HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky hits the road for five straight Horizon League men's basketball games as the battle intensifies in the league standings. The Norse will attempt to avenge their 61-55 loss to the Panthers Jan. 1 at BB&T Arena. Milwaukee enters the game on a five-game skid.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (12-10, 8-5 Horizon League)
Milwaukee Panthers (7-17, 5-10 Horizon League)
Wednesday, Feb. 9 | 8 p.m. (ET)
Milwaukee, Wis. | UWM Panther Arena (10,783)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: The Project 100.7/106.3 FM
Stats: Live Stats
Digital Program: NKU Men's Basketball Weekly – Week 13
 
Fast Break Points
• NKU has waged an impressive start in 2022. After going 6-7 in November and December, the team has posted a 7-2 record thus far in January and February.
 
• In its recent six-game winning streak, NKU held its opponents to 62.2 points per game. The Norse out-rebounded five of those six opponents - and also trailed at halftime in five of the six games.  
 
• NKU has been an offensive rebounding juggernaut under Darrin Horn. The Norse were 117th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (29.7) in 2019-20, Horn's first season at the helm. NKU ascended to No. 15 (34.9%) in 2020-21. Now, 22 games into 2021-22, the Norse rank 11th (36.1%) per KenPom.com. The payoff for attacking the offensive glass: NKU's 284 second-chance points this season. That's an average of 12.9 points a game.
 
• In the national statistical rankings, NKU is 12th in offensive rebounds per game (13.4), 12th in steals per game (9.5), 14th in total steals (208) and 30th in made threes per game (9.3).
 
• According to KenPom, NKU ranks 11th in offensive rebounding percentage (36.1%) and 13th
in defensive steal percentage (13.2%).
 
• NKU was picked to finish third in a tightly contested #HLMBB preseason poll.
 
• NKU is riding a streak of five straight seasons with a winning percentage, beginning with the 2016-17 team. NKU has won the Horizon League regular season twice (2018, 2019) and league tourney three times (2017, 2019, 2020). The Norse have qualified for either the NCAA Tournament (2017, 2019, 2020) or NIT (2018) every year except 2021.
 
• G Marques Warrick, the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year, leads NKU in scoring (14.4 ppg). He has averaged 16.2 points in NKU's last five games.
 
• G Trevon Faulkner, a Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team selection, contributes a team-second 13.1 points. He has made at least one 3-pointer in 18 of his 21 games this season.
 
• G Sam Vinson has been named Nike Horizon League Men's Freshman of the Week six times. He ranks 16th nationally in total steals (49) and 20th in steals per game (2.2).
 
• F Adrian Nelson, a Horizon League All-Academic honoree, has 662 career rebounds. He's five boards shy of overtaking Chris Wall (1985-89) as NKU's No. 8 all-time leading rebounder.
 
• F Chris Brandon recorded his first Norse double-double Feb. 4 against Oakland (15 points, 13 rebounds). His 3.2 offensive rebounds per game rank 33rd nationally.
 
• G Bryson Langdon, who had seven rebounds Feb. 4 against Oakland and added seven assists and just one turnover, has the Horizon League's No. 3 assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3).
 
Last Time Out
Detroit Mercy snapped Northern Kentucky's six-game winning streak in a 74-68 outing Feb. 5 at BB&T Arena. The Titans scored 17 points off turnovers and won the rebounding battle 28-21. The Norse's 21 boards were a season low. Although Trevon Faulkner tied the game at 55 on a 3-pointer with 5:43 left to play, Detroit Mercy's Antoine Davis responded with a triple of his own and the Titans never relinquished control. Faulkner led NKU with 18 points. Bryson Langdon added a season-high 17 points. The contest was the last in a five-game home stand, during which NKU went 4-1.
 
Scouting Milwaukee
The Panthers recently regained much-heralded freshman Patrick Baldwin Jr., the son of coach Pat Baldwin and the highest-ranked freshman recruit to ever sign with a Horizon League program. Baldwin Jr. has played only 10 games this season due to injury and health and safety protocols. After a month layoff, he returned to the starting lineup against Purdue Fort Wayne Feb. 4. He scored 13 points on 5-of-15 shooting with four rebounds and two steals. Milwaukee (7-17, 5-10 Horizon League) has lost five straight games, four of which were on the road. The team's scoring leader is DeAndre Gholston (15.3 ppg). Baldwin is second (12.5 ppg).
 
Series Stuff
NKU leads the series 11-4. The Norse had won 10 straight in the series before Milwaukee's 61-55 victory Jan. 1, 2022 at BB&T Arena. The Norse led by as many as 17 points but DeAndre Gholston, scoreless until 8:25 remained, rattled off 14 points in less than six minutes amid a Panthers comeback. Marques Warrick's 3-pointer with 55 seconds left made it a one-possession game, but Milwaukee converted three free throws down the stretch to prevail.