Eagles Look to Get On Right Track at Ball State Tuesday

Men's Basketball at Ball State
Date	Tuesday, Jan. 8 \| 7 p.m.
Venue	Muncie, Ind. \| Worthen Arena (11,500)
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	WEMU (89.1 FM)
Twitter	@EMUHoops \| @EMUAthletics

MUNCIE, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team heads to Muncie, Ind. for its first taste of road #MACtion Tuesday, Jan. 6, as it takes on Ball State University at 7 p.m. in Worthen Arena.
   The Eagles fell to 6-8 and 0-1 in the MAC with a 74-58 loss to No. 20 Buffalo, Jan. 4, while the Cardinals dismantled Toledo on the road, 79-64, that same day.
   The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with the incomparable Joel Goedett on play-by-play, and David Eha providing analysis. Eastern fans can also listen to Chad Bush and Kyler Ludlow on WEMU 89.1. Additional coverage can be found by following @EMUHoops on Twitter, and through live stats at EMUEagles.com.

TOUGHEST IN THE MAC: The Eagles' record of 6-8 is a bit misleading for those not paying attention. Eastern has played the fifth-hardest schedule in the country (according to KenPom), including three games against Top-25 teams and two against opponents in the top-five.
   Ball State is the next-closest in terms of SOS, having the 62nd-most difficult schedule in the MAC.

THAT'S MORE LIKE IT: After having just two double-doubles through the first 11 games, senior James Thompson IV (Baton Rouge, La.-Parkview Baptist) has accomplished the feat in three straight contests. Thompson had 11 points and 10 rebounds against No. 20 Buffalo (Jan. 4), adding to a 17 point and 16 rebound game against Siena Heights (Dec. 22) and a 15-point, 14-rebound performance at No. 5 Kansas (Dec. 29).

MINNIE RISING: Redshirt senior Elijah Minnie (Pittsburgh, Pa.-Lincoln Park (Robert Morris)) has seen his production rise over the past six games, scoring 16.5 points per game in that time after averaging 8.3 points per game in the first eight games. The forward has shot 42.2 percent from the floor and 33.9 percent from downtown in the last six games.

ANOTHER NEW LOOK FIVE: Eastern Michigan has used eight different starting lineups in its first 14 games, as the matchup against No. 20 Buffalo marked the seventh consecutive game with a new starting five. Redshirt senior Paul Jackson (Stone Mountain, Ga.-Martin Luther King Jr. (Eastern Kentucky) returned to the starting lineup, while sophomore Malik Ellison (Flint, Mich.-Beecher) came off the bench. Jackson joined sophomore Kevin McAdoo (Pontiac, Mich.-West Bloomfield), redshirt junior Boubcar Toure (Dakar, Senegal-Phase One Academy (Grand Canyon), senior James Thompson IV, and redshirt senior Elijah Minnie in the starting five for the Eagles against the Bulls, Jan. 4.

ALL-TIME VS. BALL STATE: Eastern Michigan and Ball State have a long history against one another, with the Cardinals holding a 62-42 edge over the Eagles all-time. The two teams met for the first time on the hardwood Feb. 9, 1947, with BSU winning that game, 73-32, as well as the next eight matchups.
   The two teams split the series in the 2017-18 season, each winning convincingly on its home court. Ball State came away with a 72-62 victory to open MAC play in Worthen Arena, Jan. 2, while Eastern rolled to a 58-41 win, Feb. 3, in Ypsilanti.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE: No member of the 2018-19 Eastern squad was around for the last time EMU defeated Ball State in Muncie, having last defeated BSU March 3, 2015, by a final score of 67-60. The Eagles were led by 20 points from Ray Lee, 16 from Mike Talley, and 12 from Karrington Ward.

PLEASURE TO SEE YOU, CARDINALS: Redshirt senior Elijah Minnie lit up the scoreboard in both appearances against Ball State in his first season in the Green and White, dropping 25 points while swiping four steals and blocking three shots in Muncie, Jan. 2, and following that up with a 22-point, seven-rebound, and three-block performance in Ypsilanti, Feb. 3.

CHASING DOWN THE REBOUND RECORD: Senior James Thompson IV is the NCAA's active career rebound leader with 1,242 during his three-plus seasons with Eastern. The Baton Rouge, La. native needs 184 boards to pass all-time EMU record holder Kennedy McIntosh. He is also first in the NCAA in active career double-doubles with 34 and trails McIntosh as EMU's all-time leader by 14.

TURNOVER CITY: Though not having as many steals this season, Eastern is still forcing opponents into plenty of turnovers. EMU's opponents have been forced into 15-or-more turnovers seven times this season, including in its game at No. 5 Kansas, Dec. 29.
   In the Eagles' most recent game against No. 20 Buffalo, they forced one of the MAC's best at controlling the ball into 13 turnovers.

SWIPER NO SWIPING: The Eagles are having a "down" season compared to previous years in the defense category, currently ranking eighth in the Mid-American Conference in scoring defense (71.1 ppg), and coming in ninth in defensive field goal percentage (44.3) after leading both categories in 2017-18.
   In fact, after leading the league in steals by nearly 50 a season ago, Eastern is currently second in the MAC in steals per game (8.0) and total steals (112).

LEADING THE LEAGUE: Senior James Thompson IV leads the Mid-American Conference in offensive rebounding (3.8) this season, and is also third in the league in field goal percentage (63.2) and total rebounding (9.8).

THREE-POINT WOES: Eastern Michigan has had two-fold troubles at the three-point line this season, shooting just 26.3 percent from downtown on offense, while allowing opponents to shoot 35.1 percent. In fact, the Eagles have made (79) three's and have allowed (131) so far in 2018-19.

THREE-POINT TROUBLES, CONT.: Eastern Michigan has yet to make double-digit three-pointers in a game this season, yet has allowed opponents to make eight-or-more long-range shots in nine games this year. Only five, Duke, Boston, UC Irvine, Kansas, and Buffalo have not.

GOODBYE 2018: As the calendar flips to 2019, EMU says goodbye to a successful 2018 year. The Eagles wound up with a 19-16 record, finished second in the MAC West, made the MAC Tournament semifinal, and had the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in Tim Bond.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan returns to the friendly confines of the Convocation Center Saturday, Jan. 12 for a 12 p.m. showdown against Kent State University.
   The game is the first part of a double-header, with the EMU women's basketball, which takes on Western Michigan in the second part of the double dip. It is also Game of Thrones beer tasting day for all fans.

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Players Mentioned

Tim Bond

Malik Ellison

Paul Jackson

Kevin McAdoo

Elijah Minnie

James Thompson IV

Eastern Michigan Athletics