After a devastating loss to Oakland last weekend, NKU has a 9-9 overall record and a 4-3 mark in conference play. The Norse look to bounce back and are in fifth place in the Horizon League.
NKU has played in several tough matchups, including losses to Florida State and Purdue to start the season. However, they have another opportunity to take down a quality Horizon League opponent in Cleveland State.
The Vikings currently sit atop the Horizon League, with Purdue Fort Wayne and Youngstown State close behind. With just under two months of basketball left, the Horizon League is very much still up for grabs, with both Cleveland State and NKU firmly in the hunt.
Last year, these two teams split the season series. Both games came down to the wire and resulted in hard-fought, one-score games. This is their first of two meetings this season and if it’s anything like their previous ones, fans of both sides are in for a good game.
Cleveland State ranks fourth in the Horizon League in offensive efficiency, according to Kenpom, while NKU ranks second in the Horizon League in defensive efficiency. These teams match up well and are almost built for each other.
Both teams have solid contributors, as seen through Cleveland State’s Tevin Smith, who is averaging a career-high 13.9 points per game, and NKU’s Trey Robinson, who is averaging a team-leading 15.6 points per game.
Sam Vinson, not too far behind Robinson, averages 11.6 points per game, having scored 10 or more points in each of his last six games. Throughout his collegiate career, Vinson has averaged more than 11 points per game in every season with the Norse. He had his best year in 2023, after tallying 13.3 points per game.
As Vinson begins to find his rhythm, the Norse, as a team, desperately need to find theirs.
This season, NKU has struggled with rebounding and consistency from the three-point line. Last weekend against Oakland, they shot just 24% from beyond the arc and allowed 19 offensive rebounds. This is an area the Norse have to clean up as Cleveland State’s Dylan Arnett averages 10.9 points per game, all while hauling in 7.8 rebounds per game.
With the way this game is shaping up, NKU needs to be physical and smart with the basketball, combining good shot selection with a solid presence in the paint.
The Vikings look to extend their eight-game winning streak Wednesday night at home against NKU, while the Norse look to bounce back in what is bound to be a dogfight at the Wolstein Center.