Game Notes (PDF)
DETROIT -- The Wayne State University men's basketball team (6-5, 4-4 GLIAC) continues its road trip this week at Northwood (9-7, 5-3 GLIAC) on Thursday and at Saginaw Valley (5-7, 1-7 GLIAC) on Saturday. WSU will look to get back in the win column after dropping two road games last week.
GAME STORYLINES
WSU has lost four of its last five games, two by just two points and one by three points. The Warriors will begin divisional play on Thursday at Northwood. This season, the North went 35-29 against the South. During the past two games, WSU is 38-for-44 from the free throw line including a 14-for-14 performance at Findlay (1/11). The Oilers attempted 38 free throws on Saturday to close out the Warriors. Senior
Bryan Coleman is 10th in the GLIAC at 18.8 points per game and has six 20+ point games this season.
SCOUTING NORTHWOOD/SAGINAW VALLEY
Northwood enters Thursday's matchup at 9-7 overall and 5-3 in league contests. The Timberwolves won at Ohio Dominican 88-85 on Saturday and lost by one point, 81-80, at Tiffin on Thursday. Northwood is 4-2 at home this season. Wes Wilcox leads the way for the T-Wolves at 19.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Dylan Langkabel is contributing 14.9 points per game. Head coach Jeff Rekeweg is in his fourth season with the program and carries a 50-48 record at NU. Saginaw Valley is 5-7 overall and 1-7 in the GLIAC (4-4 at home). SVSU has lost seven straight, most recently at Hillsdale and Findlay. The Cardinals play at Lake Superior on Thursday. C.J. Turnage leads SVSU at 16.2 points per game. Damon Bozeman is averaging 15.7 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game. Head coach Randy Baruth is in his second season at SVSU and went 12-13 a season ago.
ALL-TIME SERIES
WSU leads the all-time series with Northwood 37-26 but is 4-6 during the last 10 meetings. Coach Greer is 10-9 in his career against the Timberwolves and 3-5 on the road. The all-time series against SVSU is tied at 33 wins apiece. Coach Greer is 11-7 against the Cardinals and 4-5 on the road against SVSU.
LAST TIME OUT
WSU suffered a 72-65 setback at Findlay on Saturday afternoon. The Warriors fall to 6-5 overall and conclude play against the GLIAC South Division with a 4-4 mark. The Oilers are 9-3 overall and 5-3 in the GLIAC. After the contest featured eight ties and eight lead changes in the first half, there was just one lead change in the final 20 minutes.
Bryan Coleman led the Warriors with 25 points with
Jamar Ragland adding 10 points. Ragland and
Gerald Williams-Taylor tied for game-high rebounding honors with nine apiece. Findlay's Greg Kahlig led all scorers with 27 points. Alphonso Baity contributed 14 points, while Jake Heagen added 13 points.
IN THE POLLS
The GLIAC released the 2013-14 Preseason Poll last month as voted on by 24 media members. Wayne State University was predicted to win the GLIAC North Division with 172 points and 10 first-pace nods. Also picking up first-place votes in the North Division Poll were Grand Valley (6), Michigan Tech (5), and Ferris State (3). Findlay was a unanimous choice to win the the South Division receiving all 24 first-place votes.
COACH GREER
David Greer is in his 13th season at the helm of the Warrior basketball program during the 2013-14 academic year. He is the fourth-longest tenured coach in program history. Coach Greer's squad returns nine letterwinners of which there are seven seniors including three starters from a squad that finished 17-10 (16-6 GLIAC) last season. Greer, who has directed the Warriors to a 190-153 record, was voted the 2012-13 GLIAC Coach of the Year by his peers. Greer coached his 300th WSU (non-exhibition) game vs. Northwood on Feb. 11, 2012, and his 200th GLIAC game vs. Grand Valley on Feb. 18, 2012. Coach Greer passed Joel Mason for second place in victories with his 187th win in the victory over Ohio Dominican on Dec. 7.
2012-13 RECAP
The Warriors won a share of the regular-season conference championship last season, the first for the WSU men's basketball program since the 1998-99 season, and played in the NCAA tournament for the 13th time in program history (fourth appearance under Greer).
PRESEASON ALL-GLIAC
Mike Hollingsworth (Utica, Mich.) was voted All-GLIAC First Team while
Chene Phillips (Detroit, Mich. / Renaissance) was a Second Team All-GLIAC selection by the league's head coaches. Hollingsworth, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard, led the Warriors with a 14.6 points per game average last season and was twice named GLIAC Player of the Week. He shot 49.4 percent from the floor and was third on the team in assists with 53 along with being voted to the All-GLIAC First Team. Phillips, a senior guard, was fourth on the Warriors averaging 11.5 points per game a season ago. A 6-foot-2 transfer after his sophomore season from Liberty University, Phillips started all 27 games for Wayne State last season and was first on the team in steals (45) and second on the squad in assists (94). Phillips also went to the charity stripe with great frequency, sinking 114 free throws last season.
COMCAST/XFINITY
Six games will be broadcast on Comcast/Xfinity Channel 900 in 2013-14, with home dates against Tiffin (Dec. 5), Michigan Tech (Jan. 23), Ferris State (Jan. 30), Northwood (Feb. 6), Saginaw Valley (Feb. 8), Grand Valley (Feb. 22) being shown throughout the state. Ryan Ermanni, Rod Beard and Joe Abramson will provide Warriors fans with the live action.
ON THE CALL
Russ McNamara will call all of the men's action this season on 1400 AM and 92.7 FM The Patriot. Former Tartar and WSU Hall of Fame inductee Cliff Russell will provide analysis for every home game.
WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
The 2013-14 school year marks the fourth season of Warrior All-Access at WSUAthletics.com. Not only will all home WSU basketball, football and volleyball games be available for viewing by a world wide audience on a pay-per-view basis, but also the Warrior Daily ~ a video each weekday, available for free on WSUAthletics.com featuring interviews with WSU coaches and staff, and student-athletes. Fans wanting to watch Wayne State events via Warrior All-Access will need a high-speed internet connection and Windows Media Player 9 or higher. Games will be sold on an individual basis with special viewing packages also available. Warrior All-Access will also feature On-Demand Audio and Video with the stored archived video and audio on WSUAthletics.com.
