GAME NO. 22
KENNESAW STATE (2-19, 1-8) at Mercer (13-9, 6-3)
DATE: Feb. 1
TIME: 7:00 p.m. (ET)
SITE: Site University Center 3,200)
LOCATION: Macon, Ga.
LIVE TV: Comcast Sports South; Cox Sports Television
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN3
LIVE AUDIO: KSUOwls.com
LIVE STATS: MercerBears.com
SERIES RECORD: Mercer leads, 9-6
LAST MEETING: Jan. 5, 2013; KSU, 83-75
KENNESAW STATE NOTES | MERCER NOTES | TICKETS
GAME TIME:
• The Kennesaw State men’s basketball team will attempt to complete a season sweep of Atlantic Sun Conference and in-state rival Mercer when the two teams meet Friday (Feb. 1) at the University Center in Macon, Ga. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
• The contest will be televised live by Comcast Sports South and Cox Sports Television with Matt Stewart and Sonny Smith describing the action. The game also will be available on ESPN3 outside the footprint of CSS.
• A live audio broadcast of the game also will be provided by Nathan McCreary at KSUOwls.com.
• The Owls are in their eighth year as a member of the A-Sun after transitioning to Division I in 2005. Kennesaw State is seeking its third conference tournament appearance. The Owls previously advanced to the A-Sun Tournament in 2009 and 2010. The top eight teams following regular-season play advance to the tournament that is slated for March 6-9 in Macon, Ga.
• Kennesaw State (2-19, 1-8) is coming off a 64-53 setback at Northern Kentucky on Saturday (Jan. 26).
• Mercer is currently 13-9 overall and 6-3 in the A-Sun. The Bears, who began the week in a five-way tie atop the conference standings, are coming off a 71-65 victory over Lipscomb on Saturday (Jan. 26).
• Head Coach Lewis Preston is in his second season guiding the Kennesaw State program after spending the previous three seasons (2008-11) as an assistant coach at Penn State.
MERCER SERIES HISTORY:
• Saturday’s contest marks the 16th all-time meeting between Kennesaw State and Mercer in a series that backs to 2006 and the Bears hold a 9-6 advantage. The two teams met earlier this season and the Owls posted an 83-75 victory at the KSU Convocation Center on Jan. 5. The victory snapped a four-game Mercer winning and marked KSU’s fist win over the Bears since the 2011-10 season when the Owls captured both meetings.
KENNESAW STATE-MERCER GAME-BY-GAME RESULTS:
DATE WINNING TEAM H/A/N SCORE
1/19/06 Kennesaw State A 63-57
1/28/06 Mercer H 77-70
12/2/06* Mercer A 84-77
2/23/07 Kennesaw State H 87-51
1/5/08* Mercer H 77-75
2/29/08 Kennesaw State A 65-61
1/29/09 Mercer A 88-75
2/5/09 Mercer H 75-56
1/27/10 Kennesaw State A 71-69
2/4/10 Kennesaw State H 66-63
1/25/11 Mercer H 78-70
2/15/11 Mercer A 57-55
1/13/12 Mercer A 81-51
2/10/12 Mercer H 61-57
1/5/13 Kennesaw State H 83-75
LAST MEETING:
• Kennesaw State and Mercer last met on Jan. 5, 2013, and the Owls turned in a record-breaking performance during an 83-75 victory at the KSU Convocation Center. In addition to handing second-year head coach Lewis Preston his first career A-Sun victory, Kennesaw State set program single-game records for free throws made (38) and free throws attempted (55).
• The Owls also went 9-for-14 (64.3 percent) to establish a school record three-point percentage mark.
• Sophomore guard Delbert Love scored a career-high 32 points and senior forward Markeith Cummings poured in 21 points and added a season-high five assists to lead Kennesaw State.
• The Owls had the hot hand at the outset as they hit their first five shots - all three-pointers - and never trailed in the game en route to setting a host of season-highs, including points scored and field goal percentage (51.4 percent).
• Cummings and Love accounted for 53 of KSU’s 83 points and went a combined 12-for-22 (54.5 percent) from the field, including 6-for-10 (60 percent) from behind the three-point arc.
A LOOK AT MERCER:
• Mercer is currently 13-9 overall and 6-3 in the A-Sun. The Bears, who began the week in a five-way tie atop the conference standings, are coming off a 71-65 victory over Lipscomb on Saturday (Jan. 26).
• Senior forward Travis Smith tops Mercer in scoring, averaging 13.2 points a game, and is joined in double figures by junior point guard Langston Hall, who is contributing 10.5 points and a team-leading 4.1 assists a contest.
• Mercer, which averaging 62.6 points a game, leads the A-Sun in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 58.5 points a contest, and in first in the conference in field goal percentage defense (40.1) and free throw percentage (76.8).
