Thursday, January 14
7:00 p.m. – Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville (ESPN3)
Links: Live Stats | Game Notes | ESPN3
Social Media: Twitter | Facebook
 
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE                            
The Dolphins are off to an 8-10 start and are 7-0 at home.
 
The 2014-15 A-Sun Newcomer of the Year, Kori Babineaux, leads Jacksonville averaging 18.5 points per game and is second on the team with 4.7 rebounds per game.
 
Marcel White also is an offensive threat for the Dolphins as he averages 16.3 points per game. He leads the team averaging 5.9 rebounds per game and has 13 blocks on the season.
 
Tony Jasick is in the middle of his second season as the head coach at Jacksonville.
 
THE ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS JACKSONVILLE        
Overall the Owls are 6-14 against Jacksonville. KSU swept the series last season for the first time since the 2006 season.
 
Racking up the Minutes
Yonel Brown not only leads the Owls in minutes, but he leads the nation averaging 38.9 minutes per game. He had played all 40 minutes in six straight games until the Reinhardt matchup and 10 of the 17 games this season. He played 42 minutes in the overtime game against Elon.
 
Taking Care of the Ball
Against Reinhardt, Kennesaw State had a 2-1 assist to turnover ratio as the team finished with 20 assists and 10 turnovers. The 20 assists are a season high and the 10 turnovers are a season low.
 
Taking care of the ball is something that KSU has been improving at as the season has gone on. Louisville is one of the best defensive teams year in and year out and the Owls did a good job of handling their pressure. Kennesaw State finished the game with 11 turnovers, which previously tied for the least amount of turnovers that KSU has had this season. The Owls had 11 turnovers in two other games against Elon and Mercer as well.
 
Going back, the Owls have had less than 15 turnovers in the last 11 of 13 games.
 
Dynamic Duo
Yonel Brown and Kendrick Ray are currently fourth and fifth in A-Sun scoring averages. Brown is averaging 17.7 points per game and has scored in double figures in nine of 10 games. Ray is averaging 16.9 points per game after going 6-6 from the floor against Lipscomb to score 16 points.
 
One of the two players has led the team in scoring in every game except for three so far this season.
 
Masterson Catches Fire
In the two games last week against Reinhardt, Nick Masterson shot 16-24 from the floor and averaged 20.5 points over the two games. He set two career highs as he had 17 points against Reinhardt, followed up by 24 against Lipscomb in the conference opener.
 
Before these two games, the sophomore has had three games where he had scored in double figures.
 
Sharing the Ball
With the recent offensive explosion by the Owls, the key has been how they have shared the ball. In the last five games, the Owls have had more assists than turnovers. In the last two games, Kennesaw State has had 20 assists against Reinhardt and Lipscomb.
 
Reaching 100
Kennesaw State has scored over 100 points two games in a row for the first time since the team was at the NAIA level in 1991-92. When the Owls scored over 100 points against Reinhardt, it was the first time since joining the D-I ranks against Reinhardt. The last time the team reached the century mark was in the 2004-05 season in a 103-61 victory over UNC Pembroke on Feb. 19, 2005.
 
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State men's basketball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsMBB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
 
This season, fans should purchase their tickets in advance of games, as they are only $10 ahead of time and $12 at the door.
 
Season tickets are currently available for all the home court action for the Owls and can be purchased by following the link here.