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Central Michigan lands former Youngstown State guard

Youngstown St Illinois St Basketball

AP Photo

AP

With first team All-MAC guard Chris Fowler due to be a senior next season, accounting for his eventual departure is something that Central Michigan head coach Keno Davis and his staff needed to do. They took a significant step in the right direction Sunday by way of the transfer market, as former Youngstown State guard Marcus Keene will join the CMU program according to Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free-Press.

Keene was Youngstown State’s leading scorer in 2014-15, averaging 15.6 points per game and shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from beyond the arc. Keene will have to sit out the 2015-16 season per NCAA transfer rules, and he’ll have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

In speaking with Snyder, Keene noted that getting to see CMU up close (the two teams met during the regular season) helped him during the process of deciding where he’d transfer to.

“They play a very up-tempo style of play – that’s my style of play, especially for my size, I’ve got to get up the floor,” said Keene, just 5-foot-11, 160 pounds. “When we played them this year and seen the way they played and went up there for a visit, they showed me how I could fit into their system.”

This situation works out well for Central Michigan, as Keene can spend the upcoming year competing against Fowler and the other guards in practice while also learning a new system. In theory, that should have him prepared to take over in 2016-17. Based upon his numbers at Youngstown State, Keene has the talent needed to hit the ground running when he’s able to suit up.