By Jeysla Gonzalez

Eagles playing penultimate game of 2024

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team will take on Wright State Saturday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m. inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center as the Eagles play their penultimate game of the 2024 calendar year.

ON AIR
Eastern Michigan and Wright State will air on ESPN+ from the George Gervin GameAbove Center with Ryan Wooley and Grant Long on the call. Tom Helmer and John Motherwell will have the call live on WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network App. Live stats will be available on EMUEagles.com.

OPENING TIPS
»Eastern Michigan trailed 26-9 against Purdue Fort Wayne, Dec. 15, before cutting the advantage to 33-25 and ultimately falling, 99-76. Senior Jalen Terry scored 28 points while PFW knocked down a George Gervin GameAbove Center record 20 three-pointers on an impressive 20-of-39 (51.3%) shooting mark.
»Senior Da’Sean Nelson has six-straight games with at least 10 points for the third time in his career. If Nelson is able to reach double-figures for a seventh-straight game against Wright State, Dec. 21, it would mark his longest streak of his career.
»Wright State, Dec. 21, marks the final scheduled first-time opponent for Eastern this season. EMU also had first-ever games against Texas State, Nov. 4 (L, 44-64), and Houston Christian, Nov. 25 (W, 74-73).
»Despite being separated by 174 miles, Eastern Michigan and Wright State have never competed against each other in men’s basketball. Of the 44 Division I schools within 300 miles (straight line on map) of Ypsilanti, Eastern has played all but four of them.
»Eastern Michigan is one of only five schools in the nation to have three different players score 28 points in separate games this season.
»Eastern Michigan has four players averaging at least 12+ points each for the first time since at least before the 1973-74 season. EMU is one of 11 teams in the country to have four players scoring 12-plus points per game.
»Eastern Michigan’s Stan Heath is in his fourth year at the helm of the Eagles, holding a 36-67 record at EMU and a 245-274 record over 17 years as a head coach.

JALEN TERRY SCORES 28 AGAINST PFW
Senior Jalen Terry netted 28 against Purdue Fort Wayne, Dec. 15, equaling his career high. Terry was 11-for-22 from the floor. His 11 made field goals are a career high.

DA’SEAN NELSON 10+ POINTS IN SIX-STRAIGHT
After scoring 10 points against PFW, Dec. 15, senior Da’Sean Nelson has six-straight games with at least 10 points for the third time in his career. If Nelson is able to reach double-figures for a seventh-straight game against Wright State, Dec. 21, it would mark his longest streak of his career.

76 POINTS IN A LOSS
Despite scoring 76 points against PFW, Dec. 21, EMU suffered its first regulation loss when scoring 76 points since Feb. 10, 2024, an 82-76 loss at Louisiana-Monroe.

BELOW THE CENTURY MARK
In 374 games at the George Gervin GameAbove Center, only one team has reached 100 points against the Eagles as 2022-23 Florida Atlantic, which reached the 2023 Final Four, scored 101 at EMU, Dec. 4, 2022.

Horizon League preseason favorite Purdue Fort Wayne fell one point shy becoming the second Eagle foe to reach 100 points at the George Gervin GameAbove Center as Eastern fell, 99-76, Dec. 15.

Top Point Totals by Foes at the George Gervin GameAbove Center
Date    School                               Points
12/4/2022        Florida Atlantic                             101
12/15/2024     Purdue Fort Wayne                     99
11/30/2024     Detroit Mercy 98
11/12/2023     Illinois State                    98

HENRY WITH 21 POINTS AT LOYOLA CHICAGO
Junior Christian Henry led the Eagles with 21 points at then-unbeaten Loyola Chicago, Dec. 3. After trailing 15-2, Eastern cut the deficit to as few as five points before the Ramblers pulled away in the final 25 minutes.

COOPER SMITH SCORES AT LOYOLA CHICAGO
Senior Cooper Smith played a career-high 5:51 at Loyola Chicago, Dec. 3, scoring his first points as an Eagle by converting a first-half lay-up.

13 STEALS AGAINST LOYOLA CHICAGO
Led by a career-high six steals by senior Da’Sean Nelson at Loyola Chicago, Dec. 3, Eastern tallied 13 steals for the first time since Jan. 7, 2023, against Central Michigan (15).

