Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Kent State
Eastern MBB Returns to the Road to Face Kent State Friday
2/15/2023 5:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eagles and Golden Flashes set to meet on CBS Sports Network at 6 p.m.
| Men's Basketball at Kent State | |
| Date | Friday, Feb. 17 | 6 p.m. |
| Venue | Kent, Ohio | M.A.C. Center |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes (PDF) | Media Guide (PDF) | Digital Game Programs |
| Live Stats | Fan Stats | Media Stats |
| Watch | CBS Sports Network |
| Listen | WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) | The Varsity Network App | Eastern Insider Podcast |
| @EMU_MBB | @EMUAthletics | |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team returns to the road Friday, Feb. 17, as the Eagles are set to meet Kent State University inside the M.A.C. Center in Kent, Ohio, for a 6 p.m. Mid-American Conference game. The Eagles (6-20, 3-10 MAC) are looking to get back into the win column and work toward a berth in the MAC Tournament (March 9-11) while the Golden Flashes (21-5, 11-2 MAC) will try to remain undefeated on their home floor (12-0).
The game will be broadcast live to national television audience on CBS Sports Network while Tom Helmer, the Voice of the Eagles, will have the radio call on WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app.
OPENING TIPS:
» Eastern is coming off a 78-51 loss at home to Akron, Feb. 14. Emoni Bates led the way with 13 points while Noah Farrakhan chipped in 11.
» Eastern is two games out of the eighth position in the MAC standings with five games to play. Through games played Feb. 14, four teams have clinched berths into the MAC Tournament (Kent State, Toledo, Ball State, and Akron) with four more spots up for grabs.
» The Eagles and Golden Flashes are meeting for the second time this season with KSU taking the first game, 77-63, Jan. 17, in Ypsilanti.
» Emoni Bates reached the 500-point marker on the season with his 13 points against Akron. He is ranked sixth on the program's sophomore season scoring ledger at 505 points and needs just five more to move into fifth on the listing.
» Bates is 20 points away from the No. 100 position on the program's all-time scoring list and 93 points away from tying for the 10th-best single-season scoring total (Brandon Bowdry, 598, 2010-11).
» The Eagles finished 1-of-15 from three-point range against Akron, Feb. 14, but that one make improved the team's streak to 577 games in a row with at least one made triple.
MAN OF THE HOUR: Tyson Acuff combined to average 35.5 points per game, while shooting an incredible .692 from the field and .647 from three-point territory last week, which earned him Mid-American Conference Co-Player of the Week, the league announced Feb. 13. Acuff, who also shot 85.7% from the free-throw line over the two games last week at Buffalo, Feb. 7, and at home against Toledo, Feb. 11, shared the honor with Ohio's Jaylin Hunter.
ON THE AIR: The game at Kent State, Feb. 17, will mark the fifth time Eastern has played before a national television audience and its third game on CBS Sports Network. The Eagles played a pair of games on ESPNU earlier in the year, including their 88-83 loss to then-No. 22 Michigan, Nov. 11, before a loss at Akron, Jan. 13. The Eagles' first CBS Sports Network game came Jan. 24 at Toledo, an 84-79 loss in which Emoni Bates scored a career-high 43 points. That was followed by a tough, 91-90 overtime loss at Ball State, Feb. 3.
IN THE STANDINGS: With five games remaining on the conference schedule, the field for the 2023 MAC Tournament is starting to take shape as four teams (Akron, Ball State, Kent State, and Toledo) have clinched berths into the tournament and the remaining eight teams still in contention for the final four positions. The Eagles are currently two games out of the eighth position in the standings and have games remaining against KSU (tied for first), Western Michigan (tied for 11th), Ball State (tied for third), Bowling Green (ninth) and Northern Illinois (tied for fifth).
SCOUTING KENT STATE: The Golden Flashes enter their game with Eastern on a three-game winning streak and stand 21-5 overall with an 11-2 record in Mid-American Conference play. Sporting a perfect 12-0 record at home this year, Kent State is coming off back-to-back road wins, including a 72-65 win at Buffalo, Feb. 10, and an 82-58 defeat of Western Michigan, Feb. 14. Sincere Carry continues to lead the team in scoring, averaging 16.3 points per game while also leading the team with 5.1 assists per contest. Malique Jacobs and Miryne Thomas both are adding double-digit points as well, with Jacobs scoring 12.0 points and pulling down 5.0 rebounds, while Thomas is averaging 11.0 points and 5.2 rebounds.
