HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Three games in the next three days lie ahead for the Northern Kentucky men's basketball team as the Norse will host the KEMI Northern Kentucky Basketball Classic. Two games are slated for each day, opening with Coastal Carolina and Manhattan at 4:30 p.m. followed with NKU and UNC Asheville at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16. All six games will be held at Northern Kentucky University's BB&T Arena.
 
Schedule & Game Information
Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers (2-1 Overall, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Manhattan College Jaspers (0-2 Overall, 0-0 MAAC)
Friday, Nov. 16 – 4:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN3 Stats: Live Stats
 
Northern Kentucky University Norse (3-0 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
UNC Asheville Bulldogs (1-1 Overall, 0-0 BIG SOUTH)
Friday, Nov. 16 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN3 Radio: 55KRC (550 AM) Stats: Live Stats
 
UNC Asheville Bulldogs (1-1 Overall, 0-0 BIG SOUTH)
Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers (2-1 Overall, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Nov. 17 – 4:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN3 Stats: Live Stats
 
Northern Kentucky University Norse (3-0 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
Manhattan College Jaspers (0-2 Overall, 0-0 MAAC)
Saturday, Nov. 17 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN3 Radio: ESPN1530 Stats: Live Stats
 
Manhattan College Jaspers (0-2 Overall, 0-0 MAAC)
UNC Asheville Bulldogs (1-1 Overall, 0-0 BIG SOUTH)
Sunday, Nov. 18 – 3:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN3 Stats: Live Stats
 
Northern Kentucky University Norse (3-0 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers (2-1 Overall, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Sunday, Nov. 18 – 6:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: Fox Sports Ohio & ESPN+ (blacked out in Fox Sports Ohio's market)
Radio: 55KRC (550 AM) Stats: Live Stats
* Please note the time change for this game. Tip-off has been pushed back 30 minutes to accommodate television.
** Please use the Fox Sports Ohio Channel Finder to determine which channel the game is on in your market and with your provider.
 
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster and are good for both games on each date.
 
Fast Break Points
• NKU is heading into the KEMI Northern Kentucky Basketball Classic with a perfect 3-0 record.
• NKU is playing host to the KEMI Northern Kentucky Basketball Classic, which is a round-robin tournament featuring four teams that have all reached the NCAA Tournament within the last four years.
• UNC Asheville, Manhattan and Coastal Carolina are all first-time opponents for the Norse.
• NKU is coming off a 22-10 campaign in which it won the Horizon League regular-season title and played in the NIT.
• Since the start of the 2016-17 season, NKU is a combined 49-21, has won the Horizon League regular season (2018) and league tourney (2017), and has played in the NCAA Tournament (2017) and NIT (2018).
• NKU enters the weekend ranked in the top-25 nationally in 10 different statistical categories:  3-point field-goals made (7th), free-throw attempts (11th), scoring margin (15th), field-goal percentage defense (18th), field-goal percentage (19th), defensive rebounds (19th), total steals (19th), total rebounds (21st), scoring offense (22nd) and 3-point field goal attempts (23rd).
• The Norse were picked to finish second in the Horizon League preseason poll, receiving 356 points and 10 first-place votes. Wright State was picked first with 377 points.
• NKU opened the season No. 136 in KenPom.com's ratings and is currently 131st. And, in the two mid-major polls - CollegeInsider.com Men's Mid-Major Top-25 and Mid-Major Madness' The Other Top-25 Poll - the Norse are receiving votes.
• NKU was stout in its 3-point defensive field-goal percentage, allowing teams to convert just 31 percent from beyond the arc last year, the ninth-best in the country. Through three games this season, opponents are converting just 23.6 percent (17-of-72) against the Norse (41st).
• NKU also shared the ball well last season, ranking 25th nationally at 16.3 assists per game. NKU is currently averaging 16.0 assists per game.
• F Drew McDonald leads five Norse averaging double digits on the year at 17.3 points. He also leads NKU at 9.0 rebounds per game.
• McDonald is chasing NKU's all-time rebound record. He ranks third with 789 and is 70 away from LaRon Moore's Norse record, 859.
• G Jalen Tate followed last season's Horizon League All-Defensive and All-Freshman honors with preseason All-Horizon League Second Team accolades to begin the season. He's averaging 12.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this year.
• G Zaynah Robinson, a graduate transfer from Norfolk State, is currently second on the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game. He's also averaging 2.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
• F Dantez Walton has opened his junior campaign averaging 11.3 points and 6.0 rebounds. He's shooting 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from the floor and 50 percent (8-of-16) from three.
• G Tyler Sharpe dropped 16 points, including several timely threes, to help the Norse get past NIU Friday night. He's averaging a career-best 12.0 points per game.
 
Last Time Out
Five Norse reached double figures and 11 players saw at least 10 minutes of action on the court as Northern Kentucky won its third game in the first six days of the season with a 99-59 win over Wabash. Robinson led the way with 16 points behind 7-of-9 shooting and Sharpe sparked the Norse in the first half before finishing with 15 points, five rebounds and five steals. Tate, Trevon Faulkner and McDonald posted 12, 11 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Scouting the KEMI Northern Kentucky Basketball Classic
UNC Asheville enters the weekend at 1-1 overall, with an 87-47 win over NAIA program St. Andrews to open the season, followed by a 100-49 loss at NC State on Tuesday. Taijon Jones averages a team-high 17.5 points and the Bulldogs also receive double-figure contribution from DeVon Baker at 16.0 points. UNC Asheville averages 68.0 points per game.
 
Manhattan is 0-2 thus far in 2018-19 with losses to Elon (56-62) and UMBC (52-75) on the ledger. The Jaspers are averaging just 54.0 points per game, led by Thomas Capuano's 9.5 ppg. Opponents are putting up 68.5 points an outing versus Manhattan.
 
The dynamic Zac Cutherbertson and his 24.3 points per game scoring average lead a Coastal Carolina squad that enters the KEMI Northern Kentucky Basketball Classic at 2-1 overall. Wins against Ferrum (91-47) and at Campbell (85-75) kicked off the Chanticleers' season, but Coastal Carolina suffered an 81-75 setback at Tulane on Tuesday night. The Chanticleers are averaging 84.0 points per game and holding opponents to 67.7 ppg.
 
Series Stuff
Northern Kentucky will face three opponents for the first time this weekend, as the Norse have never met UNC Asheville, Manhattan or Coastal Carolina on the hardwood. NKU is 1-0 so far this season against first-time foes after defeating Northern Illinois on the road last Friday.