# 2014–15 Eastern Michigan Eagles men's basketball team

The 2014–15 Eastern Michigan Eagles men's basketball team represented Eastern Michigan University during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Eagles, led by fourth year head coach Rob Murphy, played their home games at the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center, as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 21–14, 8–10 in MAC play to finish in a tie for fourth place in the West Division. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the MAC tournament where they lost to Toledo. They were invited to the College Basketball Invitational where they lost in the first round to Louisiana–Monroe.

## Roster additions

* SF Brandon Nazione from Des Moines Area Community College to EMU where he was a Division II Second-Team All-American.
* Jerome Hunter from Alabama A&M
* Anali Okoloji from George Mason.
* PF Jordan Nobles (Canton HS)
* PG Ethan Alvano (Corona HS)
* SG Tim Bond (Baltimore City College HS)
* PF Tristan Wilson (Skyline HS).
* Matt Cline joined the EMU basketball staff as the Director of Men's Basketball Operations in 2014.
Two players transferred away from EMU after the 2013/14 season, Jalen Ross will be going to Hartford & Darrell Combs to IUPUI. Former EMU standout and NBA player Carl Thomas was hired by Jackson College as Head Coach of the men's basketball team.

## Preseason accolades

Senior forward Karrington Ward was named the 15th-best defensive player in the country according to BleacherReport.com.

## Roster

| # | Player | Position | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown |
| 0 | Raven Lee | G | 6–3 | 180 | R–SO | Detroit, MI |
| 1 | Mike Talley | G | 6–0 | 176 | R–SR | Detroit, MI |
| 3 | Anali Okoloji | F | 6–8 | 232 | R–SR | Brooklyn, NY |
| 4 | Brandon Nazione | F | 6–8 | 215 | JR | Howell, MI |
| 5 | Jodan Price | G/F | 6–7 | 180 | R–SO | Indianapolis, IN |
| 10 | Tim Bond | G | 6–6 | 170 | FR | Baltimore, MD |
| 12 | Olalekan Ajayi | F/C | 6–11 | 245 | JR | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 13 | Trent Perry | G | 6–4 | 175 | R–FR | Franklin, TN |
| 14 | Karrington Ward | F | 6–7 | 186 | SR | Lockport, IL |
| 15 | Jordan Nobles | F | 6–9 | 190 | FR | Canton, MI |
| 20 | Ali Farhat | G | 6–0 | 160 | SO | Dearborn, MI |
| 21 | Jerome Hunter | F | 6–9 | 250 | GR | Buffalo, NY |
| 22 | Jordan Martin | G | 6–3 | 195 | R–JR | Detroit, MI |
| 25 | Ethan Alvano | G | 6–1 | 170 | FR | Corona, CA |
| 30 | Mike Samuels | C | 6–11 | 285 | R–JR | Bushkill, Pennsylvania |

