Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, December 8
Ypsilanti, Mich.
7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Oakland
Photo by: Jonathan Knight
Eastern Michigan Hosting Oakland Friday
12/6/2023 1:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eagles seeking 4-0 start at home in 7 p.m. game
| Men's Basketball vs.Oakland | |
| Date | Friday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. |
| Venue | George Gervin GameAbove Center (8,754) | Ypsilanti, Mich. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes (PDF) | Media Guide (PDF) | Digital Programs |
| Live Stats | Fan Stats | Media Stats |
| Watch | ESPN+ |
| Listen | WEMU (89.1 FM) | The Varsity Network App |
| @EMU_MBB | @EMUAthletics | |
| Fan Information | Purchase Tickets |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team is scheduled to host in-state foe Oakland University Friday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center as the Eagles look to improve to 4-0 on their home floor in 2023-24.
ON AIR
Eastern Michigan and Oakland will air on ESPN+. Ryan Wooley and Reggie Butler will be on the call. Tom Helmer will have the call live on WEMU Radio (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network App.
OPENING TIPS
» Eastern Michigan played a quality second half to defeat Lake Superior State University, 68-53, Dec. 1, as junior Tyson Acuff scored 24 points after the teams were knotted at 29-29 after 20 minutes. Junior Yusuf Jihad had a season-high 12 points and a career-high eight rebounds.
» Junior Tyson Acuff is averaging 22.8 points per game through eight games, which leads the MAC and ranks sixth in the nation. Acuff's season has been highlighted by a pair of 31-point performances and his 26.8 points per game in his last five games ranks third in the nation during that span.
» Junior Tyson Acuff has scored 23-plus points in each of the last five games (31 vs. Cleveland State, Nov. 18; 25 at Detroit Mercy, Nov. 21; 23 at Central Arkansas, Nov. 25; 31 vs. North Dakota, Nov. 26; 24 vs. Lake Superior State). Acuff is one of seven players in the nation with five showings of 23 or more points and joins North Carolina's R.J. Davis as the two players in the country with an active streak of five games with 23-plus points.
» Eastern Michigan is seeking a 4-0 start at home for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons after EMU defeated Georgia Southern, Nov. 11; Cleveland State, Nov. 18; and Lake Superior State, Dec. 1. EMU had a streak of nine-straight seasons with a 3-0 or better start at home starting with the 2011-12 campaign.
» Eastern Michigan's Stan Heath is in his third year at the helm of the Eagles, holding a 23-47 record at EMU and 232-254 record over 16 years as a head coach. Fifty of NCAA Division I's head coaches are coaching their alma mater, up from 48 in 2022-23.
TYSON ACUFF, MAC SCORING LEADER AND MORE
Junior Tyson Acuff is averaging 22.8 points per game through eight games, which leads the MAC and ranks sixth in the nation. Acuff's season has been highlighted by a pair of 31-point performances. Acuff is the first Eagle since Brandon Bowdry to score at least 13 points in each of the team's first eight games. Bowdry started the 2009-10 season with 13-straight contests with 14-plus points.
National scoring leaders:
1. Tyler Thomas 24.8 Hofstra
2. Zach Ededy 23.7 Purdue
3. Tommy Bruner 23.6 Denver
4. Jordan Johnson 23.3 New Orleans
5. Xavier Johnson 23.1 Southern Illinois
6. Tyson Acuff 22.8 Eastern Michigan
TYSON ACUFF, 3RD IN NATION'S PPG IN LAST 5
Junior Tyson Acuff is averaging 26.8 points per game in his last five contests, which ranks third in the nation during that span.
1. Tyler Thomas 27.2 Hofstra
2. Xavier Johnson 27.0 Southern Illinois
3. Tyson Acuff 26.8 Eastern Michigan
4. R.J. Davis 26.6 North Carolina
5. Zach Edey 25.2 Purdue
TYSON ACUFF, 5TH IN PROGRAM HISTORY PPG
Junior Tyson Acuff's 22.8 ppg would rank fifth in program history for a single season.
