GAME FACTS – After playing its first three University Athletic Association games at home, the Emory men's basketball team gears up for its first league series on the road this weekend, venturing to New York University on Friday (Jan. 19) before taking on Brandeis on Sunday. The Hunter College Sportsplex in New York will be the site of the 62nd meeting between the Violets and Eagles, with that contest slated for an 8:00 pm start. On Sunday, Auerbach Arena on the Brandeis campus will be setting for the 61st match-up between the two schools with a noon tip on the docket.
THE COACHES – Jason Zimmerman (Davidson, 1994) is in his 11th year of patrolling the Emory sideline. Named head coach in April of 2007, Zimmerman came to Emory after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Evansville (2003-04 through 2006-07). Prior to his stint with the Aces, Zimmerman was an assistant at Davidson College for seven years (1996-97 through 2002-03).
During his tenure with the Eagles, he ranks as the program's winningest coach, compiling a school and career record of 183-94. In games played at the Woodruff PE Center, Zimmerman posts a 107-26 ledger and a 76-68 mark in road/neutral settings.
He has guided Emory to eight straight winning seasons and five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017). The Eagles are the lone D-III school to have won at least one NCAA contest in each of the past five years.
After going 17-33 his first two years at Emory, Zimmerman has compiled a won-lost slate of 166-61 (.731) since the 2009-10 season.
Joe Nesci (Brooklyn College, '79) is in his 30th season at the helm of the NYU program. During his stint with the Violets he has compiled a school and career record of 510-261.
In his 15th campaign calling the shots for Brandeis is Brian Meehan (Clark University, '86). Heading into a Friday home date vs. Rochester, Meehan has registered a school record of 210-168. In 22 seasons as a head coach, which includes a seven-year run at Salem State, Meehan claims a career slate of 370-207.
2017-18 RECORDS – Emory, ranked 17th in this week's D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, has won its last eight games and posts an overall record of 12-2, 3-0 in the UAA. This past weekend, the Eagles hosted and defeated Carnegie Mellon (82-77) and Case Western Reserve (91-59). Senior Adam Gigax was named the league's Player of the Week following his performance over the two contests that saw him average 21.5 points and 6.0 rebounds. In addition, he shot 50 percent (14-28) from the floor including 47.8 percent (11-23) from three-point range in earning the conference award for the fourth time in his career.
Emory is 9-0 at home and 3-2 in road/neutral contests.
NYU will square off against Emory with an overall ledger of 8-5, 1-2 in the UAA. The Violets came out on the short end of a pair of road contests last weekend, 80-70 to Chicago and 113-75 to Washington University. NYU is 5-2 at home and 3-3 on the road.
Brandeis will host Rochester on Friday looking to snap a four-game losing skid that has dropped its overall slate to 4-10, 0-3 in the conference. The Judges lost road decisions to Washington University (84-56) and Chicago (77-67) last weekend. BU stands 2-3 in home games and is 2-7 on the road.
SERIES RECORDS – In a series that began in December of 1986, NYU holds an all-time record of 36-25 against Emory. The teams split last year's series with Emory winning, 84-75, in Atlanta and the Violets, 80-79, on their home floor. NYU is 19-12 vs. Emory in games that it has hosted.
Emory posts a 31-29 advantage in the all-time series against Brandeis that saw the first game played in January of 1988. Last season Emory came away with a 94-85 triumph at the Woodruff PE Center while the Judges notched a 67-59 win at Auerbach Arena. Brandeis has won 19 of the 30 meetings that have been played on its home floor.
RAPP MOVES INTO NO. 2 SPOT ON CAREER ASSISTS LIST – Senior Whit Rapp moved into second place on the school's all-time chart in assists in the Carnegie Mellon game when his final total of eight upped his career total to 514, bettering Michael Florin's mark of 509. Rapp doled out eight more assists in Sunday's win against Case Western Reserve, increasing his career output to 522.
Rapp is second only to Austin Claunch's (2008-12) No. 1 standard of 580. Rapp stands in the No. 2 spot on Emory's all-time chart in assists average (5.64 apg).
In his eight appearances this year, Rapp is averaging 7.5 assists per contest.
