Eastern Michigan Athletics
Monday, March 7
Convocation Center
7:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Toledo
Photo by: Jonathan Knight Photography
EMU Hosts Toledo in MAC Tournament First Round Game
3/6/2016 3:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball
After sweeping the season series, the Eagles attempt to take down UT for the third time
| MAC Tournament First Round: Men's Basketball vs. Toledo | |
| Date | Monday, March 7 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Venue | Ypsilanti, Mich. | Convocation Center (8,784) |
| Game Notes | EMU Game Notes | UT Game Notes |
| Live Stats | EMUEagles.com |
| Watch | ESPN 3 |
| Listen | 89.1 FM WEMU |
| @EMUHoops | @EMUAthletics | |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Capping off the regular season with an exciting 79-75 victory over the University of Toledo Friday, March 4, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team locked up home court advantage for the first round of the 2016 VisitMyrtleBeach.com Mid-American Conference Championship Men's Basketball Tournament. With the victory over Toledo, the Eagles (17-14, 9-9 MAC) finished the season tied for third in the MAC West Division with Northern Illinois University. NIU defeated Ball State University on the final day of the regular season, which setup a rematch for Eastern Michigan with Toledo Monday, March 7, at the Convocation Center. The Rockets (17-14, 8-10) have dropped two in a row against the Eagles this season, while also dropping four of its last five games, including its last three road games, all of which have taken place in the state of Michigan.
FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eastern Michigan versus Toledo matchup will have both audio and video on Monday. Fans can dial into 89.1 FM or listen over the internet at WEMU.org to hear the smooth sounds of veteran play-by-play voice, Chad Bush. Joining Bush on the call this season will be analyst Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director Sean Hostetter. Coverage on 89.1 WEMU will begin 10 minutes prior to the tip of each game this year.
Following the addition of its own brand new mobile television unit, all EMU men's and women's basketball games will be streamed live on ESPN3. Ryan Wooley will provide the play-by-play coverage for the ESPN3 broadcast, while EMU Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Greg Steiner will be alongside Wooley for analysis.
ALL-TIME VERSUS TOLEDO: Monday's MAC Tournament first round contest at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Mich. will mark the 100th all-time meeting between the two teams. Last season, the Rockets took two-of-three games between the two squads, however, EMU has come away with a pair of victories versus the Midnight Blue and Gold already this season. Eastern defeated UT at home, Feb. 20, 91-85, before heading south down US-23 to square off with Toledo at Savage Arena. EMU also took care of business in the win at Toledo, 79-75, March 4.
In the win at Toledo, Raven Lee guided the Eagles to their win with 26 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including a pair of three pointers. In addition, Lee connected on 10-of-12 from the charity stripe. Willie Mangum IV and Tim Bond each chipped in with 13 points. Bond stuffed the rest of the stat sheet with seven steals, six rebounds, five assists and a block. The Baltimore, Md. native's seven steals tied for the third-most in a single game in EMU history.
LIKELY LOOK FOR THE ROCKETS...
| # | Name | Pos. | Cl. | Ht. | Wt. | ppg | rpg | apg | Hometown-Previous School |
| 1 | Jonathan Williams | G | Jr.-Jr. | 6-3 | 180 | 17.8 | 3.0 | 2.9 | Southfield, Mich.-Lathrup |
| 3 | Stucky Mosely | G | So.-So. | 6-3 | 180 | 10.2 | 4.8 | 4.0 | Orlando, Fla.-Timber Creek |
| 13 | Jaelan Sanford | G | Fr.-Fr. | 6-4 | 195 | 8.4 | 2.0 | 1.8 | Evansville, Ind.-Reitz |
| 33 | Zach Garber | C | Jr.-Jr. | 6-10 | 240 | 6.1 | 4.9 | 0.6 | Carey, Ohio-Vanlue |
| 53 | Nathan Boothe | C | Sr.-Sr. | 6-9 | 250 | 19.4 | 9.0 | 3.5 | Gurnee, Ill.-Warren Twp. |
ROCKET SCIENTISTS: With the Eagles' 79-75 victory over Toledo Friday night, March 4, EMU was able to sweep the regular season with the Rockets for the first time since the 2010-11 season. In addition, it was the first time Head Coach Rob Murphy has led his squad to a victory inside of Savage Arena. With a victory over Toledo on Monday, EMU will win three games versus Toledo in a single season for the first time since the 1997-98 campaign when the Green and White defeated UT in back-to-back games as well.
