Eastern Michigan Athletics
Men's Basketball Travels to Western Michigan for Instate Showdown
1/18/2007 4:28:47 PM | Men's Basketball
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EAGLES TRAVEL TO WESTERN MICHIGAN FOR INSTATE SHOWDOWN: Eastern Michigan travels to Kalamazoo, Mich. Saturday afternoon, Jan. 20, for a 2 p.m. tip-off against Western Michigan in a Mid-American Conference West Division game in University Arena. The game will be televised on Comcast Local (Cable Channel 8 in Ypsilanti) with Ben Holden handling play-by-play duties while Joe Jason will be the color analyst. Both schools enter Saturday’s game with identical 7-10 and 2-2 MAC records. The Eagles are 7-10 (2-2 MAC) on the year and winners of six of their last nine games. EMU suffered at 66-56 setback at home against Toledo, Jan. 16. The Broncos are 7-10 (2-2 MAC) following an 86-76 home victory over Central Michigan, Jan 16.
THE SERIES: This is the 85th meeting between the two teams with Western Michigan holding a 44-40 advantage. WMU has won the last seven meetings and holds an 11-4 advantage over EMU in the last 15 games. The Broncos won all three games last season against the Eagles, posting a 68-62 win at the Convocation Center, Jan. 24, 2006, along with a 67-64 victory at University Arena, Feb. 15, 2006. WMU also defeated EMU, 60-55, in the first round of the 2006 Mid-American Conference Tournament, also played at University Arena in Kalamazoo.
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS. Western Michigan is paced by 6-foot-7 junior center Joe Reitz who leads the team in scoring at 18.8 points-per-game. Reitz is shooting an impressive 62.1 percent from the field, hitting 95-of-153 shots which ranks second in the league in field-goal percentage. He also leads the Broncos with 142 rebounds which is fourth in the MAC. Sophomore guard Michael Redell is second on the team in scoring, averaging 9.3 ppg and leads the team in assists with 71. As a team, WMU tops the conference in rebounding margin with a +6.0 advantage over its opponents and is second in the league in three pointers made with 128.
NEXT HOME BATTLE: The Green and White next return to the friendly confines of the Convocation Center Sunday, Jan. 28, for a contest with the University at Buffalo. The game will be the second leg of a doubleheader with the EMU women’s basketball team taking to the court first at 4:30 p.m., when the Eagles play host to nationally ranked BGSU.
EMU MEN’S BASKETBALL GAMES TO BE TELEVISED
ON COMCAST LOCAL: The Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team will have at least four games televised during the upcoming 16-game Mid-American Conference schedule. The league has dropped from an 18-game ledger down to 16 games this season. Comcast Local (channel 8 in Ypsilanti) is available in approximately two million households throughout the state of Michigan along with the markets of Muncie, Ind., Indianapolis, Ind. and Fort Wayne, Ind.Date Opponent Result/Time
Jan. 13 at Ball State W, 56-52
Jan. 20 at West. Mich. 2 p.m.
Feb. 13 at Toledo 7 p.m.
Feb. 25 vs. Ball State 2 p.m.
MR. INTANGIBLE RETURNS HOME: EMU junior guard Travis Lewis (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Loy Norrix) will be returning home Saturday, Jan. 20, when the Eagles take on Western Michigan. Lewis graduated from Kalamazoo’s Loy Norrix H.S. before signing with EMU. Lewis is not asked to score a lot of points but he does everything else with his nonstop hustle and 100 percent effort on every play. Since his return to the basketball team after playing football as a starting wide receiver, Lewis has tallied 25 assists, 15 steals, 40 rebounds and one block in only 10 games.
MEDLOCK IS THE GO-TO GUY: Six times this season Carlos Medlock has led all EMU scorers with double digits, tallying 23 points vs. Davidson (Nov. 10), 13 vs. Central Conn. State (Nov. 11) ,11 at Detroit (Nov. 29), 20 vs. N. Colorado (Dec. 21), 23 vs. North Dakota State (Jan. 3), 15 vs. Central Michigan (Jan. 6) and 18 vs. Toledo (Jan. 16).
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE WAS NO CUPCAKE: The EMU men’s basketball team entered the Mid-American Conference section of the schedule battle tested as the Eagles have played some very tough competition. Six of the Eagles’ non-conference opponents have outstanding records. Davidson (16-3), Michigan (15-4), Marquette (16-4), San Diego (12-6), Tulsa (12-4) and North Dakota State (10-6) are a combined 81-27.
DROPPING DIMES: Sophomore Carlos Medlock currently leads the team with 50 assists which also ranks 10th in the MAC. As a team, the Eagles have tallied 197 assists which ranks 10th in the league.
