Games 25 & 26:
Newman (7-17, 3-15 MIAA) vs. Northeastern State (10-12, 7-11 MIAA)
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 | 7:30 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Fugate Gymnasium)
Audio: Newman Jets Audio Network (Play-by-Play: Blake Cripps) | Video: MIAA Network | Live Stats: NU Athletics
vs. Rogers State (13-11, 9-9 MIAA)
Saturday, February 18, 2023 | 3:30 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Fugate Gymnasium)
Audio: Newman Jets Audio Network (Play-by-Play: Blake Cripps) | Video: MIAA Network | Live Stats: NU Athletics
POMP & CIRCUMSTANCE
The Jets welcome alumni and friends back to campus for Homecoming on Wednesday before hosting Rogers State on Saturday.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hornets torched the Jets shooting over 62% in the game on the way to a 92-63 victory over Newman Saturday Feb. 11 at White Auditorium in Emporia. The Hornets jumped out to an 11-3 lead and led by as many as 17 in the first half. The Jets trimmed the deficit to nine late in the period but went into the half down 44-31 and never got closer in the second period. Stevie Strong paced the Jets with 15 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
Earlier in the week, the Jets were no match for Washburn in a 95-61 loss to the Ichabods.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
The Jets received help last week and narrowly avoided elimination from postseason contention. Northwest Missouri has seized the top spot in the conference standings away from Central Oklahoma and has a one-game lead on the Bronchos with four games to play for most of the conference. Northwest Missouri, Central Oklahoma, Emporia State, Lincoln, and Fort Hays State have all but clinched postseason spots and Missouri Southern can clinch with one win over the next two weeks. Central Missouri, Missouri Western, and Northeastern State are tied for ninth at 7-11 in conference play. 10 schools make the MIAA Tournament. Newman, Pittsburg State, and Nebraska-Kearney all must win out and need the Mules, Griffons, and RiverHawks to lose out to have a shot at emerging from the resulting multi-way tiebreaker.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
NSU starts this week tied for ninth place in the MIAA standings. The RiverHawks showed massive improvement last season by finishing 16-14 with a 9-12 record in MIAA play. It was an 11-game turnaround for the 'Hawks and allowed them to post their first winning record since 2019-20. NSU had suffered through five-straight losing seasons from 2014-19. The RiverHawks started their MIAA tenure in 2012 by making the MIAA Tournament three-straight years. As the Redmen, NSU became a national power with four-straight 20-win seasons from 1999-2003 culminating with a 32-3 record in 2002-03, an 11-1 record in the Lone Star Conference, and the 2003 NCAA Division II National Championship. After ending with the national title on their fourth-straight trip to the Big Dance, Northeastern returned to the tournament in 2013, their most recent to date.
Northeastern ranks eighth in the MIAA scoring 67.1 ppg and 10th on defense allowing 70.1 ppg in conference play. The RiverHawks are led in scoring by Christian Cook who is tied for sixth in the conference scoring 16.7 ppg. Dillon Bailey is the 'Hawks best rebounder with 4.4 rpg. Rashad Perkins is ninth in the conference shooting 49.2% from the field while Cook leads the league in 3-point percentage (45.8%) and ties for the lead in 3-pointers per game (3.0).
Rogers State finds themselves squarely in the middle of the MIAA standings in eighth place with two weeks to play. RSU bounced back with a winning record a season ago finishing 16-14 in 2021-22 with a 9-13 record in 'The Association.' RSU found success in Kansas City with a first round win in the 2022 MIAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion Northwest Missouri in the quarterfinals. 2020-21 is RSU's only sub-.500 season as an NCAA Division II program. Prior to that, the Hillcats had posted seven-straight winning seasons since joining NCAA Division II for the 2013-14 campaign. Rogers State is seeking their second NCAA Tournament berth this year and first since being unable to participate in the cancelled 2020 event. The Jets are very familiar with their visitors from Claremore, Okla. as the schools battled for six seasons as members of the Heartland Conference. The Hillcats aborted a planned move to the Lone Star Conference to join the Jets as affiliate members of the MIAA. Newman and Rogers State are the only two MIAA members that do not sponsor football as an NCAA sport. Both NU and RSU gained full membership into the league this past summer.
