KCAC
[Men's Basketball] MBB Gameday Preview: Falcons Return Home to Host Graceland Today
The Lowdown: Graceland University at Friends UniversityLocation: Garvey CenterWhen: Saturday, Nov. 13 @ 4 pmBroadcast and Live Stats: https://kcacnetwork.com/friends/Flying with the Falcons: The Friends University Falcons won their home opener over Barclay College 102-81 on Nov. 2 before dropping a pair of games in Bartlesville, Okla. to Missouri Valley College in MidAmerica Nazarene University to come in at 1-4 overall on the season.Ian Konek (JR/Long Beach, Calif.) is pacing the Falcons in both scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (6.0 rpg), with Davonte Pack (SR/Sumter, SC) second in scoring (10.8 ppg) and tops in assists (4.6 apg). Trey Reid (FR/Wichita, Kan. ) is scoring 10.0 ppg and has been solid from the perimeter, hitting 8-of-13 from beyond the arc thus far this season. Connor Kern (FR/Prosper, Texas) has also pulled down five rebounds per game for the Falcons.Scouting the Yellowjackets: The Graceland University Yellowjackets have an identical 1-4 mark to start the season. Seth Compas leads Graceland with 13.4 ppg, followed by Carson Newsome with 12.0 ppg. CJ Wilson (10.2 ppg) and Zachary Lattimer (10.0) also average in double-figures, while Nicholas Branton (4.6 rpg) is tops in rebounding and Khyle Washington (3.2 apg) leads the team in assists.The Series: This will be the first meeting on record between the Falcons and Yellowjackets.Quoting Head Coach Austin McBeth:"We're excited to be back at home for today's game. Graceland not being too far from my hometown makes this game a cool experience for me. They have some athletic guards who are tough to guard, and they've got a few shooters who can really get it going. Our team continues to get better each game, and I have a lot of hope in the direction we're going."Sponsor Alerts: Friends University Athletics is excited to have Home2 Suites by Hilton back as an official athletic sponsor this season! For more on what they can offer, click HERE to visit their official webpage.Friends University Athletics also welcomes Phoenix Home Care and Hospice as a sponsor this season! For more info on what they can provide, click HERE.Tickets: Fans are able to tickets all home basketball games by clicking HERE.Falcons by the Numbers:When scoring: Under 50 points:50-59 points: 0-160-69 points: 0-270-79 points: 0-180-89 points: 0-090+ points: 1-0When allowing:Under 50 points:50-59 points: 0-060-69 points: 0-070-79 points: 0-280-89 points: 1-290+ points: 0-0When leading at halftime: 1-1When trailing at halftime: 0-3When tied at halftime: 0-0When committing more turnovers: 1-3When committing fewer turnovers: 0-0When turnovers are tied: 0-1When leading in field-goal percentage: 1-0When trailing in field-goal percentage: 0-4When leading in three-point percentage: 1-2When trailing in three-point percentage: 0-2When leading in rebounding: 1-1When trailing in rebounding: 0-3When leading in assists: 1-3When trailing in assists: 0-1In OT: 0-0The Coaches:Austin McBeth is in his first season as head coach of the Friends University men's basketball program.McBeth arrives at Friends following a highly successful stint as the head assistant coach at NCAA D-II Truman State University of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).Serving as the recruiting coordinator for Truman State, McBeth was at the heart of a team that won the GLVC regular-season championship and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA D-II National Tournament.At Truman, McBeth also served in roles as the director of strength and conditioning, academic advisor for "at risk" players, summer camp director, director of community service while being heavily involved in fundraising and skill development for guards and post players.McBeth's coaching experience includes head assistant coaching stops at the University of Illinois-Springfield, also of the GLVC and NAIA program Montreat College in Black Mountain, NC.He was also a part of his alma mater team, the Iowa State University men's basketball program under head coach Fred Hoiberg, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.McBeth was a Volunteer GA Assistant Coach at ISU in 2013 and served as a camp instructor for the Cyclones in the summer of 2012.Off the court, McBeth is the perfect fit for the Friends University Christian mission, having served as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) President at Iowa State while also filling the role of an FCA Co-Sponsor at Iowa State, Montreat and Illinois-Springfield. In addition, he has authored two books on coaching philosophies and the important role that coaches play in the lives of athletes.Taylor Langley is in his first season as head coach of the Graceland University Yellowjackets. Prior to Graceland, Langley was the head coach at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and become the winningest coach in school history. Langley also had a four-year stint as assistant coach at Davenport University. Up Next: The Falcons will open up KCAC action at home vs. Avila University on Wednesday night (Nov. 17) at 8 pm inside the Garvey Center.