Wayne State University Athletics

Men's Basketball 1/4/2023 10:36:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Men's Hoops Resumes GLIAC Play By Entertaining NMU and MTU

WSU will play 15 GLIAC contests over the next two months.

STORYLINES
Wayne State will strictly play GLIAC contests the rest of the regular season starting with this weekend's match-ups against Northern Michigan (Thursday at 7:30 p.m.) and Michigan Tech (Saturday at 3 p.m.), which will conclude a six-game homestand for the Warriors.

WSU enters the NMU match-up at 4-6 overall, while the Wildcats have won five straight since a 76-68 setback at Parkside on Dec. 3.

THE SERIES
Wayne State leads 41-39 in the all-time series, despite Northern Michigan winning the last three meetings. WSU is 27-16 at home in the series, although the Wildcats have been victorious in three of the last four contests in Detroit, after the Warriors had won five straight at the Matthaei.

WSU holds a 55-38 edge in the all-time series with Michigan Tech that began in 1927 with a 41-15 triumph by CCD (College of the City of Detroit). The Huskies have won three straight and seven of the last eight meetings, including four of the last five in Motown.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Northern Michigan will carry a five-game winning streak into Thursday's game at WSU after posting an 81-52 triumph at Northwood on Monday.

NMU is led by the leading scorer in the GLIAC Max Bjorklund, who is averaging over 20 points per contest. Sophomore guard Brian Parzych (14.8 PPG) and sophomore forward Dylan Kuehl (12.0 PPG) also average in double figures.

Kuehl (5.2 RPG) and Bjorklund (5.0 RPG) are the top two rebounders, while Parzych has a team-high 20 steals with Kuehl blocking a team-best 14 shots.

Matt Majkrzak is in his fourth season at NMU and has an overall record of 50-40 with the Wildcats.

Michigan Tech enters Thursday's tilt at Saginaw Valley State having lost eight of nine after beginning the year at 2-1.

A trio of Huskies are averaging in double figures led by sophomore guard Adam Hobson (11.7 PPG), along with freshman guards Marcus Tomashek (10.7 PPG) and Dan Gherezgher (10.5 PPG). Hobson has dished out a team-high 25 assists.

Tomashek has made a squad-best 24 triples, while sophomore forward Brad Simonsen has drained 23 shots from beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Pete Calcaterra leads in rebounding (4.5 RPG) and steals (13).

Josh Buettner has a 24-16 record in his second season leading MTU after spending the 13 years prior on Kevin Luke's staff.

LAST GAME RECAP
Wayne State completed its non-conference schedule with an 81-70 setback to visiting Ashland on Dec. 30 after an 18-day lay-off.

Wayne State led 41-34 at the break.

Ashland tied the game at 47-47 at the 15:36 mark. Two free throws and an old-fashioned three-point play by Kaimen Lennox gave the Warriors a five-point lead (52-47) with 13:46 left.

A three pointer by Ray Williams, Jr. gave the Warriors a 60-57 lead and Matt Coffey added a pair of foul shots for a five-point margin (62-57). Wayne State would go scoreless for the next 4:44 as Ashland recorded 14 straight points for a 71-62 lead.

WSU pulled within five (73-68), but that would be as close as the Warriors could get.

Lewis had a team-high 18 points on 7-of-9 from the field. Harris contributed 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Ray Williams, Jr. chipped in with 12 points.

WARRIOR UPDATE
Freshman Carmelo Harris leads a quartet of Warriors averaging in double figures after 10 games. Harris (14.6 PPG), Antonio Marshall (13.6 PPG), Avery Lewis (12.2 PPG) and Ray Williams, Jr. (10.3 PPG) pace the WSU offense.

Marshall and Harris have each made 21 three-pointers as the duo has accounted for 42 of WSU's 70 made shots from beyond the arc.

Three individuals are averaging at least four boards per contest with Lewis grabbing a team-high 63 rebounds (6.3 RPG). Williams, Jr. (5.3 RPG) and Marshall (4.2 RPG) are the other two crashing the boards.

Marshall and Lennox have combined for 55 of Wayne State's 116 assists on the season, with Marshall leading the squad with 18 steals.

INTRODUCING COACH SMOTHERS
Wayne State officially began a new era in the men's basketball program last month 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. Former Warrior Andy Dold will serve as the analyst for the Jan. 5th game, while Chuck Key will work with Brechmacher on Jan. 7th.

WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
Every regular season home game will be streamed via Warrior All-Access at WSUAthletics.com.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#44 Matt Coffey: C; 6' 8"; Freshman

#11 Carmelo Harris: G; 5' 11"; Freshman

#22 Kaimen Lennox: G; 6' 2"; Junior

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

#1 Antonio Marshall: G; 6' 4"; Redshirt Senior

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

Players Mentioned

#44 Matt Coffey
: 6' 8"; Freshman
: C

#11 Carmelo Harris
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: G

#22 Kaimen Lennox
: 6' 2"; Junior
: G

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

#1 Antonio Marshall
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Senior
: G

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