1. George Gervin 29.5 1971-72
2. Earl Boykins 25.7 1997-98
3. Kennedy McIntosh 25.4 1970-71
4. Grant Long 23.0 1987-88
5. Tyson Acuff 22.8 2023-24
6. Derrick Dial 20.9 1997-98
TYSON ACUFF, 5-STRAIGHT WITH 23+ POINTS
Junior Tyson Acuff has scored 23-plus points in each of the last five games (31 vs. Cleveland State, Nov. 18; 25 at Detroit Mercy, Nov. 21; 23 at Central Arkansas, Nov. 25; 31 vs. North Dakota, Nov. 26; 24 vs. Lake Superior State, Dec. 1). Acuff is one of seven players in the nation with five showings of 23 or more points and join's North Carolina's R.J. Davis as players with an active streak of five games or more.
Games with 23-plus points in 2023-24:
1. Zach Edey 6 Purdue
2. Tyson Acuff 5* Eastern Michigan
Bruce Thornton 5 Ohio State
Jaedon LeDee 5 San Diego State
Martaz Robinson 5^ Delaware State
R.J. Davis 5* North Carolina
Tommy Bruner 5 Denver
*active streak of five games with 23-plus points
^active streak of four games with 23-plus points
TYSON ACUFF GOES FOR 31 POINTS (x2)
Junior Tyson Acuff has a pair of 31-point performances in 2023-24 as he netted 31 against North Dakota, Nov. 26, on a blistering 12-for-19 showing from the floor. He also scored 31 points in EMU's 69-62 victory over Cleveland State, Nov. 18, in an 11-for-17 shooting performance. Acuff has netted 30-plus point games four times in his career, all of which have come at EMU. Acuff, the University of Denver's Tauko Tainamo; Drake University's Tucker DeVries; Georgetown University's Jayden Epps; Jacksonville University's Ken Evans, Jr.; and McNeese State University's Shahada Evans are the nation's only players to have multiple 31-point performances this season.
TYSON ACUFF 100+ CAREER THREE-POINTERS
Junior Tyson Acuff surpassed 100 career three-point makes with his five made three-pointers against North Dakota, Nov. 26, and sits at 106 career three-pointers made. Acuff is at 849 career points. Acuff netted 38 three-pointers and 239 points in his two seasons at Duquesne. Acuff has knocked in multiple three-pointers in each of the last six games.
SEEKING 4-0 HOME START
Eastern Michigan is seeking a 4-0 start at home for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons after EMU defeated Georgia Southern, Nov. 11; Cleveland State, Nov. 18.; and Lake Superior State, Dec. 1. EMU has a 3-0 start a home for the 11th time in the last 13 seasons. EMU started 1-1 at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in 2022-23 after topping Wayne State University, Nov. 7, 2022, before falling vs. University of California San Diego, Nov. 11, 2022. EMU won five-straight to open the 2021-22 home slate. EMU had a streak of eight-straight seasons with a 4-0 or better start at home starting with the 2012-13 campaign.
JALIN BILLINGSLEY: 11 POINTS AND MORE VS. LSSU
Junior Jalin Billingsley netted a season-high 11 points in the Eagles' 68-53 win over LSSU, Dec. 1. Billingsley also recorded a season-high six rebounds and dished out a career-high three assists.
YUSUF JIHAD: 12 POINTS, 8 REBOUNDS VS. LSSU
Junior Yusuf Jihad equaled his season high with 12 points in EMU's 68-53 win over LSSU, Dec. 1, while hauling in a career-high eight rebounds. Jihad also scored 12 points against Cleveland State, Nov. 18.
YUSUF JIHAD, 9+ POINTS IN SIX-OF-EIGHT
Junior Yusuf Jihad has scored at least nine points in six of the team's eight contests, highlighted by a pair of 12-points showing against Lake Superior State, Dec. 1, and Central Arkansas, Nov. 25, respectively. Jihad had just four performances of nine-plus points in his previous 65 games played, all of which came in 2022-23.
