Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewa Men Eye Next Step
3/23/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 23, 2018
SETTING THE SCENE
The Central Michigan men's basketball team will look to take another step toward the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament title on Saturday when it plays Liberty in a quarterfinal game in Lynchburg, Va.
Tipoff is 2 p.m. at the Flames' Vines Center.
CMU is 21-14 and has won its first two games, both on the road, in the tournament. The Chippewas opened with a 94-89 victory at Fort Wayne, and then won at Wofford, 98-94.
Liberty is 21-14 and finished 9-9 (fifth) in the Big South Conference. The Flames are playing their second CIT game after a 60-52 win over North Carolina A&T.
LEADERS
Cecil Williams, a 6-foot-6 senior, continues to lead CMU's balanced scoring attack at 15.2 points per game. Shawn Roundtree Jr., averages 14.9 points per game, while Kevin McKay and David DiLeo average 12.5 and 12.2 points per game.
SCOUTING
Scottie James, a 6-7 sophomore forward, leads Liberty in scoring and rebounding at 13.4 points and 8.9 boards per game. Lovell Cabbil averages 11.3 per game, Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz and Ryan Kemrite both average 10 points per game.
Liberty plays stingy defense, allowing an average of 63.3 points per game, which ranks ninth nationally.
PRODUCTIVE
• After averaging in the high 70s throughout much of the season, including a healthy 78.4 points per game in 12 road contests, Central Michigan is scoring 96.0 points per game in the CIT.
• CMU has knocked down 17 3-pointers in each of its two CIT games, tying for its second-highest total in a single game for the season. Thirty-four total 3-pointers is also CMU's best production over a two-game span in 2017-18.
• During its 12 regular-season road games, Central Michigan shot .315 from 3-point distance. During its two road CIT games, that number has skyrocketed to .442.
AMONG THE BEST
CMU is the second-best free throw shooting team in the nation, averaging 81 percent; Liberty is making its charity tosses at a 79.1 percent rate, which is fifth nationally. In its two CIT games, CMU is 26 for 28 (92.9 percent) from the line.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
A win over the Flames would give the Chippewas 22 on the season, their second-highest total in a single season since they went 25-7 in 2002-03.
DOWN TO 4
The CMU-Liberty winner will move on to the semifinals. Illinois-Chicago, Northern Colorado and Sam Houston State have already punched their ticket to the semifinal round.
The semifinal games - matchups and site are to be announced - are Wednesday, March 28, at 7 p.m. and at 9 p.m. The title game is Friday, March 30.
CMU defeated Sam Houston State, 71-60, in November the Great Alaska Shootout.
SURGING
The Chippewas have won five of their last six games. The lone loss in that stretch came in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, to eventual champion Buffalo, 89-74. The Bulls went on to the NCAA Tournament where they upset Arizona in a first-round game.
COACH Keno Davis
"We had a comfort level going in to the postseason and that was part of the reason that we wanted to play. We had accomplished our goal of playing our best basketball at the end of the season. In our loss to Buffalo you saw a team (CMU) that could compete at the highest level and so when you have that kind of attitude and effort and you have relative health you want to continue and get experience for the younger guys -- things to be able to build your program on and hopefully these (CIT) games are springboards to next year.
"It (the tournament run) shows a lot about the character of our team. In the postseason, especially being on the road, you have to continue to focus, prepare and do the things you did at the beginning of the season to build yourself as a player and as a team. I think sending our guys into the offseason with the right frame of mind of being able to show what they need to do to get better, to have a great offseason much like a Kevin McKay was able to do last year. We need a couple guys to be able to follow that model and I think getting this experience against different teams in a postseason setting can only benefit us."
| |||||||||||||||||||
SETTING THE SCENE
The Central Michigan men's basketball team will look to take another step toward the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament title on Saturday when it plays Liberty in a quarterfinal game in Lynchburg, Va.
Tipoff is 2 p.m. at the Flames' Vines Center.
CMU is 21-14 and has won its first two games, both on the road, in the tournament. The Chippewas opened with a 94-89 victory at Fort Wayne, and then won at Wofford, 98-94.
Liberty is 21-14 and finished 9-9 (fifth) in the Big South Conference. The Flames are playing their second CIT game after a 60-52 win over North Carolina A&T.
LEADERS
Cecil Williams, a 6-foot-6 senior, continues to lead CMU's balanced scoring attack at 15.2 points per game. Shawn Roundtree Jr., averages 14.9 points per game, while Kevin McKay and David DiLeo average 12.5 and 12.2 points per game.
SCOUTING
Scottie James, a 6-7 sophomore forward, leads Liberty in scoring and rebounding at 13.4 points and 8.9 boards per game. Lovell Cabbil averages 11.3 per game, Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz and Ryan Kemrite both average 10 points per game.
Liberty plays stingy defense, allowing an average of 63.3 points per game, which ranks ninth nationally.
PRODUCTIVE
• After averaging in the high 70s throughout much of the season, including a healthy 78.4 points per game in 12 road contests, Central Michigan is scoring 96.0 points per game in the CIT.
• CMU has knocked down 17 3-pointers in each of its two CIT games, tying for its second-highest total in a single game for the season. Thirty-four total 3-pointers is also CMU's best production over a two-game span in 2017-18.
• During its 12 regular-season road games, Central Michigan shot .315 from 3-point distance. During its two road CIT games, that number has skyrocketed to .442.
AMONG THE BEST
CMU is the second-best free throw shooting team in the nation, averaging 81 percent; Liberty is making its charity tosses at a 79.1 percent rate, which is fifth nationally. In its two CIT games, CMU is 26 for 28 (92.9 percent) from the line.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
A win over the Flames would give the Chippewas 22 on the season, their second-highest total in a single season since they went 25-7 in 2002-03.
DOWN TO 4
The CMU-Liberty winner will move on to the semifinals. Illinois-Chicago, Northern Colorado and Sam Houston State have already punched their ticket to the semifinal round.
The semifinal games - matchups and site are to be announced - are Wednesday, March 28, at 7 p.m. and at 9 p.m. The title game is Friday, March 30.
CMU defeated Sam Houston State, 71-60, in November the Great Alaska Shootout.
SURGING
The Chippewas have won five of their last six games. The lone loss in that stretch came in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, to eventual champion Buffalo, 89-74. The Bulls went on to the NCAA Tournament where they upset Arizona in a first-round game.
COACH Keno Davis
"We had a comfort level going in to the postseason and that was part of the reason that we wanted to play. We had accomplished our goal of playing our best basketball at the end of the season. In our loss to Buffalo you saw a team (CMU) that could compete at the highest level and so when you have that kind of attitude and effort and you have relative health you want to continue and get experience for the younger guys -- things to be able to build your program on and hopefully these (CIT) games are springboards to next year.
"It (the tournament run) shows a lot about the character of our team. In the postseason, especially being on the road, you have to continue to focus, prepare and do the things you did at the beginning of the season to build yourself as a player and as a team. I think sending our guys into the offseason with the right frame of mind of being able to show what they need to do to get better, to have a great offseason much like a Kevin McKay was able to do last year. We need a couple guys to be able to follow that model and I think getting this experience against different teams in a postseason setting can only benefit us."
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballTamario Adley Video Feature
Thursday, March 05
MBB vs. Western Michigan Highlights
Monday, February 23
Men's Basketball Western Hype
Friday, February 20
Nathan Claerbaut Video Feature
Wednesday, February 18