Central Michigan University Athletics
Big Ten, Big Test for CMU Men
12/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CENTRAL MICHIGAN (8-2) at ILLINOIS (7-3)
Saturday, Dec. 10 • 3 p.m. ET • State Farm Center • Champaign, Ill.
Game Notes: Central Michigan | Illinois
Watch: BTN Plus
Listen: Central Michigan IMG Sports Network
Live Stats: SIDEARM
Twitter: @CMUMensBball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The Central Michigan men's basketball team is 8-2, has won four consecutive games, and has made a national splash behind the prodigious scoring of junior guard Marcus Keene.
That record and Keene's numbers - he's averaging a best-in-the-nation 31.4 per game - has come against a schedule comprising good mid-major competition and a few sub-Division I teams.
Saturday, the Chippewas venture out a bit when they go to Illinois (7-3) for a nonconference game. It will be CMU's first game against a Big Ten opponent since it won at Northwestern in December, 2014.
The Chippewas are 10-75 all-time against current members of the Big Ten.
"We want to play somebody from the Big Ten, we want to go in and challenge ourselves," CMU coach Keno Davis said. "Going down to Illinois we're going to do our best to win the game, but win or lose, we've got to get better as a team for going down there."
The Chippewas are coming off a 107-97 win over Green Bay, their second win in nine days over the Phoenix. Keene scored 40 points and dished out 11 assists - both career-highs - and Braylon Rayson added 30 points to lead CMU, which surpassed the century mark for the third time this season.
CMU is averaging 91.7 points per game, which ranks fifth in the country, and it carries an RPI of 124. That RPI is fourth best among Mid-American Conference teams. CMU was picked to finish sixth in the six-team MAC West in the preseason poll.
"I think the most optimistic about our program probably wouldn't have put us at 8-2 with the type of schedule that we've had," Davis said. "We've got a lot of good wins. It's not just 8-2 with teams that we were better than on paper."
The two wins over Green Bay were particularly gratifying. The Phoenix are the defending Horizon League champions and appeared in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
"I think it gives our guys some confidence and reassurance about their ability," Davis said, "but we have to make sure that even after the big wins that we understand that there's still a lot of work to be done for us to be a championship-caliber team.
"The question of whether we can get there isn't answered yet. I don't know if we can get there. But it's good to know that there's that chance. ... We're still going to have our rough patches this year; we're going to have our nights where you get frustrated and we're just not going to be good enough. As long as we see the effort and the attitude that we've seen, I think as coaches and as fans you're going to be excited about watching this team in the future."
The Chippewas will, without question, be tested by an Illinois team that carries an RPI of 95 and has registered back-to-back wins, the first over North Carolina State, the second over VCU. Before that, the Illini had lost three straight, two of which came to ranked opponents, West Virginia (No. 19) and Florida State (No. 25).
Illinois is led by senior guard Malcolm Hill, who averages 19.8 points per game, was a Preseason All-Big Ten pick and is on the watch list for the Jerry West Award, which goes to the best shooting guard in college basketball.
Leron Black, a 6-7 sophomore, and guard Tracy Abrams also average in double figures, 13.3 and 10.6 points, respectively, for the Illini. Back is Illinois' top rebounder (8.2 per game).