GIGAX CLIMBING EMORY CAREER LISTS – Adam Gigax continues his climb up a number of Emory career categories. His 43 combined points vs. CMU and Case Western boosted his career total to 1,089, ranking him 13th on the school's all-time chart. He is eight points from tying Alex Foster (2011-15) for 12th place and 38 from tying Rashawn Allen's (2001-05) 11th-place mark of 1,127 points.
In the three-point field goal department, the Mason, Ohio native climbed into the program's No. 2 spot after his 11 triples over the weekend left him at 183 (Jeff Hall had held down second place with 182). Gigax will now aim for the Eagles' all-time record of 227 held by Robert Spivey (2000-04). Finally, Gigax's career effort of 39.1 percent (183-467) from beyond the arc ties for eighth on the Emory all-time chart.
BAITEY BOOSTS OFFENSE WITH BIG WEEKEND – Junior Gebereal Baitey recorded a pair of solid offensive efforts in the Eagles' two wins over the weekend. In the 91-59 decision over CWRU, Baitey tied for game honors with a career-high 22 points, closing out that contest eight-of-12 from the floor, including a pair of triples in three tries, and converting four free throws. Baitey's performance against the Spartans represented his first career outing of 20 or more points and was his ninth double-digit showing of the year. Baitey began the weekend with a 14-point night vs. Carnegie Mellon, converting all five of his field goal tries, including both triple opportunities, and going two-for-two at the stripe.
In the two games, he shot a blistering 76.4 percent (13-17) from the floor, including 80 percent (4-5) from three-point range.
Baitey is scoring at an 11.4 points-per-game clip, good for fourth place on the squad and 17th on the UAA chart. He has been successful on 50.4 percent (59-117) of his field goal attempts, with that mark slotting him eighth among the conference leaders.
EMORY OFFENSE PUTTING UP POINTS – The Emory offense is scoring at an 86.6 points-per-game rate in overall play, good for the top spot in the UAA and 30th among all D-III programs (through Jan. 15). The Eagles have totaled 80 or more points in 12 of 14 contests and have registered four outings with 90 or more points.
The Eagles' current scoring average stands as the third-highest seasonal mark in school history.
WILLIAMS MAKES IMPACT – Romin Williams finished as Emory's No. 2 scorer in the Case Western game, tallying 18 points in 20 minutes of action. Williams ended the day knocking down seven-of-14 field goal opportunities, including four three-pointers in seven attempts, in posting his 11th double-figure contest of the campaign.
Williams is No. 2 on the club and fifth among UAA players in overall scoring average (16.3 ppg), and has either led or shared for team scoring honors on five occasions. He is second on the Emory score sheet with 32 three-point field goals and his 40.5 effort (32-79) from beyond the arc slots him in the No. 7 position on the conference ladder. Other UAA statistical categories that he finds himself ranked prominently include free throw percentage (6th, .772 (44-57)), assists (9th, 3.2 apg), three-point field goals per game (6th, 2.5) and steals (t-8th, 1.4 spg).
EMORY SOLID AT THE STRIPE – After shooting a season-high 92 percent (23-25) from the foul line in the Carnegie Mellon contest, the Eagles followed that with a 75 percent (15-20) effort against the Spartans of CWRU
Emory has been successful on 70 percent or better of its free throw opportunities in 10 of its last 11 and in a total of 12 games this year and its 78.5 percent (227-289) mark ranks first in the UAA and 4th among all D-III programs (through Jan. 15). In their nine home dates, the Eagles are connecting at an 80.3 clip (167-208) from the stripe. In five contests away from the Woodruff PE Center, Emory posts a 74.1 percent (60-81) mark at the line.
CHRIS AVANT TOP EMORY REBOUNDER – Christopher Avant's game-high nine rebounds against Carnegie Mellon represented the 10th time this year that he ranked as the Eagles' top player on the boards. The owner of four games this season (nine career) with 10 or more caroms, his 7.9 per-game average tops the team and ranks sixth among UAA players. He has been opportunistic on the offensive end of the floor with an average of 2.9 caroms, slotting him fourth on the conference chart.
In addition to his rebounding efforts, Avant is averaging 11.9 points per game with that mark third on the team and tied for 12th among UAA players. Avant has come through with 10 double-digit scoring efforts, and has been successful on 56.5 percent (65-115) of his field goal opportunities, good for fourth in the conference. Heading into Friday's match-up vs. NYU, he has shot 50 percent or better from the floor on 11 occasions.
