Chippewas Seek Fourth Straight at Eastern Michigan

GAME PREVIEW
• Riding a three-game winning streak, Central Michigan (19-8, 8-6 MAC) will head back out on the road on Tuesday, Feb. 26, visiting MAC West and in-state rival Eastern Michigan (13-14, 7-7 MAC) for a 7 p.m. contest at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti.
• Despite being shorthanded and behind a standout effort by junior guard Kevin McKay, the Chippwas took down Ball State, 64-57, in Muncie on Saturday while Eastern Michigan knocked off Western Michigan, 77-76, at home in overtime in its last outing.
• Central Michigan currently resides in lone possession of second place in the MAC West standings, just one game behind frontrunner Toledo, and one game ahead of Eastern Michigan.
• The Chippewas are in position to serve as the No. 4 seed for the MAC Tournament and receive a first round bye with four regular season conference games remaining.
• Central Michigan owns a 5-5 road record this season, including three wins in MAC play, while Eastern Michigan is 10-5 at home in 2018-19, with three of those losses coming against conference foes.
• CMU has more wins against Eastern Michigan (98) than any other school in program history, including both conference and nonconference opponents.
• The Chippewas won the first meeting this season, 86-82, in McGuirk Arena, snapping a six-game losing streak to EMU.
• ONE TO WATCH: Saturday's game will feature a match up between the MAC's two top offensive rebounders -- 6-11 forward James Thompson IV from Eastern Michigan (3.9 orpg) and 6-5 guard Kevin McKay from Central Michigan (3.3 oprg).

CHIPPEWAS TO WATCH
• Senior guard Larry Austin Jr. leads CMU and ranks No. 5 in the MAC in scoring, averaging 17.0 points per game. The three-time MAC West Player of the Week also ranks first in the MAC in assists (5.6) and second in steals (2.2).
• Senior guard Shawn Roundtree Jr. leads the Chippewas in scoring in MAC play, posting 16.4 points per game. Roundtree, who currently ranks in eighth place on the CMU career free throw percentage rankings (81.4%), is shooting 90% (28-of-31) from the free throw line over the last seven games.
• Junior forward David DiLeo leads the Chippewas (5th in the MAC) with 69 3-pointers and is fourth on the team in rebounding (5.0 rpg). He is having a standout season from the field, shooting .426 overall and .416 from 3-point range, both career highs.
• Junior Kevin McKay leads CMU in rebounding (No. 8 in the MAC, 7.7 rpg) and averages 11.6 points per game. He leads all active Chippewas with 11 career double-doubles.
• Junior forward Rob Montgomery has been a force in MAC play, ranking third on the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game, while collecting 6.4 rebounds.

TRENDING
• Junior guard Kevin McKay is the reigning MAC West Co-Player of the Week after averaging 14.5 points and 14.0 rebounds in conference wins over Kent State and Ball State. He also set single-game career highs in blocks (4) and rebounds (19) last week.
• McKay, who ranks No. 2 in the MAC in offensive rebounding (3.3 rpg), is one of only three guards in Division I to record 19 or more rebounds in a game this season.
• If CMU should win one more game this season, it would mark the first time since the mid-1960s (1965-66, 1966-67) that the Chippewas' would post back-to-back 20-win seasons.
• Central Michigan ranks prominently nationally in four major statistical categories -- No. 3 in free throw attempts (734), No. 9 in free throws made (491), No. 16 in scoring offense (83.2 ppg) and No. 17 in 3-point field goal defense (30.0).
• Over the last three games, opponents are shooting just 18% (8-of-44) versus CMU from 3-point range.
• Currently with 59, senior guard Larry Austin Jr. is on pace to break the Central Michigan single-season steals record, held by Dave Grauzer (63, 1978-79). He is currently in fifth place on the top 10 list.
• Austin is also close to making an appearance on the CMU single-season assists list. Currently with 151 and averaging 5.6 per game, he needs four to move into the top 10.
• Shawn Roundtree Jr. needs 36 points to become the 34th player in CMU program history to reach 1,000 career points.

SCOUTING EASTERN MICHIGAN
• Led by eight-year head coach Rob Murphy, Eastern Michigan enters Tuesday's contest winners of four of its last five games, including last weekend's 77-76 overtime nailbiter against Western Michigan.
• Three of those four victories during that stretch have come at home, where, previously, EMU had not won since January 12.
• Eastern Michigan is led by senior guard/forward Elijah Minnie, senior guard Paul Jackson and senior forward James Thompson IV.
• Minnie leads EMU in scoring (14.0 ppg) and steals (39), is its top 3-point threat (65) and ranks third on the team in rebounding (4.8 rpg).
• Jackson scores 13.7 points per game and has a team-high 128 assists.
• Thompson averages a double-double (10.9 ppg, 10.3 rpg). He ranks second in the MAC in rebounding and his 3.9 offensive rebounds per game ranks No. 4 nationally.
• Redshirt junior center Boubacar Toure shoots .676 from the field and scores 9.1 points and pulls down 7.9 rebounds per game.
• Sophomore guard Kevin McAdoo (8.7 ppg, 33 3-pointers), redshirt sophomore Ty Groce (4.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and redshirt freshman guard Tariq Silver (3.5 ppg, .464 FG%) have also been key contributors for the Eagles.

UP NEXT FOR THE CHIPPEWAS
• Central Michigan will return home next week for what could be one of the biggest games in the MAC this season, when West Division frontrunner Toledo (21-6, 9-5 MAC) visits McGuirk Arena on Saturday, March 2 for a 4:30 Senior Day showdown.
• Shawn Roundtree Jr., Larry Austin Jr. and Austin Ervin will be recognized prior to the game in a special Senior Day ceremony.
• The Rockets sit one game ahead of the Chippewas in the MAC West standings and travel to Ball State before coming to Mount Pleasant.
• Toledo snapped a two-game losing streak last weekend by defeating NIU, 57-54, at home.
• The meeting will be a rematch of the January 26 game won by Toledo in Savage Arena, 76-72.
• Toledo is led by senior guard Jaelan Sanford (15.5 ppg), senior forward Nate Navigato (12.8 ppg, 71 3-pointers), junior center Luke Knapke (10.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg), sophomore guard Marreon Jackson (11.0 ppg), senior guard Chris Darrington (9.4 ppg) and junior forward Willie Jackson (9.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg).
• The Chippewas will then welcome Northern Illinois (12-15, 5-9 MAC) to Mount Pleasant and McGuirk Arena for a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday, March 5.

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Players Mentioned

Larry Austin Jr.

David DiLeo

Austin Ervin

Kevin McKay

Rob Montgomery

Shawn Roundtree Jr.