for the program in 40 years. The next season, Dayton was again nationally-ranked and finished with a 27-8 record, including a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In , Borovich helped UD win 25 games and the NIT Championship, the first NIT crown for the program since In his final season on the Flyer staff, , Dayton finished with a mark, reaching the championship game of the Atlantic 10 Tournament and advancing to the NIT. Borovich began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Michigan State from He then spent two seasons, , at Dayton as the Director of Basketball Operations. After working as an assistant coach at Oakland University for two years from , Borovich returned to Dayton in 2007 in an assistant coaching role. During his two seasons at Oakland, the Golden Grizzlies won 30 games. In Borovich s second year, Oakland compiled a mark, the most wins for the school since joining Division I in Borovich helped the Golden Grizzlies recruit a class that, as juniors and seniors, went 34-2 in the Summit League and appeared in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. A native of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Borovich assisted in video analysis as a graduate assistant at Michigan State while completing his master s degree in athletics administration. He then followed Michigan State assistant coach Brian Gregory to Dayton, where he was the Director of Basketball Operations for two seasons. In his first year, the Flyers won the Maui Invitational, reached the NCAA Tournament and finished with a 24-9 overall record. Borovich played collegiately at Central Michigan from , while NIU head coach Mark Montgomery was working as an assistant coach for the Chippewas. As a senior, Borovich was a part of CMU s Mid-American Conference championship team that finished with 20 wins, the most for the school since the season. He earned his bachelor s degree in sports studies from Central Michigan in 2001, with a double minor in psychology and coaching. Borovich was a team captain for the Chippewas as a junior and senior while also earning Academic All-MAC honors as a senior. Borovich and his wife, Kara, have two sons, Bennett and William NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 9

11 NIU BASKETBALL Season Lamar CHAPMAN Assistant Coach First Season Lamar Chapman joined the NIU men s basketball staff on April 28, 2017, coming to DeKalb following nine seasons as an assistant coach at Stony Brook University. In his nine seasons, Chapman helped the Seawolves to four conference regular season championships, the 2016 America East Tournament title and seven postseason appearances, including Stony Brook s first Division I NCAA Tournament appearance in During his tenure at Stony Brook, Chapman worked primarily with wings and helped a pair of Seawolves, Muhammad El-Amin and Tommy Brenton, earn America East Player of the Year honors. Chapman s nine years at Stony Brook saw the Seawolves post six 22-plus win seasons with 23 all-conference honorees. Prior to his time at Stony Brook, Chapman spent the and seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Toledo. In his first season, Chapman helped the Rockets earn their first Mid-American Conference regular season crown in 26 years as Toledo posted a 14-2 conference mark. Chapman helped mentor Keonta Howell, Justin Ingram and Florentino Valencia to All-MAC honors as well as MAC Defensive Player of the Year, Kashif Payne. Toledo was Chapman s second stop in the MAC as it followed three years as an assistant coach at Central Michigan University. Before beginning his collegiate coaching career in Mt. Pleasant, Chapman was the head coach at Muskegon Heights (Mich.) High School in his hometown, leading the Tigers to a 42-9 overall record and a pair of state semifinal appearances, including a Class B State Runner-Up Finish in The Tigers posted a 21-5 record in and won district and regional titles before falling to the eventual state champion. For his efforts, Chapman was named the Muskegon Chronicle Area Coach of the Year. In 2003, Muskegon Heights was 21-4 and repeated as district and regional champion before advancing to the state finals where it lost to Grand Rapids South Christian. During his tenure at Muskegon Heights, Chapman coached five student-athletes who received college scholarships. Chapman played collegiately at Lane College in Jackson, Tenn., where he was named the school s Athlete of the Year in 1991 and Chapman earned his bachelor s degree from Lane in health and physical education in NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

