Men's Basketball Hosts Northern Illinois on Saturday
2/9/2001 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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Feb. 9, 2001
TOLEDO, OH - Toledo (14-8, 6-5 MAC) will be looking to gain a bit of revenge when it hosts Northern Illinois (4-16, 3-8 MAC) at Savage Hall on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 7:00 p.m.
The Rockets suffered a 69-67 setback to the Huskies in DeKalb, IL on Jan. 20. In that contest, UT attempted to rally from a 68-57 deficit with 1:15 to play but fell just short when senior for-ward Greg Stempin's layup attempt at the buzzer rimmed out.
Toledo is coming off a 94-64 triumph at Akron during which it shot a season-high 61.7 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range.
The Rockets jumped on the Zips early and led by a 51-26 margin at halftime. Stempin and sophomore guard Nick Moore paced the Rocket attack with 18 points apiece and freshman guard Terry Reynolds equalled his season high with eight assists.
Stempin leads UT in points (17.4 ppg) and rebounds (8.1 rpg), while Reynolds ranks second in points (13.2) and is first in assists (5.0 apg) and steals (1.7 spg).
The Huskies have dropped all five of their contests since defeating the Rockets, including their last three games at home. Junior Leon Rodgers leads NIU's attack with 17.4 ppg, while senior Stephen Jones is averaging 11.5 ppg and 8.1 rpg since regaining his eligibility in January.
Stempin Aiming for MAC Player of the Year Honors
Senior All-America candidate Greg Stempin is shooting to become the Rockets' first MAC Player of the Year since Harvey Knuckles in 1981. He also is looking to become the fourth Rocket ever to earn first-team All-MAC honors on three occasions.
The other UT players to receive All-MAC accolades three times are Tom Kozelko (1971-73), Steve Mix (1967-69) and Phil Martin (1952-54).
Stempin is tied for third in the MAC in scoring (17.4 ppg), ranks seventh in rebounding (8.1 rpg) and is eighth in FG% (.473). He is averaging 8.8 rebounds during conference play to rank fourth in the MAC.
The Stempin Watch
Senior Greg Stempin is in seventh place on UT's all-time scoring list and is six points away from moving ahead of Harvey Knuckles (1977-81) . He also needs just 20 points to pass Casey Shaw (1994-98) into fifth place.
Stempin ranks ninth on UT's all-time minutes played list with 3,354 and is 13 boards away from entering the Rockets' career Top 10 rebounding list.
Following is a list of the Rockets' all-time scoring leaders:
1. Ken Epperson (1981-85) 2,016
2. Craig Thames (1992-96) 1,964
3. Steve Mix (1966-69) 1,676
4. Tom Kozelko (1970-73) 1,561
5. Casey Shaw (1994-98) 1,502
6. Harvey Knuckles (1977-81) 1,488
7. Greg Stempin (1997-pres.) 1,483
Stempin Drawing Praises
Miami Head Coach Charlie Coles had this to say about Greg Stempin following UT's win over the RedHawks on Jan. 3:
"He's (Stempin) a great player. I've seen him for four years now. He's the same as (Wally) Szczerbiak and (Dan) Majerle were. I recruited him so hard. We've had some success, but I feel the success we would of had with him would be ongoing. I just dreamed of him and Szczerbiak playing on the same floor. That would have been a delight. I told him that if you come to Miami, we'll be in the Final Four."
More Notes on Toledo's 94-64 Win over Akron
* The Rockets' 30-point win was their largest in a MAC road game in school history.
* Toledo's 94 points was its most in a MAC game since a 103-51 win over Buffalo (2/11/99).
* UT's 66.7 percent shooting from three-point range was its second-best showing of the season behind a 68.4 percent effort vs. George Mason on Dec. 2.
* The Rockets held the Zips to 17 rebounds, the lowest rebound total for a Toledo opponent this season.
* Terry Reynolds and Greg Stempin each did not attempt a free throw in a game for the first time this year.
Reynolds Key to Rockets' Attack
Freshman guard and MAC Freshman of the Year candidate Terry Reynolds has proven how valuable he can be to the Rockets' offense this year.
When looking at his production during UT's wins and losses, it shows even further how his play is a key ingredient to the Rockets' success.
In UT's 14 wins this year, he is averaging 15.1 ppg and shooting 46.1 percent from the field. In the Rockets' eight losses, he has been held to 9.9 ppg and a 28.3 field-goal percentage.
For the season, Reynolds leads all MAC freshmen with 13.2 points per game which ranks second on the team. He leads the team in assists (5.0 apg) and steals (1.7 spg). The 5-9 guard ranks second in the MAC in steals, third in assists and is 18th in points per game.
He burst upon the college basketball scene in UT's season-opening weekend when he earned all-tournament honors at the Energia Systems Thanksgiving Tournament in Kansas City.
In the Rockets' 95-90 win over Auburn in the semifinals, he tallied a game-high 36 points and seven assists. He scored 13 of UT's 21 points in the two overtimes and came up with a key steal late in the second overtime with UT holding a one-point lead.
Reynolds' 36-point outburst was the most by a Rocket since Craig Thames tallied 37 in a 103-102 (2OT) victory over Central Michigan on Feb. 28, 1996.
Moore Regains Hot Hand From Three-point Range
Sophomore guard Nick Moore broke out of his shooting slump with a 7-for-10 showing vs. Akron, including 4-of-6 from three point range.
Moore had converted just 5-of-29 (17.2 percent) attempts from behind the arc in his previous six games entering the Akron contest.
Moore leads UT with a 41.4 (48-of-116) three-point FG% (5th in MAC) and also is first in three-point field goals made with 2.18 per game (6th in MAC). In MAC games, he is third in team scoring with 10.1 ppg.
