Central Michigan University Athletics
Tuesday, January 12
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
4:30 p.m.
Central Michigan University
vs
Kent State
Photo by: Keara Chaperon '22
CMU Men Look To Bounce Back Against Kent State
1/11/2021 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan men's basketball team plays the second of three-consecutive home games on Tuesday (4:30 p.m.) when it entertains Kent State in a Mid-American Conference game at McGuirk Arena.
The Chippewas are 5-6, 1-3 MAC after dropping two games to league-favorite Bowling Green last week. Kent State is 4-3, 1-2, and on Saturday rolled past Western Michigan, 80-54, for its first MAC victory.
Bouncing Back
The Chippewas are looking to rebound from their losses to the Falcons, who are ranked 14th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, and gain some momentum after a rugged four-game start to the MAC slate during which CMU played three games on the road.
The Chippewas are scheduled to play host to Eastern Michigan on Saturday (4:30 p.m.). CMU won the first meeting with the Eagles in Ypsilanti on Dec. 29. The Chippewas suffered one of their worst shooting performances of the season against Bowling Green. They made a season-low 30 percent of their field goal attempts.
"I like the talent we have, I like the character, (and) I like the fight in this team," ninth-year CMU coach Keno Davis said. "The two areas that we're short on are experience … and then the health. We're not a healthy team out there right now and I think you can see that.
"If we're able to continue to work hard and get healthy I feel really favorable about this year's team and how we match up with teams in the league. The idea is to be the best team you can be when March comes around and we're going to have to be healthy to be able to make a run. If we're healthy I like our chances."
Leaders
Three Chippewas are scoring in double figures, led by senior Travon Broadway Jr. (15.7 points per game). Meikkel Murray, a junior, is averaging 12.6, while junior Caleb Huffman is at 12.3.
Malik Muhammad, a 6-foot-9 junior transfer from East Los Angeles College, is averaging a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game. Muhammad hauled down a career-high 12 rebounds in Saturday's loss to Bowling Green. His previous best (10) came in last Tuesday's game against the Falcons.
Scouting
The Golden Flashes are led in scoring by the one-two punch of Danny Pippen and Michael Nuga. Pippen, a 6-9 senior from Detroit, is averaging 19.7 points per game; Nuga, a senior guard in his first season at Kent State after transferring from Portland State, averages 19.1. Pippen ranks third in the league in scoring, while Nuga is fifth.
Pippen also averages 8.3 rebounds per game. The Golden Flashes' top rebounder – and the MAC leader -- is Justyn Hamilton (9.1), a 6-11 senior transfer from Temple. Kent State's Giovanni Santiago is making 3-pointers at a 53.3-percent clip, the best in the MAC.
Kent State is the MAC's top defensive team, allowing just 65.0 points per game. The Golden Flashes are holding opponents to a league-best .378 field goal shooting percentage and are No. 1 in the MAC, and 12th in the nation, in rebounding margin (plus 9.9).
The Chippewas are 5-6, 1-3 MAC after dropping two games to league-favorite Bowling Green last week. Kent State is 4-3, 1-2, and on Saturday rolled past Western Michigan, 80-54, for its first MAC victory.
Bouncing Back
The Chippewas are looking to rebound from their losses to the Falcons, who are ranked 14th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, and gain some momentum after a rugged four-game start to the MAC slate during which CMU played three games on the road.
The Chippewas are scheduled to play host to Eastern Michigan on Saturday (4:30 p.m.). CMU won the first meeting with the Eagles in Ypsilanti on Dec. 29. The Chippewas suffered one of their worst shooting performances of the season against Bowling Green. They made a season-low 30 percent of their field goal attempts.
"I like the talent we have, I like the character, (and) I like the fight in this team," ninth-year CMU coach Keno Davis said. "The two areas that we're short on are experience … and then the health. We're not a healthy team out there right now and I think you can see that.
"If we're able to continue to work hard and get healthy I feel really favorable about this year's team and how we match up with teams in the league. The idea is to be the best team you can be when March comes around and we're going to have to be healthy to be able to make a run. If we're healthy I like our chances."
Leaders
Three Chippewas are scoring in double figures, led by senior Travon Broadway Jr. (15.7 points per game). Meikkel Murray, a junior, is averaging 12.6, while junior Caleb Huffman is at 12.3.
Malik Muhammad, a 6-foot-9 junior transfer from East Los Angeles College, is averaging a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game. Muhammad hauled down a career-high 12 rebounds in Saturday's loss to Bowling Green. His previous best (10) came in last Tuesday's game against the Falcons.
Scouting
The Golden Flashes are led in scoring by the one-two punch of Danny Pippen and Michael Nuga. Pippen, a 6-9 senior from Detroit, is averaging 19.7 points per game; Nuga, a senior guard in his first season at Kent State after transferring from Portland State, averages 19.1. Pippen ranks third in the league in scoring, while Nuga is fifth.
Pippen also averages 8.3 rebounds per game. The Golden Flashes' top rebounder – and the MAC leader -- is Justyn Hamilton (9.1), a 6-11 senior transfer from Temple. Kent State's Giovanni Santiago is making 3-pointers at a 53.3-percent clip, the best in the MAC.
Kent State is the MAC's top defensive team, allowing just 65.0 points per game. The Golden Flashes are holding opponents to a league-best .378 field goal shooting percentage and are No. 1 in the MAC, and 12th in the nation, in rebounding margin (plus 9.9).
Players Mentioned
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