Men's Basketball | 12/3/2014 11:45:00 AM

DETROIT -- Looking to find the win column, the Wayne State University men's basketball team (0-3, 0-0 GLIAC) will host a pair of GLIAC North Division foes as Lake Superior State (3-1, 0-0 GLIAC) and Northwood (3-1, 0-0 GLIAC) visit the Matthaei.

Fans are encouraged to bring a donation to Sunday's game to help the Sergeant Santa program, which is being sponsored by WWJ 950 and the Detroit Police Department.

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. 

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
LSSU is coming off a 27-6 season, which included an 18-5 record in GLIAC play a season ago. The Lakers won the GLIAC regular-season championship before falling to Drury in the NCAA Tournament. LSSU returns All-GLIAC Second Team guard Alex Williams, starting point guard Tony Harris and starting forward Jake Blake from last year's team, which made the program's third NCAA Tournament appearance and tied a school record for single-season wins. In his eighth season, Lake Superior State head men's basketball coach Steve Hettinga is LSSU's all-time leader in men's basketball wins with a 120-86 record. This season, the Lakers are 3-1 overall. Williams is leading the way with 11.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. The Lakers were predicted to finish third in the North Division in the GLIAC Preseason Media Poll.

Northwood finished 18-14 last season including a 14-8 mark in league play. The Timberwolves fell to Walsh in the first round of the GLIAC Tournament. Head coach Jeff Rekeweg is in his fifth season with the program and looks to a solid group of returning letterwinners in Will Bowles, Dylan Langkabel and Khalid King to take the next step. USC transfer Maurice Jones also is a threat. Jones leads NU at 17.0 points per game and is dishing out 6.5 assists per game. Langkabel is also scoring 17.0 points per game. The T-Wolves were chosen to finish fifth in the North Division.

THE SERIES
WSU leads the all-time series with LSSU 43-24. The Lakers have won three of the last four meetings with the most recent meeting going the way of the Warriors, to end the 2013-14 season. Coach Greer is 11-8 all-time against LSSU. WSU also leads the all-time series with Northwood, 38-27, with WSU taking three of the last five meetings. Coach Greer is 11-10 all-time vs. Northwood.

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.

LAST TIME OUT
The Wayne State University men's basketball team (0-3) concluded non-conference play with a 76-59 setback to visiting Lewis University (4-1) on Nov. 29th inside the Matthaei. Wayne State began the second half on a 7-2 run to pull within eight (41-33) on a fast-break lay-up by junior Gavin Toma, who started post intermission with his second triple of the afternoon.  WSU would only get as close as 10 on three occasions, the last coming at 50-40, with Lewis responding with a 14-2 run to open a 22-point advantage.

Clark Bishop led WSU with 13 points, while Michael Lewis nearly had a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. David Niggins scored a game-high 16 points in only 16 minutes on four triples to pace four Flyers in double figures.  Max Strus contributed 13 points. while Jeff Jarosz and Ryan Jackson each added 11 points.  Julian Lewis tied for game-best rebounding honors with nine, with Jackson grabbing eight boards and dishing out a game-high six assists.

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 196-164 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 videoboard 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.