http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2014/07/0...e/am6y8vh/

I love the confidence. Lets just say, Johnson is not alone in thinking they can make the ncaa tourney. The coaches and players feel very good about the upcoming season!

michael orris @M_Orris44 · 6h

Great article by Huskiewire! Excited for the season! #NIUbasketball

I'm excited. I'm buying season tickets for the first time this year. I can't wait to see Dontel Highsmith play and the 2 transfers

Great article! This is the most balance NIU basketball has led in a long long time, probably since the mid 90s. That game in Kalamazoo last year pretty much etched in stone in my mind that this year was going to be a special year. A Highsmithless Huskie team walked into a very hostile environment of the best team in the conference and was one shot away. It doesn't look like we are going to get that one big high profile team into DeKalb to boost season ticket sales which would have been the perfect storm given expectations, but hopefully this team on its own merits can attract a bigger following as the year goes on. I know there is an increased awareness about NIU bball around the MAC, but in terms of the general fan of your MAC East team, Im not sure there is a full understanding that NIU might be ready to take that leap into the top quarter of the conference. I am blocking off vacation time for mid March to go to Cleveland, feels good to have that kind of confidence going forward to be able to do that. I have a vision how this year might go, a little slow out of the gate especially given a tough road non-conf schedule, entering conference play around .500 and then hitting the stride one quarter of the way through conference play.

I predict they will be 8-4 or 9-3 after the non-conference part of the schedule.

(07-02-2014 06:06 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  I predict they will be 8-4 or 9-3 after the non-conference part of the schedule.

wow if they do that, then there REALLY is reason to be excited. With games against DePaul, Iowa, and Notre Dame , that will be a very very tough order though.

NIU will beat DePaul and will have a chance against IOWA and ND.

(07-02-2014 06:57 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  NIU will beat DePaul and will have a chance against IOWA and ND.

Notre Dame you might be right, but Iowa? That could be a little ambitious

Ive been saying it all year, NIU will make the tourney this year.

NIU will put up a challenge against ND and probably win against Depaul and hopefully make it interesting against Iowa. Iowa is good.