In the gym: Lights begin hoops practice

Under normal circumstances, the NAIA basketball season would be right around the corner. Late October is generally when NAIA games, including at Montana State University-Northern, get underway.

But these are anything but normal times.

With COVID-19 still rampaging across the U.S. and especially across college campuses, winter sports are somewhat of an unknown quantity right now. Of course, the hope is games and wrestling matches will be held this upcoming season, but the when and the how in the NAIA is still up in the air to some degree.

Still, for longtime MSU-N men's basketball coach Shawn Huse, trying to keep things normal is the goal, and thus, the Lights have begun practicing inside the Armory Gymnasium.

"It has been business as usual regarding basketball, while following the COVID guidelines of course, being safe, keeping our circle small, and being creative with positive activities outside of academics and workouts, Huse said about what the Lights have been up to this fall. "Normally, this time of year we are working and attending football games and volleyball games, riding in the Havre Festival Days parade, helping with community service, working our Alumni Auction, running in our Homecoming Glo-Run, and being a part of various campus activities. So far we have been conditioning, practicing, lifting, working in study table and scrimmaging throughout the weeks. In addition to that, we have done what we can to give them (the team) something to do. Due to the pandemic restricting what there is to do right now, these guys are getting more dorm room time than usual. Thus, we have tried to do many safe team activities such as folf, golf, and team outings in the mountains. Well, I mean safe in terms of COVID protocols. I'm not sure I could say it's safe golfing with some of our guys (who are new to the sport.)"

Indeed, athletes who would normally be neck-deep into their seasons right now are trying to stay busy. School, and practice when held, are one thing, but campus life for students, as well as student-athletes, hasn't been normal in the fall of 2020. Of course, this all began when students, including the Lights' basketball team, were still on campus during the 2020 spring semester.

"As has been the case for everyone everywhere, it has definitely been different. In terms of returning experience related to timing for a pandemic to hit us, it was not an ideal year by any means," Huse said. "We had five seniors last season that basically made up 65 percent of our point production. In other years for us and for many other teams we go against, we normally return and they will return this year, 65 percent of point production. Every recruiting trip, tournament and event on the road and at home (HIT) was unable to happen. And those are the things we typically rely heavily on.

"All that being said, we are ecstatic about our returners and what we were able to accomplish through virtual-world recruiting," he continued. "We have a fantastic group in our returners, including our leading scorer and leading rebounder on a 20-win team last year - they all have great leadership qualities and character, to go along with exceptional playing ability. Couple that with our new group and we were able to construct a roster of great guys with great potential. Many of our recruiting relationships and contacts stepped up big for us through the past six months. I am very excited about these guys."

While recruiting and just keeping in touch with the current Lights after students were sent home last spring wasn't easy, Northern persevered, and now, the Lights are back on campus and back in the gym.

"Practices have been great," Huse said. "The guys are doing a great job of applying our philosophies and concepts. Our leaders are being extremely vocal and helpful getting everyone up to speed and on the same page with everything."

And while Northern doesn't yet know when it will begin the 2020-2021 NAIA season, and the Frontier Conference schedule hasn't been released as of yet, Huse is excited nonetheless. The Lights have plenty of returning talent, mixed with some exciting newcomers, and, when the Frontier Preseason Coaches Poll is released soon, Northern should be in its usual place, regarded as one of the top teams in the league once again.

"I always expect us to be competitive and right there in the end. It may take some time as we are not as experienced and seasoned as in some years," Huse said. "Again, if a pandemic had to hit planet earth, I would have preferred it were offseason 2019 ... when we had more seasoned returners and less recruiting to do. But again with that being said, I am tickled at the guys we were able to bring in. It took many 12-hour days and seven days a week full of film emails, virtual meetings, texts and phone calls in March, April, and May. And it was well worth the work. I think this team has a great chance and should be fun to watch. I know they are fun to coach."