Exhibition Game #1
Emporia State Hornets (9-19, 4-15 MIAA last season)
at #1 Kansas Jayhawks (31-8, 13-5 Big 12 last season)
Series Record: KU leads 21-3 (13-5 RS/8-0 EX)
Last Meeting: at KU 104, ESU 62 (Nov. 6, 2016)
Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018 • 7:00 p.m. • Lawrence, Kan. • Allen Fieldhouse
Radio: KFFX 104.9FM (6:40 p.m.)
Internet Audio: kvoe.com
Television: Jayhawk Network
Internet Video:
ESPN+
Complete Notes in pdf •
Live Stats •
Ticket Info
Up Next: at Southwest Minnesota • Friday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. • Marshall, Minn.
INTO THE PHOG
Emporia State begins the Craig Doty era with an exhibition game at #1 Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse.
PLAYING WITH THE BIG BOYS
Emporia State has played 35 games against NCAA Division I teams since 2000 with 30 of them in exhibition play for Emporia State. In the Hornets last NCAA Division I game on November 20, 2017 Emporia State trailed Missouri 64-62 with 46.1 seconds left before the Tigers hit three of four free throws to seal the win. Emporia State's last win against an NCAA Division I team was an 81-76 victory over UMKC on November 8, 2013.
THE COACHES
Craig Doty is in his first season at Emporia State. In just two seasons at Graceland Doty went 49-22 and led the Yellowjackets to the NAIA Division I National Championship in the school's first trip to the national tournament at Kansas City's historic Municipal Auditorium. Prior to his time at Graceland, the 33-year old Doty spent four years as the head coach at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Ill. His Golden Eagles won two national championships and appeared in three straight NJCAA Division III title games. After going 19-16 his first year at Rock Valley he rolled off three straight 30 win seasons, including national championships in 2014 and 2016, to finish with a 113-28 record. In six seasons as a head coach at the NAIA and NJCAA level he is 162-50 with three national championships. This will be his first meeting with Kansas.
Bill Self is 447-96 in his 16th season at Kansas and 654-201 in his 26th season as a head coach. He is 7-0 against Emporia State.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Hassan Thomas averaged 8.0 points per game for the Hornets and had ten points in a 77-68 exhibition loss at Iowa State last year. Sawyer Glick headlines six newcomers for Emporia State after transferring from D-II Elite 8 team Barry. He averaged 13.8 points per game last season and had 32 points in a 100-95 exhibition win over Auburn. The Hornets were 9-19, 4-15 in the MIAA last year. A total of 14 of their losses were by five points or less or in overtime with eight coming on the final possession.
ABOUT THE JAYHAWKS
Kansas is the preseason #1 ranked team in NCAA Division I and was the unanimous pick to capture their 15th straight Big 12 title. Returners Udoka Azubuike and Lagerald Vick averaged double figures last year at 13.0 and 12.1 points, respectively. Nine newcomers join the squad with six freshmen and three transfers. KU was 31-8 overall, 13-5 in the Big 12 last year.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 25th meeting between the two teams overall and the ninth in exhibition play. KU holds a 13-3 overall regular season advantage and is 8-0 in exhibition play. The two teams first met in 1903 when Emporia State defeated Kansas 25-13. The last Hornet win was a 67-44 decision in White Auditorium on Dec. 13, 1947.
LAST TIMEOUT VS KANSAS
Emporia State fell 104-62 at #3 Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse. A Garin Vandiver three-pointer out of the first media timeout pulled the Hornets into an 11-11 tie at the 15:16 mark. Kansas then went on a 23-2 run to take control of the game. The Jayhawks outscored Emporia State 56-16 in the paint during the game. Duncan Fort led the Hornets in scoring off the bench with ten points.
UP NEXT
The Hornets open the regular season on November 9 at Southwest Minnesota State as a part of the MIAA-NSIC Challenge in Marshall, Minn.
