INDIANA, Pa. – Top-ranked IUP men's basketball returns to the KCAC for the first time in the new year, beginning PSAC West play against Seton Hill on Wednesday, January 4. Tipoff from the KCAC is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Making its debut as the number one ranked team in the nation last week, IUP was stellar on the defensive side of the ball in a 76-45 drubbing of Millersville on December 30. The game, which was a rematch of the 2021-22 PSAC Championship, pushed IUP to an 11-0 mark as one of just five remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA DII.
Seton Hill (6-5, 1-4) has fallen off with two consecutive PSAC losses, coming against Kutztown and West Chester. The Griffins held on for a 77-76 win against then 25th-ranked East Stroudsburg on December 18.
GAME INFORMATION – SETON HILL
TIPOFF NOTES
- IUP extended its regular season inning streak to 22 straight following the road triumph at Millersville, dating back to the 2021-22 season.
- IUP head coach Joe Lombardi is 19-1 lifetime against Seton Hill, winning the last 10 meetings against the Griffins by an average of 21.5 points.
- The Crimson Hawks continue to boast one of the top defensive units in the country over the last several seasons, including again in 2022-23. IUP leads NCAA DII in scoring defense (56.5), field goal percentage defense (.348) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.257).
- Shawndale Jones continues to lead the PSAC in scoring average (20.2). He is the only player in the league to average at least 20 points entering Wednesday's action.
- IUP is 44-3 overall dating back to last season and 104-9 since 2018-19. The Hawks have won all but one contest by double digits this season on their way to a 11-0 start.
- IUP was also the last PSAC men's basketball program ranked first nationally back in the mid-1990s. Prior to that, California (Pa.) was ranked atop the national poll for five weeks in 1992-93, with Millersville and Cheyney earning the number one spot in the 1980s.
- IUP is 74-6 in PSAC West games since the 2016-17 season, going 38-2 at home during that span.
- IUP has won 20 consecutive home games, dating back to December of last season.
- The Hawks limited Millersville to its fewest points scored in over 20 years, limiting the Marauders to just 2-of-13 (15.4%) from three-point range last time out.
- Dave Morris is averaging 17.2 points and 3.8 assists through five conference games, while Tomiwa Sulaiman is chipping in averages of 8.8 points/game and 8.6 rebounds/game through five crossover contests.
SCOUTING SETON HILL
- Seton Hill is a capable team offensively, ranking fourth in the PSAC with 80.6 points/game. The Griffins lead the league in three-point attempts/game (28) but rank 11th in three-point percentage (.331).
- The Griffins could not withstand a late 27-4 West Chester second half run in an 82-68 loss to finish out 2022.
- Samuel Tabe (17.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg) ranks fifth in the PSAC in scoring average, logging double figures in all 11 games for SHU.
- The Griffins are surrendering 75.8 points/game, ranking among the bottom tier of the 18-team PSAC.
- Sean Dillon facilitates the SHU offense, ranking seventh in the league in assists/game (3.6) and 11th in assist/turnover ratio (1.44). Dillon converted a three with 1.2 second remaining to lift SHU to is lone conference win of the season, coming on December 18 against 25th-rnaked East Stroudsburg.
- Ben Wilkins is in his first season with the Griffins, spending the past six seasons as an assistant coach at Army.
IUP IN THE POLLS
- IUP moved to first in the D2SIDA poll, released December 21, before coming in first in the NABC rankings on December 27. The Hawks maintained the number one spot this week following their victory against Millersville.
- The Hawks spent 11 consecutive weeks ranked first in the coaches poll in 1994-95.
- IUP has been ranked in the top 10 over 50 times, dating back to the 2019-20 preseason poll, including the entire 2022-23 season.
- This is the 22nd straight week the Hawks are ranked in the top-10 of both polls.
- The NABC ranking on January 3 marked the 204th in program history, also the 117th time ranked inside the top 10 and the 67th week ranked inside the top five.
DEFENSE A FOCAL POINT SO FAR IN 2022-23
- The Crimson Hawks lead the PSAC and NCAA DII in scoring defense (56.5) and field goal percentage defense (.348). IUP is also nationally in three-point percentage defense, allowing opponents to convert at just 25.7% from deep.
- IUP ranks fourth in the nation, across all NCAA divisions, in field goal percentage defense. The Hawks trail only Tennessee (SEC), Houston (AAC) and WestConn (Little East) for the lowest mark in the nation.
- IUP is second in the PSAC and sixth in NCAA DII with 10.7 steals/game. The Crimson Hawks have five players in their lineup with 10 or more steals.
- IUP has ranked in the top 10 nationally among NCAA DII schools in scoring defense in both 2021-22 (62.1) and 2019-20 (65.3).
- IUP has limited nine of 11 opponents to 60 points or less in 2022-23. Additionally, IUP has surrendered five or fewer made three-point baskets in six outings this season.
- IUP has three players rank among the top six in the PSAC in steals this season with Sulaiman ranking second (21) just ahead of Dallis Dillard (20).
- Ethan Porterfield has 13 blocks this season and has 117 for his career, good for third all-time in program history. He is 43 blocks away from tying IUP Hall of Famer Darryl Webb for second all-time.
LOMBARDI AMONG ELITE COACHES IN ALL OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL
- IUP HC Joe Lombardi (379-106) has helped transform IUP into a consistent national power, now in his 17th season. Through his initial 16 seasons, Lombardi has helped guide IUP to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, six PSAC titles, three Atlantic Region Championships and two DII national title game appearances.
