DEKALB, Ill. — The Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team begins Mid-American Conference play on Tuesday, Jan. 3, when the Huskies visit defending conference tournament champion Akron. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN+ as well as 94-9 WDKB and the Varsity Network app.
NIU is returning to play for the first time since Dec. 22, when the Huskies ended non-conference play with a 67-57 victory at Indiana State. Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Tulsa) tied career highs with 32 points and nine rebounds in the victory over the Sycamores.
Williams, whose 19.5 points per game ranks third in the league and 29th nationally, is the only player in the MAC to rank in the top-20 in scoring (3rd), rebounding (17th), assists (17th), field goal percentage (10th), three-point percentage (20th) and free throw percentage (14th).
David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) had 19 points and a career-best seven rebounds in the win at Indiana State. Coit is 15th in the MAC in scoring at 14.2 points per game and has averaged 21.5 points per contest over the last two games, shooting 61.5 percent (16-of-26) from the floor.
Akron comes into Tuesday’s matchup with an 8-5 record, including a perfect 7-0 mark at home. Xavier Castaneda leads the way for the Zips at 19.5 points per game while Enrique Freeman is averaging a double-double with 12.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Former Huskie Trendon Hankerson is scoring 9.5 points per game for Akron. Hankerson eclipsed the 1,000-career point plateau last time out against Concord with 18 points. Hankerson netted 886 of those points in four seasons at NIU. Hankerson appeared in 101 games as a Huskie, including 82 starts.
The Huskies and Zips split a pair of contests a season ago, with the road team winning each meeting. NIU claimed a 66-63 victory at Akron on Feb. 17, 2022, as five players scored in double figures, led by 15 points from Williams. The win was NIU’s first at Akron since 2008, snapping an eight-game road losing streak to the Zips.
Following Tuesday’s contest, the Huskies will remain on the road when they visit Buffalo on Saturday, Jan. 7. Game time against the Bulls is slated for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN+.
