DETROIT -- The Wayne State University men's basketball team is set to open its 2025-26 campaign with a pair of games inside the WSU Fieldhouse.  The Warriors will host Michigan-Dearborn of the NAIA ranks on Friday at 4 p.m. before seeing the G-MAC's Ashland on Sunday for a 2 p.m. opening tipoff.

STORYLINES
The Wayne State University men's basketball team is set to open its 2025-26 campaign with a pair of games inside the WSU Fieldhouse.  The Warriors haven't begun a campaign with multiple home games since the 2017-18 season when they did so with three in a row.

SEASON PREVIEW
The men's basketball program enters season No. 4 under head coach, Warrior alum and WSU Hall of Famer, Bryan Smothers, this upcoming season.  Smothers has accumulated an overall record of 37-46, including a mark of 23-33 in league action.

Last season, at 15-14 overall and 11-9 in GLIAC play, Smothers led Wayne State to a second straight conference tournament appearance for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign.  WSU won three of its last four and four of its final six before the postseason began.  The Warriors' season was ended by NCAA Tournament participant Ferris State in the quarterfinal round.

Wayne State brings back one starter in senior forward Kelvin Tamakloe, as well as senior forward Carlos Paul III and junior guard Jordan Briggs.  Also back are graduate guard Jon Brantley and redshirt sophomore guard Adam Ayrault.

Tamakloe appeared in 28 of the team's 29 games, 22 of which came as a starter, with 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest.  Paul III (29 games, six starts) is the squad's top returning scorer after averaging 10.4 points along with 4.7 boards per game in 2024-25.  Briggs will likely run the offense as the starting point guard after 29 games played, 10 starts and 8.1 points per outing during his sophomore effort.

When it comes to new faces on the roster, Smothers and his staff have eight of them, including two freshmen and six transfers.  While Smothers' top assistant Will Vergollo was promoted to Associate Head Coach, Gjon Djokaj has joined the coaching staff as the third assistant.

Schedule wise, the slate features 27 games, including 25 within the NCAA's Midwest Region, 20 in GLIAC play and 15 at home inside the friendly confines of the Wayne State Fieldhouse.

Following the regular season, the top eight teams in the conference standings will qualify for the GLIAC Tournament, which begins on March 4.  For the quarterfinal round, the higher seed will host, before the highest remaining seed hosts both the semifinals (March 7) and finals (March 8).

SCOUTING MICHIGAN-DEARBORN
Already four games in under first-year head coach, Mo Bazzi, NAIA's Michigan-Dearborn has an overall record of 1-3, 0-1 in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) play.  The Wolverines defeated IU Kokomo 92-83, but suffered defeats at the hands of Rochester Christian (Mich.) 86-71, Saint Francis (Ind.) 122-85 and Bethel (Ind.) 106-78.  So far, UM-Dearborn has a pair of players averaging double-digit points in junior Jackson Reynolds (23.3 PPG) and graduate Luc Laketa (13.5).  Laketa is also the team's top rebounder at 6.0 per contest and assists with 2.5 per appearance.

SCOUTING ASHLAND
Ashland is coached by 17th-year man John Ellenwood, the winningest coach in program history with an overall record of 275-175.  The Eagles were picked to finish second in the 12-team Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) with 117 points and two first-place votes.  AU returns both of its All-G-MAC players from a season ago, including senior Maceo Williams, the reigning G-MAC Player of the Year and Second Team selection Cooper Davis.  Williams averaged 20.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game while shooting 63.8 percent (231-of-362) from the field.  Davis put up 12.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assist per effort with percentages of 41.6 percent from the floor, 37.6 percent from deep and 79.2 percent at the free throw line.

GLIAC PRESEASON POLL
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) released its annual Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday, October 22, with Wayne State being tabbed to finish seventh.

Each of the 11 head coaches ranked the other 10 squads, with Michigan Tech earning 10 first-place votes and 100 points.  Northern Michigan was picked second, securing 85 points (one first-place nod), while Parkside was tabbed to finish third, receiving 80 points.  Then before Wayne State came Grand Valley State (74 points), Lake Superior State (59 points) and Ferris State (57 points).  

Following the Green and Gold's 51 points in seventh to round out the poll were Saginaw Valley State (34 points), Purdue Northwest (26 points), Davenport (20 points) and Roosevelt (19 points).

1. Michigan Tech - 100 (10)
2. Northern Michigan - 85 (1)
3. Parkside - 80
4. Grand Valley State - 74
5. Lake Superior State - 59
6. Ferris State - 57
7. Wayne State - 51
8. Saginaw Valley State - 34
9. Purdue Northwest - 26
10. Davenport - 20
11. Roosevelt - 19