GAME FACTS - The Emory University men's basketball team will attempt to earn a share of the University Athletic Association title on Saturday (Feb. 23) when it plays host to conference leader Rochester. The Woodruff PE Center will be the setting for the 52nd meeting between the Eagles and Yellowjackets with tip slated for 4:00 pm. Prior to the game, Senior Day ceremonies will be conducted, recognizing the contributions of Ollie Carleton, Michael Friedberg, Alex Greven and Nash Oh.
Live Stats and a video stream provided for the game. To access the Live Stats, go to the following link: http://www.go.emory.edu/LiveStats/MBB/xlive.htm . The video can be accessed by going to http://www.emoryathletics.com/information/webcasts.
THE COACHES - Leading the Emory program is sixth-year Head Coach Jason Zimmerman (Davidson, 1994). 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' program, he has compiled a school and career record of 89-60.
Last year, Zimmerman Emory to an overall record of 19-6, the program's the third-highest mark in school annals. This season marks the program's fourth consecutive winning season, the first time in Emory history that this has been accomplished.
In his third year of patrolling the sidelines at Rochester is Luke Flockerzi. During his stint at UR, he has compiled a 60-17 record. In six seasons as a head coach, which includes a three-year run at Skidmore College, Flockerzi owns a career effort of 90-63.
2012-13 RECORDS – Emory stands 18-6 overall, 10-4 in the UAA with that record good for a second-place tie with Washington University, one game behind Rochester. If the Eagles win on Saturday, they would co-tie for a piece of the conference crown, the first time since the 1989-90 campaign that an Emory team had won a league title. Emory has won its last four games and is coming off a busy stretch that saw it defeat Case Western (106-87) and Carnegie Mellon (84-61) last weekend before recording a 75-50 home triumph vs. Covenant College on Tuesday. Emory has won its last six home games and stands 10-2 in contests played at the Woodruff PE Center this year.
Rochester, ranked 13th nationally by D3hoops.com, comes to town with an overall showing of 21-3, 10-3 in the conference. The Yellowjackets are 3-2 in the last five contests and split a pair of home games last weekend, edging Carnegie Mellon, 81-77, before dropping a 57-51 verdict to Case Western. UR is 6-2 in road/neutral games this season.
SERIES RECORDS – Rochester has a 33-18 advantage in the all-time series Emory. The Yellowjackets captured the initial meeting of this year, 89-80, back on Jan. 5 with Jake Davis leading the Eagles' effort with 21 points and nine rebounds. Emory is 14-11 vs. Rochester in games played on its home court and has won the last two and four of the last five affairs played at the Woodruff PE Center.
TIDBITS AND NUGGETS – Alex Greven recorded three-point field goals in all three games prior to the Rochester encounter, extending his streak to 38 contests of converting at least one trey, the second-longest streak in school history … Michael Friedberg has blocked shots to his credit in 37 of his last 42 contests with 30 performances of two or more rejections in that stretch … Emory has held seven opponents to fewer than 60 points this year and has won its last 11 games when accomplishing that feat … Emory stands 6-6 in overtime games during Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach … Emory has had players register 20 or more points on 18 occasions this season while opponents have had 17 cagers reach or surpass that mark … Emory has had five or more players score in double figures in six games this season vs. zero for the opposition … In their 18 victories, the Eagles are averaging 85.2 points vs. 63.9 for the opposition and shooting 49.0 percent (567-of-1157) from the floor compared to their foes 38.7 percent (405-of-1047) … In its six setbacks, Emory is being outscored by an 79.0-74.8 margin and hitting 42.6 percent of its field goal tries compared to 49.3 percent for opponents … Emory's 12.4 turnovers per game is the third-lowest mark in the UAA, and the team tops the conference in turnover margin (+4.08) … The Eagles are 22-9 during the Zimmerman era when finishing with less than 10 turnovers, 17-3 since the 2010-11 season.
GREVEN ON A ROLL – Alex Greven has been on an offensive tear over the past four games, averaging a team-high 22.0 points and shooting 64.4 percent (29-of-45) from the floor including 63 percent (17-of-27) from three-point range.
Greven has led the squad's scoring efforts in three of the past four outings including
back-to-back 26 point efforts against Case and Carnegie Mellon that enabled him to capture UAA Player of the Week honors as well as a berth on the D3oops.com Team of the Week. A double-figure scorer in 22 contests this season, he has produced eight outings of 20 or more points this season (17 during his career).
No. 2 on the team and No. 3 in the UAA in scoring with a 17.0 per-game average, Greven is tossing in a team-leading 17.6 points per game in league action with that mark good for the No. 2 slot. Greven's hot streak from beyond the arc has enabled him to move into the No. 9 position on the UAA ladder for three-point percentage (.422) while his .500 effort in conference tilts is good for fifth place. He is also one the conference's most dependable free throw shooters with his .819 performance (77-of-94) placing seventh on the league ladder.
