Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Blue Raiders open Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship against UIC
11/23/2023 9:34:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee men's basketball is spending Thanksgiving weekend in the Bahamas at the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship. The tournament starts Friday with the Blue Raiders taking on UIC at 3:30 p.m. Saturday's game will pit MTSU against either George Washington or Ohio, and Sunday will see the Blue Raiders take on either Delaware, Brown, UNC Greensboro or UMKC.
After entering the season as preseason favorites in the Conference USA coaches poll, the Blue Raiders are 3-2 after a narrow defeat at the hands of UAB on Tuesday. Josh Ogundele led the Blue Raiders in scoring and set new career highs with 12 points and seven rebounds.
The Blue Raiders are looking to extend a five-game winning streak in games played outside the United States dating back to the 2021-22 season.
The tournament will be streamed on FloHoops. Classic Hits 93.3 and 95.1 FM will carry the radio broadcast for all three games, along with GoBlueRaiders.com and the Varsity Network App.WGNS will carry Friday's and Saturday's games.
Game 5: Middle Tennessee (3-2, 0-0 CUSA) vs. UIC (3-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley Conference)
» Friday, November 24 - 3:30 p.m.
» Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
» Nassau, Bahamas
All-Time Against UIC
» This will be the first meeting between the Blue Raiders and Flames.
Blue Raider Notes
» MTSU over its last 36 home games has limited opponents to 59.6 points per game in regulation, having gone 32-4 in that stretch. Since the start of the 2021-22 season, the Blue Raiders allow 60.7 regulation ppg in neutral site games and 75.8 on the road.
» Since the start of the 2021-22 season, the Blue Raiders are 10-3 on neutral hardwood, including a 5-0 mark in neutral-site MTE games.
» Through games of November 22, MTSU is fifth in the nation in 3-point percentage defense, holding opponents to 21.3 percent from outside.
» Elias King leads the Blue Raiders in scoring with 14.2 points per game.
» Ty Mosley has yet to commit a turnover through 65 minutes played this season.
» The Blue Raiders tied with Liberty for the top spot in the CUSA Preseason Poll. Camryn Weston and Elias King were selected to the Preseason All-CUSA team.
» MTSU added six newcomers to the roster to replace its six departing players. The average newcomer is 1.7 inches taller than the player he is replacing (6'8.0" vs. 6'6.3").
» Weston tore his ACL against Stephen F. Austin. He will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
» At 1,344 active square feet, the Murphy Center's new scoreboards are the largest in Conference USA.
Scouting the Flames
» UIC has won three straight games against Little Rock, Loyola (IL) and Aurora after a season-opening loss to Cincinnati.
» Through games of November 22, UIC is fourth in the nation in 3-point percentage defense, holding opponents to 21.2 percent from outside, and seventh in field goal percentage defense at 34.8 percent. Offensively, the Flames are 39th in the country in 3-point shooting at 39.1 percent.
» Isaiah Rivera is fourth in the country in 3-point percentage at 57.9 percent. He averages a team-high 17.2 points per game.
» Toby Okani is fourth in the nation in blocked shots with 3.25 per game.
The Rest of the Field
» George Washington is in the top 10 nationally in defensive rebounds per game (1st - 36.50), field goal percentage defense (3rd - 33.9), blocked shots per game (6th - 7.0), and fouls per game (9th - 13.0). Despite gaining more defensive rebounds than anyone in the country, the Colonials average the 14th-fewest offensive rebounds in the nation.
» George Washington's Babatunde Akingbola blocks 3.50 shots per game, the third-most in Division I.
» Ohio's two wins have come by an average of 18.5 points.
» The Bobcats' 8.7 turnovers per game are 16th-fewest in the nation. Jaylin Hunter's 4.25 assist-to-turnover ratio leads the MAC.
» Brown is still looking for its first win over an NCAA Division I team after an 81-70 loss at USC on Sunday.
» Nana Owusu-Anane averages a double-double for the Bears with 17.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
» Delaware is 4-0 entering the tournament with wins over Bucknell, Goldey-Beacom, Air Force and Delaware State.
» The Blue Hens shoot the long ball at 45.3 percent, the third-best clip in the country.
» UMKC is 11th in the country in turnovers forced per game at 18.50.
» Both of the Roos' wins have come over non-Division I teams.
» UNC Greensboro is coming off a 78-72 win at No. 14 Arkansas.