12 Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL Brandon WATKINS Assistant Coach First Season Brandon Watkins joined the NIU men s basketball coaching staff on Aug. 30, 2017, coming to NIU following one season as head coach at Morton College. Watkins had previously been a part of the NIU staff from when he worked for the Huskies as a graduate assistant. In his lone season at Morton College, Watkins led an extremely young Panthers team that featured two sophomores and 11 freshmen to a 9-20 record. Under Watkins guidance, Deonte McReynolds was named to the All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Second Team. A native of Chicago, Ill., Watkins began his coaching career in as the head sophomore coach and varsity assistant at his alma mater, St. Joseph s High School in Westchester, Ill., where he led the sophomore team to an 18-6 record and worked under legendary head coach Gene Pingatore with the varsity team. In , Watkins coached the freshmen team at Riverside Brookfield High School, leading the Bulldogs to a perfect 24-0 record. Watkins joined the NIU staff as a graduate assistant in , helping the Huskies to a 10-win improvement, the 10th-largest nationally and the largest single-season improvement in school history. The Huskies earned the No. 7 seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament and hosted a first round tournament game for the first time since The following season, the Huskies finished with a RPI of 188, the school s best since After earning his graduate degree from NIU in 2015, Watkins started his own player development company called Blueprint Athletic Training. As a player, Watkins played collegiately at Penn State under Jerry Dunn; helping lead the Nittany Lions to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in Watkins earned All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition as a senior in 2003 and ranks 13th in Penn State history in career assists. Watkins went on to play professionally in Europe for eight seasons, playing in France, Greece, Turkey, Russia, Estonia and Germany. Among the notable teams Watkins played for were Wolfburg in Germany, the club team of NBA star Dirk Nowitzki, as well as Greek powerhouse Olympiakos. In 2008, Watkins was named newcomer of the year in Germany while leading the league in points and assists. Watkins earned his bachelor s degree in communications from Penn State in 2007 and his master s from NIU in adult and higher education in NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 11

13 NIU BASKETBALL Season Chad PECKA Director of Player Development/Operations Sixth Season Chad Pecka begins his sixth season as a member of the NIU men s basketball staff in Pecka was promoted to Director of Player Development/ Operations in after working as Video Coordinator in Pecka has played a role in the rebuilding process at NIU that has seen a program which had produced just two winning seasons in the previous 15 years grow to earn its fourth postseason appearance, and the second-most wins, in school history in , as NIU posted a record and accepted an invitation to the inaugural Vegas 16. A native of DeKalb, Ill., Pecka began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Texas-Pan American, working under former NIU assistant coach Ryan Marks for two seasons. Pecka was in charge of film break down, opponent scouting, in-and-out of season strength and conditioning programs and also served as the Camp Director while at UTPA. Prior to UTPA, Pecka was the Assistant Varsity Basketball Coach at DeKalb High School for one season, helping lead the Barbs to the 2009 Western Sun Conference Title. During the season, Pecka worked for the NBA s Indiana Pacers. Pecka assisted the basketball coaching staff as well as the head strength coach with all practices, games and player workouts. Pecka has also had work experience as a strength and skill development coach for the following organizations: Athletes Performance Institute, Impact Basketball Academy, and Joy of the Game. As a player, Pecka was the top-ranked free throw shooter in the nation at Kishwaukee College in 2004 and currently holds Kishwakee records for all-time free throw percentage (88.2 percent) and consecutive free throws made (31). Pecka went on to play at Northwestern Oklahoma State, where he served as the team captain in , leading the Rangers to the Division I NAIA National Tournament Elite Eight, the deepest tournament run in school history. Pecka earned his bachelor s degree in Health and Fitness Management from Northwestern Oklahoma State and his master s degree in Kinesiology from Texas Pan American. Chris MacMARTIN Graduate Assistant First Season Chris MacMartin begins his first season as a graduate assistant with the NIU men s basketball program in MacMartin is responsible for video breakdown, assists in scouting, player development and day-to-day operations of Huskie basketball. MacMartin joined the NIU basketball program as a student manager in , working for the Huskies for three years as an undergraduate before becoming the program s graduate assistant. MacMartin also coached the Hononegah High School freshman team for two seasons and has worked with the Hononegah program during the summer. A native of Rockton, Ill., MacMartin earned his bachelor s degree in Community Leadership and Civil Engagement from NIU in 2017 and is currently pursuing his master s degree in Adult and Higher Education NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

