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Men's Basketball 11/10/2021 9:00:00 AM Cameron Weidenthaler, Assistant Media Relations Director

Men's Hoops Open Season at Ashland

STORYLINES
Wayne State will officially start the 2021-22 season against the team that ended its 2020-21 season. WSU and Ashland will tip-off on Friday at 1:00 PM. The Warriors will look to defend their 2021 regular -season GLIAC title and make a return trip to the NCAA Tournament.

WAYNE STATE FIELDHOUSE
Wayne State opened its brand new basketball fieldhouse against Michigan in an exhibition contest on Nov. 5th in front of a sold out crowd. The night featured several special moments including a pre-game ceremony that featured basketball alumni (Bob Holmes and Shareta Brown) and coaches (Ron Hammye, David Greer and Carrie Lohr), University president Dr. M. Roy Wilson, and Detroit Pistons Vice Chair Arn Tellem. Halftime featured a performance from Spyder Turner. Several community and University leaders were on hand, including Mayor Mike Duggan and the WSU Board of Governors.

THE SERIES
The Warriors have a 34-29 advantage over Ashland in the all-time series. WSU won both regular-season meetings last year in exciting fashion. In the season's first match-up in Detroit, Wayne State trailed 50-45 with 4:29 to play, but would hold the Eagles scoreless the rest of the way and win 58-50, to move into a tie-for-first within the division. In what seemed like a copy & paste from the first meeting, the Warriors won the second meeting 64-60 and ended the game on a 12-0 run, holding the Eagles scoreless for the final 3:05. The Eagles exacted some revenge winning by 15, 76-61, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Coach Greer is 21-17 vs. Ashland in his 20 seasons with the Warriors, including a 10-9 mark at Kates Gymnasium.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Ashland is receiving votes in the national preseason poll and was just behind Hillsdale in the preseason G-MAC poll. Head coach John Ellenwood is starting his 12th season with the program. He will look to two All-League performers from a season ago in junior guard Brandon Haraway and fifth-year forward Aaron Thompson. As a sophomore, Haraway averaged 18.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, while hitting 45.8 percent from the field, 41.3 percent from 3-point range and 81.9 percent from the free-throw line. Haraway enters the new season with 705 career points. Thompson enters the season with 1,152 career points and, with 866 career rebounds, is 134 away from becoming the second Eagle all-time to grab 1,000 career boards. Last season, Thompson went for 12.6 points and 8.3 rebounds a night, and shot 51.9 percent from the field and 72.3 percent from the foul line.

LAST TIME OUT
The Warriors played the first-ever game inside the brand new Wayne State Fieldhouse last Friday in an exhibition contest against Michigan. The Warriors dropped an 87-54 decision to the visiting Wolverines. Darian Owens-White scored a game-high 20 points despite shooting 8-of-22 from the floor, including 2-of-7 from three-point range. Ray Williams, Jr. and David Hughes tied for team-high rebounding honors with seven boards each (both had three offensive and four defensive rebounds).

SEASON OUTLOOK
The Warriors will aim to carry the momentum from a GLIAC championship last season. WSU will be playing their home games in a new arena, after playing in the Matthaei since 1968.

In a unique and challenging season due to the pandemic in 2020-21, head coach David Greer led the Green & Gold to its first outright GLIAC championship since the 1998-99 campaign and the team's 14th trip to the NCAA Tournament. The 2020-21 GLIAC Coach of the Year, Greer helped guards Brailen Neely and Darian Owens-White to NABC All-Region honors and it's the first time in program history that two players have been recognized as All-District during the same season.

Owens-White was a First Team All-Midwest District and a First Team All-GLIAC honoree, while Neely was a Second Team All-Region and a First Team All-GLIAC selection. Owens-White was the first Wayne State student-athlete to be voted to the NABC All-District First Team since Tony Goins in 1998-99. Avery Lewis earned Second Team All-GLIAC recognition, while being a member of the league's All-Defensive Team.

It was the first time WSU had two First Team All-GLIAC selections since Mike Hollingsworth and Bryan Smothers collected the awards following the 2010-11 season.

The roster welcomes four newcomers, including two transfers. Those transfers are brothers Tyree Martin (Missouri Western) and Treavon Martin (Illinois-Chicago). Freddy Johnson and David Hughes are the pair of freshmen joining WSU.

GUESS WHO'S BACK
Head coach David Greer returns for his 21st season as the top man on the Warriors' bench. Greer is the all-time leader in both wins and seasons. He has been selected GLIAC Coach of the Year on two occasions (2012-13 and 2020-21).

GLIAC PRESEASON POLL
WSU was predicted to finish second in the GLIAC South Division as announced by the league on Nov. 9th. The Warriors earned 42 total points and two first-place votes.

Grand Valley State was the picked ahead of WSU with 49 points and nine first-place votes. Michigan Tech (56 points / six first-place votes) and Ferris State (55 points / five first-place votes) are the top two favorites in the North Division.

DANCING IN MARCH
The Green & Gold played in the NCAA Tournament for the 14th time in program history a year ago, and for the first time since 2013. Head coach David Greer has guided Wayne State to the national tournament on five occasions (2004, 2005, 2011, 2013 and 2021). The last time WSU won a game in the NCAAs was in 2005 when the Warriors topped Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 56-55, in Findlay, Ohio.

GLIAC CHAMPS
The Green & Gold won its eighth GLIAC championship last year and its first outright GLIAC regular-season title since the 1998-99 season. Following that 1998-99 season, WSU topped Saginaw Valley State, Gannon and Michigan Tech to win the tournament title.

RAY'S SPARK
In his debut season, Ray Williams, Jr. started the last 12 games. Over that time Wayne State went 8-4.

LIVE ON WDTK
Kevin Brechmacher will call every Wayne State contest live on WDTK - The Patriot (1400 AM / 101.5 FM). Fans can also stream the action online at PatriotDetroit.com.

WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
Every regular season home game, will be available to stream for free via Warrior All-Access at WSUAthletics.com.

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Players Mentioned

#44 David Hughes: F; 6' 7"; Freshman

#33 Avery Lewis: F; 6' 6"; Redshirt Junior

#32 Tyree Martin: F; 6' 8"; Redshirt Junior

#11 Brailen Neely: G; 5' 10"; Redshirt Fifth Year

#14 Darian Owens-White: G; 6' 1"; Redshirt Senior

#23 Ray Williams, Jr.: G/F; 6' 5"; Sophomore

#3 Freddy Johnson: G; 6' 0"; Freshman

#RS Treavon Martin: F; 6' 8"; Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

#44 David Hughes
: 6' 7"; Freshman
: F

#33 Avery Lewis
: 6' 6"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#32 Tyree Martin
: 6' 8"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#11 Brailen Neely
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Fifth Year
: G

#14 Darian Owens-White
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Senior
: G

#23 Ray Williams, Jr.
: 6' 5"; Sophomore
: G/F

#3 Freddy Johnson
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: G

#RS Treavon Martin
: 6' 8"; Redshirt Junior
: F