KEEPING IT IN HOUSE: Eastern Michigan has had the luxury of finishing in the top-eight of the conference since Rob Murphy arrived as the head coach. Since taking over, Murphy has guided his team to a top-eight seed in each of the five years he's been in charge. After winning the MAC West Championship in 2012, Murphy's squad was the No. 5 seed and in 2013 the Green and White held the No. 7 seed. In 2013-14, the Eagles finished as sixth-best in the conference before claiming the No. 8 seed both last year and this season.
BOND NAMED FINAL MAC WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: For the first time in his career, EMU sophomore guard Tim Bond was named the MAC West Player of the Week after an exceptional final week of the regular season. Overall on the week, Bond averaged 15 points, six rebounds, six steals, 3.5 assists, and a block per game. In addition, the sophomore was a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe, while connecting on 52.4 percent of his field goal attempts. In addition to his week long stat line, the 6-foot-7 guard knocked down a three-pointer with just 3.5 seconds on the clock to secure a win on Senior Day, March 1, while he tied Carlos Medlock for the second-most steals in a single season when he swiped the ball from Toledo eight times, March 4.
MURPHY IN THE MAC TOURNEY: Since taking over the EMU men's basketball program, Rob Murphy has taken his squad to at least the quarterfinal round of the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament in each of the last four seasons. Overall in his five seasons at the helm, Murphy owns a 7-4 record in MAC Tournament games, while he made his way to semifinal round of the tournament during the 2013-14 season, which was the farthest an EMU team had gone in the tournament since the 1997-98 campaign. Eastern Michigan holds an all-time record of 29-30 since the MAC Tournament's inception.
TOLEDO COME TOURNAMENT TIME: Monday night's first round matchup in the MAC Tournament will be the ninth time that Eastern and Toledo have taken the court against each other in the past three seasons. The Rockets have bounced the Eagles from the tournament each of the last two seasons, but each of those games were played at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Overall in nine games in the MAC Tournament, the Green and White are just 3-6 versus Toledo.
LEE TAKES THE LEAD: As one of the most prolific scorers in Eastern Michigan history, its no surprise that Raven Lee is who the Eagles often turn to when in need of points, especially come tournament time. A year ago in the MAC Tournament, the Detroit, Mich. native averaged 20.7 points per game. In addition to his success last season in the MAC Tournament, the 6-foot-3 combo guard has proved he has Toledo's number. This year, Lee is averaging 22 points per game versus the Rockets, including a 26 point outburst Friday night at Savage Arena.
KNOCKING DOWN THE FREE ONES: When the Eagles connected on 22 free throws in their 79-75 victory over Toledo, March 4, they upped their total for the season to 588 free throw makes this year. That number ranks second in EMU history. It is six makes away from tying the all-time EMU record, while it is also just 20 free throws away from the all-time MAC single season record for free throws. The 588 makes are the currently sixth most in the NCAA this season.
KING OF THIEVES: EMU sophomore Tim Bond is leading the Eagles in steals this season with 60. That number ranks fifth on the EMU all-time single season steals list, jumping Eastern Michigan great Grant Long. Bond leads the Mid-American Conference in steals (61), while his average of 1.9 per game also ranks as the best in the MAC. Bond has recorded three-or-more steals in six games this season, while picking the opponent's pocket at least twice in 19 games. On the year, the sophomore has recorded a steal in all but two games. Versus Toledo, March 4, Bond swiped the ball on eight occasions which ties for the second most in a game in EMU history. In addition to his ability to intercept on the defensive end, the 6-foot-7 guard has become a prolific shot blocker for the Eagles. Bond averages 0.7 blocked shots per game, good for 15th in the conference, while he has two-or-more blocks in four games this year
CATCHING FIRE IN FEBRUARY: EMU's Willie Mangum IV has turned it up from downtown since the calendar flipped to the second month of the year. Beginning in the Eagles' Feb. 2 game versus Miami, the Richmond, Va. native is connecting of 40.9 percent of his three-point attempts. He has knocked down 22 triples, good for 2.2 per contest.
JOIN THE TAILGATE IN THE ATRIUM FOR SOME #MACtion: The EMU Department of Athletics invites all fans to a tailgate party inside the Convocation Center's atrium on Monday as a part of the MAC Tournament game. The party will begin at 6 p.m. and will include music, food, giveaways and a cash bar at the event.