- Lombardi is fourth among active NCAA DII head coaches with a .781 winning percentage, just behind Northwest Missouri State's Ben McCollum (.804). He's sixth among active head coaches in winning percentage across all divisions.
- With a minimum of 10 years of experience, Lombardi is 15th among all NCAA head coaches in all-time winning percentage. Members of the list include names like Mark Few, John Wooden, Adolph Rupp and Jerry Tarkanian, among others.
HOME SWEET HOME
- IUP has put together a remarkable run of success over the last several seasons, thanks in large part to the team's excellent play on their home floor.
- IUP boasts a 224-36 record in home games all-time under head coach Joe Lombardi.
- Additionally, IUP has gone 63-3 at home since the 2018-19 season. The Hawks have lost just once at home since the start of the 2019-20 season, going 44-1 in home games during that span.
- The win against West Chester on December 19 was the 20th consecutive home win for the Hawks, which marked an entire calendar year with an undefeated home mark, including the playoffs. The last home loss came to Shippensburg on December 19, 2021, which ended a 24-game home winning streak.
- IUP's longest home win streak during the Lombardi Era is 30 straight victories, from 2008-11.
- IUP has two undefeated home seasons under Lombardi - 18-0 in 2009-10 and 16-0 in 2019-20.
JONES MAKING MOST OF SECOND CHANCE
- Shawndale Jones has been stellar in his return to the IUP program in 2022-23. Battling back from a leg injury in just the seventh game of last season, Jones has continued working back to full strength.
- He posted the 1,000th point of his collegiate career against West Chester on December 19. He has scored 679 points during his time in an IUP uniform, shooting over 50% from the floor for his career as a Crimson Hawk.
- Jones leads the PSAC in scoring (20.2), also 11th in the league in steals/game (1.70) and 18th in assists/game (2.8).
- Jones is a two-time PSAC West Athlete of the Week for the Hawks this season, earning the accolade on November 21 and December 20.
- He dropped in a career-best 37 points (16-28 FG) in 39 minutes at Bowie State in November 2021.
MIGHTY MORRIS
- Dave Morris have proven valuable across the board as the trigger man for the IUP offense. Morris recently surpassed 1,000 collegiate points and also scored 2,270 points at Strong Vincent HS, the most in Erie history.
- He is fourth among active DII men's basketball players in steals/game for his career, averaging 2.24. The NCAA DII leader is Kobe Rodgers from Nova Southeastern (2.69).
- Morris secured the 400th rebound of his collegiate career with three boards against Millersville on December 30. He posted 44 rebounds in his one season at Tennessee State and 356 at IUP.
- Morris also has 322 career assists at IUP alone, surpassing Brian Kizzie (2003-05) for 11th most in program history. When factoring in his 27 assists at Tennessee State, Morris is ninth all-time in program history with 349 assists.
- Morris ranks third in the PSAC with 40 assists this season, posting three or more in 10 games.
- He was named PSAC West Athlete of the Week on December 12 following a career outing of 31 points (10-16 FG) against Penn State Altoona.
PORTERFIELD IS WORKING HARD TO CONTRIBUTE
- Despite not being full strength, Porterfield continues to be a vital part of the IUP lineup and rotation in his junior season.
- Porterfield is still averaging double figures (11.3) and is tied for the team lead with 13 blocks, playing in nine games.
- He was an efficient 5-7 from the floor for 11 points with five rebounds and four assists at Millersville.
- Porterfield surpassed 1,000 career points on a pull-up three in the second half against Walsh in November.
SULAIMAN AND BROOKS CREATE DYNAMIC INSIDE DUO FOR HAWKS
- Sulaiman and Damir Brooks have combined to create a high-energy low post duo for IUP.
- The sophomores combine for 11.7 rebounds per game, each providing a big spark to the IUP lineup.
- Sulaiman is a two-time PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week on November 21 and December 5, averaging 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks.
- Meanwhile, Brooks has provided his fair share of highlight reel sequences in limited action off the bench. He is shooting an efficient 76.5% (26-34) from the floor, adding 10 blocks and six steals.
THE REIGNING, DEFENDING PSAC CHAMPIONS CAPTURE THIRD IN A ROW
- IUP won its third consecutive PSAC Championship with a 63-52 win against Millersville at the KCAC on March 5, 2022.
- It marked the 12th PSAC Tournament championship in program history and sixth conference title under HC Joe Lombardi, the most among active PSAC coaches and the second most in conference history.
- IUP's 12 titles are second behind Cheyney's 15.
- Ethan Porterfield was named the PSAC Tournament MVP, averaging 15.0 PPG and 8.7 RPG.
BEARER IS BACK; PART OF NEW-LOOK ASSISTANT STAFF
- Former IUP captain Greg Bearer is back with the men's basketball program, returning to the bench to serve as an assistant coach in 2022-23.
- Bearer previously worked at the nationally renowned DME Academy prior to returning to Indiana.
- Also new to the staff this season is graduate assistant Jake Perrin, who worked as a head coach at the high school level.
- Former assistant coach Ron Fadula accepted the head coaching job at upstart South Carolina Beaufort back in October. He is one of several former assistants to take the next step in their professional coaching tenure, including Shippensburg head coach Chris Fite.
