Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Northwood
Men's Basketball Square Off with Northwood Wednesday Night
12/27/2009 9:06:30 PM | Men's Basketball
The Eagles and Timberwolves will be meeting for the fourth time in a series that has been dormant since the 1999-2000 campaign.
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STRONG START: EMU's 6-5 record this season is the best start since the 2004-05 squad went 8-3 in its first 11 games.
FAMILIAR FACE ON THE NORTHWOOD SIDELINE: Former Eastern Michigan University standout Charles Thomas is in his second season as an assistant coach at Northwood. Thomas joined the Northwood staff after serving as the Dean of Students at the Omega Alternative School. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at Radford University from Oct. 2006 through June of 2007.
Before his coaching days, Thomas played professionally from 1991 through 2006. He began his career with the Detroit Pistons, playing from September of 1991 through August of 1993. Thomas then went on to play nearly six years in the CBA with three different teams – the Grand Rapids Hoops, the Fort Wayne Fury and the Connecticut Pride. He was a part of the 1998-99 CBA Champion Pride team. Thomas then continued his professional career in Europe and Australia from 1999-2006. In his final playing stint while in Sweden, Thomas was named All-Star MVP.
Thomas is the twin brother of EMU Assistant Coach Carl Thomas, who is in his fifth year on the EMU sidelines.
CHECKING THE SERIES WITH NORTHWOOD: The Eagles and Timberwolves will be meeting for the fourth time in a series that has been dormant since the 1999-2000 campaign. EMU holds a 3-0 lead, including an 82-60 victory at the Convocation Center in the team's last get-together, Nov. 20, 1999. The schools did meet in an exhibition game prior to the 2007-08 campaign with Eastern notching a 76-56 win.
Northwood, coached by Bob Taylor, will enter the game with a 6-2 record while the Eagles are 6-5.
STRONG AT THE STRIPE: The Eagles turned in an outstanding effort at the free-throw line in a one-point loss at Georgia State, Dec. 19. Eastern connected on 28-of-34 free throws for 82.4 percent, the best shooting effort for the Eagles since an 84.6 percent output (11-of-13) at Detroit, Nov. 13, 2008.
BALKEMA BEST ON THE ROAD: True freshman center Matt Balkema (Warren, Mich.-Cousino) saved the best effort of his first season for the road after turning in career bests in scoring and rebounding at Georgia State, Dec. 19. Balkema, filling in as a starter for the injured Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) scored 10 points with nine rebounds against the Panthers. The 6-foot-10 Balkema enters the Samford game, Dec. 22, with a 4.5 scoring average and a 4.0 rebound mark.
LEADER OF THE MAC: Redshirt junior forward Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman) currently leads the Mid-American Conference in scoring, 19.5, and rebounding, 11.1.
HOME FOR THREE STRAIGHT: The Eagles will have three consecutive home games over the holiday season. Eastern hosted Samford, from the Southern Conference, on Dec. 22, and follow that with a Dec. 30 home date with Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic (GLIAC) member Northwood, and then a Jan. 3 matchup with Chicago State, from the Great West Conference.