14 42 Levi BRADLEY Junior Wing Milwaukee, Wis. Pius XI Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL : Appeared in all 32 games, making seven starts Averaged 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game Shot 41.1 percent (104-of-253) from the field and 77.0 percent (57-of-74) from the free-throw line Recorded 25 assists and 13 steals Averaged 22.5 minutes per contest Scored in double figures 16 times Had two games with double figure rebounds Recorded two double-doubles, at South Florida (Dec. 2) and at Miami (Jan. 3) Scored a season-high 18 points at Central Michigan (Feb. 21) Registered a career-best 14 rebounds at Miami (Jan. 3) Had a season-high four assists against Kent State (Jan. 24) Played a season-high 32 minutes against Indiana State (Nov. 11) : Appeared in all 34 games, making one start Made his first career start against UC Santa Barbara in the Vegas 16 Quarterfinals (March 28) Averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game Shot 49.1 percent from the field (85-of-173) Shot 41.2 percent from three-point range (21-of-51) Shot a teambest 77.1 percent from the free-throw line (37-of-48) Recorded 13 steals and 11 blocks Averaged 16.0 minutes per game Recorded two double-doubles, against Judson (Jan. 2) and Western Michigan (March 7) Scored in double figures 10 times, including the last four games of the season Scored a season-high 19 points against Judson (Jan. 2) Recorded a season-high 12 rebounds in the MAC Tournament First Round against Western Michigan (March 7) Played a season-high 26 minutes at Akron (Jan. 26). High School: 2015 Wisconsin AP All-State Third Team honoree 2015 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division 2 First Team All-State 2015 First Team All-Area honoree from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Averaged 21.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as a senior at Pius XI while leading the Popes to the Woodland West Division title 2014 Wisconsin AP All-State Honorable Mention 2014 Fourth Team All-Area honoree from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Averaged 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as a junior in while leading the Popes to the Woodland West crown Three-time first team all-conference honoree Also played volleyball at Pius XI for three seasons, earning all-conference honors. Personal: Born on September 26, Majoring in sociology... Father, Levi, is third all-time in scoring at Wisconsin-Parkside with 1,697 points ( ). CAREER STATISTICS Year G S Min Avg FG FGA FG% 3FG 3FGA 3FG% FT FTA FT% Off Def Reb Avg Foul DQ Ast Avg TO Avg Blk Avg Stl Avg Pts Avg Career NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 13

15 NIU BASKETBALL Season SEASON GAME-BY-GAME Opponent Date GS Min FG FGA Pct 3FG 3FGA Pct FT FTA Pct O D Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg CSUN NOV SOUTH DAKOTA NOV WRIGHT STATE NOV EUREKA NOV INDIANA UNIV. NW NOV at Idaho Nov CHICAGO STATE DEC at Missouri Dec at Ohio State Dec FLA. INTERNATIONAL DEC ROOSEVELT DEC at UIC Dec JUDSON JAN OHIO* JAN EASTERN MICH.* JAN at Toledo* Jan at Western Michigan* Jan CENTRAL MICH.* JAN TOLEDO* JAN at Akron* Jan at Miami* Jan BUFFALO* FEB at Ohio* Feb at Kent State* Feb AKRON* FEB BOWLING GREEN* FEB at Ball State* Feb at Central Michigan* Feb WESTERN MICH.* FEB at Eastern Michigan* Mar BALL STATE* MAR WESTERN MICH. MAR vs. Ohio Mar vs. UC Santa Barbara Mar. 28 * Totals SEASON GAME-BY-GAME Opponent Date GS Min FG FGA Pct 3FG 3FGA Pct FT FTA Pct O D Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg INDIANA STATE NOV ROOSEVELT NOV IDAHO NOV at CSUN Nov CAL POLY NOV ELON NOV UIC NOV at Indiana State Nov at Minnesota Dec OLIVET NAZARENE DEC at FIU Dec at South Florida Dec ILL.-SPRINGFIELD DEC at Miami (Ohio)* Jan CENTRAL MICH.* JAN at Kent State* Jan at Bowling Green* Jan MIAMI (OHIO)* JAN OHIO* JAN KENT STATE* JAN at Toledo* Jan AKRON* JAN EASTERN MICH.* FEB at Buffalo* Feb at Western Mich.* Feb BALL STATE* FEB. 14 * TOLEDO* FEB. 18 * at Central Mich.* Feb. 21 * at Eastern Mich.* Feb. 25 * WESTERN MICH.* FEB. 28 * at Ball State* March 3 * Eastern Michigan March 6 * Totals NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

