Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Heads to Miami for Saturday Rematch
2/10/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 10, 2017
GAME PREVIEW
• Central Michigan (16-8, 6-5 MAC), winners of five of its last six conference games, will complete a two-game road swing against MAC East opponents on Saturday, Feb. 11 when it meets Miami (Ohio) (9-15, 2-9 MAC) in a 3:30 p.m. game at Millett Hall in Oxford.
• The Chippewas moved into a tie for first place in the MAC West following its 97-87 win over Ohio on Feb. 7 in Athens while Miami suffered a 72-55 home loss to Western Michigan in its last outing.
• Central Michigan is 5-5 on the road this season, including a 2-4 mark in MAC play, while Miami owns a 9-6 home record (2-4 vs. the MAC).
• CMU, which has won the last three meetings versus the RedHawks, possesses a 21-50 record in the all-time series with Miami, including a 3-3 mark under head coach Keno Davis.
• The cross-divisional game in a rematch of the Jan. 21 contest won by CMU, 101-92, in Mount Pleasant, which was highlighted by a 50-point performance from junior guard Marcus Keene.
• A year ago, the Chippewas won 68-51 in Oxford in the teams' only meeting.
CMU owns a 259-340 all-time record in MAC play, including a 36-50 mark during the Davis era (35-46 in regular season league games).
• The contest will feature the MAC's top two shot blockers in Miami's freshman guard Michael Weathers (33) and CMU's junior forward DaRohn Scott (27).
• Central Michigan is ranked No. 119 in the nation in the RPI (2nd in the MAC) while Miami is positioned at No. 318 (12th in the MAC).
• ONE TO WATCH: Marcus Keene enters Saturday's game 24 points shy of breaking the program's single season scoring record held by legendary CMU Hall of Famer Dan Majerle.
TRENDING
• CMU is ranked in the top 10 nationally in six stat categories -- No. 2 in 3-point field goals per game (12.7), No. 3 in total 3-point field goals made (304) and 3-point field goal attempts (831), No. 4 in scoring offense (89.9), No. 5 in free throw percentage (.784) and No. 8 in free throws made (464).
• Junior guard Marcus Keene ranks No. 1 in the NCAA in points per game (30.7).
• Keene, who has scored at least 30 points in NCAA-best and CMU-record 14 games, also leads the NCAA in total points scored (736).
• Keene is the first player to post five games of 40-plus points since Gonzaga's Adam Morrison in 2006.
• Keene tops the MAC in 3-pointers (2nd nationally, 96) and free throws made (3rd nationally, 160) and ranks second in assists (5.0 apg).
• Keene's 736 points thus far in 2016-17 ranks tied for 12th on the MAC's single season scoring list, with at least eight games remaining.
• Senior guard Braylon Rayson ranks No. 2 in the MAC among career active scorers, just one point behind Eastern Michigan's Raven Lee.
• Rayson has scored 20 or more points in 10 consecutive MAC games.
• Rayson currently resides in sixth place on the CMU career scoring list (1,693), 43 points behind equaling former teammate and two-time First Team All-MAC performer Chris Fowler in fifth.
• Rayson resides in second place on the CMU career 3-pointers list (242) and needs 15 to break the program record held by John Simons.
• Rayson also recently moved into the top spot on the CMU career 3-point attempts list (691)
Keene (30.7 ppg) and Rayson (20.3) comprise the nation's highest scoring guard tandem, averaging a combined 51.0 points per game.
• Central Michigan is the only Division I team to have two players who average 20.0 or more points per game.
• Rayson (95) and Keene (91), who each stand 5-9, are CMU's two top defensive rebounders, combining for 28% of the team's defensive boards.
• Junior forward DaRohn Scott, who averages 13.4 minutes per game this season, ranks second in the MAC in blocked shots (27) and is eighth on the CMU career list (86).
• At its current per game average, CMU will finish the season with approximately 405 3-pointers, on pace to shatter the previous program record of 324 and near the MAC record of 409 set by Akron in 2015-16.
• Three-pointers account for 42% (912-2,158) of Central Michigan's points and 52% (831-1,610) of its field goal attempts.
• Five of CMU's top six players in terms of minutes played shoot .816 or better from the free throw line.
• CMU has seven players with 69 or more defensive rebounds.
SCOUTING MIAMI
• Led by five-year head coach John Cooper, Miami enters Saturday's game mired in a four-game losing streak, including, most recently, a 72-55 home loss to Western Michigan on Feb. 7.
