Ohio (10-9 overall, 4-3 Mid-American Conference) return home after two straight away games this Tuesday to face off against Northern Illinois (6-11 overall, 2-4 MAC) for what is presumably the final time in The Convo.
This is a hugely important game for an Ohio reeling after a tough road trip that saw the squad lose back-to-back games against Toledo and Ball State.
The latter loss to the Cardinals was an especially tough pill to swallow, as the Bobcats became the first MAC team to lose to the Cardinals, giving them a 1-5 record in conference play.
The Toledo game was a letdown as well, with Ohio going into the game on a heater, having won nine of its last 10 games before the loss, which gave Ohio head coach Jeff Boals his 13th loss to Toledo.
Northern Illinois does present a very solid opportunity for Ohio to get back on track, as the Huskies have struggled so far this year. They have just two conference wins against Central Michigan and UMass, with both of those wins coming by a combined three points.
Ohio won five straight against Northern Illinois, and a win on Tuesday can go a long way for the Bobcats to climb back up the MAC rankings.
With that out of the way, let’s take a deeper look at Northern Illinois before its last matchup in the Convo against Ohio as a MAC member.
Game Information
Opponent: Northern Illinois Huskies
Location: The Convocation Center (Athens, Ohio)
Time: Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Where to watch: ESPN+
Follow live stats here
Meet the Opponent:
Head coach: Rashon Burno (5th season)
Projected Starters:
#00 Gianni Cobb
#01 Makhai Valentine
#06 Taj Walters
#25 Dylan Ducommun
#96 Gustav Winther
Statistical leaders:
Points: Valentine (14.3 per game)
Assists: Cobb (4.1 per game)
Rebounds: Walters (5.7 per game)
Steals: Cobb (2.1 per game)
FG%: Winther (62.8%)
3-point percentage: Walters (38.2%)
Northern Illinois player to watch: Mahkai Valentine
Valentine has been the premier player for the Huskies this season, running the offense very well as he leads the team in points per game with 14.3 and rebounds per game with 5.7.
The sophomore guard spent his freshman season last year at Missouri State, putting up just 3.9 points per game. He has truly broken out this season, increasing his scoring by over 10 points per game.
He was instrumental in the Huskies' most recent win over UMass, putting up 27 points on 9-17 shooting from the field and 4-9 shooting from deep. He also added four rebounds and four steals as well, adding to his impact while he wasn’t scoring.
