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Vikings Continue League Play At Wright State
Dec. 29, 2008
Contact: Brian McCann
• 2008-09 Men's Basketball Promotions Complete Release in PDF Format
Game 15 SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State returns to Horizon League play when the Vikings travel to Fairborn, Ohio to face Wright State on Tuesday, Dec. 30 beginning at at 7:05 p.m. in the Ervin J. Nutter Center on the Wright State campus. Cleveland State enters the game having won five straight games to improve to 10-4 on the season, including a 67-41 dismantling of Kent State on Dec. 23. Wright State has rebounded from a 0-6 start to win six of the last seven contests, including wins over Oral Roberts, South Florida and Murray State to win the San Juan Shootout. 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 are quickly returning to the form that earned them their first post-season bid in 20 years. 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 (14.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and point guard Cedric Jackson (9.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.1 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 (11.6, 2.9, 2.5) and small forward D'Aundray Brown (8.4, 5.4). Senior Chris Moore (4.9, 3.3) has started each game at center with seniors George Tandy (4.6, 5.6) and Renard Fields (1.1, 1.0) each factoring significantly into the playing rotation. The final three spots in the rotation come from the group consisting of sophomore guard Eric Schiele (3.9, 1.5) and freshmen guards Josh McCoy (1.1, 1.0), Jeremey Montgomery (3.6, 1.6 assists) and Trevon Harmon (7.3, 2.3), who became eligible at the semester. HEAD COACH Gary Waters: The reigning Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year, Gary Waters has needed just three seasons to convert Cleveland State into one of the top programs in the Horizon League. A 34-year collegiate coaching veteran, he owns a 212-173 record in 13 seasons as a head coach and a 41-38 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. . . . AND HE IS FINALLY BACK ABOVE .500: A five game winning streak has pushed Gary Waters' record at CSU to 41-38, giving him a winning record for the first time since he was 5-3 early in his inaugural season at CSU. His overall record dipped to 12 games below .500 (11-23) after back-to-back losses to George Mason and Florida Atlantic but the Vikings started a gradual climb back up to .500, going over the mark for the first time on Dec. 20. Of the 14 head coaches in CSU history, the only other coach above .500 is Kevin Mackey (142-69, .673). CSU IN THE NCAA STATS: Senior Cedric Jackson, the Horizon League leader in both assists (5.1) and steals (2.9), ranks 16th nationally in steals and 65th in assists in the latest NCAA statistics, which were released on Monday (Dec. 22). In addition, sophomore D'Aundray Brown is 100th in steals (1.9). As a team, CSU ranks in the top 50 nationally in six categories, ranking 15th in scoring defense (54.7), 20th in turnover margin (+4.9), 23rd in steals (10.0), 40th in three-point field goal defense (.281), 47th in field goal defense (.376) and 48th in assist-turnover-ratio (1.21). CSU JUMPS TO 8TH IN MID-MAJOR POLL: The win over 11th-ranked Syracuse on Dec. 15 made quite an impression on the voters as CSU jumped from 15th to 8th in the most recent Mid-Major Basketball Poll, which was released on Dec. 23. The Vikings, who ended the 2007-08 season unranked, received 525 points to be one of three Horizon League teams to make the poll (Butler 5th, UIC 16th). Gonzaga continues to be ranked first with Illinois State moving up to second this week. VIKINGS FINALLY PASS THEIR BOARDS: After a very auspicious start to the season, the Vikings have finally found the form that made them the top rebounding team in the Horizon League a year ago (+3.1 rpg). CSU opened the year by losing the battle of the boards in five of the first six games, being out-rebounded by an average of 4.0 rebounds a game (including a disastrous -26 margin in the loss at Washington). It was a slow road back, but CSU finally moved the rebounding margin back into positive territory by out-rebounding its opponent in six of the last eight contests. For the year, the Vikings own a 523 to 503 rebounding edge (+1.4). . . . AND BY GEORGE, TANDY'S BEEN THE KEY: No player seems to be as responsible for the turnaround in CSU's rebounding fortunes than senior George Tandy. Over the last eight games, Tandy has averaged 8.4 rebounds a game, a considerable improvement over the 2.0 boards that he averaged in the first six games or the 3.9 rebounds over his first 39 games as a Viking. Tandy has had no less than six rebounds in any game during his current streak, including a career-high matching 13 vs. Kent State and 10 vs. Valparaiso. 