YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Seeking its second-straight home win, the Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team battles the fast-paced attack of IU Indy Friday, Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m. inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
ON AIR
Eastern Michigan and IU Indy will air on ESPN+ with Greg Steiner and Tom Helmer on the call as the game will be simulcasted live on WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network App. Live stats will also be available on EMUEagles.com.
OPENING TIPS
»Eastern outscored Pittsburgh in the second half but could not overcome an early 27-10 deficit as the hosts won, 78-66, despite 19 points from Carlos Hart and 15 points from Mo Habhab.
»Against Georgia State, Nov. 3, Eastern used a 53-38 rebounding advantage, 54-14 paint points advantage, and a stout defensive effort that limited Georgia State to 29.3% shooting mark en route to recording a 71-49 win.
»In the GSU game, Mo Habhab had 15 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, becoming the first freshman to tally that stat line or better since Chet Holmgren in 2022 for Gonzaga.
»Eastern finished 9-9 in MAC play and 16-16 overall in the 2024-25 season and secured its bid to the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2020, playing in postseason competition in Cleveland for the first time since 2018.
»EMU replaced key contributors from last year’s squad. The Eagles returned 7.8% of minutes played (502) and 2.9% of points scored (69). Jalen Terry ranked second in the MAC at 16.6 points per game while Da’Sean Nelson was sixth with 16.0 points per game. Both players were named Second Team All-MAC. Christian Henry scored 14.7 points per game and Jalin Billingsley added 10.5 points per game.
»Eastern has a quartet of high-profile road games in the 2025-26 season (Nov. 10 at Pittsburgh, Nov. 24 at #12 Louisville, Nov. 26 at Cincinnati, and Dec. 2 at Butler).
»The Eagles were picked ninth in the MAC Preseason Poll after placing tied for sixth last season.
»EMU has nine players from the state of Michigan, its most since the 2022-23 season (11).
»Eastern Michigan’s Stan Heath is in his fifth year at the helm of the Eagles, holding a 48-79 record at EMU and a 257-286 record over 18 years as a collegiate head coach.
PITTSBURGH RECAP, NOV. 10
SCORING/RUNS SUMMARY AGAINST PITTSBURGH
» Eastern led, 4-0.
» Pittsburgh scored 27 of the next 33 points to lead 27-10.
» Pittsburgh led, 45-32, at halftime.
» Pittsburgh’s lead bounced from 9-16 throughout the second half as EMU most notably trimmed the deficit to 10 with 7:12 left en route to outscoring the hosts in the second half, 34-33.
» Pittsburgh won, 78-66.
NOTEWORTHY PLAYERS AGAINST PITTSBURGH
» Carlos Hart: 19 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and one block
» Mo Habhab: 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one block
» Addison Patterson: 13 points, six rebounds, four assists
» Jon Sanders II: nine points (6-of-6 FT) in 9:56 of court time
KEY TEAM STATS AGAINST PITTSBURGH
» EMU was 22-for-59 (37.3%) from the floor while Pittsburgh went 30-for-60 (50.0%)
» EMU was 18-for-21 (85.7%) from the free throw line while Pittsburgh was 12-for-23 (52.2%)
» EMU had 10 turnovers but forced just eight
GEORGIA STATE RECAP, NOV. 3
SCORING/RUNS SUMMARY AGAINST GEORGIA ST.
» Georgia State led, 14-11.
» Eastern launched a 10-0 spurt as part of a larger 19-4 run to lead, 30-18.
» EMU led, 32-23, at halftime.
» GSU came within seven, but a 14-0 Eastern run started at the 6:00 mark put the game out of reach as EMU kept the visitors off the scoreboard for a stretch of 6:10 as Eastern won, 71-49.
NOTEWORTHY PLAYERS AGAINST GEORGIA ST
» Mo Habhab: 15 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks for +20 plus-minus
» Carlos Hart: 14 points and eight rebounds for +26 plus-minus
» Addison Patterson: 10 points, six rebounds
» Mak Manciel: 12 points in 13:41 of court time
KEY TEAM STATS AGAINST GEORGIA ST.
» 54-14 paint points advantage
» 53-38 rebounding advantage
» Held Georgia State to 17-of-58 shooting (29.3%)
MO HABHAB’S PERFORMANCE AGAINST GSU
Mo Habhab, just a redshirt freshman, produced an impressive 15 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in the 71-49 win over Georgia State, Nov. 3.