YUSUF JIHAD AGAINST HIS FORMER TEAM
Junior Yusuf Jihad will play against his former school as the Eagles take on Oakland, Dec. 8. Jihad was rostered by the Golden Grizzlies for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. He did not see time in 2019-20 but appeared in 17 games for Oakland in 2020-21, averaging 1.5 points per game. Jihad had two points and two rebounds over seven minutes of action when EMU fell at Oakland, 92-90, Nov. 19, 2022, in Jihad's second season in Ypsilanti.
CYRIL MARTYNOV: CAREER-HIGHS VS. LSSU
Sophomore Cyril Martynov recorded a career-high eight points and a career-high six rebounds in EMU's 68-53 win over LSSU, Dec. 1. Martynov also equaled his career high with three made field goals in his first career start.
TWO DERIK PRANGER BLOCKS VS. LSSU
Redshirt freshman Derik Pranger blocked a pair of shots in the Eagles' 68-53 win over Lake Superior State, Dec. 1. The blocks were the first of his career. Pranger joins junior Yusuf Jihad (Nov. 18 vs. Cleveland State) and freshman Arne Osojnik (Nov. 26 vs. North Dakota) as Eagles to record two blocks in a game this season.
TEN DIFFERENT PLAYERS IN STARTING LINEUP
Eastern Michigan, which used five different lineups in the opening five games of the 2023-24 season, has used 10 different players in the starting lineup this season. Junior Tyson Acuff is the lone Eagle to start every game while freshman Arne Osojnik has started seven games after not starting the season-opening game at Butler, Nov. 6. Redshirt sophomore Legend Geeter started the season's first seven games but did not make the start against Lake Superior State, Dec. 1. Redshirt junior Julius Ellerbe ranks fourth on the team with five starts and junior Yusuf Jihad is fifth with four starts. Redshirt juniors John McGriff and Connor Serven each have three starts. Junior Jalin BIllingsley and sophomores Orlando Lovejoy and Cyril Martynov all have one start apeice as Lovejoy and Marynov made their first starts of the season against LSSU, Dec. 1.
THREE EAGLES WITH 10+ POINTS, FIVE IN A ROW
The Eagles, which had two players in double-digits in points in each of the first three games, have put together five-straight games of having a trio of Eagles score double-digit points. Junior Tyson Acuff scored double-figures in all five contests while junior Yusuf Jihad scored 10-plus points in three of the games while freshman Arne Osojnik scored double-figures twice in the four-game stretch. Redshirt junior John McGriff and Julius Ellerbe, junior Jalen Billingsley, and redshirt sophomore Legend Geeter each tallied at least 10 points once during the four most recent games.
BACK-TO-BACK ROAD WINS
After topping Detroit Mercy, 76-72, Nov. 21, and Central Arkansas, 74-71, Nov. 25, Eastern Michigan has back-to-back road wins for the first time since 2017-18 when the Eagles beat Central Michigan, Feb. 17, 2018, and Western Michigan, Feb. 27, 2018. Eastern is looking for back-to-back non-conference road wins for the first time since 2007-08 when the Eagles beat Manhattan, Nov. 21, 2007, and St. Bonaventure, Nov. 24, 2007. EMU will go for its third-straight non-conference road win against Michigan, Dec. 16.
THR33-POINT STR3AK, 590-STRAIGHT GAM3S
Eastern, which hit six threes against Lake Superior State, Nov. 26, has now hit at least one triple in 590-straight games. EMU last failed to score from downtown Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami held the Eagles to 0-of-7 from behind the arc.
MICHIGAN MATCH-UPS
The Eagles are scheduled to play five in-state opponents in non-conference action with contests against Detroit Mercy (Nov. 21), Lake Superior State (Dec. 1), Oakland (Dec. 8), Michigan (Dec. 16), and Northwood (Dec. 30). EMU last played five in-state foes during the non-conference slate in 2019-20, going 4-1 in such contests. EMU topped Detroit Mercy, 76-72, Nov. 21. The Eagles moved to 2-0 in such games with a 68-53 win over LSSU, Dec. 1.
