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Opponent Scouting Report |
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Ferris State – The Bulldogs
will come to Ashland with an 11-7 record, 8-1 in GLIAC play.
FSU sits in first place in the GLIAC North Division. The ‘Dogs
feature one of the most explosive guards in the league in 5-11
senior Dennis Springs. He’s fifth in the league in
scoring (16.6 ppg.). Springs is also second in assists
(103-5.7 apg.) and third in steals (46-2.56 spg.).
Springs has plenty of productive running
partners. Terrance Shaw, a 6-5 junior forward, averages 12.2
ppg., and 6.3 rpg. Antwuan Holt, a 6-3 sophomore guard, brings
10.4 ppg. Jeffery Shanahan, a 6-6 senior forward, is tied for
sixth in the GLIAC in rebounding (6.9 rpg.) and is tied for
seventh in steals (31-1.72 spg.).
Head coach Bill Sall, in his fourth season
at FSU, directs a club that generates 73.9 ppg., third best in
the conference. The Bulldogs are the conference leaders in
steals (193-10.72 spg.) and are fourth in turnover margin
(+2.89). FSU has won four of its last five games. Last week,
the Bulldogs were upset at home by Mercyhurst (61-59) and
defeated Gannon (68-47).
FSU leads the series with AU, 7-6. The
Bulldogs have won the last two matchups. A year ago they won
in Big Rapids, MI, 85-81. The last time the teams played in
Ashland, FSU was an 86-66 victor. AU’s last win over the ‘Dogs
came at Kates Gymnasium in 2002-03, 80-77. In last year’s
game, Ashland trailed at halftime, 46-30 before staging a
furious second-half rally. |
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Grand Valley State – The
Lakers, under the direction of head coach Ric Wesley, are
15-3, 7-2 in conference play and enter Thursday’s game at
Wayne State with a five-game winning streak. GVSU has won 10
of its last 11 games.
Callistus Eziukwu, a 6-10, 205-pound
sophomore, averages 13.0 ppg., and 6.5 rpg. The GVSU center is
the GLIAC leader in field goal percentage (.674), is second in
blocked shots (42/2.47), eighth in rebounding and ninth in
steals (28/1.65 spg.). He had 18 points, seven rebounds, four
steals and a pair of rejections in Monday’s 66-43 win
over Gannon at GVSU.
Jason Jamerson, a 6-2 sophomore guard, is
averaging a team-best 14.1 ppg. He’s third in the
conference in three-point field goal percentage (.435) and
fourth in treys per game (40/2.35). Courtney James, a 5-11
senior guard, is the conference leader in assist-turnover
ratio (3.30) and is fourth in assists (5.24). More muscle is
provided inside by Dan Redder, a 6-10, 270-pound junior. He
averages 9.7 ppg., and is sixth in the loop in field goal
percentage (.557) and eighth in free throw percentage (.803).
The Lakers are second in the conference in
scoring (79.3 ppg.) and rebound margin (+11.7). Grand Valley
is the league leader in scoring defense (57.4 ppg.), scoring
margin (+19), field goal percentage (.504) and field goal
percentage defense (.382).
AU holds a 10-7 edge in the series with
GVSU. Last season in Allendale, MI, GVSU downed the Eagles,
62-44. That was Ashland’s lowest point total of the
season. Grand Valley has won the last three games between the
schools. AU’s last victory over the Lakers came in
2001-02, 75-74 in overtime at Grand Valley. |
The Week Ahead
Thursday, Jan. 26 – Ferris State at ASHLAND, 7:30
p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 28 – Grand Valley State at ASHLAND, 3
p.m.
All games can be heard live on WNCO 1340 AM and the campus
station WRDL-FM 88.9
About the Eagles
It’s basketball’s version of a northeaster for the
Eagles this week as two teams from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference North Division invade Kates Gymnasium. Both
Ferris State and Grand Valley State have been nationally and
regionally ranked this year. In last week’s regional
rankings, FSU (6th), GVSU (7th) and Ashland (9th) were among the
region’s elite. Beginning the week, the Bulldogs were in
first place in the GLIAC North and GVSU was second.
The Eagles have the capability to prevent these
two visitors from taking Ashland by storm. AU will head into
Thursday’s game with a three-game winning streak and
victories in nine of its last 10 games. The Eagles are 15-4
overall, 7-2 and in second place in the GLIAC South Division.
