Eastern Michigan Athletics
Men's Basketball Battling Tuskegee at Wayne State Thursday
10/29/2025 5:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Thursday's 7:30 p.m. tip part of "Hoops and Culture" event
| Men's Basketball vs. Tuskegee (at Wayne State) | |
| Date | Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. |
| Venue | Wayne State Fieldhouse (3,000) | Detroit, Mich. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes (PDF) |
| Watch | prysymTV |
| Tickets | Home Game Tickets for the 2025-26 Season |
| @EMU_MBB | @EMUAthletics | |
DETROIT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team is set to face Tuskegee University for a 7:30 p.m. exhibition game Thursday, Oct. 30, for a "Hoops and Culture" event. The event is a partnership between Wayne State University and the Horatio Williams Foundation.
ON AIR
Eastern Michigan and Tuskegee will air on prysymTV. Live stats will also be available on EMUEagles.com.
OPENING TIPS
»Eastern finished 9-9 in MAC play and 16-16 overall in the 2024-25 season and secured its bid to the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2020, playing in postseason competition in Cleveland for the first time since 2018.
»EMU will need to replace key contributors from last year's squad. The Eagles are returning 7.8% of minutes played (502) and 2.9% of points scored (69). Jalen Terry ranked second in the MAC at 16.6 points per game while Da'Sean Nelson was sixth with 16.0 points per game. Both players were named Second Team All-MAC. Christian Henry scored 14.7 points per game and Jalin Billingsley added 10.5 points per game.
»Eastern has a quartet of high-profile road games in the 2025-26 season (Nov. 10 at Pittsburgh, Nov. 24 at #11 Louisville, Nov. 26 at Cincinnati, Dec. 2 at Butler).
»The Eagles were picked ninth in MAC Preseason Poll after placing tied for sixth last season.
»Eastern Michigan has nine players from the state of Michigan, its most since the 2022-23 season (11).
»Eastern Michigan's Stan Heath is in his fifth year at the helm of the Eagles, holding a 47-78 record at EMU and a 256-285 record over 18 years as a collegiate head coach.
WHAT IS EASTERN RETURNING?
Eastern returns four players from its 2024-25 roster. The Eagles are returning 7.8% of minutes played (502) and 2.9% of points scored (69).
» John Shanu II: 287 minutes, 38 points
» Godslove Nwabude: 207 minutes, 29 points
» Cooper Smith: 7 minutes, 2 points
» Mbaye N'Diaye: 1 minute, 0 points
TOUGH ROAD CONTESTS ON THE HORIZON
Eastern will have a quartet of high-profile road games in the 2025-26 season:
» Nov. 10 at Pittsburgh
» Nov. 24 at #11 Louisville
» Nov. 26 at Cincinnati
» Dec. 2 at Butler
Eastern has not played four Power Conference foes in one season since the 2018-19 season when te Eagles took on Duke, Rutgers, TCU, and Kansas, all on the road.
DePAUL DUO --> NORTHWESTERN STATE DUO
Out with one transfer duo and in with another. After DePaul transfers Da'Sean Nelson and Jalen Terry teamed up to both earn Second-Team All-MAC honor in the 2024-25 season, Eastern acquired another transfer duo in the offseason as Northwestern State transfers Addison Patterson and Jon Sanders II decided to become Eagles.
MAC --> EASTERN MICHIGAN
Eastern added a trio of players who were at MAC schools at one point in their careers:
» Mo Habhab: Central Michigan in 2024-25
» Braelon Green: Bowling Green in 2024-25
» Aidan Rubio: Central Michigan in 2023-24
NCAA ELIGIBILITY: PATTERSON AND SMITH
Both Addison Patterson and Cooper Smith had waivers approved by the NCAA to be eligible for the 2025-26 season. EMU compliance officers Alex Hensley and Kayla Gribble played a key role in getting both student-athletes eligible with Patterson's ruling coming exactly one month prior to the first game.
THR33-POINT STR3AK, 646-STRAIGHT GAM3S
Eastern has hit at least one three-pointer in 646-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.
PRESEASON PICKED NINTH
After finishing tied for sixth in 2024-25, EMU was picked ninth in the MAC preseason coaches' poll.
2024-25 MAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
(First Place Votes)
1. Akron (11) – 143
2. Miami (2) – 133
3. Kent State – 122
4. Ohio – 108
5. UMass – 98
6. Toledo – 95
7. Bowling Green – 73
8. Ball State – 62
9. Eastern Michigan – 52
10. Western Michigan – 46
11. Buffalo – 37
12. Central Michigan – 31
13. Northern Illinois – 14
Tournament Champion: Akron (8), Miami (2), Kent State (1), Ohio (1) UMass (1)
The six Ohio schools made up six of the top seven with UMass taking fifth, while the bottom six is filled with the rest of the MAC schools.
