Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, December 9
Convocation Center
2 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Central State
EMU Hoops Wraps Up Home Stand with Central State Saturday
12/7/2017 6:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eastern looks to improve to 6-0 at home this season
| Men's Basketball vs Central State | |
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 9 | 2 p.m. |
| Venue | Ypsilanti, Mich. | Convocation Center (8,754) |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes |
| Live Stats | Fan Stats | Media Stats |
| Watch | ESPN3 |
| Listen | WEMU (89.1 FM) | TuneIn Radio |
| @EMUHoops | @EMUAthletics | |
| Tickets | Order Tickets Online |
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team completes its modest two-game home stand by welcoming NCAA Division II opponent Central State to the Convocation Center Saturday, Dec. 9 for a 2 p.m. matchup.
Central State is the Alma Mater of Eastern head coach Rob Murphy, who played for the Marauders from 1993-96. The Marauders are a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Fans can catch Saturday's game on ESPN3 with Ryan Wooley providing play-by-play and Greg Steiner serving as the analyst. The game can also be heard on WEMU 89.1 with Chad Bush on the play-by-play and Kyler Ludlow as analyst.
LAST TIME OUT: Eastern rode outstanding individual efforts from junior James Thompson IV and redshirt juniors Paul Jackson and Elijah Minnie to an impressive 95-89 victory over local rival Oakland University Wednesday night, Dec. 6 at the Convocation Center.
Fans can catch Saturday's game on ESPN3 with Ryan Wooley providing play-by-play and Greg Steiner serving as the analyst. The game can also be heard on WEMU 89.1 with Chad Bush on the play-by-play and Kyler Ludlow as analyst.
LAST TIME OUT: Eastern rode outstanding individual efforts from junior James Thompson IV and redshirt juniors Paul Jackson and Elijah Minnie to an impressive 95-89 victory over local rival Oakland University Wednesday night, Dec. 6 at the Convocation Center.
The trio each scored 24 points in the game, with Thompson and Minnie also registering double-doubles. Perhaps even more notable, Thompson was a perfect 11-for-11 from the floor and has made 15 straight dating back to the North Florida game, Nov. 29. The Baton Rouge, La. native now has seven double-doubles in eight games, while Minnie registered his second of the season.
Joining the trio in double-digit scoring was senior Tim Bond, who finished the game with 12 points. The Baltimore, Md. native also notched four assists while adding three steals to his Mid-American Conference best total.
YOU DON'T SEE THAT EVERY DAY: With three Eagles (Jackson, Minnie, and Thompson) scoring 24 points against Oakland, Dec. 6, it marked the first time since 1985 that Eastern had three players score 20-or-more points in a single game against a Division I opponent.
Jan. 30, 1985 saw Eastern travel to Toledo and come away with an 84-78 victory. In that game, Percy Cooper, Vince Giles, and Fred Cofield scored 26, 22, and 20 points, respectively.
AMONG THE LEADING LEADERS: Eastern Michigan leads the Mid-American Conference in steals per game (10.5), blocked shots (6.0), and rebound margin (+4.1). The Eagles' steals per game mark is also good for seventh in the country.
On the individual side, James Thompson IV leads the MAC in four categories (defensive rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game, total rebounds per game, and shooting percentage), and Tim Bond leads in one (steals).
RARE AIR: Junior center James Thompson IV is among the upper-echelon of big men in all of college basketball. Not only does he rank third in the country in rebounds per game (12.3), he's also third in double-doubles (7), and is 15th in field goal percentage (66.7 percent).
The Baton Rouge, La. native is the national leader in rebound average for a career (11.1 rebounds per game), and is fifth in NCAA Division I in career rebounds (808), trailing four seniors.
Thompson is also one of just eight players in the country averaging over 16 points per game, 10 rebounds per game, and owns a shooting percentage above 60 percent. The others are Deandre Ayton (Arizona), Marvin Bagley (Duke), Devontae Cacok (UNC-Wilmington), Chris Cokley (UAB), Jessie Govan (Georgetown), Brandon McCoy (UNLV), and Jordan Murphy (Minnesota). In addition, just four of those players (Murphy, Cacok, Govan, and Thompson) are averaging more than 12 rebounds.
I'LL TAKE THAT: After leading the Mid-American Conference in steals per game (9.6) last year, Eastern has continued that trend, currently averaging a conference-high 10.5 steals per game through its first eight contests. Led by Tim Bond's 3.1 steals per game, the Eagles have three players ranked within the conference's top-5 in average steals per game, totaling 84 thefts thus far.
ALL-TIME VS CENTRAL STATE: Saturday marks the sixth time in program history that Eastern Michigan has played Central State, last taking on the Marauders Jan. 29, 1972. The Eagles have won two straight in the series, winning the most recent match-up (45 years ago!) 109-86.
EMU head coach Rob Murphy played for CSU from 1993-96, earning the team's Defensive Player of the Year honors during his senior season.
SLICE AND DICE: Redshirt junior Paul Jackson has upped his scoring to another level of late, turning in 16 points per game during the four-game stretch of the Hoosier Tip-off Classic. The point guard upped his average to 16.3 on the season thanks to a career-best outpouring of 24 points against Oakland, Dec. 6. Jackson has done most of his scoring off the dribble-drive, shooting 45 percent from the floor. The Stone Mountain, Ga. native has also averaged four assists, two steals, and two rebounds per game.
MINNIE STAYS HOT: With his 24-point performance against Oakland Dec. 6, redshirt junior Elijah Minnie has scored 20-or-more points in five of the Eagles' first eight games.
