Rock Valley College Athletics

Game Preview: #1 Rock Valley College men host Ellsworth Community College (IA) on Friday

12/4/2015 10:49:00 AM

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Upcoming Dates
Dec. 4- vs. Ellsworth Community College, 5:30 PM (women) / 7:30 PM (men); Rockford, IL

Probable Starters

Rock Valley College (11-0)
PG- LT Davis, 5-11, So., Rockford, IL; 18.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 41.1% 3 PT
SG- Dalton Menke, 6-3, Fr., Winnebago, IL; 8.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg
SG- Dalton Payton, 6-6, So., Byron, IL; 9.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg
SF- Kooper Glick, 6-3, Fr., Columbus, IN; 12.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg
C- Elijah Williams, 6-7, So., Chicago, IL; 18.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 64.1% FG
6th- Mo Jackson, 5-10, So., Belvidere, IL; 8.7 ppg, 2.5 apg
 
Ellsworth Community College (8-2)
PG- Darius Fuller, 5-9, So., Cedar Rapids, IA; 3.4 ppg, 3.4 apg
SG- Keeon Johnson, 6-4, Fr., Cedar Falls, IA; 8.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg
SF- Myzeah Batie-Gaddy, 6-5, So., Iowa City, IA; 25.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg
PF- Michael Evans, 6-5, Fr., Davenport, IA; 8.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg
PF- Mo Arrington, 6-7, Fr., Cedar Rapids, IA; 5.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg
6th – Yach Deng, 6-3, So., Storm Lake, IA; 8.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg

Ellsworth Community College Notes
Ellsworth is an NJCAA DII member of the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) located in Iowa Falls, IA… Head coach of the Panthers is Troy Muilenburg… In the latest NJCAA DII National Poll (December 1st, 2015), Ellsworth received votes, just missing out on cracking the Top 20… In their last contest out (12/1/15), Ellsworth took down Dakota County Technical College (Rosemount, MN) 73-55 in Iowa Falls, IA… In last year's match-up (11/22/14), Rock Valley College defeated Ellsworth in the Dale Howard Classic 96-88… The Golden Eagles were hot all night long, shooting 31-55 (56.4%) from the field, 12-22 (54.5%) from 3PT, and 22-28 (78.6%) from the free throw line… Rock Valley College was paced by Dalton Payton's 18 points and 4 rebounds… Jefferson HS graduate Jared Mayes also had a solid performance with 17 points and 5 rebounds… The Golden Eagles won the battle of the boards over the Panthers 36-23… This season, Ellsworth is led by Myzeah Batie-Gaddy's 25.1 ppg, which ranks 5th in NJCAA DII… For his play Nov 9-15, he was voted NJCAA DII National Player of the Week… He shoots 53.6% from the field, 41.2% from 3PT, and 90.7% from the free throw line.

Rock Valley College Notes
Rock Valley is an NJCAA Division III member of the North Central Community College Conference (N4C)… In the latest NJCAA Division III National Poll (December 1st, 2015), the Golden Eagles earned the top spot with a #1 ranking nationally… The Golden Eagles are a perfect 11-0, including a 9-0 mark against NJCAA DI and NJCAA DII schools… RVC is coming off an 85-60 victory over previously undefeated McHenry County College Tuesday… In the win, the Golden Eagles were led by Elijah Williams' 24 points (8-10 FG, 8-8 FT)… Freshman Dalton Menke (14) and Kooper Glick (12) rounded out the trio of Rock Valley players in double figures… Rock Valley College plays three of their next four games at home… Dating back to January 2013, the Golden Eagles have boasted a 38-5 record in "The Nest"… RVC is currently 3-0 at home this season with an average margin of victory of 20.7 ppg.

Tough Scheduling
The Golden Eagles play one of the most difficult schedules in the country again this season…RVC has scheduled 13 of their 16 non-conference games against NJCAA D1 and D2 opponents including 2015 NJCAA D1 national tournament teams and top 10 ranked Vincennes University (W: 78-66, Oct. 30) and Indian Hills (W: 88-86, Nov. 7), as well as the 2015 NJCAA D2 National Runner-up John Wood Community College (W: 76-51, Nov. 13), all on the road.  Rock Valley will play no JV teams or prep schools.  For the complete schedule along with game times click here.
 
Tradition
The Golden Eagles men's basketball program started as NJCAA members in 1966 under Charles Behrends.  With a rich tradition, RVC has taken the men's basketball program to new heights over the past three seasons.  Despite reaching the NJCAA National Tournament only one time from 1966-2012 (in 2001 under Carl Armato), the Golden Eagles have won the NJCAA Region IV tournament each of the past three seasons to make three straight trips to the national tournament in New York.  The Golden Eagles have placed 7th, won the National Championship and was National Runner-up respectively, over the past three seasons.  To view the year-by-year success of the Golden Eagles program click here.
 

(Head Coach Craig Doty - RVC Athletics)

Craig Doty is in his 4th season as the Golden Eagles' head coach. Doty has produced three of the best seasons in the 49 year history of the RVC program.  Rock Valley won the Region 4 Championship in all three seasons, earning a 7th place finish at the 2013 national tournament in Doty's inaugural season followed by a 30-5 season and winning the NJCAA DIII national championship in 2014. Last season, the Golden Eagles went 31-4 overall and made a return appearance in the National Championship game finishing 2nd in the country.  The 31 victories are the most in program history in a season.  In 2014, Doty was named the Spalding NJCAA national coach of the year, the Gary S. Cole coach of the national tournament, the NJCAA coaches association coach of the year, and the NJCAA national all-star game coach.  In all three seasons at RVC Doty earned Region 4 coach of the year, District 2 coach of the year as well as the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association coach of the year awards.  Doty graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in English from Morningside College (IA) and served previous stints as an assistant at the University of Sioux Falls (NCAA Division II), Riverland Community College (NJCAA), Central Wyoming College (NJCAA) and Morningside College (NAIA).  Doty served as interim head coach at Central Wyoming College in the spring of 2011 and also spent a season as the head boys basketball coach at Akron-Westfield high school (IA).