SWEET HOME MICHIGAN IN DECEMBER
Eastern Michigan is scheduled to play five games in December, all of which will occur in Michigan. The Eagles host Lake Superior State (Dec. 1), Oakland (Dec. 8), Hampton (Dec. 21), and Northwood (Dec. 30) while also traveling to Michigan (Dec. 16). The last time EMU stayed in Michigan for the entirety of a month while playing at least five games was November 2015, when Eastern played six contests in Michigan, four of which were played on its home floor. Eastern Michigan did not leave the Mitten State until Jan. 12, 2021, during the 2020-21 COVID-influenced season, but the Eagles played one game in November and four games in December, respectively.
NEW FOE, WHO DIS?
The Eagles played three first-time opponents as they met Butler (Nov. 6), Georgia Southern (Nov. 11), and Central Arkansas (Nov. 25). EMU dropped a 94-55 decision against Butler before beating Georgia Southern, 70-60. The Eagles edged Central Arkansas, 74-71.
MT. MARTYNOV, SEVEN-FOOTER
Sophomore Cyril Martynov stands at seven feet tall and is one of five players in the MAC scaling at least seven feet, per each MAC school's official website. Miami's Reece Potter is the tallest in the conference at 7-foot-1 while Bowling Green's Jason Spurgin, Central Michigan's Hunter Harding, and Western Michigan's Javonte Brown are all 7-foot.
WHO'S BACK??
EMU returns 10 players from its 2022-23 roster including juniors Tyson Acuff, Jalin Billingsley, Yusuf Jihad, Kevin-David Rice, and Andrew Wells; redshirt sophomores Legend Geeter, Javantae Randle, and Prakash Ketterhagen; sophomore Orlando Lovejoy; and redshirt freshman Derik Pranger.
WHO'S GONE??
EMU lost six players from its 2022-23 roster including Emoni Bates (2nd Round pick in NBA Draft), Noah Farrakhan (transfer to West Virginia), Derek Ballard Jr. (graduation), Luka Savicevic (transfer to Lafayette), Collin Golson Jr. (transfer to Wayne State), and JZ Zaher (transfer to Bowling Green).
WHAT'S GONE??
EMU lost 1,114 of its 2,239 points (49.8%) from the 2022-23 season, most notably being the program's 15th NBA draftee as Emoni Bates was picked in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers (49th overall).
FRESH FACES
EMU added six newcomers to its 2023-24 roster including redshirt juniors John McGriff (Binghamton), Julius Ellerbe (East Central CC), Connor Serven (Illinois), and Micah Schnyders (Wheaton College), sophomore Cyril Martynov (Georgia Tech), and freshman Arne Osojnik (Ljubljana, Slovenia).
HALF MICHIGAN-MADE
Half of the Eastern Michigan 16-player roster hails from Michigan while Illinois (two), Maryland (two), Colorado (one) are represented, as well as a pair of international student-athletes with one from Canada and another from Slovenia. A complete breakdown of the EMU roster can be found on page 12.
DOUBLEHEADER DAY
The Eagles are scheduled to play five double-headers with the EMU women's basketball team in 2023-24 with four of the five double-headers taking place in Ypsilanti. Both the EMU men's and women's teams will play Nov.18 (men vs. Cleveland State, women vs. SIUE), Jan. 6 (men vs. Kent State, women vs. Toledo), Jan. 20 (at Ohio), Jan. 27 (men vs. Buffalo, women vs. Ball State), Feb. 17 (men vs. Bowling Green, women vs. Northern Illinois). The EMU men also hosted a doubleheader with the EMU's volleyball team, Nov. 11.
Men's basketball beat Georgia Southern, 70-60, while volleyball beat Kent State in straight sets, Nov. 11.
Men's basketball beat Cleveland State, 69-62, Nov.18, while women's basketball topped SIUE, 68-65.
EMONI BATES NBA + G-LEAGUE
Former Eagle Emoni Bates played his first significant minutes in the NBA, Oct. 31, for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the New York Knicks as the rookie netted nine points with six rebounds in 23 minutes. Bates later sent shockwaves through the G-League in his first game with the Cleveland Charge, scoring 29 points with seven made three-pointers, Nov. 10, in Cleveland's 119-106 win over the Wisconsin Herd. Bates is averaging a league-leading 27.3 points per game and has four outings of 29-plus points for the Charge.
