| CSU Vikings.com | WEB |
Vikings Host Valpo To Open Horizon League Schedule
Dec. 1, 2008
• 2008-09 Men's Basketball Promotions Contact: Brian McCann
Complete Release in PDF Format
Game 7 SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State returns home to open Horizon League play against Valparaiso on Tuesday, Dec. 2 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Wolstein Center. Fans wishing to attend the contest can take advantage of the Alley-Oop Online Special, being able to download a form off CSUVikings.com that will allow them to purchase two-for-one $12 tickets for the game. The Vikings enter the contest with a 4-2 record after sweeping games against Saint Leo (72-62), Toledo (77-56) and Florida International (66-58) last week en route to winning the team title of the Miami Regional of the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. Valparaiso (2-3) dropped games to San Diego (73-66), Iona (75-55) and LaSalle (75-70 in OT) last week at the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. PREVIEWING CLEVELAND STATE: After last year becoming one of at least 16 teams in NCAA history to go from losing 20 games in one season to winning 20 the next, the Vikings have many of the pieces to the puzzle for success in 2008-09 already in place but a few questions that need to be answered. The lineup is centered around the group of seven returning players who keyed the success last year, including the duo of forward J'Nathan Bullock (13.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and point guard Cedric Jackson (10.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.2 apg), both of whom were named to the five-player Preseason All-Horizon League first team this year. Earning spots in the starting lineup are the sophomore duo of off-guard Norris Cole (12.8, 3.0) and small forward D'Aundray Brown (10.0, 6.7). Senior Chris Moore (5.7, 4.3) has started each game at center with seniors George Tandy (2.7, 2.0) and Renard Fields (1.4, 1.0) each factoring significantly into the playing rotation. The final three spots in the rotation will come from the group consisting of sophomore guard Eric Schiele (3.8, 0.7) and freshmen guards Josh McCoy (1.2, 1.6) and Jeremey Montgomery (3.3, 1.5 assists). 1:00 P.M. TIPOFF FOR WEST VIRGINIA: Saturday's (Dec. 6) game at West Virginia, which previously had been listed as a TBA start time, will tip-off at 1:00 p.m. With West Virginia hosting South Florida in football that day, the time was not determined until ESPN selected its Big East lineup for that day, electing to play the football game at 8:00 p.m. HEAD COACH Gary Waters: The reigning Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year, Gary Waters has needed just two seasons to convert Cleveland State into one of the top programs in the Horizon League. A 34-year collegiate coaching veteran, he owns a 206-171 record in 13 seasons as a head coach and a 35-36 mark in his third season at CSU, taking seven of his first 12 squads to post-season play. He posted a 92-60 record in five seasons at Kent State, making NCAA appearances in both 1998-99 and 2000-01 and becoming the third coach in Mid-American Conference history to be named league coach of the year in successive years. Waters moved to Rutgers in 2001-02, compiling a 79-75 mark in five seasons, including three trips to the NIT. Waters, who led the Vikings to a 21-13 mark last year, earned his 200th career win on Feb. 23, 2008 when the Vikings defeated Marist. VIKINGS CLAIM A TOURNEY TITLE: The three wins in Florida last week allowed the Vikings to win the team title of the Miami Regional of the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, giving CSU its third tournament title in school history and the first since winning the Koch Petroleum Islander Classic during the 2000-01 season. Since playing in its first in-season tournament in 1966-67, CSU has played in 26 tournaments all-time with the Vikings also winning team titles at the Cleveland Invitational in 1967-68 and the First Bank Milwaukee Classic in 1987-88. VIKINGS DROP TO 18th IN MID-MAJOR POLL: The back-to-back losses to Washington and Kansas State caused the Vikings to drop 10 spots -- from eighth to 18th -- in the most recent Mid-Major Basketball Poll, which was released on Nov. 25. With a pair of wins last week, CSU should move up when the next poll is announced. The Vikings, who ended the 2007-08 season unranked, received 179 votes to be one of two Horizon League teams to make the poll (Butler 8th). Gonzaga (769 votes, 28 first place) and Davidson (741, 2) were first and second in a close voting. The poll, which is sponsored by CollegeInsider.com, is released each Tuesday throughout the season. AN EARLY OPENER: When the Vikings open up their Horizon League schedule against Valparaiso on Tuesday, the game will mark the earliest start to league play, easily surpassing the previous start set last year when CSU hosted Youngstown State on Dec. 8. This will be the fourth straight season that the Vikings played a league game in December with CSU owning a 1-2 record in those games. The Vikings lost to Loyola (12/29/05) and UIC (12/27/06) before beating YSU last