GAME FACTS – Coming off a split of a pair of home University Athletic Association contests, the Emory men's basketball team starts the second half of conference ledger this weekend with road battles against its most recent foes. On Friday (Feb. 2), the Eagles clash with the University of Chicago before facing a Super Bowl Sunday match-up vs. Washington University.
The Ratner Athletics Center on the Chicago campus will serve as the venue for the 63rd meeting between the Maroons and Emory and tip is scheduled for 9:00 pm (EST). On Sunday, the WU Field House on the Wash U campus will be the site of the 62nd battle between the Bears and Emory, with that contest slated for a noon start (EST).
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 186-95. In games played at the Woodruff PE Center, Zimmerman posts a 108-27 ledger and a 78-68 mark in road/neutral settings.
He has guided Emory to nine 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 169-62 (.732) since the 2009-10 season.
Mike McGrath (DePauw, '92) is in his 19th season at the helm of the Chicago program. He ranks as the school's all-time winningest coach with a 278-197 ledger. He has guided the Maroons to four UAA titles as well as four trips to the NCAA D-III Tournament.
In his 37th campaign calling the shots for Washington University is Mark Edwards (Washington Univ., '69). Heading into a Friday home game vs. Rochester, Edwards has registered a school and career record of 679-291. His WU squads have made 20 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and captured national titles in 2008 and 2009.
2017-18 RECORDS – Emory, ranked 15th in this week's D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, enters the Chicago contest with an overall record of 15-3, including a 6-1 slate in the UAA that places it second. The Eagles split a pair of home games this past weekend, topping Chicago by a 71-66 count on Friday before seeing their 11-game win streak (third longest in school history) come to an end on Sunday when No. 2 Washington prevailed by an 84-67 margin.
Freshman Romin Williams averaged 22.0 points over the two encounters, and he spearheaded Emory's decision over Chicago, totaling a season high 31 points, 19 coming over the final 20 minutes of action. He connected on 10-of-19 field goals against the Maroons, including five-of-nine from beyond the arc. Senior Adam Gigax logged a team-high 17 points against Wash U, converting seven-of-16 from the floor, including four treys in eight opportunities. Senior Christopher Avant paced the Eagles in rebounding in both outings with back-to-back efforts of 12 boards.
Emory is 10-1 at home and 5-2 in road/neutral contests.
Chicago will host Emory with an overall mark of 8-10, 4-3 in the UAA. After dropping the five-point verdict to the Eagles, UC bounced back to earn a 72-65 victory at No. 22 Rochester on Sunday. The Maroons have won six of eight home contests and are 2-8 on the road.
Wash U, ranked No. 2 in the Jan. 22 D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, stands 16-2 in overall action and holds down the top spot in the league at 7-0. The Bears will host Rochester on Friday looking to extend their eight-game winning streak.
SERIES RECORDS – In a series that began in January of 1987, Chicago holds an all-time record of 36-26 against Emory. This past Friday's decision represented the Eagles' sixth straight win in the series. UC stands 22-9 against Emory in games played in the Windy City, though Emory has won the last two and four of the last five contests played at the Ratner Center.
Wash U checks in with a 48-13 advantage in the all-time series against Emory that saw the first game played in January of 1988. The Bears are 26-4 vs. Emory in games played in Saint Louis.
RAPP CONTINUES MARCH ON EMORY CAREER ASSISTS LIST – Whit Rapp's 10-assists weekend boosted his career total to 548. The holder of the No. 2 spot on the school's all-time assists chart, Rapp moved closer to Austin Claunch's (2008-12) No. 1 mark of 580. Rapp's 548 assists makes him Division III's No. 2 active career leader, second only to Ohio Wesleyan's Nate Axelrod's total of 604.
Rapp's 10 assists vs. Brandeis on Jan. 21 represented his second game this year and 17th of his career with double figures.
Rapp stands in the No. 2 spot on Emory's all-time chart with a 5.76 per-game average, with that effort placing him as D-III's No. 3 active career leader. In his 12 appearances this year, Rapp is averaging 7.2 assists, with that mark tying for the No. 3 position on the school's all-time seasonal ladder.