28+ POINTS (x3) WITH FOUR OTHERS
With junior Christian Henry‘s 28-point showing against Detroit Mercy, Nov. 30, senior Jalen Terry‘s 28 points against IU Indy, Nov. 14, and senior Jalin Billingsley‘s 32 points against Siena Heights, Nov. 8, Eastern Michigan is one of five teams in the nation with three different players reaching 28 points this season.

Different Players Scoring 28+ Points:
T1. Eastern Michigan              3            
T1. Army            3
T1. Missouri    3
T1. New Mexico            3
T1. Saint Louis              3

SUCCESS IN CLOSE GAMES
After another pair of tight games at the Houston Christian MTE, Nov. 25-26, against HCU and Northern Arizona, respectively, Eastern moves to 4-0 in games decided by four points or less. The trend has continued from the 2023-24 season when the Eagles were 8-3 in games decided by four points or less.

FOUR EAGLES AVERAGING 12+ POINTS
Eastern Michigan has four players averaging at least 12+ points each for the first time since at least before the 1973-74 season.

Player                 PPG 2024-25
Jalen Terry                         16.3
Christian Henry            14.2
Da’Sean Nelson           12.5
Jalin Billingsley              12.3

No Eagle team has had four players averaging even at least 10 points apiece since 2016-17.

Player                 PPG 2016-17
Ray Lee                              15.7
Willie Mangum IV        15.7
James Thomspon IV  14.8
Ty Toney                             10.2

Eastern is one of 11 teams nationally and the only team in the MAC with four players averaging at least 12 points.

Teams with Four Players Averaging 12+ Points:
                School                               4th-Leading Scorer PPG
1.            Milwaukee        13.8
2.            Delaware           13.1
3.           Washington State        12.8
4.           Eastern Michigan       12.3
Georgetown    12.3
North Florida  12.3
7.           Kentucky           12.2
Baylor  12.2
9.           Elon                      12.1
Maryland          12.1
11. Michigan  12.0

EASTERN HASN’T PLAYED WRIGHT STATE?
Despite being separated by 174 miles, Eastern Michigan and Wright State have never competed against each other in men’s basketball.

Of the 44 Division I schools within 300 miles (straight line on map) of Ypsilanti, Eastern has played all but four of them, meeting 37 of the 44 multiple times.

Schools Within 300 Miles Eastern Has Not Played:
                School                               Distance         
Wright State                    174
Northwestern                 211
West Virginia                  264
Morehead State                            279

DOUBLE-DIGIT ASSISTS
Eastern Michigan has nine-consecutive games with at least 10 assists for the first time since a 13-game streak during the 2017-18 season.

The 13.2 assists per game by the Eagles ranks seventh in the MAC.

10+ TURNOVERS FORCED STREAK SNAPPED
Eastern Michigan had forced double-digit turnovers by its opponents in nine-straight games for the first time since a nine-game streak in the 2021-22 season before forcing nine against PFW, Dec. 15. The 2020-21 Eagles forced at least 10 turnovers in all 18 games, making EMU’s nine-game streak the longest to start a season since 2020-21.

The 13.6 turnovers per game by EMU opponents ranks fifth in the MAC.

YUSUF JIHAD SHOOTING FROM DOWNTOWN
Senior Yusuf Jihad has converted at an impressive rate so far this season, making 7-of-15 (.467) of his three-point attempts.

Jihad was 27-for-71 (.380) from downtown in 2022-23.

JT REBOUNDING AT 6-FEET TALL
Despite standing at 6-feet-0, Jalen Terry is averaging a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game, which ranks 12th in the MAC. Terry ranks fifth in the MAC in defensive rebounds per game at 5.1.

JT 25+ POINTS, 6+ THREE-POINTERS
Senior Jalen Terry posted back-to-back games with at least 25 points and six made three-pointers at IU Indy, Nov. 14, and at Cleveland State, Nov. 16. He is one of five MAC players to accomplish that feat and the first to do so since Jordan Dartis for Ohio University in 2019.

