Northeastern men's basketball probably wishes it could have a do-over from last season.

Struck by injuries on injuries, transfers without NCAA clearance and a litany of other issues, the Huskies - usually competitive in the Colonial Athletic Association - slumped quickly and stayed there, as the program had one of its worst seasons in decades.

All eyes ahead to 2022-23 - the @CAABasketball slate is here!

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— Northeastern Men’s Basketball (@GoNUmbasketball) August 16, 2022

With an old pro on the sidelines, plus some returning flavor, Northeastern shouldn't be staying in the CAA basement for much longer. The bigger question is if that rise back up to the league's upper echelon is going to happen right away or take more time.

What is there to look out for with Northeastern men's basketball this season? 

Below is a look into what the Huskies will bring to the table for the 2022-2023 season, as FloHoops previews every men's basketball team in the CAA.

2021 Season Review

Northeastern coach Bill Coen has had one of the most consistent programs in the CAA since taking over for the 2006-2007 season, but last year, the wheels just simply fell off. 

The Huskies finished with less than double-digit wins for the first time since 2002, and a brutal 0-11 start to conference play left them in a hole they couldn't get out of, eventually resigning them to a last-place regular-season finish and an exit from the CAA Tournament with a quarterfinal loss to top-seeded Towson. 

Injuries wrecked the roster, as only the team's best player from last year, then-sophomore Jahmyl Telfort (12.6 points per game), and role-playing big man Jason Strong played in all 31 games. Coen's slower-paced style that tends to value high-percentage looks and efficiency was anything but that a year ago. 

The two league wins were the program's fewest in their CAA era and the lowest number since Northeastern's days in the then-North Atlantic Conference (now America East) during the 1995-1996 season, but there is a bit of a silver lining for Northeastern fans: the 2013-2014 campaign was the last time the program finished with less than 12 wins, and the next year, the Huskies found themselves CAA Tournament champions and were a possession away from upsetting eventual Elite Eight team Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Additionally, Coen, the program's all-time wins leader and who has made it to the Big Dance with the school twice, is a seasoned pro who has just about seen it all.

On The Court

Coen's mantra on the court is rather simple: take it slow, value possession of the ball, find good shots. 

In years everything is firing on all cylinders, such as his 2019 NCAA Tournament team that finished fifth in the country in effective field goal percentage (56.5%), Northeastern is a buzzsaw of a team no one likes to see on their schedule come March. 

In seasons where there are more difficulties, like the last one, offense grinds to a halt. The Huskies averaged just 64.3 points a night a year ago, and any hole Northeastern finds itself in during a given game suddenly becomes that much harder to escape from. 

Day 1⃣ | #HowlinHuskies pic.twitter.com/WBeMm1VmGP

— Northeastern Men’s Basketball (@GoNUmbasketball) September 26, 2022

Coen has switched over the past few seasons to a style of offense that has a love of shooting the 3-pointer, as well, with at least 40% of the Huskies' shots being triples in every season since the 2015-2016 season. 

When those shots miss, the Huskies tend to be strong rebounders, and when they don't have the ball, shooting fouls stay fairly low and opponents often have trouble getting to the foul line against them. 

Still, neither Northeastern's interior (51.9% 2-point percentage allowed) nor its exterior defense (34.3% 3-point percentage allowed) was particularly great last season, leaving there to be some opportunity to improve for the Huskies this time around.

Key Returner

Jahmyl Telfort, G, Jr., Boucherville, Quebec, Canada

The Canadian was a consistent piece in what was an inconsistent Northeastern starting lineup last season, and he evolved his role from being a highly regarded bench piece his freshman year (when he won the CAA's Sixth Man of the Year award) to a 28-game starter who bumped up his averages in numerous statistical categories. 

Never particularly prone to the scoring outburst - he's only scored over 25 points once in 49 career games - Telfort is instead a dependable double-figure scorer and a taller body for his position at 6-foot-7, which makes him a matchup nightmare for smaller guards, as Coen tends to play big, with every player on the roster standing between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-9. 

However, one major dip Telfort did have was in deep-range shooting, seeing a significant drop in 3-point percentage from 36.6% to 24.8% from his freshman to sophomore seasons, while his distribution (1.7 assists compared to 2.5 turnovers per game in his career) also could see some additional improvement. 

If Telfort can correct that while also rediscovering his affinity for the long ball, it'll fit right into what Coen wants out of his offense, with limited possessions and a major focus on efficiency in each trip down the floor. It'll also make the Huskies a much better team.

Key Addition

Joe Pridgen, G, R-Jr., Winchendon, Massachusetts 

This year actually is Pridgen's second with the Huskies, but because Northeastern is the second school he's transferred to - he started his college career at Holy Cross, before a one-year stint at UNC Wilmington - he was denied a transfer waiver to play by the NCAA last season. 

His Northeastern debut has been highly anticipated, and the Huskies should finally see him in uniform very, very soon. 

Pridgen was the Patriot League Rookie of the Year three seasons ago. While with the Crusaders, he averaged 17.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per night, then emerged as a key contributor for the Seahawks across 14 games played during his lone year in Wilmington, following 12.1 points, 8.2 boards and a 55.8% rate from the field. 

As Northeastern had a relatively poor 32 rebounds per night as a team last season, getting Pridgen in the mix of missed shots as a big guard (6-foot-5) should add a new dimension and bite to the Huskies they were missing for large portions of last season. 

The question is his usage. Will Pridgen at Northeastern see a more ball-dominant role like he had at Holy Cross (24.8% of team's shots taken when on the floor) or more of an accessory position like he had at UNCW (17.3% of shots)? 

Considering Telfort emerged as the main man for the Huskies last year, finding time, space and sets for both stars to coexist will be a challenge for the Northeastern coaching staff entering this season.

Game To Watch: Northeastern Vs. Charleston, Jan. 21

It's the CAA's slowest- and fastest-paced offenses from last year duking it out. Something's got to give, right? 

Charleston swept the regular-season series when the two teams met twice last year, but between two leaders in Coen and Cougars coach Pat Kelsey, who know how to take mid-major programs to the NCAA Tournament (Kelsey won three Big South Tournament titles with Winthrop before arriving in Charleston), it'll be a showcase in how drastically different strategies and styles can still lead to success in the college game, providing something for every flavor of basketball fan. 

Australian guard Reyne Smith (12.1 points in 2021-22) emerged for C of C as one of the CAA's top freshmen last season, and Kelsey's love of the non-D-I college transfer has nabbed him a signature from grad transfer guard Jaylon Scott, who was an NAIA National Player of the Year finalist last year during his final season at Bethel College in Kansas. 

Charleston's two victories over the Huskies was a bit of change of pace, as Northeastern had won four straight over the Cougars entering the season, including squaring off in multiple one-possession games. 

With Northeastern likely aiming for much higher than last place in the conference for the season ahead, it'll look to see if it can restart a streak over an old foe again and get a win in what'll be the middle of the CAA schedule.