Morehead State Eagles
Ohio Valley Conference (23-10, 15-3)
Big Wins: 12/18 ETSU (60-58), 1/23 at Eastern Kentucky (69-53), 2/25 Murray State (70-65)
Bad Losses: 11/21 Louisiana Monroe (73-74), 1/30 at Austin Peay (55-56), 2/11 at Eastern Illinois (75-76)
Coach: Donnie Tyndall
Why They Can Surprise:
The Ohio Valley may not provide the stiffest competition around, but by the numbers Morehead State is one of the best rebounding teams in the nation. Much of the success on the glass can be attributed to Kenneth Faried. The 6-8 junior grabs an amazing 13.0 rebounds per contest. Faried is also a solid shot blocker and he will never make it easy for the opposition to get to the basket. However, Faried is more than just a defender; he is also averaging 16.6 points per game and any time he does not tally a double-double it is a surprise.
What makes the Eagles frontcourt so dominating is the fact that Faried is not the only talented player who hangs out in the paint. Sophomore Steve Peterson came out of nowhere to step into the starting lineup. He is the perfect complimentary player to Faried. While Faried is under the basket, Peterson has the ability to step outside and stretch out the defense with his outside shooting. Les Simmons has more size than the 6-5 Peterson and he will be counted on to come in and bang around the basket when Peterson’s size becomes an issue on defense.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Coach Donnie Tyndall has a few capable ball handlers in Demonte Harper, Brandon Shingles and Ty Proffitt, but this is a team that turns the ball over way too much. Harper, who dishes out 3.2 assists per game, turns the ball over just as much. Fortunately, Harper is a capable scorer and that makes the turnovers a little easier to stomach, but the Eagles simply cannot turn the ball over as much as they usually do if they want to pull off an upset in the tournament. Shingles is the better ballhandler and has taken over most of those duties. That allows Harper to play off the ball more often, especially with Sam Goodman capable of running the point for ten minutes or so a game.
Who To Watch:
Once again Maze Stallworth is having a great year. The 6-4 senior might be a little undersized, but he is a tough rebounder and is second to only Faried in that category. But Stallworth is more than just a small forward who helps out on the glass. He is one of the team’s best scorers and easily the team’s most effective and efficient long range shooter. Stallworth’s ability to hit the long ball and attack the basket makes him very difficult to defend. And against some teams that sport a less athletic and taller small forward, Stallworth will be extremely dangerous.
Probable Starters:
Ty Proffitt, Sophomore, Guard, 2.5 ppg, 1.6 apg
Demonte Harper, Junior, Guard, 12.1 ppg, 3.2 apg
Maze Stallworth, Senior, Forward, 12.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Steve Peterson, Sophomore, Forward, 8.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Kenneth Faried, Junior, Center, 16.6 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 1.9 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Sam Goodman, Junior, Guard, 3.8 ppg, 1.2 apg
Terrance Hill, Sophomore, Guard, 7.4 ppg, 1.1 apg
Brandon Shingles, Senior, Guard, 5.0 ppg, 4.9 apg
Les Simmons, Senior, Center, 4.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.0 (121st in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 62.6 (46, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.7 (112, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.9 (159, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.1 (80, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.4 (49, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 68.6 (186, 8)
Rebound Margin: 8.0 (5, 1)
Assists Per Game: 14.1 (94, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.6 (233, 5)
