MSU-N Basketball Preview: Consistent Lights hit the hardwood

One thing the Montana State University-Northern Lights have been under head coach Shawn Huse is consistent. Year-in-and-year-out, the Lights have always been a team to be dealt with in the Frontier Conference.

A decade of 20-win seasons proves that.

And as the 2017-18 season dawns, it doesn’t appear like that’s going to change. Sure, the Lights will once again have plenty of new faces on the floor this winter, but with Huse at the helm for another year, and a program that is built on teamwork, fundamentals and defense, as well as plenty of talent, the Lights shouldn’t skip a beat.

“It’s interesting because we do have a really new team in some aspects, a lot of new faces this year,” Huse, who is now in his 16th season at Northern, said. “But with the leadership we have from our returning guys, as far as the team goes, we’re way ahead of where we have been the past few years. This team has come together really quickly. Practices have been great, and everybody on this team has shown they really want to be here, and enjoy playing with each other. So that’s exciting.”

The Lights, who went 21-11 overall a year ago, and 9-9 in the difficult Frontier Conference, will need to continue to build that chemistry, considering MSU-N will likely have five new players seeing signifigant playing time this season. Northern must also replace solid production from graduated seniors David Straughter, a two-time All-Conference performer, and sharp-shooting Tyler Chandler.

However, MSU-N does have key veterans back this season, many of whom were part of last season’s foundation. And of course, it starts in the middle with 6-10 senior center Ryan Reeves. Reeves, now in his third and final year at Northern, was not only an All-Conference selection last season but, with his two blocks per game, was also named 2017 Frontier Defensive Player of the Year. Reeves also brings back 9.7 ppg and seven rebounds per night, and he is going to be one of the most dominant forces in the paint in the entire Frontier Conference.

Also back for the Lights is junior Justin Dunsmore (6-6) and senior Charles Porter (6-2), who combined for 12 ppg last season. Sophomores Devin Bray (5-9) and Adam Huse (6-1) return as well, and both will see their roles increase signifigantly this season.

“That group of returners is doing a great job with leadership and with helping the new guys get up to speed,” Huse said, “but they also all have really worked hard on their game, too. Justin, Adam and Devin have really stepped up this season, Ryan is going to do what Ryan does, and Charles is really doing a great job of taking on that senior leadership role. So those guys are all doing a great job, and I’m really proud of them.”

Northern fans will also be excited about the new faces in the MSU-N lineup this season.

Junior college transfers Gabe Porter (6-1) and Caulin Bakalarski (6-3) each averaged over 20 ppg at Walla Walla Community College last year, and both are do-it-all type guards who will give the Lights an explosive punch on the perimeter. Huse also added some bulk, too, with Paco Jones (6-5) and Anthony Harper (6-5). Jones, a senior, transferred from NW Oklahoma State and is a talented wing player who can go inside and out, while Harper comes from Green River Community College, where he averaged 10 points and eight rebounds per outing. Freshman guard James Fry (6-4) rounds out Northern’s 2017-18 season roster.

“The first thing that jumps out at you about the group of new guys is, they are really showing how excited they are to be here, to be Lights,” Huse said. “They are showing how much it means to them to play for Northern, to be a part of this program, this campus and this community.

“And they’re also showing how productive they’re going to be,” Huse continued. “This group is going to be productive in a lot of different ways. They are all unselfish, they can shoot the three, they can create plays on both ends of the floor. That entire group brings a lot to this team.”

Of course, under Huse, productivity starts with defense and hustle. Northern has been at or near the top of the Frontier Conference in scoring and field goal defense for a decade now, and that’s unlikely to change this season. Defense is where Northern hangs its hat, and with so much talent and athleticism, the Lights should once again be a defense juggernaut.

Offensively, MSU-N will be one of the most balanced teams again this season, thanks in large part to Reeves patrolling the paint. With a dominant force like Reeves in the middle, and plenty of talent spread across the floor, the Lights could be very tough to defend.

“One of the things about this team, on both ends of floor, that they’re already showing, is their ability to compete and fight hard,” Huse said. “We had an intra-squad scrimmage, and one team went way up, and the other team fought right back. It went back and forth that way the entire scrimmage, and that showed me how hard our guys are playing, and how much they’re willing to fight. No one wanted to give in in that scrimmage.

“I also think, offensively, we have a lot of weapons on this team,” he added. “You’re going to see that, when one guy is maybe not having his best night, we have others who can step up and pick him up and carry the load. We have some really nice weapons on this team, and that’s exciting.”

Northern will need those weapons when it comes to Frontier Conference play, but in order for the Lights to get ready for the rigors of the league and go after a conference championship, the Lights also have a non-conference schedule that should prepare them to do just that.

Right out of the gates, MSU-N will take a trip to Bozeman to face the Montana State Bobcats in an exhibition game. The Cats have one of the most talented scorers in all of the NCAA in junior Tyler Hall, so MSU-N’s defense will be tested immediately. A three-game road swing in Oregon, with games against Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon, will also be difficult matchups for the Lights, while MSU-N also has a full slate of home tilts this fall, including the AmericInn Thanksgiving Classic, where a good Valley City State squad will be in attendance. MSU-N wraps up non-conference play at the end December with back-to-back games against Concordia of Alberta. Other home games for the Lights include Nueta Hidatsa, SAGU (Great Falls), Salish Kootenai College and Yellowstone Christian.

“Our preseason schedule is a good one,” Huse said. “I think this team will be in a position to win and compete in every one of those games. There will be some very challenging ones. Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech are two very good teams. I think Valley City State will be tough. Of course, playing Montana State in an exhibition game will be a great test for us to find out where we’re at. So I think our early schedule, we’re going to be find out a lot about ourselves, and that’s what we want.”

As is the norm now, Northern also plays two early-December Frontier Conference games. The Lights host Rocky Mountain College and Carroll College Dec. 1-2, while Frontier play begins for good Jan. 2 against the University of Providence.

While a Frontier championship and getting to the NAIA national tournament are always top goals for the Lights, for now, it’s about continuing to improve, about coming together, and about building. But make no mistake, Northern has already been doing that, and with an exciting and talented roster, this winter will be a fun one for the Northern men.

“I feel like we have a team that has both the ability and the character to compete in and win every game they play,” Huse said. “We have great leadership, we have a great mix of returners and newcomers. We have a group of guys who work really hard, and they enjoy being together and playing together. That’s a recipe for success to me. I’m really excited about this group, and it’s going to be a lot of fun seeing what they do with this season.