Men's Basketball | 11/26/2015 10:00:00 PM

DETROIT -- After hosting the GMAC/GLIAC Challenge and dropping both games on Nov. 14-15, the Wayne State men's basketball program will look to post its first victory of the season at Lewis on Saturday. The Warriors will look to improve on last season's 1-12 record away from the Matthaei. WSU played much better in game two improving its shooting performance from .217 against Kentucky Wesleyan (11/14) to .417 vs. Alderson Broaddus (11/15).
 
GREER NEARING MILESTONE
Head coach David Greer won his 200th game last season at Wayne State and is 11 victories shy of matching Ron Hammye's (1988-01) program record of 212 wins.
 
IN THE POLLS
The GLIAC released its preseason coaches poll on Oct. 28 and Wayne State was predicted to finish fourth in the South Division.  Junior Clark Bishop was voted to the All-GLIAC South Division Second Team in balloting conducted by the league's head coaches.  The Warriors totaled 99 points, behind Ashland, Findlay and Walsh.
 
THE SERIES
Lewis leads the all-time series 5-4 and the Flyers have won the last two meetings. The teams began playing in 1986 and Lewis won that contest in double overtime in Romeoville, Ill. WSU's last win came in 2012 at home, 70-69. In addition, WSU and Lewis met in the 2004 NCAA Tournament, and the Warriors won that matchup in front of 1,225 fans at Neil Carey Arena.
 
SCOUTING THE FLYERS
The Flyers won their first two games against Cedarville and Davis & Elkins before meeting four straight GLIAC opponents. Lewis dropped an overtime contest at home against Ferris State followed by a one-point victory versus Saginaw Valley State (85-84) and a four-point triumph at Northwood (99-95).
 
Head coach Scott Trost is in his 10th season at the helm of the Lewis men's basketball program and has won at least 15 games in each season including three 20-plus win seasons.
 
Max Strus is coming off a 52-point performance where he knocked down 12 of 14 three-point attempts and all 12 of his free throws. He also pulled down 12 rebounds to lead Lewis to a win over Northwood. For the season, Strus is averaging 27.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Kyle Nelson is averaging 14 points per game. Miles Simelton has tallied 29 assists this season, while Frank Vukaj has blocked eight shots in five games.
 
WARRIOR DEBUTS
In the season-opening GMAC/GLIAC Challenge, seven Warriors made their WSU or collegiate debut. Playing in their first college contests were Oge Onwudiwe, Nick Mutebi and Tim Huguley. After spending time elsewhere, Darius Stevens, Ronald Booth, Damion Rashford and Tom Cotter played their first games with the Green & Gold.
 
OUTLOOK
After a disappointing 5-20 season in 2014-15, the Wayne State University men's basketball program will look to return to GLIAC prominence this season.  Head coach David Greer, who is in his 15th season at the helm, is banking on a more experienced roster to aid in the Warriors' rebuild.
 
This year's team will be led by redshirt junior forward Michael Lewis and junior guard Clark Bishop.  Lewis started 23 games a season ago and averaged 11.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 49 percent from the floor. Bishop began to regain his freshman form towards the end of his sophomore season, scoring in double digits in six of the last eight games, including a career-high 27 points at Walsh.  Redshirt junior Joel Ndondo will look to continue his development after averaging 4.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest.  The team's leading returning scorer Gavin Toma will take a medical redshirt in 2015-16 after scoring 14.6 points per game and shooting nearly 45 percent from behind the arc a year ago and 83 percent from the charity stripe.
 
A quintet of returning sophomores that all saw action last season will be the key to this season's success.  Marcus Moore led the team with 3.4 assists per game, while scoring 7.8 points per contest. Chuck Key grabbed 4.4 rebounds per game and scored in double figures on seven occasions, all coming after the calendar flipped to 2015.  Tristan Wilson gave WSU some length and athleticism. He averaged 3.0 boards and 1.1 blocks per game.  George Spencer also showed defensive ability in the 14 games he appeared, which has become a calling card of teams coached by Greer. John Draper will attempt to reclaim the starting point guard position after appearing in the team's first seven games last season before missing the final 18 contests.
 
Redshirt sophomore guard Oge Onwudiwe is finally healthy after missing the last two seasons due to injury.  Tim Huguley adds depth to the guard position for the Green & Gold, while redshirt freshman Nick Mutebi is ready to contribute to the maturing roster.
 
A group of five newcomers have joined WSU's efforts.  Tom Cotter, a 6-7 forward, comes to the Warriors after a season at Oakland.  For the second consecutive season, Wayne State added a graduate transfer from Clarion - this year is 6-5 forward Darius Stevens.  Ronald Booth, a 5-7 guard, transferred in from Schoolcraft Community College and Damion Rashford, a 6-4 forward, comes to WSU after a playing season at both Loyola (Md.)  and Western Nebraska Community College. The team's lone true freshman is 6-2 guard Josh Reynolds out of Plymouth High School.
 
Wayne State will compete in the GLIAC South Division for the second straight season after playing in the North Division for two years (2012-14). The Warriors played in the South Division from 1996 through 2012.
 
Home GLIAC contests include meetings with Northern Michigan (Dec. 10), Michigan Tech (Dec. 13), Hillsdale (Jan. 7), Saginaw Valley State (Jan. 9), Tiffin (Jan. 14), Lake Erie (Jan. 21), Ashland (Jan. 23), Malone (Jan. 28), Ohio Dominican (Feb. 6),Walsh (Feb. 20) and Findlay (Feb. 25).
 
THE BEAT GOES ON
David Greer is in his 15th season at the helm of the Warrior basketball program during the 2015-16 academic year.   He is the third-longest tenured coach in program history and collected his 200th win as Wayne State topped Tiffin on Feb. 5, 2015.  Greer, who has directed the Warriors to a 201-183 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.
 
COMCAST/XFINITY
Beginning on Dec. 10th every men's and women's basketball home games with the exception of the Dec. 13th Michigan Tech contests will be broadcast live throughout the state of Michigan on Comcast CN 900. Sean Baligian, Rod Beard and Joe Abramson will call the action.