10 WINS BEFORE THE NEW YEAR: The victory over Notre Dame College on Saturday allowed the Vikings to accomplish another program first, that is, win 10 games before New Year's Day. In fact, with a 10-4 record heading into the Wright State game, CSU has easily bested the old record for wins in the months of November and December, which was eight accomplished three times (1985-86, 1986-87 & 2007-08). . . . AND A FAST START THIS SEASON: The Vikings 10-4 record ties for the fifth-fastest start to a season after 14 games. The school record is a 12-2 start, accomplished in both 1985-86 and 1986-87, while the 1987-88 team was 11-3. The 10 wins in 14 games equals a feat accomplished in both 1992-93 and 1980-81. EVERYTHING STARTS WITH THE D: Keeping to his word, Gary Waters has built the 2008-09 Vikings around defense and the results of late have really been spectacular. CSU has held nine of its 14 opponents to under 40-percent shooting from the field, including in eight of the last nine games during which the Vikings are 7-2. During that stretch, CSU opponents are 161 for 450 from the field (.358). In 13 games, only Syracuse (in a losing effort) shot better than 44-percent from the field (27-50, .540). CSU was 47th in the nation in field goal defense (.388) in the latest NCAA stats, a figure that has dropped to .376 following the Notre Dame College victory. KEEPING IT IN THE 40'S: A better example of how strong the Viking defense has been this year is that CSU has held five opponents to under 50 points in a game this season, the most since the then Fenn Foxes accomplished it eight times during the 1946-47 season, 63 seasons ago. The 40 points scored by Notre Dame College on Dec. 27 was the fewest allowed by CSU since Milwaukee scored just 34 points on Jan. 27, 2001. You'd have to go back to Jan. 11, 1967 (42 seasons) to see another game in which the Vikings allowed fewer points (24-22 win over Walsh). . . . AND KEEPING IT UNDER 20: Further proof of the success of the CSU defense is that the Vikings have held six opponents to 20 points or less in the first half of games this season. Toledo was the first team kept under the mark when it scored just 16 points. Valparaiso scored a season-low 14 points on Dec. 2 with Butler tallying just 20 two days later. In the last three games, La Roche (19), Kent State (17) and Notre Dame College (17) have each been kept under the mark. CSU is 9-2 in games in which it has either led or been tied at half and is outscoring its opponents by 5.5 points in the first half (30.3-24.8). HANDING OUT ASSISTS AT A RECORD PACE: The Vikings enter the Wright State game on a pace to set a school record for assist percentage in a season. Through 14 games, CSU has an assist on 219 of its 352 baskets (62.2%), slightly ahead of the record of 61.6 set in 2004-05 (376 assists on 610 baskets). J'NATHAN IS ON A ROLL: Senior J'Nathan Bullock is playing some of the best basketball of his Viking career of late. After averaging 12.5 points in the first 10 games, the senior has turned up his game, tossing in an average of 17.0 points over the last four contests to raise his season average to 14.5 ppg. Named the Horizon League Player of the Week for the first time in his career on Dec. 1 after averaging 16.0 points in three wins in Florida, he received it again last week after scoring 18 points in wins over both Syracuse and La Roche. He came back on Tuesday to tally 24 points in the win over Kent State. A TURNOVER TALE: One area of continued improvement for the Vikings this year has been turnover margin where CSU leads the Horizon League with +4.9 turnovers a game. The improvement has come at both ends of the court. After averaging 14.0 turnovers a season ago, the Vikings have done a better job taking care of the ball, turning it over just 12.9 times a game, including 10 or fewer turnovers four times this year. Defensively, CSU has turned up the heat, forcing 17.9 turnovers a game, 3.0 more than last year's 14.9 turnovers a game. CSU is ranked 20th nationally in the latest NCAA stats. HARMON MAKES HIS DEBUT A GOOD ONE: In the three games since becoming