Eastern Michigan Hosting CMU Tuesday

Men's Basketball vs. Central Michigan
Date	Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m.
Venue	George Gervin GameAbove Center (8,754) \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF)
Live Stats	Live Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	WEMU (89.1 FM) \| The Varsity Network App
Twitter	@EMU_MBB \| @EMUAthletics
Fan Information	Purchase Tickets

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Coming off a thrilling overtime win over Kent State University, Jan. 6, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team will host in-state rival Central Michigan University in Mid-American Conference action, Tuesday, Jan. 8. The game is slated for a 7 p.m. start.

ON AIR
Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan will air on ESPN+ as Ryan Wooley and Justin Rose have the call. Tom Helmer will have the call live on WEMU Radio (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network App.

OPENING TIPS
» Eastern Michigan overcame a 17-point second-half deficit to upend Kent State, 71-69, in overtime, Jan. 6 as sophomore Orlando Lovejoy put home a floating jump shot with two seconds remaining in overtime to lift EMU over the Golden Flashes. Freshman Arne Osojnik drilled a stepback three-pointer with seven seconds to go in regulation to send the game to overtime.
» Central Michigan enters the game 6-8 overall and 1-1 in the MAC after most recently topping Ball State, 71-65, Jan. 6. Notable results for the Chippewas outside of MAC play include 27-plus point losses at Oklahoma, Florida State, Ohio State, and Creighton, respectively.
» Junior Tyson Acuff is averaging 22.7 points per game through 14 games, which leads the MAC and ranks third in the nation. Acuff's season has been highlighted by a trio of 31-point performances (31 vs. Cleveland State, Nov. 18; 31 vs. North Dakota, Nov. 26; 31 at BGSU, Jan. 2).
» Acuff has scored 23-plus points in eight 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; 24 at Michigan, Dec. 16; 29 vs. Hampton, Dec. 21; 31 at BGSU, Jan. 2). Acuff is one of four players in the nation with eight showings of 23 or more points.
» Eastern Michigan's Stan Heath is in his third year at the helm of the Eagles, holding a 25-50 record at EMU and 235-257 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 23.7 points per game through 14 games, which leads the MAC and ranks third in the nation. Acuff's season has been highlighted by a trio of 31-point performances.

National scoring leaders:
1. Tommy Bruner         25.4     Denver
2. Xavier Johnson         24.3     Southern Illinois
3. Tyson Acuff              22.7     Eastern Michigan

TYSON ACUFF: 5TH IN PROGRAM HISTORY PPG
Junior Tyson Acuff's 22.7 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              22.7     2023-24
6. Derrick Dial              20.9     1997-98

TYSON ACUFF: APPROACHING 1000+ CAREER POINTS
Junior Tyson Acuff is at 962 career points. He surpassed 100 career three-point makes with his five made three-pointers against North Dakota, Nov. 26, and sits at 111 career three-pointers made. Acuff netted 38 three-pointers and 239 points in his two seasons at Duquesne. Acuff saw a streak of seven-straight games with multiple made three-pointers come to an end at Michigan, Dec. 16, after an 0-of-7 showing from deep.

TYSON ACUFF: 37.8 MINUTES/GAME
Junior Tyson Acuff, who has played at least 37 minutes in each of his last 10 games, is averaging 37.8 minutes per game. The 37.8 mark leads the MAC and ranks fifth in the country. Acuff's minutes average narrowly edges Ricky Cottrill's mark of 37.7 minutes per game for the most by an Eagle since 2000.

National minutes per game leaders:
1. Ethan Taylor             38.8     Air Force
2. Kareem Thompson 38.8        Oral Roberts
3. Kino Lilly Jr.              38.0     Brown
4. Isaac McBride           37.9     Oral Roberts
5. Tyson Acuff              37.8     Eastern Michigan

TYSON ACUFF, NATION'S LEADER IN FGM/GAME
Junior Tyson Acuff leads the nation in field goals made per game.