• Head coach Bob Hoffman is in his fifth season leading the Mercer program and has compiled an overall record to date of 88-70 (.556). In 19 years as a collegiate men’s basketball coach, Hoffman has a career record of 400-224 (.641).
NORTHERN KENTUCKY RECAP:
• Playing with a short bench, Kennesaw State turned in a strong second-half effort but was unable to overcome a 14-point deficit and fell 64-53 to Northern Kentucky in an Atlantic Sun Conference game Saturday at the Bank of Kentucky Arena in Highland Heights, Ky.
• The Owls (2-19, 1-8) were led by senior forward Aaron Anderson, who scored 14 points and collected 10 rebounds to record his third straight double-double and eighth of the season.
• Senior guard Eshaunte Jones scored 25 points to lead a trio of NKU (6-11, 4-5) players in double figures. Freshman guard Tyler White contributed 13 points, junior guard Chad Jackson added 10 points and eight rebounds, and senior forward Ernest Watson totaled four points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Norse.
• After leading 31-20 at halftime, Northern Kentucky increased its lead to 35-20 on a three-pointer by Jones 12 seconds into the second half. Kennesaw State then responded with a 9-0 run to slice the deficit to 34-29 following a three-point play by Anderson with 16:03 to play.
• The Owls continued to chip away at the Norse lead and eventually got within three points at 44-41 when Anderson made one of two free throws with 6:05 remaining.
• However, the lack of depth by Kennesaw State, which had just eight players in uniform, eventually became a factor when Anderson picked up his fourth foul and was forced to the bench with 4:56 remaining and the Owls trailing, 46-41.
• With Anderson on the sideline as Kennesaw State’s main inside scoring option and top rebounder, Northern Kentucky was able to maintain its lead and eventually increase it to 51-44 with 2:53 to play.
DELBERT LOVE SURPASSES 600 CAREER POINTS:
• Sophomore guard Delbert Love scored 15 points against USC Upstate on Thursday (Jan. 17) to surpass 600 career points. With 633 points, the Cleveland, Ohio resident ranks 10th on Kennesaw State’s all-time career scoring list during the Division I era. In 52 games, Love is averaging 12.2 points a game.
AARON ANDERSON APPROACHING 700 CAREER POINTS:
• Senior forward Aaron Anderson, who is in his third season at Kennesaw State, is 11 points shy of reaching of the 700-point plateau. With 689 points, the Tucson, Ariz. native ranks ninth on the Owls’ all-time scoring is 28 points away from moving into a tie for eighth place with Kurtis Woods (2008-10) who concluded his career with 717.
SEEING DOUBLE:
• Senior forward Anderson has produced three consecutive double-double (points-rebounds) games and ranks 21st nationally with eight. Anderson has totaled 22 career double-doubles to rank first in the Atlantic Sun Conference among active players.
MARKEITH CUMMINGS NAMED A-SUN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw State’s all-time leading scorer, has been named the Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, it was announced on Tuesday.
• Cummings, who was honored as A-Sun Conference Player of the Week for the fourth time in his career, averaged 28.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals in two games at Jacksonville and North Florida last week. The senior from Birmingham, Ala., shot 44.5 percent (23-for-47) from the field and made 9 of 12 (75.0 percent) shots from the foul line.
• Cummings is the second Owls player to be honored as A-Sun Player of the Week this season, joining senior Aaron Anderson, who was recognized on Nov. 13.
MARKEITH CUMMINGS MOVING UP A-SUN CONFERENCE’S TOP-10 SCORING LIST:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings totaled 10 points versus East Tennessee State on Saturday (Jan. 19) to increase his career total to 1,921. He currently ranks ninth on the Atlantic Sun Conference’s all-time scoring list. He is 50 points shy of moving into a tie with Ben Smith of Jacksonville (2006-10) who concluded his career with 1,971 points.
CUMMINGS APPROACHING 2,000 CAREER POINTS:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw State’s all-time career scoring leader with 1,921 points, is 79 points away from 2,000 career points and becoming just the sixth player in Atlantic Sun Conference history to reach the 2,000-point plateau. Willie Jackson (1980-84), who played at Centenary, is the A-Sun’s all-time leading scorer with 2,535 career points.
A DAY FOR THE RECORD BOOKS:
• In addition to handing second-year head coach Lewis Preston his first Atlantic Sun Conference victory, Kennesaw State established several program records during the Owls’ 83-75 win over Mercer on Jan. 5. The list includes:
• The Owls set program single-game records for free throws made (38) and free throws attempted (55).
