Season-opener versus ETSU on tap for @NKUNorseMBB; 2017 Banners to be unveiled
 
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men's basketball team tips off the 2017-18 season with fellow NCAA Tournament-team East Tennessee State Friday night at BB&T Arena. Banners recognizing NKU's 2017 Horizon League Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance will be unveiled prior to the 7 p.m. start.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (2016-17: 24-11 Overall, 12-6 Horizon League)
East Tennessee State University Buccaneers (2016-17: 27-8 Overall, 14-4 SoCon)
Friday, Nov. 10 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
BB&T Arena (9,400) in Highland Heights, Ky.
 
Fast Break Points
• NKU was picked to finish second in the Horizon League preseason poll, garnering 10 first place votes.
• Northern Kentucky is the reigning Horizon League Tournament champion.
• The Norse reached the 2017 NCAA Tournament, where they dropped a 79-70 decision as the No. 15 seed to No. 2 seed Kentucky.
• Last year was NKU's first season eligible for the DI NCAA Tourney. The Norse became just the seventh team all-time and only the second since 1970 to earn a berth in their first year eligible.
• After closing last season ranked No. 21 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll, Northern Kentucky is ranked No. 11 in this year's preseason poll.
• The 2017-18 season opens with NKU ranked No. 127 in KenPom's ratings, a stark contrast from one season ago when the Norse opened the year at No. 277.
• NKU is one of 16 teams in the country to return at least 70 percent of its production in points (77), rebounds (84) and assists (84).
• The Norse and Bucs are two of 10 NCAA Tournament participants that will play their 2017-18 season-opening game against another NCAA tourney team.
• Northern Kentucky's schedule this season is guaranteed to include six games against teams that competed in the postseason (ETSU, Iona/Weber State, UMBC, UIC, Oakland and Green Bay).
• Eight opponents on the schedule were also 20-win teams from a year ago (ETSU, Vermont, Coastal Carolina, Iona, Weber State, UMBC, Oakland, Wright State), although four of those teams are in the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase and NKU cannot play all four.
• F Drew McDonald is the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year and highlights the preseason first team. He is also on CollegeInsider.com's Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch List.
• The junior was an all-league first team, all-academic and all-tourney honoree last year after averaging 16.4 ppg and 7.7 rpg.
• G Lavone Holland II is a preseason All-Horizon League Second Team selection. He averaged 14.8 ppg and 4.1 apg as a junior.
• F Carson Williams rounds out NKU's returning double-digit scorers. He was third on the team in scoring (10.8 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.9 rpg).
• Norse head coach John Brannen is the reigning Horizon League Coach of the Year. He garnered the accolade after leading NKU to a share of third last season despite being picked seventh in the preseason poll.
 
Last Time Out
McDonald drained a three on NKU's first possession and the only exhibition game of the year for the Norse was never in doubt. The preseason Horizon League player of the year scored 17 points in just 14 minutes on the court. Tre Cobbs and Jeff Garrett each added 10 points, while Carson Williams, Dantez Walton and Tyler Sharpe chipped in nine apiece. The Norse defense was stingy, forcing 29 turnovers thanks to 18 steals and held the Blue Knights to 24 percent (11-of-45) shooting. Northern Kentucky was among the upper echelon in terms of rebounding last season and held a 49-23 advantage versus Urbana.
 
Scouting ETSU
East Tennessee State University won the Southern Conference (SoCon) last year and went on to earn a No. 15 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where the Buccaneers dropped their first-round game to Florida, 80-65. The Bucs' 27 wins a season ago are the second-most in school history. Desonta Bradford returns to ETSU for his senior campaign and is the team's top-returning scorer after averaging 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game last season. Despite losing four starters and 62 percent of its offensive production from last year, East Tennessee State figures to start five seniors. NKU and ETSU were once both members of the Atlantic Sun. The two teams met twice in both the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. ETSU leads the series, 3-1.