eligible at the semester break, freshman guard Trevon Harmon has averaged 7.3 points and 2.3 rebounds a game and supplied CSU with a much-needed scorer off the bench. He scored seven points with four rebounds in 18 minutes in his debut against La Roche and came back to score six points, making a pair of treys, against Kent State, and nine points in 15 minutes vs. Notre Dame College. Harmon, a 6-0 guard from Pasadena, Calif., was named the All-CIF Division II Player of the Year as a senior after averaging 28.0 points and 8.0 assists per game. BULLOCK MOVES UP TO SIXTH IN SCORING: A 24-point effort against Kent State on Dec. 23 allowed J'Nathan Bullock to move from seventh to sixth on the CSU career scoring list. With 1,441 points during his career, Bullock passed Darren Tillis (1978-82), who was sixth with 1,422 points. He needs 142 points to pass Theo Dixon (1997-02), who is fifth with 1,572 points. 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 5-2 home mark this year (1-1 in league play), CSU is now 17-4 on campus over the last two seasons, a considerable improvement over the 25-42 over the previous five seasons. BULLOCK EXTENDS STARTING STREAK: With starts in every game this season, senior J'Nathan Bullock extended his starting streak to 83 consecutive games, tying Darren Tillis (1978-82) for the third-longest streak in school history. He needs two more starts catch Dave Youdath (1980-84), who is in second place with 85 consecutive starts. He is just four starts away from breaking Ken McFadden's (1985-89) school record of 86 consecutive starts. . . . AND GAME 108 IS NEXT FOR BULLOCK: When J'Nathan Bullock takes the court for the Wright State game, it will be the 108th game of his CSU career. With at least 17 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 games started 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 14 games this year, senior Cedric Jackson has defensively been in perfect form, making 40 steals to lead the Horizon League (and rank 16th nationally) with 2.9 steals a game and putting himself ahead of last year's 2.6 steals a game pace. Jackson has had multiple steals in all but one game this year, including a season-high five against both Washington and Toledo, giving him 39 multiple steal games in his CSU career (48 games). 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 14 games this season, the Vikings have had just one player foul out of a game, that coming when Chris Moore picked up his fifth personal with 1:58 left in the Dec. 6 game at West Virginia. THE HEAVENLY HEAVE: When Cedric Jackson tossed in a 60-footer at the buzzer to give Cleveland State a 72-69 win at Syracuse on Dec. 15, it gave CSU its third ever win against a ranked opponent (3-27 overall). After snapping a 19-game losing streak to ranked opponents against Butler last year, the Vikings have now won two of their last three meetings against ranked teams. The victory also came against CSU's highest ranked opponent ever. Syracuse was ranked 11th with the previous wins coming over 14th-ranked Indiana in 1986 and 12th-ranked Butler last year. . . . AND THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE DOME: There was a comfortable feel to the Carrier Dome when CSU knocked off 12th-ranked Syracuse on Dec. 15. After all, in their only previous visit to the dome, the Vikings had defeated 14th-ranked Indiana and St. Joseph's in the first two rounds of the 1986 NCAA Tournament to become the first true Cinderella story of the NCAA Championship. With the win, CSU is now 3-0 in the building, including two of the three wins over a ranked opponent in program history. BULLOCK GOING FOR A 4TH SCORING CROWN: It took him six games, but senior J'Nathan Bullock is finally in a familiar position, taking over the team lead in scoring (he is averaging 14.5 ppg entering the Wright State game). 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. 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. 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 is hosted 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 every Monday night in January and February, moving to a 7:00 p.m. start. 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. NEXT UP: The Vikings pause to celebrate the new year before traveling to Detroit to face the Titans on Saturday, Jan. 3 for a 4:00 p.m. contest that will be televised back to northeast Ohio by SportsTime Ohio.
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