The Hillcats are fourth in conference games scoring 70.7 ppg while ranking 11th in league play defensively surrendering 72.3 ppg. Joey Saracco paces RSU with 13.9 ppg while ranking ninth in 'The Association' with 6.6 rpg. Saracco is fourth in the conference in field goal percentage shooting 54.7% from the field while Chris Whitaker ranks tied for seventh in steals at 1.4 spg.
Rogers State is set to travel to Central Oklahoma on Wednesday.
THE SERIES
Northeastern State leads the series 9-3 overall and 6-3 in the Division II era of the rivalry. NSU leads 5-2 in MIAA games while the Jets are 3-1 in the DII era against the 'Hawks in Fugate Gymnasium.
Rogers State leads 15-5 and has won seven in a row and eight of the last nine against the Jets. Newman is RSU's third-most played rivalry in their recent history behind only former Heartland Conference members Oklahoma Christian and Lubbock Christian. RSU is 7-0 against the Jets in the MIAA. The Hillcats went 8-4 against the Jets in the Heartland Conference and won the only postseason and neutral-site meeting against Newman with a 70-61 win in the first round of the 2019 Heartland Conference Tournament.
PREVIOUS MATCHUP
The Jets led by seven at the half, but the Navy & Red offense sputtered in the second half and NSU caught the Jets 64-56 January 7, 2023, at the NSU Event Center in Tahlequah, Okla. The Jets got off the blocks quickly and sizzled the nets to the tune of 54.2% shooting in the first half, but the Jets couldn't back it up and shot just 27.6% in the final 20 minutes. Newman led by seven with just over 10 minutes to play in the game when NSU ripped off a 21-6 run to end the game. Stevie Smith led Newman with 18 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
Rogers State used a strong bench to overcome incredible individual efforts by Stevie Smith and Latik Murphy in an 84-77 defeat of the Jets January 5, 2023, at the Claremore Expo Center in Claremore, Okla. The Jets held the lead through the first seven minutes of the game, but RSU closed the gap and took a 40-33 lead into the break. The teams each scored 44 points in the second half. The Jets got as close as four points in the second half but never trimmed the deficit to one possession. The RSU bench outscored the Jet reserves 42-28. Stevie Smith led NU with 25 points while Latik Murphy dropped in 24.
Full Recap | Box Score
JUST HOW STRONG IS THIS GUY?
In just two seasons with the Navy & Red, Stevie Strong is already showing himself to be one of the best pure scorers in the history of the program. Strong through two seasons has already entered the top ten list in career scoring in program history after passing Taylor Schieber and Kevin Bryant last week.
CAREER SCORING
Rk Player Points Games Years
1. Marshawn Blackmon 929 57 2018-20
2. Daniel Nwosu Jr. 810 58 2015-17
3. Jeremy Espinoza 742 52 2013-15
4. Ben Ayre 736 56 2017-19
5. Ryan Bradley 730 53 2007-09
6. Ryan McCarthy 719 113 2011-15
7. James Pegues 710 56 2014-16
8. Dametrius Walker 704 56 2017-19
9. Stevie Strong 699 44 2021-23
10. Kevin Bryant 688 82 2015-18
Stevie is also working his way up the season scoring list passing Jeremy Espinoza and James Pegues on that chart last week.
SEASON SCORING
Rk Player Points Games Year
1. Reggie Baker 546 26 2014-15
2. Daniel Nwosu Jr. 507 28 2016-17
3. Marshawn Blackmon 496 28 2019-20
4. Gavin Thurman 457 30 2015-16
5. Taylor Schieber 453 27 2016-17
6. Marshawn Blackmon 433 29 2018-19
7. Shamar Acuay 412 28 2012-13
Dametrius Walker 412 28 2017-18
9. Stevie Strong 411 23 2021-23
10. James Pegues 409 30 2015-16
Strong's career and single-game averages would also rank in the top ten of those lists if the season ended today.
IS THERE A SHOT HE DOESN'T LIKE?
Stevie Strong is lighting up the scoreboard from the 3-point line in his sophomore season with the Jets. With seven 3-pointers against the Lopers, Strong passed Allen Wilson and Camilo Londono for ninth in career 3-pointers made and needs five more to become the ninth Jet to make at least 100 treys in his Newman career.
