Men's Hoops Opens MAC Play Jan. 4 at Western Michigan

Men's Basketball at Western Michigan
Date	Tuesday, Jan. 4 \| 7 p.m.
Venue	Kalamazoo, Mich. \| University Arena
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Media Guide.
Live Stats	Fan Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| Eastern Insider Podcast
Twitter	@EMU_MBB \| @EMUAthletics

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – With the non-conference slate behind it, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team opens up the 2022 calendar year at Western Michigan University Tuesday, Jan. 4. The Mid-American Conference campaign gets going at 7 p.m. inside University Arena in Kalamazoo.
   Eastern (5-6, 0-0 MAC) saw its three-game winning streak snapped with a 67-55 setback at Valparaiso, Dec. 20. However, the team has not played in 15 days, after EMU was unable to meet the minimum amount of scholarship players available as required by the conference. Meanwhile, WMU (4-9, 0-2 MAC) has dropped three in-a-row following a 59-47 setback to defending MAC Tournament champion Ohio, Jan. 1.
   The game will be televised on ESPN+. Fans can also listen to the game on WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app with Tom Helmer and Greg Steiner on the call.

MAC LID LIFTERS: Since the 1974-75 season, Eastern holds an 18-29 mark in MAC openers along with an 8-17 record in conference-opening contests away from Ypsilanti.

48TH MAC SEASON: The 2021-22 season will be the 48th 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 and 4-9 in league play.

TROPHY HUNTING: Eastern Michigan will search for its first conference championship since 1998 as it enters league play. That year, the Eagles captured the regular-season and tournament titles to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history. Overall, EMU has claimed four regular-season and tournament crowns (1988, 1991, 1996, 1998), along with one MAC West title (2012).

WE WANT IT MORE!: Eastern Michigan is tied for first in NCAA Division I with an average of 79.3 possessions per game. Head Coach Stan Heath's uptempo Eagles have pushed that total to 80.9 possessions per game over their last three games.
   Last season, EMU averaged 71.3 possessions per game, ranking 164th in Division I.

ROAD WOES: EMU is still in search of its first road win of the 2021-22 campaign, posting a 0-6 mark. The Green and White have been outscored by 15 points per game (EMU 64.3, OPP 79.3). Eastern is shooting 39.9 percent from the field compared to 47.4 for the opposition, to go along with being on the short side of the rebounding margin (EMU 34.7, OPP 38.3).

HEATH VERSUS THE MAC: In his second stint as a Mid-American Conference head coach, Stan Heath has posted a 17-1 record against league foes. During the 2002 campaign, Heath guided Kent State to the NCAA Elite Eight, with his lone MAC blemish coming against Buffalo.

SENIOR STUDS: Monty Scott, Nate Scott, and Darion Spottsville have combined to score 37 percent of the team's points this season, including 44 percent of all Eagles scoring over the last five games.

VALPARAIS-NO! EMU was held to a season-low 55 points by Valparaiso, as the squad dropped its final non-conference test, Dec. 20. Eastern's held an advantage as big as 11 in the second half, 47-36. However, Valparaiso started shooting hot, responding with a 31-8 run to earn the 67-55 win.    The Green and White scored 32 of their 55 points in the paint, as the squad was just 1-for-11 from the long-line.

DROP IT LIKE IT'S SCOTT: Senior Monty Scott has scored double-figures in 10 consecutive games dating back to Nov. 12 against Illinois State. Scott poured in just seven against Indiana, Nov. 9, in his EMU debut. Since opening night, the senior guard has averaged 15.9 points per game on 64-of-132 shooting (48.5%).

NATE SAYS NO: Senior transfer Nate Scott has played four consecutive games with a block, rejecting shots against Northwood, Dec. 5, Niagara, Dec. 8, FIU, Dec. 11, and Valparaiso, Dec. 20. Additionally, the senior has tallied four games this season with multiple blocks. Scott leads the team in total blocks (11), seventh-best in the Mid-American Conference. Furthermore, EMU is fifth in the MAC in blocks with 39.

PAINT THE TOWN GREEN: Eastern Michigan has averaged 31.6 points per game in the lane this season. EMU's season-high was 46 paint-points at UC San Diego, while the low came against Michigan State when the squad notched just 14.

NOAH STOPPIN' HIM: Freshman Noah Farrakhan continues to lead the team in scoring, averaging 17.1 points per game, ranking fifth in the Mid-American Conference and 92nd in the nation. Most recently, Farrakhan scored 17 points at Valpo, Dec. 20.

BATTLE FOR THE MICHIGAN MAC TROPHY: EMU's first game against an in-state rival also means the beginning of its quest for the "Michigan MAC Trophy." Given annually to one of the Michigan-based, Mid-American Conference institutions (EMU, WMU, CMU), the trophy is awarded to the team which has the best head-to-head record against each other. It is one of just two regularly-awarded trophies between three teams (the other is the Commander-in-Chief's trophy between Army, Navy, and Air Force).
   Originated in 2005, EMU has claimed ownership three times (2017, 2018, and 2020). Last year, Eastern Michigan was 0-2 against CMU while downing WMU in the only meeting.

ALL-TIME VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN: Tuesday's game will be the 115th meeting between Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. EMU has met WMU the second-most out of any school in the Mid-American Conference, behind Central Michigan (200 times), with the series dating back to 1915. The Broncos hold the all-time series advantage with a 61-53 mark, but EMU has won five of the last six matchups.
    The Green and White are 6-4 against WMU over the last 10 games. Eastern holds a 34-24 record at its home court, but trails 18-33 against the Broncos in Kalamazoo, Mich.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE BRONCOS: Noah Morgan scored 11 points and sank 1-of-3 foul shots with a second left to send Eastern Michigan past Western Michigan, 64-63, at University Arena, March 5, 2021.
   Yeikson Montero scored 20 points for the Eagles, as they ended their eight-game road losing streak. Bryce McBride scored 14 points and Ty Groce added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
   Josiah Freeman had 17 points for the Broncos. Greg Lee added 14 points and 11 rebounds and Titus Wright scored 12.

TIES TO THE BRONCOS: EMU Head Coach Stan Heath helped coach WMU Assistant Coach Thomas Kelley while he was an undergrad at Michigan State. Heath was an assistant coach at the time for legendary MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo. Kelley played at Michigan State from 1995-99 and was a part of Izzo's first Final Four team as a fifth-year senior in 1998-99. At MSU, Kelley played in 115 games, averaging 5.3 points and 2.0 assists per game.
   Additionally, WMU sophomore B. Artis White is the son of former EMU assistant coach Benny White. White was on the EMU sideline from 2011-16.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan returns home for a 3:30 p.m. contest against Ball State University, Jan. 8, 2022. The game is the second leg of a doubleheader with the EMU women's basketball team hosting Central Michigan University at 1 p.m. inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. Both games will air on WEMU (89.1 FM) and ESPN3.

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Players Mentioned

Noah Farrakhan

Ty Groce

Bryce McBride

Yeikson Montero

Noah Morgan

Monty Scott

Nate Scott

Darion Spottsville

Eastern Michigan Athletics