IN THE RANKINGS: For the third game in a row, Eastern is set to face a team currently ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 rankings as the Golden Flashes hold the No. 8 ranking this week. The previous two games came against No. 18 Akron and then-No. 17 Toledo. The last time Eastern recorded a win over a team in the mid-major rankings came Feb. 19, 2019, in a 76-96 defeat of Toledo. The Rockets, at the time, were ranked No. 12.
IN THE SERIES WITH KENT STATE:
» Kent State leads the all-time series, 48-35, and has won five in a row. The last win in the series for Eastern came Jan. 9, 2021, in a 71-59 home win.
» When playing in Kent, Ohio, the Golden Flashes lead the series, 32-9, and have won nine in a row. The last time the Eagles were victorious at KSU was Feb. 1, 2010, in a 62-59 decision.
CURRENT VERSUS FORMER: Head Coach Stan Heath, who's first head-coaching job came with Kent State during the 2001-02 season, is set to lead his current team against the Golden Flashes for the sixth time. Heath's lone season at KSU saw him lead the Golden Flashes to a 30-6 record with a 17-1 MAC mark and the league crown. The MAC Tournament champion, KSU advanced to the 2002 NCAA Elite Eight, falling to Indiana, 81-69, after wins over Oklahoma State, Alabama, and Pittsburgh.
QUICK REVIEW • AKRON: Eastern Michigan fell, 78-51, to Akron, Feb. 14, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. The Eagles (6-20, 3-10 MAC) had two players score in double figures, led by Emoni Bates, who had 13 points and two blocks. Fellow backcourt player Noah Farrakhan added 11 points, and Kevin-David Rice added four points.
A back-and forth affair to start, Eastern Michigan kept the game within five points for the majority of the first 20 minutes before falling behind, 29-20, heading into the half. Despite scoring 18 points in the paint over the final 20 minutes of play, Eastern Michigan could not pull any closer in the second half, losing by a final of 78-51.
WAY DOWNTOWN: The Eagles connected on one three-point shots at home against Akron, Feb. 14, to extend the program's streak to 577 games in a row with at least one triple drained. Emoni Bates connected on the lone deep shot of the night with 10:58 remaining in the game against the Zips to extend the streak. The last time the EMU failed to hit a three was Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami held Eastern to 0-of-7.
FROM THE STRIPE: Eastern has found great success from the free throw line this year with the Eagles converting 76.5 percent, which ranks second in the MAC and 26th nationally. Through 26 games played (Feb. 11), the Eagles have made their way to the stripe 20+ times in 12 games, including in seven of the last 11 games, in which Eastern is converting at 77.2 percent in those games. In four of the 12 games EMU has shot more than 20 free throws, it has converted over 85.0 percent of their chances after shooting 18-of-21(85.7 percent) at Miami, Jan. 28.
The Eagles do lead the MAC in free throw shooting in conference games, connecting on 78.1 percent of their free throws, bettering the 77.0 shooting by Akron, who sits second in league games.
MOVING UP: The Eagles are currently hitting at a 76.5 percent clip from the free throw line this season. As it stands, the current Eagles have the best shooting percentage from the line in program history with the 2020-21 team's 74.5 percent shooting following its 18 game, COVID-shortened season just behind this year's squad. When looking at teams that played full seasons, the 2007-08 squad leads the way at 72.9 percent following its 31-game slate.
HE'S GOT 5(00) ON IT: With 13 points scored against Akron, Feb. 14, Emoni Bates moved past 500 points on the season. Bates' 505 total points this year currently ranks him sixth on the program's sophomore season scoring list, leaving him four points shy of tying Brian Tolbert (1993-94) for fifth place with 509 points. Bates also is closing in on two more points ledgers this year and, if he maintains his 20.2 points per game scoring average over the final five games of the regular season, he will reach both. First, he is 20 points shy of joining the program's all-time top 100 scorers as his 525 points would tie him with Bryce McBride (2020-22) for 100th. With 93 points the rest of the way, Bates would bring his season total to 598 points, tying him with Brandon Bowdry (2010-11) for 10th on the overall single-season scoring list.
RECORD CHASES: With five games to play in the regular season, Emoni Bates has positioned himself among the top players in program history as he has entered or is nearing the top 10 of several statistical categories. Here is a look at several of those categories:
» Bates' 43 points scored at Toledo, Jan. 24, ranks as the ninth-most in a game at Eastern and the most since Raven Lee scored his school-record 50 points at Central Michigan, Feb. 28, 2017.