CAREER 3PT FIELD GOALS MADE
Rk. Player 3PTM Games Years
1. Daniel Nwosu Jr. 136 58 2015-17
2. Keaton Schultz 135 72 2007-11
3. Taylor Schieber 118 57 2015-17
4. Chip Steven 117 54 2009-11
5. Christian DeYoung 114 101 2015-19
6. Trae Beck 110 52 2012-14
7. Ryan McCarthy 108 103 2011-15
8. Ben Ayre 104 56 2017-19
9. Stevie Strong 95 42 2021-23
10. Camilo Londono 87 56 2007-09
Strong has now passed Ben Ayre for eighth in career 3-pointers attempted and is six trifectas away from tying Branden Bunn for tenth in season 3-pointers made.
STEVIE IS LIVING FREE
Noone has made more free throws in a single-season in Newman's Division II era than Stevie Strong. Strong broke the record held by James Pegues by going 10-for-10 at the line last week. He also broke the record in seven fewer games and still has four more games to stretch the mark out at the end of the season.
SEASON FREE THROWS MADE
Rk. Player FTM Games Year
1. Stevie Strong 134 23 2021-23
2. James Pegues 126 30 2015-16
3. Daniel Nwosu Jr. 125 28 2016-17
4. Ben Ayre 123 27 2017-18
5. Ryan Bradley 113 27 2008-09
6. Marshawn Blackmon 112 29 2018-19
7. Marquis Cuyler 110 25 2013-14
8. Shamar Acuay 106 28 2012-13
Taylor Schieber 106 27 2016-17
10. Marshawn Blackmon 103 28 2019-20
Strong has also passed Pegues for free throws attempted in a season. Strong is now chasing the record of 176 free throws attempted in a single year set by Marshawn Blackmon who shot 176 charity shots for the Jets in 2018-19. Strong has notched up to fourth in career free throws made following last week and has a shot to take the career record this season.
CAREER FREE THROWS MADE
Rk. Player FTM Games Years
1. James Pegues 228 56 2014-16
2. Ben Ayre 221 56 2017-19
3. Marshawn Blackmon 215 57 2018-20
4. Stevie Strong 202 44 2021-23
5. Kevin Bryant 200 82 2015-18
6. Ryan Bradley 194 53 2007-09
7. Jeremy Espinoza 194 52 2013-15
8. Daniel Nwosu Jr. 190 56 2015-17
9. Dametrius Walker 171 56 2017-19
10. Marquis Cuyler 167 53 2012-14
Strong's current career free throw percentage would also crack that top ten list if the season ended today.
COMING ON 'STRONG'
Stevie Strong is continuing to work his way up the Newman men's basketball record books. Strong is 14 assists away from cracking into that top ten list by tying Ryan McCarthy's 135 assists over his 113 game Newman career. Strong is now one assist away from tying Ian Lee and Jarvis Jackson for ninth in season assists and his career and season assists per game average both qualify him for those lists. He's also moving up the steals lists and is five away from tying Chip Steven for 10th in season steals.
SLOW 'EM DOWN
The Jets are trying to find the right mix defensively moving into the last month of the season. Seven of the Jets' last eight opponents have shot over 45% from the field. The Jets have also allowed teams to shoot over 40% from the 3-point line in five of the last six games.
CAPTAIN OF THE FLEET
R. J. Allen begins his sixth season as the head coach of the Jets in 2021. It will be his 12th season with the program. Allen has compiled a record of 53-81 over his first five years in Wichita with a 10-55 record in MIAA play. Allen has coached a player to the All-MIAA team each of his first three years in the league. Israel Barnes received All-MIAA Honorable Mention recognition last season, Joel Boyce was named All-MIAA Honorable Mention in 2021, while Marshawn Blackmon earned Third Team recognition in 2020. During the Jets' last year in the Heartland Conference, Allen led NU to a 20-9 overall record while finishing third in the Heartland Conference at 11-5. The 20 wins tied the NU record for victories in their NCAA Division II era. NU also finished the season in the Top 10 of the South Central Regional Rankings. Allen was named the 2018 Heartland Conference Coach of the Year in his first season at the helm at Newman after guiding the Jets on a dramatic turnaround in the second half of the season that saw NU finish 14-14 overall and third in the conference with a 10-6 record.
