TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball (3-0) heads to Las Vegas next week to play three games in four days over the Thanksgiving holiday at the Ball Dawgs Classic. The Rockets will open play against New Mexico (2-1) on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 11:15 p.m. ET followed by matchups against UC Irvine (2-1) on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 11:45 p.m. ET and Indiana State (2-1) on Friday, Nov. 24 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Each game will be played at the Dollar Loans Center in Henderson, Nev. and streamed on FloHoops.

All three of Toledo's opponents are ranked in the Top 100 of the KenPom rankings. The Lobos are ranked highest at No. 57, with the Anteaters at No. 78 and Sycamores at No. 98. UT is just out of the Top 100 at No. 106.

The Rockets have a 3-0 record for the first time since their 2017-18 campaign following Tuesday's 78-77 win at Wright State. Dante Maddox Jr. scored a team-high 20 points to lead the way offensively, and UT came up with two big defensive stops in the final minute to hold off the Raiders.

Toledo, which is leading the MAC with a 52.2 field-goal percentage and 10.7 spg, has registered 10 or more steals and forced 15 or more turnovers in every game this season. Ra'Heim Moss leads UT with 15.7 ppg and 6.7 rpg. Also scoring in double digits for the Rockets are Maddox (13.7 ppg), Javan Simmons (12.0) and junior Tyler Cochran (11.0).

New Mexico has posted home wins over Texas Southern (92-55) and UT Arlington (82-80) this season with its lone loss coming at No. 23 Saint Mary's by a 72-58 margin. The Lobos are led in scoring by the guard tandem of sophomore Donovan Dent (17.3 ppg, 5.3 apg) and junior Jamal Mashburn Jr. (17.0 ppg.)
 
TEAM TIDBITS
•  Toledo leads the MAC in FOUR categories — 52.2 FG%, 44.4 3PTFG%, 10.7 spg, and a 1.7 A/TO ratio.
•  The Rockets rank 12th in the nation with a 44.4 3PTFG%, 16th with a 9.3 turnover margin and 17th in fewest fouls per game with 11.3 per game.
•  SEVEN Rockets are shooting 50.0% or higher (min. 2.0 shots/game) from the field
•  EIGHT Rockets are scoring 5.0 ppg or more with FOUR averaging 10.0 ppg or higher.
•  UT has outscored its opponents in bench points by a 97-23 margin this season
•  UT has won six-straight games decided by six points or less since the start of the 2022-23 season.
  
WHAT'S NEW FOR 2023-24
     Toledo has brought in a talented group of five freshmen to its program. The Rockets' incoming class includes forward Grgur Brcic (Zagreb, Croatia), guard Bryce Ford (Scottsdale, Ariz.), guard Sam Lewis (Chicago, Ill.), forward Xavier Thomas (Detroit, Mich.) and guard Sonny Wilson (Pontiac, Mich.).
     Wilson leads the freshmen with 9.3 ppg in 28.0 mpg to go along with a 50.0 FG%. Ford is averaging 6.0 ppg with an 85.7 FG% in 7.3 mpg. Lewis is averaging 4.7 ppg in 14.0 mpg, while Brcic is contributing 3.7 ppg in 12.7 mpg.
 
DANTE DELIVERING FOR ROCKETS
A 6-2, 195-pound guard who finished third in Illinois' Mr. Basketball voting in 2020, junior Dante Maddox Jr. ranks second on the team in scoring this season with 13.7 ppg. He ranked fourth in UT scoring last year with 11.3 ppg and topped the MAC with a 45.1 three-point FG%. Maddux tied his top scoring output as a Rocket with 20 points at Wright State (Nov. 14) and is tied for first in the MAC with a 3.7 A/TO ratio.
 
MOSS A STARTER FROM DAY ONE
Junior guard Ra'Heim Moss joined Toledo's starting lineup at the start of the 2021-22 season and hasn't left. He has scored 15 or more points and has been the team's leading scorer in every game this season. He led the Rockets in scoring for the first time in his career in UT's season opener vs. Detroit Mercy (Nov. 6).
 
SIMMONS SPARKLING EARLY IN ROCKET CAREER
Redshirt freshman Javan Simmons has scored in double digits in two of his first three games. He tallied 14 points (5-of-9 FG) to go along with three rebounds and three assists vs. Detroit Mercy in UT's season opener. In the Rockets' win at Wright State, he scored 15 points and was 7-of-10 from the field. Simmons is averaging 12.0 ppg with a 63.6 FG% (14-of-22) this season.

ON THE HORIZON
Toledo will have a week off following the Ball Dawgs Classic before hosting George Mason on Saturday, Dec. 2. Tip-off time in Savage Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. The Rockets will then visit Oakland on Wednesday, Dec. 6 before hosting three straight games vs. Northern Iowa (Dec. 9), Marshall (Dec. 13) and Vermont (Dec. 20).