Habhab is the first player in the MAC to record that stat line or better since Nov. 22, 2003, when Northern Illinois’ Marcus Smallwood had 17 points, 21 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks.
There was a total of eight performances in Division I with a player tallying at least 15 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in the 2024-25 season, none of which were by freshmen. Through games, Nov. 11, 2025, Habhab is the only player in Division I to achieve that line this season.
Habhab is the first freshman in the nation to record at least 15 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks since former Gonzaga Bulldog and recent NBA champion Chet Holmgren had 20 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, and five blocks, Feb. 5, 2022, against BYU.
Habhab is the first Eagle to have 15+ and 15+ rebounds in one game since James Thompson IV had 20 points and 23 rebounds, March 5, 2019, against Ball State.
Habhab is the first Eagle to record 16 rebounds in one game since Boubacar Toure had 17 against Akron, Jan. 4, 2020. In regard to Habhab’s eight offensive rebounds against Georgia State, Toure is also the last Eagle with at least eight offensive rebounds in one game, grabbing nine against Michigan-Dearborn, Nov. 14, 2019. James Thompson IV‘s 11 offensive rebounds against Ball State, Jan. 8, 2019, marks the last time an Eagle had at least eight against a Division I foe.
CARLOS HART’S +26 PLUS-MINUS VS. GSU
Helped by a 14-point, eight-rebound showing, Carlos Hart recorded a game-high +26 plus-minus in the 71-49 over Georgia State, Nov. 3.
All 13 players that played for EMU had a positive plus-minus while all 11 Panthers that played had a negative plus-minus.
54-14 ADVANTAGE IN PAINT POINTS
Eastern, which attempted just 11 three-pointers (fewest since shooting 11 against Valparaiso, Dec. 20, 2021), held 54-14 advantage over Georgia State in paint points in the 71-49 win against the Panthers, Nov. 3.
The Eagles’ 54 points scored in the paint are its most since Dec. 8, 2018, scoring 66 paint points against Central State while the 14 points allowed in the paint is EMU’s fewest since giving up 14 to IU Indy, Nov. 14, 2024.
EMU’s +40 mark in point paints is its largest margin since a +60 mark against Central State, Dec. 8, 2018.
53-38 ADVANTAGE ON THE GLASS VS. GSU
Eastern held a robust 53-38 advantage on the glass in the 71-49 win over Georgia State, Nov. 3.
EMU’s 53 rebounds are its most since recording 58 against Florida International, Dec. 11, 2021, in four overtimes. The Green and White last had 53 boards in regulation, Dec. 22, 2016, against Maryville (60). Prior to the game, Eastern had not had 53 rebounds in regulation against a Division I team since at least the 2002-03 season.
The Eagles had 22 offensive rebounds, their most since recording 22 against Northwood, Dec. 30, 2023. Eastern last had 22 offensive boards against a Division I team, Nov. 24, 2018, against Detroit Mercy (23).
GEORGIA STATE’S 29.3% CONVERSION RATE
Eastern put together a stout defensive showing in the 71-49 win over Georgia State, Nov. 3, holding the visitors to a 29.3% field goal percentage (17-of-58), the lowest by an EMU opponent since Kent State shot 25.6%, Jan. 18, 2022.
Furthermore, the 17 made field goals by Georgia State were the fewest by an opponent since IU Indy made 16, Nov. 14, 2024.
JUST 49 POINTS ALLOWED VS. GEORGIA STATE
With the 71-49 win over Georgia State, Nov. 3, the 49 points allowed are EMU’s fewest in a season opener since beating Albion, 77-45, Nov. 9, 2013. EMU last gave up 49 points in a season opener against a Division I team, Nov. 29, 1982, when it allowed just 47 points to Green Bay.
Prior to the game, the 49 points given up were EMU’s fewest since allowing just 46 to Akron, Jan. 22, 2022.
WON BY 22 OVER GEORGIA STATE
Eastern’s 22-point win (71-49) over Georgia State marks its largest victory since topping Siena Heights, Nov. 8, 2024, 83-58.
