CHICAGO, Ill. -- After an exhilarating 95-84 comeback victory over North Central last Saturday, North Park Men's Basketball moved into the driver's seat of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW), by moving into a first-place tie. Just two days later, the Vikings welcome a unique opponent to Chicago in Greenville University, a team that leads all Divisions of NCAA Basketball with 117.2 points per game thanks to their "system" style.
Through eight games, North Park is averaging 85.5 points per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from three-point range, and 72.8 percent at the free-throw line. The Vikings collect 37.1 rebounds per game, dish out 19.4 assists, and force 8.6 steals, while limiting turnovers to 12.6 per contest in their climb to the league's top spot. Junior guard Mike Vuckovic leads the team with 19.4 points per game, followed by senior Kolden Vanlandingham at 16.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and nearly six assists per game. Vanlandingham's 6.4 assists per game rank 6th in DIII. Senior center Julian Campbell adds 13.9 points and 6.7 rebounds while his feel from beyond the arc continues to add depth to his game. Freshman guard Marquis Vance has been a dynamic player for Coach Edwind McGhee, turning in 13 points in two of his past three games.
Greenville enters at 2-7 overall, bringing its trademark high-octane style to Chicago. The Panthers average 117.2 points per game, which leads all Divisions of college basketball. They're also DIII's leader in Offensive Rebounds per Game (24.11), Steals per Game (19.3), Turnovers Forced per Game (30.22), and, of course, Three Pointers Attempted per Game (47.8). Their aggressive tempo prevents any offensive woes, but the Panthers average 29.9 turnovers per game (the worst mark in Division III) and their 126.9 opponent ppg also rank last. Joshua Williford leads Greenville with 16.0 points per game, while Brandon Tully and Elijah Goad each add 14.1 points. Tully's 103 three-point attempts this season lead Division III and rank fourth across all Divisions of NCAA Basketball.
Tip-off on Monday is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. inside Carlson Gym, the third of a four-game home stretch for NPU Men's Basketball.