For students, EMU will be giving away tickets to a suite for the upcoming Ellie Goulding concert at the Convocation Center. Ten lucky students will win a pair of suite tickets to the May 9 show. In addition to the concert giveaway, fans have the chance at winning the MAC Finals Package. Two fans will be selected to win a weekend trip to Cleveland for MAC Tournament finals weekend. The lucky winners will take home a two-night stay in Cleveland, March 11-12, and a pair of tickets to the MAC men's and women's semifinal and championship games at Quicken Loans Arena. Also, the fraternity and sorority with the highest number in attendance will receive a free customized E-hoodie with its Greek letters.
EMU students will be admitted free with a valid student ID. Fans can purchase green level premium seats for $12, while youth tickets will cost $7. Single-game white level reserved tickets will be $10 and youth seating will be $5. Additionally, courtside seats will be available for $50 per seat. These tickets will be available on a first come, first serve basis.
BECOMING LEGENDARY: Although he is just a freshman at Eastern Michigan, James Thompson IV has already begun what could be a legendary career at EMU. The Baton Rouge, La. native broke his teammate, Raven Lee's, freshman record of points scored by putting up 20 in the Eagles' victory over Kent State, Feb. 13. To this point, Thompson has racked up 464 points, distancing himself from Lee's former record of 380.
TALK ABOUT EFFICIENCY: EMU redshirt junior Raven Lee has been the poster boy for offensive efficiency coming off of the bench this season. The Detroit, Mich. native is averaging the second most points on the team (14.6 ppg), but is playing just 23.4 minutes per contest. The 6-foot-3 combo guard is posting a point every 96 seconds.
HEADING TO THE CHARITY STRIPE: At 816 free throw attempts, the Eagles are first in the Mid-American Conference in that category, while also ranking seventh in the nation. In addition, the Green and White is connecting on free throws at a 72.1 percent clip. That number ranks as the second best all-time in a single season at EMU. The Eagles free throw percentage has even been trending upwards since MAC play started, connecting on 75.1 percent in conference action. In addition, the Eagles have converted on 588 free throw attempts. Those makes are the second-most in a single season in EMU history.
STEALING THEIR WAY TO THE TOP: Currently, EMU has 292 steals on the season. That is just 14 shy of the all-time Eastern Michigan single season record. The Eagles current pace of 9.4 steals per game is also a school record as last season's squad posted 8.7 swipes per contest to set the EMU mark.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: EMU redshirt junior guard Raven Lee continues to make his way up the all-time Eastern Michigan men's basketball scoring chart. Heading into the 2015-16 campaign, Lee had recorded 1,010 career points. The Detroit, Mich. native has accumulated 366 points during this season, totaling 1,376 for his career. That number puts him at the No. 15 spot in all-time EMU scorers. Lee now trails Markus Austin (2001-05) for the 14th spot by 49 points.
THAT DIDN'T TAKE LONG: Head Coach Rob Murphy is in his fifth season at the helm of the Eastern Michigan men's basketball program. Since taking over prior to the 2011-12 season, Murphy has amassed 90 wins which is the fourth-most by an EMU coach. Murphy is now 37 wins shy of James D. Dutcher for the third-most in school history.
KEEPING IT IN HOUSE: Eastern Michigan has had the luxury of finishing in the top-eight of the conference since Rob Murphy arrived as the head coach. Since taking over, Murphy has guided his team to a top-eight seed in each of the five years he's been in charge. After winning the MAC West Championship in 2012, Murphy's squad was the No. 5 seed and in 2013 the Green and White held the No. 7 seed. In 2013-14, the Eagles finished as sixth-best in the conference before claiming the No. 8 seed both last year and this season.
BOND NAMED FINAL MAC WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: For the first time in his career, EMU sophomore guard Tim Bond was named the MAC West Player of the Week after an exceptional final week of the regular season. Overall on the week, Bond averaged 15 points, six rebounds, six steals, 3.5 assists, and a block per game. In addition, the sophomore was a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe, while connecting on 52.4 percent of his field goal attempts. In addition to his week long stat line, the 6-foot-7 guard knocked down a three-pointer with just 3.5 seconds on the clock to secure a win on Senior Day, March 1, while he tied Carlos Medlock for the second-most steals in a single season when he swiped the ball from Toledo eight times, March 4.
MURPHY IN THE MAC TOURNEY: Since taking over the EMU men's basketball program, Rob Murphy has taken his squad to at least the quarterfinal round of the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament in each of the last four seasons. Overall in his five seasons at the helm, Murphy owns a 7-4 record in MAC Tournament games, while he made his way to semifinal round of the tournament during the 2013-14 season, which was the farthest an EMU team had gone in the tournament since the 1997-98 campaign. Eastern Michigan holds an all-time record of 29-30 since the MAC Tournament's inception.
