MSU-N Basketball Preview: Despite changes, Lights poised to be strong this winter

It's been a long, long wait. It's been eight months to be exact. Now, the Montana State University-Northern Lights' wait to hit the hardwood for a new season will be a little longer.

A season which was delayed some due to the coronavirus pandemic, was set to see the Lights will make their long-awaited season debut with two home, non-conference games this weekend in the Armory Gymnasium. However, those games against Yellowstone Christian have been postponed due the COVID-19 issues with the Centurions.

Still, the Lights, of veteran head coach Shawn Huse are excited, and it's the fact that Northern is embarking on a brand new season, and one that has been in doubt for some time because of the pandemic.

"Extremely excited," Huse, who's entering his 20th season, said. "I cannot begin to explain how much it would do for them emotionally and mentally (to be playing again). And once the right time regarding the safety of it is determined of course, our guys will be jumping through the roof to play in front of our great fans."

Indeed, the Lights, who went 20-12 overall, and 9-9 in the Frontier Conference a year ago, are excited to finally get going. And while there won't be fans at games around the league, at least until after the beginning of the new year, playing the games is the important thing, and that's what a new-look Lights' team is ready to do.

Of course, Northern will have to replace some key pieces from its squad from a year ago, like Adam Huse, an NAIA All-American, Kavon Bey, an All-Conference performer, Devin Bray, a three-year starter, and starting center Cedric Crutchfield, among others. Still, Huse expects his new squad to come together strong as ever, led by the return of two-time All-Conference senior Mascio McCadney (6-3, Sr.), who averaged 14 points per night a season ago. McCadney is joined by fellow senior David Harris (6-4, Sr.) who came on strong in the second half of last year to average 11 ppg, while junior Jesse Keltner (6-6, Jr.) is also back after a strong first year for the Lights off the bench last winter.

Northern will, though, have a lot of new faces in the lineup this season. The aforementioned trio is joined by 6-6 sophomore T.J. Reynolds, as the only returners from last year's team, which came ever so close to qualifying as an at-large for the national tournament.

So, with just four returners, the Lights will be mixing in a ton of new talent. That group includes JoMel Boyd (6-6, Jr.), who averaged 21 ppg at Glen Oaks CC, NaKyel Shelton (6-2) a freshman from Chicago, C.J. Nelson (6-0, Jr.) a transfer from Dawson CC and Zyare Ruffin (6-5, Jr.), who put in 12 points per night at Grays Harbor CC before transferring to MSU-N. That group will join the veteran returners. To form the nucleus of Northern's team this season - a team Huse says is really coming together quickly.

"I think we have an extremely well-rounded group of guys on and off the court," Huse said. "I am very impressed with their character overall. Coming together and staying together as a team, while we battle through the trenches, will be the key. There are always the usual clear and unforeseen challenges and hurdles throughout a season for every team. This year there are obviously more. Handling them with poise, hard work, great attitudes and as a team will be the challenge. They have done a great job thus far dealing with everything like champions. I believe this group is up for it all, but only time will tell."

The group will need to be up for it, because the always tough Frontier Conference awaits. And it will be an unusual season in so many ways, with the pandemic still front and center. First, is possibly playing most games without fans, but beyond that, the league has modified the schedule to where teams will play each other on back-to-back nights, much like the old Frontier did in the 1980s and 1990s.

"The Frontier will be tough as ever and standings will change up until the final week of the season," Huse said. "Covid-19 has changed a lot of things in the world as we all know. But provided everyone gets to play the season out in some form or fashion, there's one thing that COVID won't touch - Frontier Conference Basketball parity. Everyone has strong returners and recruits. Every game should be interesting right up until the end as usual.

"I believe playing at one place and staying there to play the next night is best," Huse added. "Minimizing days off from school, travel miles, and such is much better for everyone's overall health. And provided our non-conference season has shrunk, playing each other four times is the right and best solution. I made this suggestion to league coaches months ago as I started to see how things could play out for this year, and was very happy to see that the schedule ended up that way."

It will be a unique season in the Frontier, the NAIA and at Northern. But one thing's for certain, the Lights will always be in the mix for the Frontier title. They are a flagship program, and Huse, the winningest coach in Northern history, will mold his new team into the type of team the program is used to, a team that prides itself on defense, efficiency and unselfishness on offense, and, as always, a hard-working team. That's what the Lights have always been under Huse, and that's what they'll continue to be this season.

"We want to develop and build into something great moving forward," Huse said. "I feel like our ceiling is high with our returners and newcomers, but anytime you have more of the latter than the former, there is a great deal of experience and growth that just takes time. Were at the beginning of development, it simply will take time and several tests to prove themselves. And as we know, that is still ongoing. Just as it will be with our team."

With this weekend's games in Armory Gymnasium postponed Northern travels to Rocky Mountain College to begin Frontier Conference play Dec. 5-6.