• Kennesaw State went 9-for-14 (64.3 percent) to established to establish a school-record three-point percentage mark
OWLS AMONG A-SUN CONFERENCE LEADERS
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings currently leads the Atlantic Sun Conference in scoring with 17.7 points per game.
• Senior forward Aaron Anderson ranks third in the A-Sun in rebounding (7.7) and is fourth in field goal percentage (56.2).
• Sophomore guard Delbert Love leads the A-Sun in minutes played (37.0) and is eighth in assists (3.1) and sixth in steals (1.5).
• Freshman guard Myles Hamilton is tied for third in the A-Sun with 1.6 steals a contest.
• Delbert Love’s career-high 32 points against Mercer on Saturday (Jan. 5) ties for the second-highest single-game point total this season, ranking behind only North Florida’s Parker Smith who scored 33 at Stetson on Saturday (Jan.5).
• Aaron Anderson ranks No. 1 on the A-Sun active rebounding list with 643 career rebounds. Jacksonville’s Glenn Powell began the week with 636 rebounds.
FRESHMEN SEE SIGNIFICANT PLAYING TIME:
• The Kennesaw State roster includes four freshmen and all making contributions. Guards Myles Hamilton and Yonel Brown are both averaging over 20 minutes a contest. Hamilton is averaging 23.5 minutes a game while Brown is playing 24.1 minutes a contest.
KENNESAW STATE SIGNS JONES DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD:
• Continuing to build for the future, head coach Lewis Preston signed local product Jordan Jones to a national letter-of-intent earlier this week.
• Jones is a 6-8, 205-pound combo forward who will play his senior season at nearby Saint Francis High in Alpharetta. He averaged 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four blocks a game while helping Furtah Prep (Acworth, Ga.) to an undefeated regular season.
• Jones earned first team All-Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) honors and was selected to play in the Under Armour Grind Session in Atlanta last June. The event features many of the top high school prospects in the region and focusses on skill development and concludes with games.
NATE RUCKER ADDED TO ROSTER
• Junior forward Nate Rucker (Memphis Tenn. / Southwest Tennessee CC) joined the Kennesaw State roster on Dec. 17 and is enrolled in classes for the spring semester. A 6-6, 240-forward, Rucker began his collegiate career at Northern Illinois before playing at Southwest Tennessee Community College last season. During his freshman season, Rucker appeared in 30 games, starting 29, and averaged 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds a contest.
• Rucker shot a team-high 53.7 percent from the field and scored in double figures 12 times. He also produced two double-digit rebounding games.
• Rucker will practice with the Owls for the remainder of the season and will have two years of eligibility remaining beginning with the 2013-14 campaign. He will be eligible to play at the conclusion of the fall semester in December.
EIGHT NEWCOMERS JOIN ROSTER FOR 2012-13:
• Second-year head coach Lewis Preston has added eight newcomers to the program in 2012-13.
• The group includes freshmen Yonel Brown (Lawrenceville, Ga. / Berkmar HS), Myles Hamilton (Cleveland, Ohio / St. Edward HS), Cole Hobbs (Atlanta, Ga. / Greater Atlanta Christian School), Jordan Montgomery (Orlando, Fla. / Orlando Christian Prep), Bernard Morena (Abidjan, Ivory Coast / Auburn) and Nigel Pruitt (Potomac, Md. / Bullis School)
• Junior Kris Drees (Cumming, Ga. / West Forsyth HS) joined the team this fall after making the club as a walk-on, while sophomore Willy Kouassi (Abidjan, Ivory Coast / Auburn) is a highly-regarded transfer.
KENNESAW STATE ROSTER REVIEW:
• Kennesaw State returns five letter winners from last year’s club that posted a 3-28 overall record. The list of returnees includes seniors Aaron Anderson, Markeith Cummings, juniors Brandon Dawson and Andrew Osemhen (Loganville, Ga. / Grayson HS) and sophomore Delbert Love.
• The trio of Cummings, Anderson and Love accounted for 58.5 percent of Kennesaw State’s points during the 2011-12 season.
• The Owls 13-man roster entered the season with a combined 11 years of Division I collegiate experience, an average of 0.85 years per player. It ranks as the sixth-youngest team in the country.
PRESEASON HONORS:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings, a three-time second team all-conference selection, was named to the Atlantic Sun Conference preseason all-conference team.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings is Kennesaw State’s all-time scoring leader with 1,921 points.
• Cummings also ranks second all-time in rebounds (591) since Kennesaw State became a Division I program in 2005.
• Cummings is the all-time KSU leader in free throws made (488) and free throws attempted (715).
• Cummings also ranks No. 2 in points-per-game (17.2), field goals made (676) and field goal attempts (1,485).
• Cummings holds the top two single season marks for free throws made (158 in 2010-11 and 134 in 2009-10).