NEXT UP
Eastern Michigan is scheduled travel down the road to the University of Michigan Saturday, Dec. 16, for a 2:30 p.m. contest.
FOLLOW US
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
ON AIR
Eastern Michigan and Oakland will air on ESPN+. Ryan Wooley and Reggie Butler will be on the call. Tom Helmer will have the call live on WEMU Radio (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network App.
OPENING TIPS
» Eastern Michigan played a quality second half to defeat Lake Superior State University, 68-53, Dec. 1, as junior Tyson Acuff scored 24 points after the teams were knotted at 29-29 after 20 minutes. Junior Yusuf Jihad had a season-high 12 points and a career-high eight rebounds.
» Junior Tyson Acuff is averaging 22.8 points per game through eight games, which leads the MAC and ranks sixth in the nation. Acuff's season has been highlighted by a pair of 31-point performances and his 26.8 points per game in his last five games ranks third in the nation during that span.
» Junior Tyson Acuff has scored 23-plus points in each of the last five games (31 vs. Cleveland State, Nov. 18; 25 at Detroit Mercy, Nov. 21; 23 at Central Arkansas, Nov. 25; 31 vs. North Dakota, Nov. 26; 24 vs. Lake Superior State). Acuff is one of seven players in the nation with five showings of 23 or more points and joins North Carolina's R.J. Davis as the two players in the country with an active streak of five games with 23-plus points.
» Eastern Michigan is seeking a 4-0 start at home for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons after EMU defeated Georgia Southern, Nov. 11; Cleveland State, Nov. 18; and Lake Superior State, Dec. 1. EMU had a streak of nine-straight seasons with a 3-0 or better start at home starting with the 2011-12 campaign.
» Eastern Michigan's Stan Heath is in his third year at the helm of the Eagles, holding a 23-47 record at EMU and 232-254 record over 16 years as a head coach. Fifty of NCAA Division I's head coaches are coaching their alma mater, up from 48 in 2022-23.
TYSON ACUFF, MAC SCORING LEADER AND MORE
Junior Tyson Acuff is averaging 22.8 points per game through eight games, which leads the MAC and ranks sixth in the nation. Acuff's season has been highlighted by a pair of 31-point performances. Acuff is the first Eagle since Brandon Bowdry to score at least 13 points in each of the team's first eight games. Bowdry started the 2009-10 season with 13-straight contests with 14-plus points.
National scoring leaders:
1. Tyler Thomas 24.8 Hofstra
2. Zach Ededy 23.7 Purdue
3. Tommy Bruner 23.6 Denver
4. Jordan Johnson 23.3 New Orleans
5. Xavier Johnson 23.1 Southern Illinois
6. Tyson Acuff 22.8 Eastern Michigan
TYSON ACUFF, 3RD IN NATION'S PPG IN LAST 5
Junior Tyson Acuff is averaging 26.8 points per game in his last five contests, which ranks third in the nation during that span.
1. Tyler Thomas 27.2 Hofstra
2. Xavier Johnson 27.0 Southern Illinois
3. Tyson Acuff 26.8 Eastern Michigan
4. R.J. Davis 26.6 North Carolina
5. Zach Edey 25.2 Purdue
TYSON ACUFF, 5TH IN PROGRAM HISTORY PPG
Junior Tyson Acuff's 22.8 ppg would rank fifth in program history for a single season.
1. George Gervin 29.5 1971-72
2. Earl Boykins 25.7 1997-98
3. Kennedy McIntosh 25.4 1970-71
4. Grant Long 23.0 1987-88
5. Tyson Acuff 22.8 2023-24
6. Derrick Dial 20.9 1997-98
TYSON ACUFF, 5-STRAIGHT WITH 23+ POINTS
Junior Tyson Acuff has scored 23-plus points in each of the last five games (31 vs. Cleveland State, Nov. 18; 25 at Detroit Mercy, Nov. 21; 23 at Central Arkansas, Nov. 25; 31 vs. North Dakota, Nov. 26; 24 vs. Lake Superior State, Dec. 1). Acuff is one of seven players in the nation with five showings of 23 or more points and join's North Carolina's R.J. Davis as players with an active streak of five games or more.
