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Wayne State University Athletics

2023 Men's Basketball Preview Graphic (Games 13-14)

Men's Basketball Cooper Weidenthaler, Sports Communications Specialist

Men's Basketball Travels to Grand Valley State and Davenport

Warriors look to build on Saturday's victory over Michigan Tech.

STORYLINES
The Wayne State University men's basketball squad snapped a three-game losing skid and earned its first win of the New Year on Jan. 7 thanks to a 72-65 overtime victory over Michigan Tech.  That effort wrapped up a six-game homestand for the Warriors as they will play the next two away from the friendly confines of the WSU Fieldhouse.

WSU comes into this week at 5-7 overall, 2-3 in GLIAC play, while Grand Valley State has been on the right end in four of its last five contests since dropping a second-straight outing on Dec. 3 against Lake Superior State, 79-75 (OT).

THE SERIES
Wayne State trails the all-time series with Grand Valley State, 36-53, and GVSU has taken five of the last seven meetings between the two programs.  While the Warriors are just four games under .500 (21-25) at home in the series, the Lakers are 28-14 on their court, including 5-1 in the last six match-ups at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena.

Davenport and Wayne State have met just 10 times all-time with the Panthers holding a slight edge of 6-4.  DU swept the season series a year ago and has won six of the last eight contests between the two teams since WSU took the first two meetings during the 2017-18 campaign.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS 
Grand Valley State's offensive attack features balanced scoring as 10 of the 13 players that have seen the court average at least five points per game, with Marius Grazulis at the top averaging 11.1 PPG.

Minutes wise, the balance is still there as Jalen Charity plays the most per game for the Lakers (24.5 MPG), a number that ranks 36th in the league.  For GVSU, all but three players are on the court between 17 and 25 minutes per outing.

Grazulis is the team's top rebounder (5.5 RPG), while Daniel Kiely dishes out 2.4 assists per game.  Defensively, Chinedu Kingsley Okanu has racked up 16 blocks (fifth in the GLIAC), with Grazulis right behind him with 15.   Britain Harris has notched 18 steals (10th in the GLIAC).

Like Wayne State, Grand Valley State is in year one under a new head coach as Cornell Mann took over for Ric Wesley on April 2, 2022.

Davenport is off to a bit of a slow start winning just five of its first 15 games overall and one of the first five in conference action.  However, the most recent of those five victories was a 72-58 victory at Parkside, which handed the Rangers their first GLIAC loss of the season.

The Panthers are led by reigning GLIAC Player of the Week, Marcedus Leech, Jr., and his 18.9 PPG, which is good for third in the league.  Also averaging in double figures for DU are Jakub Dombek (14.6 PPG) and Jordan Sterling (10.9).

Davenport boasts one of the better rim protectors in the conference in Dombek who leads the league in rebounds per game (7.0) while ranking in a tie for sixth in blocks per game (1.0).  The third-best rebounder in the GLIAC is also a Panther, Chaz Birchfield with 6.5 per contest.

The Panthers are coached by 15th-year man, Burt Paddock, who owns an all-time record of 332-133 (.714 winning percentage).

LAST GAME RECAP
Wayne State snapped a three-game losing streak defeating Michigan Tech 72-65 in overtime.

Michigan Tech led by eight points three times in the first half (23-15, 26-18, 31-23) before a halftime lead of seven, 31-24. 

The Huskies biggest advantage of the game at 11, 36-25, came just 90 minutes into the second half before the Warriors used an 8-0 run to pull within three, 36-33.
Wayne State's first lead of the game came at 44-42 before it was 58-55 at the 2:06 mark.  Michigan Tech cashed a three-pointer with 1:59 left to knot it at 58-58, the score at the end of regulation.

The Warriors out-scored the Huskies 11-4 in the overtime period and put the game on ice going 8-for-10 at the free throw line.

WARRIOR UPDATE 
Freshman Carmelo Harris leads a trio of Warriors averaging in double figures after 12 games.  Harris (14.4 PPG), Antonio Marshall (13.8 PPG) and Avery Lewis (13.8 PPG) pace the WSU offense.

Marshall and Harris have each made 26 three-pointers as the duo has accounted for 52 of WSU's 82 made shots from beyond the arc.

Three individuals are averaging at least four boards per contest with Lewis grabbing a team-high 80 rebounds (6.7 RPG).  Williams, Jr. (5.5 RPG) and Marshall (4.8 RPG) are the other two crashing the boards.

Marshall and Lennox have combined for 64 of Wayne State's 144 assists on the season, with Marshall leading the squad with 21 steals. 
 
INTRODUCING COACH SMOTHERS
Wayne State officially began a new era in the men's basketball program in November as 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Bryan Smothers became just the second former WSU student-athlete to lead the program (joining Newman Ertell who lettered from 1921-25, then became head coach in 1929 for the College of the City of Detroit).  

Smothers is the 11th head coach (including interim) since Detroit Junior College began playing basketball in January of 1918.

The 2022-23 campaign is the 105th season of Wayne State basketball (no games were played in 1943-44 due to World War II).

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. 


 
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Players Mentioned

Carmelo Harris

#11 Carmelo Harris

G
5' 11"
Freshman
Avery Lewis

#33 Avery Lewis

F
6' 6"
Redshirt Senior
Antonio Marshall

#1 Antonio Marshall

G
6' 4"
Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

Carmelo Harris

#11 Carmelo Harris

5' 11"
Freshman
G
Avery Lewis

#33 Avery Lewis

6' 6"
Redshirt Senior
F
Antonio Marshall

#1 Antonio Marshall

6' 4"
Redshirt Senior
G