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Opponent | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular season |||||
| 11/14/2014* 1:00 pm | St. Francis (IL) EMU Showcase | W 64–52 | 1–0 | Convocation Center (2,859) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 11/17/2014* 7:00 pm | Oakland | W 89–77 | 2–0 | Convocation Center (863) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 11/21/2014* 7:00 pm | Youngstown State EMU Showcase | W 71–62 | 3–0 | Convocation Center (680) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 11/22/2014* 7:00 pm | UNC Greensboro EMU Showcase | W 70–62 | 4–0 | Convocation Center (624) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 11/23/2014* 2:30 pm | Longwood EMU Showcase | W 79–48 | 5–0 | Convocation Center (395) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 11/26/2014* 12:00 pm | Rochester (MI) | W 68–35 | 6–0 | Convocation Center (192) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 12/01/2014* 7:00 pm | Marygrove | W 83–52 | 7–0 | Convocation Center (272) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 12/06/2014* 2:00 pm, FSOH | at Dayton | L 64–73 | 7–1 | UD Arena (12,243) Dayton, OH |
| 12/09/2014* 9:00 pm, ESPNU | at Michigan | W 45–42 | 8–1 | Crisler Center (11,926) Ann Arbor, MI |
| 12/17/2014* 9:00 pm, BTN | at No. 25 Michigan State | L 46–66 | 8–2 | Breslin Center (14,797) East Lansing, MI |
| 12/20/2014* 3:00 pm | at Missouri State | W 77–65 | 9–2 | JQH Arena (5,013) Springfield, MO |
| 12/23/2014* 6:00 pm | Coppin State | W 87–64 | 10–2 | Convocation Center (827) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 12/28/2014* 1:00 pm | Concordia (MI) | W 100–42 | 11–2 | Convocation Center (564) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 01/07/2015 7:00 pm | Ball State | L 59–60 $^{OT}$ | 11–3 (0–1) | Convocation Center (1,036) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 01/10/2015 5:30 pm | at Miami (OH) | L 81–82 $^{OT}$ | 11–4 (0–2) | Millett Hall (987) Oxford, OH |
| 01/14/2015 7:00 pm | at Kent State | L 59–65 | 11–5 (0–3) | MAC Center (2,892) Kent, OH |
| 01/17/2015 12:00 pm, ESPN3 | Northern Illinois | W 54–46 | 12–5 (1–3) | Convocation Center (786) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 01/21/2015 7:00 pm, ESPN3 | at Bowling Green | L 58–74 | 12–6 (1–4) | Stroh Center (2,314) Bowling Green, OH |
| 01/24/2015 4:30 pm, ESPN3 | at Central Michigan Michigan MAC Trophy | L 51–65 | 12–7 (1–5) | McGuirk Arena (4,041) Mount Pleasant, MI |
| 01/27/2015 7:00 pm | Ohio | W 76–40 | 13–7 (2–5) | Convocation Center (837) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 01/31/2015 12:00 pm | Western Michigan Michigan MAC Trophy | W 69–63 | 14–7 (3–5) | Convocation Center (1,018) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 02/04/2015 7:00 pm, ESPN3 | at Toledo | L 60–84 | 14–8 (3–6) | Savage Arena (4,532) Toledo, OH |
| 02/07/2015 2:00 pm | at Ohio | L 73–76 | 14–9 (3–7) | Convocation Center (9,586) Athens, OH |
| 02/10/2015 7:00 pm | Miami (OH) | W 83–69 | 15–9 (4–7) | Convocation Center (460) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 02/14/2015 2:30 pm | Akron | W 78–75 | 16–9 (5–7) | Convocation Center (1,101) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 02/18/2015 7:00 pm | Buffalo | L 63–78 | 16–10 (5–8) | Convocation Center (739) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 02/21/2015 8:00 pm, ESPN3 | at Northern Illinois | W 73–65 | 17–10 (6–8) | Convocation Center (2,302) DeKalb, IL |
| 02/24/2015 7:00 pm | Central Michigan Michigan MAC Trophy | L 56–72 | 17–11 (6–9) | Convocation Center (731) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 02/28/2015 4:30 pm | at Western Michigan Michigan MAC Trophy | L 72–80 | 17–12 (6–10) | University Arena (3,188) Kalamazoo, MI |
| 03/03/2015 7:00 pm, ESPN3 | at Ball State | W 67–60 | 18–12 (7–10) | John E. Worthen Arena (2,295) Muncie, IN |
| 03/06/2015 7:00 pm | Toledo | W 85–59 | 19–12 (8–10) | Convocation Center (1,494) Ypsilanti, MI |
| MAC tournament |||||
| 03/09/2015 7:30 pm | Miami (OH) First round | W 62–61 $^{OT}$ | 20–12 | Convocation Center (827) Ypsilanti, MI |
| 03/11/2015 6:30 pm, ESPN3 | vs. Bowling Green Second round | W 73–67 | 21–12 | Quicken Loans Arena (2,411) Cleveland, OH |
| 03/12/2015 6:30 pm, ESPN3 | vs. Toledo Quarterfinals | L 67–78 | 21–13 | Quicken Loans Arena (4,502) Cleveland, OH |
| College Basketball Invitational |||||
| 03/18/2015* 8:00 pm | at Louisiana–Monroe First round | L 67–71 | 21–14 | Fant–Ewing Coliseum (3,003) Monroe, LA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||

## MAC Leaders

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER GAME HIGHS
* Free throw percentage
** Mike Talley- 1.000 (9-9)(at Ball State (3/3/15)
** Raven Lee- 1.000(8-8) vs Bowling Green (3/11/15)
* Steals
** Raven Lee- 6 vs Coppin State (12/23/14)
** Mike Talley- 6 at Ball State (3/3/15)
* Blocked Shots
** Karrington Ward 6 vs Coppin State (12/23/14)
* Turnovers
** Raven Lee- 8 vs Akron (02/14/15)
Team Highs
* Margin
** 58 (100-42) vs Concordia (12/28/14)
* Rebounds
** 59 vs Marygrove (12/01/14)
* Steals
** 17 vs Longwood (11/23/14)
* Blocked Shots
** 10 vs Coppin State (12/23/14)
** 10 vs Ball State (1/07/15)
Opponent Lows
* Points
** 35 vs Rochester (11/26/14)
* Field Goals Made
** 11 vs Rochester (11/26/14)
** 13 vs Ohio (01/27/15)
* Field Goal Attempts
** 39 at Northern Illinois (02/21/15)
* Field Goal Percentage
** .224 vs Rochester (11/26/14)
** .228 vs Ohio (01/27/15)
* Free Throws Made
** 1 vs Saint Francis (11/14/14)
* Free Throws Attempted
** 2 vs Saint Francis (11/14/14)
* Fouls
** 9 vs Ohio (01/27/15)
MAC Statistic Leaders
* Field Goal Pct Defense- .401
* Steals- 8.9
MAC Player of the Week
* Nov. 24, 2014 Raven Lee
* Feb. 16, 2015 Karrington Ward
* Mar. 07, 2015 Mike Talley
Academic All MAC
* Olalekan Ajayi
* Trent Perry
3rd Team All-MAC
* 2015 Raven Lee
MAC Honorable Mention
* 2015 Karrington Ward