Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, January 5
Oxford, Ohio
2:00 p.m. ET
Central Michigan University
at
Miami (Ohio)
Photo by: Allissa Rusco
Chippewas Gear Up For MAC Opener
1/4/2019 9:03:00 AM | Men's Basketball
With program-record 11 nonconference wins, CMU jumps into league play
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – With the Mid-American Conference opener some 24 hours away, the veterans know that it's time to take it up a notch.
David DiLeo started making those strides a month ago.
DiLeo, a 6-foot-7 junior, has played a key role as the Chippewas have surged ahead of Saturday's MAC opener at Miami (Ohio).
DiLeo hit six 3-pointers and scored 24 points – both season highs -- as CMU rolled past Indiana South Bend, 123-76, last weekend, running its win streak to five games. In his past four games, DiLeo has hit 17 triples in 32 attempts, a sizzling 53 percent.
The Chippewas will need that kind of production from the now-veteran who joined with fellow junior Kevin McKay and senior guard Shawn Roundtree Jr. in forming the nucleus of the team entering the 2018-19 season.
With their 11-2 start, the Chippewas have equaled the program record – set a year ago – for nonconference victories.
"We're hungry," said DiLeo, who has learned a thing or two about the rigors of a college-basketball season through his two years at CMU. "We're coming in day after day and we're getting after it. No one is content with where we're at; 11-2, obviously, is a great nonconference (record), but we realize we have to show up each and every night to win every game.
"There's no gimmies and you've got to maintain focus. Eighteen (league) games -- that's a long season. It's a grind. There's going to be ups and downs. On the ups you don't get too high, and on the downs you don't get too low. Stay on the even keel, keep working, stay hungry."
The big question mark heading into the season was how the trio of veterans would mesh with two new starters, guard Larry Austin Jr. and 6-foot-6 forward Rob Montgomery.
Both newcomers have done their part, and more. Austin leads CMU in scoring and ranks second in the MAC at 19.2 points per game. Montgomery is averaging 8.7 points and 5.4 rebounds and leads the Chippewas with 16 blocks.
Both are veterans. Austin is a senior who transferred from Vanderbilt, while Montgomery is a junior who came to CMU via the junior-college route.
The 11-2 record is indicative of how well the group has adapted.
"The farther we've gotten into the season the more we've blended, played together, figured out each other tendencies on the court," DiLeo said.
GOOD NUMBERS
The Chippewas are among the top 10 in the nation in three key offensive statistical categories: They rank eighth in scoring at 88.0 points per game; first in free throw attempts (404), and seventh in free throws made (264).
TRENDING UP
DiLeo has led a team-wide surge of long-range scoring. The Chippewas hit a season-high 16 triples against Indiana South Bend, capping a four-game stretch in which they made 54 of their 105 attempts (51.4 percent).
SCOUTING
The RedHawks are led by a pair of sophomores in Nike Sibande and Dalonte Brown along with senior Darrian Ringo, the MAC assist leader (5.3 per game).
Sibande leads Miami in scoring at 16.2 points per game, while Brown is averaging 15 points and 5.8 rebounds per.
The RedHawks defeated Evansville, 70-67, at home on Sunday for their second-straight win. Miami is allowing an average of 69.1 points per game, which ranks third in the MAC, and has outrebounded its opponents by an average of 6.1 per game, which ranks fourth in the league.
The RedHawks were picked to finish second behind Buffalo in the MAC East in the preseason poll of media who cover the league.
NEXT
It's all league games for the duration for the Chippewas as they return home on Tuesday, Jan. 8 to play Akron and then entertain Bowling Green on Saturday, Jan. 12.
David DiLeo started making those strides a month ago.
DiLeo, a 6-foot-7 junior, has played a key role as the Chippewas have surged ahead of Saturday's MAC opener at Miami (Ohio).
DiLeo hit six 3-pointers and scored 24 points – both season highs -- as CMU rolled past Indiana South Bend, 123-76, last weekend, running its win streak to five games. In his past four games, DiLeo has hit 17 triples in 32 attempts, a sizzling 53 percent.
The Chippewas will need that kind of production from the now-veteran who joined with fellow junior Kevin McKay and senior guard Shawn Roundtree Jr. in forming the nucleus of the team entering the 2018-19 season.
With their 11-2 start, the Chippewas have equaled the program record – set a year ago – for nonconference victories.
"We're hungry," said DiLeo, who has learned a thing or two about the rigors of a college-basketball season through his two years at CMU. "We're coming in day after day and we're getting after it. No one is content with where we're at; 11-2, obviously, is a great nonconference (record), but we realize we have to show up each and every night to win every game.
"There's no gimmies and you've got to maintain focus. Eighteen (league) games -- that's a long season. It's a grind. There's going to be ups and downs. On the ups you don't get too high, and on the downs you don't get too low. Stay on the even keel, keep working, stay hungry."
The big question mark heading into the season was how the trio of veterans would mesh with two new starters, guard Larry Austin Jr. and 6-foot-6 forward Rob Montgomery.
Both newcomers have done their part, and more. Austin leads CMU in scoring and ranks second in the MAC at 19.2 points per game. Montgomery is averaging 8.7 points and 5.4 rebounds and leads the Chippewas with 16 blocks.
Both are veterans. Austin is a senior who transferred from Vanderbilt, while Montgomery is a junior who came to CMU via the junior-college route.
The 11-2 record is indicative of how well the group has adapted.
"The farther we've gotten into the season the more we've blended, played together, figured out each other tendencies on the court," DiLeo said.
GOOD NUMBERS
The Chippewas are among the top 10 in the nation in three key offensive statistical categories: They rank eighth in scoring at 88.0 points per game; first in free throw attempts (404), and seventh in free throws made (264).
TRENDING UP
DiLeo has led a team-wide surge of long-range scoring. The Chippewas hit a season-high 16 triples against Indiana South Bend, capping a four-game stretch in which they made 54 of their 105 attempts (51.4 percent).
SCOUTING
The RedHawks are led by a pair of sophomores in Nike Sibande and Dalonte Brown along with senior Darrian Ringo, the MAC assist leader (5.3 per game).
Sibande leads Miami in scoring at 16.2 points per game, while Brown is averaging 15 points and 5.8 rebounds per.
The RedHawks defeated Evansville, 70-67, at home on Sunday for their second-straight win. Miami is allowing an average of 69.1 points per game, which ranks third in the MAC, and has outrebounded its opponents by an average of 6.1 per game, which ranks fourth in the league.
The RedHawks were picked to finish second behind Buffalo in the MAC East in the preseason poll of media who cover the league.
NEXT
It's all league games for the duration for the Chippewas as they return home on Tuesday, Jan. 8 to play Akron and then entertain Bowling Green on Saturday, Jan. 12.
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
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