TOLEDO COME TOURNAMENT TIME: Monday night's first round matchup in the MAC Tournament will be the ninth time that Eastern and Toledo have taken the court against each other in the past three seasons. The Rockets have bounced the Eagles from the tournament each of the last two seasons, but each of those games were played at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Overall in nine games in the MAC Tournament, the Green and White are just 3-6 versus Toledo.
LEE TAKES THE LEAD: As one of the most prolific scorers in Eastern Michigan history, its no surprise that Raven Lee is who the Eagles often turn to when in need of points, especially come tournament time. A year ago in the MAC Tournament, the Detroit, Mich. native averaged 20.7 points per game. In addition to his success last season in the MAC Tournament, the 6-foot-3 combo guard has proved he has Toledo's number. This year, Lee is averaging 22 points per game versus the Rockets, including a 26 point outburst Friday night at Savage Arena.
KNOCKING DOWN THE FREE ONES: When the Eagles connected on 22 free throws in their 79-75 victory over Toledo, March 4, they upped their total for the season to 588 free throw makes this year. That number ranks second in EMU history. It is six makes away from tying the all-time EMU record, while it is also just 20 free throws away from the all-time MAC single season record for free throws. The 588 makes are the currently sixth most in the NCAA this season.
KING OF THIEVES: EMU sophomore Tim Bond is leading the Eagles in steals this season with 60. That number ranks fifth on the EMU all-time single season steals list, jumping Eastern Michigan great Grant Long. Bond leads the Mid-American Conference in steals (61), while his average of 1.9 per game also ranks as the best in the MAC. Bond has recorded three-or-more steals in six games this season, while picking the opponent's pocket at least twice in 19 games. On the year, the sophomore has recorded a steal in all but two games. Versus Toledo, March 4, Bond swiped the ball on eight occasions which ties for the second most in a game in EMU history. In addition to his ability to intercept on the defensive end, the 6-foot-7 guard has become a prolific shot blocker for the Eagles. Bond averages 0.7 blocked shots per game, good for 15th in the conference, while he has two-or-more blocks in four games this year
CATCHING FIRE IN FEBRUARY: EMU's Willie Mangum IV has turned it up from downtown since the calendar flipped to the second month of the year. Beginning in the Eagles' Feb. 2 game versus Miami, the Richmond, Va. native is connecting of 40.9 percent of his three-point attempts. He has knocked down 22 triples, good for 2.2 per contest.
JOIN THE TAILGATE IN THE ATRIUM FOR SOME #MACtion: The EMU Department of Athletics invites all fans to a tailgate party inside the Convocation Center's atrium on Monday as a part of the MAC Tournament game. The party will begin at 6 p.m. and will include music, food, giveaways and a cash bar at the event.
For students, EMU will be giving away tickets to a suite for the upcoming Ellie Goulding concert at the Convocation Center. Ten lucky students will win a pair of suite tickets to the May 9 show. In addition to the concert giveaway, fans have the chance at winning the MAC Finals Package. Two fans will be selected to win a weekend trip to Cleveland for MAC Tournament finals weekend. The lucky winners will take home a two-night stay in Cleveland, March 11-12, and a pair of tickets to the MAC men's and women's semifinal and championship games at Quicken Loans Arena. Also, the fraternity and sorority with the highest number in attendance will receive a free customized E-hoodie with its Greek letters.
EMU students will be admitted free with a valid student ID. Fans can purchase green level premium seats for $12, while youth tickets will cost $7. Single-game white level reserved tickets will be $10 and youth seating will be $5. Additionally, courtside seats will be available for $50 per seat. These tickets will be available on a first come, first serve basis.
BECOMING LEGENDARY: Although he is just a freshman at Eastern Michigan, James Thompson IV has already begun what could be a legendary career at EMU. The Baton Rouge, La. native broke his teammate, Raven Lee's, freshman record of points scored by putting up 20 in the Eagles' victory over Kent State, Feb. 13. To this point, Thompson has racked up 464 points, distancing himself from Lee's former record of 380.
TALK ABOUT EFFICIENCY: EMU redshirt junior Raven Lee has been the poster boy for offensive efficiency coming off of the bench this season. The Detroit, Mich. native is averaging the second most points on the team (14.6 ppg), but is playing just 23.4 minutes per contest. The 6-foot-3 combo guard is posting a point every 96 seconds.
