Millikin's Men's Basketball Ready to Open Season

Millikin Big Blue (0-0)
Vs.
University of Chicago Maroons (0-0)
Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. at the Griswold Center in Decatur, Illinois

GAME NOTES
          In his third season heading the Millikin men's basketball program, Head Coach Mark Scherer has the Big Blue ready to open the 2019-20 season. First up for Millikin is a matchup with the University of Chicago on November 10 at the Griswold Center.
"As we begin our third year, we feel we now have multiple players in every position that can help us win in the highly competitive College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin," said Scherer. "However, we are still very young. Sunday we will start one senior, one junior, two sophomores and one freshman. Even more telling, six of our top eight players will be underclassman. For that reason, we are focusing on playing our best basketball, rather than a specific number of wins. If we do what we do well, we are confident the wins will follow."
Scherer states the next step for the program is to put themselves in position to finish in the top four of the conference. He believes this group of players in their time at Millikin will accomplish that goal and then set their focus on a CCIW title.
          Returning sophomores Calvin Fisher (Monticello, H.S.) and Jake Hampton (O'Fallon, Mo., Fort Zumwalt West H.S.) are expected to be valuable contributors again this season. Fisher was the CCIW Freshman of the Year last season averaging 11 points and four rebounds per game last season.
          Transfer junior Troy Burrows (Bolingbrook, Immaculate Conception H.S.) has pushed his way into the starting lineup at point guard. After playing two seasons at John Wood Community College, Burrows missed most of the last season at Benedictine University due to injury. Six-nine freshman Cole Laurence (Farmington, Mo., H.S.) is expected to be a major factor for Millikin this season. Laurence grabbed nine rebounds in Millikin's exhibition against Bradley University.
This year's Big Blue roster has five seniors led by Jordan Cunningham (Danville, H.S., Korbin Farmer (Columbia, H.S.) and Zach Fisher (Monticello, H.S.). The trio gives the Big Blue an experience core of proven players with significant CCIW action. Fisher led Millikin in scoring last season averaging 12.6 points per game.
          Sophomore Michael Akinwumi (Ballwin, Mo., Parkway West H.S.) and freshmen Sam Stichnote (Ashland, Mo., Southern Boone H.S.) and Trey Griffey (Wildwood, Mo., Lafayette H.S.) are expected to get early calls of the Millikin bench.
          Millikin has one its bigger teams in recent memory featuring nine players at are 6-6 or taller.
          The University of Chicago returns nine players from last year's team that posted at 15-10 record. Senior guard Jordan Baum who averaged 12 points and six assists per game last season leads the returners. The Maroons' balanced offense featured seven players who scored at least seven points per game and four players with at least 11 points per game in 2018-19.

THE SERIES: MILLIKIN VS. UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Millikin leads the series 1-0 after winning the first meeting between the two programs 84-78 in Chicago last season.

PROBABLE MILLIKIN STARTING LINE-UP
5       Troy Burrows                  G       5-11 170 Jr.       Bolingbrook, Ill./Benedictine
12     Calvin Fisher*                  G       6-6    200 So.       Monticello, Ill./Monticello
31     Jake Hampton*                G       6-0    170 So.       O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt West
42     Korbin Farmer***            F        6-7    180 Sr.       Columbia, Ill./Columbia
50     Cole Laurence                 F        6-9    250 Fr.       Farmington, Mo./Farmington

SCORING AND REBOUNDING LEADERS
Millikin (Returners from 2018-19)
Scoring:
Zach Fisher—12.6 PPG
Calvin Fisher—11.2 PPG

Rebounding:
Jordan Cunningham—7.1 RPG
Calvin Fisher—4.1 RPG

University of Chicago
Scoring:
Jordan Baum—12.1 PPG
Dominic Laravie—11.8 PPG

Rebounding:
Cole Schmitz—5.4 RPG
Dominic Laravie—5.2 RPG

BROADCAST AND INTERNET INFORMATION
No radio
Millikin will provide a Live Video and Live Stats:
Live Video: https://athletics.millikin.edu/watch/?Live=53&type=Live
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/millikin/mbball

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