16 Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL : Named to the MAC All-Freshman Team Appeared in 31 games, including seven starts, and averaged 9.0 points per game Averaged 11.7 points per game in league play, 28th in the MAC and third among conference freshmen Averaged 1.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game Shot 47.2 percent (109-of-231) from the field and 61.6 percent from the free-throw line (45-of-73) Recorded 27 assists and 10 steals Averaged 17.1 minutes per game Scored in double figures 15 times, including eight of the last nine games of the season Led NIU in scoring seven times Scored a season-high 27 points against Toledo (Feb. 18) Grabbed a season-high five rebounds at Central Michigan (Feb. 21) Had a season-high four assists twice, against Olivet Nazarene (Dec. 14) and at Ball State (March 3) Played a season-high 33 minutes against Toledo (Feb. 18). High School: Prepped at 21st Century Charter School in Gary, Ind., where he led the State of Indiana in scoring as both a junior and senior Averaged 33.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and four assists as a senior in to lead 21st Century Charter to its first regional title Named to the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Senior Small School All-State Team Earned Northwest Indiana Post-Tribune Player of the Year honors Earned Indiana Associated Press High Honorable Mention recognition Named to the 2016 Indiana All-Star team Earned MVP honors in the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star game in Indianapolis with 20 points, six rebounds and two assists, scored a game-high 34 points in the meeting in Louisville As a junior in , averaged 32.0 points per game, along with 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals Named to the 2015 IBCA Underclass Small School All-State Team Averaged 17.4 points per game as a sophomore at 21st Century Charter. Personal: Born on December 2, Majoring in communications. 10 Eugene GERMAN Sophomore Guard Gary, Ind. 21st Century Charter CAREER STATISTICS Year G S Min Avg FG FGA FG% 3FG 3FGA 3FG% FT FTA FT% Off Def Reb Avg Foul DQ Ast Avg TO Avg Blk Avg Stl Avg Pts Avg Career SEASON GAME-BY-GAME Opponent Date GS Min FG FGA Pct 3FG 3FGA Pct FT FTA Pct O D Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg INDIANA STATE NOV ROOSEVELT NOV IDAHO NOV at CSUN Nov CAL POLY NOV ELON NOV UIC NOV at Indiana State Nov at Minnesota Dec. 11 Did not play OLIVET NAZARENE DEC at FIU Dec at South Florida Dec ILL.-SPRINGFIELD DEC at Miami (Ohio)* Jan CENTRAL MICH.* JAN at Kent State* Jan at Bowling Green* Jan MIAMI (OHIO)* JAN OHIO* JAN KENT STATE* JAN at Toledo* Jan AKRON* JAN EASTERN MICH.* FEB at Buffalo* Feb at Western Mich.* Feb BALL STATE* FEB. 14 * TOLEDO* FEB. 18 * at Central Mich.* Feb. 21 * at Eastern Mich.* Feb. 25 * WESTERN MICH.* FEB. 28 * at Ball State* March 3 * Eastern Michigan March 6 * Totals NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 15

17 NIU BASKETBALL Season NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

18 : Sat out the season following transfer from Rider. 4Lacey JAMES Junior Forward Grand Rapids, Mich. Rider Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL Prior to NIU: Appeared in 12 games as a freshman at Rider in Averaged 1.0 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in 5.0 minutes per contest Played a season-high 16 minutes against Morgan State (Dec. 23), scoring six points with three rebounds. High School: A three-year starter at Wayland Union High School in Wayland, Mich. Averaged 20 points and 15 rebounds per game as a senior for the Wildcats in Earned Associated Press Class B All-State first-team honors and was a candidate for Michigan s Mr. Basketball while leading Wayland to a 19-4 record Averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game as a junior at Wayland Union in , leading the Wildcats to the Michigan Class B State Quarterfinals. Personal: Born on July 12, Majoring in communications. CAREER STATISTICS Year G S Min Avg FG FGA FG% 3FG 3FGA 3FG% FT FTA FT% Off Def Reb Avg Foul DQ Ast Avg TO Avg Blk Avg Stl Avg Pts Avg * Sat out the season following transfer from Rider Career * denotes season played at Rider NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 17

