HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – A 7 p.m. Tuesday-night tilt at Miami (Ohio) awaits the Northern Kentucky men's basketball team. The Norse and RedHawks square off for just the third time ever.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (5-3 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
Miami University RedHawks (4-3 Overall, 0-0 MAC)
Tuesday, Dec. 1 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN+ with Steve Baker (PxP) and Randy Hollowell (Color)
Radio: FOXSports1360 with Jim Kelch (PxP) and Rick Broering (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Fast Break Points
• NKU pushed the nation's third-stingiest defense, but fell in the closing minute at Arkansas, 66-60.
• NKU made eight 3-pointers at a 33 percent clip at Arkansas, which entered the game with the nation's toughest 3-point field-goal defense (14 percent) and having held every opponent to three or fewer made treys in a game.
• NKU faces its second MAC opponent of the season, both of which are road games, when it heads to Miami on Tuesday. The Norse are 2-0 against Miami and, after defeating Ball State, 59-57 earlier this year, are 9-3 all-time versus the MAC.
• Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, NKU is 44-6 (.880) at BB&T Arena. The Norse also sold a program-record 1,403 season tickets this year.
• The Norse have ripped off 79 steals so far, a total that ranks 13th in the nation. The team's 9.9 steals per game also rank 19th.
• Offensively, the Norse are letting it rain from long range this year. The team ranks 13th in the country in 3-point field-goal attempts (232) and 21st in made threes (77).
• NKU is in the first year of the Darrin Horn era, as the Kentucky native is just the sixth head coach in the 49th season of the program. In his 10th year as a head coach, Horn has a career record of 176-114.
• NKU is coming off of its second trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last three years, where it fell 72-57 to No. 3 Texas Tech, which finished as the national runner-up.
• NKU has been the most-dominant team in the Horizon League over the last three seasons, amassing a 46-15 mark against league foes while winning four of the combined six league championships (regular season and tournament).
• With a DI-era record 26 wins last year, NKU secured a third-straight 20-win season for the first time in the DI era and just the third time in program history.
• Since the start of the 2016-17 season, NKU is a combined 77-33 (.700), has won the Horizon League regular season twice (2018, 2019) and league tourney twice (2017, 2019), and has played in both the NCAA Tournament (2017, 2019) and NIT (2018). No other team in DI history has registered this level of accomplishments in its first three years with active status.
• Over the last four games against DI competition, F Dantez Walton has averaged 26.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
• Walton registered his second 30-point double-double in NKU's game at Arkansas with 30 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, four blocks and two assists. He's the only player in the NCAA this season with two 30-point double-doubles. For his efforts, he earned a second-straight Horizon League Player of the Week.
• Walton has 802 career points to rank No. 45 all-time at NKU.
• G Trevon Faulkner is one of four returning starters for NKU this year. The sophomore guard is averaging 12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
• Faulkner used 9-of-16 shooting to tally a career-best 24 points versus Texas Southern.
• G Bryson Langdon has started the last five games for Northern Kentucky and averaged 4.8 assists in the outings.
• Langdon netted 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting against Midway.
• G Tyler Sharpe, a Preseason All-Horizon League Second-Team honoree, is averaging 12.5 points per game for the Norse.
• Though only in his third season as a Norse, Sharpe moved into the top-50 all-time scorers at NKU with his 18-point showing at Missouri. He now ranks 44th with 813 points as a Norse.
 
Last Time Out
Walton posted 30 points and 10 rebounds and Northern Kentucky had two late threes rim out in a 66-60 setback at Arkansas, which is receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches Polls. Trailing by two with 24 seconds left, Adham Eleeda's potential go-ahead three rimmed out. Following two made free throws by the Razorbacks, Faulkner had a triple rattle out as well. Arkansas sealed the 66-60 decision with two more free throws. Walton was the best player on the floor, shooting 10-of-14, which included 4-for-6 beyond the arc, en route to his 30-point outing. He added 10 rebounds, four steals, four blocks and a pair of assists. Arkansas entered with the nation's best 3-point shooting defense (14 percent) and third-best scoring defense (50.0 ppg). NKU buried eight treys at a 33 percent clip, nearly triple the most Arkansas has surrendered in any game (three versus South Dakota).
 
Scouting Miami (Ohio)
Miami is 4-3 overall, including a 2-1 mark on its home turf at Millett Hall. NKU's fellow Horizon League member Wright State has given the RedHawks two of their losses, which includes an 88-81 decision at Miami to open the season and a 71-66 result in the Gulf Coast Showcase. Nike Sibande's 16.6 points per game scoring mark paces an offense that averages 75.4 ppg. Dalonte Brown contributes 13.6 points and a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game. Mekhi Lairy sets the table with 3.6 assists per contest. The RedHawks surrender 69.7 points per game.
 
Series Stuff
The Norse are 2-0 against the RedHawks in the all-time series, with both meetings coming since the 2016-17 season. NKU defeated Miami in the 2016 Tarkett Sports Classic, 79-70. The Norse also picked up a 72-66 decision in BB&T Arena last year. Sharpe scored 15 points in that game and Walton added 10. For the RedHawks, Sibande had a team-high 13 points, while Brown contributed 12. Northern Kentucky is 9-3 all-time against teams from the MAC.