Earlier this season, Moore nailed all six of his three-point attempts against George Mason to equal a school record for three-point FG% set by Fred King at Kent State on Jan. 23, 1988.
Rocket Three-Point News
*The Rockets have four primary three-point shooting threats. In addition to the previously mentioned Nick Moore, Terry Reynolds (32.7 percent, 36-for-110), Robierre Cullars (31.8 percent, 21-for-66) and Greg Stempin (30.9 percent, 34-for-110) are UT's other top shooting threats from three-point range.
* As a team, UT is third in the MAC in three-point field goals made per game (6.7) and eighth in three-point FG% (34.5 percent). UT is second in three-point FG% defense (30.8 percent).
Jones Serving as Rockets' Top Man Off Bench
Senior guard Rory Jones has been the Rockets' top contributor off the bench this season, averaging 7.0 points per game in 17.3 minutes of action.
He has emerged offensively since the start of the MAC season, ranking first on the team in field goal percentage in both overall (57.1 percent) and conference (62.7 percent) play. He is fourth on the team in MAC scoring (9.5 ppg) and has scored in double figures in six of 11 MAC games.
In the Rockets' first three MAC games, Jones registered a career-high point total in each game. He scored 12 vs. Miami, 14 at Western Michigan and 16 at Eastern Michigan.
Stempin Beginning to Take Advantage of His "Free" Throws
Senior Greg Stempin has steadily improved his stroke from the charity stripe this season.
In conference games, he has converted 60.4 percent of his free throw attempts after hitting just 44.4 percent in non-conference play. In his last four games, he has hit 66.7 percent (18-of-27) of his free throws.
Rockets Look to Get Back to Winning Ways at Savage Hall
Toledo will look to restore its homecourt advantage at Savage Hall. The Rockets have dropped three of their last four home games, including a 68-54 setback to Kent State last Saturday.
The Rockets are now 6-4 at home this year and hold a 49-16 (.754) record at Savage Hall under Stan Joplin, including a 38-12 (.760) mark since the start of the 1997-98 season. In MAC games under Joplin, the Rockets have posted a 28-14 (.667) ledger at Savage Hall.
Getting to the Line
With its strong inside game and the penetration of guard Terry Reynolds, the Rockets are averaging 26.6 free throw attempts per game compared to 17.9 for their opponents. Toledo has been whistled for 17.7 personal fouls per contest, while its opponents have committed 22.6.
The Rockets have attempted 193 more free throws than their opponents over the entire season.
Road Games Ahead
Following Saturday's game vs. Northern Illinois, the Rockets have four of their last six MAC games on the road -- Feb. 14 at CMU, Feb. 19 at Buffalo, Feb. 26 at Bowling Green and March 3 at Ball State.
UT is 3-2 on the road in the MAC this year and 8-2 in its last 10 MAC road games.
UT Attendance Second in the MAC
The Rockets are averaging 6,018 fans this season and trail only Ohio (7,448) in MAC attendance.
UT's current average is the highest during Stan Joplin's tenure as head coach. Last year's mark of 5,799 was the best average since the 1995-96 season.
Battle for Homecourt in MAC Tournament Begins
The battle for home-court advantage in the first round of the MAC Tournament appears headed down to the wire.
Heading into Saturday's contests, Central Michigan, Kent State, Marshall and Ohio possess the top four seeds. The Rockets are one of five teams (Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green and Miami are the others) with just five MAC losses. The No. 4-8 seeds will be at home for the first round with seeds No. 9-13 on the road.
Tough Stretch Ending
The Rockets concluded a challenging five-game stretch last Wednesday at Akron (10-11, 7-5 MAC). The contest marked UT's fifth straight contest vs. a team with an above .500 record in MAC play. UT faced Central Michigan (16-4, 10-1 MAC) on Jan. 24, Marshall (14-6, 8-4 MAC) on Jan. 29, Ohio (12-8, 7-4 MAC) on Jan. 31 and Kent State (15-7, 8-3 MAC) on Feb. 3.
Joplin Ranks Fifth on UT's All-Time Win List
Head Coach Stan Joplin is in fifth place on UT's all-time coaching win list. Joplin has 79 wins during his five-year tenure at the Rocket helm. Following is a list of the top five career coaching win totals in Rocket history:
UT's All-Time Coaches' Win List
1. Bob Nichols (1965-87) 376
2. Harold Anderson (1934-42) 142
3. Jerry Bush (1947-54) 127
4. Eddie Melvin (1954-65) 125
5. Stan Joplin (1996-pres.) 79
Taking on All Comers
Each of UT's eight non-conference victories came against a team from a different conference. The Rockets faced schools from nine different conferences in their non-conference schedule.
UT defeated teams from the Colonial Athletic (George Mason), Conference USA (Cincinnati), Mid-Continent (Oakland), Midwestern Collegiate (Detroit), Missouri Valley (Creighton), Ohio Valley (SE Missouri State). SEC (Auburn) and Trans-America Athletic (Samford). The Rockets' three losses occurred against teams from the WAC (Fresno State) and Atlantic 10 (St. Bonaventure, Xavier).
Rockets' Schedule Packed With NCAA Tournament Teams
The Rockets have posted a 5-2 win-loss mark this year vs. 2000 NCAA Tournament teams. UT has defeated Auburn, Cincinnati, Creighton, Samford and Southeast Missouri State, and lost to Fresno State and St. Bonaventure.
Up Next ... Central Michigan
Toledo will head to Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, Feb. 14 to face the MAC's hottest team, Central Michigan (16-4, 10-1 MAC). UT will be looking to avenge a 71-61 setback it suffered vs. the Chippewas in Toledo on Jan. 24.
Heading into Saturday's home contest vs. Western Michigan, CMU possesses a nine-game win streak.
