Northern Illinois Huskies MBB 2026-27 Preview

Transitioning to a new conference can be challenging for a program as it begins to adjust to new teams, players and coaches from around the league. For Northern Illinois University, it’s more than just a leap to another conference within the NCAA — it’s a culture change.

A new coach, an overhauled roster and a new conference affiliation outside of the Mid-American Conference headline the start of NIU men’s basketball’s 2026-27 season. 

Although NIU was a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference during the 1994-95 season, the Horizon League has changed drastically since its inception in 2001. The Huskies return to the league under a different name, with new teams making up the conference landscape.

To help lead the transition, first-time Division I head coach Matt Majkrzak joined the program March 17 with the departure of former head coach Rashon Burno. Majkrzak is the program’s 30th head coach, and takes over with the task of improving upon last season’s record. The Huskies finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 9-21 overall record and went 4-14 in MAC play.

Majkrak also brings an entirely new roster to Dekalb, Illinois, along with a support staff that includes John-Michael Huges, Jacob Kurtz, Sean Smith, Charlie Wallrapp and Devin Whitelow.

Any new job brings challenges and a learning curve. For Majkrzak, adjusting to the Division I landscape and building a team from scratch was not easy, but it’s been an exciting process to say the least.

“Everyone always says getting a new job is crazy and coming into a new environment. A new league in the portal era, where we have no returning players, you can imagine how nuts it’s been. It’s going to be a great chapter in a book someday,” Majkrzak said. “That’s probably been the most fun part is — every day is kind of a new day.”

Majkrzak spent seven seasons at the helm of DII Northern Michigan University, where he compiled a 136-73 overall record. In his final season, Majkrzak led the Wildcats to one of their most successful finishes in program history with a record of 28-7 — the most wins in school history.

During his tenure with the Wildcats, he produced one of the most efficient offenses at the DII level. Last season the offense produced 82.1 points per game, and was the second-highest scoring team in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference behind Lake Superior State University’s 85.5 ppg.

Nationally, Northern Michigan ranked second amongst DII opponents in assist-to-turnover ratio with 1.86 and No. 1 in rebounding margin with plus-11.1. From three-point range, the Wildcats were 11th amongst all programs as the team shot around 40% on the season.

For NIU, the team averaged 69.5 points per game during the 2025-26 season, with just two players — Makhai Valentine and Dylan Ducommun — averaging in double figures. With the Huskies returning none of their players from last season’s roster, Majkrzak plans to implement his offensive system that created success at the DII level at Northern Michigan and translate it to DI competition.

Majkrzak said the gameplan is simple — spread the floor, create separation and, most importantly, move the ball.

“We’re going to move the ball and we’re going to move bodies a lot. I can’t guarantee it’s going to be efficient — I hope it is — that’s what we kind of built on was being a really efficient offense,” Majkrzak said. “What I can guarantee is we’re going to move our bodies and cut a lot, move the ball a lot — it won’t be sticky. It’s the right way to play basketball.”

Majkrzak said the transition from Division II to Division I is one of the biggest adjustments for himself, the staff and the roster heading into the 2026-27 season. After having several conversations with coaches around the league and close friends, Majkrzak said the best piece of advice he received was, “Bring as many people.”

“It’s been huge, everybody I talked to who’d made the jump from DII to DI, they kept saying, ‘However many you think that you should bring with you, bring more.’ If anyone calls me next year, bring even more because it’s been huge having those four guys,” Majkrzak said.

With no returning players, NIU is starting fresh and will rely on its veteran-heavy core. The Huskies have five true seniors and two others with a fifth year of eligibility.

In total, four players followed Majkrzak from Northern Michigan to Northern Illinois — senior Cal Klesmit, junior Bennett Basich and sophomores Trevor Polite and Keller Hanson. All four made substantial contributions as members of the Wildcats; now those players have an opportunity to translate that talent to a higher division within the college landscape.

Fifth-year senior Max Weisbrod was a former member of Northern Michigan for two seasons before transferring to the University of Northern Iowa for the 2024-25 season, and now gets to reunite with Majkrzak at Northern Illinois.