The Eagles last beat a Division I foe by at least 22 points when they beat Central Michigan, 99-68, Jan. 11, 2022.
ON THE IU INDY GAME
IF EASTERN WINS…
» EMU will be 2-0 at home for the first time since the 2023-24 season (wins over Georgia Southern, Cleveland State, and LSSU)
» EMU will start 2-1 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons
» EMU will improve 5-1 all-time against IU-Indy
» EMU will have won non-conference games against the same opponent in back-to-back seasons for the first time since beating Detroit Mercy in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons
» EMU will improve to 91-101 over Horizon League schools
EASTERN AGAINST THE HORIZON
Eastern holds 90-101 all-time mark against current Horizon League schools. Outside of the MAC, the Horizon League is the only conference in which EMU has played every single member at least once in program history. With Friday’s 192nd meeting between Eastern and a Horizon League school, EMU will have played 95 more games against the Horizon League than any other conference outside of the MAC (97 games against Big Ten, 12-85)
Full series history against IU Indy can be found on page 3.
ALL-TIME AGAINST THE HORIZON 90-101
Cleveland State 24-10
Detroit Mercy 23-63
Green Bay 5-6
IU Indy 4-1
Milwaukee 7-5
Northern Kentucky 0-1
Oakland 12-9
Purdue-Ft. Wayne 3-2
Robert Morris 4-0
Youngstown State 7-4
Wright State 1-0
THERE MIGHT BE A LOT OF POINTS
With IU Indy’s 26th-nationally ranked offensive attack (98.3 ppg) and 356th-nationally ranked defense (100.3 ppg, last in Division I), Friday’s game figures to feature high scoring outputs.
Last time Eastern scored EXACTLY…
»135 or more: never
»134: Feb. 5, 1970 at Hillsdale (W, 134-113)
»127-133: never
»126: Feb. 12, 1969 vs. Hillsdale (W, 126-90)
»124-125: never
»123: Dec. 11, 1971 vs. SIUE (W, 123-88)
»121-122: never
»120: Feb. 20, 1991 vs. Chicago State (W, 120-77)
»119: Nov. 14, 2008 vs. Marygrove (W, 119-48)
»118: March 2, 1974 vs. Wheaton (W, 118-45)
»117: Dec. 11, 2016 vs. Siena Heights (W, 117-55)
»116: Feb. 23, 1970 vs. Kentucky State (W, 116-98)
»115: Dec. 2, 2002 vs. Concordia (Mich.) (W, 115-80)
»114: never
»113: Dec. 27, 1966 vs. Ferris State (W, 113-64)
»112: Dec. 29, 1966 vs. Manchester(W, 112-105)
»111: Dec. 4, 1995 vs. San Francisco State (W, 111-61)
»110: Jan. 7, 1972 vs. Brockport State (W, 110-99)
»109: Feb. 28, 2017 at Central Michigan (W, 109-81)
»108: Nov. 25, 2015 vs. Marygrove (W, 108-64)
»107: Dec. 8, 1989 vs. St. Francis (NY) (W, 107-85)
»106: Nov. 26, 1996 vs. St. Joseph’s (Ind.) (W, 106-70)
»105: Dec. 8, 2018 vs. Central State (W, 105-53)
»104: Jan. 8, 1997 vs. Central Michigan (W, 104-67)
»103: Nov. 12, 2021 vs. Illinois State (W, 103-98)
»102: Nov. 24, 1990 vs. St. Mary’s (W, 102-77)
»101: Nov. 12, 2019 vs. Goshen (W, 101-49)
»100: Dec. 28, 2014 vs. Concordia (Mich.) (W, 100-42)
»99: Jan. 11, 2022 vs. Central Michigan (W, 99-68)
»98: Dec. 29, 2016 vs. Long Beach State (W, 98-72)
»97: Feb. 7, 2023 at Buffalo (L, 97-102)
»96: Nov. 30, 1996 at Drake (W, 96-81)
»95: Dec. 9, 2020 vs. Adrain (W, 95-35)
»94: Jan. 21, 2025 at Ohio (W, 94-87)
»93: Nov. 8, 2019 vs. Siena Heights (W, 93-51)
»92: Dec. 11, 2021 vs. FIU (W, 92-88)
»91: Feb. 27, 2021 vs. NIU (W, 91-57)
»90: Jan. 25, 2025 vs. Buffalo (W, 90-77)
BELOW THE CENTURY MARK
In 386 games at the George Gervin GameAbove Center since opening in 1998-99, only two teams have reached 100 points against the Eagles as 2022-23 Florida Atlantic, which reached the 2023 Final Four, scored 101 at EMU, Dec. 4, 2022. The second team was Akron, Jan. 11, 2025, in a 105-81 EMU loss.
