Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Oakland
Men's Basketball Opens Against In-State Rival Oakland
11/11/2009 3:47:52 PM | Men's Basketball
Game time set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, in Rochester, Mich.
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EASTERN MICHIGAN at OAKLAND: The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team will open its 2009-10 regular season with a non-conference road trip to Rochester, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 14, where they will take on the Golden Grizzlies of Oakland University. This year's game will be the 12th in the series with EMU holding a 7-4 edge. Oakland has won the last three games, however, including a 66-53 victory, Dec. 22, 2008, in Ypsilanti. Eastern has an 0-2 record against Oakland in games played in Rochester.
FIFTH OPENER FOR RAMSEY: The EMU-Oakland game will mark the fifthseason opener for Eagles' Head Coach Charles E. Ramsey. Ramsey won his first opener as head coach when the Eagles upset the University of California, 67-65, Nov. 18, 2005. That California team was coached by former EMU head man Ben Braun. After that first game, Ramsey's teams dropped their season openers in 2006-07 and 2007-08 before bouncing back with a win last year.
EAGLES PICKED THIRD IN MAC WEST: The 2009-10 EMU men's basketball team was selected to finish third in the Mid-American Conference West Division by the MAC NewsMedia Association. Central Michigan was chosen to win the West with Northern Illinois second, EMU third, Ball State fourth, Western Michigan fifth and Toledo sixth. The East Division favorite is Akron followed by Kent State, Buffalo, Miami, Bowling Green and Ohio.
OAKLAND U. TABBED AS PRESEASON FAVORITE: EMU's opening-game opponent, Oakland University, received 34 of 35 votes to be the champion of the Summit League in 2009-10. Senior guard Johnathon Jones was also selected as the preseason choice to be the Player of the Year in that league. The Golden Grizzlies are coming off a 23-13 2008-09 campaign.
FOR THE 113th TIME: The 2009-10 season is the 113th of men's intercollegiate basketball for the Eastern Michigan University Eagles. Eastern played its first season in 1897-98 and split games with Detroit, losing a 2-0 decision before coming back for a 4-0 victory. The 2007-08 season will also be the 34th for the Eagles in the Mid-American Conference. The first year of MAC play for EMU was 1974-75 when the then-Hurons went 12-14 overall and 4-9 in league play. EMU has won three Mid-American Conference titles: 1987-88, 1990-91, and 1995-96, and the Green and White captured MAC Tournament crowns in all three of those years in addition to winning the tournament title in 1997-98.
36th MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE YEAR: The 2009-10 season will be Eastern Michigan University 36th in Mid-American Conference men's basketball action. EMU joined the conference in 1971, but did not get a league men's basketball schedule cleared until the 1974-75 season.
NATIONAL TV PEEK: EMU will have two nationally televised games in the 2009-10 season. The EMU at Ohio State game, set for Saturday, Dec. 5, at noon in Columbus, Ohio, and the EMU at Miami game, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30, at noon, will both be shown nationally on ESPNU. In addition, the EMU at Akron game, slated for Monday, Feb. 1, will be televised by Fox Sports Net.
THE COACHING STAFF: The EMU men's basketball coaching staff returns intact from the 2008-09 season. Head Coach Charles E. Ramsey and assistant coaches Derrick McDowell and Carl Thomas all return for their fifth seasons while Andrew Moore, is back for his second year.
MULTIPLE LEAGUES REPRESENTED ON EMU SCHEDULE: The Eagles 2009-10 non-conference schedule will have 11 different leagues represented. The Citadel and Samford are both members of the Southern League while Georgia State and James Madison are members of the Colonial Athletic Association. The Metro Athletic Athletic Association is represented by Canisius, the Big Ten by Ohio State, the Wolverine-Hoosier by Davenport, the Great West by Chicago State, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference by the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, the Missouri Valley by Missouri State, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference by Northwood, the Summit by Oakland and the Ohio Valley by Southeast Missouri State.
MEDLOCK, DOBBINS, BOWDRY CLIMB EMU CAREER LADDERS: The EMU trio of Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright), Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville), and Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman) are all making major moves up the EMU career rankings in scoring, rebounding and three-point shooting. Medlock enters his senior year with 1,032 points good for 23rd while Dobbins' 776 points is 44th and Bowdry's 725 points is 49th. Bowdry has 403 career rebounds for a tie for 39th while Dobbins is 41st in rebounding with 399 and Medlock is tied for 80th at 215. Medlock is the eighth ranked three-point shooter with 138 career triples.
