Men's Basketball | 11/29/2014 11:00:00 AM
DETROIT -- Following two losses in Tiffin, Ohio during the GMAC/GLIAC Challenge to Central State and Kentucky Wesleyan, the Wayne State University men's basketball team (0-2) will host Lewis (3-1) on Saturday afternoon. The Flyers continue their non-conference schedule with their fifth GLIAC opponent of the season.
STORYLINES
In what is becoming a solid Midwest Region rivalry, Wayne State and Lewis will meet for the ninth time ever on Saturday. Both programs are seemingly always fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Warriors are looking for their first win in their home opener. Last season, WSU defeated Wilberforce in the season and home-opener, 93-73.
SCOUTING THE FLYERS
Lewis enter's Saturday's contest 3-1 overall after wins over Northern Michigan, Malone and Saginaw Valley State and most recently a loss at Ferris State by three points. The Flyers return two-time All-GLVC First Team and All-NABC Midwest District Second Team selection Ryan Jackson to the court. Jackson, who is also a Preseason Honorable Mention All-American (Sporting News/Division II Bulletin), has started all 82 games he has appeared in for Lewis and is averaging 15.9 points-per-game. This season, Jackson is leading the way with 16 points per game. Jeff Jarosz is chipping in 14.0 points per game. Head coach Scott Trost is in his ninth season with the Flyers.
THE SERIES
The all-time series is tied at four wins for each side. Lewis took the most recent contest in Romeoville, Ill. last season by a score of 78-57. Wayne State has won all three meetings in Detroit and also won a 2004 NCAA Tournament First Round game at Lewis.
LAST TIME OUTWSU dropped a 73-59 decision to Kentucky Wesleyan College (2-0) Saturday evening on day two of the 2014 GMAC/GLIAC Challenge hosted by Tiffin University. Michael Lewis led the Warriors with 11 points, while
Gavin Toma and
Tristan Wilson each had 10 points.
Marcus Moore totaled a team-best seven rebounds.
IN THE POLLS
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announced its 2014-15 Preseason Poll on Oct. 29th as voted on by local media members. The Wayne State University men's basketball team was predicted to finish third in the South Division with 90 points. Sophomore guard Clark Bishop was voted to the All-GLIAC Second Team as voted on by the league's head coaches.
YOUNG WARRIORS
When you look up and down the Warriors' roster, you will notice just one junior and no seniors. However, WSU has some experience returning in Clark Bishop, Gavin Toma, Michael Lewis and Joel Ndondo who all played a role last season. In addition, a graduate student transfer DeMarius Miller (Clarion) will add another scoring threat to the roster.
2013-14 RECAP
Last season, the Wayne State University men's basketball program knew it would be an uphill battle all-year long in the always tough GLIAC. That battle became more difficult when the Warriors lost Mike Hollingsworth to injury prior to the start of the season. He was just the fifth player in WSU history with at least 990 points, 300 rebounds, 145 assists, 80 steals and 60 triples.
However, typical of David Greer coached teams, WSU fought its way to 12 wins including notable victories at Grand Valley State in overtime and a four-point win over No.16 Lake Superior State at home to end the season.
WSU missed the GLIAC Tournament for the first time since 2008 and will need to replace seven seniors who made a significant impact last season and in their careers.
SEASON OUTLOOK
Greer enters his 14th season at the helm and is just four wins shy of 200 with the Green & Gold. He will lead a roster comprised of just one upperclassman, junior Gavin Toma (Troy, Mich. / Southfield Christian). Redshirt sophomore Michael Lewis (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Huron) returns after a medical redshirt season and showed improvement early in the 2013-14 season prior to the injury. Sophomore Clark Bishop (Detroit, Mich. / Renaissance) looks to be a go-to scorer for the Warriors in 2014-15. Last season, he led the squad in three-point field goal percentage at 40.7 (24-59), while ranking second on the team with 22 steals and posting eight double-digit scoring performances.
The Warriors signed four freshmen during the offseason. John Draper (Dayton, Ohio / Eastmoor Academy), a 5-9 guard, averaged 17 points per game and five assists per contest in 2012-13. Last season, he played at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
Chuck Key (Detroit, Mich. / Cass Tech), a 6-5 forward, was a three-year letterwinner for Cass Tech and averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds per game last season.
Marcus Moore (Lansing, Mich. / Waverly), a 6-1 guard, helped Lansing to three league titles in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and earned Detroit Free Press Class A All-State Honorable Mention recognition as a senior.
Tristan Wilson (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Skyline), a 6-8 forward, was a two-year letterwinner for Skyline and led the Eagles to regional and district championships in 2014. Wilson scored at least 26 points in three straight 2014 state tournament games. Graduate student DeMarius Miller (Bolingbrook, Ill. / Romeoville (Clarion)) transfers to WSU after averaging 16.4 points per game a year ago including a 42-point performance for the Golden Eagles.
WSU will open with an exhibition contest at Michigan on November 10 before heading to the GMAC/GLIAC Challenge in Tiffin, Ohio, where the Warriors will meet Central State and Kentucky Wesleyan. The home schedule begins on Nov. 29 when Lewis visits the Matthaei.
Other home opponents include Lake Superior State, Northwood, Grand Valley State, Ferris State, Ohio Dominican, Walsh, Findlay, Tiffin, Lake Erie, Ashland and Malone.
The Warriors will return to the GLIAC South Division (trading with Hillsdale) this season after spending the last two seasons in the North. WSU played in the South from 1996 until 2012.
THE BEAT GOES ON
David Greer is in his 14th season at the helm of the Warrior basketball program during the 2014-15 academic year. He is the fourth-longest tenured coach in program history and is just four wins shy of 200 victories with Wayne State. Greer, who has directed the Warriors to a 196-163 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 State 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, 2013.
NEELY INDUCTED INTO EMU HALL OF FAME
Current and longtime assistant coach Lorenzo Neely was inducted in the E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame. The Eastern Michigan University E-Club Alumni Chapter, the official varsity athletic letterwinners club, announced Neely as well as six other former standouts who were enshrined at the Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, Oct. 24. Neely is entering his 11th season with the WSU men's basketball program, all spent with head coach David Greer, and has been a collegiate coach for the past 16 years. He finished his Huron career with 1,528 points, 433 free throws, 317 rebounds, and his 521 assists rank second in EMU's all-time record book. Neely served as an assistant men's basketball coach at EMU for two seasons including an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1998.
COMCAST/XFINITY
Beginning on Jan. 17th every men's and women's basketball home game will be broadcast live throughout the state of Michigan on Comcast CN900. Sean Baligian, Ryan Ermanni, Rod Beard and Joe Abramson will bring you the action.
WDTK - THE PATRIOT
Russ McNamara will call all of the men's action this season on WDTK - The Patriot (92.7 FM / 1400 AM). Fans can also listen online at WDTKAM.com. WSU Hall of Famer Cliff Russell will return to provide his insights for each home game.
ALL-NEW MATTHAEI
The Matthaei has received a face lift over the course of the past decade. In January of 2014, a new scoreboard and video board were installed which features live action and replays. During the offseason, the Warriors added a new parquet floor and the sub-floor (circa 1965) was replaced. And finally a new basketball office expansion was completed in the fall on the northwest corner of the Matthaei. The new expansion includes six coaches offices, a theater-style film room and a reception area.
NEXT UPWSU will open up December and GLIAC action inside the Matthaei against Lake Superior State at 7:30 PM on Thursday, Dec. 4.