MAC Players With 25 Points AND 6 Three-Pointers in CONSECUTIVE Games (Since 2002-03):
MOH    Michael Bramos                          4             Dec. 3-13, 2008
EMU     Jalen Terry                      2             Nov. 14-16, 2024
OU        Jordan Dartis                  2             Nov. 24-30, 2019
CMU    Marcus Keene                                2 (x2)   Dec. 3-6, 2016; Jan. 17-21, 2017
BSU      Skip Mills                          2             March 4-6, 2006

Terry is one of just five Eagles since 2002-03 to record multiple games with at least 25 points and six made three-pointers in a season. He would be the first in that time frame to record three such games.

EMU Players With 25 Points AND 6 Three-Pointers TOTAL Games in One Season (Since 2002-03):
                Jalen Terry                      2             2024-25
Tyson Acuff                      2             2022-23
Emoni Bates                   2             2022-23
Elijah Minnie                   2             2018-19
Willie Mangum                             2             2016-17

Terry was also the first Eagle since Carlos Medlock, Feb. 11-15, 2006, to knock down six three-pointers in back-to-back games.

THR33-POINT STR3AK, 623-STRAIGHT GAM3S
Eastern, which hit six threes against Purdue Fort Wayne, Dec. 15, has now hit at least one triple in 623-straight games. EMU last failed to score from downtown Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami held the Eagles to 0-of-7 from behind the arc.

The Eagles have converted at least five three-pointers in 11-consecutive games, dating back to the final game of the 2023-24 season. The 11-game streak is EMU’s longest since a 15-game streak extending from the 2020-21 to the 2021-22 season.

FOUR ROAD NON-CONFERENCE WINS?
With road wins at IU Indy, Nov. 14, at Oakland, Nov. 21, and at Houston Christian, Nov. 25, Eastern has three non-conference true road wins for the first time since the 1996-97 season. With a win at Davidson, Dec. 28, the 2024-25 Eagles would match the 1996-97 squad’s mark of four non-conference true road wins. The wins against both Houston Christian, Nov. 25, and Northern Arizona, Nov. 26, equaled the 2019-20 team with four non-conference wins away from home. The 2019-20 team had four non-conference wins away from (two road, two neutral site).

2024-25 PRESEASON ALL-MAC TEAMS
First Team
Payton Sparks, Senior, Center, Ball State
Anthony Pritchard, Senior, Guard, Central Michigan
VonCameron Davis, R-Senior, Forward, Kent State
AJ Clayton, Senior, Forward, Ohio
Javan Simmons, Sophomore, Forward, Toledo

Second Team
Isaiah Gray, Senior, Guard, Akron
Jalen Sullinger, Senior, Guard, Kent State
Shereef Mitchell, Graduate Student, Guard, Ohio
AJ Brown, R-Sophomore, Guard, Ohio
Isaiah Adams, Fifth Year, Guard, Toledo

PRESEASON PICKED NINTH
After finishing 10th in 2023-24, EMU was picked ninth in the MAC preseason coaches’ poll.

2024-25 MAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll

(First Place Votes)

1. Ohio (11) – 121
2. Akron (1) – 106
3. Kent State – 99
4. Toledo – 95
5. Bowling Green – 73
6. Miami – 72
7. Ball State – 67
8. Central Michigan – 55
9. Eastern Michigan – 36
10. Western Michigan – 33
11. Northern Illinois – 24
12. Buffalo – 11

Tournament Champion: Ohio (8), Kent State (3), Toledo (1)

The six Ohio schools made up the top six while the bottom six is filled with the rest of the MAC schools.

MICHIGAN MATCH-UPS
The Eagles play three in-state opponents in non-conference action with contests against Siena Heights (Nov. 8), Oakland (Nov. 21), and Detroit Mercy (Nov. 30).

NEW FOE, WHO DIS?
The Eagles added competition against three first-time opponents this season; they face off against Texas State, Nov. 4 (L, 44-64), Houston Christian, Nov. 25 (W, 74-73), and Wright State, Dec. 21.

WHO’S BACK??
EMU returns four players from its 2023-24 roster including seniors Jalin Billingsley, Yusuf Jihad, and Micah Schnyders, as well as sophomore Arne Osojnik.

