Shooting Stars: Chippewas Host Texas Southern
12/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game Notes: Central Michigan
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - For those who care about such things, the latest in the Star Wars franchise, "The Force Awakens," opens next weekend.
The Central Michigan men's basketball team underwent its own version of an awakening force on Monday, when senior guard Chris Fowler played his first game of the season in a 90-51 thumping of NAIA Aquinas at McGuirk Arena.
Fowler, CMU's do-everything-guard who is among the very best players in the Mid-American Conference, finished with 14 points and four assists in 25 minutes after sitting out the Chippewas' first seven games with an injury.
CMU (4-4) plays host to Texas Southern (1-7) Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at McGuirk. It'll be the Chippewas' first theme game of the season, and CMU will pay homage to Star Wars.
On the court, the Chippewas would appear to have gotten it in gear with the return of Fowler and the increasingly improving outside shooting, two critical components if CMU is to live up to its early season hype.
Against Aquinas, the Chippewas made a season-high 15 triples. In its past two games, CMU has made 40.3 percent of its triple tries after a four-game shot during which it shot 29.6 percent from long range.
"I think everybody anticipated that we would be a better team immediately with Chris' return," CMU coach Keno Davis said. "I think we saw that (against Aquinas), but I think a big factor was that guys like Braylon Rayson and Rayshawn Simmons don't have to be on the court for every minute of the game.
"Not only do you see Chris' talents, but players around him are only going to play better because they're going to have another player to play off of as well as get a few minutes rest as needed."
Simmons, who had eight assists on Monday against Aquinas and is second in the MAC with 5.9 assists per game, did an admirable job of filling in at point guard in Fowler's absence.
Rayson is shooting 50 percent (9-of-18) from 3-point range in CMU's last two games after going 8-for-32 (25 percent) in the Chippewas' first six contests.
Freshman Corey Redman made 5-of-7 from 3-point range en route to a career-high 15 points against Aquinas. Redman has made a MAC-best 66.7 percent of his triple tries, while sophomore guard Josh Kozinski ranks second in the conference with 20 3-pointers.
Good signs, all the way around, as the Chippewas look ahead through Christmas and to 2016 and the MAC portion of their schedule.
"You don't expect our team's timing, even with the addition of a key player in there, to be in mid-season form, but you do expect progress, you expect each day you step on the court, whether it's a game or a practice, that you're going to get a little bit better," Davis said. "I think (Fowler) looks good. A lot of it is going to be his timing and the combination of conditioning."
The Chippewas will see a Texas Southern team that, despite its record, is dangerous, Davis said.
The Tigers have played a brutal schedule, and their first 13 games - all non-leaguers - are on the road. Included in that ledger are two ACC teams (Syracuse and Clemson), a Big East team (Creighton), a Big 12 team (Baylor), and New Mexico, which holds the No. 32 spot in the RPI.
The Tigers' lone victory came over Texas-San Antonio, 91-80, 2½ weeks ago.
Derrick Griffin, a 6-foot-7 freshman forward, has played only in the last two games and is averaging a double-double over that span (18 points, 12 rebounds). Malcolm Riley, a 6-5 senior forward, ranks second on the team in scoring at 16.8 per.
Mike Davis, who formerly coached at Indiana and Alabama-Birmingham, is in his fourth year at Texas Southern. The Tigers have made the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons. Last year, they started 1-9 before knocking off Michigan State in East Lansing.
They went on to win their second consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament championship and were picked to finish first in their league in the preseason poll.
"You're looking at a team who could surprise anybody if they're playing in the NCAA Tournament this year, and I know we're going to have our hands full," CMU coach Davis said. "I think that just about anybody in the country, if you put them against their schedule, is going to have a losing record."