EMORY RESERVES PRODUCING – Emory has received productive play from its bench, with the Eagle reserves producing a total of 372 points (26.6 ppg) vs. 297 points (21.2 ppg) for the opposition's subs.
Emory's bench totaled 36 points against Oglethorpe, the sixth time this season the subs had registered 30 or more points. Back on Nov. 21, the Emory reserves chalked up a season-high 46 points in a 109-103 win over Berry College.
DID YOU KNOW? – That Whit Rapp ranks 15th on the Eagles' all-time list with 121 steals … That Emory has seen five or more players score in double figures in six games this year, surpassing last season's total of four … That the Eagles went 6-0 at home during the non-conference this season and have won their last 34 non-league contests dating from the early stages of the 2012-13 campaign (included in the streak are 6 NCAA Tourney wins) … Emory has won its last 15 and 22 of its last 23 home games … That Christopher Avant current holds down the No. 2 spot on the Eagles' all-time field goal percentage list, sinking 56.9 percent (202-355) of his attempts … That since the 2010-11 season, Emory has the No. 1 record among UAA teams in overall (151-51) play and the second-best mark in league action (71-30) .… Washington University has the conference's second-best overall ledger (146-52) and the top slate in conference play (73-28) … That entering the NYU contest, Emory has at least one three-point field goal in its last 531 games -- The last time the Eagles failed to convert from beyond the arc came on Feb. 14, 1997, vs. Washington University (0-of-6) … Emory was won 41 of its last 42 games when allowing 69 or fewer points (5-0 in '17-18, 7-1 in '16-17, 13-0 in '15-16, 16-0 in '14-15) … That Christopher Avant's career-high 17 rebounds against Covenant tied the ninth-highest individual game total in school history and tied him with Will Trawick (vs. LaGrange, Dec. 1, 2013) for the most rebounds by a Zimmerman-coached player.
NOTES – Emory's 42.9 percent mark (12-28) from three-point range vs. Case Western was the team's third-best showing of the campaign … The Eagles have come up with 10 or more steals in six contests and their average of 8.5 thefts per game places them in the No. 1 spot in the UAA… In its 10 wins, Emory is shooting 38.2 percent (126-330) from three-point range compared to 26.5 percent (13-49) in its two losses … Emory has attempted more free throws than the opposition in six games (6-0) … Emory has outrebounded seven opponents and has been outboarded on four occasions (three games are tied) … The Eagles are averaging 41.4 points during the first half of play and 45.1 points over the final 20 minutes … Gebereal Baitey claims seven games of two or more steals this year and 19 in his career … Emory's nine turnovers in the Case Western contest tied a season low … Freshman Matt Davet has six double-figure scoring effort of the season and is shooting 37.8 percent (17-45) from three-point range, good for the No. 13 spot on the UAA chart, and has two or more triples to his credit in four contests … Opponents are scoring at a 34.6 points-per-game clip in the first half and 41.7 points in the second half … The Eagles are 45-6 in their last 51 games when making 10 or more three-point field goals in a game (7-0 in '17-18) … Adam Gigax is first on the team and sixth in the league in scoring average (17.3 ppg) … Gigax has converted two or more triples in all 13 of his appearances and has been successful on 43.4 percent (46-106) of his three-point attempts, good for the No. 3 position on the UAA ladder … In Emory's nine home contests, Gigax has converted 48.5 percent (32-66) from distance … Junior Beau Bommarito has seven double-figure scoring performances this season and has three-point field goals to his credit in a total of 11 contests … Since the 2012-13 season, the Eagles are 90-6 when outshooting the opposition from the floor (7-1 in '17-18, 17-1 in '16-17, 12-3 in '15-16, 18-0 in '14-15) … During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory stands 148-18 when leading at halftime (11-0, in '17-18, 13-0 in '16-17; 18-3 in 2015-16) … Emory is 89-10 (.898) over its last 99 home contests … The Eagles have recorded 100 or more points 48 times in program history and own a 43-5 won-lost record in those affairs … During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory has 17 contests of 100 or more points and stands 16-1 in such games.