GAME FACTS – The Emory men's basketball team winds up the home portion of its regular-season schedule this weekend when it hosts New York University on Friday (Feb. 14) and Brandeis University on Sunday. Friday's encounter with the Violets of NYU is scheduled for an 8:00 pm tip (EST) while Sunday's match-up vs. Brandeis begins at noon. Prior to Sunday's contest, Senior Day festivities will be held with the program recognizing Nick Tupanjanin's contributions to the program.
Video and Live Stats will be available for both games with the links as follows: Providing play-by-play for the streams will be Mark Harmon.
NYU
Live Stats: https://emoryathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2019-20/boxscores/20200214_ourl.xml
Video - https://emoryathletics.com/sports/mbkb/live
Brandeis
Live Stats https://emoryathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2019-20/boxscores/20200216_crpz.xml
Video - https://emoryathletics.com/sports/mbkb/live
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 231-106. In games played at the Woodruff PE Center, Zimmerman posts a 133-31 ledger and claims a 98-75 mark in road/neutral settings.
He has guided Emory to 11 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 amassed a won-lost slate of 214-73 (.747) since the 2009-10 season.
Zimmerman stands 16-9 vs. both NYU and Brandeis.
Dagan Nelson (Ramapo College, '96) is in his second season as head coach of the NYU program and stands 16-29. Now in his sixth campaign as a college head coach, which includes a four-year stint at SUNY New Platz, Nelson checks in with a career effort of 51-95.
Jean Bain (Northeastern, 02) is in his second year patrolling the Brandeis sideline and heads into a Friday clash against Rochester with a school and career mark of 33-16. Last season, he oversaw the Judges' 18-11 record that included a berth in the ECAC DIII Tournament.
2019-20 RECORDS – Emory, ranked No. 9 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, checks in with an overall record of 17-3, and is tied with Brandeis and Washington University for first place in the UAA with a 7-2 mark. The Eagles are coming off a split of home games last weekend, seeing a four-game win streak come to an end after dropping an 84-76 decision to Chicago, before regrouping to post an exciting 73-68 come-from-behind triumph over No. 11-ranked Washington University.
Junior guard Nick Stuck finished as the club's leading scorer with an average of 13.0 points per outing, while his 5.5 per-game mark on the glass ranked third. Stuck came up big vs. Wash U, topping the team in scoring for the second this season following a 19-point afternoon that saw him hit six-of-13 field goal attempts, including two treys in four tries, and five-of-seven from the charity stripe. Stuck logged 14 second-half points against the Bears which helped Emory record a 40-27 scoring advantage.
Emory is 9-2 on its home floor this season, 8-1 in away/neutral contests. The Eagles' record is the best 20-game mark during Zimmerman's tenure as head coach and the program's second best in history (19-1 by 1989-90 team).
NYU squares off against Emory with an overall mark at 8-12, 1-8 in the league. After seven straight conference setbacks, the Violets landed their first win on Friday with an 80-79 home decision over Carnegie Mellon. On Sunday, Case Western Reserve bettered NYU by a 90-60 count. The Violets are 6-4 in road/neutral contests, 2-8 at home.
Brandeis heads into its Friday match-up at Rochester with an overall slate of 15-5 while its conference effort of 7-2 is good for a first-place tie. The Judges split a pair of road contests over the weekend, dropping an 84-76 outcome against Case Western that ended a three-game winning streak, and then bouncing back for a 77-70 win over Rochester. BU stands 8-5 in road and neutral encounters and 7-0 on its home floor.
SERIES RECORDS – In a series that dates from December of 1986, NYU holds an all-time record of 36-30 vs. Emory. The Eagles have narrowed the gap in the series as of late with five straight wins. Earlier this year (Jan. 17), Emory used 25 points from Romin Williams and 17 from Matt Schner in notching an 83-69 victory in NYC. The Eagles ended that affair shooting 52.5 percent (32-of-61) from the floor to the Violets' 38.5 percent (25-of-65) and knocked down 12 three-pointers, five by Williams and four by Schner. NYU has been victorious in 17 of the 32 games played in Atlanta, though Emory has won the last three at the Woodruff PE Center.
In the series that saw the first played in January of 1988, Emory stands 35-30 all-time vs. Brandeis. The Judges snapped a four-game losing streak to Emory back on Jan. 19 when they captured a 75-73 verdict that was decided at the buzzer. The Eagles stand 22-10 against Brandeis in Atlanta and have won the last 10 encounters played at the Woodruff PE Center.
EMORY SOLID FROM RANGE FROM DISTANCE – Through games played Feb. 11, Emory leads the UAA and stands 49th in the D-III ranks with an average of 9.9 treys per contest. The Eagles hold down the No. 2 position on the conference ladder and stand 38th nationally with a 38.4 percent showing (198-of-515). Emory's 198 three-pointers ranks 12th on the program's seasonal ladder.