Top Point Totals by Foes at the George Gervin GameAbove Center:
Date School Points
Jan. 11, 2025 Akron 105
Dec. 4, 2022 Florida Atlantic 101
Dec. 15, 2024 Purdue Fort Wayne 99
Nov. 30, 2024 Detroit Mercy 98
Nov. 12, 2023 Illinois State 98
TUSKEGEE RECAP, OCT. 30
NOTEWORTHY PLAYERS AGAINST TUSKEGEE, OCT. 30
» Mo Habhab: 14 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks for +14 plus-minus
» Addison Patterson: 14 points, six rebounds
» Merritt Alderink: six points in 5:09 of court time for +10 plus-minus
FREE THROW SUCCESS AGAINST TUSKEGEE
Eastern was an impressive 27-of-31 (87.1%) from the free throw line. EMU’s 27 makes would have been its second-highest mark in the 2024-25 season. The Eagles’ 87.1% conversion rate would be its best when shooting at least 30 free throws since EMU made 30-of-34 (88.2%) free throws against Ball State, Jan. 23, 2016.
ACTIVE 2025-26 SEASON NOTES
BACK-TO-BACK 15-POINT GAMES
Redshirt freshman Mo Habhab produced 15-point outputs in both the season opener against Georgia State, Nov. 3, and at Pittsburgh, Nov. 10, the team’s first two games of the season.
With Habhab’s performances, he is the first Eastern freshman to have back-to-back games showings with at least 15 points in each game since Noah Farrakhan in the 2021-22 season Farrakhan, who at four different stretches with at least two-straight games with 15+ points, opened the 2021-22 season with 18-, 17-, and 21-point outputs.
THR33-POINT STR3AK, 648-STRAIGHT GAM3S
After converting four three-pointers against Pittsburgh, Nov. 3, Eastern has hit at least one three-pointer in 648-straight games. EMU last failed to score from downtown Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami held the Eagles to 0-of-7 from behind the arc.
LIMITED THREE-POINT ATTEMPTS
Eastern Michigan has just 25 three-point attempts through its first two games (3-of-11 vs. Georgia State, Nov. 3; 4-of-14 at Pittsburgh, Nov. 14).
The 25 three-point attempts in two games is EMU’s fewest in its first two games of the season since the 2012-13 team had 24 three-point attempts through its first two games.
Prior to the current stretch, Eastern had not had a two-game stretch with 25 or fewer three-point attempts since the 2021-22 season (25 combined against Akron and Bowling Green).
EASTERN IN THE MAC-SBC CHALLENGE
Eastern is 3-2 in the MAC-SBC Challenge and 3-0 at home. The Eagles will play a road game, Feb. 7, against a to-be-determined opponent in the second leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge.
Eastern’s MAC-SBC Challenge Results:
Date Against Score
Nov. 3, 2025 Georgia State W, 71-49
Feb. 8, 2025 Old Dominion W, 76-70
Nov. 4, 2024 at Texas State L, 44-64
Feb. 10, 2024 at Louisiana-Monroe L, 76-82
Nov. 11, 2023 Georgia Southern W, 70-60
PRE-2025-26 SEASON NOTES
WHAT IS EASTERN RETURNING FROM LAST YEAR?
Eastern returned four players from its 2024-25 roster. The Eagles returned 7.8% of minutes played (502) and 2.9% of points scored (69).
» John Shanu II: 287 minutes, 38 points
» Godslove Nwabude: 207 minutes, 29 points
» Cooper Smith: 7 minutes, 2 points
» Mbaye N’Diaye: 1 minute, 0 points
TOUGH ROAD CONTESTS ON THE HORIZON
Eastern will have a quartet of high-profile road games in the 2025-26 season:
» Nov. 10 at Pittsburgh; L, 66-78
» Nov. 24 at #12 Louisville
» Nov. 26 at Cincinnati
» Dec. 2 at Butler
Eastern has not played four Power Conference foes in one season since the 2018-19 season when the Eagles took on Duke, Rutgers, TCU, and Kansas, all on the road.