year. BULLOCK BREAKS INTO SCORING TOP 10: A 16-point effort against Florida International last week allowed J'Nathan Bullock to break into the CSU career scoring top 10. With 1,318 points during his career, Bullock passed both Jamaal Harris (1998-2002) and Dave Youdath (1980-84), who were 11th and 10th, respectively with 1,304 and 1,306 points. Bullock has a little more work to do to catch ninth place Eric Mudd, whose 1,402 points puts him 84 points ahead of Bullock. FLORIDA IS A GOOD PLACE TO PLAY: With three wins in the CBE Classic last week, Cleveland State improved its record to 6-1 in the State of Florida over the last two years. Included in that record was a 3-1 mark in the Glenn Wilkes Classic last year during which CSU defeated South Florida, Florida State and Florida Atlantic. The lone loss came to Georgia Southern on a basket with less than a second to go. . . . AND BULLOCK LIKES FLORIDA AS WELL: A 16.0 scoring average in the three tournament games last week by J'Nathan Bullock, continued the strong play by the senior in the State of Florida. In seven games over the last two seasons, Bullock has scored 133 points (19.0 ppg), including three 20-point efforts and two double-doubles. He had 26 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high five steals at USF last season, scored 15 points with 10 rebounds in a loss to Georgia Southern and totalled 25 points vs. Florida Atlantic. In seven games, he is shooting .470 from the field (46-98), .353 from three-point (6-17), and .833 from the line (35-42) with 53 rebounds (7.6 rpg) and 14 assists (2.2). THE SOPHOMORES HAVE IT: After weeks and weeks of talk about how the Vikings were going to be led by the senior duo of J'Nathan Bullock and Cedric Jackson, it was another less-heralded duo -- sophomores D'Aundray Brown and Norris Cole -- who have proven to be the offensive key during the first three weeks of the season. Cole, who averaged 10.0 points over the final six games last season, is second on the team with a 12.8 scoring average, including a career-high 20 points at Washington and 17 points in the loss to Kansas State. Brown has set his career-high with 15 points against both Oakland and Florida International and is second on the team and fourth in the league averaging 6.7 rebounds a game. WATERS ON THE RADIO: CSU fans will be able to get the inside scoop on the Vikings this year by listening to The Gary Waters Show each week on WTAM, 1100 AM. The one-hour call-in show, which will be hosted again by Andre Knott, will air weekly beginning on Nov. 12. At least 14 episodes of the show are planned, most coming on Monday night's. The show will air on Dec. 1 (Mon.), 8 (Mon.), 16 (Tues.) and 22 (Mon.) in December. A complete schedule is available on CSUVikings.com. . . . AND ON TELEVISION: The Viking Basketball Report, with Head Coach Gary Waters returns for a third season on SportsTime Ohio. The half-hour weekly show includes game recaps, highlights and features on players and other elements of the program. The show will be hosted by Mike Cairns with commentary from Waters. It will air multiple times every week, usually debuting on Tuesday evening. MOORE, MOORE, MOORE: After dropping 25 pounds during the off-season, senior Chris Moore is beginning to see the results of that hard work. He has found his shooting touch over the last four games, making 16 of his last 22 field goal attempts (.727) to break out of a mini-scoring slump that saw him go scoreless in the first two games of the year. For the year, Moore is averaging 5.7 points and 4.3 rebounds a game, shooting .533 from the field (16-30) and adding six assists and six blocked shots. MONTGOMERY STEPS UP: The trip to Florida proved to be beneficial for freshman guard Jeremy Montgomery. After going scoreless with one assist while playing just 11 combined minutes in the first three games, the freshman from Chicago emerged as a reliable member of the playing rotation, averaging 6.7 points, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 15.0 minutes. His breakout game came against Toledo when he set career highs for points (10), assists (4), steals (4) and minutes played (20), going four-for-six from the field. More importantly, he was three-for-nine from three-point in the tourney, helping CSU to improve its outside shooting effort. BULLOCK EXTENDS STARTING STREAK: With starts in every game this season, senior J'Nathan Bullock extended his starting streak to 75 consecutive game, tying Weldon Kytle (1961-65) for the fourth-longest streak in school history. If he stays healthy, he could catch record-holder Ken McFadden (1985-89), who started 86 straight games, in January. . . . AND GAME 100 IS NEXT FOR BULLOCK: When J'Nathan Bullock takes the court for the Valparaiso game, it will be the 100th game of his CSU career. With at least 25 games left in the season (counting at least one game in the Horizon League Championship), Bullock has a chance to at least tie the school record for games played in a career (and consecutive games played in a career) which is currently being held by both Eddie Bryant and Clinton Ransey with 125 games played from 1983-87. JACKSON IS A STEAL: With 88 