19 NIU BASKETBALL Season 15 Jaylen KEY Junior Forward Milwaukee, Wis. Homestead : Appeared in all 32 games, making 25 starts Ranked 14th in the MAC in field goal percentage, shooting 48.8 percent (100-of-205) Averaged 8.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game Shot 46.4 percent (13-of-28) from three-point range and 66.7 percent (44-of-66) from the free-throw line Recorded 23 assists, 13 steals and 12 blocks Averaged 21.8 minutes per game Scored in double figures 14 times Recorded double figure rebounds twice Led NIU in rebounding six times Had a pair of double-doubles, Indiana State (Nov. 11) and Central Michigan (Jan. 7) Scored a season-high 17 points against Roosevelt (Nov. 14) Recorded a season-best 11 rebounds against Central Michigan (Jan. 7) Played a season-high 37 minutes against Elon (Nov. 25) : Appeared in all 34 games, including 26 starts Made his first career start against South Dakota (Nov. 14) Averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game Shot 45 percent from the field (76-of-169) Shot 66.1 percent from the free-throw line (37-of-56) Recorded 18 steals and 15 blocks Averaged 18.4 minutes per game Scored in double figures four times Scored a season-best 15 points in the opener against Cal State Northridge (Nov. 13) Recorded one double-double, scoring 12 points with a season-best 10 rebounds against Buffalo (Feb. 2) Played a season-high 26 minutes three times: Missouri (Dec. 4), Western Michigan (Jan. 16) and Buffalo (Feb. 2). High School: 2015 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division 1 First Team All-State honoree 2015 Wisconsin AP All-State Third Team 2015 First Team All-Area from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Averaged 18.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as a senior at Mequon Homestead while also shooting 72 percent from the free-throw line 2014 Honorable Mention All-Area from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Averaged 14 points per game as a junior in Earned a three star rating from Rivals.com and Scout.com Ranked as the seventh-best player in the State of Wisconsin by Scout.com and 10th by 247 Sports. Personal: Born on May 9, Majoring in corporate communications... Son of former Marquette University forward Damon Key. CAREER STATISTICS Year G S Min Avg FG FGA FG% 3FG 3FGA 3FG% FT FTA FT% Off Def Reb Avg Foul DQ Ast Avg TO Avg Blk Avg Stl Avg Pts Avg Career SEASON GAME-BY-GAME Opponent Date GS Min FG FGA Pct 3FG 3FGA Pct FT FTA Pct O D Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg CSUN NOV SOUTH DAKOTA NOV. 14 * WRIGHT STATE NOV. 15 * EUREKA NOV INDIANA UNIV. NW NOV at Idaho Nov CHICAGO STATE DEC at Missouri Dec at Ohio State Dec. 16 * FLA. INTERNATIONAL DEC. 19 * ROOSEVELT DEC. 22 * at UIC Dec. 29 * JUDSON JAN. 2 * OHIO* JAN. 6 * EASTERN MICH.* JAN. 9 * at Toledo* Jan. 12 * at Western Michigan* Jan. 16 * CENTRAL MICH.* JAN. 19 * TOLEDO* JAN. 22 * at Akron* Jan. 26 * at Miami* Jan. 30 * BUFFALO* FEB at Ohio* Feb. 6 * at Kent State* Feb. 9 * AKRON* FEB. 13 * BOWLING GREEN* FEB. 16 * at Ball State* Feb. 19 * at Central Michigan* Feb. 23 * WESTERN MICH.* FEB. 27 * at Eastern Michigan* Mar. 1 * BALL STATE* MAR. 4 * WESTERN MICH. MAR. 7 * vs. Ohio Mar. 10 * vs. UC Santa Barbara Mar Totals NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

20 Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL SEASON GAME-BY-GAME Opponent Date GS Min FG FGA Pct 3FG 3FGA Pct FT FTA Pct O D Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg INDIANA STATE NOV. 11 * ROOSEVELT NOV. 14 * IDAHO NOV. 16 * at CSUN Nov. 19 * CAL POLY NOV. 23 * ELON NOV. 25 * UIC NOV. 26 * at Indiana State Nov. 30 * at Minnesota Dec. 11 * OLIVET NAZARENE DEC. 14 * at FIU Dec. 17 * at South Florida Dec. 20 * ILL.-SPRINGFIELD DEC. 31 * at Miami (Ohio)* Jan. 3 * CENTRAL MICH.* JAN. 7 * at Kent State* Jan. 10 * at Bowling Green* Jan. 14 * MIAMI (OHIO)* JAN. 17 * OHIO* JAN. 21 * KENT STATE* JAN. 24 * at Toledo* Jan. 28 * AKRON* JAN. 31 * EASTERN MICH.* FEB. 4 * at Buffalo* Feb. 7 * at Western Mich.* Feb. 11 * BALL STATE* FEB TOLEDO* FEB at Central Mich.* Feb at Eastern Mich.* Feb WESTERN MICH.* FEB at Ball State* March Eastern Michigan March Totals NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 19

21 NIU BASKETBALL Season : Appeared in 29 games Averaged 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game Shot 37.5 percent (12-of-32) from the field and 76.9 percent (10-of-13) from the free-throw line Recorded nine assists and seven blocks Averaged 7.2 minutes per game Scored a season-high six points against Cal Poly (Nov. 23) and Elon (Nov. 25) Recorded a season-best six rebounds at Cal State Northridge (Nov. 19) Played a season-high 16 minutes against Cal Poly (Nov. 23). High School: Attended Newman Central Catholic in Sterling, Ill., averaged 18.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.9 blocks per game as a senior in Named to the 2016 Associated Press Illinois Class 2A First Team and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) 1A/2A All-State Second Team Played in the Iowa-Illinois Senior All-Star Basketball Showcase Named to the All-Three Rivers Conference First Team Led Sterling Newman to a 26-5 record and a regional championship as a senior Averaged 18.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game as a junior in Named to the All-Western Illinois First Team last season by the Quad City Times Also earned IBCA 2A All-State Third Team and AP 2A All-State honorable mention recognition in 2015 Averaged 14.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore, helping the Comets to a 29-3 record and the Elite Eight in the state tournament. Personal: Born on January 21, Majoring in communications. 11 Noah McCARTY Sophomore Forward Rock Falls, Ill. Sterling Newman CAREER STATISTICS Year G S Min Avg FG FGA FG% 3FG 3FGA 3FG% FT FTA FT% Off Def Reb Avg Foul DQ Ast Avg TO Avg Blk Avg Stl Avg Pts Avg Career SEASON GAME-BY-GAME Opponent Date GS Min FG FGA Pct 3FG 3FGA Pct FT FTA Pct O D Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg INDIANA STATE NOV. 11 Did not play ROOSEVELT NOV. 14 Did not play IDAHO NOV at CSUN Nov CAL POLY NOV ELON NOV UIC NOV at Indiana State Nov at Minnesota Dec OLIVET NAZARENE DEC at FIU Dec at South Florida Dec ILL.-SPRINGFIELD DEC at Miami (Ohio)* Jan CENTRAL MICH.* JAN at Kent State* Jan at Bowling Green* Jan MIAMI (OHIO)* JAN OHIO* JAN KENT STATE* JAN at Toledo* Jan AKRON* JAN EASTERN MICH.* FEB at Buffalo* Feb at Western Mich.* Feb BALL STATE* FEB TOLEDO* FEB at Central Mich.* Feb at Eastern Mich.* Feb WESTERN MICH.* FEB at Ball State* March Eastern Michigan March 6 Did not play Totals NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