EMU began the 2023-24 season by playing at Butler.
DePAUL DUO –> NORTHWESTERN STATE DUO
Out with one transfer duo and in with another. After DePaul transfers Da’Sean Nelson and Jalen Terry teamed up to both earn Second-Team All-MAC honors in the 2024-25 season, Eastern acquired another transfer duo in the offseason as Northwestern State transfers Addison Patterson and Jon Sanders II decided to become Eagles.
MAC –> EASTERN MICHIGAN
Eastern added a trio of players who were at MAC schools at one point in their careers:
» Mo Habhab: Central Michigan in 2024-25
» Braelon Green: Bowling Green in 2024-25
» Aidan Rubio: Central Michigan in 2023-24
NCAA ELIGIBILITY: PATTERSON AND SMITH
Both Addison Patterson and Cooper Smith had waivers approved by the NCAA to be eligible for the 2025-26 season. EMU compliance officers Alex Hensley and Kayla Gribble played a key role in getting both student-athletes eligible with Patterson’s ruling coming exactly one month prior to the first game.
PRESEASON PICKED NINTH
After finishing tied for sixth in 2024-25, EMU was picked ninth in the MAC preseason coaches’ poll.
2025-26 MAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First Place Votes)
1. Akron (11) – 143
2. Miami (2) – 133
3. Kent State – 122
4. Ohio – 108
5. UMass – 98
6. Toledo – 95
7. Bowling Green – 73
8. Ball State – 62
9. Eastern Michigan – 52
10. Western Michigan – 46
11. Buffalo – 37
12. Central Michigan – 31
13. Northern Illinois – 14
Tournament Champion: Akron (8), Miami (2), Kent State (1), Ohio (1) UMass (1)
The six Ohio schools made up six of the top seven with UMass taking fifth, while the bottom six is filled with the rest of the MAC schools.
STAYING HOME
Eastern Michigan has nine players from the state of Michigan, its most since the 2022-23 season (11).
EASTERN MICHIGAN IS HOME
Eastern’s 14 players have combined to play for 28 different schools prior to coming to Eastern Michigan. In total, three Eagles (Gregory Lawson II, Godslove Nwabude, and Mbaye N’Diaye) began their collegiate careers at EMU.
ANY STAFF CHANGES?
Eastern’s staff saw minor changes in the offseason:
» Carlos McMath: promoted to Director of Operations/Assistant Coach from Director of Operations
» Pritish Kokate: promoted to Head Student Manager from Student Manager
» Alex Kling: hired as Graduate Manager
» Shawn McCall: hired as Graduate Manager
COOPER SMITH: 8TH-OLDEST PLAYER
Cooper Smith is the eighth-oldest player in Division I, and one of 13 known players born in the 20th century:
1. Ramel Bethea, Green Bay – July 27, 1996
2. Corey Sands, Chicago State – Jan. 5, 1999
3. Nginyu Ngala, Kansas – April 3, 1999
4. Curt Lewis, Southern Miss – May 19, 1999
5. Olajuwon Ibrahim, FIU – May 26, 1999
6. Antwaan Jones, UNCG – May 29, 1999
7. Blaise Keita, Western Kentucky – June 29, 1999
8. Cooper Smith, Eastern Michigan – July 12, 1999
9. Devin Haid, South Florida – Aug. 22, 1999
10. Hunter Erickson, Hawaii – Sept. 14, 1999
11. Dawson Baker, BYU – Oct. 29, 1999
12. Bouna Kebe, Delaware – Dec. 24, 1999
13. Jordan Brinson, CSUN – Dec. 31, 1999
UP NEXT
Eastern travels to Detroit Mercy to battle the Titans Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m.
FOLLOW US
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
ODDS AND ENDS
*more info can be found on the player pages, starting page 21
#0 GREGORY LAWSON II
»Gregory Lawson II‘s uncle is EMU Director of Operations/Assistant Coach Carlos McMath.
»Gregory Lawson II‘s was an All-State cornerback at Davison High School as a junior before transferring to Faith Family Academy of Oak Cliff in Dallas, Texas, for his senior season on the court.
