Pregame Preview: Cleveland State (3-6) at Northern Kentucky (6-2)
Northern Kentucky closes out the home stand at Truist Arena on Wednesday riding an eight-game home winning streak dating back to last season. The Norse roll into league play on the heels of a strong nonconference finish and a milestone night for Dan Gherezgher, who crossed 1,000 career points with his 23-point effort against Boston University, giving him 661 from Michigan Tech and 360 at NKU. He is now just 70 points shy of last season’s point total, and at his current pace he could pass it within the next few games. This also marks NKU’s first Horizon League matchup of the year, and it comes against the program that ended the Norse’s season last March in the conference quarterfinals.
The first NET rankings of the season were released this week, and NKU opened at 148, the program’s highest season-opening NET in five years, a big jump from last year’s 286. The Norse sit second in the Horizon League behind Oakland (115) and notably ahead of the University of Cincinnati (154). Cleveland State opens at 331 as new Head Coach Rob Summers settles into the first season of a complete rebuild.
Cleveland State arrives with a completely new roster and a new head coach in Rob Summers. Summers is an Ohio native who previously spent three seasons on the Vikings’ staff and helped guide them to a Horizon League title and an NCAA Tournament appearance. He later worked at Miami (Ohio) and Missouri and built a reputation as an offensive-minded coach who develops frontcourt players well. He inherits a full rebuild in year one, taking over a team that returned no rotation players and is still searching for stability.
The Vikings’ early-season results reflect the challenge. They have just one Division I win, and Summers has leaned on depth while he sorts out roles, with their bench accounting for nearly 38% of total minutes, one of the highest rates nationally. But defensively the group has struggled. Opponents are shooting 61% on twos, grabbing close to 40% of their misses, and pushing CSU into uncomfortable spots despite the Vikings ranking inside the top 80 in both offensive and defensive tempo. They want games played fast and possession heavy, but they haven't been able to pair that pace with consistency.
Offensively, Cleveland State sits closer to the middle of the pack. More than 60% of their scoring comes from threes and free throws, and they rank near the bottom nationally in points generated inside the arc. This is also a team NKU should be able to pressure, force into turnovers, and punish in transition, especially with both sides wanting to play fast. With that in mind, here’s a closer look at the roster behind this rebuilt Horizon League squad.
Cleveland State Scouting Report
★ Denotes Starter of Previous Game
#0 Foster Wonders – Senior Guard, 6'5" 204 lbs – Iron Mountain, MI / Iron Mountain HS
Previous School: Green Bay
Season Averages: 23.4 MIN, 6.6 PTS, 2.8 REB, 0.6 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.0 BLK, 0.6 TO, 37.3 FG%, 33.3 FT%, 34.1% 3PT
Wonders started the first seven games of the season before missing the Waynesburg game due to illness and came off the bench against Missouri. His role is built around perimeter shooting, and the numbers back it up. 41 of his 51 shot attempts have been threes, and 13 of his 14 makes have come on catch-and-shoot looks. He’s a pure floor spacer that NKU will need to chase off the arc.
He’s a familiar Horizon League face after spending the last two seasons at Green Bay, where he appeared in 57 games and averaged just under seven points per outing. He made more than 100 threes for the Phoenix, shooting 33% from deep and 81% at the line. He closed last season strong, hitting double figures in four of Green Bay’s final eight regular-season games, including a career-high 19 points in a win over Oakland.
#1 Chevalier Emery – Junior Guard, 6'0" 183 lbs – Appleton, WI / Neenah HS
Previous School: Western Carolina
Season Averages: 18.7 MIN, 9.8 PTS, 1.0 REB, 1.8 AST, 0.4 STL, 0.0 BLK, 1.6 TO, 45.9 FG%, 69.0 FT%, 38.7% 3PT
Emery comes off the bench as a secondary ball handler who looks to push in transition and create early offense. He’s sitting close to a 1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and, like several CSU guards, does most of his damage as a catch-and-shoot threat. When pressured, he can be nudged into tougher attempts or rushed decisions.
He arrived at Cleveland State with plenty of experience. Emery played last season at Western Carolina, appearing in all 30 games with 14 starts while averaging 9.3 points. He hit double figures 12 times, topped 20 points in three games, and finished with team highs in steals and three-point production. He also spent that season alongside fellow CSU guard Kamari Jones at WCU.
★ #2 Jaidon Lipscomb – Senior Guard, 6'5" 171 lbs – Columbus, OH / Pickerington Central HS
Previous School: Florida International
Season Averages: 20.2 MIN, 5.9 PTS, 2.1 REB, 2.6 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.4 BLK, 2.2 TO, 34.8 FG%, 61.5 FT%, 32.5% 3PT
Lipscomb has started all but one game this season and gives CSU length on the perimeter along with high volume three point shooting. 40 of his 46 shot attempts have been from deep, and he’s coming off two strong performances in his last three games, hitting 3 threes in one and 4 in another, including a double-digit scoring night at Missouri. He’s more effective in transition than in the half court and likes to pull threes quickly in transition. He has been active defensively lately with 5 steals in his last 3 games, though overall he grades out as an average defender.
Before arriving at Cleveland State, Lipscomb spent two seasons at FIU. He played 30 games with 19 starts in 2023-24, scoring in double figures eight times and averaging 6.3 points. He posted a season-high 23 points against Trinity and knocked down five threes in a win over Western Kentucky before an early-season injury ended his most recent campaign.