steals during the 2007-08 season, Cedric Jackson not only ran away with the Horizon League steal title, but he also posted the third-highest single season steal total in school history. Jackson's 2.59 steals per game easily topped Green Bay's Terry Evans, who was second with 1.97 steals a contest. The 88 steals trailed only Kenny Robertson, who set the school record with 111 thefts in 1988-89 and had 90 steals in 1987-88. On a national basis, Jackson ranked ninth among Division I players in steals last year. . . . AND THIS YEAR HAS BEEN NO DIFFERENT: Although Cleveland State has played just six games this year, senior Cedric Jackson has defensively been in perfect form, making 19 steals to lead the Horizon League with 3.2 steals a game and putting himself ahead of last year's 2.6 steals a game pace. Jackson has had multiple steals in every game this year, including a season-high five against both Washington and Toledo, giving him 32 multiple steal games in his CSU career (40 games). 1,000 POINTS & 500 BOARDS FOR BULLOCK: Senior J'Nathan Bullock began the 2008-09 season as one of 10 players in CSU history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds during a career. Bullock, who enters the week with 1,318 points and 597 rebounds, is striving to become the only player in Viking annals with 1,500 points and 750 rebounds. . . . AND ANOTHER 1,000 & 500 MILESTONE IS REACHED: A perfect five-for-five effort from the line against Kansas State on Nov. 22 allowed J'Nathan Bullock to become the fifth player in school history to attempt 1,000 field goals and 500 free throws in a career. Bullok enters the week with 1,050 field goal attempts and 516 free throw attempts. He joins Ken McFadden (1,639 field goals, 761 free throws), Clinton Ransey (1,511, 604), Franklin Edwards (1,807, 520) and Theo Dixon (1,291, 504). BOARD WORK REQUIRED: One thing that is obvious from watching the Vikings during their first six games is that rebounding is going to be a factor in every game this year. Last year, CSU became the first team in Horizon League history to win the conference rebounding title (+3.1 rpg) after finishing last in rebounding the year before (-3.5). But that accomplishment has meant nothing to date as the Vikings have been out-rebounded in five of the first six games, owning a -4.7 rebounding margin to rank seventh in the league this campaign. Last year's rebounding total was CSU's first positive rebounding margin since 2000-01. A FOUL CALL: Although Cleveland State committed 679 personal fouls a year ago, the fourth-highest single season total in school history, the Vikings didn't allow the fouls to hurt them, setting a school record by having just three players foul out of games during the season. Cedric Jackson (at Kent State), D'Aundray Brown (Green Bay) and Chris Moore (at Dayton) each fouled out of a game once during the year, allowing the Vikings to break the old record low of five players fouling out, which was set in 1985-86. . . . AND THE TRADITION CONTINUES: Through six games this season, the Vikings have not had a player foul out while CSU opponents have had three players disqualified because of fouls. BULLOCK GOING FOR A 4TH SCORING CROWN: It took him six games, but senior J'Nathan Bullock is finally in a familiar position as he enters the Valparaiso game leading the team in scoring with a 13.3 scoring average. Bullock is attempting to become only the third player in CSU history to lead the team in scoring in four straight seasons. He started the streak as a freshman in 2005-06 when he was one of three Vikings in double figures for the year, averaging 11.3 points a game, the lowest average ever by a player who led the team. Bullock improved his average to 13.5 points in 2006-07 and trailed Cedric Jackson for most of last season until exploding for 39 points against Green Bay to take over the scoring lead for good. Bullock would join Franklin Edwards (1977-81) and Weldon Kytle (1961-65) as the only four-time scoring leaders. BUILDING A HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: When Gary Waters took over as head coach in the spring of 2006, he made note of the team's 5-10 home record the year before and indicated that for the program to succeed, the Wolstein Center would have to become a much more difficult place to play. The Vikings accomplished that goal in 2007-08 when CSU set a school record for wins in a season by going 12-2 in games played in the Wolstein Center. CSU was also 8-1 in league games, falling just short of the perfect 9-0 home league record in 1992-93. With a 1-1 home mark this year, CSU is now 13-3 on campus over the last two seasons, a considerable improvement over the 25-42 over the previous five seasons. JACKSON MAKES A KING-LY FIGURE: As part of the pre-season opening Viking Madness event, Viking senior Cedric Jackson and women's basketball junior Angel Roque were selected CSU's 2008 Homecoming King and Queen, respectively. NEXT UP: The Vikings remain at home, hosting Butler on Thursday night (Dec. 4) at 8:00 p.m. in a game that will be televised on ESPNU. CSU then travels to West Virginia for a 1:00 p.m. game on Saturday (Dec. 6).
|
     
|
|||||||||||
