Men’s basketball shows off new faces in Maroon and Gold scrimmage
Senior forward Cecil Williams dunks the basketball during the Maroon and Gold Scrimmage on Oct. 19 in McGuirk Arena.
Several new faces hit the court for the Central Michigan men’s basketball team in the Maroon & Gold Scrimmage on Thursday at McGuirk Arena.
Team Maroon dominated Team Gold, 89-37. The Maroon squad featured some of the starting players, while the Gold team was comprised of mostly reserves.
"Just starting off, it's a pretty exciting time for us," head coach Keno Davis said. "I don't know if there's a team I've had here that I'm more excited to coach than this team. Not only do we have a great group of young men, but we are working extremely hard."
Sophomore forward David DiLeo opened up the scoring, knocking down a three-pointer. DiLeo’s basket was followed by a slam dunk from senior forward Cecil Williams to give Team Maroon a quick 5-0 lead.
The first basket by Team Gold was scored off the hand of senior forward John McCarty.
Austin Ervin, who used to play tight end for the CMU football team, made his first appearance on the basketball court. The junior forward battled inside on defense and used his soft touch to knock down a triple in the first half.
CMU’s play style in the scrimmage was a guard-heavy offense, as freshman guard Matt Beachler and junior transfer guard Gavin Peppers continuously pushed the ball for Team Maroon.
Beachler had a handful of points, while Peppers ran the floor well and logged a few nice passes. Peppers made his way to Central Michigan from Cleveland State.
Innocent Nwoko, who sat out last season as a redshirt, picked up his first block with 7:49 left in the first half. He played for Team Maroon.
Kevin McKay had an big night for Team Maroon, as he scored from beyond the arc, from mid-range, and inside. The sophomore guard could be in for a larger role for the Chippewas off the bench this season. McKay had one of the highlights of the game, as he stole the ball and threw down a two-handed slam in the second half.
Junior transfer guard Shawn Roundtree, senior guard Josh Kozinski and senior forward DaRohn Scott were inactive for the scrimmage.
The Chippewas return to the court for an exhibition game against Northwood at 1 p.m. on Nov. 1 at McGuirk Arena.