#3 Tre Beard – Senior Guard, 5'10" 165 lbs – Chillicothe, OH / Chillicothe HS
Previous School: Shawnee State
Season Averages: 29.3 MIN, 15.5 PTS, 2.2 REB, 3.2 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.0 BLK, 1.5 TO, 48.1 FG%, 84.6 FT%, 48.7% 3PT
Beard is the team’s leading scorer and the engine of their offense, despite being a smaller guard. He’s missed the last three games with a knee contusion and hasn't played since November 19, when he went 6-for-10 from three and scored 22 against Valparaiso. When healthy, he’s a high level pick-and-roll guard who can get downhill, shoot from deep, and score efficiently at all three levels. Defensively he’s closer to average, but his offensive value more than makes up for it.
He arrived at CSU after a decorated three-year run at Shawnee State, where he averaged 19.1 points last season while shooting 49% from the field, 47% from three, and 91% at the line. Beard was an NAIA All-American and the 2025 River States Conference Player of the Year, helping lead the program to a 103–52 record during his time there. He also has familiarity with CSU’s staff, having played for current Vikings assistant Michael Hunter at Shawnee State.
★ #4 Preist Ryan – Junior Forward, 6'6" 220 lbs – Pittsburgh, PA / Perkiomen School
Previous School: Howard College
Season Averages: 22.4 MIN, 7.6 PTS, 3.8 REB, 1.0 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.1 BLK, 1.1 TO, 47.8 FG%, 75.0 FT%, 0.0% 3PT
Ryan has started the last three games and has been productive in that role, averaging 12.7 points during that stretch. He’s one of CSU’s few non-perimeter threats and took his only two three-point attempts of the season in their most recent game, missing both. Most of his scoring comes in the flow of the game; transition lanes, cuts, and second-chance finishes. He’s been especially active on the offensive glass, grabbing 18 offensive rebounds compared to 16 defensive, including games with 7 and 5 offensive boards.
He arrives at Cleveland State after a strong year at Howard College, where he started 28 games, averaged 16.3 points, and shot 50% from the field. He also posted impressive shooting splits from deep (46%) and the free throw line (80%). Before Howard, Ryan opened his college career at Coppin State.
★ #5 David Giddens – Junior Guard, 6'7" 205 lbs – Atlanta, GA / Tucker HS
Previous School: Coastal Alabama CC
Season Averages: 11.7 MIN, 5.4 PTS, 2.3 REB, 0.6 AST, 0.1 STL, 0.1 BLK, 0.7 TO, 38.7 FG%, 70.0 FT%, 28.0% 3PT
Giddens has started the last two games and brings size on the wing, but his role is almost entirely built around spot-up shooting and transition finishing. 25 of his 31 shot attempts have been threes, though he’s hit a cold stretch, going 2-for-16 from deep over the last two games. He doesn’t offer much as a defender, and most of his value comes from spacing the floor. Notably, he wore #31 without a name on the back instead of his normal #5 in the Missouri game, the only time he’s done that this season.
Before CSU, Giddens spent two seasons at Coastal Alabama CC, starting 39 of 46 games and averaging 13.6 points. He shot 44% from the field and 38% from three last season while playing more than 30 minutes per game.
★ #7 Dayan Nessah – Sophomore Forward, 6'7" 218 lbs – Geneva, Switzerland / Lycee Francais de Barcelone
Previous School: George Washington
Season Averages: 27.8 MIN, 15.3 PTS, 6.4 REB, 2.1 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.6 BLK, 3.0 TO, 54.1 FG%, 69.4 FT%, 30.0% 3PT
Nessah has started every game this season and has been their most reliable scorer, finishing in double figures in all but one outing, which was a season-low 16-minute appearance against Kent State. He handles the ball well for his size, can create off the bounce, and consistently looks to get downhill. He’s also one of their better defensive rebounders and a solid defender overall, holding opponents to 34.6% shooting in matchups against him. With Tre Beard potentially sidelined, Nessah becomes their biggest offensive threat and the player NKU has to key on.
He arrived at CSU after one season at George Washington, where he played 21 games off the bench and shot 50% from the field and 52% from three.
★ #12 Holden Pierre-Louis – Sophomore Forward, 6'8" 235 lbs – Potomac, MD / St. Andrew’s Episcopal
Previous School: Temple
Season Averages: 12.8 MIN, 2.8 PTS, 2.0 REB, 0.5 AST, 0.2 STL, 1.5 BLK, 1.5 TO, 47.1 FG%, 33.3 FT%, 0.0% 3PT
Pierre-Louis has started the last two games but isn’t a perimeter threat and can be turnover-prone. He fouled out against Missouri and committed four turnovers, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Coach Summers adjusts the starting lineup on Wednesday. Even with the offensive limitations, he’s provided some defensive punch, posting 8 blocks across his last 4 games. His recent minutes are largely tied to the injury absence of Josiah Harris. He began his career at Temple, appearing in three games as a freshman and scoring his first collegiate points on his first shot against Holy Family.
#22 Josiah Harris – Junior Forward, 6'7" 225 lbs – Canton, OH / Richmond Heights HS
Previous School: Akron
Season Averages: 28.7 MIN, 10.1 PTS, 7.9 REB, 3.1 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.0 BLK, 2.3 TO, 38.2 FG%, 66.7 FT%, 32.4% 3PT
Harris suffered an ankle injury in the Kent State game and immediately signaled for help, going down near the CSU bench. He’s missed the last two games and his status for Wednesday remains unclear. If he’s able to go, he’s a versatile forward who will screen, slip into space, and look to score out of short-roll touches or post-ups. He’s also their best rebounder by a wide margin and a key piece on both ends.
He joined Cleveland State after a short but productive stint at Akron, where he started all six games he played before a season-ending injury. He averaged 8.7 points and 23 minutes and opened the season with back-to-back double-figure performances, including a 16-point night at Saint Mary’s.