National field goals made per game leaders:
1. Tyson Acuff               8.2      Eastern Michigan
2. Hunter Dickinson       8.1      Kansas
3. Tommy Bruner          7.8      Denver
4. Tyler Thomas            7.8      Hofstra

TYSON ACUFF: SIX GAMES WITH 10+ FGM
Junior Tyson Acuff has converted 10-plus field goals in six games this season (11 vs. Cleveland State, Nov. 18; 10 at Detroit Mercy, Nov. 21; 12 vs. North Dakota, Nov. 26; 10 vs. Lake Superior State, Dec. 1; 10 at Michigan, Dec. 16; 13 at BGSU, Jan. 2)

Games with 10-plus field goals made in 2023-24:
1. Tyson Acuff                6        Eastern Michigan
    Tommy Bruner           6        Denver
3. Marcus Hill                 5        Bowling Green
    Jalen Blackmon           5        Stetson

TYSON ACUFF, 8 GAMES WITH 23+ POINTS
Junior Tyson Acuff has scored 23-plus points in seven of his last eight 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; 24 at Michigan, Dec. 16; 29 vs. Hampton, Dec. 21; 31 at BGSU, Jan. 2). Acuff is one of five players in the nation with eight showings of 23 or more points.

Games with 23-plus points in 2023-24:
1. Tommy Bruner          11       Denver
2. Tyson Acuff                8        Eastern Michigan
    Zach Edey                   8        Purdue
    Xavier Johnson           8        Southern Illinois
    Jalen Blackmon           8        Stetson
    Elijah Pepper              8        UC-Davis

TYSON ACUFF GOES FOR 31 POINTS (x3)
Junior Tyson Acuff has a trio of 31-point performances in 2023-24 as he netted 31 against BGSU, Jan. 1. He also had 31 against North Dakota, Nov. 26, on a blistering 12-for-19 showing from the floor and 31 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 five times in his career, all of which have come at EMU. Acuff is one of four players in the nation and the only player in the MAC with three-plus 31-point showings.

Games with 31-plus points in 2023-24:
1. Tommy Bruner           5        Denver
    Xavier Johnson           5        Southern Illinois
3. Tyson Acuff                3        Eastern Michigan
    Jalen Blackmon           3        Stetson

17-POINT SECOND-HALF COMEBACK VS. KENT STATE
Eastern Michigan trailed 49-32 with 13:24 left in regulation before the Eagles rallied to force overtime in the 71-69 victory over Kent State, Jan. 6. ESPN Analytics gave the Eagles just a 1.6% chance of winning with 13 minutes left in regulation. EMU's win when trailing by 17 in the second half was the largest of its kind since upending Akron, Mar. 8, 2018, after trailing by 19 with 12:30 to play in the second half.

BUZZER-BEATERS AGAINST KENT STATE
Eastern Michigan netted two key buzzer-beating shots in the 71-69 win over Kent State, Jan. 6. Freshman Arne Osojnik drilled a step-back three-pointer to tie the game with seven seconds left in regulation. Sophomore Orlando Lovejoy knocked home a floating jump shot with two seconds to play in overtime to win the game for the Eagles.

EASTERN MICHIGAN VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Eastern Michigan trails in the series against Central Michigan, 101-104. The 205 games played between the teams are far and away the most of any match-up in EMU history, ahead of second-place Western Michigan, which the Eagles have played 119 times. EMU and CMU have played at least once all but 10 years from 1907-now with the gaps being 1943-45 and 1968-74. Tuesday's game will be the 50th-straight year the teams have played each other. The Eagles have won three-straight games in the series, including in the teams' most recent match-up, a 62-56 EMU win in Ypsilanti, Jan. 7, 2023.

AHEAD OF PACE: WINS BY DATE
Eastern Michigan is well ahead of its 2022-23 win pace as the Eagles secured their eighth win of the 2023-24 season, Jan. 6 vs. Northwood, nearly two months earlier in the season compared to the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 Date                    Win Number                       2023-24 Date

Nov. 7 vs. Wayne State             1      Nov. 11 vs. Georgia Southern
Nov. 30 at FIU                              2          Nov. 18 vs. Cleveland State
Dec. 18 vs. Detroit Mercy         3              Nov. 21 at Detroit Mercy
Jan. 7 vs. Central Mich.             4         Nov. 25 at Central Arkansas
Jan. 28 at Miami                          5     Dec. 1 vs. Lake Superior State
Jan. 31 vs. Ohio                           6                      Dec. 21 vs. Hampton
Feb. 21 vs. Western Mich.        7                  Dec. 30 vs. Northwood
Feb. 25 vs. Ball State                  8                       Jan. 6 vs. Kent State

"THIS ONE'S GOING TO OVERTIME" (x2)
EMU has gone to overtime in each of its last two games. The Eagles topped Kent State, 71-69, Jan. 6, after falling at Bowling Green, 92-90, Jan. 2. The games marked the first time EMU has played consecutive games since Jan. 7 and Jan. 10, 2015, in losses against Ball State and Miami, respectively.

