In the midst of a three-game road swing, the Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team will embark on its inaugural Horizon League season when it plays its first contest in the League Saturday at 2 p.m. at Green Bay.
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (4-7 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix (7-5 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
Saturday, Jan. 2 – 2 p.m. (ET)
Resch Center (9,729) in Green Bay, Wis.
TV: ESPN3 with Brian Hammons (Play-by-Play) and Tim Doyle (Analysis)
Radio: ESPN1530 (1530 AM) with Jim Kelch (Play-by-Play) and Steve Moeller (Analysis)
Countdown to 1,000 and 500: With 17 points at Eastern Illinois, Jalen Billups became the 31st Norse to reach 900 points for his career. His sights are now set on the 1,000-point plateau and he is just 29 points away with 971. Billups also has 495 career boards, which stands just five away from the top-20 all time. Nine other Norse have reached 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds, while 23 players have reached the 1,000-point mark in scoring and 20 have amassed 500 boards.
Countdown to 900: Tyler White is on the cusp of joining Billups as a member of 900-point club. After a 20-point outing at Toledo, the Lima, Ohio, native needs just 18 points to become the 32nd player in team history to reach the mark.
Tyler White is on the cusp of joining Jalen Billups as a member of 900-point club. After a 20-point outing at Toledo, the Lima, Ohio, native needs just 18 points to become the 32nd player in team history to reach the mark (NKU Athletics Photo)
Fast Break Points
• NKU closed its non-conference schedule at 4-7 following a 90-73 setback at Toledo.
• NKU placed 3 players in double-digits at UT, led by G Tyler White’s 20 points & career-high 18 by both G Lavone Holland II & F Drew McDonald.
• Four Norse are averaging 10 or more points per game this season, led by F Jalen Billups at 13.8.
• NKU will play its inaugural season in the Horizon League this year after moving to the league on July 1, 2015.
• NKU plays Green Bay in its inaugural Horizon League men’s basketball game at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis.
• The Norse are eligible to compete in the #HLMBB championship, Motor City Madness, in its final season of reclassification to Division I.
• F Jalen Billups led the nation w/ 69.6% shooting last year, and is among the nation’s leaders at 65.2% (60-92) this year.
• Billups ranks among NKU’s all-time leaders in FG % (2nd, .637), blocks (5th, 113) & blocks per game (11th, 1.1).
• Billups is averaging an impressive 1.65 points per field-goal attempt this season.
• Billups and White are climbing NKU’s all-time scoring list. Billups ranks 26th w/ 971 points & White is No. 34 (882).
• White ranks 10th in NKU’s record books with 158-career treys and has his sights set on Tony Rack’s 160.
• White has matched his career-high in assists (7) three times in the last six games and is averaging a career-best 4.1 apg.
• Holland is averaging a team-best 6.2 rebounds per game. He is t-2nd on the team in scoring at 11.7 points.
• G Cole Murray has had the hot hand from long range, shooting 44.1% (26-of-59) from behind the arc this year.
• Murray is one of four Norse averaging double-figures this year, checking in at 10.3 ppg.
• McDonald set a career-scoring high for the second straight game with 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting at UT.
• In the last three games, McDonald is averaging 13.3 points per game on 64 percent shooting (16-of-25).
From NKU Athletics
