Eastern Michigan Athletics
Wednesday, November 25
Convocation Center
2 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Marygrove
Eagles Square Off With Marygrove in Pre-Thanksgiving Contest
11/24/2015 2:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eastern welcomes the Mustangs to the Convocation Center Wednesday night
| Game Notes | Watch Live | Live Stats |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Looking to get back on to the right side of the ledger, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team will square off with Marygrove College Wednesday, Nov. 25, at the Convocation Center. Returning to Ypsilanti following an 89-65 setback at No. 3/4 Michigan State University Monday, Nov. 23, the Eagles (2-2) look to shutdown the Mustangs (1-7) in a pre-Thanksgiving showdown at 2 p.m.
This will be the second of four matchups with teams from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), as the Green and White dispatched Siena Heights, 79-34, earlier this year. Marygrove will be playing its second consecutive night following a game with Northwestern Ohio Tuesday night, Nov. 24.
FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eastern Michigan versus Marygrove matchup can only be found on ESPN3 this Wednesday. Normally, fans could dial into 89.1 FM or listen over the internet to 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 THE MUSTANGS: Wednesday's 2 p.m. matchup with Marygrove will be just the third time that the two Michigan-based institutions have squared off. Eastern owns a perfect 2-0 record, as the Green and White has outscored Marygrove, 202-100, in its two games with the Mustangs
The last time these two squads hit the floor against each other was last year, Dec. 1, at the Convocation Center. Former Eagle Mike Samuels posted his first-career double-double, leading Eastern to an 83-52 victory. Samuels poured in 10 points and collected 11 rebounds, while Trent Perry set his all-time scoring mark with a trio of three-pointers for nine points. Mike Talley was the other EMU player in double figures with 10 points. Five other Eagles chipped in eight points apiece.
This will be the second of four matchups with teams from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), as the Green and White dispatched Siena Heights, 79-34, earlier this year. Marygrove will be playing its second consecutive night following a game with Northwestern Ohio Tuesday night, Nov. 24.
FINDING THE GAME AT HOME: The Eastern Michigan versus Marygrove matchup can only be found on ESPN3 this Wednesday. Normally, fans could dial into 89.1 FM or listen over the internet to 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 THE MUSTANGS: Wednesday's 2 p.m. matchup with Marygrove will be just the third time that the two Michigan-based institutions have squared off. Eastern owns a perfect 2-0 record, as the Green and White has outscored Marygrove, 202-100, in its two games with the Mustangs
The last time these two squads hit the floor against each other was last year, Dec. 1, at the Convocation Center. Former Eagle Mike Samuels posted his first-career double-double, leading Eastern to an 83-52 victory. Samuels poured in 10 points and collected 11 rebounds, while Trent Perry set his all-time scoring mark with a trio of three-pointers for nine points. Mike Talley was the other EMU player in double figures with 10 points. Five other Eagles chipped in eight points apiece.
LIKELY LOOK FOR THE MUSTANGS...
| # | Name | Pos. | Cl. | Ht. | Wt. | ppg | rpg | apg | Hometown-Previous School |
| 0 | Diante Taylor | G | Sr.-Sr. | 6-3 | -- | 11.9 | 6.5 | 2.3 | Battle Creek, Mich.-Central |
| 10 | Ta'Kein Dixson | G | So.-So. | 6-2 | -- | 11.4 | 3.6 | 2.8 | Atlanta, Ga.-Loganville |
| 14 | Elijah Ingram | F | Jr.-Jr. | 6-4 | -- | 11.1 | 5.0 | 0.8 | Detroit, Mich.-Consortium |
| 21 | Kenneth Miller | G | So.-So. | 6-0 | -- | 10.3 | 3.9 | 2.1 | Flint, Mich.-Grand Blanc |
| 32 | Sirafino Davis | C | So.-So. | 6-9 | -- | 3.4 | 5.5 | 0.5 | Flint, Mich.-Tiffin |
SHINING ON THE BIG STAGE: Eastern Michigan junior guard Ty Toney showed out against No. 3/4 Michigan State Monday, Nov. 24, when he had his second 18-point outburst of the 2015-16 season, knocking down a career-best eight field goals, including his first three-pointer as a member of the EMU basketball program. The Alpharetta, Ga. native led all-scorers in the game.