The roster is also shaped by one player with FBS experience in David Douglas Jr., who transferred from Fresno State University.  

From a team-budling standpoint, Majkrzak said he’s curious how well the players can translate some of the talent from DII to DI and watch them grow as the season progresses.

“I hope that everything we do and every DII player translates to DI effortlessly and we go on and win the league and are awesome. But I know that’s not going to happen and it’s not going to be that smooth,” Majkrzak said. “Just kind of learning, not just our guys, but we brought some other DII guys with [us].”

At Horizon League Media Day on Sept. 29 in Noblesville, Indiana, Majkrzak was already walking around scouting teams and looking at the size and physically of the other teams within the league. He said it will take different coverages and approaches to defend against taller players, especially with only three players on the roster listed at 6-foot-8.

“Walking around and looking at guys, we’re going to be the first team to post triple because our guys are going to have to grab a leg, another one’s going to grab a leg, and then we’re going to jump off those two and try to block the shot because we don’t have the size that some of these guys have,” Majkrzak said.

Northern Illinois officially begins its season against Grambling State University on Nov. 2 in the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The team opens its home slate Nov. 11 against Clarke University at the Convocation Center in DeKalb, Illinois.

For Horizon League play, the Huskies begin their introduction to league play with a tilt against the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay on Dec. 3 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Incoming Players

Nino Carter-Smith, 6-1, Guard, Detroit, Michigan, Lake Superior State

Carter-Smith joins the Huskies after a three-season stint at Division II Lake Superior State. He made a substantial leap as he started in 31 games for the Lakers last season. Throughout those games he averaged 11 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Carter-Smith was also efficient from the field, as he was 133-of-283 for 47%. He also spread the love around throughout his career, finishing with 269 total assists as a member of the Lakers.

Uzziah Buntyn, 6-1, Guard, Round Rock, Texas, South Dakota

Buntyn adds Division I experience to NIU, as he spent one season at the University of South Dakota. With the Coyotes, Buntyn averaged 12.1 points, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game over 23 games. Within the Summit League he averaged 14 points per game during conference play, which ranked 12th amongst players throughout league competition. At Stony Point High School, Buntyn helped lead the team to a state championship runner-up finish as a junior in 2024.

Colin Hardrick, 6-3, Guard, Milwaukee, WI, Drury

After spending four seasons at the DII level as a member of Drury University, Hardrick made his transition to Division I competition this year. During the 2025-26 season for the Panthers, it was a breakout year as he averaged 15.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game throughout 31 contests. Hardrick accumulated several accolades throughout his career, such as a Second Team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference nod and GLVC All-Freshman Team honors; he was also a two-time member of the GLVC All-Defensive Team.

Tolu Samuels, 6-8, Forward, Chicago, Illinois, Southern Indiana

As a senior, Samuels joins NIU after one season at the University of Southern Indiana. In total, he played in 29 games for the Screaming Eagles, starting in 26 of those contests. In that time frame, Samuels averaged 7.1 points and a team-best 8.6 rebounds per game. He also led the Ohio Valley Conference in rebounding last season. Samuels also played at Triton College where he was solid offensively, as he accumulated 9.9 points per game in 2024-25 and 7.1 ppg during the 23-24 season.

Cal Klesmit, 6-2, Guard, Neenah, Wisconsin, Northern Michigan

A former Wildcat, Klesmit joins his former coach at NIU. He played in 35 games in 2025-26 for the Wildcats, averaging 12.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. In the paint, Klesmit went to work as he shot an efficient 43.3% on 312 total shots. With the Huskies looking for a sharp-shooter, Klesmit was crucial to Northern Michigan’s three-point efficiency with a 41.8% clip from deep. He was also named to Earned First Team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors.

Mykolas Ivanauskas, 6-8, Forward, Chicago, Illinois, Mercyhurst

Ivanauskas travels from Erie, Pennsylvania, after spending two seasons at Mercyhurst University. He joins the Huskies with a total of 59 games under his belt. In the 2025-26 season, Ivanauskas averaged 7.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game with 23 starts.  The Lakers also reached the 2026 NEC Tournament Final, where he added DI playoff experience to NIU.

