Game Notes (PDF)
DETROIT -- With its longest stretch of road games out of the way, the Wayne State University men's basketball team (7-6, 5-5 GLIAC) return home for three straight beginning with Michigan Tech (11-3, 7-3 GLIAC) and Northern Michigan (4-10, 3-7 GLIAC) this week.
GAME STORYLINES
WSU bounced back with a 68-61 win at Saginaw Valley on Saturday to end a three-game losing streak in a battle of two of the best defensive teams in the league. The Warriors' defensive performance put them in fifth in the league at 69.9 points allowed per game. SVSU shot only 28 percent during the first half on Saturday. WSU begins three-game homestand on Thursday. Coach Greer is 15-7 at home against the next three opponenets combined (Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan and Ferris State).
SCOUTING MICHIGAN TECH / NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Michigan Tech enters the week at 11-3 overall and 7-3 in the GLIAC. The Huskies have won seven of eight with the loss coming by one point at Ashland, 71-70, on Jan. 11. Most recently, MTU won at home against Grand Valley and Ferris State. The Huskies boast one of the league's best scorers in Austin Armga who is averaging 24.4 points per game, which is second in the league. Ben Stelzer is averaging 18.4 points per game to aid Armga. Head coach Kevin Luke is in his 20th season with the program and carries a career record of 349-214. MTU fell in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament to eventual national champion Drury. Northern Michigan comes into this week at 4-10 overall and 3-7 in league games. The Wildcats ended a three-game losing streak at home against Ferris State with a 61-59 win on Saturday. Justin Newell leads NMU in scoring at 13.1 points per game with Marcus Hall is adding 11.9 points per game. Head coach Bill Sall is in his first season with the program.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Wayne State leads the all-time series against both of this week's opponents. WSU leads the series with Michigan Tech 52-27 and the Warriors are 6-4 during the past 10 meetings. Coach Greer is 10-7 all-time against MTU and 5-2 at home against the Huskies. WSU leads the series with Northern Michigan 35-33. The Warriors have taken seven of the last 10 meetings. Coach Greer is 10-6 all-time against NMU and 4-4 at home against the Wildcats.
LAST TIME OUT
WSU snapped its three-game losing streak with a 68-61 victory at Saginaw Valley on Saturday evening. The WSU defense was key to a nine-point (30-21) halftime advantage by limiting the Cardinals to 28 percent (7-of-25) in the opening 20 minutes.
Chene Phillips made 5-of-6 free throws in the final 20 seconds to secure the road victory. Phillips finished with a game-high 25 points and a team-best eight rebounds, while
Gerald Williams-Taylor scored a season-high 16 points. CJ Turnage and Damon Bozeman each had 17 for Saginaw Valley, with Turnage grabbing a game-best 10 rebounds.
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 191-154 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, Joe Abramson and Kevin Brechmacher 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.