MURPHY VERSUS NON-DI OPPONENTS: Although it comes as no surprise, EMU Head Men's Basketball Coach Rob Murphy has led the Eagles to a cool 15-0 record in both exhibition and regular season games against non-NCAA Division I opponents during his tenure. Last season, the Eagles went 4-0 in regular season games versus NAIA opponents, including a 100-42 victory in which the Green and White surpassed the 100-point mark for the first time since 2008, a span that lasted nearly 200 games.
MANNING THE MIDDLE: Currently averaging 3.3 blocks per game, which leads the Mid-American Conference and is in the top-15 in the NCAA, James Thompson IV has proven his defensive dominance through the early goings of 2015-16. Thompson has recorded at least two blocks in every game thus far and is on pace to swat 102 shots during the regular season. That number would break Theron Wilson and Da'Shonte Riley's singe season marks of 96, set in 1992-93 and 2013-14, respectively, for the most in EMU history.
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED: Despite a 2-2 start, when you look inside the numbers, EMU's offense has been more successful than many may have thought to this point. Averaging 73.8 points per game, the Green and White is scoring more points than it did last season (69.4). With that being said, over 50 percent of last season's offensive output is no longer with the team due to graduation. In addition, Raven Lee has yet to play during the 2015-16 campaign, which leaves this season's squad with just 24 percent of the Eagles's scoring from a year ago.
THE BEST IN THE MAC: Considering the Eagles' success on the defensive end of the ball, it will come as no surprise that the Green and White have set MAC single game highs this season. James Thompson IV's five blocks versus Siena Heights are the most by any player in the conference this season, while Tim Bond and Willie Mangum IV hold that distinction in the steals category with four takeaways. Additionally, on the offensive end, Mangum's 12 field goal makes against Siena Heights tie for the most this season. As a team, EMU's 15 steals versus both Siena Heights and Vermont are the most by any team this season, while EMU's four turnovers versus MSU are the least giveaways any MAC school has had this season.
A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE LEADERS: Eastern Michigan has positioned itself near the top of multiple statistical categories in the Mid-American Conference as of Nov. 24. Let's take a look...
| MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE RANKINGS as of Nov. 24 | |||
| Player | Category | Rank | Number |
| Eastern Michigan | Steals per game | 1st | 11.5 (fifth nationally) |
| Eastern Michigan | Field goal percentage defense | 2nd | .359 (48th nationally) |
| Eastern Michigan | Blocks per game | 1st | 5.8 (44th nationally) |
| Eastern Michigan | Turnover margin | 1st | +5.8 (16th nationally) |
| James Thompson IV | Blocks per game | 1st | 3.3 (13th nationally) |
| Willie Mangum | Steals per game | t-1st | 2.5 (45th nationally) |
| Tim Bond | Steals per game | t-1st | 2.5 (45th nationally) |
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 75 wins which is good for the fifth-most by an EMU coach. Ben Braun set the mark in his 10-plus years, recording 185 as EMU's head man.
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. | Jim Boyce | 1979-86 | 14/yr | 84-96 (.467) |
| 5. | Rob Murphy | 2011-Present | 18.3/yr (Four-year total) | 75-67 (.528) |
LOOKING AT THE POSITIVES: Despite dropping an 89-65 contest to No. 3/4 Michigan State Monday, Nov. 23, there were a few bright spots to take away from the contest. The Eagles won the turnover battle with the Spartans, 4-13, while also grabbing five more steals than Michigan State.
GOTTA GUARD THE LINE: After four games this season, the Eagles may have found an Achilles heel in the defense. Although teams are only shooting 31.3 percent from beyond the arc this season, the Green and White is just 2-2, due in large part to hot shooting from three-point land. In both of Eastern's losses, the Eagles' opponents have shot 38.7 percent and 45 percent from the long line.
THE EERIE NUMBER 80: Since taking over the EMU men's basketball team, Head Coach Rob Murphy has prided himself on his team's defense and for good reason, considering his squad has only allowed the opposition to score 80-or-more points on 10 occasions. On the flip side, everytime the Green and White have allowed 80-plus, they've ended up on the wrong side of the ledger, including a pair of losses this season.
Players Mentioned
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