Games with 23-plus points in 2023-24:
1. Zach Edey 6 Purdue
2. Tyson Acuff 5* Eastern Michigan
Bruce Thornton 5 Ohio State
Jaedon LeDee 5 San Diego State
Martaz Robinson 5^ Delaware State
R.J. Davis 5* North Carolina
Tommy Bruner 5 Denver
*active streak of five games with 23-plus points
^active streak of four games with 23-plus points
TYSON ACUFF GOES FOR 31 POINTS (x2)
Junior Tyson Acuff has a pair of 31-point performances in 2023-24 as he netted 31 against North Dakota, Nov. 26, on a blistering 12-for-19 showing from the floor. He also scored 31 points in EMU's 69-62 victory over Cleveland State, Nov. 18, in an 11-for-17 shooting performance. Acuff has netted 30-plus point games four times in his career, all of which have come at EMU. Acuff, the University of Denver's Tauko Tainamo; Drake University's Tucker DeVries; Georgetown University's Jayden Epps; Jacksonville University's Ken Evans, Jr.; and McNeese State University's Shahada Evans are the nation's only players to have multiple 31-point performances this season.
TYSON ACUFF 100+ CAREER THREE-POINTERS
Junior Tyson Acuff surpassed 100 career three-point makes with his five made three-pointers against North Dakota, Nov. 26, and sits at 106 career three-pointers made. Acuff is at 849 career points. Acuff netted 38 three-pointers and 239 points in his two seasons at Duquesne. Acuff has knocked in multiple three-pointers in each of the last six games.
SEEKING 4-0 HOME START
Eastern Michigan is seeking a 4-0 start at home for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons after EMU defeated Georgia Southern, Nov. 11; Cleveland State, Nov. 18.; and Lake Superior State, Dec. 1. EMU has a 3-0 start a home for the 11th time in the last 13 seasons. EMU started 1-1 at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in 2022-23 after topping Wayne State University, Nov. 7, 2022, before falling vs. University of California San Diego, Nov. 11, 2022. EMU won five-straight to open the 2021-22 home slate. EMU had a streak of eight-straight seasons with a 4-0 or better start at home starting with the 2012-13 campaign.
JALIN BILLINGSLEY: 11 POINTS AND MORE VS. LSSU
Junior Jalin Billingsley netted a season-high 11 points in the Eagles' 68-53 win over LSSU, Dec. 1. Billingsley also recorded a season-high six rebounds and dished out a career-high three assists.
YUSUF JIHAD: 12 POINTS, 8 REBOUNDS VS. LSSU
Junior Yusuf Jihad equaled his season high with 12 points in EMU's 68-53 win over LSSU, Dec. 1, while hauling in a career-high eight rebounds. Jihad also scored 12 points against Cleveland State, Nov. 18.
YUSUF JIHAD, 9+ POINTS IN SIX-OF-EIGHT
Junior Yusuf Jihad has scored at least nine points in six of the team's eight contests, highlighted by a pair of 12-points showing against Lake Superior State, Dec. 1, and Central Arkansas, Nov. 25, respectively. Jihad had just four performances of nine-plus points in his previous 65 games played, all of which came in 2022-23.
YUSUF JIHAD AGAINST HIS FORMER TEAM
Junior Yusuf Jihad will play against his former school as the Eagles take on Oakland, Dec. 8. Jihad was rostered by the Golden Grizzlies for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. He did not see time in 2019-20 but appeared in 17 games for Oakland in 2020-21, averaging 1.5 points per game. Jihad had two points and two rebounds over seven minutes of action when EMU fell at Oakland, 92-90, Nov. 19, 2022, in Jihad's second season in Ypsilanti.
CYRIL MARTYNOV: CAREER-HIGHS VS. LSSU
Sophomore Cyril Martynov recorded a career-high eight points and a career-high six rebounds in EMU's 68-53 win over LSSU, Dec. 1. Martynov also equaled his career high with three made field goals in his first career start.