Emory has 10 or more three-pointers to its credit on 11 occasions this year, including a pair of 16-trey barrages, tying the school's sixth-highest game total, vs. Pfeiffer (Nov. 30) and Case Western Reserve (Jan. 26).
Romin Williams holds down the No. 3 position on the conference chart with an average of 2.5 treys per contest. Williams has multiple treys in 12 games and his four makes from distance vs. Chicago (Feb. 7) represented his 11th game this year with three or more. Matt Davet is sixth among UAA players with an effort of 2.25 three-pointers per outing while Matt Schner is one spot behind at 2.2. Davet has 12 multi-trey outings to his credit this year, including nine with three or more. Matt Schner still stands No. 1 in the UAA in three-point percentage (50.6%, 44-of-87).
GET A REBOUND!! – Emory's 44-40 margin in the rebounding department in the Wash U contest back on Feb. 2 upped its record to 14-0 this year when finishing with the advantage in that category.
The Eagles have outboarded eight foes by 10 or more caroms and find themselves second among UAA squads and 34th nationally (through Feb. 10) in rebound margin (6.9).
The Eagles are pulling down an average of 12.7 rebounds on the offensive end of the floor, good for a first-place tie in the league, which has aided them in registering 274 second-chance points (13.7 scppg). A check at the UAA stats show that junior Lawrence Rowley sits No. 3 on the UAA ladder in rebound average (8.3 rpg) while Matthew Schner is tied for the No. 6 slot (7.6 rpg).
Both Rowley and Schner have either led or tied for team honors in rebounding on 10 occasions this season.
EMORY UAA LEADER IN SCORING AVERAGE – The Eagles are averaging 87.1 points per outing in overall contests, good for the No. 1 spot among UAA schools and 23rd (through Feb. 11) in D-III. Emory has tossed in 83.5 points over their 11 home dates and 91.6 in nine away/neutral affairs.
In breaking down scoring by halves, Emory is putting up 41.8 points during the opening 20 minutes of play and 45.3 in the second half. The Eagles have totaled 50 or more points in nine halves of action.
Emory has four of the top 14 UAA scoring leaders in overall play, led by Romin Williams who is averaging 17.4 points per contest, good for the No. 2 position. Williams has logged 18 performances of double-figure scoring including eight of 20 or more points. Matt Schner holds down the No. 4 spot at 15.6 points per game while Matt Davet's showing of 13.7 points per game is 12th. Lawrence Rowley rounds out the quartet with his 13.0 per-game effort slotting him 14th.
SCHNER'S ALL-AROUND PLAY A BOOST FOR EMORY – Matt Schner stands as one of the UAA's most versatile performers with the 6-foot-4 native of Boca Raton, Florida, ranking among the league's top-10 in 12 categories.
In addition to his No. 1 position in three-point shooting (.506, 44-of-87), Schner is playing a league-high 33.8 minutes per contest. No. 2 on the squad and fourth in the UAA in scoring, Schner, who has 18 double-figure scoring contests to his credit, is connecting on 53.7 percent (110-of-205) of his field goal attempts, good for second on the team and fifth on the league list. Schner has converted 50 percent or better of his floor attempts on 15 occasions this season.
Schner's play on the glass can't be overlooked as he has either led or tied for team honors in four of the last five and in a total of 10 games, most recently in last Friday's encounter vs. Chicago when he registered 11 boards. Second on the club with an average of 7.6 caroms per outing, he has snatched 49 offensive rebounds and his average of 2.5 offensive rebounds per game is fourth among UAA cagers.
He has shown the ability to distribute the ball with his average of 3.2 assists per game second on the team and tied for fifth on the UAA leader board. His 26 steals pace Emory while his 1.3 thefts-per-game average ties for fifth in the conference.
Matt Schner's UAA Rankings
1st – Minutes (33.8 mpg)
1st – 3pt FG% (.506, 44-of-87)
4th – Scoring (15.6 ppg)
4th – Offensive Rebounds (2.5)
5th – FT% (.800, 48-of-60)
t-5th – Assists (3.2 apg)
6th – FG% (.537, 110-of-205)
6th – Steals (1.3 spg)
t-6th – Rebounds (7.6 rpg)
7th – 3pt FG per game (2.2)
t-7th – Defensive Rebounds (5.2)
t-7th – Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.1)
MOVING UP THE LADDER – Matt Schner currently stands No. 2 on the Eagles' all-time list in field goal shooting at 56.4 percent (249-of-441) while Lawrence Rowley ranks third in that category with an effort of 55.8 percent (258-of-462) … Romin Williams has 50 three-point field goals through 20 contests and a career total of 191, good for third place on the school's all-time ladder and 18 shy of tying Adam Gigax (2014-18) for the No. 2 position … Williams has cracked the school's all-time Top-10 in scoring with his 1,205 points placing him ninth on that list … Matt Davet has totaled 135 career three-point field goals and is 11th on the Eagles' all-time ladder … In addition, Davet has logged a total of 939 points during his Emory tenure (19th all-time in program history) … Junior Nick Stuck stands 9th all-time at Emory with 253 assists … Lawrence Rowley has moved into the ranks of the school's all-time top 20 rebounders with his 411 boards ranking 20th.
