EVANSTON, Ill. - The Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball team (0-1, 0-0 NEC) hits the hardwood for the first time in over a week when the Knights take on Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena live on Big Ten Network at 9 p.m. eastern on Thursday, November 18. The matchup reunites the Burgundy and Blue with Elyjah Williams, a four-year player for Greg Herenda's Knights who graduated FDU in May 2021. Williams finished his time on the banks of the Hackensack with 1,050 points, a Northeast Conference championship and numerous accolades. The Evanston, Ill. native returned home with his name further etched in the Knights' history book having been a member of the 2018-19 squad which went on to pick-up the first NCAA tournament victory in program history.

Game Info 
FDU (0-1, 0-0 NEC) at Northwestern (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Thursday, November 18, at 9 p.m. (EST) -- Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, Ill.)
Coverage: Big Ten Network | Live Stats
Tickets: Link
In-Game Updates: @FDUKnightsMBB

Media Game Notes
FDU | NU

All-Time Series
Northwestern leads 1-0
Last Three..N/A
Streak..L1
First Meeting..Northwestern 80, FDU 53 (11/18/2012 at Northwestern)
Last Meeting...Northwestern 80, FDU 53 (11/18/2012 at Northwestern)
 
Scouting the Wildcats
Starting the season off 3-0 (3-0 at home) for the first time in three years, the Northwestern Wildcats look to continue defending their home court against the Knights. In the 83-67 win yesterday (11/16) against New Orleans, NU was led by Pete Nance who finished with a team-high 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and four blocks. Also for the hosts, Ty Berry posted a career high 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from deep. Of note for Chris Collins' squad, the Wildcats outscored New Orleans 49-30 in the second half and now outscore opponents 149-84 in the second half this season. The Wildcats were picked tied for 12th in the Big Ten media preseason poll earlier this fall.

More on the Wildcats
 
Scouting the Knights
Falling to Seton Hall on November 10 by a 93-49 mark, the FDU Knights hit the court for the first time in eight days when they face the 'Cats on Thursday. Led by junior guard Brandon Rush's 19 points, the Burgundy and Blue were trying to find their groove all night despite holding the lead for the first several minutes of action at Prudential Center. All 15 Knights who dressed for the game saw at least one minute of playing time. Behind Rush's 19, newcomer sophomore Sébastien Lamaute booked six points, five rebounds and one assist. Fellow sophomore Pier-Olivier Racine recorded a team-high six rebounds. FDU's second of the season, scheduled for November 12 at Drexel, was postponed due to a mechanical issue with the Knights' bus.

Following the Seton Hall game, head coach Greg Herenda remarked, "We came out and hung with a very good team for a while and competed but we just never got many good looks at the basket. Give Seton Hall a ton of credit - they are long, athletic and have a ton of weapons offensively." He continued, "Our team will grow from this game and continue to improve and find themselves. Brandon Rush showed just how good that he can be and the rest of our guys will follow."

Full Seton Hall Recap / Drexel Game Update

Coach Herenda's Thoughts
"This is a great opportunity to come out to Evanston and play a very good team in Northwestern. Whenever you play in a Big Ten arena and you are on their network it is a privilege. On top of all of that, to come to Evanston and to visit with number 21 [Williams] will be special as well."

What's Next
FDU faces a quick turnaround as the Knights hit the road on Saturday, November 20, when they head to Queens to face St. John's live on FS2 from Carnesecca Arena at 6 p.m.

Fans can stay connected with FDU men's basketball on Instagram and Twitter, @FDUKnightsMBB.

The 2021-22 men's basketball season is presented by Bogota Savings Bank.