GIGAX CLIMBING EMORY CAREER LISTS – Adam Gigax continues his climb up a number of Emory career categories. The Mason, Ohio, native has amassed a total of 1,138 points during his Emory tenure, good for 11th place on the school's all-time scoring ladder,
He is eight points from tying Kevin Felner's (1989-93) 10th-place mark of 1,146 points and 42 shy of tying Paul Damm (1986-90) for ninth place with 1,180 points.
In the three-point field goals department, Gigax knocked down five treys over the weekend, upping his career mark to 194. Second on the Eagles' career list in treys, Gigax is aiming for the school's No. 1 mark of 227 held by Robert Spivey (2000-04). Finally, Gigax's career effort of 39.3 percent (194-494) from beyond the arc is eighth on the Emory all-time chart.
Finally, Gigax has moved into ninth place on the program's all-time list with 408 field goals.
EMORY OFFENSE PUTTING UP POINTS – The Emory offense is scoring at an 84.1 points-per-game rate in overall play, good for the No. 2 spot in the UAA and 45th among all D-III programs (through Jan. 28). The Eagles have totaled 80 or more points in 13 of 18 contests and have registered five outings with 90 or more points. The Eagles' current scoring average ties the third-highest seasonal mark in school history.
The Eagles are tossing in 79.1 points over their seven UAA outings, good for second in the loop behind Wash U's 91.6 points.
WILLIAMS MAKES IMPACT – Romin Williams came through with a season-high 31 points in the Chicago game, the high-water mark by an Emory player this year, ending that contest hitting a season-best 10 field goals (most by any Eagle this season) in 19 attempts, including five treys in nine opportunities. He then placed second on the team's score sheet with 13 points vs. Washington University, his third straight and 14th double-digit performance of the season.
Heading into the Chicago tilt, Williams ranks first on the squad and fourth on the UAA ladder in overall scoring average (16.2 ppg). The team's leading scorer on six occasions this season, he has produced four games of 20 or more points. In league action, he is scoring at a 14.0 per-game clip, good for the No. 7 spot in the league chart. He is second on the Emory list with 44 three-point field goals and his 42.3 effort (44-104) from beyond the arc slots him in the No. 3 position on the conference ladder. Other UAA overall statistical categories that he finds himself ranked prominently include field goal percentage (6th, .441), free throw percentage (7th, .750 (51-68)), assists (8th, 3.1 apg), three-point field goals per game (4th, 2.6) and steals ((11th, 1.3 spg). He leads all UAA freshmen with seven statistical top-10 rankings
EMORY SOLID AT THE STRIPE – The Eagles saw five-game streak of shooting 75 percent or better from the foul line end in the Chicago game when they converted 63.2 percent (12-19) from the stripe. They followed that by attempting seven (second-lowest mark of the year) from the stripe vs. Wash U, converting four.
Heading into the new week, Emory still holds down the No. 1 spot in the UAA with a 78.0 percent (262-336) showing in free throw shooting, ranking sixth among all D-III programs (through Jan. 28). The Eagles have been successful on 70 percent or better of its free throw opportunities in a total of 14 games. In their 11 home dates, the Eagles are connecting at a 78.2 clip (183-234) from the stripe. In seven contests away from the Woodruff PE Center, Emory posts a 77.4 percent (79-102) mark at the line.
Through seven league contests, Emory is shooting a UAA-best 80.5 percent (95-118) from the foul line.
CHRIS AVANT TOP EMORY REBOUNDER – Christopher Avant put together back-to-back contests of double-figure rebounds for the second time this year and third in his career when he grabbed a team-leading 12 rebounds in both the Chicago and Wash U games.
Avant's effort over the weekend boosted his average to 7.6 caroms per game, tops on the team and sixth among UAA players. Emory's leader in rebounding on 12 occasions this year, he has grabbed 10 or more boards in six games. He is averaging 2.9 rebounds per outing on the offensive end of the floor, the fourth-best mark in the UAA. In conference action, he is ninth on the UAA ladder in rebounding (6.3 rpg).
Career-wise, he has 354 rebounds to his credit and is 27 shy of reaching the program's Top 20 list. He has recorded a total of 11 double-figure rebounding contests during his career.
EMORY RESERVES PRODUCING – Emory has received productive play from its bench this season, with the Eagle reserves producing a total of 506 points (28.1 ppg) vs. 350 points (19.4 ppg) for the opposition's subs.
Emory's bench outpointed Chicago's by a 39-21 margin before posting a 26-4 advantage in the Wash U contest. The Eagles have seen the reserves outscore the opposition's reserves in the last five consecutive games, registering a 162-72 advantage in that stretch.
