Pregame Preview: Northern Kentucky (2-2) at Central Michigan (2-2)
Central Michigan rolls into Thursday night as one of the more unusual early-season stories in college basketball. The Chippewas didn’t return a single player from last year, and all 15 players on the roster are brand new. First-year head coach Andy Bronkema rebuilt the entire program from scratch after arriving from Ferris State, where he spent 12 seasons winning a national title, stacking up nine GLIAC championships, and making nine NCAA tournament trips. He even brought three familiar faces with him, Jaxson Whitaker, Jorden Brooks, and Nathan Claerbaut, to help anchor the overhaul.
Despite talking all offseason about wanting to play fast, CMU has opened the year with one of the slower tempos in the country. They finally found some pace last game against Coppin State, piling up 21 fast-break points, and they’ve mixed that with steady free-throw shooting (75.4 percent) and a deep rotation that leans heavily on the bench.
The scoring has been spread around too: four games, four different leading scorers, and three players already hitting the 20-point mark. On defense they almost exclusively play man to man. Thursday also marks the first-ever meeting between Central Michigan and Northern Kentucky, though the Chippewas do have a long history with the Horizon League as a whole, entering the night with a 61–55 all-time record against the conference.
With so many new faces on both sides, the matchups become the real story. CMU leans on a rotation where nearly everyone plays, and several of their key pieces bring very different skill sets to the floor. NKU will have to account for size, shooting, and a handful of versatile wings who can create mismatches if left unchecked. Here’s a closer look at the Chippewas’ primary contributors and what they bring to Thursday’s game.
Central Michigan Scouting Report
★ Denotes Starter of Previous Game
#3 Jaxson Whitaker – Sophomore Guard, 6'4" 215 lbs – Reeths-Puffer HS (Mich.)
Previous School: Ferris State
Season Averages: 20.8 MIN, 8.5 PTS, 2.0 REB, 1.0 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.3 BLK, 0.5 TO, 41.4 FG%, 100.0 FT%, 40.9 3PT%
Whitaker has taken on a very defined role early in the season. 22 of his 29 shots have come from three, a massive shift from last year at Ferris State, when only 17.5% of his attempts were from deep compared to 75.9% this season. Almost all of his non-three attempts have come on simple back cuts when defenders lose track of him on the perimeter. He’s not looking to create off the dribble; he’s hunting catch-and-shoot threes and slipping behind defenders for layups when they fall asleep.
★ #5 Tamario Adley – Senior Guard, 6'1" 195 lbs – Warren De La Salle HS (Mich.)
Previous Schools: Wayne State, Macomb CC
Season Averages: 28.0 MIN, 8.8 PTS, 3.5 REB, 3.0 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.5 BLK, 2.0 TO, 41.4 FG%, 63.6 FT%, 36.4 3PT%
Adley is a defense-first guard who handles a big share of CMU’s possessions. Most of his offense comes from spot-up jumpers or hard drives that end in pull-ups or fadeaways rather than finishes at the rim. When pressured, he can be forced into tough, low-percentage attempts. He’s also one of CMU’s primary ballhandlers and shares the team lead in assists with Phat Phat Brooks, so keeping him out of rhythm is key to disrupting their half-court offense.
★ #10 Phat Phat Brooks – Sophomore Guard, 6'2" 195 lbs – Grand Rapids Catholic Central HS (Mich.)
Previous School: Michigan
Season Averages: 24.5 MIN, 7.8 PTS, 3.5 REB, 3.0 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.0 BLK, 2.0 TO, 29.4 FG%, 78.6 FT%, 0.0 3PT%
Brooks is still settling into the college game after missing much of the preseason. He’s 0-for-6 from three and almost all of his attempts come from trying to get downhill and finish at the rim. He’s coming off a 14-point outing against Coppin State, but it took 5-of-13 shooting to get there, and he’s still chasing night-to-night offensive consistency.
Brooks is the first Michigan Mr. Basketball to ever play at CMU, and the staff has made it clear they’re investing heavily in his development. After the Coppin State win, Bronkema said he’s “so proud” of Brooks, adding that he’s holding him to a high standard because “that’s what he signed up for” and that his growth will come as he gains experience.
#13 Keenan Garner – Sophomore Forward, 6'6" 220 lbs – Fishers HS (Ind.)
Previous School: IU–Indianapolis
Season Averages: 19.8 MIN, 7.0 PTS, 3.5 REB, 1.0 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.3 BLK, 1.5 TO, 57.1 FG%, 44.4 FT%, 0.0 3PT%
Garner is an opportunistic scorer who works best when he can flash to the free-throw line, catch in space, and make simple plays from there. He’s yet to make a three this season and has missed his lone attempt. Defensively, he can be inconsistent and will lose track of assignments, which has led to some wide-open looks for opponents. After starting the first three games of the season, he came off the bench against Coppin State and played only nine minutes, finishing with three points.