STAYING HOME
Eastern Michigan has nine players from the state of Michigan, its most since the 2022-23 season (11).
ANY STAFF CHANGES?
Eastern's staff saw minor changes in the offseason:
» Carlos McMath: promoted to Director of Operations/Assistant Coach from Director of Operations
» Pritish Kokate: promoted to Head Student Manager from Student Manager
» Alex Kling: hired as Graduate Manager
» Shawn McCall: hired as Graduate Manager
EASTERN IN THE MAC-SBC CHALLENGE
Eastern is 2-2 in the MAC-SBC Challenge and 2-0 at home.
Eastern's MAC-SBC Challenge Results:
Date Against Score
Feb. 8, 2025 vs. Old Dominion W, 76-70
Nov. 4, 2024 at Texas State L, 44-64
Feb. 10, 2024 at Louisiana-Monroe L, 76-82
Nov. 11, 2023 Georgia Southern W, 70-60
UP NEXT
Eastern opens its season with a clash against Georgia State University in the MAC-SBC Challenge Monday, Nov. 3, at 6:30 p.m. inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
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).
ODDS AND ENDS
*more info can be found on the player pages, starting page 24
#0 GREGORY LAWSON II
»Gregory Lawson II's uncle is EMU Director of Operations/Assistant Coach Carlos McMath.
»Gregory Lawson II's was an All-State cornerback at Davison High School as a junior before transferring to Faith Family Academy of Oak Cliff in Dallas, Texas, for his senior season on the court.
#1 MAK MANCIEL
»Mak Manciel's father, Mike, played for EMU Assistant Coach Jay Smith when he was the Head Coach at Central Michigan. The Chippewas played Kent State, Feb. 9, 2002, when EMU Head Coach Stan Heath was the Head Coach at Kent State. Heath and the Golden Flashes topped CMU, 96-66 in a game that saw NFL Hall of Famer Antonio Gates score 16 points and 13-year NBA player Chris Kaman netted 26 points. Mike Manciel did not play in the game, which saw Smith get ejected.
»Mak Manciel played two seasons at Detroit Mercy, matching up with Eastern twice but Manciel missed both games due to an injury.
#2 CARLOS HART
»Carlos Hart was an NJCAA Division I All-American at South Georgia State in the 2022-23 season.
#3 MEHKI ELLISON
»Mekhi Ellison shoots with both hands, often shooting with the left hand from long-range and the right hand from mid-range and the free throw line.
»Mekhi Ellison's brother, Malik Ellison, played for Eastern in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
»Mekhi Ellison hit a 50-foot shot at the buzzer with Stetson to upend Eastern Kentucky, Jan. 23, 2025, landing No. 1 on SportsCenter's Top 10.
#4 MO HABHAB
» Mo Habhab missed both games Central Michigan played against EMU last season as he missed the rest of the season due to injury in CMU's season-opening game against South Alabama, Nov. 4.
#5 BRAELON GREEN
»Braelon Green played both games Bowling Green played against Eastern twice in the 2024-25. Green did not score in the BGSU loss, Jan.18, before netting six points in the BGSU win, Feb. 25.
»Braelon Green played one season with Emoni Bates at Ypsilanti Lincoln High School.
»Braelon Green has eight pet snakes.
#7 AIDAN RUBIO
»Aidan Rubio played against EMU twice while at Central Michigan, scoring nine points with four rebounds in the 80-64 CMU win, Jan. 29, 2024. The Chippewas also won, 65-62, March 8, 2024, as Rubio scored six points.
»Aidan Rubio and Macomb CC were the JUCO National Runner-Ups with in the 2022-23 season.
#8 MBAYE N'DIAYE
»Mbaye N'Diaye played for Senegal's U18 team in the 2022 World Cup, averaging 8.3 points per game.
#9 ADDISON PATTERSON
»Addison Patterson, who started his career at Oregon, was the student host when 2025 Second-Team All-MAC guard Jalen Terry visited Oregon, where he also started his career. Terry scored 16.1 points per game for Eastern in the 2024-25 season.
»Addison Patterson was teammates with Jon Sanders II at Northwestern State for the 2024-25 season.
#10 JON SANDERS II
»Jon Sanders II started his collegiate career at East Los Angeles College, the focus of the Netflix series "Last Chance U."
»Jon Sanders II was teammates with Addison Patterson at Northwestern State for the 2024-25 season.
#13 GODSLOVE NWABUDE
»Godslove Nwabude had soccer aspirations, but his neighbors encouraged him to give basketball a try as he continued to grow.
#33 JOHN SHANU II
»John Shanu II missed the 2023-24 season while at UTRGV.