Max Weisbrod, 6-4, Guard, DeFrost, Wisconsin, Northern Iowa

Weisbrod adds size at the guard position for NIU as he comes to DeKalb following two seasons at the University of Northern Iowa. Over that span, he averaged 6.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game over 32 contests in 2025-26 to go along with 29 starts. Shot efficiency was crucial as Weisbrod shot 38.3 percent from the three-point line and 84% from the free-throw line. He also has ties to Northern Michigan, where he spent two seasons and was named to several conference teams such as the First Team All-GLIAC, D2CAA All-Midwest Region First Team, NABC First Team All-Region, GLIAC All-Tournament Team and Second Team All-GLIAC, and was also GLIAC Freshman of the Year in 2023.

Bennett Basich, 6-4, Guard, Hartland, Wisconsin, Northern Michigan

Basich is another player who followed his former head coach from Northern Michigan. He played in 30 games and averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in 2025-26. His three-point effect will also help the team on the wings as he ignited for 42.2 percent from three-point range.

Jack Daugherty, 6-8, Forward, Brookfield, Wisconsin, Illinois State

Daugherty adds experience at the Division I level after two seasons at Illinois State University. Though he only made two starts for the Redbirds in 2025-26, he averaged 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. Daugherty’s freshman year was his best season, as he played in 33 games with a 6.3 point average in 2024-25. 

Trevor Polite, 6-6, Guard/Forward, Mequon, Wisconsin, Northern Michigan

As a combo guard and forward, Polite travels to NIU from Northern Michigan. For the Wildcats, he averaged 3.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game under Majkrzak. From the field, Polite was solid as he shot 59% with a total of 46 makes.

Keller Hanson, 6-6, Guard, Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, Northern Michigan

Hanson is the final transfer from Northern Michigan, appearing in only five games for the Wildcats. Although he scored just 13 points and four rebounds, he looks to build on his freshman campaign as a sophomore at NIU. With a 6-foot-6 frame, he will be utilized as a key piece to help defend the perimeter.

David Douglas Jr., 6-5, Guard, Park Forest, Illinois, Fresno State

Douglas Jr. is the lone FBS transfer for NIU. Over two seasons at Fresno State University he appeared in 18 games in 2025-26, averaging 7.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game, and in 2024-25 he only averaged 6.3 points per game. However, Douglas Jr. is no stranger to the Horizon League as he spent his freshman year with Green Bay in 2023-24, where he was named Horizon League Freshman of the Year.

Brayden Gross, 6-7, Forward, Louisville, OH, Walsh

Gross is another Division II transfer who looks to make the switch from DII to DI as he spent just one season at Walsh University. As a freshman, he made an instant impact with starts in all 25 games, where he averaged 12.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Gross was also named Great Midwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and named to the All-G-MAC First Team.

Akiva McBirney-Griffin, 6-9, Forward, Hamilton, New Zealand, UC Irvine

McBirney-Griffin had a long-five year career at the University of California, Irvine. He departed the west coast to join the Huskies after 16 starts, where he averaged 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in 2025-26.  McBirney-Griffin also has a Big West regular season championship and an NIT appearance on his resume.

Izaya Larthridge. 6-6, Guard,Grand Rapids, MI, Catholic Central

Larthridge arrived for the first time on a college campus from Catholic Central High School and missed his entire senior season in 2025-26 due to injury. Larthridge’s junior year stats were his career best at 16.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

Nathan Ramus, 6-2, Guard, Appleton, Wisconsin, Appleton North

Ramus also arrives at NIU as a true freshman, as he blossomed in his senior year at Appleton North High School. He averaged 12 points and 4.8 assists per game and was an honorable mention on the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division I All-State recognition.

Projected Starting Roster

Colin Hardrick

David Douglas Jr.

Cal Klesmit

Tolu Samuels

Akiva McBirney-Griffin