» Bates also is 93 points shy of reaching the single-season top 10 list for scoring as Brandon Bowdry sits 10th with 598 points scored in the 2010-11.
» Bates is connecting on 34.6 percent of his three-point shots as he has drained 66 triples on the year. So far, his total leaves him eight shy of reaching the top 10 on the single-season three-point field goals made, with Brian Tolbert sitting 10th with 74 made triples in 1995-96. If Bates, who is averaging 2.7 triples made per game, maintains his current pace, he would add around 20 more threes to his total by the end of the regular season, which would bring his total to 84, the fourth-most in a year.
» Speaking of threes, Bates has twice etched his name on the single-game three-point basket list. He drained a career-high nine shots from downtown at Toledo, Jan. 24, to record the second-highest total in a game after recording the fifth-most makes with eight at South Carolina, Dec. 30.
» Bates currently is averaging 20.2 points per game, which currently ranks as the sixth-highest average in a single season in program history. If he maintains his current pace, he would become the first Eagle to end a campaign averaging 20.0+ points since the 2005-06 season when both John Bowler and Carols Medlock accomplished the feat. If he can stay at or above 21.0 points per game, he would be the first Eagle to do so since Earl Boykins averaged 25.7 points in 1997-98.
STREAKER: According to research compiled by Andrew Weatherman (@andreweatherman), Emoni Bates has two of the longest in what he refers to as "Hero Runs", which is a scoring run of 10-or-more points in a single game. Bates' 29-point run at Toledo, Jan. 24, is the biggest run of the season with Frankie Policelli of Stony Brook ranking second with a 22-point streak. Bates is also on the list a second time, tying for the ninth-longest scoring run with 17 points in a row at South Carolina, Dec. 30. The two games are Bates' highest offensive outputs this year with the 36 scored at USC formerly standing as his career high before his 43-point explosion at UT topped his personal ledger.
DOUBLE LEADER: Through the Buffalo game, Feb. 7, Emoni Bates is leading the team in both scoring and rebounding as the sophomore is averaging 20.2 points and 5.6 rebounds. If he finishes the season leading both, it would mark the first time an Eagle has finished atop both categories in the same year since 2021-22 when Ty Groce averaged 15.2 and 6.9. Should Bates lead both categories and average over 20.0 points per game, he would be the first to do so since John Bowler averaged 20.1 points and 10.8 rebounds during the 2005-06 season.
GETTING HIS: Emoni Bates, who ranks 19th nationally at 20.2 points per game and ranks second in the MAC, hasn't scored all his points in huge outbursts. In the 25 games he has played for the Eagles, Bates has scored at least 10 points 21 times, gone for at least 15 points 19 times and hit for 20 or more 11 times. By reaching the 20-point plateau 11 times, Bates is now tied for the sixth-most such games in Eastern history and is three shy of tying the single-season record (since 1998-99) held by Brandon Bowdry (2010-11) and Ricky Cottrill (2001-02) of 14.
CLIMBING HIGHER: Noah Farrakhan continued his climb up the program's all-time scoring ledger as his 11 points against Akron, Feb. 14, brought his career total to 765 points scored playing for Eastern Michigan (his overall career total is 801 points when including the 36 points he scored at East Carolina). With his 765 points, Farrakhan currently ranks 57th on the program's all-time scoring list. Averaging 12.5 points per game this year, if Farrakhan were to maintain his current scoring average the rest of the regular season, he would reach the top-50 while surpassing 800 points.
NOT ALL SCORING: While Noah Farrakhan continues his climb up the program's all-time scoring ledger, he also continues to assist teammates on their scoring. Through 26 games played this year, Farrakhan has tallied at least one helper in all 26 contests and has dropped at least one dime in 38 consecutive games dating back to last season. In fact, in his two seasons with the Eagles, Farrakhan has recorded at least one assist in 48-of-51 (94.1) games played for Eastern and, when including his one season with East Carolina (2020-21), he has done so in 55-of-63 (87.3) career games.
