THIS WEEK IN GRIFFON MEN'S BASKETBALL
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. vs. Avila
Saturday, Jan. 4, 3:30 p.m. vs. Rogers State
 
ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western Men's Basketball will make a long-awaited return to MWSU Fieldhouse this week. The Griffons (4-8, 1-1 MIAA) will play Tuesday and host Avila (7-9, 5-4 KCAC) then turn around on Saturday and play Rogers State (11-1, 3-0 MIAA).
 
The Griffons hope to bounce back in their return home as they currently suffer from a three-game losing skid with all three of those matchups being on the road. Missouri Western has played Avila once before in program history and the matchup was a 95-85 victory for the Griffons, while the game on Saturday will feature the first time MWSU and Rogers State will play each other in either program's respective history.
 
PREVIEWING THE GRIFFONS
 

• Missouri Western ranks second in the MIAA in blocked shots averaging 4.08 rejections per contest through 12 games.
• The Griffons also place fourth in the conference in offensive rebounding, averaging 11.1 boards per matchup.
• Tyrell Carroll grades third in the league in scoring averaging 17.9 points per game. Carroll also ranks sixth in the MIAA in field goal percentage per game averaging 52%.
• Tyrell also ranks third in the MIAA in average assists per game with 5.8.
• TC also shows up on the defensive end of the floor. He leads the conference in average steals per game with 2.5 takeaways.
• Alex John ranks fifth in the MIAA in blocked shots averaging 1.3 per contest.
• Will Eames ranks seventh in the conference in rebounding averaging 7.6 per game for the Griffons.
• Tyus Millhollin leads the league in three-point field goals made per game averaging three per match. Millhollin also ranks in the top-five of the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage averaging 36% from beyond the arc.
• Reese Glover is also in the top-10 of the conference in the three-point field goals made per game category.

 
SCOUTING AVILA
 

• The Eagles rank second in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference in blocked shots per game averaging 3.5 per game.
• Avila ranks fifth in the KCAC in three-point field goals made per game with 9.13.
• Shandon Boone leads the league in scoring averaging 22.88 per game.
• Boone is averaging 44% from the field per game for Avila.
• Eric Smith Jr. ranks second in the KCAC in rebounding averaging 11.47 per contest for the Eagles.
• Smith Jr. also leads the conference in blocked shots per game averaging 2.07 per match.

 
SCOUTING ROGERS STATE
 

• The Hillcats rank fourth in the MIAA in offensive scoring averaging 81.8 points per game.
• RSU also ranks fifth in the league in average assists per game with 15.08 per contest.
• Marques Sumner ranks third in the conference in average three-point field goal percentage averaging 38% from beyond the arc.
• Sumner ranks in the top-15 in the league in scoring averaging 14.3 per contest.
• Tavian Davis ranks fifth in the MIAA in average assists per game with 4.5.