HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky University hosts Ohio Northern on Saturday at BB&T Arena in a men's basketball exhibition contest. The Norse will take to the hardwood for the first time this season with a 1 p.m. tipoff.
 
Jalen Billups and Tyler White return to lead the Norse for their senior seasons. Billups was the nation's most prolific shooter last season, connecting on 69.6 percent of his field-goal attempts and is NKU's top returning scorer (11.1 ppg) and rebounder (5.9 rpg). He moved into 39^th all-time at NKU in scoring with 819 points. Billups is joined by White in NKU's top 50, as White has amassed 753 career points and sits 44^th all-time. White averaged 10.2 points per game a season ago.
 
Seniors Todd Johnson, Jake Giesler and Jared Bryant also return for their final campaign in the Black & Gold.
 
Deontae Cole and Cole Murray will help provide firepower for the Norse offense from long-range. Both Cole and Murray shot 39.5 percent from beyond the arc last season.
 
NKU also welcomes transfers Lavone Holland II and Jeff Garrett, as well as freshmen Brennan Gillis, Drew McDonald and walk-on Skyler Kolli to the lineup this year.
 
Leading the Norse this season is first-year head coach John Brannen. Brannen brings an exciting brand of basketball that utilitizes the entire court, 94-feet both ways. He previously served as interim head coach at Alabama, where he went 1-1 in the NIT after a six-year stint as an assistant and associate head coach.
 
Ohio Northern went 12-13 last year and returns 13 letterwinners. Junior Konnor Baker led the Polar Bears in scoring at 11.2 points per game.
 
For more information on Northern Kentucky men's basketball, visit NKUNorse.com or follow the team on twitter at @NKUNorseMBB. Live stats for the game can also be found at NKUstats.com.