Heading into Friday's bout at Chicago, the Eagles have seen their subs tally 30 or more points on eight occasions. On Jan. 21, Emory's bench registered a season-high 49 points in a 90-57 win over Brandeis. Back on Nov. 21, the Emory reserves chalked up 46 points in a 109-103 win over Berry College.
DID YOU KNOW? – That Whit Rapp is tied for 11th place on the Eagles' all-time list with 128 steals … Rapp will enter the Chicago game with at least one theft to his credit in his last nine games … 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's setback to Washington University ended a 16-game home win streak … The Eagles have won 23 of their last 25 home games … That Christopher Avant current holds down the No. 2 spot on the Eagles' all-time field goal percentage list, sinking 55.7 percent (217-389) of his attempts … That since the 2010-11 season, Emory has the No. 1 record among UAA teams in overall (154-52) play and the second-best mark in league action (74-31) .… Washington University has the conference's second-best overall ledger (150-52) and the top slate in conference play (77-28) … That entering the Chicago contest, Emory has at least one three-point field goal in its last 535 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 44 of its last 45 games when allowing 69 or fewer points (8-0 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 has recorded 177 three-point field goals this year, the 14th-highest seasonal team mark in history … Adam Gigax is second on the team and fifth in the league in overall scoring average (16.1 ppg) … Gigax has converted two or more triples in 15 of his 17 appearances and has been successful on 42.9 percent (57-133) of his three-point attempts, good for the No. 2 position on the UAA ladder … Gigax already has 57 three-pointers this year, good for 16th place on the Eagles' seasonal chart … Gigax is the UAA's No. 4 scorer in conference play (15.6 ppg) … In Emory's 11 home contests, Gigax is averaging 15.8 points and has converted 46.8 percent (37-79) from distance, while tossing in 16.7 points and shooting and 37.0 percent from beyond the arc (20-54) in seven road/neutral affairs … Over the last five games, Emory is shooting 40 percent (50-125) from three-point range vs. 27.9 percent (34-1220 for the opposition … Wash U's 53.2 percent mark from the floor this past Sunday was the fifth time this season an opponent shot 50 percent or better vs. the Eagles … Christopher Avant is third on the club and 15th in the UAA in overall scoring average (11.6 ppg) …A double-figure scorer in 11 games, he is shooting 53.7 percent (80-149) from the floor, good for sixth place on the conference chart … He has been successful on 50 percent or better of his floor attempts in 13 contests … Gebereal Baitey's 11 points vs. Chicago marked his 11th double-figure scoring performance of the year … Baitey is averaging 10.7 points per outing in overall play, good for 20th place on the league ladder… Emory has shot 50 percent or better from the field in five games this year (4-1) … Emory has seven games with 10 or more thefts this year and paces the UAA in that category (8.4 spg) … In its 15 wins, Emory is shooting 38.6 percent (155-402) from three-point range compared to 29.7 percent (22-74) in its three losses … Emory has attempted more free throws than the opposition in eight games (8-0) … Emory has outrebounded nine opponents and has been outboarded on six occasions (three games are tied) … The Eagles have led by 10 or more points heading into halftime on six occasions this year … Emory is averaging 80.7 points in its 11 home contests and 89.3 points in seven road/neutral outings … The Eagles are averaging 40.2 points during the first half of play and 43.9 points over the final 20 minutes … Gebereal Baitey claims eight games of two or more steals this year and 20 in his career … Freshman Matt Davet owns seven double-figure scoring contests and has turned in six performances of two or more three-point field goals … Davet is shooting 37.7 percent (23-61) from beyond the arc, good for 17th place on the UAA ladder … Opponents are scoring at a 34.9 points-per-game clip in the first half and 39.8 points in the second half … The Eagles are 46-6 in their last 52 games when making 10 or more three-point field goals in a game (8-0 in '17-18) … Junior Beau Bommarito has eight double-figure scoring performances this season and has three-point field goals to his credit in a total of 13 contests … Since the 2012-13 season, the Eagles are 93-6 when outshooting the opposition from the floor (10-1 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 150-18 when leading at halftime (13-0, in '17-18, 13-0 in '16-17; 18-3 in 2015-16) … Emory is 90-11 (.891) over its last 101 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.