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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Friday, November 12
Washington, D.C.
7 pm
Bowling Green State University
at
Howard
Falcons Open Season Friday At Howard
November 08, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Bowling Green Falcons (0-0) vs. Howard Bison (0-0)
Nov. 12, 2010 • 7 p.m. • Washington, D.C. • Burr Gymnasium
Nov. 12, 2010 • 7 p.m. • Washington, D.C. • Burr Gymnasium
Radio: BGSU Radio Network (99.1 FM) • Todd Walker (Play-by-Play)
Bowling Green, Ohio - The Bowling Green men's basketball team opens the 2010-11 season Friday at Howard, beginning at 7 p.m. The Falcons went 14-16 a year ago and 6-10 in Mid-American Conference play, finishing sixth in the East Division. The team lost a heart-breaker in the first round of the MAC Tournament at Western Michigan to end the season.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Overall, Bowling Green is a youthful team with just one scholarship senior on the squad. But the Falcons have one of the most veteran backcourts in the country with Joe Jakubowski and Dee Brown. In fact, Jakubowski enters the year with 85 career starts at point guard, the 10th most in the country.
• This contest is the first of a home-and-home series. The Falcons will welcome Howard for the Stroh Center opener next year. Howard President Dr. Sidney Ribeau held the same position at Bowling Green for 13 years and was highly instrumental in getting the Stroh Center project started.
• Head coach Louis Orr will need to find a way to overcome the graduation of the Falcons' top three post players from a year ago. Otis Polk, Erik Marschall, and Marc Larson combined for 23.7 points, 16.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game in 2009-10.
• After playing zone almost exclusively a year ago, the Falcons played the entire exhibition game in a man-to-man defense. Orr wants his team to play man-to-man but is a master of the Syracuse 2-3 zone learned in his playing days under Jim Boeheim.
THE SERIES
This will be the first meeting between Bowling Green and Howard. In fact, this will be the first contest BGSU has ever had against a current member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). According to RealTimeRPI.com, the MEAC was ranked 30th out of 31 conferences a year ago, while the MAC was ranked 16th.
SCOUTING THE HOWARD BISON
On May 4, Howard announced the hiring of former Hampton head coach Kevin Nickleberry to lead its program. A former assistant coach at UNC Charlotte and Clemson, Nickleberry took over a program that went 7-25 a year ago. He will lean on 6-foot-3 junior guard Calvin Thompson to resurrect the program. Thompson was selected to the MEAC Preseason Second Team after averaging 12.0 points and 5.1 rebounds a year ago. In all, Howard returns four of the seven players who started at least 10 games a year ago but has just two seniors and one junior on the active roster. The Bison did play one MAC team a year ago, losing to Akron 69-52.
FALCONS STIFLE ADRIAN
Bowling Green struggled to shoot the ball but the Falcon defense won the day Saturday in a 51-36 exhibition victory over Adrian. The Falcons led just 25-23 at the half but held the Bulldogs scoreless for more than five minutes to start the second half and pulled away. Bowling Green had 11 steals, forced 24 turnovers, and allowed only 13 second-half points. Redshirt sophomore A'uston Calhoun led Bowling Green with 20 points and he added seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Freshman Cameron Black had five points and seven rebounds.
OPENING THE YEAR STRONG
Bowling Green has won its season opener in each of the past two years, defeating Wayne State 67-45 a year ago and beating Georgia State 77-76 in overtime to start the 2008-09 season. In all, the Falcons are 69-26 all-time in season openers.
MAKING AN IMPACT EARLY
Freshman Cameron Black got the nod in the starting lineup for the team's intersquad scrimmage earlier this year and classmate Craig Sealey started in the team's exhibition win over Adrian. If a freshman gets a start Friday against Howard, he would be the first freshman to start his first collegiate game since Ryan Sims to start the 2006-07 season.
FALCONS PICKED FIFTH
Bowling Green was picked to finish fifth in the Mid-American Conference East Division in the preseason media poll. The Falcons had 42 points to edge Buffalo (32 points) in the division. Defending MAC Tournament champion Ohio was selected first, followed by Kent State, Akron, and Miami.
