HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. –Northern Kentucky University men's basketball puts its undefeated 6-0 record on the line when it faces preseason AAC-favorite UCF in Orlando on Saturday, Nov. 24. NKU and UCF will tip at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN3 and 55KRC.
 
Schedule & Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (6-0 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
UCF Knights (4-1 Overall, 0-0 AAC)
Saturday, Nov. 24 – 6:00 p.m. (ET)
CFE Arena (10,000) in Orlando, Fla.
TV: ESPN3
Radio: 55KRC
Stats: Live Stats
 
Fast Break Points
• NKU claimed the KEMI Northern Kentucky Basketball Classic with an 89-83 win over Coastal Carolina on Sunday and moved to a perfect 6-0 on the season, marking NKU's best start to a campaign in the DI era and best since its final DII season (13-0).
• NKU meets UCF for the first time in program history. NKU is already 4-0 this year against first-time foes.
• NKU enters the game as one of the nation's best 3-point shooting teams, ranking 12th with 58 made threes and 15th with 159 attempts. NKU's 36.5 percent on 3-point field goals is 111th.
• The Norse don't just rely on threes. They are also efficient at getting to the free-throw line, ranking 5th in Ken Pom's free throw rate (59.1). NKU has attempted the 3rd-most free throws (184) and made the 5th most (114).
• NKU is forcing teams into 18.7 turnovers per game, the 20th most in the country. As part of the defensive pressure, NKU's 57 total steals are the 4th-most and its 9.5 steals per game are 23rd-best.
• Foes are also converting just 36.2 percent of their shots versus NKU, 26th best nationally.
• NKU is ranked No. 24 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Men's Mid-Major Top-25 and is receiving votes in Mid-Major Madness' The Other Top-25 Poll.
• 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 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 54-21, has won the Horizon League regular season (2018) and league tourney (2017), and has played in the NCAA Tournament (2017) and NIT (2018).
• F Drew McDonald leads four Norse averaging double digits on the year at 19.3 points. He also leads NKU at 10.2 rebounds per game. His three double-doubles rank 8th in the country.
• McDonald is chasing NKU's all-time rebound record. He is second with 823 boards and is 36 away from LaRon Moore's Norse record, 859.
• McDonald led NKU to a 3-0 mark in the KEMI Northern Kentucky Basketball Classic averaging 21.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, earning tourney MVP status and Horizon League Player of the Week honors.
• G Jalen Tate is averaging 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game this year. He's registered 23 assists to only seven turnovers and is making 51.1 percent (23-of-45) of his shots. Tate joined McDonald on the KEMI Northern Kentucky Basketball Classic All-Tournament Team.
• F Dantez Walton has opened his junior campaign averaging 11.7 points and 6.3 rebounds. He's shooting 50 percent (24-of-48) from the floor and 48.5 percent (16-of-33) from three, which ranks 63rd in the country.
• G Tyler Sharpe is getting after it on the defensive end, averaging 2.83 steals per game, which ranks 19th in the nation while his 17 totals steals is 3rd. He's averaging a career-best 11.0 points per game on the season.
 
Last Time Out
The Norse swept their home multi-team event, the KEMI Northern Kentucky Basketball Classic, claiming wins over UNC Asheville (77-50), Manhattan (59-53) and Coastal Carolina (89-83). McDonald was named tournament MVP after averaging 21.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, which included double-doubles in the opening and closing games for NKU. Tate joined McDonald on the all-tournament team with averages of 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. After finishing 2-1 in each of the last two seasons in nonconference tournaments, the Norse claimed their first regular-season tournament title of its DI era.
 
Scouting UCF
UCF is 4-1 overall and riding a three-game winning streak after taking the Myrtle Beach Invitational with victories over Cal State Fullerton, St. Joseph's and Western Kentucky. The Knights, who were picked to win the American Athletic Conference, are led by B.J. Taylor, who enters the game averaging 16.6 points per game. Aubrey Dawkins is second on the team in scoring (15.8 ppg) and third in rebounding (5.8 rpg). Terrell Allen (11.6 ppg) and 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall (10.0 ppg) also average double figures for UCF.
 
Series Stuff
UCF is the fifth of five first-time opponents for the Norse this season. NKU has already picked up wins against first-time foes in Northern Illinois, UNC Asheville, Manhattan and Coastal Carolina to post a 4-0 record against opponents it's faced for the first time this season.