DETROIT -- Following 13 days without a game, the Wayne State University men's basketball team is set to reconvene and ring in the New Year. The Warriors will hit the road to face Saginaw Valley State on Friday at 3 p.m. and Lake Superior State on Sunday at 2 p.m.
STORYLINES
Eight games into the 2025-26 season, Wayne State is at the .500 mark overall at 4-4, including 1-1 in GLIAC play. The remaining regular-season schedule features 18 league contests in 58 days. That 18-game stretch opens with six of eight on the road, including at Saginaw Valley State on Friday and at Lake Superior State on Sunday.
The Cardinals come in at 7-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference, while the Lakers are 6-5 overall and 0-2 in GLIAC action.
SERIES HISTORY
Saginaw Valley State leads the all-time series with Wayne State by five, 47-42, but the Warriors have won four straight against the Cardinals (including two in University Center) for the first time since January of 2001 through November of 2002. WSU will look to defeat SVSU in a fifth-straight meeting, something the program hasn't done since winning six consecutive from January of 1986 through January of 1988. The Green and Gold are 16-26 all-time on Saginaw Valley State's floor.
Wayne State leads the all-time series with Lake Superior State by nine, 48-39. However, the Lakers have won 12 of the last 15 showdowns against the Warriors, including six of the last seven. When playing in Sault Ste. Marie, WSU is 20-24 all-time and 2-11 in the last 13 games.
SCOUTING SAGINAW VALLEY STATE
Coached by one of three first-year head coaches in the GLIAC (Ferris State, Purdue Northwest), Saginaw Valley State is led by Chris Fowler, the ninth head coach in program history. Currently in his first stop as a head coach, the Central Michigan alum also saw time at Michigan State, Northern Arizona and Western Michigan.
Individually, Saginaw Valley State's attack is a balanced one. SVSU features 10 scorers recording at least four points per game, eight with at least six per contest, six with an average of seven or more and three in double figures. Those three at the top are redshirt sophomore Xavier Thomas (17 PPG), junior Marquese Josephs (14 PPG) and sophomore Dontez Scott II (12.3 PPG). Redshirt junior Kevonne Taylor is the everyday leader on the boards (5.6 RPG), while Scott II is on top of assists (2.7 APG).
SCOUTING LAKE SUPERIOR STATE
From a rookie head coach to a 19th-year veteran in Steve Hettinga. In those 18-plus seasons, Hettinga has accumulated an overall record of 326-205, good for a 61.4 winning percentage. Fresh off a 30-win season (30-7) and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 2024-25, Lake Superior State has plenty of new faces this winter.
Starting in the scoring department, Lake Superior State too features a balanced attack, which includes 11 players with at least four points per game next to their names. At the top of that column is redshirt sophomore Omar Suleiman (17.1 PPG), sophomore Harrison Sorrelle (13.3 PPG) and junior Nino Carter-Smith (11 PPG). Junior Tyler Jamison brings down 4.3 boards per contest and Carter-Smith dishes out 3.9 assists per outing.
LAST GAME RECAP
Wayne State scored the contest's first six points and 14 of its initial 18.
In that 14-4 run, five Warriors broke into the scoring column including
Marshall Thorn with four,
Cooper Craggs with four,
Jotham Nweke with two,
Jordan Briggs with two, and
Adam Ayrault with two.
After that, the closest Redeemer could get was eight points at 14-6.
In the ensuing four-plus minutes, WSU took control of the game with 18 of the next 20 points to push its advantage to 24, 32-8.
In that spurt alone, Ayrault registered five points, but was joined by a quartet of others. That group included
Jalen Jenkins with five points,
JaKobie Boose with four,
Kelvin Tamakloe with two, and
Chase Kuiper with two.
From there until the final buzzer of the first half, the scoring was much more balanced, but still favored the home team by 11, 28-17. The hosts went into the locker room ahead by 35, 60-25.
For the opening 20 minutes as a whole, Wayne State shot 52 percent (25-of-48) from the field, including 21-of-33 (64 percent) inside the arc. Even more specifically, 36 of those 42 points came in the paint where the Warriors boasted a 36-10 edge.
Wayne State outscored Redeemer 43-21 in the final 20 minutes en route to the 103-46 victory.
The Royals made just 20 percent (6-of-30) of their looks in the second half, while the Warriors cooled down to convert at a rate of 38 percent (15-of-40).
All 17 of Wayne State's players got in the game and scored. At the forefront of that group were Boose and Ayrault, each with 11.
Carlos Paul III and Nweke each brought down eight rebounds, while Briggs dished out four assists. Defensively, the Green and Gold were paced by Nweke's two steals and six different players with one block apiece.
WARRIOR SPORTS NETWORK
Every men's basketball contest will air on the Warrior Sports Network with veteran play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Brechmacher calling the action for the 10th consecutive season. He will be joined on the home broadcasts by former WSU basketball student-athletes Andy Dold, Chuck Key and Marcus Moore on a rotating basis.
Veteran Detroit broadcaster Tony Ortiz will handle the sideline reporting duties for a majority of the home games on the Warrior Sports Network as well.