At IU–Indianapolis last year, he played in all 32 games and averaged 5.3 points and 4.8 rebounds, closing the season with a career-high 14 points in the Horizon League Tournament against Wright State. Against NKU specifically, he scored just one point across two games last season, going 0-for-2 from the field in 24 total minutes.
★ #21 Nick Mullen – Senior Forward, 6'10" 230 lbs – Chesterton HS (Ind.)
Previous School: IU–South Bend
Season Averages: 18.8 MIN, 5.8 PTS, 5.3 REB, 0.5 AST, 0.8 STL, 1.8 BLK, 0.3 TO, 39.1 FG%, 100.0 FT%, 0.0 3PT%
Mullen stepped into the starting lineup for the first time this season in CMU’s most recent game and responded with nine points and seven rebounds. He’s been one of their steadier defensive pieces, holding opponents to just 25 percent shooting when he’s the primary defender. He runs the floor hard, uses his size well around the rim, and gives them a physical presence even though he’s not an explosive athlete. He’ll take wide-open threes despite being 0-for-6 on the year, but most of his value comes from rebounding, rim protection, and anchoring the paint.
Before transferring to CMU, he put together a strong three-year career at IU–South Bend, where he averaged 8.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and shot 56.1 percent from the field while starting 58 of 69 games.
#24 Rodney Johnson Jr. – Senior Forward, 6'5" 220 lbs – Bryan HS (Texas)
Previous Schools: Tennessee Tech, Weatherford JC, Panola JC
Season Averages: 15.0 MIN, 7.3 PTS, 4.8 REB, 0.8 AST, 0.0 STL, 0.3 BLK, 0.5 TO, 50.0 FG%, 100.0 FT%, 40.0 3PT%
Johnson is one of CMU’s most reliable bench scorers and is coming off a season-high 15 points, taking 13 shots against Coppin State, which is more than he attempted in the first three games combined. He’s comfortable handling the ball for his size and isn’t shy about hunting tough mid-range fadeaways, which he can make when he gets to his spots. He also rebounds well for a 6-5 forward and gives them an offensive spark in second-unit lineups.
Before CMU, Johnson was a proven producer at Tennessee Tech, where he averaged 11.8 points and 5.5 rebounds across 51 games and shot 34 percent from three.
★ #32 Nathan Claerbaut – Senior Center, 7'0" 230 lbs – Zeeland East HS (Mich.)
Previous School: Ferris State
Season Averages: 25.3 MIN, 11.5 PTS, 8.3 REB, 1.3 AST, 0.0 STL, 2.0 BLK, 1.5 TO, 60.6 FG%, 75.0 FT%, 0.0 3PT%
Before transferring to CMU, Claerbaut had a strong career at Ferris State, averaging 6.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks while shooting nearly 59 percent from the floor across 61 games, and earning GLIAC All-Defensive honors last season with 9.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.
Claerbaut is CMU’s biggest matchup advantage and the player NKU has to account for on every possession. At seven feet, he anchors everything they do inside, scoring efficiently, rebounding in traffic, and protecting the rim at a high level. He’s coming off back-to-back double-doubles, including a 20-point, 11-rebound performance on 9-for-10 shooting last game, and opponents are hitting just 25 percent of their shots when he’s the primary defender. He’s already totaled eight blocks, many of them coming from rotating to help and still recovering back to contest his own man.
He moves well for his size, has soft touch around the rim, and is constantly trying to get to his right-hand hook. NKU’s forwards, especially LJ Wells and Kael Robinson, will need to be physical with him early to keep him from getting comfortable.
★ #33 Logan McIntire – Senior Guard, 6'5" 205 lbs – North Harrison HS (Ind.)
Previous Schools: Kentucky Wesleyan, Evansville
Season Averages: 23.3 MIN, 9.5 PTS, 3.3 REB, 0.8 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.3 BLK, 1.0 TO, 36.4 FG%, 100.0 FT%, 40.0 3PT%
McIntire is the definition of a three-and-defense wing. 30 of his 33 shot attempts have been from beyond the arc, and he’s hitting 40 percent from deep. On the other end, he’s been one of CMU’s most disruptive defenders, opponents have scored just three total points against him this season. His hands are always active, and he’s excellent at digging down in help and still recovering in time to contest his own matchup.
Before arriving at CMU, McIntire was a high-level shooter at Kentucky Wesleyan, hitting nearly 43 percent from three over two seasons and averaging 12.1 points per game. Last year he earned First Team All-GMAC honors after leading the league and ranking third nationally in three-point percentage at 47 percent.