22 Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 21

23 NIU BASKETBALL Season : Saw action in four contests Scored three points and grabbed one rebound Made a three-point field goal at Bowling Green (Jan. 14) Grabbed a rebound at Central Michigan (Feb. 21) : Did not see game action. High School: Spent the season as a postgraduate at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, New Hampshire Helped the Wildcats to a record Attended Middlesex School in Concord, Mass., for four years prior to his year at Kimball Union... Averaged 20 points and six rebounds Finished his career at Middlesex as the school record-holder for most three-point field goals made Named to the 2013 New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class B All-League Second Team. Personal: Born on March 14, Majoring in accountancy. 20 Jon SIU Junior Guard Hong Kong Middlesex School CAREER STATISTICS Year G S Min Avg FG FGA FG% 3FG 3FGA 3FG% FT FTA FT% Off Def Reb Avg Foul DQ Ast Avg TO Avg Blk Avg Stl Avg Pts Avg Did not see game action Career SEASON GAME-BY-GAME Opponent Date GS Min FG FGA Pct 3FG 3FGA Pct FT FTA Pct O D Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg INDIANA STATE NOV. 11 Did not play ROOSEVELT NOV. 14 Did not play IDAHO NOV. 16 Did not play at CSUN Nov. 19 Did not play CAL POLY NOV. 23 Did not play ELON NOV. 25 Did not play UIC NOV. 26 Did not play at Indiana State Nov. 30 Did not play at Minnesota Dec. 11 Did not play OLIVET NAZARENE DEC. 14 Did not play at FIU Dec. 17 Did not play at South Florida Dec. 20 Did not play ILL.-SPRINGFIELD DEC. 31 Did not play at Miami (Ohio)* Jan. 3 Did not play CENTRAL MICH.* JAN. 7 Did not play at Kent State* Jan. 10 Did not play at Bowling Green* Jan MIAMI (OHIO)* JAN. 17 Did not play OHIO* JAN. 21 Did not play KENT STATE* JAN. 24 Did not play at Toledo* Jan. 28 Did not play AKRON* JAN. 31 Did not play EASTERN MICH.* FEB at Buffalo* Feb at Western Mich.* Feb. 11 Did not play BALL STATE* FEB. 14 Did not play TOLEDO* FEB. 18 Did not play at Central Mich.* Feb at Eastern Mich.* Feb. 25 Did not play WESTERN MICH.* FEB. 28 Did not play at Ball State* March 3 Did not play Eastern Michigan March 6 Did not play Totals NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

