GAME FACTS – After completing a successful three-game home stand, the Emory men's basketball team will take part in this weekend's (Nov. 30-Dec. 1) Maryville College Thanksgiving Classic. The Eagles open with a Saturday tilt against Pfeiffer University starting at 2:00 pm before taking on the host Scots of Maryville on Sunday in a scheduled 4:00 pm tip.
THE COACHES – Jason Zimmerman (Davidson, 1994) is in his 13th 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 219-103. In games played at the Woodruff PE Center, Zimmerman posts a 127-29 ledger and claims a 92-74 mark in road/neutral settings.
He has guided Emory to 10 straight winning seasons and seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), tying the longest streak in the history of the University Athletic Association.
After going 17-33 his first two years at Emory, Zimmerman has compiled a won-lost slate of 202-70 (.742) since the 2009-10 season.
Raul Placeres (Maryville, '06) is in his first year as the head coach at Maryville. Placeres is no stranger to the Scots' program having served as an assistant coach for eight seasons prior to his appointment to the top spot for the 2019-20 campaign.
In his second year of calling the shots for Pfeiffer University is Pete Schoch.
2019-20 RECORDS – Emory, ranked No. 2 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, claims a 5-0 mark. The Eagles are coming off a 3-0 effort on their home floor that concluded with a Tuesday win over Covenant College, 67-62. Junior Matt Davet paced four double-figure scorers with 24 points, sinking a personal-best six three-point field goals in the process, while classmate Matt Schner totaled 13 points along with a team-high eight rebounds.
The No. 2 national ranking is the highest ever for the Emory men's program, with the previous high being No. 4 on Jan. 24, 2012.
Pfeiffer will take a won-lost slate of 4-2 into the Emory contest. The Falcons are riding a four-game win streak with their most recent victory coming at Bridgewater last Saturday, 98-96, in overtime.
Maryville will meet Oglethorpe on Saturday looking to get into the win column for the first time after dropping its first three games. The Scots' most recent action took place last Saturday when they dropped a 91-90 verdict at Emory & Henry.
SERIES RECORDS – In a series that began in November of 1990, Maryville holds an all-time record of 16-14 against Emory. The Eagles have won the last three encounters including a 96-93 overtime decision last season at the Woodruff PE Center. The Scots stand 8-1 against Emory in games played on their home floor.
Saturday's match-up between Emory and Pfeiffer will represent the first-ever meeting between the schools.
EAGLES OFF TO SOLID START – Emory's 5-0 record is the first time the program has captured its opening five games since the 2011-12 campaign, when that unit eventually posted a school-best 12-0 slate to begin the year. It marks the third time during Zimmerman's stint as head coach that Emory has started out 5-0.
THREE BALL A KEY WEAPON FOR EMORY – Emory's 10 three-point field goals in the win over Covenant College marked the fourth time in five games that it had totaled double figures in that department. The Eagles are averaging a UAA-best 10.8 triples per game and their mark of 40.3 percent (54-of-134) from beyond the arc tops all conference squads.
Matt Davet paces the league with an average of 3.8 treys per contest while Romin Williams stands third with an effort to 3.0. Davet has three or more triples to his credit in all five games while Williams has multiple triples in four contests.
EMORY STRONG AT THE STRIPE –The Eagles have been consistent at the stripe having converted 70 percent or better in four of five games. Emory has been successful on 74.5 percent (79-of-106) from the foul line with that mark leading the UAA.
The Eagles claim two of the conference's top-10 free throw shooters with Davet's showing of 86.4 percent (19-of-22) fifth on the conference chart and Lawrence Rowley's 80 percent (16-of-20) good for the No. 10 spot.
MOVING UP THE LADDER – Romin Williams has 15 three-point field goals through five contests, upping his career total to 156 which is good for ninth place on the Eagles' all-time chart, just one shy of tying Emory Hall of Famer Spiros Ferderigos (2004-08) for the No. 8 spot … Williams has cracked the school's all-time Top-20 in scoring with his 950 points placing him 18th on that list … Matt Davet has totaled 109 career three-point field goals and is just five shy of tying for 20th on the Eagles' all-time list … Matt Schner is off to a hot-shooting start, connecting on 55.6 percent (25-of-45) of his field goal attempts … Schner ranks as the program's career leader in field goal shooting at 58.1 percent (164-of-282) … Junior Nick Stuck stands 14th all-time at Emory with 171 assists.
EMORY PICKED AS TEAM TO BEAT IN UAA – Emory was picked as the team to beat in the University Athletic Association in a preseason poll conducted by the league coaches, picking up seven of the eight first-place votes cast. Washington University nabbed the other first-place ballot and was picked for second. Brandeis and Chicago were slotted in third and fourth place, respectively.
WILIAMS TABBED AS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN -- Romin Williams was selected as Preseason Honorable Mention All-American by D3hoops.com. Williams was the lone UAA player to be recognized by D3hoops.com. Chosen to all-region teams by both the National Association of Basketball Coaches and D3hoops.com a year ago, Williams ranked as the Eagles' top scorer on eight occasions and rang up 450 points, the fourth-highest total by an Emory sophomore.
DID YOU KNOW -- That the Eagles' 94-70 win against Sewanee (Nov. 20) upped the school's all-time record in home openers to 29-5 … When Emory bettered Guilford, 89-67, on Nov. 9 it raised the program's all-time record in season-opening games to 23-11, 10-3 under Coach Zimmerman … Since the 2010-11 season, Emory has the No. 1 record among UAA teams in overall (187-60) play and the second-best mark in league action (91-35) .… Washington University has the conference's second-best overall ledger (178-63) and the top slate in conference play (93-33) … That Emory has at least one three-point field goal in its last 576 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 55 of its last 56 games when allowing 69 or fewer points (3-0 in '19-20, 5-0 in '18-19, 11-0 in '17-18, 7-1 in '16-17, 13-0 in '15-16, 16-0 in '14-15) … Emory posts a 36-4 ledger in games since the 2016-17 season when it has converted 10 or more three-pointers in a contest (4-0 in '19-20, 11-2 in '18-19, 11-0 in 2017-18, 10-2 in '16-17 … The Eagles have won 45 of their last 46 games at the Woodruff PE Center against non-league foes with the only blemish coming last season (Nov. 25, 2018) against Randolph-Macon … Emory is 109-13 (.893) over its last 122 home contests … The Eagles have recorded 100 or more points 54 times in program history and own a 48-6 won-lost record in those affairs … During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory has 23 contests of 100 or more points and stands 21-2 in such games … Since the 2012-13 season, the Eagles are 118-7 when outshooting the opposition from the floor (3-0 in '19-20, 16-1 in 2018-19, 16-1 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 180-21 when leading at halftime (4-0 in '19-20, 20-2 in 2018-19, 19-1, in '17-18, 13-0 in '16-17; 18-3 in 2015-16).