Thursday night showdown with Tennessee Tech on the docket for NKU MBB

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Northern Kentucky men’s basketball will host its second game of the season on Thursday, Dec. 3, when Tennessee Tech heads to BB&T Arena for a 6 p.m. nonconference tilt.

Game Information

Northern Kentucky University Norse (1-0 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)

Tennessee Tech University Golden Eagles (0-2 Overall, 0-0 OVC)

Thursday, Dec. 3 – 6:00 p.m. (ET)

Highland Heights, Ky. | BB&T Arena (8,427)

TV: ESPN3 with Brady Laber (PxP) and Brad Redford (Color)

Radio: ESPN1530 (1530AM) with Jim Kelch (PxP) and Rick Broering (Color)

Stats: Live Stats

Fast Break Points 

• NKU opened the 2020-21 campaign with a thrilling 74-73 win over Ball State, with G Bryson Langdon delivering the game-winning three with 22 seconds remaining.

• NKU’s schedule features three first-time opponents this year: Tennessee Tech, Kent State and Robert Morris.

• NKU is coming off a 23-9 campaign in which it finished second in the Horizon League regular season at 13-5 and won the 2020 Horizon League Tournament Championship.

• NKU has posted four-straight 20-win seasons for just the second time in program history, joining the 1994-95 through 1997-98 teams as the only Norse squads to do so.

• NKU wrapped up the road portion of its 2019-20 schedule as one of 14 teams with 10 or more road wins.

• In 2019-20, NKU made its hay with the nation’s 18th-best 3-point field-goal shooting defense, limiting foes to 29.3 percent. Ball State shot just 26 percent (6-of-23) on opening night.

• The Norse ripped off 259 steals a year ago, a total that ranked 26th in the nation. The team’s 8.1 steals per game also ranked 31st.

• Offensively, the Norse let it rain from long range last year, ranking 26th in the country in 3-point field-goal attempts (848) and 75th in made threes (259). They attempted 28 on opening night.

• Rebounding was key for NKU in 2019-20. It was a perfect 17-0 when either leading or tying in the rebound battle. It was an additional 5-2 when being outrebounded, but keeping the margin within five caroms. They won the rebound battle against Ball State, 43-39.

• NKU is in the second year of the Darrin Horn era, as the Kentucky native is just the sixth head coach in the 50th season of the program. In his 11th year as a head coach, Horn has a career record of 195-120.

• NKU has been the most dominant team in the Horizon League over the last four seasons, amassing a 61-20 (.753) mark against league foes while winning five of the combined eight league championships (two regular season and three tournament).

• Since the start of the 2016-17 season, NKU is a combined 96-39 (.711), has won the Horizon League regular season twice (‘18, ‘19) and league tourney thrice (‘17, ‘19, ‘20), and has qualified for either the NCAA Tournament (‘17, ‘19, ‘20) or NIT (‘18) every year. No other team in DI history has registered this level of accomplishments in its first four years of active status.

• G Trevon Faulkner, NKU’s leading returning scorer, poured in a team-best 17 points on opening night against Ball State. He averaged 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game last year.

• F Adrian Nelson was a monster on the boards versus Ball State, ripping down a career-high 19 rebounds to go with 10 points for his second career double-double.

• G Marques Warrick had a sensational debut for NKU, posting 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. He was honored as the Horizon League Freshman of the Week for his efforts, which is the first weekly league freshman honor by a Norse since the final award of  2017-18.

• G Trey Robinson had a nearly impressive opening effort in his debut. He tallied 11 points, three boards and four assists.

• W Adham Eleeda provided the Norse with a fifth double-digit scorer in the debut, adding 10 points as well.

Last Time Out

Technically, NKU’s last scheduled contest, which was slated to be at Chattanooga, was postponed. However, the last time the Norse took the court, they won their fifth-straight season-opener with a gritty 74-73 victory over Ball State that saw Langdon nail the game-winning three with 22-seconds remaining. Faulkner led five Norse in double-figures with 17 points, while freshman Warrick chimed in with 14 in his Norse debut.  Nelson added his second-career double-double with 10 points and career-high 19 rebounds to help the Norse win the rebound battle 43-39. Freshman Robinson and senior Eleeda contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Scouting Tennessee Tech

Tennessee Tech is currently 0-2, but has a Wednesday night tilt scheduled at Xavier before its Thursday showdown with the Norse. The Golden Eagles lost to Indiana, 89-59, in their season-opener and fell to Chattanooga, 62-54, on Monday. Keishawn Davidson averages 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game to lead TTU. Kenny White Jr. averages 10.0 points per game, while Austin Harvell and Shandon Goldman both contribute 9.0 ppg. Offensively, TTU currently averages just 56.5 ppg while surrendering 75.5. The Golden Eagles also convert only 20 percent (8-of-40) from three, but are equally as stingy with their 3-point defense as opponents are only making 20 percent (8-of-40) against them.

Series Stuff

Thursday’s game is the first ever between the Norse and Golden Eagles. Tennessee Tech is the first of  what was supposed to be five first-time opponents for Northern Kentucky. However, this coming Sunday’s game at Butler has been postponed due to COVID-19 and the Dec. 8 matchup against Campbellsville-Harrodsburg has been cancelled. NKU is still slated to play Kent State (Dec. 13) and Robert Morris (Jan. 22, Jan. 23) for the first time.

Schedule Update

NKU’s matchup against Campbellsville-Harrodsburg on Dec. 8  has been cancelled due to COVID-related matters within the Pioneers’ program.

#NorseUp

Bryan

Bryan McEldowney

Assistant Athletic Director

Communications and Media Services

Northern Kentucky University