Career-wise, Greven ranks as the school's No. 6 all-time leading scorer with 1,231 points. Other Emory career categories that he figures in include field goals (8th, 406), three-point field goals (t-6th, 157), free throws (8th, 262) and assists (21st, 128).
FRIEDBERG GETS IT DONE AT BOTH ENDS OF THE FLOOR – Senior Michael Friedberg has been a stalwart in the rebounding department for Emory, pacing the club in that department in the last seven games, averaging 8.9 caroms per outing during that stretch. The 6-foot-6 Friedberg, who has either led or shared for Eagle rebounding honors on 11 occasions this year, has produced four games of double-digit caroms and will enter the Rochester affair first on the team while holding down the No. 5 slot on the UAA chart for rebounding in both overall (7.0 rpg) and league action (6.5 rpg).
The owner of four double-doubles this year and eight during his career, Friedberg has emerged as one of Division III's premier shot blockers with his 2.3 per-game average in rejections topping the league and ranking 24th nationally. Freidberg swatted away five Carnegie Mellon shot attempts last Sunday and followed that with a four-blocks performance against Covenant College, his 17th performance this year of two or more blocks and eighth of three or more rejections. Over the past four games, he is averaging 3.5 blocks and 3.7 steals.
Earlier in the season, he became Emory's all-time leader in blocked shots in the LaGrange (Nov. 24) outing when his rejection of a shot attempt by Denzel Robinson early in the second half put him atop that list. Currently, Friedberg has 184 blocked shots to his credit, bettering the previous standard of 138 held by Tim Garrett (1986-90). His 54 blocks in 2012-13 are third on Emory's seasonal ladder.
Offensively, Friedberg's 11.9 per-game scoring average places him fourth on the club and 15th among UAA players. His 12-point evening against Covenant College represented his 16th double-figure scoring performance of the season. He has hit 50 percent or better of his field goal attempts in 12 outings.
Career-wise, Friedberg stands 6th on the school's all-time rebounding list with 541 caroms, 11 from moving past Tom Bolster (1992-96) and into 5th place. He also ranks 18th on the school's career field goals list with 321 and is the school's 18th all-time scorer with 887 points.
EMORY SOLID AT THE STRIPE – After sinking 70 percent or better from the foul line in just three of its first five game of the season, the Eagles have been making the most of their free throw attempts, converting 70 percent or higher in their last 15 contests. After knocking down 12-of-14 (.857) from the stripe against Carnegie Mellon, the Eagles sank 20 of their 24 tries vs. Covenant with their make total the highest mark since the Oglethorpe game (Dec. 5) when they converted 22.
Emory stands third in the UAA and 7th nationally among D-III programs with a 75.6 percent showing at the line. In league contests, the Eagles are connecting at a 77.2 percent clip, good for a second-place tie. In its 12 home games, Emory shows a 77.3 percent success rate (167-of-216) in free throw shooting while closing out the regular season with a 73.8 percent mark (149-of-202) in road/neutral affairs.
FLORIN HANDLING THE ROCK – Sophomore Michael Florin continued his solid play in running the Emory offense last weekend, averaging 13.0 points and 7.5 assists in Emory's victories over Case Western and Carnegie Mellon. Entering Saturday's bout against Rochester, Florin is tied for the league lead in assists (5.5 apg) in overall action while claiming the top spot in league contests (5.6 apg).
Florin still maintains his No. 1 status in the UAA with a 2.8 assist/turnover ratio, with that effort ranking eighth nationally. In conference games only, Florin is first at 3.20.
Over the last six contests, Florin has totaled 41 assists (6.8 apg) with 15 turnovers while averaging a little over 31 minutes per stint. Florin, who ranks 12th all-time at Emory with 169 assists, has 14 outings of six or more assists this season. His 133 assists in 2012-13 ranks fifth on Emory's seasonal list.
After scoring in double figures twice in the team's opening 20 games, Florin has produced 10 or more points in three of the last four contests including a career-high 16 points in a 106-87 decision over Case Western (Feb. 15). Over the last four games, he is scoring at a 10.3 per-game clip and is shooting 53.7 percent (15-of-28).
DAVIS CHURNS OUT THE POINTS – Jake Davis closed out the Covenant College contest with a team-high 20 points, the 12th time this year he had led either led or shared for the team's scoring lead and his 10th outing of 20 or more points during the campaign. He has scored in double-figures in 46 of his past 47 games. In the Washington University game on Feb. 8, he had a 42-game double-figure scoring streak snapped.
Entering Saturday's game Davis holds down the No. 2 spot in scoring among UAA players in overall (18.1 ppg) action and stands third in conference (17.3 ppg) outings. Davis owns an 11-game streak of three-point field goals and is hitting at a 50.0 percent clip (18-of-36) from beyond the arc in that stretch. Over his last three games, he is averaging 20.0 points and shooting 59,4 percent (20-of-36) from the floor. On the year, his 50.6 percent (157-of-310) is second on the squad and 11th among UAA cagers.
