Men's Basketball Notes: vs. William Penn

Game 1: Truman (0-0) vs. William Penn (3-0)

Date: Friday, Nov. 9, 2012
Time: 7:00 pm CT
Location: Kirksville, Mo. || Pershing Arena
Radio: 104.7 KRES-FM (Moberly, Mo.) || Listen Online
Video: Watch Online
Live Stats: Regular || Mobile
Game Notes: Truman || William Penn || MIAA
Statistics: Truman || William Penn || MIAA
Social Media: @TrumanAthletics

Opening Tip:
The 2012-13 edition of Truman men's basketball tips off on Friday night, debuting at home against William Penn (Iowa) in 7:00 pm start from Pershing Arena.

The Bulldogs are looking to win their fourth straight home opener, dating back to the 2008-09 season but will be in search of their first season-opening win since the 2009-10 campaign after opening the Matt Woodley era last season in Abilene, Texas, with a pair of close losses.

Probable Starters (from exhibition game; all stats 2011-12):
G – #1 – EJ Hicks – 6'3” – 180 – SR – 9.0 ppg | 3.9 rpg | 3.0 apg
G – #2 – Seth Jackson – 6'3” – 200 – SO – 11.9 ppg | 4.2 rpg | 1.6 apg
F – #5 – Mike Carlson – 6'9” – 200 – JR – 10.4 ppg | 4.8 rpg | 1.5 apg
G – #10 – Cole Myers – 6'3” – 190 – FR
C – #21 – Marek Bush – 6'6” – 245 – JR – 4.0 ppg | 4.6 rpg | 0.5 apg

Coaching Staff:
Head Coach: Matt Woodley
Career Record: 8-20 || .286 || 2^nd season
At Truman: Same
MIAA: 5-15 || .250
Assistant Coaches: Todd Lorensen (2^nd season), Matt Fitzpatrick (2^nd season)

Series Notes vs. William Penn:
Series Record: Truman leads 8-1
Last Meeting: WPU 68, Truman 58 (12/8/03 || Kirksville)
Series Streak: William Penn W-1
Record in Kirksville: Truman leads 4-1
Series Streak in Kirksville: William Penn W-1
Woodley vs. William Penn: 0-0

Bulldogs Picked 12^th in MIAA Preseason Poll:
Truman was picked to finish 12^th by the regional media and 13^th by league coaches in the 2012-13 unveiling of the MIAA basketball preseason polls. The Bulldogs earned 54 points in the coaches' poll, trailing Missouri Western for 12^th, but traded places with the Griffons in the media poll, earning 89 total points.

Washburn picked up the top spot in both polls, with Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri ranking second and third in each as well.

New Year, Familiar Faces:
The Bulldogs are coming off a 2011-12 season that saw them graduate just one senior, meaning all five starters and eight total letterwinners return this year. Truman brings back 92.6% of its scoring, 87.3% of its rebounding and 98.5% of its total assists in 2012-13.

Included in that is the returning MIAA Freshman of the Year, Seth Jackson, who also earned all-conference accolades alongside then-junior teammate Tom Norton. While Jackson is a projected starter this season, Norton will be taking a redshirt this season to recover from an off-season injury, returning for his senior season in 2013-14.

Five Peas in an MIAA Pod:
For the 2012-13 season, the MIAA will be invoking a “pod” system for basketball scheduling, resulting in 18 league matches for all 15 of the conference's schools. While all 15 teams will fall under set of standings with no delineation between pods, Truman will play Central Missouri, Lincoln, Southwest Baptist and newcomer-Lindenwood and Southwest Baptist twice each as part of one five-team grouping.

Emporia State, Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State will join with newcomers Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State as a second pod, while Northwest Missouri, Missouri Western, Washburn and Fort Hays will align with the final newcomer, Nebraska-Kearney, in a third pod.

At the end of the season, the top 12 teams will compete for the MIAA men's basketball championship. First-round games will be played on Monday, March 4 on campus sites with the top-4 teams and the first-round winners advancing to Kansas City for the remainder of the tournament as usual.

Bulldogs Displaying Their New “I.D.”:
An improved defense highlighted head coach Matt Woodley's first season along the sidelines, as the Bulldogs surrendered 4.4 fewer points per game on average from the previous season, as well as held opponents to the lowest shooting percentage since the 2007-2008 year.

Last Time Out:
November 5, 2012 – SEMO 80, Truman 75 (exh.)
The Bulldogs gave Division I Southeast Missouri State University all it could handle on Monday (Nov. 5) night, coming up just short in an 80-75 exhibition loss. Four players finished in double-figures for the Bulldogs.

Mike Carlson led all Bulldogs with 15 points, going 6-of-11 from the floor, while Isaac Gardner added 14 points behind four three-pointers and a pair of free throws. The Bulldogs shot 43% from the floor, hit 10 three-pointers in shooting 48% from long-range, and went 11-for-17 (64%) from the free throw line against the Redhawks, who finished fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference last season and returned three starters.

Nailbiters for the Bulldogs:
Truman had 13 of its 28 games last season finish within six or fewer points, with the Bulldogs going 3-10 in those affairs. Not included in that was a double-overtime loss (seven points) as well as a seven-point home win against Emporia State.

Bulldog Tip-Ins:

Truman shot 42.1% from the field as a team in 2011-12, including a 35.3% mark from three-point range.
The 'Dogs got to the free throw line an average of 22.3 times per game last season, but connected at just a 66% rate.
The Bulldogs had six different players lead them in scoring last season, led by Jackson's team-high 10 times.
Truman had 12 20-point individual scoring outbursts last season, with Norton and Jackson each doing so three times.

Scouting the Statesmen:
The NAIA's 19^th-ranked team will visit Kirksville on Friday night, as William Penn is off to a 3-0 start in the 2012-13 season. The Statesmen will play host to Nebraska Christian on Wednesday (Nov. 7) night in Oskaloosa, Iowa, before facing the Bulldogs.

WPU is shooting 47.5% from the field this season and is out-rebounding opponents by nearly seven per game. Five players are averaging double-figures for the squad, led by Brandon Beasley's 21.0 ppg. WPU is scoring nearly 96 points per game and giving up just 72.

John Henry is in his 12^th season as the head men's basketball coach and has a career record of 204-154. The last time these two teams met, Grant Agbo scored 17 points and Adam Ogle added 10, but the Bulldogs couldn't overcome a 14-point halftime deficit in a 68-58 loss on Dec. 8, 2003.

Up Next:
The Bulldogs will return to the court next Wednesday night, hosting Upper Iowa in a 7pm tipoff from Pershing Arena.

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