#1 MAK MANCIEL
»Mak Manciel‘s father, Mike, played for EMU Assistant Coach Jay Smith when he was the Head Coach at Central Michigan. The Chippewas played Kent State, Feb. 9, 2002, when EMU Head Coach Stan Heath was the Head Coach at Kent State. Heath and the Golden Flashes topped CMU, 96-66 in a game that saw NFL Hall of Famer Antonio Gates score 16 points and 13-year NBA player Chris Kaman netted 26 points. Mike Manciel did not play in the game, which saw Smith get ejected.
»Mak Manciel played two seasons at Detroit Mercy, matching up with Eastern twice but Manciel missed both games due to an injury.
#2 CARLOS HART
»Carlos Hart was an NJCAA Division I All-American at South Georgia State in the 2022-23 season.
»Carlos Hart played for Mike Helfer at Valdosta State prior to transferring to Eastern. Helfer was an assistant for current EMU Assistant Coach Jay Smith when he was Head Coach at Grand Valley State in 1996-97.
#3 MEHKI ELLISON
»Mekhi Ellison shoots with both hands, often shooting with the left hand from long-range and the right hand from mid-range and the free throw line.
»Mekhi Ellison‘s brother, Malik Ellison, played for Eastern in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
»Mekhi Ellison hit a 50-foot shot at the buzzer with Stetson to upend Eastern Kentucky, Jan. 23, 2025, landing No. 1 on SportsCenter’s Top 10.
#4 MO HABHAB
»Mo Habhab missed both games Central Michigan played against EMU last season as he missed the rest of the season due to injury in CMU’s season-opening game against South Alabama, Nov. 4.
»Mo Habhab‘s brother-in-law Ali Farhat played for Eastern in the 2013-14 season.
#5 BRAELON GREEN
»Braelon Green played both games Bowling Green played against Eastern twice in the 2024-25. Green did not score in the BGSU loss, Jan.18, before netting six points in the BGSU win, Feb. 25.
»Braelon Green played one season with Emoni Bates at Ypsilanti Lincoln High School.
»Braelon Green has eight pet snakes.
#7 AIDAN RUBIO
»Aidan Rubio played against EMU twice while at Central Michigan, scoring nine points with four rebounds in the 80-64 CMU win, Jan. 29, 2024. The Chippewas also won, 65-62, March 8, 2024, as Rubio scored six points.
»Aidan Rubio and Macomb CC were the JUCO National Runner-Ups with in the 2022-23 season.
#8 MBAYE N’DIAYE
»Mbaye N’Diaye played for Senegal’s U18 team in the 2022 World Cup, averaging 8.3 points per game.
#9 ADDISON PATTERSON
»Addison Patterson, who started his career at Oregon, was the student host when 2025 Second-Team All-MAC guard Jalen Terry visited Oregon, where he also started his career. Terry scored 16.1 points per game for Eastern in the 2024-25 season.
»Addison Patterson was teammates with Jon Sanders II at Northwestern State for the 2024-25 season.
#10 JON SANDERS II
»Jon Sanders II started his collegiate career at East Los Angeles College, the focus of the Netflix series “Last Chance U.”
»Jon Sanders II was teammates with Addison Patterson at Northwestern State for the 2024-25 season.
»Jon Sanders II won state titles at Southfield Christian in 2018 and 2019.
#13 GODSLOVE NWABUDE
»Godslove Nwabude had soccer aspirations, but his neighbors encouraged him to give basketball a try as he continued to grow.
»Godslove Nwabude has four siblings: Success, Godswill, Innocence, and Mike.
#33 JOHN SHANU II
»John Shanu II missed the 2023-24 season while at UTRGV.
#35 MERRITT ALDERINK
»Merritt Alderink is the first Zeeland West HS player to earn a Division I basketball scholarship.
#45 COOPER SMITH
»Cooper Smith started his collegiate journey at Kalamazoo College and was set to play under his father and current EMU Assistant Coach Jay Smith before he suffered a back injury that resulted in him never suiting up as a Hornet.
»Cooper Smith followed his father to Michigan, where he competed for two seasons. After Juwan Howard was fired at Michigan, the Smiths transitioned over to EMU.