TWO DERIK PRANGER BLOCKS VS. LSSU
Redshirt freshman Derik Pranger blocked a pair of shots in the Eagles' 68-53 win over Lake Superior State, Dec. 1. The blocks were the first of his career. Pranger joins junior Yusuf Jihad (Nov. 18 vs. Cleveland State) and freshman Arne Osojnik (Nov. 26 vs. North Dakota) as Eagles to record two blocks in a game this season.
TEN DIFFERENT PLAYERS IN STARTING LINEUP
Eastern Michigan, which used five different lineups in the opening five games of the 2023-24 season, has used 10 different players in the starting lineup this season. Junior Tyson Acuff is the lone Eagle to start every game while freshman Arne Osojnik has started seven games after not starting the season-opening game at Butler, Nov. 6. Redshirt sophomore Legend Geeter started the season's first seven games but did not make the start against Lake Superior State, Dec. 1. Redshirt junior Julius Ellerbe ranks fourth on the team with five starts and junior Yusuf Jihad is fifth with four starts. Redshirt juniors John McGriff and Connor Serven each have three starts. Junior Jalin BIllingsley and sophomores Orlando Lovejoy and Cyril Martynov all have one start apeice as Lovejoy and Marynov made their first starts of the season against LSSU, Dec. 1.
THREE EAGLES WITH 10+ POINTS, FIVE IN A ROW
The Eagles, which had two players in double-digits in points in each of the first three games, have put together five-straight games of having a trio of Eagles score double-digit points. Junior Tyson Acuff scored double-figures in all five contests while junior Yusuf Jihad scored 10-plus points in three of the games while freshman Arne Osojnik scored double-figures twice in the four-game stretch. Redshirt junior John McGriff and Julius Ellerbe, junior Jalen Billingsley, and redshirt sophomore Legend Geeter each tallied at least 10 points once during the four most recent games.
BACK-TO-BACK ROAD WINS
After topping Detroit Mercy, 76-72, Nov. 21, and Central Arkansas, 74-71, Nov. 25, Eastern Michigan has back-to-back road wins for the first time since 2017-18 when the Eagles beat Central Michigan, Feb. 17, 2018, and Western Michigan, Feb. 27, 2018. Eastern is looking for back-to-back non-conference road wins for the first time since 2007-08 when the Eagles beat Manhattan, Nov. 21, 2007, and St. Bonaventure, Nov. 24, 2007. EMU will go for its third-straight non-conference road win against Michigan, Dec. 16.
THR33-POINT STR3AK, 590-STRAIGHT GAM3S
Eastern, which hit six threes against Lake Superior State, Nov. 26, has now hit at least one triple in 590-straight games. EMU last failed to score from downtown Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami held the Eagles to 0-of-7 from behind the arc.
MICHIGAN MATCH-UPS
The Eagles are scheduled to play five in-state opponents in non-conference action with contests against Detroit Mercy (Nov. 21), Lake Superior State (Dec. 1), Oakland (Dec. 8), Michigan (Dec. 16), and Northwood (Dec. 30). EMU last played five in-state foes during the non-conference slate in 2019-20, going 4-1 in such contests. EMU topped Detroit Mercy, 76-72, Nov. 21. The Eagles moved to 2-0 in such games with a 68-53 win over LSSU, Dec. 1.
SWEET HOME MICHIGAN IN DECEMBER
Eastern Michigan is scheduled to play five games in December, all of which will occur in Michigan. The Eagles host Lake Superior State (Dec. 1), Oakland (Dec. 8), Hampton (Dec. 21), and Northwood (Dec. 30) while also traveling to Michigan (Dec. 16). The last time EMU stayed in Michigan for the entirety of a month while playing at least five games was November 2015, when Eastern played six contests in Michigan, four of which were played on its home floor. Eastern Michigan did not leave the Mitten State until Jan. 12, 2021, during the 2020-21 COVID-influenced season, but the Eagles played one game in November and four games in December, respectively.
NEW FOE, WHO DIS?