HOME SWEET HOME: The EMU men’s basketball team currently has a 5-3 home record. It is the best home start since the 2004-05 campaign when the team went 5-1 against Marshall, Rochester College, Canisius, North Dakota State and Cleveland State. At home the Eagles average 65.0 ppg, shooting 41.9 percent from behind the arc while their opponents average 63.0 ppg hitting 32.8 percent from three-point range. Conversely, the Eagles are 1-4 on the road, scoring 53.8 ppg while their opponents are averaging 73.0 ppg.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: Several EMU players are near the top in the latest Mid-American Conference statistical report.
Scoring
19. Carlos Medlock 12.1
23. Jesse Bunkley 11.4
Rebounding
16. Brandon Bowdry 5.4
Assists
10. Carlos Medlock 3.12
Free Throw Percentage
3. Carlos Medlock 55-64 (85.9)
Steals
7. Carlos Medlock 1.69
3-Point Field Goal %
13. Jesse Bunkley 42-105 (40.0)
3-Point Field Goal Made
5. Jesse Bunkley 2.47
Asst./Turnover Ratio
13. Carlos Medlock 0.81
Offensive Rebounding
12. Brandon Bowdry 2.06
TRIFECTA, YOU BET YA: EMU ranks third in the MAC in three-point field goal percentage (36.3 percent) and fourth in three-pointers made, hitting 120-of-331 attempts. Junior Jesse Bunkley, sophomore Carlos Medlock and freshman Devon Dumes (Indianapolis, Ind.-Decatur Central) have established themselves as the go-to- guys from three-point range. So far, Bunkley has connected on 42-of-105 tries (40.0 percent), Medlock has knocked down 23-of-67 shots (34.3 percent) while Dumes has hit 22-of-78 attempts (28.2 percent). Bunkley also currently ranks fifth in the MAC with his 42 three-pointers. Defensively, EMU is sixth in three-point field goal percentage defense, limiting opponents to just 34.8 percent from beyond the arc.
COACHES CHECK IN: All 12 Mid-American Conference men’s head basketball coach will take part in a weekly teleconference each Monday morning of the regular season. The call-in schedule is listed below.
Time Coach
10:00-10:07 Steve Hawkins (WMU)
10:08-10:15 Stan Joplin (Toledo)
10:16-10:23 Rob Judson (NIU)
10:24-10:31 Reggie Witherspoon (Buff.)
10:32-10:39 Ernie Zeigler (CMU)
10:40-10:47 Ronny Thompson (BSU)
10:48-10:56 Tim O’Shea (Ohio)
10:57-11:04 Charlie Coles (Miami)
11:05-11:12 Jim Christian (KSU)
11:13-11:20 Charles E. Ramsey (EMU)
11:21-11:28 Dan Dakich (BGSU)
11:29-11:36 Keith Dambrot (Akron)
HITTING FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE: The EMU men’s basketball team is currently third in the MAC in free throw percentage connecting on 228-of-322 shots (70.8 percent) from the line. Nick Freer (Stevensville, Mich.-Lakeshore) (4-for-4) has not missed from the free-throw line this season. Carlos Medlock leads the team hitting 55-of-64 from the line for an 85.9 percent clip which ranks third in MAC free-throw percentage. Jarred Axon (Jackson, Mich.-Jackson-Schoolcraft C.C.) is 22-for-25 (88.0 percent) while Craig Cashen has hit 15-of-168 for 83.3 percent.
DEFENSE IS STEALING THE SHOW: The EMU basketball team currently has 127 total steals which ranks tied for seventh in the Mid-American Conference. The team notched a season-high 18 steals versus Davidson (Nov. 10) and 12 against CCSU (Nov. 11). The 18 steals was the most tallied by the team since it got 22 rips against Navy, 1-7-04. Sophomore Carlos Medlock ranks seventh in the MAC in steals individually with 27 on the year.
CLEANING THE GLASS: The Eagles have out-rebounded four teams this season, Northern Colorado by 13, 41-28, (Dec. 21), Chicago State by 20, 44-22, (Dec. 9), Northern Illinois by three, 38-35, and Toledo by seven, 31-24. The Eagles are 2-2 in games in which they out-rebound their opponent. Freshman Brandon Bowdry leads the team and currently ranks 16th in the MAC with 91 total rebounds (35 offensive, 56 defensive) for a 5.4 average-per game. His 35 offensive rebounds also ranks 12th in the MAC.
SCHEDULE CHANGE-SIRIUS ADDITION: The EMU-Buffalo men’s basketball game has been changed from Saturday, Jan. 27, to Sunday, Jan. 28. Game time is set for 7 p.m. The EMU-Bowling Green women’s basketball game will also be held as regularly scheduled Sunday, Jan. 28, at 4:30 p.m. The game will be also be broadcast on Sirius Radio channel 125.