Allen arrived in Wichita in 2011 and spent six seasons as an assistant and eventually associate head coach under Mark Potter, NU's all-time winningest coach. The Jets won 88 games over those 6 years and made four trips to the Heartland Conference Tournament and the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after going 20-8 in 2012-13. He was also on the bench when the Jets knocked off No. 2 seed Lubbock Christian in the first round of the 2016 Heartland Conference Tournament to earn its first ever postseason victory as an NCAA program.
Allen is no stranger to the Air Capital after growing up in Wichita and playing his prep years for his dad, Ron, at Wichita East High School. Allen was a two time All-City and All-State selection and helped lead the Blue Aces to the 2002 6A state championship. Following high school, Allen stayed local playing two years at Hutchinson Community College. The Blue Dragons dominated during Allen's career going 57-9 over the two-year span with a 41-1 record in Jayhawk Conference play and winning the conference title in 2004.
Allen has a 2-5 record against NSU and is 3-9 against the Hillcats.
HERDING THE HILLCATS & FLYING WITH THE RIVERHAWKS
Ja Havens is in his third season on the bench at his alma mater after playing for the Redmen from 1996-98. After departing for one year, he returned to campus as a graduate assistant and helped Northeastern to two Lone Star Conference North Division titles and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Havens entered the season with a 152-105 record overall and spent the previous seven years as the head coach at East Central in Ada, Okla. Havens began the year 21-31 in Tahlequah with a 15-29 mark in MIAA play. At his previous stop, Havens is the fastest coach to 100 wins in ECU history and led the Tigers to two regular season Great American Conference titles, the 2017 GAC Tournament crown, and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance later that season. Havens never missed the postseason in Alva and never posted a losing record with three 20-win seasons, setting a new program record with 25 wins with his 2016-17 team.
Havens previously served eight years as an assistant coach at Drury and helped the Panthers claim the 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship. He also assisted Tulsa to two Western Athletic Conference titles and started his career at St. Gregory's.
Havens is 3-2 against the Jets.
Justin Barkley is in his 13th season as the head coach of Rogers State men's basketball and had amassed a record of 234-120 coming into the season. Under Barkley's direction, Rogers State was one of the most consistent Heartland Conference programs and successfully transitioned to immediate success in the nationally recognized MIAA. Barkley's only losing team was 2020-21 when the Hillcats finished 11-12 in the Coronavirus-shortened season. Barkley has led RSU to at least 20-wins seven times and started the year an incredible 136-33 at home inside the Claremore Expo Center. From 2015-2017, Barkley coached three-straight Heartland Conference Players of the Year. In the program's first year in the MIAA, RSU earned their first ever Top 25 ranking as an NCAA member and finished the season ranked 18th in the country, earning an at-large bid to the cancelled 2020 NCAA Tournament. Barkley previously led Rogers State to two NAIA Tournament appearances in their final two seasons as an NAIA member while finishing the season in the Top 25 of the NAIA rankings both years. Barkley's 2016 Hillcats won the Heartland Conference championship while the program was ineligible for postseason play while transitioning from the NAIA and Barkley was honored as the 2016 Heartland Conference Coach of the Year.
Barkley is in his 15th season on the Hilltop overall after spending two seasons as an assistant coach before being hired in April 2010 to take over the program. Barkley has spent his entire coaching career inside the Sooner State with stops at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M as an assistant coach and at Northeastern State, his alma mater, as a graduate assistant coach. As a player, Barkley helped lead the Redmen of NSU to the 2003 NCAA Division II National Championship and also won a state title as a high school player at Inola High School in 1998.
Barkley owns RSU's entire 15-5 record against the Jets.
SCOUTING THE SQUADRON
The Jets went 6-21 in 2021-22 with a 3-19 record inside the MIAA. Newman returns four players from last year's squad including second-leading scorer Stevie Strong, who averaged 13.7 ppg. Strong was also second on the team in steals with 22 and led the Jets in 3-pointers shooting 44-for-138 from outside (31.9%). Strong also paced the Jets from the foul line with 68 free throws on the way to shooting an impressive 89.5%. Junior Ian Lee started 23 of 27 games for the Jets last season and dazzled offensively with 83 assists against just 43 turnovers. Lee was also Newman's third-leading scorer at 9.6 ppg.