Ashland has already surpassed last season’s win total (13).
This is the ninth time in 13 years that AU head coach Roger
Lyons has guided the Eagles to 15 or more wins. This week’s
games are the first in a string of four consecutive home contests
for AU. Ashland is 6-2 at Kates Gymnasium this season.
Last week, AU won at Northwood, 74-71 and at
Saginaw Valley State in overtime, 84-79. At SVSU, the Eagles
trailed by 11 points with 3:14 to play in regulation.
AU Facts and Figures
At this point in the season, senior center Justin Brown
(Columbus, OH/West Liberty State) would have to be considered
one of the candidates for the GLIAC’s player of the year
award. Brown is the GLIAC leader in scoring (18.3 ppg.), is second
in field goal percentage (.631) and third in rebounding (10.1
rpg.). Brown logs a team-high 32.9 minutes per game. He’s
been the GLIAC South Division player of the week twice this
season. In this week’s NCAA Division II national statistics,
Brown is eighth in the country in rebounding and 13th in field
goal percentage.
Junior forward Greg Emmons (Ashland,
OH) is fourth in the GLIAC in rebounding (7.8 rpg.) and 12th
in scoring (13.5 ppg.).
Junior guard-forward Vahn Knight (Euclid,
OH/Benedictine) has vaulted to fifth in the conference in
scoring (14.6 ppg.). Knight scored a career-high 26 points in last
week’s win over Saginaw Valley State. He’s averaged 20.5
ppg., over his last four games. In addition to his 26-point game
against SVSU, he had 24 at Northwood. Knight is 11th in the GLIAC
in free throw percentage (.783). He was 16-of-22 from the line
against SVSU. That attempt total is two tries shy of the school
single-game record (24). Knight is this week’s GLIAC South
Division player of the week. This is the third consecutive week AU
has boasted the South Division player of the week and the fourth
time this season the Eagles have claimed that award.
The AU backcourt has been productive, too.
Sophomore guard Brett Bartlett (LaGrange, OH/Kent State) is
fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage
(.451), seventh in assist-turnover ratio (1.50) and 10th in free
throw percentage (.794). Junior Rob McRae (Flint, MI/Mott
C.C.) is averaging 12.6 ppg. He’s 12th in steals (1.58
spg.).
Ashland is the GLIAC leader in scoring (79.3
ppg.), is second in field goal percentage defense (.413) and third
in scoring margin (+7.0) and rebound margin (+7.8).
The Line on Lyons
Lyons is in his 13th season with the Eagles. His career record
is 204-144. The Akron, OH, native is the career leader in
victories at Ashland. A 1974 Ashland graduate, Lyons has guided
the Eagles to 18 or more wins in a season five times. In
1999-2000, he directed the Eagles to a 20-9 finish. His 1987-88
team went 19-10 and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Short Shots
- Over the last four games Ashland has
outrebounded the opposition by 11.3 rpg.
- The Eagles are 8-1 on the road this season.
- The two games this week against Ferris
State and Grand Valley will give the Eagles 10 home contests
this season. Four of those games – this week’s games
and dates against Findlay and Saint Joseph’s – have
come against teams that are regionally and/or nationally ranked.
- AU’s two lowest turnover totals have
come in the last four games – 9 at Northwood and 11 at
Wayne State.
- In 10 of the last 11 games, the Eagles have
had at least four starters score in double digits.
- Thursday night’s game against Ferris
State is Pack the House Night.
Lines from Lyons
Lyons on Ferris State
“They’re one of the
best teams in our league. They’re 8-1 in the league and they’ve
played a great non-conference schedule, the numbers speak for
themselves. Dennis Springs is one of the best point guards in our
conference. It’s almost impossible to keep him away from the
basket.”
Lyons on Grand Valley State
“We’re looking at
two of the top four teams in our league, but they’re
different types of team. These teams this week, these are big
games for us. It’s a big week.”
Lyons on AU’s success.
“The biggest difference
is we’re staying with the plan we set forth. We don’t
deviate. That’s good, it’s helped us. We’re
attacking the rim, we’re not settling for jump shots.”
Up Next
The Eagles have two more home games next week, hosting Hillsdale
on Thursday (Feb. 2, 7:30 p.m.) and Wayne State on Saturday (Feb.
4, 3 p.m.). |