EMU has never gone to overtime in three-straight games and last had three overtime games in 2014-15.

CORRELATION AND MAYBE CAUSATION
Some statistics have provided increased insight into whether the Eagles would win or lose:

Did the Eagles.....?                            Yes          No
Lead/tie at halftime                           6-1         2-5
Hold opponent to 71 points or less     7-0         1-6
Shoot better % than opponent           8-1         0-5
Outrebound opponent                       6-1         2-5

Trends were broken in EMU's 92-90 overtime loss against BGSU, Jan. 2, as the Eagles suffered their first loss in three of the above categories. EMU led, 42-34, at halftime; outshot BGSU, .500-.462; and outrebounded the Falcons, 43-41.

EMU's lone win when trailing at the half was a 69-62 win over Cleveland State, Nov. 18, when the Eagles overcame a 32-29 halftime deficit. The Eagles' lone win when being outrebounded was a 74-71 win at Central Arkansas, Nov. 25, as EMU was narrowly outrebounded, 36-35. EMU allowed 72 points to Detroit Mercy but edged the Titans, 76-72, Nov. 21.

TIGHT GAMES GOING TO EASTERN MICHIGAN
EMU has found success in games decided by 10 points or less in 2023-24, holding a 7-2 record in such games. The Eagles' lone loss in the category was a tight 72-70 loss to North Dakota, Nov. 26, as EMU is also 5-2 in games decided by four points or less.

ORLANDO LOVEJOY: 5-STRAIGHT WITH 14+ POINTS
Sophomore Orlando Lovejoy has five-straight games with 14-plus points after he scored 16 points at Michigan, Dec. 16; 15 points against Hampton, Dec. 21; 17 points against Northwood, Dec. 30;14 points at BGSU, Jan. 2; and 16 points against Kent State, Jan. 6. Lovejoy had just two games of 14-plus points in his previous 32 games (18 vs. Wayne State, Nov. 7, 2022; 15 at BGSU, Feb. 28, 2023).

ORLANDO LOVEJOY: CAREER-HIGH 41 MINUTES VS KSU
Sophomore Orlando Lovejoy played a career-high 41 minutes in the win over Kent State, Jan. 6. Lovejoy has reset his career high in minutes played in each of the last three games as he played 40 minutes in the overtime game at BGSU, Jan. 2, after playing 38 minutes against Northwood, Dec. 30.

CONNOR SERVEN: CAREER HIGHS VS. KENT STATE
Redshirt junior Connor Serven recorded numerous career highs in the 71-69 win over Kent State, Jan. 6, highlighted by his 15 points and eight rebounds. Serven slammed home three dunks in his career-high 36 minutes played. Serven converted a career-high five field goals while setting career-highs in free throws made and attempted with a 5-for-5 clip, despite entering the contest with a lackluster 2-for-7 mark from the charity stripe on the season.

LEGEND GEETER: +25, 6 ASSISTS VS. KENT STATE
Redshirt sophomore Legend Geeter produced a robust +25 plus-minus rating in the Eagles' 71-69 victory, Jan. 6. Geeter's +25 was 12 points better than freshman Arne Osojnik's +13 rating for the game's top mark. Geeter had four points, a season-high seven rebounds, and a career-high six assists. Geeter nailed his first three-pointer of the season to cut the EMU deficit to one point with 5:34 left in regulation. Geeter entered the contest 0-for-2 from deep on the season as both attempts came in the season opener at Butler, Nov. 6.

TYSON ACUFF: CAREER-HIGH 7 ASSISTS VS. KENT ST.
Junior Tyson Acuff dished out a career-high seven assists in EMU's 71-69 win over Kent State, Jan. 6. He topped his previous mark of six, which most recently occurred at Ohio University, Jan. 31, 2023. Acuff scored a season-low 11 points but hit a key three-pointer with one minute to play in regulation to cut the EMU deficit to one point.

ACUFF AND GEETER WITH FIVE+ ASSISTS VS. KSU
Junior Tyson Acuff (7) and redshirt sophomore Legend Geeter (6) each had five-plus assists in the 71-69 win over Kent State, Jan. 6, marking the second time the Eagles had two players with at least five assists after Julius Ellerbe and Acuff each had five assists.

