Wayne State University Athletics

Men's Basketball 10/13/2021 10:00:00 AM Karl Henkel, WSUAthletics.com Guest Contributor

FEATURE STORY: The Next Piece to the Puzzle

The following feature first appeared in the football game program on Oct. 9, 2021.

Ryan Kelley's view from Harwell Field on Wayne State's athletic campus has changed a lot over the years.

Kelley, entering his 14th season as the baseball coach this fall, has watched as the department built the Doris J. & Donald L. Duchene, Sr. Athletic Facility, the Athletic Performance Center, and the addition of a museum, new dugouts, chairback seating and press box as part of the Harwell Field renovation project.

Now, he watches as the new basketball arena, which fills the last section of vacant land on the southwest corner of the Wayne State athletic campus, gets set to open this fall. And despite being the baseball coach, Kelley is already seeing the benefits of the newest athletic facility addition – even before the arena's inaugural game Nov. 5, when Wayne State hosts the University of Michigan.

"Without question," Kelley said. "When we do recruit tours, alumni tours, when we showcase our athletic campus, these new facilities help us as coaches significantly. It's great when we talk about the history of Wayne State athletics, where it was, where it is now and where we're going in the future."

It's that mix of history – Tom Adams Field, Harwell Field, the Matthaei Center, the latter of which was built as part of Detroit's 1968 Olympics bid – and state-of-the-art facilities that heightens the excitement around the Wayne State athletic campus for coaches, student-athletes, the student population, alumni, fans and potential recruits.

"It's a really big thing, not just for the basketball programs, but for the whole university in general," said David Greer, Wayne State men's basketball coach, who enters his 21st season at the helm this fall. "And for our young people to come in and play in a brand-new arena, it's going to do wonders for them."

Carrie Lohr, coach of the Wayne State women's basketball team, said there is already a lot of excitement around the opening of the new arena, but that she expects the real impact to take place once the doors are officially open.
"People need to see it," said Lohr, entering her 11th season as WSU coach. "Once they see it, the facility will speak for itself."

HOME COOKING
Of course, it always helps when facility upgrades directly impact a specific team. Kelley said he uses baseball upgrades and additions to help motivate his current student-athletes. He said it helps give them an appreciation for the student-athletes who came before them, who might not have had the latest and greatest facilities and equipment.

In the case of Harwell Field, there's also a coolness factor to it, not just because of the tie to longtime Detroit Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell, but because so many people, even outside the university, want to be at and around the facility.

"The overall dynamic of Harwell Field has impacted recruiting, student experience on campus, the alumni and staff," Kelley said. "Miguel Cabrera shot a Chrysler television commercial there, Justin Verlander rented the facility when he was in Detroit for his charity initiatives … it's become a dynamic facility for everything."

Greer believes the new basketball arena could bring a similar vibe to the athletic campus, particularly given the city's interest in basketball and the fact it is a shared space with the Detroit Pistons G League team, the Motor City Cruise.

"When you think of Detroit, you think of basketball. Detroit's a basketball mecca," Greer said. "When you've got a lot of events going on, if you can get some of them on your campus where kids can see the facility all at once, I think things take care of itself. Now you're not just talking to people you're recruiting, but also potential future recruits."

Similar to how Wayne State hosts the annual Detroit Sports Commission Prep Kickoff Classic at Tom Adams Field, Greer believes the new basketball arena could be a potential home for high school tournaments – think of how University of Detroit Mercy's Calihan Hall has hosted Detroit Public School League championships – which would further spotlight the new facility and athletic campus.

"Maybe we can get to that point where our arena will take on some of that shine," he said. "Because when we get young people on campus, they'll see the impressive facility, the fact we have a partnership with a professional team … I know if I was a recruit, that'd be attractive to me."

Both Greer and Lohr said the new arena also helps put the basketball teams on a more level playing field when it comes to recruiting with simple upgrades like air conditioning, which the 54-year-old Matthaei Center does not have.

NIGHT TO REMEMBER
Friday, November 5th, promises to be a memorable night when the Michigan Wolverines come to the new basketball arena to play Wayne State in an exhibition match that tips at 7 p.m. The 70,000 square-foot, 3,000-capacity arena is expected to be packed and provide a proper introduction and showcase for the new arena.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around how my athletic director [Rob Fournier] was able to get this thing done," Greer said. "He told me he wanted to get a big-name opponent and you don't get much bigger than the University of Michigan."

The next weekend, the women's team hosts the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference/Great Midwest Athletic Conference Challenge, a tournament that features Lake Erie, Walsh and Ferris State. Wayne State plays on Nov. 13 and Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.

The Motor City Cruise host the Wisconsin Herd Nov. 11 and Nov 12 at 7 p.m.

"The Matthaei was a great place to watch a basketball game," Lohr said. "But my expectation is the new arena is going to be even better and it's going to be a game-changer for our athletics. We now have an opportunity to grow Wayne State when it comes to sports entertainment."

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