In addition to his scoring average, Davis figures prominently in the league with an 11th-place ranking in rebounding (5.5 rpg), a fifth-place showing in free throw percentage (.869, 53-of-61) and a 10th-place standing in three-point percentage (.419, 31-of-74).
He has connected on 50 percent or better of his field goal opportunities on 13 occasions this year and has either led or tied for the team high in caroms in five games. In 10 road appearances this season, Davis has averaged 17.5 points compared to his team-high 18.6 per-game showing in 12 home dates.
He ranks as the school's seventh all-time leading scorer with 1,205 points and is sixth with 452 career field goals. He also stands 15th on Emory's career chart with 458 rebounds and is ninth in free throws (232) and 20th in three-point field goals (69).
MOORE ADDS PUNCH TO EMORY OFFENSE – McPherson Moore has given the Emory offense a boost this season with his 12.3 per-game scoring average in overall play good for third place on the team and 14th among UAA players. In league games, Moore is scoring at a 12.2 per-game clip with that mark ranking 12th. In addition, he enters the upcoming weekend in the No. 8 position among UAA players in field goal percentage (.519).
A double-figure scorer on 15 occasions this year, he has been shot 50 percent or higher from the floor in 16 games. He has produced a season-high 19 points on three occasions (vs. Piedmont, 12/8; at Case Western, 1/18, & at Carnegie Mellon, 1/20) and has either led or shared for team scoring honors in four games.
His 4.8 per-game effort in the rebounding department is third on the squad and 16th among league players. He has compiled 12 outings of five or more caroms, 11 of which have come over the past 17 games.
The 6-foot-2 Moore has demonstrated a deft touch when it comes to three-point shooting with his 45.2 percent conversion rate (33-of-73) from beyond the arc pacing the squad and good for sixth place on the league ladder. He has at least one trey in 14 of his last 16 games.
Moore sets the pace in the UAA in free throw percentage (.960), knocking down 48-of-50 from the stripe. Moore established a school record with 44 straight makes from the stripe, bettering the previous standard of 38 held by Austin Claunch, that started during the University of the Ozarks game (Nov. 17) and ended at Chicago (Feb. 10). He stands 25-for-26 in free throw attempts in league play.
NOTES – Greven's 62 three-point field goals are eighth on Emory's seasonal ladder … Sophomore Josh Schattie hit all four of his field goal attempts and finished with nine points vs. Case Western, tying his second-highest total of the season … Emory's 106 points vs. Case represented the second time this year and the 10th time during Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach that an Emory team had reached or surpassed the 100-point mark … Emory has turned the ball over less than its opposition in 18 of 24 games this year and stands 13-5 in those contests … In its 18 victories, the Eagles are averaging 12.2 miscues per game compared to 13.2 in their five setbacks … Since the 2010-11 season, the Eagles stand 44-14 in contests when they have finished with fewer turnovers than their foes … Emory has outshot 18 opponents from the floor this year and posts a 17-1 record in those affairs … The Eagles have shot 50 percent or better from the floor in their last four games and are connecting at a 52.7 rate (126-of-239) over that stretch vs. 40.7 percent (92-of-226) … Emory has connected on 50 percent or better from the floor in nine contests this season, posting an 8-1 ledger in those affairs … Emory has come up with 13 or more steals in four of the last five games and its 9.4 per-game effort in that category leads the UAA … Sophomore Alex Foster has scored in double figures on 10 occasions during his career, six times during the '12-13 campaign … Foster has three pointers to his credit in 13 games including five performances of two or more treys … Emory has attempted more free throws than the opposition in 11 contests this year (9-2) … Emory has enjoyed an advantage in the points-off-turnover category in the last 13 and in 21 games this season including last weekend's UAA affairs vs. Case (35-19) and Carnegie Mellon (20-16) … The Eagles stand 16-3 when leading at the break this season, 71-12 during Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach … Over the past three seasons, Emory is 33-4 in its last 37 home games … During Zimmerman's tenure, the Eagles have scored 90 or more points on 32 occasions and own a 29-3 slate in those games … Emory has scored 50 or more points in six halves this year … Emory has outpointed its opposition in 34 of 48 halves of play while being outscored 11 times … Emory is averaging 39.8 points during the first of play compared to the opposition's mark of 31.0 points … Over the final 20 minutes of play, the Eagles are scoring at a 42.1-point clip vs. 36.3 for their foes … Emory is averaging a UAA-leading 82.6 points per game, good for 14th place nationally (as of Feb. 17) and stands No. 1 in the conference and 12th on the national scene (as of Feb. 17) in scoring margin (+15.0).