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.
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