Men's Basketball OAC Tournament Preview

The four-seed Muskingum men's basketball team is set to host five-seed Otterbein in a WHITEOUT in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament on Tuesday, February 25, at 7 PM in the Steele Center. The first 300 Muskie fans will receive a free t-shirt, adding to the excitement of the tournament atmosphere.

Muskingum (13-12 overall, 11-7 OAC) is hosting its first home OAC Tournament game since the 2005-06 season. Muskingum was picked to finish 10th in the OAC Preseason Poll and ended the year with the most wins in the league since the 2005-06 campaign.

Otterbein (14-11 overall, 9-9 OAC) is making its sixth straight OAC Tournament appearance. The Cardinals won three of its final four games to lock in the fifth seed.

Key Players to Watch
Muskingum:
Junior Duane Davis leads the league with an average of 18.6 points per game.
Sophomore Owen Emig is averaging 13.1 points per game and ranks second in the league with 55 three-point shots made.
Senior Luken Hill leads the squad, averaging 6.0 rebounds per game, which ranks 10th in the OAC, and tops the team with 2.6 assists per outing.

Otterbein:
Graduate student Cam Evans leads the team, averaging 18.1 points per game, which ranks second in the league.
Junior Julian Heckman is the Cardinal's second-leading scorer (10.7) and leads the team in assists (3.0).
Senior Jared Kreager paces the team in rebounds, averaging 5.3 boards per game.

Previous Matchups
The two teams have faced each other twice this season, each securing a win on their home court:

January 11, 2025: Muskingum defeated Otterbein 75-69 at the Steele Center. Sophomore DJ Fowler led the Muskies with 19 points, while Cam Evans scored 17 points for the Cardinals.

February 15, 2025: Otterbein won 81-76 at the Rike Center. Cam Evans was the standout performer with 22 points, and Duane Davis scored 17 points for Muskingum.

Team Stats Comparison
Muskingum:
Points per game: 75.2
Points per game allowed: 73.8
Field goal percentage: 43.6%
Three-point percentage: 31.3%
Free throw percentage: 66.7%
Rebounds per game: 36.0
Assists per game: 12.0

Otterbein:
Points per game: 70.4
Points per game allowed: 68.4
Field goal percentage: 46.2%
Three-point percentage: 33.3%
Free throw percentage: 75.8%
Rebounds per game: 35.3
Assists per game: 12.2