HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The 2020-21 Horizon League docket begins for the Northern Kentucky Norse with a two-game homestand versus Youngstown State on Saturday, Dec. 19 and Sunday, Dec. 20 in a pair of matchups highlighting two of the top-three teams in the league's preseason poll. Sunday's 3 p.m. contest has also moved to ESPN2.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (2-3 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
Youngstown State University Penguins (3-0 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
 
Game 1
Saturday, Dec. 19 – 2:00 p.m. (ET)
Highland Heights, Ky. | BB&T Arena (8,427)
TV: ESPN3 with Brady Laber (PxP) and Brad Redford (Color)
Radio: The Project (100.7/106.3 FM) with Jim Kelch (PxP) and Rick Broering (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Game 2
Saturday, Dec. 20 – 3:00 p.m. (ET)
Highland Heights, Ky. | BB&T Arena (8,427)
TV: ESPN2 with Jordan Bernfield (PxP) and David Padgett (Color)
Radio: ESPN1530 with Jim Kelch (PxP) and Rick Broering (Color)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Fast Break Points 
• NKU suffered its third-straight defeat, all of which have come on the road, in a 92-73 loss at Kent State.
• NKU is set to open Horizon League play with Youngstown State this weekend in a two-game series that features two of the top-three teams in the Horizon League preseason poll.
• NKU was selected third with 413 points and four first-place votes, while YSU received 423 points and three votes for the top spot.
• NKU is coming off a 23-9 campaign in which it finished second in the Horizon League regular season at 13-5 and won the 2020 Horizon League Tournament Championship.
• NKU has posted four-straight 20-win seasons for just the second time in program history, joining the 1994-95 through 1997-98 teams as the only Norse squads to do so.
• Rebounding was key for NKU in 2019-20. It was a perfect 17-0 when either leading or tying the battle of the boards. It was an additional 5-2 when being outrebounded, but keeping the margin within five caroms. So far, NKU is 2-2 this year, winning one game under each scenario and losing one in each as well.
• According to KenPom, NKU ranks 10th in the country in offensive rebound percentage (39.0).
• NKU is in the second year of the Darrin Horn era, as the Kentucky native is just the sixth head coach in the 50th season of the program. In his 11th year as a head coach, Horn has a career record of 196-123.
• NKU has been the most dominant team in the Horizon League over the last four seasons, amassing a 61-20 (.753) mark against league foes while winning five of the combined eight league championships (two regular season and three tournament).
• Since the start of the 2016-17 season, NKU is a combined 97-42 (.698), has won the Horizon League regular season twice ('18, '19) and league tourney thrice ('17, '19, '20), and has qualified for either the NCAA Tournament ('17, '19, '20) or NIT ('18) every year. No other team in DI history has registered this level of accomplishments in its first four years of active status.
• G Trevon Faulkner has been as advertised to start the season, impacting the game in all facets with averages of 17.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 steals.
• Faulkner is coming off a career-high 28-point outburst at Kent State on Sunday.
• F Adrian Nelson opened the season with three-consecutive double-doubles, becoming the first Norse to do so since Drew McDonald had four-straight between Dec. 16-30, 2018.
• Nelson ranks sixth in the country in rebounds per game (12.4) and leads the nation in offensive rebounds per game (5.40), while ranking 12th in double-doubles (3).
• The junior is nearly averaging a double-double at 8.8 points and 12.4 rebounds per game.
• F David Böhm is coming off a 19-point showing against Kent State, an effort that helped him land NKU's third-straight #HLMBB Freshman of the Week honor to open the season.
• G Marques Warrick was named the #HLMBB Freshman of the Week in each of the first two weeks of the season. He is averaging 10.2 ppg and 3.0 rpg on the year.
• G Trey Robinson has been equally as impressive for the Norse, averaging 8.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
• G Bryson Langdon has been a steady presence for the Norse, averaging 8.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
 
Last Time Out
A 28-point, career-high scoring effort from Faulkner, as well as Böhm's 19-point production that landed him the league's freshman of the week honor, were not enough firepower as Northern Kentucky dropped a 92-73 decision at Kent State. The Golden Flashes shot 55 percent for the game while the Norse converted just 38 percent. Warrick provided NKU with its third and final double-figure scorer, as the freshman tallied 11 points.
 
Scouting Youngstown State
Youngstown State enters at 3-0 with two non-DI wins against Point Park (72-52) and West Virginia Tech (80-66) sandwiched around a 79-65 win at Binghamton. Youngstown State features the 1-2 punch of Preseason All-Horizon League First Team member Darius Quisenberry and second team honoree Naz Bohannon. Bohannon currently leads YSU in scoring and rebounding at 22.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Quisenberry is averaging 19.0 points. Shemar Rathan-Mayes and Michael Akuchie also contribute double-figure scoring at 14.0 and 10.7 ppg, respectively. The Penguins are currently scoring at a 77.0 ppg clip, but the team makes its hay on the defensive end. Opponents are committing 22.3 turnovers per game and scoring just 61.0 ppg.
 
Series Stuff
Northern Kentucky is 11-9 all-time against Youngstown State and has won the last seven meetings in the series. NKU is also 6-3 at home, including a 5-0 mark in the DI-era at BB&T Arena.