HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – After playing its first four games of the season at home, Northern Kentucky takes to the road for the first time in the 2021-22 season with a Friday, Nov. 26, contest against DePaul in Chicago on tap. Tip is scheduled for 5 p.m. (ET)/4 p.m. (CT) and the game can be seen on FS2.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (2-2 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
DePaul Blue Demons (4-0 Overall, 0-0 BIG EAST)
Friday, Nov. 26 – 5 p.m. (ET)/4 p.m. (CT)
Chicago | Wintrust Arena (10,877)
TV: Fox Sports 2 (FS2)
Radio: FOXSports1360
Stats: Live Stats
Tickets: Purchase Now
Digital Program: NKU Men's Basketball Weekly – Week 3
 
Fast Break Points 
• NKU has alternated wins and losses through the first four games, with the most recent being a two-point setback against Western Illinois.
• In the national statistical rankings, NKU is 33rd in made threes per game (10.2), 34th in 3-point field goal percentage (39.8), 35th in steals per game (10.0), 36th in blocks per game (5.5), 71st in turnovers forced (16.3) and 81st in fouls per game (15.2).
• According to KenPom, NKU ranks 18th with a 14.0 percent steal rate on defense and 37th in offensive rebound rate (36.0 percent).
• NKU returns 91 percent (1,626-of-1,784) of its scoring, 87 percent (757-of-872) of its rebounding and 85 percent (4,294-of-5,075) of its minutes from last season's team. NKU's returning points production is the 18th-most in the country.
• NKU was picked to finish third in a tightly contested #HLMBB preseason poll that saw five teams receive a first-place vote.
• NKU is the only Horizon League men's basketball program to reach at least the semifinals of the league tournament championship each of the last three seasons.
• NKU finished third in the Horizon League standings based on win percentage last year, marking its sixth-straight top-three league finish.
• NKU has been one of the most dominant teams in the Horizon League over the last four seasons, amassing a 73-28 (.723) mark against league foes while winning five of the combined 10 league championships (two regular season and three tournament).
• NKU is riding a streak of five-straight seasons with a winning percentage beginning with the 2016-17 team.
• Since the start of the 2016-17 season, NKU is a combined 110-52 (.679), 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 except '21.
• G Trevon Faulkner earned a spot on the All-Horizon League Second Team last year and reprised the role on the Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team this year.
• Faulkner surpassed 1,000-career points with a career-high-tying 28 points versus UNCG thanks to a career-high six threes. He is NKU's 30th member of the 1,000 point club.
• G Sam Vinson is already making an impact just four games into his career, as the freshman point guard has started all four games and is coming off of an 11-point outing against Western Illinois. He is averaging 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.
• F Adrian Nelson, a Horizon League All-Academic honoree that sports a 3.42 GPA in Organizational Leadership, is shooting 73 percent (19-o-26) on the year. He's coming off of an 8-point, 10-rebound effort against Western Illinois.
• G Hubertas Pivorius earned his first start against WIU and poured in 20 points with four made treys.
• G Bryson Langdon is shooting 67 percent from both the field and 3-point territory. He's averaging 7.3 points per game.
• F Chris Brandon contributed 11 points and five rebounds to help NKU get past EMU.
• G Marques Warrick, the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year and all-freshman and all-league third team honoree, also adorns the Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team.
• Warrick won seven Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors and registered 10 20-point performances last year.
• G Trey Robinson has been disruptive on the defensive end, averaging 2.00 spg.
• F David Böhm posted 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from three against Western Illinois.
 
Last Time Out
Vinson appeared to tie the game and send it to overtime with six seconds remaining, but Western Illinois went coast-to-coast with the ball. Brandon blocked the initial layup attempt, but the Leathernecks collected the rebound and laid it in with .3 seconds left to send NKU to a 69-67 loss. Vinson finished with 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, four steals and a block. Pivorius converted 4-of-7 from three en route to a game-best 20 points. Böhm contributed 14 points, five rebounds and three steals, while Adrian Nelson went for eight points and 10 boards.
 
Scouting DePaul
DePaul enters with an unblemished 4-0 mark after posting convincing wins over Coppin State and Central Michigan followed by two tightly contested victories over Rutgers (73-70) and Western Illinois (84-80). Javon Freeman-Liberty has been sensational for the Blue Demons, ranking third in the country a 24.8 ppg. The 6-foot-4 guard  is tied for the team lead in rebounding (9.3 rpg) and averages a team-best 5.3 assists per game as well.
 
Series Stuff
This is the first meeting between Northern Kentucky and DePaul. There are five first-time opponents on NKU's schedule this year and it is 2-0 so far. The Norse also play Wheeling (W, 82-54), Eastern Michigan (W,74-73), Canisius and Allice Lloyd for the first time ever.