HEADING TO THE CHARITY STRIPE: At 816 free throw attempts, the Eagles are first in the Mid-American Conference in that category, while also ranking seventh in the nation. In addition, the Green and White is connecting on free throws at a 72.1 percent clip. That number ranks as the second best all-time in a single season at EMU. The Eagles free throw percentage has even been trending upwards since MAC play started, connecting on 75.1 percent in conference action. In addition, the Eagles have converted on 588 free throw attempts. Those makes are the second-most in a single season in EMU history.
STEALING THEIR WAY TO THE TOP: Currently, EMU has 292 steals on the season. That is just 14 shy of the all-time Eastern Michigan single season record. The Eagles current pace of 9.4 steals per game is also a school record as last season's squad posted 8.7 swipes per contest to set the EMU mark.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: EMU redshirt junior guard Raven Lee continues to make his way up the all-time Eastern Michigan men's basketball scoring chart. Heading into the 2015-16 campaign, Lee had recorded 1,010 career points. The Detroit, Mich. native has accumulated 366 points during this season, totaling 1,376 for his career. That number puts him at the No. 15 spot in all-time EMU scorers. Lee now trails Markus Austin (2001-05) for the 14th spot by 49 points.
THAT DIDN'T TAKE LONG: Head Coach Rob Murphy is in his fifth season at the helm of the Eastern Michigan men's basketball program. Since taking over prior to the 2011-12 season, Murphy has amassed 90 wins which is the fourth-most by an EMU coach. Murphy is now 37 wins shy of James D. Dutcher for the third-most in school history.
ALL-TIME COACHING RECORDS
| Rank | Coach | Years | Wins/yr. | Record |
| 1. | Ben Braun | 1986-96 | 16.8/yr | 185-132 (.570) |
| 2. | Elton J. Rynearson | 1917-21; 1925-32 1935-40; 1944-46 | 8.8/yr | 160-129 (.554) |
| 3. | James D. Dutcher | 1966-72 | 21.2/yr | 127-49 (.770) |
| 4. | Rob Murphy | 2011-Present | 18.3/yr (Four-year total) | 90-77 (.533) |
| 5. | Jim Boyce | 1979-86 | 14/yr | 84-96 (.467) |
THE DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: A season ago, senior Brandon Nazione averaged just 3.6 points per game, while pulling down just 3.5 rebounds per contest. In addition, the Howell, Mich. native converted shots at a 39.6 percent clip. EMU was not even half way through the 2015-16 season before Nazione recorded more field goal makes than a year ago. In addition, he is hitting shots at a 55.3 percent clip, while averaging nearly three times as many points per game (9.9) and twice as many rebounds per contest (6.3).
THEIVES GUILD: The Eagles not only lead the Mid-American Conference in steals per game (9.4), but the Green and White is fourth in the NCAA in that category, while also ranking fourth in total steals (281).
TIC-TAC-TURNOVER: Although Eastern Michigan averages 13.1 turnovers per game, which ranks 209th in the country, EMU is 14th in the nation in turnover margin at a +3.3 difference. The Green and White force the opposition into 16.4 turnovers per contest which ranks as the 10th-most of any defense in the country.
ONE OF THE BEST IN THE MAC: EMU's Raven Lee has made his stamp not only in the Eastern Michigan history books, but he has one of the best careers of any active player in the Mid-American Conference. Currently, the Detroit, Mich. native is third in scoring (1,347 pts) by any active player in the conference. Just Central Michigan's Chris Fowler (1,687) and Toledo's Nathan Boothe (1,452) rank ahead of Eastern's redshirt junior.
BEST OFFENSE IN THE MAC: Since beginning Mid-American Conference play, the EMU offense has been at the top of the conference in points per game (78.4). In addition, the Eagles are connecting on 75.4 percent of their free throws which is third best in the conference. A large part of the Green and White's offensive success in MAC games has a lot to do with the Eagles' scoring trio of Raven Lee (14.6 ppg), James Thompson IV (15.5 ppg) and Ty Toney (12.4 ppg), each of which ranks in the top-20 in the conference. In addition, that trio has shot a combined 76.8 percent (225-of-293) from the free throw line since beginning conference action.
A LOOK AHEAD: Following the Friday night contest with Toledo, March 4, the Eagles head into the first round of the 2016 Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament. With a victory over Toledo on Friday, the Green and White will host either Toledo, Miami or Western Michigan. With a loss, the Eagles will play their first game of the tournament on the road and will head to either Northern Illinois or Toledo.
Players Mentioned
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