Mount Pleasant, MI—The Howard University men's basketball team will again have a chance to display its talent when it takes on the Chippewas of Central Michigan in a non-conference game at McGuirk Arena on Tuesday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and will tip off at 7 pm. Adam Jaksa and Matt DeVries will call the action.
The Bison (7-5) are coming off a 103-93 entertaining home win over the University of Maryland Baltimore County on Saturday that saw five players score in double figures, led by junior guard James "J-Byrd" Daniel, III, who led all scorers with 28. Daniel leads the nation in scoring at 29.3 points per game. He was named the MEAC Player of the Week on Monday for the second straight week and third time this season.
Howard was missing two starters against UMBC in guard James "JT" Miller and junior center
Marcel Boyd, who both have fractured fingers and will be out for a couple of weeks. But they got some much-needed help from junior forward
Tyler Stone (18 points), sophomore guard
Dalique Mingo (14 points, 10 rebounds), junior guard
Damon Collins (22 points, 7 rebounds) and junior forward Solomon "Solo" Mangham (17 points, 13 rebounds). Mangham was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year for the first time.
The Bison will need more of that if they are going to defeat CMU at home, where they are undefeated (5-0) at home this season. The Chippewas (5-5), from the MAC, are favored to win the West Division, mostly due to a 23-9 season last year. CMU returns three seniors.
"It is going to be another great challenge for us," said Howard head coach
Kevin Nickelberry. "We are playing them at their place and it is going to be different environment. They are a veteran team. They have a guard who is being touted as the top Division 1 mid level guard in the country. And their backcourt of (Braylon) Rayson, (Rayshawn) Simmons and (Chris) Fowler is as good as any in the country." The trio average almost 44 points among them.
The Bison half-court zone defense has been effective this season but without Boyd as a looming presence and rim protector, it is not the same. Adding to their woes, the Bison will again be without reserve center
Oliver Ellison, the only senior on the squad and only other post player.
"I have said this before: You don't replace a
Marcel Boyd," said Nickelberry " He is such a key to our defensive scheme and then without Oliver, you are looking at players who are playing out of position and not accustomed to what we are doing. The first few minutes of the game will tell us a lot about what we are going to be able to do."
An important factor in the outcome could be at the free throw line where Howard is shooting 74 percent on the season. Much can be attributed to the success of Daniel, who leads the nation in free throws made and attempted. More importantly, he is shooting 88 percent on the season, having made an incredible 35 in a row over the past four games.
NEXT UP: The Bison will have a few days off before resuming play on December 28 when they play at Columbia at 7 pm.
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