LOTS OF HELPING: Since the 1998-99 season, several Eagles have strung together streaks of consecutive games with at least one assist with Noah Farrakhan's current streak of 38 games ranks fifth. Next on the list is Tim Bond with 44 games in a row that were built with assists in his final eight games of the 2015-16 season, all 33 games played in 2016-17, and the first three games of the 2017-18 season. Mike Talley holds the record as he assisted in all 72 games he played for EMU, including 37 games in 2013-14 and 35 games in 2014-15.
HE'S HEATING UP: In his first two seasons of collegiate play at Duquesne, Tyson Acuff recorded seven games with double-digit points in the 48 he played with a then-career-high 16 points. In 25 games this year with the Eagles, Acuff has found his scoring touch as he has recorded eight games that would have tied or bettered his previous career best and scored in double figures 16 times, more than doubling his total from DU. Against Ohio, Jan. 31, Acuff not only broke his previous career-high of 25 points (vs. Winthrop, Nov. 23, at Cancun) by scoring 29 points, falling one point shy of his first 30-point performance. After scoring 18 at Ball State, Feb. 3, Acuff not only reached the 30-point barrier, he has done so in back-to-back games with 35 at Buffalo, Feb. 7, and 36 at home against Toledo, Feb. 11.
HE'S ON FIRE: With all the points Tyson Acuff has been scoring, he has been able to add his name to several scoring lists. Since the 1998-99 season, numerous Eagles have one on strong scoring runs with Acuff ranking among the best. In a two-game stretch, Acuff has scored 71 points in his last two contests, tying Raven Lee for the most in back-to-back games after he scored 71 in 2017.
For a three-game stretch, Acuff has tallied 82 points, which is second only to Lee, who tallied 93. When it comes to a four-game run, Acuff holds the top spot with 118 points over his last four games, bettering the previous mark of 113 scored by John Bowler in the final four games of 2006.
ON THE LIST: Tyson Acuff's performance against Toledo, Feb. 11, not only ranks as his best scoring game as a collegiate player, it also ranks among one of the best in the history of Eastern's home gym. On a single-game ledger for games played inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center since its opening in 1998, Acuff's 36 points ties for the sixth most, his 14 field goals are second, his 22 field goal attempts rank tied for 10th, and his seven made three-pointers rank tied for seventh.
Acuff used a strong second half to reach those rankings. In the second half alone, he scored the fourth-most points the Center's history (24), tied for second in field goals made (9) and field goals attempts (15), tied for fifth in three-pointers made (5), and tied for eighth in three-point attempts (8).
THIRTY SOMETHINGS: Entering the season, Noah Farrakhan was the last Eagle to score 30+ points in a game when he tallied 31 at home against Northern Illinois, Feb. 22, 2022. Since then, the Eagles have had six games with one 30-point scorer with Tyson Acuff scoring 35 at Buffalo, Feb. 7, before adding 36 against Toledo at home, Feb. 11, and Emoni Bates adding four games, including 35 at Ball State (Feb. 3), 43 at Toledo (Jan. 24), 36 at South Carolina (Dec. 30) and 30 against Michigan (Nov. 11) in Detroit. Combined, the six games of 30+ scoring is the most in a single season, surpassing the four recorded in the 2001-02 season when Ricky Cottrill posted three games and Steve Pettyjohn had one. Additionally, the duo has combined to score 30+ in three consecutive games after Bates scored 35 at Ball State and Acuff tallied his back-to-back career-high games.
MANAGING WINS: Throughout the nation each year, the managers for the two teams playing will get together and play a game of their own. So far this year, the EMU managers have only been able to play five games, but are currently undefeated at 5-0 following their win over the Ohio managers, Jan. 30. According to Manager Games on Twitter (@ManagerGames_), EMU is currently ranked No. 17 nationally.
HOME COOKING: According to the latest update from College Basketball Reference, Feb. 8, the Eagles currently rank third nationally in regards to points scored per game by in-state players with Eastern averaging 55.2 points per game from its Michigan-born players. Northern Iowa (68.7) and Youngstown State (60.0) rank just ahead of EMU. Additional research through 26 games played shows that those same in-state players have accounted for 75.1 percent of the team's scoring with Michigan-born Eagles having collected 1,435 of the team's 1,910 points.
UP NEXT: Eastern returns to action, Feb. 21, for the first of its two final home games of the 2022-23 season with rival Western Michigan coming to town for a 7 p.m. tip inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Greg Steiner (pxp) and Justin Rose (color) on the call and Dannie Rogers reporting from the sideline. Tom Helmer, the Voice of the Eagles, will have the call on the WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app.
