The Jason Edwin-Keith Triplett rivalry has lasted only one game, but some off-court trash talking quickly changed that.

“At MAC Media Day, he told me he’d get J.E. for 30,” DeAndre Haynes said. “I know he’s got this game circled for us.”

Edwin was not even there.

“At the meeting, they called me on the phone, saying, ‘Triplett’s right here and he can’t wait for the game,’” Edwin said. “He’s ready, so I’m going to be ready, too.”

Edwin scored 20 points while holding Triplett to five in Kent State’s 92-56 win over Toledo last season. They will play at 2 p.m. tomorrow in Toledo’s Savage Hall.

Triplett, a conference favorite for player of the year, is sixth in the Mid-American Conference with 16.8 points per game. He leads the MAC in steals, averaging 3.07 a game.

“It’s just another game, too, but it’s another challenge. I want to see how I hold my own against him,” Edwin said. “He’s playing good right now. If I can hold him to five points again, we got a good chance of winning on the road.”

The game will be the MAC Game of the Week and televised on Fox Sports Net Ohio.

The Rockets (7-9, 3-4 MAC) were preseason favorites to win the MAC, but have fallen far short of those accolades. Instead of first, Toledo sits fourth in the MAC West; behind Western Michigan, Bowling Green and Ball State.

Toledo’s latest setback was at Ohio (9-7, 4-4 MAC) on Wednesday night with a 76-68 loss. Kent State (13-6, 5-3 MAC) did not fare any better in Athens, losing 82-54 two weeks ago.

Of Toledo’s 16 games played, only four have been at Savage Hall. The Rockets won all four games played there.

“It’s real tough,” Haynes said. “The crowd gets into it. If we don’t come to play, they’re going to show us.”

The Flashes are 5-6 on the road, 0-3 in conference road games.

Contact men’s basketball reporter Matt Goul at [email protected].