1981–82 Northern Illinois Huskies men's basketball team

1981–82 Northern Illinois Huskies men's basketball
MAC tournament champions
NCAA tournament, first round
ConferenceMid American Conference
Record16–14 (9–7 MAC)
Head coach
Home arenaChick Evans Field House
1981–82 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Ball State 12 4   .750 17 11   .607
Bowling Green 10 6   .625 18 11   .621
9 7   .563 16 14   .533
Eastern Michigan 8 8   .500 15 12   .556
Western Michigan 8 8   .500 15 14   .517
Ohio 8 8   .500 13 14   .481
Miami 8 8   .500 11 16   .407
Toledo 7 9   .438 15 11   .577
Kent State 6 10   .375 10 16   .385
Central Michigan 4 12   .250 10 16   .385
1982 MAC tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1981–82 Northern Illinois Huskies men's basketball team represented Northern Illinois University during the college basketball season of 1981–82. The team, led by head coach John McDougal, were members of the Mid American Conference (MAC) and played their homes game at the Chick Evans Field House. They finished the season 16–14, 9–7 in MAC play, to finish third in the regular season standings. The Huskies won the MAC tournament to receive an automatic bid to the 1982 NCAA tournament – the first tournament appearance in school history.

Roster

1981–82 Northern Illinois Huskies men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown
C 40 Allen Rayhorn 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 202 lb (92 kg) Sr Rockford, Illinois
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on

    [1]

    Schedule and results

    Date
    time, TV
    Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
    city, state
    Regular season
    Nov 28, 1981*
    at No. 9 Iowa L 66–84 [2]  0–1
    Iowa Field House 
    Iowa City, Iowa
    Dec 12, 1981*
    at Notre Dame W 70–65  2–4
    Joyce Center 
    Notre Dame, Indiana
    Dec 30, 1981*
    vs. No. 8 DePaul L 46–55  3–6
     
     
    MAC Tournament
    Mar 1, 1982*
    Ohio
    Quarterfinals
    W 70–68  14–13
    Chick Evans Fieldhouse 
    Dekalb, Illinois
    Mar 2, 1982*
    vs. Bowling Green State
    Semifinals
    W 67–66  15–13
    Crisler Arena 
    Ann Arbor, Michigan
    Mar 3, 1982*
    vs. Ball State
    Championship game
    W 79–75  16–13
    Crisler Arena 
    Ann Arbor, Michigan
    NCAA Tournament
    Mar 12, 1982*
    (12 MW) vs. (5 MW) Kansas State
    First round
    L 68–77[3]  16–14
    Reunion Arena 
    Dallas, Texas
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    MW=Midwest.

    [4][5]

    References

    1. ^ "1981-82 Men's Basketball Roster". Northern Illinois University Athletics. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
    2. ^ "Frosh lead Iowa cagers past Huskies" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. November 30, 1981. p. 14. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
    3. ^ "Boston College Defeats San Francisco". The New York Times. March 13, 1982. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
    4. ^ "2020-21 Northern Illinois Men's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). Northern Illinois University Athletics. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
    5. ^ "1981-82 Men's Basketball Schedule". Northern Illinois University Athletics. Retrieved April 30, 2023.