24 Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 23

25 NIU BASKETBALL Season : Appeared in all 32 games, making 17 starts Averaged 1.3 steals per game in conference play, tied for 12th in the MAC and second among league freshmen Averaged 4.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per contest Shot 47 percent from the field (47-of-100) Recorded 37 assists and 34 steals Averaged 17.0 minutes per game Had 11 multi-steal games Led NIU in steals 12 times Scored in double figures twice, including a season-high 12 points at Indiana State (Nov. 30) Recorded a season-high six rebounds at Minnesota (Dec. 11) Registered a season-high five assists against Olivet Nazarene (Dec. 14) Played a season-high 28 minutes in his first career start at Minnesota (Dec. 11). High School: Attended Pike High School in Indianapolis, Ind. Averaged 15.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.6 steals per game as a senior at Pike in Earned Indiana Associated Press High Honorable Mention recognition Named to the 2016 Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Senior Large School All-State team Helped lead Pike to 50 wins in three seasons, including a pair of sectional titles, and finished his prep career with 960 points. Personal: Born on December 27, Majoring in communications. 5Justin THOMAS Sophomore Guard Indianapolis, Ind. Pike CAREER STATISTICS Year G S Min Avg FG FGA FG% 3FG 3FGA 3FG% FT FTA FT% Off Def Reb Avg Foul DQ Ast Avg TO Avg Blk Avg Stl Avg Pts Avg Career SEASON GAME-BY-GAME Opponent Date GS Min FG FGA Pct 3FG 3FGA Pct FT FTA Pct O D Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg INDIANA STATE NOV ROOSEVELT NOV IDAHO NOV at CSUN Nov CAL POLY NOV ELON NOV UIC NOV at Indiana State Nov at Minnesota Dec. 11 * OLIVET NAZARENE DEC. 14 * at FIU Dec. 17 * at South Florida Dec. 20 * ILL.-SPRINGFIELD DEC. 31 * at Miami (Ohio)* Jan. 3 * CENTRAL MICH.* JAN. 7 * at Kent State* Jan. 10 * at Bowling Green* Jan. 14 * MIAMI (OHIO)* JAN. 17 * OHIO* JAN. 21 * KENT STATE* JAN. 24 * at Toledo* Jan. 28 * AKRON* JAN. 31 * EASTERN MICH.* FEB. 4 * at Buffalo* Feb. 7 * at Western Mich.* Feb. 11 * BALL STATE* FEB TOLEDO* FEB at Central Mich.* Feb at Eastern Mich.* Feb WESTERN MICH.* FEB at Ball State* March Eastern Michigan March Totals NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

26 Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 25

27 NIU BASKETBALL Season : Tore an ACL in the preseason and did not see action : Appeared in 27 games Averaged 2.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per game Shot 53.3 percent from the field (24-of-45) Recorded 12 blocks Averaged 7.3 minutes per game Scored a season-high 12 points and grabbed a season-best seven rebounds against Roosevelt (Dec. 22) Played a season-high 24 minutes in the MAC Tournament First Round against Western Michigan (March 7). Prior to NIU: Came to NIU after spending one season at Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Ill., where he averaged 4.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game Rated a three star prospect by 247 Sports, the No. 2 junior college player in the State of Illinois and the No. 2 junior college center nationally Attended Stetson University in where he redshirted Named the Atlantic Sun Preseason Freshman of the Year by College Sports Madness while at Stetson Attended Wheaton North High School, leading his team to the Class 4A Regional Quarterfinals in 2012 and 2013 while twice earning all-conference honors One of 13 players in the State of Illinois nominated for the 2013 McDonald s All-American Game. Personal: Born on February 6, Majoring in economics. 32 Andrew ZELIS th Senior Center Wheaton, Ill. Kaskaskia College CAREER STATISTICS Year G S Min Avg FG FGA FG% 3FG 3FGA 3FG% FT FTA FT% Off Def Reb Avg Foul DQ Ast Avg TO Avg Blk Avg Stl Avg Pts Avg Did not see game action Career SEASON GAME-BY-GAME Opponent Date GS Min FG FGA Pct 3FG 3FGA Pct FT FTA Pct O D Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg CSUN NOV SOUTH DAKOTA NOV WRIGHT STATE NOV EUREKA NOV INDIANA UNIV. NW NOV at Idaho Nov CHICAGO STATE DEC at Missouri Dec. 4 Did not play at Ohio State Dec FLA. INTERNATIONAL DEC ROOSEVELT DEC at UIC Dec JUDSON JAN OHIO* JAN EASTERN MICH.* JAN at Toledo* Jan at Western Michigan* Jan. 16 Did not play CENTRAL MICH.* JAN. 19 Did not play TOLEDO* JAN at Akron* Jan at Miami* Jan. 30 Did not play BUFFALO* FEB. 2 Did not play at Ohio* Feb. 6 Did not play at Kent State* Feb AKRON* FEB BOWLING GREEN* FEB at Ball State* Feb at Central Michigan* Feb WESTERN MICH.* FEB at Eastern Michigan* Mar BALL STATE* MAR WESTERN MICH. MAR vs. Ohio Mar vs. UC Santa Barbara Mar. 28 Did not play Totals NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

