By Andrew Parente

Break out the hardwood, dust off the backboards and string up the nets. The start of Northeastern’s basketball season is upon us.

Last season, the Huskies welcomed new head coach Bill Coen from Boston College. Coen’s first season was a successful one, as the team went 9-9 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) while going 13-19 overall.

The team encountered a very challenging out-of-conference schedule last year, as they took on historically powerful teams like Syracuse and UConn. Both those teams have recently won national championships.

This season, Northeastern welcomes four new freshmen to the squad. Guards Johan Gunterberg, Allen Aragbaye, Chaisson Allen and Center Ben Felix will all wear the Husky logo for the first time. Sophomore center Nkem Ojougboh and junior forward Chris Alverez will also both be eligible to see action for the first time since transferring to NU.

Coen is excited to have the freshmen in the system and will look to them for production this year, but knows it will take time for them to grow.

“They are going to be learning on the job and there is going to be chances for them to get into the game,” Coen said. “Chase Allen and Allen Aragbaye are both terrific young guards and Johan Gunterberg is a terrific shooter. All three of those guards, I think, will be able to add something to the mix.”

Forward/center Mark Washington is the lone senior on the team this year, and he and sophomore guard/forward Matt Janning were named captains.

For Janning, being captain is still somewhat of a shock, but he is ready to take on the challenge.

“I wasn’t really expecting it at all, it was kind of a surprise to me,” he said. “But after a little while it sets in and now I know I have to step up and start taking on some responsibility.”

Janning will also have the challenge of being a marked man on the court. Last season, he was named the CAA Rookie of the Year as he led all freshmen in scoring, rebounding and minutes played, and other teams are sure to have an eye on him at all times.

“Coming back as maybe our one known quantity, I think defenses are going to key on him a little bit,” Coen said. “But I know that Matt is going to come out and compete because he’s got that toughness and grit about him that makes him a terrific player.”

The team faces a challenging start to the schedule as 10 of the first 12 games are on the road. These games include contests with Illinois, Maryland, Boston University, UConn, Boston College and Syracuse. Coen said he knows they will be facing some tough competition.

“We have a very challenging non-conference schedule and we are taking these games as a learning experience,” he said. “If we go out, compete, put a game plan in place and just try to get a little bit better each possession, then at the end of the season I think we’ll be looking to play our best basketball and that’s when it counts.”

Last season, the Huskies posted a 7-2 record at home in the CAA, and will look to continue that success when they open the home portion of the schedule against James Madison Dec. 1 at 1 p.m.

As for the immediate future, the Huskies open up the season Sunday as they take on Big Ten Conference opponent Illinois in Champaign, Ill. The game starts at 2 p.m. and is available to watch on ESPN360, which is be available on campus from every computer, and will air at afterHOURS.