FROM 2024-25
2024-25: 3 EAGLES AVERAGING 14.0+ POINTS
Eastern had three players averaging 14.0 points for the first time since 2017-18 and four players averaging 10.0 points for the first time since 2016-17.
Player PPG 2024-25
Jalen Terry 16.6
Da’Sean Nelson 16.1
Christian Henry 14.7
Jalin Billingsley 10.5
Player PPG 2017-18
Elijah Minnie 16.8
Paul Jackson 14.9
James Thompson 14.5
Player PPG 2016-17
Ray Lee 15.7
Willie Mangum 15.7
James Thompson 14.8
Ty Toney 10.2
2024-25: 10-1 WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
Eastern Michigan was 10-1 when leading at halftime in the 2024-25 season.
While Eastern has had some success when leading at the half under Head Coach Stan Heath, the Eagles were 18-12 when outscoring their opponent in the first half in Heath’s first three seasons prior to last season’s 10-1 mark bumping that figure up to 28-14 in Heath’s tenure.
2024-25: 8-2 IN GAMES DECIDED BY LESS THAN 5
Eastern was 8-2 in games decided by four points or less in the 2024-25 season. The trend has continued from the 2023-24 season when the Eagles were 8-3 in games decided by four points or less.
2024-25: 9-9 IN THE MAC LAST SEASON
Eastern Michigan finished conference play at 9-9 in the MAC for the first time since a 9-9 mark in the 2018-19 season.
2024-25: TERRY AND NELSON SECOND TEAM ALL-MAC
Seniors Jalen Terry and Da’Sean Nelson were each named Second Team All-MAC for the 2024-25 season performances.
Both players averaged 16.8 points per game during conference play as Terry and Nelson mark the first Eastern duo since 2010 (Brandon Bowdry and Carlos Medlock) to each be named at least Second Team All-MAC.
List of Eastern Duos to Both Earn Second-Team All-MAC:
2024-25: Jalen Terry and Da’Sean Nelson
2009-10: Brandon Bowdry and Carlos Medlock
1997-98: Earl Boykins and Derrick Dial
1996-97: Earl Boykins and Derrick Dial
1990-91: Marcus Kennedy, Lorenzo Neely, and Carl Thomas
1987-88: Grant Long and Howard Chambers
1986-87: Grant Long and Mike McCaskill
2024-25: TEAM FREE-THROW SUCCESS
The Eagles’ conversion rate last season was third in program history.
Eastern Single-Season Free-Throw Leaders (min. 50 makes):
Season FT-FTA Percent Games
1. 2022-23 441-575 76.7% 30
2. 2020-21 243-326 74.5% 18
3. 2024-25 448-608 73.7% 32
4. 2007-08 465-638 72.9% 31
2024-25: HEATH’S MOST WINS SINCE 2011-12
Head Coach Stan Heath and the Eagles had 16 wins in the 2024-25 season, Heath’s most as a collegiate head coach since the 2011-12 season.
YEAR TEAM O’ALL HOME AWAY NEUT
2001-02 KSU 30-6 12-0 10-3 8-3
2002-03 ARK 9-19 8-8 1-9 0-2
2003-04 ARK 12-16 10-6 1-8 1-2
2004-05 ARK 18-12 13-3 2-7 3-2
2005-06 ARK 22-10 15-1 3-5 4-4
2006-07 ARK 21-14 13-3 2-8 6-3
2007-08 USF 12-19 7-8 3-10 2-1
2008-09 USF 9-22 7-7 1-12 1-3
2009-10 USF 20-13 11-5 4-6 5-2
2010-11 USF 10-23 7-9 1-12 2-2
2011-12 USF 22-14 14-2 5-8 3-4
2012-13 USF 12-19 10-8 2-10 0-1
2013-14 USF 12-20 7-10 5-7 0-3
2021-22 EMU 10-21 8-7 2-14 0-0
2022-23 EMU 8-23 6-7 2-13 0-3
2023-24 EMU 13-18 9-6 4-11 0-1
2024-25 EMU 16-16 9-5 6-10 1-1
256-285 166-95 54-152 36-38
EMU’s win over Ohio, March 4, also yielded Eastern’s six road win of the season, Heath’s most road wins since tallying 10 with Elite Eight-qualifying Kent State in the 2001-02 season.
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