#35 MERRITT ALDERINK
»Merritt Alderink is the first Zeeland West HS player to earn a Division I basketball scholarship.
#45 COOPER SMITH
»Cooper Smith started his collegiate journey at Kalamazoo College and was set to play under his father and current EMU Assistant Coach Jay Smith before he suffered a back injury that resulted in him never suiting up as a Hornet.
»Cooper Smith followed his father to Michigan, where he competed for two seasons. After Juwan Howard was fired at Michigan, the Smiths transitioned over to EMU.
FROM 2024-25
2024-25: 3 EAGLES AVERAGING 14.0+ POINTS
Eastern had three players averaging 14.0 points for the first time since 2017-18 and four players averaging 10.0 points for the first time since 2016-17.
Player PPG 2024-25
Jalen Terry 16.6
Da'Sean Nelson 16.1
Christian Henry 14.7
Jalin Billingsley 10.5
Player PPG 2017-18
Elijah Minnie 16.8
Paul Jackson 14.9
James Thompson 14.5
Player PPG 2016-17
Ray Lee 15.7
Willie Mangum 15.7
James Thompson 14.8
Ty Toney 10.2
2024-25: 10-1 WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
Eastern Michigan was 10-1 when leading at halftime in the 2024-25 season.
While Eastern has had some success when leading at the half under Head Coach Stan Heath, the Eagles were 18-12 when outscoring their opponent in the first half in Heath's first three seasons prior to last season's 10-1 mark bumping that figure up to 28-14 in Heath's tenure.
2024-25: 8-2 IN GAMES DECIDED BY LESS THAN 5
Eastern was 8-2 in games decided by four points or less in the 2024-25 season. The trend has continued from the 2023-24 season when the Eagles were 8-3 in games decided by four points or less.
2024-25: 9-9 IN THE MAC LAST SEASON
Eastern Michigan finished conference play at 9-9 in the MAC for the first time since a 9-9 mark in the 2018-19 season.
2024-25: TERRY AND NELSON SECOND TEAM ALL-MAC
Seniors Jalen Terry and Da'Sean Nelson were each named Second Team All-MAC for the 2024-25 season performances.
Both players averaged 16.8 points per game during conference play as Terry and Nelson mark the first Eastern duo since 2010 (Brandon Bowdry and Carlos Medlock) to each be named at least Second Team All-MAC.
List of Eastern Duos to Both Earn Second-Team All-MAC:
2024-25: Jalen Terry and Da'Sean Nelson
2009-10: Brandon Bowdry and Carlos Medlock
1997-98: Earl Boykins and Derrick Dial
1996-97: Earl Boykins and Derrick Dial
1990-91: Marcus Kennedy, Lorenzo Neely, and Carl Thomas
1987-88: Grant Long and Howard Chambers
1986-87: Grant Long and Mike McCaskill
2024-25: TEAM FREE-THROW SUCCESS
The Eagles' conversion rate last season was third in program history.
Eastern Single-Season Free-Throw Leaders (min. 50 makes):
Season FT-FTA Percent Games
1. 2022-23 441-575 76.7% 30
2. 2020-21 243-326 74.5% 18
3. 2024-25 448-608 73.7% 32
4. 2007-08 465-638 72.9% 31
2024-25: HEATH'S MOST WINS SINCE 2011-12
Head Coach Stan Heath and the Eagles had 16 wins in the 2024-25 season, Heath's most as a collegiate head coach since the 2011-12 season.
YEAR TEAM O'ALL HOME AWAY NEUT
2001-02 KSU 30-6 12-0 10-3 8-3
2002-03 ARK 9-19 8-8 1-9 0-2
2003-04 ARK 12-16 10-6 1-8 1-2
2004-05 ARK 18-12 13-3 2-7 3-2
2005-06 ARK 22-10 15-1 3-5 4-4
2006-07 ARK 21-14 13-3 2-8 6-3
2007-08 USF 12-19 7-8 3-10 2-1
2008-09 USF 9-22 7-7 1-12 1-3
2009-10 USF 20-13 11-5 4-6 5-2
2010-11 USF 10-23 7-9 1-12 2-2
2011-12 USF 22-14 14-2 5-8 3-4
2012-13 USF 12-19 10-8 2-10 0-1
2013-14 USF 12-20 7-10 5-7 0-3
2021-22 EMU 10-21 8-7 2-14 0-0
2022-23 EMU 8-23 6-7 2-13 0-3
2023-24 EMU 13-18 9-6 4-11 0-1
2024-25 EMU 16-16 9-5 6-10 1-1
256-285 166-95 54-152 36-38
EMU's win over Ohio, March 4, also yielded Eastern's six road win of the season, Heath's most road wins since tallying 10 with Elite Eight-qualifying Kent State in the 2001-02 season.
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