ARNE OSOJNIK: T-2ND IN MAC FRESHMEN SCORING
Freshman Arne Osojnik is tied for second in the MAC in scoring by true freshmen, averaging 8.4 points per game.

Freshman MAC scoring leaders (true freshman only):
1. Evan Isparo               9.2      Miami
2. Arne Osojnik            8.43     Eastern Michigan
    Ryan Sabol               8.43     Buffalo
4. Anquan Boldin Jr.      7.6      Buffalo
5. Sonny Wilson            6.9      Toledo

JULIUS ELLERBE: EMU LEADER IN REBOUNDS
Redshirt junior Julius Ellerbe leads the Eagles in rebounds (66, 5.1 rpg) and ranks second in assists (33, 2.5 apg) and. Ellerbe has shown his versatile play in 2023-24, as he has tallied six games with three-plus assists and seven games with six-plus rebounds.

YUSUF JIHAD: 9+ POINTS IN 8-OF-13 GAMES
Junior Yusuf Jihad has scored at least nine points in eight of the team's 14 contests, highlighted by a 15-point showing against his former school, Oakland, Dec. 8, and a second 15-point outing against Northwood, Dec. 30. Jihad had just four performances of nine-plus points, all of which came in 2022-23, in his previous 65 games played.

YUSUF JIHAD: 2ND IN MAC 3PT%
Junior Yusuf Jihad is second in the MAC with an impressive .500 shooting percentage from deep as he is 16-for-32 on three-point attempts. Jihad does not meet the 2.5 three-pointers made per game qualifier, so is therefore not ranked nationally. Jihad was 16-for-44 (.374) on three-point attempts in 2022-23.

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 has 13 starts while Redshirt junior Julius Ellerbe has 10 starts. Junior Yusuf Jihad, redshirt sophomore Legend Geeter, and freshman Arne Osojnik are third on the team with nine starts. Sophomore Cyril Martynov has six starts and sophomore Orlando Lovejoy has five starts. Redshirt junior John McGriff and redshirt junior Connor Serven each have four starts. Junior Jalin Billingsley has one start.

In total, the Eagles have used 10 unique lineups in 13 games. The Acuff-Ellerbe-Geeter-Jihad-Osojnik combo is one of only two lineups used multiple times, recording a 2-1 record. More information can be found on page 10.

THREE EAGLES WITH 10+ POINTS VS KSU
The Eagles had three players (sophomore Orlando Lovejoy, 16; redshirt junior Connor Serven, 15; and junior Tyson Acuff, 11) with double-digit points in the 71-69 win over Kent State, Jan. 6. Four players (Acuff, 31; Lovejoy, 14; Geeter, 12; Osojnik, 11) scored in double figures for the first time this season at BGSU, Jan. 2.

Eagles with 10-plus points in 2023-24 and number of games:
1. Tyson Acuff               13
2. Yusuf Jihad                 6
3. Arne Osojnik               5
    Orlando Lovejoy         4
5. Legend Geeter            4
6. Jalin Billingsley            1
    Julius Ellerbe              1
    John McGriff               1
    Connor Serven            1

THR33-POINT STR3AK, 596-STRAIGHT GAM3S
Eastern, which hit six threes against Kent State, Jan. 6, has now hit at least one triple in 596-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.

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 13.

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 doubleheaders 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.

The men's team is 3-0 in doubleheader games so far in 2023-24.

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 25.5 points per game and has six outings of 29-plus points for the Charge. Bates later scored 38 points in a 116-104 win over the Santa Cruz Warriors, Jan. 6.

NEXT UP
Eastern Michigan is scheduled to travel to Miami University Saturday, Jan. 13, in a 1 p.m. tip in the Eagles' second road contest of MAC play.

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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Players Mentioned

Tyson Acuff

Derek Ballard Jr.

Emoni Bates

Jalin Billingsley

Julius Ellerbe

Noah Farrakhan

Legend Geeter

Yusuf Jihad

Prakash Ketterhagen

Orlando Lovejoy

Cyril Martynov

John McGriff

Arne Osojnik

Derik Pranger

Javantae Randle

Kevin-David Rice

Luka Savicevic

Micah Schnyders

Connor Serven

Andrew Wells

JZ Zaher

Eastern Michigan Athletics