GAME NO. 25
KENNESAW STATE (3-21, 2-10) at East Tennessee State (8-18, 6-7)
DATE: Feb. 14
TIME: 7:00 p.m. (ET)
SITE ETSU/MSHA Athletic Center (6,500)
LOCATION: Johnson City, Tenn.
LIVE VIDEO: A-Sun TV
LIVE AUDIO: KSUOwls.com
LIVE STATS: ETSUBucs.com
SERIES RECORD: ETSU leads, 14-1
LAST MEETING: Jan. 19, 2013; ETSU, 70-60
LAST KSU WIN: Jan. 12, 2006; 78-72
KENNESAW STATE NOTES
GAME TIME:
• The Kennesaw State men’s basketball team will be in search of back-to-back wins when it travels to Johnson City, Tenn., to take on East Tennessee State at the ETSU/MSHA Athletic Center on Thursday (Feb. 14) beginning at 7 p.m. (ET).
• Brandon Scardigli will provide a live audio broadcast of the game at KSUOwls.com and live video will be available on A-Sun Tv.
• 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 (3-21, 2-10) is coming off a 75-68 victory over Jacksonville on Saturday (Feb. 9).
• East Tennessee State is currently 8-18 overall and in seventh place in the A-Sun with a 6-7 record. The Buccaneers are coming off a 62-61 victory at Stetson on Saturday (Feb. 9).
• 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.
EAST TENNESSEE STATE SERIES HISTORY:
• Thursday’s contest marks the 16th all-time meeting between Kennesaw State and East Tennessee State in a series that backs to 2006 and the Buccaneers hold a 14-1 advantage. East Tennessee State has won 14 straight in the series, including a 70-60 victory on Jan. 19 at the KSU Convocation Center. The Owls’ lone win in the series was a 78-72 victory Jan. 12, 2006 in Kennesaw.
KENNESAW STATE-EAST TENNESSEE STATE GAME-BY-GAME RESULTS:
DATE WINNING TEAM H/A/N SCORE
1/12/06 Kennesaw State H 78-72
1/25/06 East Tennessee State A 110-74
1/19/07 East Tennessee State A 78-66
2/17/07 East Tennessee State H 75-71
2/3/08 East Tennessee State A 72-66
12/23/08 East Tennessee State H 76-62
2/26/09 East Tennessee State A 81-46
1/7/10 East Tennessee State H 63-46
2/12/10 East Tennessee State A 66-45
3/5/10* East Tennessee State N 69-64
1/5/11 East Tennessee State H 80-69
1/29/11 East Tennessee State A 93-62
1/9/12 East Tennessee State A 73-69
2/4/12 East Tennessee State H 64-59
1/19/13 East Tennessee State H 70-60
*Semifinals of the A-Sun Tournament played in Macon, Ga.
LAST MEETING:
• Kennesaw State cut a 17-point deficit to single digits several times during the second half, but could not complete the comeback as the Owls fell 70-60 to East Tennessee State Saturday at the KSU Convocation Center.
• The loss overshadowed a strong performance by senior forward Aaron Anderson who scored a team-leading 13 points and collected a season-high 14 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season.
• Anderson went 4-for-6 from the field and 5-for-13 from the foul line while adding three assists and a steal in 36 minutes.
• Anderson was joined in double figures by freshman guard Jordan Montgomery, who scored a career-high 11 points, and senior forward Markeith Cummings, who added 10.
• East Tennessee freshman guard Lester Wilson led all players with 19 points, while senior guard Jarvis Jones and Kinard Gadsen-Gilliard contributed 15 and 14 points, respectively.
• Kennesaw State (2-17-, 1-6) claimed an early 2-1 lead, but the Buccaneers (5-14, 3-3) quickly found their three-point touch, knocking down eight shots from behind the arc to build a 37-24 halftime lead. Meanwhile, the Owls struggled from the field, shooting just 33.3 percent (8-for-33), including 0-for-8 from three-point range.
• A three by freshman guard Myles Hamilton with 7:14 left in the second half, concluded a 19-10 run that allowed Kennesaw State to pull within eight at 54-46. The Owls would close the gap to eight once more, but that was as close as they would get the remainder of the game.
• While Kennesaw State was never able to get untracked offensively, shooting just 39.3 percent (22-for-56) from the field, East Tennessee kept its rhythm the entire contest, finishing the game at 63.2 percent (24-for-38), including 9-for-13 (69.2 percent) from behind the three-point line.
A LOOK AT EAST TENNESSEE STATE:
• East Tennessee State is currently 8-18 overall and in seventh place in the A-Sun with a 6-7 record. The Buccaneers are coming off a 62-61 victory at Stetson on Saturday (Feb. 9).
• East Tennessee State has two players scoring in double figures and is led by senior guard Jarvis Jones who is averaging 16.3 points while playing in 19 games. Freshman forward Lester Wilson is averaging 14.4 points and a team-high tying 5.6 rebounds a game.