The redshirt junior scored 22 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out three assists, had three blocks, and swiped three steals in his EMU debut against Spring Arbor, and has averaged 17.9 points per game since. The 22 points were the most scored in a debut-game since Willie Mangum IV scored 18 in 2015, and the 49 combined points is the most by a new player in the modern statistical era (1998-present).
The Pittsburgh, Pa. native also put on a show at Indiana, Nov. 24, scoring 20 points and burying a career-high five triples in the EMU loss. Minnie was named to the Hoosier Tip-off Classic All-Tournament team, averaging 13 points, six rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal per game. He also logged his first double-double of the season against North Florida, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 boards.
MURPHY VERSUS NON-DI OPPONENTS: Continuing his success against non-NCAA Division I opponents, EMU Head Men's Basketball Coach Rob Murphy has led the Eagles to an unbeaten 20-0 record in both exhibition and regular season games.
ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan hits the road for its longest remaining road trip of the season, traveling west to California to take on Long Beach State, Saturday, Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. PT.
The Eagles then complete their home-and-home with Oakland, Dec. 22, and travel to Syracuse to finish the road swing, Dec. 27.
Joining the trio in double-digit scoring was senior Tim Bond, who finished the game with 12 points. The Baltimore, Md. native also notched four assists while adding three steals to his Mid-American Conference best total.
YOU DON'T SEE THAT EVERY DAY: With three Eagles (Jackson, Minnie, and Thompson) scoring 24 points against Oakland, Dec. 6, it marked the first time since 1985 that Eastern had three players score 20-or-more points in a single game against a Division I opponent.
Jan. 30, 1985 saw Eastern travel to Toledo and come away with an 84-78 victory. In that game, Percy Cooper, Vince Giles, and Fred Cofield scored 26, 22, and 20 points, respectively.
AMONG THE LEADING LEADERS: Eastern Michigan leads the Mid-American Conference in steals per game (10.5), blocked shots (6.0), and rebound margin (+4.1). The Eagles' steals per game mark is also good for seventh in the country.
On the individual side, James Thompson IV leads the MAC in four categories (defensive rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game, total rebounds per game, and shooting percentage), and Tim Bond leads in one (steals).
RARE AIR: Junior center James Thompson IV is among the upper-echelon of big men in all of college basketball. Not only does he rank third in the country in rebounds per game (12.3), he's also third in double-doubles (7), and is 15th in field goal percentage (66.7 percent).
The Baton Rouge, La. native is the national leader in rebound average for a career (11.1 rebounds per game), and is fifth in NCAA Division I in career rebounds (808), trailing four seniors.
Thompson is also one of just eight players in the country averaging over 16 points per game, 10 rebounds per game, and owns a shooting percentage above 60 percent. The others are Deandre Ayton (Arizona), Marvin Bagley (Duke), Devontae Cacok (UNC-Wilmington), Chris Cokley (UAB), Jessie Govan (Georgetown), Brandon McCoy (UNLV), and Jordan Murphy (Minnesota). In addition, just four of those players (Murphy, Cacok, Govan, and Thompson) are averaging more than 12 rebounds.
I'LL TAKE THAT: After leading the Mid-American Conference in steals per game (9.6) last year, Eastern has continued that trend, currently averaging a conference-high 10.5 steals per game through its first eight contests. Led by Tim Bond's 3.1 steals per game, the Eagles have three players ranked within the conference's top-5 in average steals per game, totaling 84 thefts thus far.
ALL-TIME VS CENTRAL STATE: Saturday marks the sixth time in program history that Eastern Michigan has played Central State, last taking on the Marauders Jan. 29, 1972. The Eagles have won two straight in the series, winning the most recent match-up (45 years ago!) 109-86.
EMU head coach Rob Murphy played for CSU from 1993-96, earning the team's Defensive Player of the Year honors during his senior season.
SLICE AND DICE: Redshirt junior Paul Jackson has upped his scoring to another level of late, turning in 16 points per game during the four-game stretch of the Hoosier Tip-off Classic. The point guard upped his average to 16.3 on the season thanks to a career-best outpouring of 24 points against Oakland, Dec. 6. Jackson has done most of his scoring off the dribble-drive, shooting 45 percent from the floor. The Stone Mountain, Ga. native has also averaged four assists, two steals, and two rebounds per game.
MINNIE STAYS HOT: With his 24-point performance against Oakland Dec. 6, redshirt junior Elijah Minnie has scored 20-or-more points in five of the Eagles' first eight games.
The redshirt junior scored 22 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out three assists, had three blocks, and swiped three steals in his EMU debut against Spring Arbor, and has averaged 17.9 points per game since. The 22 points were the most scored in a debut-game since Willie Mangum IV scored 18 in 2015, and the 49 combined points is the most by a new player in the modern statistical era (1998-present).
The Pittsburgh, Pa. native also put on a show at Indiana, Nov. 24, scoring 20 points and burying a career-high five triples in the EMU loss. Minnie was named to the Hoosier Tip-off Classic All-Tournament team, averaging 13 points, six rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal per game. He also logged his first double-double of the season against North Florida, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 boards.
MURPHY VERSUS NON-DI OPPONENTS: Continuing his success against non-NCAA Division I opponents, EMU Head Men's Basketball Coach Rob Murphy has led the Eagles to an unbeaten 20-0 record in both exhibition and regular season games.
ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan hits the road for its longest remaining road trip of the season, traveling west to California to take on Long Beach State, Saturday, Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. PT.
The Eagles then complete their home-and-home with Oakland, Dec. 22, and travel to Syracuse to finish the road swing, Dec. 27.
Players Mentioned
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