Ahead of season opener, men's basketball showcases new talent


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Junior guard Marcus Keene lays the ball in while being defended during the Maroon & Gold Scrimmage on Oct. 23 at McGuirk Arena.

Following a 62-59 loss in the first round of the MAC tournament in March, the Central Michigan men’s basketball team return to the court this season without former captains Chris Fowler, John Simons and Rayshawn Simmons.

The Chippewas open their season with an exhibition game against Slippery Rock on Nov. 5 and begin the regular season on Nov. 11 against Indiana University of Kokomo. Both games will be at McGuirk Arena. 

"It’s an exciting team to be able to coach,” said head coach Keno Davis. “Each day we come back we see something new. If we stay healthy, (this season) we know we can compete with any team in the conference." 

Prior to the start of its season, CMU began the first part of its 2016-17 journey on Sunday night with its annual preseason maroon and gold scrimmage at McGuirk. 

The annual scrimmage pits the teams' starting players on the maroon side against backup players on the gold team.

The maroon side held a commanding 81-51 lead with 10 minutes left in the second half. Davis called the game early. 

After sitting out all of last season due to transfer rules, junior guard Marcus Keene made his debut for the Chippewas during the scrimmage. The Youngstown State transfer will be asked to fill the void left by Fowler.

During the scrimmage, Keene showcased his ability to created scoring opportunities as well as his ability to shoot the ball by hitting a couple of 3-pointers. He also earned cheers from the crowd after a steal and score off of an in-bounds pass. 

Sophomores Hunter Hale and Corey Redman played with energy on the gold team and appeared to be candidates for get minutes off the bench.

Senior guard Braylon Rayson returns as the team’s leading scorer after averaging 16. 3 points per game last season. Rayson also led the team in 3-point shooting percentage at 38-percent.

Junior guard Josh Kozinski was a key perimeter threat last season shooting 36-percent from the 3-point line. During the scrimmage, he went 4-of-6 six from downtown and kept the gold team locking in on him every time he was around the ball. 

The two will enter the season as veteran leaders who will be called upon to play significant roles this season with the departures of Fowler and Simmons. 

 

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