ROWLEY SCORING AND BOARDING – Lawrence Rowley has been a consistent performer for the Eagles, scoring in double figures on 15 occasions while snatching 10 or more rebounds in six outings. Heading into the weekend, Rowley ranks 14th among UAA players and fourth on the team's score sheet with an average of 13.0 points per contest. His 8.3 per-game effort in rebounding is third in the conference, and he has finished as the Eagles' top performer on the glass in 10 games this year. He has four double-doubles to his credit this season (nine in career), most recently an 11-point, career-high 16-rebound performance in the 87-80 win over UW-Oshkosh (Dec. 29).
The 6-foot-5 Rowley stands as the squad's most accurate shooter, converting 55.6 percent (99-of-178) from the field, good for the No. 4 spot on the UAA ladder. He opened the season by shooting 50 percent or better from the floor in 12 straight games and now has 16 to his credit.
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 a 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.
NOTES & NUGGETS – Nick Stuck's team-high 19 points in the 73-68 win over Wash U this past Sunday represented his second-highest career total and 10th double-figure outing this season … Mason Johnson is averaging 13.2 points and shooting 59.5 percent (25-of-42) from the field in his last five games … Johnson has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in his last five and in seven of the past eight contests … Freshman Greg Lawrence tops the team with 19 blocked shots and his average of 1.1 rejections per outing is fourth on the UAA list … Emory leads the UAA and ranks 83rd nationally in free throw percentage (.773) … The Eagles have attempted more charity tosses than the opposition on 15 occasions this year … In its 11 home games, Emory has converted 69.4 (170-of-245) of its foul shots while draining 79.2 percent (152-of-192) in nine away/neutral contests … In nine UAA games, Emory has scored 134 points (14.8 ppg) off opponent turnovers while the opposition has totaled 83 points (9.3 ppg) … Emory has held the edge in points-off-turnovers category in 11 contests …Emory reserves scored a season-high 52 points in the 106-70 win over Case Western … Emory has finished with single digits in turnovers in eight games this season … The Eagles are No. 2 in the UAA and 44th among D-III programs (through Feb. 10) with an average of 16.8 assists per game … Romin Williams has played in 73 games during his Emory career and registered 62 double-figure scoring performances … Williams has logged 20 or more points on eight occasions this year and 24 during his career … Nick Stuck is second among UAA players and 34th (through games played Feb. 11) in D-III in assists (5.5 apg) … Stuck's 2.02 assist/turnover ratio is fourth in the UAA … Emory has outscored the opposition in 29 halves, been outpointed in eight and been tied in three … Emory has held seven opponents to less than 40 percent from the field … The Eagles have had players tally 20 or more points 18 times vs. 15 for opponents … Emory has made 20 or more free throws in four contests this year … When Romin Williams notched his 1,000th career point in the LaGrange game (Dec. 4), he became the second-fastest player in school history to reach that plateau (61 games), trailing only Jake Davis who accomplished it in 60 contests … Emory's school-record 124 points against Pfeiffer bettered the previous mark of 116 set twice – vs. Carnegie Mellon on Jan. 20, 2019, and Trinity University (TX) on Dec. 1, 2018 … Emory's back-to-back 62-point halves vs. Pfeiffer tied the fifth-highest point totals by a Zimmerman-coached Eagle squad …
DID YOU KNOW -- Since the 2010-11 season, Emory has the No. 1 record among UAA teams in overall (199-63) play and the second-best mark in league action (98-37) .… Washington University has the conference's second-best overall ledger (189-66) and the top slate in conference play (100-35) … That Emory has at least one three-point field goal in its last 591 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 60 of its last 61 games when allowing 69 or fewer points (8-0 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 41-6 ledger in games since the 2016-17 season when it has converted 10 or more three-pointers in a contest (9-2 in '19-20, 11-2 in '18-19, 11-0 in 2017-18, 10-2 in '16-17 … The Eagles have won 47 of their last 49 games at the Woodruff PE Center against non-league foes … Emory is 115-15 (.884) over its last 130 home contests … The Eagles have recorded 100 or more points 56 times in program history and own a 50-6 won-lost record in those affairs … During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory has 25 contests of 100 or more points and stands 23-2 in such games … Since the 2012-13 season, the Eagles are 128-8 when outshooting the opposition from the floor (13-1 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 189-22 when leading at halftime (13-1 in '19-20, 20-2 in 2018-19, 19-1, in '17-18, 13-0 in '16-17; 18-3 in 2015-16).