Patton: Problems a 'strange, puzzling dilemma'

As I wrote in my game recap from Saturday's Northern Illinois loss to Ball State, the consistent formula of having one player show up and the rest seemingly leave their skill set in the locker room has played a major role in NIU's eight-game losing streak. (Poor defense and a constant failure to make plays in key situations are running a close second and third in helping NIU lose eight in a row.)

During this morning's MAC teleconference, Patton was asked why that has been such a consistent problem while the Huskies have fallen from 4-0 in the MAC to 4-8.

"I'm not sure," Patton said. "Obviously if we can identify what's causing some guys to show up on some nights and not on others, we certainly will try to correct that. It's a strange, puzzling dilemma that we find ourselves in. So we've just got to keep plugging away.

"The one thing that should be a constant, even when we're not taking shots, is our defense. We got away from playing defense as well as we had been. I'm convinced that if we approach the game from a defensive standpoint and not let our offense be the focus, the offense will take care of itself."

Patton was then asked about the pressure on him as NIU will try and end the streak at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Western Michigan (13-12, 5-7 MAC).

"Coaches certainly put pressure on themselves to get back to winning, particularly when you've tasted success," Patton said. "We started out strong, so we know that it's there. We know the potential is there and so it's just a matter of finding a way to approach the games a little bit differently and getting back to some of the fundamentals."