Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Ohio Valley (24-9, 12-4)
Eastern Kentucky was a pleasant surprise in the Ohio Valley Conference. Pegged by most to finish near the bottom of the East Division, the Colonels finished up with a 12-4 conference mark. That was the second best record in the OVC behind only Belmont. Keep in mind that Murray State is in the conference as well. The non-conference slate was not difficult, but it did give this group confidence and maybe that is what they needed.
Big Wins: 1/9 at Murray State (77-65), 1/19 at Jacksonville State (73-62), 1/24 Tennessee State (76-67)
Bad Losses: 12/19 at North Carolina A&T (67-78), 1/31 at Tennessee-Martin (65-72), 3/8 vs Murray State (73-81)
Coach: Jeff Neubauer (8 seasons at Eastern Kentucky)
Why They Can Surprise:
The EKU backcourt is loaded with scorers. Mike DiNunno has had a fantastic season, averaging 15.3 points, 4.4 assists and 1.9 steals per contest. The senior point guard has turned into a great leader on the floor. DiNunno is a very good shooter from anywhere on the floor and that makes him extremely dangerous. When the opposition closes in too tight on DiNunno, he can drive and finish or dish out to one of the many other perimeter scorers. Glenn Cosey has nearly identical numbers to DiNunno when it comes to shooting. Corey Walden can hit the long ball too, but he has a knack for getting to the charity stripe. Orlando Williams missed much of the season, but in his short time on the floor this year he has proven to be a quality fourth scorer and yet another shooter.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Tarius Johnson, a 6-5, 187 pound guard, usually mans the four spot. Next to him is forward Eric Stutz, who measures in at 6-8 and 225 pounds. The only other forward who sees any significant playing time is 6-7 junior Jeff Johnson. When a team like Eastern Kentucky is forced to play small due to lack of frontcourt depth, it is nice to have enough talent on the perimeter to fill the void. However, the Colonels lack of size causes quite a few problems. They are one of the worst rebounding teams in the nation. Stutz is a decent interior scorer, but he generally does not warrant a double team, thus leaving a shooter open on the outside. Nobody is really a shot blocking threat either and the defensive implications of that are huge. The opposition does not always have an easy time getting a shot off since Eastern Kentucky will go after steals successfully, but if the opponent does get a shot off, it is going to be a pretty good look.
Probable Starters:
Mike DiNunno, Senior, Guard, 15.3 ppg, 4.4 apg
Glenn Cosey, Junior, Guard, 14.8 ppg, 3.2 apg
Corey Walden, Sophomore, Guard, 12.6 ppg, 1.9 apg
Tarius Johnson, Junior, Guard, 6.8 ppg, 1.1 apg, 4.2 rpg
Eric Stutz, Sophomore, Forward, 8.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jeff Johnson, Junior, Forward, 4.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg
Marcus Lewis, Junior, Guard, 6.1 ppg, 2.4 apg
Orlando Williams, Junior, Guard, 7.9 ppg, 1.7 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 74.1 (33rd in nation, 3rd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.3 (140, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.7 (36, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 45.1 (282, 6)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.6 (8, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.0 (112, 7)
Free-Throw Percentage: 78.6 (2, 1)
Rebound Margin: -5.3 (325, 12)
Assists Per Game: 15.0 (38, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.6 (45, 1)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2010 CBI First Round loss to Charleston
2007 NCAA Round of 64 loss to North Carolina
2005 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Kentucky
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
