Men's Basketball | 12/30/2014 1:00:00 PM

DETROIT -- After an up and down start to the season, the Wayne State University men's basketball team (2-5, 2-2 GLIAC) will open up the new year by hosting Grand Valley State (6-4, 2-2 GLIAC) and Ferris State (8-0, 4-0 GLIAC) on Thursday (7:30 PM) and Sunday (3 PM) inside the Matthaei.

STORYLINES
The Warriors begin the calendar year with two strong North Division opponents as Grand Valley State and Ferris State visit Detroit on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Head coach David Greer is just two wins shy of 200 victories in his 14 seasons at Wayne State. Despite its 2-2 record, WSU is tied with Ashland atop the South Division standings as the schedule moves into 2015.

THE SERIES
WSU trails the all-time series with Grand Valley State 45-31 but has won five of the last six meetings including an overtime triumph in Allendale last season powered by a career-high 18 points from Clark Bishop on Feb. 1. Coach Greer is 10-9 vs. the Lakers. The Green & Gold also trail the all-time series with Ferris State but only by two wins, 41-39. The two teams split last season and the Bulldogs have taken four of the previous seven contests. In 2011, FSU and WSU met three times in the final two months of the season including the GLIAC Tournament and NCAA Midwest Regional. The Warriors topped #23 FSU 73-71 on a Mike Hollingsworth tip-in to win the GLIAC Tournament title. The Bulldogs found their revenge in the NCAA Tournament, edging WSU 90-88 in Louisville, Ky. Coach Greer is 12-8 all-time against FSU.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
GVSU enters the opening weekend of 2015 at 6-4 overall and 2-2 in the league. The Lakers topped Purdue-North Central 88-56 over the holiday break. GVSU's league wins have come at home against Tiffin and Ohio Dominican. The Lakers also fell at Ashland at the buzzer to end a four-overtime marathon thriller on Dec. 4th. Head coach Ric Wesley is in his 11th season with the program and carries a 230-81 career record. Ricardo Carbajal leads the team at 14.0 points per game to go with his 6.9 rebounds per game. Ryan Sabin is scoring 13.1 points per game including 20 three-pointers this season on 55 attempts. Trevin Alexander ranks second in the league with 7.9 rebounds per game and Luke Ryskamp was the second best three-point shooter coming into the week at 54.5 percent (12-22). GVSU is pulling down the third most rebounds per game at 39.7 and also ranks third in steals per game at 8.4. Ferris State has won eight straight games and an exhibition win over Bowling Green State, 82-68, on Dec. 21. Head coach Andy Brokema is in his second season with the team and led the Bulldogs to a 10-16 overall mark last season and a 9-13 GLIAC record. Drew Lehman is the third-leading scorer in the league at 17.8 points per game (19.5 in league contests). James Chappell is scoring 13.5 points per game while Josh Fleming is averaging 11.6 points per game. Jared Stolicker is averaging the fourth most rebounds per game in the conference at 7.5 boards per game. As a team, FSU is scoring the most points per game in the league at 83.2 points per game while allowing the fourth fewest at 64.3 points per game.

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. 

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
WSU handed Northern Michigan its first conference setback with a 67-43 victory on Dec. 15th at the Berry Events Center. Michael Lewis totaled a game-high 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.  He also had a team-best three steals. Junior Gavin Toma added 12 points including two triples, while sophomore Clark Bishop chipped in with 12 points and a game-high seven assists. Joel Ndondo grabbed a game-high nine rebounds to go along with his game-best three blocked shots. Wayne State shot 43 percent (22-of-51) from the floor but 42 percent (5-of-12) from three-point range.  WSU was outstanding at the charity stripe connecting for 86 percent (18-of-21).

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 two wins shy of 200 victories with Wayne State. Greer, who has directed the Warriors to a 198-166 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.

NEXT UP
The Warriors will begin a three-game road trip, which includes games at Hillsdale, Saginaw Valley State and Tiffin.