The Eagles played three first-time opponents as they met Butler (Nov. 6), Georgia Southern (Nov. 11), and Central Arkansas (Nov. 25). EMU dropped a 94-55 decision against Butler before beating Georgia Southern, 70-60. The Eagles edged Central Arkansas, 74-71.
MT. MARTYNOV, SEVEN-FOOTER
Sophomore Cyril Martynov stands at seven feet tall and is one of five players in the MAC scaling at least seven feet, per each MAC school's official website. Miami's Reece Potter is the tallest in the conference at 7-foot-1 while Bowling Green's Jason Spurgin, Central Michigan's Hunter Harding, and Western Michigan's Javonte Brown are all 7-foot.
WHO'S BACK??
EMU returns 10 players from its 2022-23 roster including juniors Tyson Acuff, Jalin Billingsley, Yusuf Jihad, Kevin-David Rice, and Andrew Wells; redshirt sophomores Legend Geeter, Javantae Randle, and Prakash Ketterhagen; sophomore Orlando Lovejoy; and redshirt freshman Derik Pranger.
WHO'S GONE??
EMU lost six players from its 2022-23 roster including Emoni Bates (2nd Round pick in NBA Draft), Noah Farrakhan (transfer to West Virginia), Derek Ballard Jr. (graduation), Luka Savicevic (transfer to Lafayette), Collin Golson Jr. (transfer to Wayne State), and JZ Zaher (transfer to Bowling Green).
WHAT'S GONE??
EMU lost 1,114 of its 2,239 points (49.8%) from the 2022-23 season, most notably being the program's 15th NBA draftee as Emoni Bates was picked in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers (49th overall).
FRESH FACES
EMU added six newcomers to its 2023-24 roster including redshirt juniors John McGriff (Binghamton), Julius Ellerbe (East Central CC), Connor Serven (Illinois), and Micah Schnyders (Wheaton College), sophomore Cyril Martynov (Georgia Tech), and freshman Arne Osojnik (Ljubljana, Slovenia).
HALF MICHIGAN-MADE
Half of the Eastern Michigan 16-player roster hails from Michigan while Illinois (two), Maryland (two), Colorado (one) are represented, as well as a pair of international student-athletes with one from Canada and another from Slovenia. A complete breakdown of the EMU roster can be found on page 12.
DOUBLEHEADER DAY
The Eagles are scheduled to play five double-headers with the EMU women's basketball team in 2023-24 with four of the five double-headers taking place in Ypsilanti. Both the EMU men's and women's teams will play Nov.18 (men vs. Cleveland State, women vs. SIUE), Jan. 6 (men vs. Kent State, women vs. Toledo), Jan. 20 (at Ohio), Jan. 27 (men vs. Buffalo, women vs. Ball State), Feb. 17 (men vs. Bowling Green, women vs. Northern Illinois). The EMU men also hosted a doubleheader with the EMU's volleyball team, Nov. 11.
Men's basketball beat Georgia Southern, 70-60, while volleyball beat Kent State in straight sets, Nov. 11.
Men's basketball beat Cleveland State, 69-62, Nov.18, while women's basketball topped SIUE, 68-65.
EMONI BATES NBA + G-LEAGUE
Former Eagle Emoni Bates played his first significant minutes in the NBA, Oct. 31, for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the New York Knicks as the rookie netted nine points with six rebounds in 23 minutes. Bates later sent shockwaves through the G-League in his first game with the Cleveland Charge, scoring 29 points with seven made three-pointers, Nov. 10, in Cleveland's 119-106 win over the Wisconsin Herd. Bates is averaging a league-leading 27.3 points per game and has four outings of 29-plus points for the Charge.
NEXT UP
Eastern Michigan is scheduled travel down the road to the University of Michigan Saturday, Dec. 16, for a 2:30 p.m. contest.
FOLLOW US
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
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2025-26 Field of 68 Men's Basketball Preview: Eastern Michigan Eagles
Tuesday, October 21
Men's Basketball Alumni Game All Call
Tuesday, October 21
2025 E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony
Saturday, October 11
E-Club Hall of Fame Class of 2025 Cinematic Recap
Saturday, October 11