HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The highly anticipated second matchup of the season between the two preseason favorites in the Horizon League is set for 9 p.m. Friday, as Northern Kentucky hosts Oakland in a nationally-televised game on ESPNU. NKU enters the contest tied with Wright State atop the league standings. Oakland is just two games back in third.
 
This marks the first nationally-televised home game on the ESPN family of over-the-air networks in NKU's history.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (14-6 Overall, 7-1 Horizon League)
Oakland University Golden Grizzlies (13-8 Overall, 5-3 Horizon League)
Friday, Jan. 26 – 9:00 p.m. (ET)
BB&T Arena (9,400) in Highland Heights, Ky.
TV: ESPNU with Jordan Bernfield (Play-by-Play) and Brooke Weisbrod (Color)
Radio: ESPN1530 (1530 AM) with Jim Kelch (Play-by-Play) and Steve Moeller (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
Tickets: Ticketmaster
 
Fast Break Points
• NKU takes a three-game winning streak into Friday's game with Oakland thanks to a 77-65 win at Green Bay last Saturday.
• The Norse are tied with Wright State atop the league standings with a 7-1 mark.
• NKU is one of 15 teams in the country to use the same starting lineup in every game.
• Dating back to the start of the 2016-17 season, and including the #HLMBB Championship, NKU has won 22 of its last 29 games (.759) against League opponents.
• The Norse are 9-9 all-time versus Oakland, which includes an 87-83 win earlier this year.
• Northern Kentucky is 15th in the nation in 2-point field goal percent (57.5).
• NKU is averaging 16.9 assists per game, a mark that ranks 32nd in the nation. It also only commits 11.9 turnovers an outing, which ranks 54th nationally. Combining those two marks results in an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.42, the 19th best in the country.
• NKU forces the 31st-most turnovers per game in the nation (16.1) and allows teams to distribute just 11.0 assists per game.
• NKU is 17th in the country in steals (8.5 spg) and has registered double-digit steals seven times on the year, including five times in the last seven games.
• NKU's 3-point field goal defense ranks 10th in the nation at 30.2 percent.
• Through games played Jan. 23, NKU sits 61st on KenPom.com, which is tops in the Horizon League.
• The Norse are 23rd in the CollegeInsider.Com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll and 24th in the Mid-Major Madness Power Rankings.
• F Drew McDonald (25 points, 12 rebounds) and G Lavone Holland II (19 points, 10 assists) stepped up for the Norse last week, each recording double-doubles at Milwaukee and then leading NKU past Green Bay.
• McDonald, the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year, leads NKU in scoring (16.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg) and has eight double-doubles, 37th most in the nation.
• Holland narrowly missed a triple double against Milwaukee, hauling in seven boards to go with his 19 points and 10 assists. He averages 13.8 points, 5.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game.
• F Carson Williams is converting 63.0 percent of his field-goal attempts (109-of-173), a mark that ranks 13th in the country. He is averaging 13.7 ppg.
• G Tyler Sharpe is averaging 7.8 ppg and is shooting 56 percent in League play, while leading NKU - one of the nation's highest-ranked teams in steals - with 12 thefts during that time.
• F Jordan Garnett had an outstanding game at Green Bay, going 4-for-5 from three en route to 12 points. He added six rebounds, four assists, a block and steal.
• HC John Brannen, last year's Horizon League Coach of the Year, has 48 wins as head coach (47 at NKU, one at Alabama) and need just two more for his 50th.
 
Last Time Out
A complete team effort led Northern Kentucky to a 77-65 road win over Green Bay on Saturday, Nine Norse saw action in the game, eight of which played at least 13 minutes and scored. Six of those players also registered an assist, as NKU had 17 dimes on its 29 made shots. Northern Kentucky converted 45 percent of its shots, including 44 percent from three, while Green Bay made 43 percent from the floor and 48 percent from deep. However, the Norse dominated the ancillary stats: 36-18 in points in the paint, 21-13 in points off turnovers, 12-5 in second chance points and 10-0 in fastbreak points.
 
Holland had 16 points, six boards and four assists. McDonald added 15 points, five boards and three assists. Williams contributed a highlight reel dunk among his 14 points, five rebounds and three steals. And, Garnett went 4-of-5 from 3-point land en route to 12 points, six rebounds and four assists.
 
Scouting Oakland
The Golden Grizzlies are riding a four-game win-streak and their record stands at 13-8 overall, including a 5-3 mark in league play. In fact, Oakland's three conference losses came to Green Bay, NKU and Wright State in successive outings. It hasn't lost since.
 
Kendrick Nunn - the nation's leader in 3-pointers made (91) and second leading scorer (26.4 ppg) - paces a prolific Oakland offense that averages 81.7 ppg and has two other top-100 scorers in the country. Jalen Hayes is 50th at 19.5 ppg, while Martez Walker is 81st at 18.6 ppg. However, the Golden Grizzlies' scoring defense allows 79.6 ppg, the 322nd worst in college basketball.
 
Series Stuff
Northern Kentucky and Oakland have each won nine games in the series history. Since joining the Horizon League, NKU is 2-1 versus Oakland on the road, but 0-2 at BB&T Arena. A second-half rally propelled NKU past Oakland, 87-83, in Rochester, Mich., just three weeks ago. Four players scored in double figures for the Norse led by Williams, who just missed out on a double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds. Holland added 19 points, four rebounds and three assists. Jeff Garrett had 11 points, and Garnett contributed 10. McDonald finished the game with eight points and 12 rebounds. Oakland had the game within a possession at 81-79 with 27 seconds left in the contest. However, the Norse went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final seconds to preserve the win.