» Kobe Langley is ninth in the country with 6.7 assists per game.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball on social media on Facebook //MTMensBasketball, Twitter (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (@mt_mbb).
After entering the season as preseason favorites in the Conference USA coaches poll, the Blue Raiders are 3-2 after a narrow defeat at the hands of UAB on Tuesday. Josh Ogundele led the Blue Raiders in scoring and set new career highs with 12 points and seven rebounds.
The Blue Raiders are looking to extend a five-game winning streak in games played outside the United States dating back to the 2021-22 season.
The tournament will be streamed on FloHoops. Classic Hits 93.3 and 95.1 FM will carry the radio broadcast for all three games, along with GoBlueRaiders.com and the Varsity Network App.WGNS will carry Friday's and Saturday's games.
Game 5: Middle Tennessee (3-2, 0-0 CUSA) vs. UIC (3-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley Conference)
» Friday, November 24 - 3:30 p.m.
» Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
» Nassau, Bahamas
All-Time Against UIC
» This will be the first meeting between the Blue Raiders and Flames.
Blue Raider Notes
» MTSU over its last 36 home games has limited opponents to 59.6 points per game in regulation, having gone 32-4 in that stretch. Since the start of the 2021-22 season, the Blue Raiders allow 60.7 regulation ppg in neutral site games and 75.8 on the road.
» Since the start of the 2021-22 season, the Blue Raiders are 10-3 on neutral hardwood, including a 5-0 mark in neutral-site MTE games.
» Through games of November 22, MTSU is fifth in the nation in 3-point percentage defense, holding opponents to 21.3 percent from outside.
» Elias King leads the Blue Raiders in scoring with 14.2 points per game.
» Ty Mosley has yet to commit a turnover through 65 minutes played this season.
» The Blue Raiders tied with Liberty for the top spot in the CUSA Preseason Poll. Camryn Weston and Elias King were selected to the Preseason All-CUSA team.
» MTSU added six newcomers to the roster to replace its six departing players. The average newcomer is 1.7 inches taller than the player he is replacing (6'8.0" vs. 6'6.3").
» Weston tore his ACL against Stephen F. Austin. He will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
» At 1,344 active square feet, the Murphy Center's new scoreboards are the largest in Conference USA.
Scouting the Flames
» UIC has won three straight games against Little Rock, Loyola (IL) and Aurora after a season-opening loss to Cincinnati.
» Through games of November 22, UIC is fourth in the nation in 3-point percentage defense, holding opponents to 21.2 percent from outside, and seventh in field goal percentage defense at 34.8 percent. Offensively, the Flames are 39th in the country in 3-point shooting at 39.1 percent.
» Isaiah Rivera is fourth in the country in 3-point percentage at 57.9 percent. He averages a team-high 17.2 points per game.
» Toby Okani is fourth in the nation in blocked shots with 3.25 per game.
The Rest of the Field
» George Washington is in the top 10 nationally in defensive rebounds per game (1st - 36.50), field goal percentage defense (3rd - 33.9), blocked shots per game (6th - 7.0), and fouls per game (9th - 13.0). Despite gaining more defensive rebounds than anyone in the country, the Colonials average the 14th-fewest offensive rebounds in the nation.
» George Washington's Babatunde Akingbola blocks 3.50 shots per game, the third-most in Division I.
» Ohio's two wins have come by an average of 18.5 points.
» The Bobcats' 8.7 turnovers per game are 16th-fewest in the nation. Jaylin Hunter's 4.25 assist-to-turnover ratio leads the MAC.
» Brown is still looking for its first win over an NCAA Division I team after an 81-70 loss at USC on Sunday.
» Nana Owusu-Anane averages a double-double for the Bears with 17.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
» Delaware is 4-0 entering the tournament with wins over Bucknell, Goldey-Beacom, Air Force and Delaware State.
» The Blue Hens shoot the long ball at 45.3 percent, the third-best clip in the country.
» UMKC is 11th in the country in turnovers forced per game at 18.50.
» Both of the Roos' wins have come over non-Division I teams.
» UNC Greensboro is coming off a 78-72 win at No. 14 Arkansas.
» Kobe Langley is ninth in the country with 6.7 assists per game.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball on social media on Facebook //MTMensBasketball, Twitter (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (@mt_mbb).
Players Mentioned
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