The Jets will be junior and graduate led this season with no seniors on the roster. The Jets start the season with seven freshmen on the roster. The Navy & Red will feature eight transfers this season: five from the junior college level and four from NCAA Division I. Newman's roster features two graduate students, six juniors, and four sophomores.
LEADING 'THE ASSOCIATION'
- Entering the week, former Campus Colt Stevie Strong leads the league in scoring at 17.9 ppg.
- Strong is sixth in the conference in free throw percentage at 80.7%.
- Strong's 3.6 apg ranks him in a tie for fourth in the league in assists.
- Strong's 1.5 assist to turnover ratio is tied for eighth in the MIAA.
- Strong ranks sixth in steals with 1.5 pilfers per game.
NU STATS 'N STREAKS
- Stevie Strong has scored in double figures in 25-consecutive games dating back to last season.
- Junior Latik Murphy's streak of six-straight games in double figure scoring was snapped last week by Emporia State
- In conference games, the Navy & Red rank ninth offensively scoring 66.6 ppg.
- The Jets are ranked 14th defensively allowing 77.8 ppg against league foes.
- The Jets are looking for their first winning season since 2018-19 when Newman finished 20-9 while tying for third in the Heartland Conference. NU also seeks its first 10-win season since that same campaign. 2018-19 was also the last season NU participated in the postseason, losing in the first round of the final Heartland Conference Tournament to Rogers State.
- Emporia State's Alijah Comithier shot 9-for-9 from the field on the way to winning Player of the Week from the MIAA last week. The nine shots without missing are the most ever allowed by the Jets. Jordan Clark (at Texas A&M International, 2/7/13) and Gilbert Peters (Fort Hays State, 12/12/20) previously went 8-for-8 against NU.
- Comithier went 5-for-5 from outside against NU, beating the record of four 3-pointers without missing by Nick Tate (at Oklahoma Christian, 1/18/14) and Chris Parker (Henderson State, 11/8/19).
AND THEN…
The Navy & Red close out the season with two games next week.
2022-23 MIAA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Week 1: Bennett Stirtz – Northwest Missouri
Week 2: Alijah Comithier – Emporia State
Week 3: Will Eames – Missouri Western
Week 4: Kaleb Hammeke – Fort Hays State
Week 5: Diego Bernard – Northwest Missouri (2)
Week 6: Owen Long – Emporia State (2)
Week 7: Jaden Wells – Central Oklahoma
Week 8: Jaden Wells (2) – Central Oklahoma (2)
Week 9: Owen Long (2) – Emporia State (3)
Week 10: Diego Bernard (2) – Northwest Missouri (3)
Week 11: Owen Long (3) – Emporia State (4)
Week 12: Stevie Strong – Newman
Week 13: Alijah Comithier (2) – Emporia State (5)
2022 MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLLS
Coaches
1. Northwest Missouri (11) – 167 Points
2. Central Oklahoma (3) – 158 Points
3. Fort Hays State – 137 Points
4. Washburn – 131 Points
5. Emporia State – 125 Points
6. Northeastern State – 100 Points
7. Missouri Western – 93 Points
8. Missouri Southern – 85 Points
9. Central Missouri – 73 Points
T-10. Pittsburg State – 63 Points
T-10. Rogers State – 63 Points
12. Nebraska-Kearney – 36 Points
13. Lincoln – 26 Points
14. Newman – 17 Points
Media
1. Northwest Missouri (14) – 261 Points
2. Central Oklahoma (4) – 243 Points
3. Fort Hays State – 216 Points
4. Washburn – 209 Points
5. Emporia State – 181 Points
6. Missouri Western – 163 Points
7. Missouri Southern – 146 Points
8. Northeastern State – 135 Points
9. Central Missouri – 112 Points
10. Pittsburg State – 106 Points
11. Rogers State – 92 Points
12. Nebraska-Kearney – 67 Points
13. Newman – 33 Points
14. Lincoln – 31 Points