• The RedHawks currently sit in sixth place in the MAC East with a 2-9 conference record and would serve as the No. 12 seed in the MAC Tournament if the postseason event started today.
• Miami is headlined by the inside-outside duo of freshman guard Michael Weathers and junior forward Logan McLane.
• Weathers ranks third in the MAC in free throws made (120), only behind CMU's Marcus Keene (160) and Braylon Rayson (121), fourth in assists (4.8 apg), eighth in scoring (16.5 ppg) and fifth in steals (1.8) and despite standing just 6-2, tops the conference in blocked shots with 33.
• McLane, who shoots .530 from the field, is the RedHawks' other double-figure scorer, averaging 11.9 points per game, and is the team's leading rebounder (6.7 rpg).
• Freshman guard Marcus Weathers, twin brother of Michael, ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and third scoring (9.9 ppg) in 24.5 minutes of playing time per game.
• Sophomore guard Jake Wright, a transfer from The Citadel who leads Miami in 3-pointers with 56, junior forward Rod Mills (7.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and junior guard Abdoulaye Harounaare (6.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg), who is second on the team with 21 starts, are also key contributors.
UP NEXT FOR THE CHIPPEWAS
• Central Michigan will return home to take on its final MAC East opponent of the regular season when it hosts Buffalo (12-12, 6-5 MAC) on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. in McGuirk Arena.
• The cross-divisional game is a rematch of the Jan. 31 contest won by the Bulls, 101-91, in Buffalo, the Chippewas' third-consecutive loss in the series.
• CMU owns a 14-17 all-time record versus Buffalo, including a 2-6 mark under head coach Keno Davis.
• CMU's last win versus Buffalo came in McGuirk Arena in 2015 (84-73).
• Buffalo is currently riding a three-game winning streak, including a 65-45 rout of Northern Illinois at home on Feb. 7, and meets Bowling Green on the road before visiting the Chippewas.
• Next week, Central Michigan will open a five-game stretch versus MAC West opponents to conclude the regular season when it welcomes fellow division frontrunner Ball State (15-9, 6-5 MAC) to McGuirk Arena for a 4:30 game on Saturday, Feb. 18.
• The Cardinals took game one of the season home-and-home series with the Chippewas, winning 98-83 at Worthen Arena in Muncie on Jan. 17.
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• Central Michigan (16-8, 6-5 MAC), winners of five of its last six conference games, will complete a two-game road swing against MAC East opponents on Saturday, Feb. 11 when it meets Miami (Ohio) (9-15, 2-9 MAC) in a 3:30 p.m. game at Millett Hall in Oxford.
• The Chippewas moved into a tie for first place in the MAC West following its 97-87 win over Ohio on Feb. 7 in Athens while Miami suffered a 72-55 home loss to Western Michigan in its last outing.
• Central Michigan is 5-5 on the road this season, including a 2-4 mark in MAC play, while Miami owns a 9-6 home record (2-4 vs. the MAC).
• CMU, which has won the last three meetings versus the RedHawks, possesses a 21-50 record in the all-time series with Miami, including a 3-3 mark under head coach Keno Davis.
• The cross-divisional game in a rematch of the Jan. 21 contest won by CMU, 101-92, in Mount Pleasant, which was highlighted by a 50-point performance from junior guard Marcus Keene.
• A year ago, the Chippewas won 68-51 in Oxford in the teams' only meeting.
CMU owns a 259-340 all-time record in MAC play, including a 36-50 mark during the Davis era (35-46 in regular season league games).
• The contest will feature the MAC's top two shot blockers in Miami's freshman guard Michael Weathers (33) and CMU's junior forward DaRohn Scott (27).
• Central Michigan is ranked No. 119 in the nation in the RPI (2nd in the MAC) while Miami is positioned at No. 318 (12th in the MAC).
• ONE TO WATCH: Marcus Keene enters Saturday's game 24 points shy of breaking the program's single season scoring record held by legendary CMU Hall of Famer Dan Majerle.
TRENDING
• CMU is ranked in the top 10 nationally in six stat categories -- No. 2 in 3-point field goals per game (12.7), No. 3 in total 3-point field goals made (304) and 3-point field goal attempts (831), No. 4 in scoring offense (89.9), No. 5 in free throw percentage (.784) and No. 8 in free throws made (464).
• Junior guard Marcus Keene ranks No. 1 in the NCAA in points per game (30.7).
• Keene, who has scored at least 30 points in NCAA-best and CMU-record 14 games, also leads the NCAA in total points scored (736).