WHO’S GONE??
EMU lost 10 players from its 2023-24 game one roster including Tyson Acuff (Rutgers), Orlando Lovejoy (Detroit Mercy), Legend Geeter (Detroit Mercy), Conner Serven (Virginia Tech), Cyril Martynov (Eastern Kentucky), Julius Ellerbe (Coppin State), John McGriff (transfer portal – no destination), Javantae Randle (Central State), Prakash Ketterhagen (Lourdes), and Andrew Wells (graduation). The Eagles also lost Director of Operations LaMonta Stone (Assistant Coach – Detroit Mercy) and Graduate Assistant Nick Madray (graduation –> Utah Jazz).

WHAT’S GONE??
EMU lost 1,332 of its 2,047 points (65.07%) from the 2023-24 season, most notably leading scorer Tyson Acuff, who averaged 21.7 ppg (8th in the nation) on 43/29/81 shooting splits and transferred to Rutgers.

FRESH FACES
EMU added 11 newcomers to its 2024-25 roster including seniors Jalen Terry (DePaul), Da’Sean Nelson (DePaul), John Shanu II (UTRGV), and Cooper Smith (Michigan), juniors Christian Henry (Panola College), Julian Lewis (Miami), and Trey Pettigrew (Salt Lake CC), and freshmen Mario Brunetto (Classical Gymnasium), Mbaye N’Diaye (SEED Academy), Godslove Nwabude (Zion Prep),  and Dillon Tingler (Huntington Prep).

DEPAUL DUO TO YPSILANTI
Jalen Terry and Da’Sean Nelson both came to Ypsilanti from DePaul and are expected to have big roles for the Eagles in 2024-25. Terry averaged 8.5 ppg and Nelson scored 9.7 ppg for the Blue Demons in 2023-24.

STAYING HOME
Eastern Michigan has just four players (Yusuf Jihad, Farmington Hills; Jalen Terry, Flint;  Cooper Smith, Mio; and Julian Lewis, Ypsilanti) from the Mitten State on its 2024-25 roster, EMU’s fewest since 2020-21 (four).

INTERNATIONAL INFLUX
International student-athlete representation doubled on the Eagles 15-player roster this season, as they added three true freshmen from Senegal (Mbaye N’Diaye), Nigeria (Godslove Nwabude), and Italy (Mario Brunetto), respectively. The trio joins sophomore Arne Osojnik who represented Slovenia twice as a member of the U18 national team at the Euro Championships. A complete breakdown of the EMU roster can be found on page 11.

Most international true freshmen in the nation:
1. Buffalo – 6
2. Florida Atlantic – 5
t3. Eastern Michigan – 3
Manhattan – 3
Oregon State – 3
San Francisco – 3
Seattle – 3
UT-Martin – 3
Weber State – 3

Most African true freshmen in the nation:
t1. Eastern Michigan – 2
Seton Hall – 2

Osojnik is one of five players from Slovenia in the country.

Slovenian MBB Players at NCAA Division I:
Arne Osojnik – Eastern Michigan
Klemen Vuga – UAPB
Urban Klavzar – Florida
Jan Vide – LMU (Calif.)
Sasa Ciani – UIC

Brunetto is one of 17 Italians players while N’Diaye is one of 32 Senegalese players and Nwabude is one of 38 Nigerian players.

DOUBLEHEADER DAY
The Eagles are scheduled to play three double-headers with the EMU women’s basketball team in 2023-24 with four of the five doubleheaders taking place in Ypsilanti. Both the EMU men’s and women’s teams will play Jan. 11 (vs. Akron), Feb. 15 (men vs. Toledo, women vs. Ball State), and Feb. 22 (Northern Illinois).

The men’s team was 5-0 at home in doubleheader games in 2023-24.

EMONI BATES NBA + G-LEAGUE
Former Eagle Emoni Bates was named a G-League All-Star with the Cleveland Charge in 2023-24, averaging 24.8 ppg. Bates also appeared in 15 games with the Cavaliers during the 2023-24 season. He underwent surgery in early October to repair a torn meniscus and is expected to return to action at some point during the 2024-25 season.

NEXT UP
Eastern Michigan travels to Davidson, Dec. 28, for a 2 p.m. game.

COURTESY EASTERN MICHIGAN ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS