2017–18 Northern Kentucky Norse men's basketball team

The 2017–18 Northern Kentucky Norse men's basketball team represented Northern Kentucky University (NKU) during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Norse, led by third-year head coach John Brannen, played their home games at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, Kentucky as members of the Horizon League. They finished the season 22–10, 15–3 in Horizon League play to win the Horizon League regular season championship. They were upset in the quarterfinals of the Horizon League Tournament by No. 8 seed Cleveland State. As a regular season league champion who failed to win their league tournament, they received an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Louisville.

2017–18 Northern Kentucky Norse men's basketball
Horizon League regular season champions
NIT, First round
ConferenceHorizon League
2017–18 record22–10 (15–3 Horizon)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Sean Dwyer
  • Tim Morris
  • Chris Shumate
Home arenaBB&T Arena
2017–18 Horizon League men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
Northern Kentucky153 .833  2210  .688
Wright State144 .778  2510  .714
UIC126 .667  2016  .556
Oakland108 .556  1914  .576
Milwaukee810 .444  1617  .485
IUPUI810 .444  1119  .367
Green Bay711 .389  1320  .394
Cleveland State612 .333  1223  .343
Youngstown State612 .333  824  .250
Detroit414 .222  824  .250
2018 Horizon League Tournament winner

The Norse shared their home arena, BB&T Arena, with the University of Cincinnati's men's basketball team during the season while Cincinnati's home arena, Fifth Third Arena, underwent renovations during the season.[1]

Previous season

The Norse finished the 2016–17 season 24–11, 13–6 in Horizon League play to finish in a tie for third place. As the No. 4 seed in the Horizon League Tournament, they defeated Wright State,[2] Youngstown State,[3] and Milwaukee[4] to win the Horizon League Tournament.[5] They received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in the school's first year of eligibility after its transition to a Division I school.[6] They lost in the First Round to Kentucky.[7]

Offseason

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Brandon Maxwell2G6'2"190SophomoreOrlando, FLTransferred
Blake Spellman3G5'11"180FreshmanLee's Summit, MOTransferred to Central Missouri
Brennan Gillis13F6'7"215SophomoreIndianapolis, INLeft the team due to personal reasons
Matt Rosenwinkel22G6'2"230SeniorRochelle, ILWalk-on; graduated
Cole Murray25G6'7"210SeniorDelphi, INGraduated

Incoming transfers

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious School
Tyler Sharpe15G6'1"185SophomoreLouisville, KYTransferred from Louisville. Under NCAA transfer rules, Sharpe will have to sit out for the 2017–18 season. Will have three years of remaining eligibility.

Recruiting class of 2017

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Paul Djoko
PG
France Champagne Châlons-reims Basket 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 0
Chris Vogt
C
Mayfield, KY Graves County High School 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 215 lb (98 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 0
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 19, 2017.

    Roster

    2017–18 Northern Kentucky Norse men's basketball team
    PlayersCoaches
    Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
    F 1 Jordan Garnett 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)220 lb (100 kg) SrWarren Central High School Indianapolis, Indiana
    G 2 Paul Djoko 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)190 lb (86 kg) FrChampagne Châlons-Reims Basket Strasbourg, France
    G 3 Tre Cobbs 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)185 lb (84 kg) SoLima Central Catholic High School Lima, Ohio
    F 4 Jeff Garrett 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)220 lb (100 kg) RS JrOldsmar Christian School
    Alabama
    Gadsden, Alabama
    F 5 Jalen Tate 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)170 lb (77 kg) RS FrPickerington High School Central Pickerington, Ohio
    G 11 Mason Faulkner 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)165 lb (75 kg) FrCaverna High School Glasgow, Kentucky
    G 15 Tyler Sharpe  6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)185 lb (84 kg) SoBullitt East High School
    Louisville
    Mt. Washington, Kentucky
    G 20 Nick Ayers (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) SrSimon Kenton High School Independence, Kentucky
    F 22 Darian Childress (W) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)180 lb (82 kg) FrFern Creek High School Louisville, Kentucky
    F 23 Carson Williams 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)230 lb (104 kg) SoOwen County High School Owenton, Kentucky
    G 30 Lavone Holland II 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)185 lb (84 kg) SrBallard High School
    Coffeyville Community College
    Louisville, Kentucky
    G 32 Dantez Walton 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)205 lb (93 kg) SoLima Central Catholic High School Lima, Ohio
    C 33 Chris Vogt 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)240 lb (109 kg) FrGraves County High School Mayfield, Kentucky
    F/C 34 Drew McDonald 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)250 lb (113 kg) JrNewport Central Catholic High School Cold Spring, Kentucky
    Head coach
    Assistant coach(es)

    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on

    Roster
    Last update: November 1, 2017

    Schedule and results

    Date
    time, TV
    Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Exhibition
    November 4, 2017*
    2:30 pm
    Urbana W 81–26 
     17  McDonald  8  Garrett  7  Faulkner  BB&T Arena (2,713)
    Highland Heights, KY
    Non-conference regular season
    November 10, 2017*
    7:00 pm, ESPN3
    East Tennessee State W 81–63  1–0
     22  McDonald  10  McDonald  5  Faulkner/Holland  BB&T Arena (3,586)
    Highland Heights, KY
    November 12, 2017*
    1:00 pm, ESPN3
    Wilmington (OH) W 93–65  2–0
     18  McDonald  15  Garrett  5  Walton  BB&T Arena (2,491)
    Highland Heights, KY
    November 17, 2017*
    5:00 pm
    vs. James Madison
    The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase Quarterfinals
    W 87–78  3–0
     24  Holland  7  Williams  5  Holland  Kendal Isaacs National Gymnasium 
    Nassau, Bahamas
    November 18, 2017*
    8:00 pm
    vs. Iona
    The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase Semifinals
    W 85–72  4–0
     20  Williams  6  Williams  5  Garnett/Holland  Kendal Isaacs National Gymnasium (417)
    Nassau, Bahamas
    November 19, 2017*
    8:00 pm
    vs. Vermont
    The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase Championship
    L 64–66  4–1
     14  Holland  6  McDonald  5  Holland  Kendal Isaacs National Gymnasium (477)
    Nassau, Bahamas
    November 25, 2017*
    6:00 pm, ESPN3
    at Memphis L 74–76  4–2
     19  Holland  8  McDonald  8  Holland  FedExForum (5,369)
    Memphis, TN
    November 29, 2017*
    7:00 pm, ESPN3
    Berea W 112–33  5–2
     18  Williams  8  Garrett  7  Faulkner  BB&T Arena (2,506)
    Highland Heights, KY
    December 2, 2017*
    7:00 pm, CW Cincinnati
    Morehead State W 86–49  6–2
     22  McDonald  7  Garrett  4  Holland  BB&T Arena (4,064)
    Highland Heights, KY
    December 6, 2017*
    7:00 pm, ESPN3
    at East Tennessee State L 71–84  6–3
     22  Williams  6  McDonald  5  Holland  Freedom Hall Civic Center (3,484)
    Johnson City, TN
    December 10, 2017*
    6:00 pm, CW Cincinnati
    Eastern Kentucky W 91–63  7–3
     23  McDonald  9  McDonald  6  Faulkner  BB&T Arena (3,622)
    Highland Heights, KY
    December 17, 2017*
    12:00 pm, ESPN3
    at UMBC L 75–76  7–4
     24  McDonald  11  McDonald  6  Holland  Retriever Activities Center (781)
    Catonsville, MD
    December 19, 2017*
    8:00 pm, SECN+
    at No. 8 Texas A&M L 58–64  7–5
     16  McDonald  11  McDonald  7  Holland  Reed Arena (6,595)
    College Station, TX
    Horizon League regular season
    December 28, 2017
    7:30 pm, ESPN3
    IUPUI W 77–59  8–5
    (1–0)
     27  McDonald  10  McDonald  8  Holland  BB&T Arena (4,203)
    Highland Heights, KY
    December 30, 2017
    7:00 pm, CW Cincinnati
    UIC W 86–51  9–5
    (2–0)
     19  McDonald  12  McDonald  5  Holland/Tate  BB&T Arena (3,688)
    Highland Heights, KY
    January 5, 2018
    9:00 pm, ESPN2
    at Oakland W 87–83  10–5
    (3–0)
     21  Williams  12  McDonald  3  Holland  Athletics Center O'rena (3,411)
    Rochester, MI
    January 7, 2018
    2:00 pm, ESPN3
    at Detroit W 56–54  11–5
    (4–0)
     16  McDonald  9  McDonald  3  Garnett  Calihan Hall (1,061)
    Detroit, MI
    January 11, 2018
    7:00 pm, ESPN3
    Wright State L 81–84  11–6
    (4–1)
     22  Holland  10  McDonald  5  Holland  BB&T Arena (4,987)
    Highland Heights, KY
    January 15, 2018
    7:30 pm, ESPN3
    Cleveland State W 70–55  12–6
    (5–1)
     16  Faulkner  9  Williams  5  McDonald  BB&T Arena (3,812)
    Highland Heights, KY
    January 18, 2018
    8:00 pm, ESPN3
    at Milwaukee W 91–64  13–6
    (6–1)
     25  McDonald  12  McDonald  10  Holland  UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena (1,009)
    Milwaukee, WI
    January 20, 2018
    1:00 pm, ESPN3
    at Green Bay W 77–65  14–6
    (7–1)
     16  Holland  6  Garnett/Holland  4  Garnett/Holland  Resch Center (3,119)
    Green Bay, WI
    January 26, 2018
    9:00 pm, ESPNU
    Oakland L 70–83  14–7
    (7–2)
     19  McDonald  10  McDonald  5  Faulkner  BB&T Arena (5,362)
    Highland Heights, KY
    January 28, 2018
    1:00 pm, CW Cincinnati
    Detroit W 72–44  15–7
    (8–2)
     13  Williams  13  McDonald  5  Tate  BB&T Arena (3,696)
    Highland Heights, KY
    February 1, 2018
    7:00 pm, ESPN3
    at Youngstown State W 95–84  16–7
    (9–2)
     26  McDonald  16  McDonald  6  Garnett  Beeghly Center (1,391)
    Youngstown, OH
    February 3, 2018
    3:00 pm, ESPN3
    at Cleveland State W 78–61  17–7
    (10–2)
     21  Holland  11  Williams  7  McDonald  Wolstein Center (1,853)
    Cleveland, OH
    February 8, 2018
    7:30 pm, ESPN3
    Milwaukee W 54–52  18–7
    (11–2)
     16  McDonald  10  McDonald  6  Holland  BB&T Arena (4,819)
    Highland Heights, KY
    February 10, 2018
    7:00 pm, CW Cincinnati
    Green Bay W 86–80  19–7
    (12–2)
     19  Sharpe  15  McDonald  6  Garnett  BB&T Arena (6,455)
    Highland Heights, KY
    February 16, 2018
    7:00 pm, ESPN3
    at Wright State L 67–69  19–8
    (12–3)
     16  Sharpe  12  McDonald  4  Holland  Nutter Center (7,205)
    Fairborn, OH
    February 19, 2018
    7:30 pm, ESPN3
    Youngstown State W 70–51  20–8
    (13–3)
     27  McDonald  12  McDonald  4  Holland  BB&T Arena (4,001)
    Highland Heights, KY
    February 23, 2018
    8:00 pm, ESPN3
    at UIC W 79–72  21–8
    (14–3)
     25  Holland  7  McDonald  3  Faulkner/Holland/Tate  UIC Pavilion (3,168)
    Chicago, IL
    February 25, 2018
    1:00 pm, ESPN3
    at IUPUI W 75–56  22–8
    (15–3)
     17  Holland  11  McDonald  3  Holland  Indiana Farmers Coliseum (1,534)
    Indianapolis, IN
    Horizon League Tournament
    March 3, 2018
    8:00 pm, ESPN3
    (1) vs. (8) Cleveland State
    Quarterfinals
    L 80–89  22–9
     24  McDonald  13  McDonald  5  Holland  Little Caesars Arena (6,726)
    Detroit, MI
    NIT
    March 13, 2018*
    7:00 pm, ESPN
    (7) at (2) Louisville
    First round – Baylor Bracket
    L 58–66  22–10
     19  McDonald  13  McDonald  3  Tate  KFC Yum! Center (9,974)
    Louisville, KY
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    All times are in Eastern Time.

    References

    1. "UC will play 2017–18 basketball season at BB&T Arena". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
    2. Northerner, Matt Sexton | The (2017-03-06). "NKU beats Wright State 82–77 in Horizon League tournament". WCPO. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
    3. "Northern Kentucky downs Youngstown State | Horizon League". www.horizonleague.org. Archived from the original on 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
    4. "UWM Panthers fall to N. Kentucky in Horizon League Tournament Championship game". FOX6Now.com. 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
    5. "NKU goes dancing in first year of eligibility". SBNation.com. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
    6. "A historic run: NKU savors tournament even in defeat". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
    7. "Freshmen lead Kentucky over Northern Kentucky: NCAA Tournament first round". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
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