• Keene is the first player to post five games of 40-plus points since Gonzaga's Adam Morrison in 2006.
• Keene tops the MAC in 3-pointers (2nd nationally, 96) and free throws made (3rd nationally, 160) and ranks second in assists (5.0 apg).
• Keene's 736 points thus far in 2016-17 ranks tied for 12th on the MAC's single season scoring list, with at least eight games remaining.
• Senior guard Braylon Rayson ranks No. 2 in the MAC among career active scorers, just one point behind Eastern Michigan's Raven Lee.
• Rayson has scored 20 or more points in 10 consecutive MAC games.
• Rayson currently resides in sixth place on the CMU career scoring list (1,693), 43 points behind equaling former teammate and two-time First Team All-MAC performer Chris Fowler in fifth.
• Rayson resides in second place on the CMU career 3-pointers list (242) and needs 15 to break the program record held by John Simons.
• Rayson also recently moved into the top spot on the CMU career 3-point attempts list (691)
Keene (30.7 ppg) and Rayson (20.3) comprise the nation's highest scoring guard tandem, averaging a combined 51.0 points per game.
• Central Michigan is the only Division I team to have two players who average 20.0 or more points per game.
• Rayson (95) and Keene (91), who each stand 5-9, are CMU's two top defensive rebounders, combining for 28% of the team's defensive boards.
• Junior forward DaRohn Scott, who averages 13.4 minutes per game this season, ranks second in the MAC in blocked shots (27) and is eighth on the CMU career list (86).
• At its current per game average, CMU will finish the season with approximately 405 3-pointers, on pace to shatter the previous program record of 324 and near the MAC record of 409 set by Akron in 2015-16.
• Three-pointers account for 42% (912-2,158) of Central Michigan's points and 52% (831-1,610) of its field goal attempts.
• Five of CMU's top six players in terms of minutes played shoot .816 or better from the free throw line.
• CMU has seven players with 69 or more defensive rebounds.
SCOUTING MIAMI
• Led by five-year head coach John Cooper, Miami enters Saturday's game mired in a four-game losing streak, including, most recently, a 72-55 home loss to Western Michigan on Feb. 7.
• The RedHawks currently sit in sixth place in the MAC East with a 2-9 conference record and would serve as the No. 12 seed in the MAC Tournament if the postseason event started today.
• Miami is headlined by the inside-outside duo of freshman guard Michael Weathers and junior forward Logan McLane.
• Weathers ranks third in the MAC in free throws made (120), only behind CMU's Marcus Keene (160) and Braylon Rayson (121), fourth in assists (4.8 apg), eighth in scoring (16.5 ppg) and fifth in steals (1.8) and despite standing just 6-2, tops the conference in blocked shots with 33.
• McLane, who shoots .530 from the field, is the RedHawks' other double-figure scorer, averaging 11.9 points per game, and is the team's leading rebounder (6.7 rpg).
• Freshman guard Marcus Weathers, twin brother of Michael, ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and third scoring (9.9 ppg) in 24.5 minutes of playing time per game.
• Sophomore guard Jake Wright, a transfer from The Citadel who leads Miami in 3-pointers with 56, junior forward Rod Mills (7.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and junior guard Abdoulaye Harounaare (6.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg), who is second on the team with 21 starts, are also key contributors.
UP NEXT FOR THE CHIPPEWAS
• Central Michigan will return home to take on its final MAC East opponent of the regular season when it hosts Buffalo (12-12, 6-5 MAC) on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. in McGuirk Arena.
• The cross-divisional game is a rematch of the Jan. 31 contest won by the Bulls, 101-91, in Buffalo, the Chippewas' third-consecutive loss in the series.
• CMU owns a 14-17 all-time record versus Buffalo, including a 2-6 mark under head coach Keno Davis.
• CMU's last win versus Buffalo came in McGuirk Arena in 2015 (84-73).
• Buffalo is currently riding a three-game winning streak, including a 65-45 rout of Northern Illinois at home on Feb. 7, and meets Bowling Green on the road before visiting the Chippewas.
• Next week, Central Michigan will open a five-game stretch versus MAC West opponents to conclude the regular season when it welcomes fellow division frontrunner Ball State (15-9, 6-5 MAC) to McGuirk Arena for a 4:30 game on Saturday, Feb. 18.
• The Cardinals took game one of the season home-and-home series with the Chippewas, winning 98-83 at Worthen Arena in Muncie on Jan. 17.
Players Mentioned
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