28 Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 27

29 NIU BASKETBALL Season Prior to NIU: Played one postgraduate year at DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Fla. Averaged 15.3 points, 9.1 rebounds per game, shot 59 percent, including 46 percent from three High School: Four-year starter at Southfield Christian Finished his four seasons at Southfield Christian with 1,221 points and 1,074 rebounds, the fifth-most rebounds in state history Averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks as a senior in Associated Press Class C All-State honors as a senior in Detroit News Class C All-State First Team 2016 Detroit Free Press Class C All-State Second Team Averaged 20 points, 15 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 4.1 steals and 3.2 blocks per game as a junior at Southfield Christian in Helped Southfield Christian win the Michigan State Class D Championship during his freshman and sophomore seasons in 2013 and Personal: Born on April 1, 1997 in Detroit, Mich. Plans to major in Engineering. 3Marlo BROWN Freshman Guard Southfield, Mich. DME Academy Prior to NIU: Spent the season at Gateway Sports Academy in Granite City, Ill., averaging 17 points, four assists and two steals per game. High School: Earned Chicago Catholic League North Division All-Conference as a senior at Loyola Academy in and DailyNorthShore.com All-Area Second Team Also earned all-conference honors as a junior in while averaging 14.0 points per game. Personal: Born on September 4, 1997 in Park Ridge, Ill. Majoring in business administration. 55 Brandon DANOWSKI Freshman Guard Wimette, Ill. Loyola Academy NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

30 Gairges Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL DAOW Freshman Guard Melbourne, Australia Victory Rock Academy Prior to NIU: Averaged 12.7 points, 4.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game as a senior at Victory Rock Prep Helped Victory Rock Prep to a 27-8 record in , finishing as Sunshine Independent Athletic Association State Runner-Up and ranked eighth in the state Averaged 4.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game as a junior in Victory Rock won the Grind Session National Championship. Personal: Born on February 28, 1998 in South Sudan Majoring in corporate communications.2 Prior to NIU: Averaged 17.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game as a sophomore in at Moraine Valley Shot 47.9 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three Shot 72.7 percent from the free-throw line Named to the 2017 NJCAA All-Region IV First Team Named to the All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference First Team Averaged 13.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game as a freshman at Moraine Valley in Named to the First Team All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference First Team. High School: Earned All-Southwest Suburban Conferece Blue honor as a senior at Sandburg High School, averaging 13 points and four rebounds per game Named a 2015 Illinois Basketball Coaches Association 3A/4A All-State Honorable Mention selection. Personal: Born on February 17, 1997 in Orland Park, Ill. Majoring in finance. 12 Anastasios DEMOGERONTAS Junior Wing Orland, Park, Ill. Moraine Valley CC NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 29

31 NIU BASKETBALL Season High School: Led Prescott High School to a 24-4 record and a runner-up finish in Wisconsin Division 3 as a senior in Averaged 25.1 points rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game 2017 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division 3 All-State Named the Player of the Year in the Middle Border Conference Averaged 15.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game as a junior at Prescott in Named First Team All-Middle Border Conference as a junior Earned First Team All-State in Division 3 by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. Personal: Born on October 13, 1998 in Prescott, Wis. Major is undecided. 33 Owen HAMILTON Freshman Center Prescott, Wis. Prescott High School: Averaged 21.3 points, 6.0 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game as a senior in at Zion-Benton Township Named to the IBCA 3A/4A All-State Fourth Team Named to the Lake County News-Sun Second Team All-Area Helped lead the Zee-Bees to a record and a second-place finish in the North Suburban Conference. Personal: Born on August 30, 1999 in Evanston, Ill. Major in undecided. 22 Rod HENRY-HAYES Freshman Guard Zion, Ill. Zion-Benton Township NIU MEN S BASKETBALL

32 Preseason Prospectus NIU BASKETBALL Prior to NIU: Finished his two seasons at Triton with 1,040 points, the seventh leading scorer in school history Averaged 20.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game as a sophomore at Triton College in , starting 29 of 30 games Shot 56.6 percent from the field, including 45.2 percent from three, and 78.1 percent from the free-throw line Named a 2017 First Team NJCAA Division II All-American Named North Central Community College Conference Player of the Year Helped Triton to a 30-3 overall record in Averaged 11.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game as a freshman at Triton College in Helped Triton to a 34-3 overall record in Personal: Born on July 27, 1994 in Washington, D.C. Major is general studies. 0Dante THORPE Junior Guard Washington, D.C. Triton College 25 Brennen WOODS Freshman Forward Carpentersville, Ill. Harvest Christian Academy High School: Averaged 19.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a senior at Harvest Christian Academy in Named to the 2017 Fox Valley All-Area Team by the Daily Herald Named a 2017 Illinois AP All-State Class 1A Honorable Mention selection Averaged 12.6 points per game as a junior at Hampshire High School in Personal: Born on September 15, 1998 in Arlington Heights, Ill. Majoring in business administration NIU MEN S BASKETBALL 31

33 NIU BASKETBALL Season SEASON IN REVIEW NIU MEN S BASKETBALL