HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Wright State University enters BB&T Arena on Saturday, Jan. 9, in the first-ever home Horizon League contest for the Northern Kentucky University men's basketball team, which is playing its inaugural season in the league. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (4-9 Overall, 0-2 Horizon League)
Wright State University Raiders (7-8 Overall, 1-1 Horizon League)
Saturday, Jan. 9 - 1 p.m. (ET)
BB&T Arena (9,400) in Highland Heights, Ky.
TV: ESPN3 with Brady Laber (Play-by-Play) and Brad Redford (Analysis)
Radio: FOXSports1360 (1360 AM) with Jim Kelch (Play-by-Play) and Steve Moeller (Analysis)
 
Promotions
• Winter Hat Giveaway – First 500 fans receive a Victor E. Viking winter hat
• Youth Basketball Day – Kids who come in a jersey receive FREE admission
• Boone Co. Day - $5 tickets with proof of residency
• Mascot Basketball at halftime
• Inflatable slide and bounce house available to kids for free
• Shoot-Around Saturday - Boys 6th grade and younger and girls 8th grade and younger can join the team on the court after the game for a shoot-around following the game and get player autographs
• #4for40 Day – Get four tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for $40
 
Fast Break Points (140 Characters or Less)
• NKU hosts Wright State on Saturday in the first-ever home Horizon League men's basketball game for the Norse.
• NKU and WSU will renew a rivalry that saw 26 contests while both were DII programs.
• NKU won nearly every hustle stat at Milwaukee, points in paint (40-36), points off TO (15-9), 2nd chance (12-4) and fast-break (11-9).
• Three Norse are averaging 10 or more points per game this season, led by F Jalen Billups at 13.5.
• NKU is playing its inaugural season in the Horizon League this year after moving to the league on July 1, 2015.
• The Norse are eligible to compete in the #HLMBB championship, Motor City Madness, in its final season of reclassification to Division I.
• F Billups needs just five points to become the 24th Norse to score 1,000 career points.
• Billups led the nation w/ 69.6% shooting last year, and is among the nation's leaders at 64.0% (71-111) this year.
• Billups ranks among NKU's all-time leaders in FG % (2nd, .635), blocks (5th, 115) & blocks per game (11th, 1.1).
• Billups is averaging an impressive 1.59 points per field-goal attempt this season.                         
• Billups and G Tyler White are climbing NKU's all-time scoring list. Billups ranks t-24th w/ 995 points & White is No. 33 (894).
• White ranks 10th in NKU's record books with 158-career treys and has his sights set on Tony Rack's 160.
• G Lavone Holland II is averaging a team-best 6.0 rebounds per game. He is 2nd on the team in scoring at 12.7 points.
• G Cole Murray has had the hot hand from long range, shooting 39.7% (27-of-68) from behind the arc this year.
• Murray is averaging a career-high 9.9 points per game.
• F Drew McDonald was named #HLMBB Freshman of the Week after averaging 15 points, nine rebounds in games at Toledo and Green Bay.
• After flirting w/ double-doubles the last few games, McDonald recorded the first of his career with 12 points, 13 rebounds at GB.
• In the last five games, McDonald is averaging 13.2 points on 54.5 percent shooting (24-of-44) and 8.4 rebounds per game.
 
Countdown to 1,000 and 500
With 17 points at Eastern Illinois, Billups became the 31st Norse to reach 900 points for his career. His sights are now set on the 1,000-point plateau and he is just five points away with 995.  Billups eclipsed 500 rebounds with a six-board outing at Green Bay to become the 21st player in school history to reach the mark. He now has 507 and ranks 20th all-time. Nine other Norse have reached 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds, while 23 players have reached the 1,000-point plateau in scoring.
 
Countdown to 900
With 894 points, White is on the cusp of joining Billups as a member of 900-point club. The Lima, Ohio, native needs just six points to become the 32nd player in team history to reach the mark.