• Senior Aaron Anderson holds the KSU Division I school career field goal percentage record of 54.3 percent (287-529).
• Anderson is first in the KSU Division I era with 643 rebounds and rebounds-per-game (7.7).
A LOOK AT THE 2012-13 SCHEDULE:
• The Kennesaw State schedule includes three teams that are receiving preseason national attention. Notre Dame began the year ranked No. 22 by the Associated Press and No. 23 in the
USA Today Coaches Poll.
• Both Tennessee and Pittsburgh are receiving votes in the Associated Press and
USA Today Coaches polls.
• The Owls’ schedule includes five teams (Tennessee, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Mercer, USC Upstate) that advanced to postseason play during the 2011-12 season.
• Notre Dame reached the NCAA Tournament, while Tennessee advanced to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament, and Pittsburgh won the College Basketball Invitational Tournament.
• A-Sun Conference rivals Mercer and USC Upstate participated in the Collegeinsider.com Tournament, with the Mercer Bears capturing the title.
A NEW-LOOK A-SUN CONFERENCE:
• The Atlantic Sun Conference will have a new look to it in 2012-13. Belmont, who has captured the last two conference titles, and five of the last seven, left the league to join the Ohio Valley Conference.
• Northern Kentucky, a consistent postseason participant at the NCAA Division II level and dominant force in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, begins its first year in Division I and as a member of the A-Sun Conference.
2011-12 YEAR IN REVIEW:
• The 2011-12 season marked a challenging year for first-year head coach Lewis Preston and the Owls as Kennesaw State posted a 3-28 overall record and went 0-18 in A-Sun Conference play.
• The Owls recorded a 65-59 victory at Chattanooga on Nov. 18, 2011, to reward Preston with his first collegiate win.
•Junior forward Markeith Cummings was a second team A-Sun all-conference selection and rookie guard Delbert Love was a unanimous selection to the conference’s all-freshman team.
• Junior forward Markeith Cummings led the Owls in scoring and ranked second in the A-Sun after averaging 15.4 points a game. Cummings produced 25 double-digit scoring games and led the team in scoring 12 times.
•Junior forward Aaron Anderson led the A-Sun in rebounding after averaging 9.0 rebounds a game and contributed 8.9 points a contest. He scored in double-digits 15 times, had 14 double-digit rebounding games, and his 280 rebounds established an Owls’ Division I era single-season record.
• Freshman Delbert Love made an immediate in his first season with the Owls as he averaged 12.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals a contest. He started all 31 games and led all A-Sun Conference freshmen in scoring while averaging a team-high 36.5 minutes a game.
PROGRAM HISTORY:
• The 2012-13 season marks the 28th year of basketball at Kennesaw State. The 1985-86 campaign marked the first season of Owls basketball and the team posted a 7-21 overall record, including a 6-12 mark in the Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while competing as an NAIA member.
• Kennesaw State played nine seasons as an NAIA member, compiled a 146-143 (.505) all-time record and produced six winning seasons.
• Kennesaw State moved to the NCAA Division II level for the 1994-95 season and accumulated a 198-124 (.615) overall record in 11 years.
• Head Coach Tony Ingle led the Owls to their lone national championship in 2004 after the team compiled a program-best 35-4 (.897) record. Kennesaw State defeated Southern Indiana, 84-59, in the national championship game on March 27, 2004 in Bakersfield, Calif.
• Kennesaw State moved to the Division I level for the 2005-06 season and has compiled a 66-227 (.225) record in seven seasons. The Owls’ best year at the D-I level was the 2006-07 season when the club posted a 13-18 (.419) mark.
• Kennesaw State’s signature Division I win was an 80-63 victory over Georgia Tech before a KSU Convocation Center record-crowd of 4,784 on Nov. 15, 2011.
• Lewis Preston was named the fourth head coach in program history on April 16, 2011.
WHAT’S NEW?
• This past summer, the Kennesaw State Department of Athletics, as part of an overall re-branding initiative, signed a multi-year contract to have its 17 intercollegiate athletics teams outfitted in Adidas apparel and footwear.
• Kennesaw State Athletics also introduced a whole new family of logos that appear on team apparel, facilities and a re-designed www.ksuowls.com athletics website.
• The KSU Convocation Center also has a refurbished floor, sparkling new video board with sponsorship signage on the south end, a ribbon board on the north side under the hospitality suite, a new LED scorer’s table and media tables highlight the atmospheric changes to the seven-year old facility.
ABOUT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY:
• Kennesaw State University is the third-largest university in Georgia, offering more than 80 graduate and undergraduate degrees, including doctorates in education, business and nursing and a new Ph.D in international conflict management. A member of the 35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing student population of more than 24,600 from 130 countries.
Kennesaw State is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