DOTY MAGIC
On Friday, April 27, 2018, three-time National Champion head coach Craig Doty was introduced as the new head men's basketball coach at Emporia State University by athletic director Kent Weiser. Doty brings a 162-50 head coaching record including a 71-31 mark in conference play and an unprecedented 28-4 record in the post-season.
Prior to his arrival in Emporia, Doty lead Rock Valley College and Graceland University to national prominence. In just two seasons at Graceland, Doty's program had a 49-22 record and won the 2018 NAIA Division I National Championship in the school's first trip to the national tournament at Kansas City's historic Municipal Auditorium.
Along the way Doty earned NAIA National Coach of the Year, HoopDirt.com NAIA National Coach of the Year, and the 2018 Don Meyer Award. Upon winning the 2018 national championship, Doty had led his teams to the National Championship game four out of the previous five seasons. Doty's programs at Rock Valley College won NJCAA Division III National titles in 2014 and 2016. Doty's 2015 squad came up just short finishing National Runner-up.
FRIENDLY CONFINES
Emporia State has won 160 of their last 221 games (.724) in White Auditorium. The Hornets are 382-174 (.687) since 1979 in White Auditorium.
HORNETS RANK IN NATION IN ATTENDANCE
The Emporia State men's basketball team continued a string of 17 straight years ranking in the top 25 in attendance among the over 300 NCAA Division II basketball playing schools. The Hornets drew an average of 1,281 fans to their 17 home games at Slaymaker Court in White Auditorium during the 2017-18 season to rank 25th nationally.
Emporia State outdrew 77 NCAA Division I schools during the 2017-18 school year, including UMBC - the first #16 seed to upset a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Hornets were among six MIAA teams in the top 25 nationally. As a conference the MIAA drew 254,807 fans to 207 games to lead all Division II conference in average attendance at 1,231 fans per game. It is the tenth straight year the MIAA has led the nation in average attendance. The MIAA's total attendance was better than eight NCAA Division I conferences. All three of the conferences in the NCAA Central Region ranked in the top seven of the Division II conferences in average attendance with nine regional teams ranked in the top 25.
ON THE COURT
The court at William L. White Auditorium was formally named Ron Slaymaker Court at half-time of the Hornets win over Washburn on Feb. 28, 2014 after the City of Emporia approved a proclamation at their Feb. 20 city commission meeting.
IN THE RAFTERS
On February 22, 2014 All-American Dale Cushinberry (1966-69) joined the five Hornets who have had their jersey's retired to the wall of White Auditorium. He was an All-American for Emporia State and became the first Hornet with 1,000 points and 700 rebounds.
•Wilbur Reeser (1944-48) - Reeser was named an NAIB All-American and was the Hornets leading scorer as the won a conference championship in 1948.
•Ron Slaymaker (Player 1954-60, Coach 1970-98) - As a player Slaymaker was named All-Conference and All-American during the 1957-58 season. As a coach he won an ESU leading 464 games from 1970-98.
•Jim Fraley (1956-60) - Fraley was the school's all-time leading scorer (1,509) until Brian Robinson broke his record in 1985. He was named Second-team NAIA All-American.
•Doug Glaysher (1960-64) - Glaysher was named an All-American after leading the Hornets to the NAIA National Semi-finals in 1964. He graduated as the second leading scorer in ESU history.
•Brian Robinson (1984-86) - Robinson was named a first team All-American in both his junior and senior season. He is the ESU all-time leading scorer with 2,533 career points.
LISTEN & WATCH LIVE
Video webcasts for all of Emporia State's regular season games are available on a pay per view basis from the MIAA Digital Network. The MIAA Network content is available live and is immediately archived for on-demand viewing after each event. Fans can find the action on www.themiaanetwork.com and on The MIAA Network apps for Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku.
Audio of all Emporia State games are available on KFFX 104.9FM and at www.kvoe.com with Greg Rahe on the call. KFFX is in their 31st straight year as the radio home of Hornet Athletics, the longest active streak between a commercial station and an MIAA school. All games will also be available on the internet at www.kvoe.com