MAC Preseason Media Poll
East Division - 1. Ohio (128 points/12 first-place votes), 2. Kent State (114 points/8 first-place votes), 3. Akron (104 points/4 first-place votes), 4. Miami (84 points), 5. Bowling Green (42 points), 6. Buffalo (32 points)
West Division - 1. Ball State (124 points/12 first-place votes), 2. Central Michigan (122 points/8 first-place votes), 3. Eastern Michigan (88 points/2 first-place votes), 4. Western Michigan (68 points), 5. Northern Illinois (64 points/2 first-place votes), 6. Toledo (38 points)
Tournament Champion - Ohio (10), Kent State (6), Central Michigan (4), Ball State (2), Akron (2)
THOMAS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-MAC
Scott Thomas was selected as one of five Preseason All-MAC East Division players by vote of the media. Thomas led BGSU in scoring and steals a year ago, ranking second in rebounds, assists, and blocked shots. He averaged 13.2 points per game on the season but improved that average to 15.4 points in conference games and 16.9 points over the final eight contests.
Preseason All-MAC Teams
East Division - Brett McKnight (Akron), Scott Thomas (Bowling Green), Justin Greene (Kent State), Julian Mavunga (Miami), D.J. Cooper (Ohio)
West Division - Jarrod Jones (Ball State), Trey Zeigler (Central Michigan), Brandon Bowdry (Eastern Michigan), Xavier Silas (Northern Illinois), Flenard Whitfield (Western Michigan)
EXPERIENCE AT THE POINT
Most experts agree that an experienced point guard can play a huge role in a team's success in college basketball. If that's the case, then Bowling Green could be primed for a big season. Point guard Joe Jakubowski enters the 2010-11 season with 85 games started, 10th most in the country
THEY AREN'T CALLED "FREE" THROWS FOR NOTHING
Senior point guard Joe Jakubowski finished the 2009-10 season by making his final 21 free-throws in a row over the last nine games. That is the longest streak by a BGSU player since Martin Samarco made 24 in a row in January of 2006. Jakubowski finished the year with a 77.6 percent free-throw percentage.
3-DEE
In his first two seasons at Bowling Green, junior guard Dee Brown has proven to be one of the most accurate three-point shooters in program history. He has a 42.2 percent three-point percentage in his career, fourth-best in school history. In fact, only one player in program history has attempted more than Brown's 109 career long-range shots and made them at a higher percentage. Steve Martenet is the program's record holder by making 56.7 percent of his 67 career attempts. Josh Almanson shot 46.2 percent in 106 career attempts and John Reimold made 42.5 percent of his 536 career three-point attempts.
CONSISTENT LINEUP
A year ago, Bowling Green Head Coach Louis Orr used just three starting lineups. For the first 10 games of the season, the starting lineup was Joe Jakubowski, Dee Brown, Scott Thomas, Marc Larson, and Otis Polk. For the next 19 games, Marschall was inserted into the lineup for Larson. The third lineup took place just once, in the MAC Tournament, when Luke Kraus started instead of Dee Brown.
THE PRIDE OF FINDLAY, OHIO
Sophomore guard Luke Kraus had a highly decorated prep career at Findlay High School, where he passed Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to become the school's all-time leading scorer. Since Roethlisberger officially changed his hometown to the fictional Corey Rawson, Ohio during the offseason, Kraus is now likely the most famous athlete from Findlay, Ohio.
THE WALK-ONS
Head Coach Louis Orr accepted two walk-ons to his program this year and both are seniors in eligibility. Wiley Roberts is a feel-good story who served as a team manager for the past two years at Bowling Green. Mike Dabney spent the 2006-07 season at NAIA Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Mich., where he posted the third-highest single-season blocked shot total in program history with 56 rejections.
NAME DROPPING
BGSU freshman Craig Sealey was a part of two AAU National Championship teams with the All-Ohio Red Team in 2006 and 2007. Sealey's teams included Ohio State freshmen Jared Sullinger, J.D. Weatherspoon, and Aaron Craft, along with Michigan State freshman Adreian Payne.
PAINTIN' THE TOWN
Head Coach Louis Orr's philosophy is always to play an inside-out game, but the Falcons may be doing that in different fashion in 2010-11. A year ago, the team scored at least 20 points in the paint in 27-of-30 games and outscored 23-of-30 opponents in the paint. The Falcons scored a season-high 52 points in the paint last year in a win over Valparaiso. With a new cast of post players, the Falcons will continue to attack the basket inside, but it may happen in different ways this year.
HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS
In five of Bowling Green's six conference wins a year ago, the Falcons came back from a halftime deficit of at least six points. BGSU outscored Kent State, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, and Miami 224-149 over the final 20 minutes, an average of 15.0 points per game more than opponents in the second half.
WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE (THAT ROARS)
Anderson Arena has always been a difficult place for opponents and the Falcons finished 9-5 in 2009-10. The Falcons are 456-185 (.711) all-time in Anderson Arena and 170-59 (.742) in the past 17 years.
DEFENSE WINS
Bowling Green held opponents below 45 percent shooting in 13 of its 14 victories (Valparaiso shot 46.4 percent), a trend for success that has been the norm under Head Coach Louis Orr. The Falcons are just 4-23 in Head Coach Louis Orr's first three years when an opponent shoots better than 45 percent, including 1-11 a year ago.
GIANT KILLERS
Bowling Green tends to have success when a team carries a top 25 ranking into a game at Anderson Arena. The Falcons have won four consecutive home games against nationally ranked opponents, most recently an 89-83 win over No. 23 Kent State on March 1, 2008. BGSU defeated fifth-ranked Michigan State (all rankings according to Associated Press) in December of 1990, topped No. 23 Eastern Michigan on Valentine's Day, 1996, and defeated No. 25 Miami in February of 1999. The Brown and Orange's last home loss to a top 25 opponent came more than three decades ago to No. 16 Marquette on Dec. 6, 1978. Since the Associated Press began conducting a poll on Jan. 20, 1949, the Falcons have a record of 22-48 against nationally-ranked foes. BGSU is now 13-9 all-time in home games vs. AP Top 25 opponents, including a 7-5 mark since Anderson Arena opened prior to the 1960-61 season. The Falcons' last road win against a team ranked in the top 25 came when the team beat No. 25 Michigan State on Dec. 18, 1989 by a score of 81-79.
HE'S SMART TOO!
Joe Jakubowski was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team in voting by the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Bowling Green was one of only five teams in the country to place multiple players on one of the eight first team all-district teams as Jakubowski and graduate Marc Larson each made the team. Larson went on to be named ESPN The Magazine Second Team Academic All-American.
ALL-ANDERSON TEAM NAMED
In recognition of the final season in Anderson Arena, the Bowling Green Department of Athletics announced the All-Anderson Team -- the 13 best BGSU players to play in the Anderson Arena era. The 13 members of the team represent 19 first team All-MAC selections, four MAC Players of the Year, and six members of the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame. Eight of the 13 players were selected in the NBA Draft and/or played in the NBA. One of the players, Nate Thurmond, is an NBA Hall of Famer and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. The entire team will be honored during Bowling Green's final regular season game in Anderson Arena against Buffalo on either March 4 or 5.
All-Anderson Team
Cornelius Cash, 1972-75
Antonio Daniels, 1993-97
Bob Dwors, 1962-65
David Greer, 1979-83
Colin Irish, 1979-84
Shane Kline-Ruminski, 1991-95
Howard Komives, 1961-64
Keith McLeod, 1998-02
Marcus Newbern, 1978-82
Jim Penix, 1968-70
Walt Piatkowski, 1965-68
Anthony Stacey, 1995-00
Nate Thurmond, 1960-63
IT WILL STILL ROAR
Known as "The House That Roars", Anderson Arena will play host to the Bowling Green men's basketball team for the final year in 2010-11. The team will move into the brand new Stroh Center next year and will open the building by hosting Howard on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011. In honor of the final season in Anderson Arena, the Athletics Department is holding a year-long celebration titled "Closing The Doors Of The House That Roars". Following is a list of some of the key dates/events of the final year in Anderson Arena and the first year in Stroh Center:
Jan. 29, 2011 - Men's basketball throwback game vs. Eastern Michigan
March 4/5, 2011 - All-Anderson Team recognized vs. Buffalo
March 5, 2011 - The B!G Event; One final celebration of Anderson Arena
Sept. 9, 2011 - Volleyball vs. Michigan State; Stroh Center ribbon-cutting
Nov. 12, 2011 - Men's basketball vs. Howard; First game in Stroh Center
Nov. 17, 2011 - Women's basketball vs. Purdue; First game in Stroh Center
March 17-20, 2012 - NCAA Women's Basketball Tourney in Stroh Center
Derrick Butler, DaJion Humphrey, & Coach Simon Postgame Interview (Mar. 7, 2025)
Saturday, March 08
Marcus Johnson, Javontae Campbell, & Coach Simon Postgame Interview (Mar. 1, 2025)
Saturday, March 01
Javontae Campbell, Derrick Butler, & Coach Simon Postgame Interview (Feb. 21, 2025)
Saturday, February 22
Wilguens Jr. Exacte, Javontae Campbell, & Coach Simon Postgame Interview (Feb. 18, 2025)
Wednesday, February 19