• East Tennessee State is averaging 62.8 points a game while allowing 71.3 points a contest.
• Head coach Murray Bartow is in his 10th season leading the East Tennessee State program and has compiled an overall record to date of 187-131 (.588). In 15 years as a collegiate head coach, Bartow has posted an overall coaching mark to date of 300-214 (.584).
JACKSONVILLE RECAP:
• Senior forward Aaron Anderson (Tucson, Ariz. / Central Arizona College) scored 12 points and collected 13 rebounds to lead Kennesaw State to a 75-68 victory over visiting Jacksonville in an Atlantic Sun Conference game Saturday afternoon at the KSU Convocation Center.
• Anderson, who posted his ninth double-double of the season and sixth straight double-digit rebounding game, was part of a group of four players that finished in double figures for the Owls (3-21, 2-10). Senior forward Markeith Cummings (Birmingham, Ala. / Beach HS) scored a game-high 18 points, while sophomore guard Delbert Love (Cleveland, Ohio / St. Edward HS) chipped in 11 points and freshman forward Nigel Pruitt (Potomac, Md. / Bullis School) equaled a career-high with 10 points.
• Kennesaw State rallied from a 38-33 halftime deficit and outscored Jacksonville 42-30 in the second half to avenge a 99-92 triple-overtime loss to the Dolphins (12-14, 7-6) on Jan. 10 in Jacksonville.
• The Dolphins were led by junior guard Keith McDougald who scored 15 points, while junior forward Dylan Fritsch contributed 14 points and senior forward Glenn Powell added 12 points and seven rebounds.
• Utilizing the energy from the home crowd to its advantage, Kennesaw State came out and played with the aggressiveness that Preston has been seeking from his team on a consistent basis. The Owls outrebounded the Dolphins, 40-31, outscored Jacksonville 36-31 in the paint, and outshot the visitors, 45.8 percent to 43.9 percent.
• Kennesaw State also converted 16 of 20 free throw attempts, a marked improvement from when the Owls made just 18 of 27 when the two teams met earlier this season.
• Anderson who was a force on the boards at both ends of the floor and had seven offensive rebounds among his 13. Junior forward Andrew Osemhen also provided aggressive play near the basket, scoring eight points and collecting five rebounds in 18 minutes.
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 659 points, the Cleveland, Ohio resident ranks 10th on Kennesaw State’s all-time career scoring list during the Division I era. In 55 games, Love is averaging 12.0 points a game.
AARON ANDERSON SURPASSES 700 CAREER POINTS:
• Senior forward Aaron Anderson, who is in his third season at Kennesaw State, surpassed the 700-point plateau career after scoring eight points against North Florida on Thursday (Feb. 7). With 713 points, the Tucson, Ariz. native ranks ninth on the Owls’ all-time scoring is four 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 nine double-doubles this season, and ranks first among Atlantic Sun Conference active players with 23 career double-doubles.
A-SUN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw State’s all-time leading scorer, was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week (Jan. 15) for the fourth time of his career after averaging 28.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals in two games at Jacksonville and North Florida on Jan. 10 and 12, respectively.
• Senior forward Aaron Anderson received the recognition for the first time in his career on Nov. 13 after a double-double in the opening two games of the season as he contributed 14.0 points and 11.5 rebounds a contest while shooting 70.6 percent from the field during road games at Tennessee (Nov. 9) and South Carolina State (Nov. 12).
MARKEITH CUMMINGS MOVING UP A-SUN CONFERENCE’S TOP-10 SCORING LIST:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings totaled 18 points versus Jacksonville on Saturday (Feb. 9) to increase his career total to 1,961. He currently ranks ninth on the Atlantic Sun Conference’s all-time scoring list. He is 10 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 1,961 points, is 39 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 17.0 points a game.
• Senior forward Aaron Anderson ranks first in the A-Sun in rebounding (8.6) and is eighth in field goal percentage (53.8).
• Sophomore guard Delbert Love leads the A-Sun in minutes played (36.3) and is ninth in assists (2.9) and 10th in steals (1.3).
• Freshman guard Myles Hamilton is tied for fifth in the A-Sun with 1.5 steals a contest.
• Delbert Love’s career-high 32 points against Mercer on 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 679 career rebounds. Jacksonville’s Glenn Powell began the week with 658 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 23.8 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.
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 1,961 points.
• Cummings also ranks second all-time in rebounds (599) since Kennesaw State became a Division I program in 2005.
• Cummings is the all-time KSU leader in free throws made (493) and free throws attempted (723).
• Cummings also ranks No. 2 in points-per-game (17.1), and is first in field goals made (692) and field goal attempts (1,521).
• 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 53.5 percent (303-566).
• Anderson is first in the KSU Division I era with 679 rebounds and rebounds-per-game (7.9).
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.
• 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 with 36.5 mpg.
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.
