Men’s basketball looks for revenge against in-state rival EMU
Junior guard Gavin Peppers dribbles the basketball during the basketball game against Toledo on Jan. 13 at McGuirk Arena.
Out of Warren (Mich.) De La Salle Collegiate, Central Michigan men’s basketball sophomore guard Kevin McKay poured in 33 points on Feb. 13 at the NIU Convocation Center to help snap a two-game losing streak.
Following McKay’s heroics, the Chippewas (16-10, 5-8 Mid-American Conference) return home to battle against in-state rival Eastern Michigan (15-11, 6-7 MAC) at 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 17 at McGuirk Arena.
“We’ve got to be able to execute,” said CMU head coach Keno Davis. “We haven’t seen five possessions of zone defense since we played (EMU) the first time, so we have to work on our execution of that.”
CMU has four players averaging doubles figures in scoring, including junior guard Shawn Roundtree Jr., sophomore forward David DiLeo, senior forward Cecil Williams Williams and McKay.
Roundtree leads the team in points and assists with 15.2 points and 3.9 assists per game. DiLeo also paves the way for the Chippewas with 7.2 rebounds. He chips in 12.1 points per contest.
At 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, Williams averages 14.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
McKay, a non-starter for CMU, averages 25.8 minutes per game, which he has tossed in 11.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.9 steals per contest. Senior guard Josh Kozinski, who starts ahead of McKay, logs 6.4 points and 2.3 rebounds.
“My main goal is to get better,” McKay said. “My goal is to be aggressive, play my hardest and play my best.
“As you get more reps, you get used to things and your confidence goes up. As I’m playing more, I have more confidence in myself.”
Along with Roundtree, Kozinski, DiLeo and Williams, senior forward Luke Meyer is the fifth starter for the Chippewas. Using his 6-foot-11 frame, Meyer has managed to score at a high-rate from 3-point range, knocking down 42.2 percent of shots from beyond the arc.
CMU used to lead the NCAA Division I in free throw percentage, but have dropped behind Marquette and Williams & Mary to third in college basketball. The Chippewas shoot 417-of-523 from the field, good for 79.7 percent.
In CMU’s 69-63 loss to Akron, Davis’ team shot just 10-of-21 (47.9 percent) from the charity stripe.
“That’s the only game we didn’t shoot really well,” Davis said. “Sometimes it’s contagious when you miss a few shots in a close game. Hopefully, it was a one-game blip.”
Davis believes his team is on the right track to perform well in the MAC Tournament and earn a chance at the NCAA Tournament in March.
“If we can stay healthy, we have a shot,” Davis said. “Of all the teams I’ve seen, there’s not that much difference. There’s not much between us and those teams. In basketball, it’s a one-game chance to win.”
CMU junior guard Gavin Peppers will make his first appearance on the hardwood since his injury on Feb. 3 against Ohio. Peppers informed Central Michigan Life he will be active, following a report from Davis calling him "questionable" for Saturday.
Scouting Report
The Eagles have lost 11 games this season to Indiana, North Florida, Oakland, Syracuse, Ball State, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Buffalo, Western Michigan. EMU has lost to BGSU twice.
Eastern Michigan has a trio of junior scorers in forward Elijah Minnie, forward James Thompson IV and guard Paul Jackson. They currently combine for 45.5 of EMU’s 71.0 points per game average.
Thompson IV is the go-to player for the Eagles, averaging 14.9 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. His best performance was a 24 point, 18 rebound game in a loss to Western Michigan.
“(EMU) has one of the best players in this league in James Thompson IV,” Davis said. “We have to be able to match his production.”
Along with Thompson IV, Minnie and Jackson are the stars for the Eagles. Minnie leads the team, averaging 16.0 points per game while pulling down 5.5 boards per contest. Jackson chips in an average of 14.6 points and 4.3 assists.
In the NCAA Division I RPI, EMU is ranked No. 174 of 351 programs. CMU holds the No. 177 position.
Of all the MAC teams, Buffalo holds the highest spot in the RPI standings, ranked No. 35.
Last Matchup
Earlier this season, CMU fell to the Eagles on the road, 79-74. In Ypsilanti, senior forward Cecil Williams led the way for the Chippewas with 23 points, while McKay followed, posting 15 on the scoreboard.
Last season, Eastern Michigan defeated the Chippewas twice. The first game was an 85-63 win and the second was a 109-81 victory. EMU’s two wins against CMU in the 2016-17 season helped propel them to capture the Michigan MAC Trophy.
In the all-time series between the two squads, CMU owns a 97-93 lead over the Eagles. In Davis’ time as the head coach in Mount Pleasant, the Chippewas are 3-9 against EMU.
“I think our potential could be off the charts,” said CMU redshirt sophomore Corey Redman. “We just have to keep working hard. It depends on each night.”
