The Wayne State University men’s basketball team is preparing for its final road trip of the regular season after two home losses to ranked opponents, No. 17 Northern Michigan and No. 13 Michigan Tech. The Warriors, who have an overall record of 11-11 and are 8-8 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), will face Roosevelt and Parkside this week.
Roosevelt has experienced mixed results recently, losing its last two games but winning the previous two, both at home. The Lakers will host Wayne State on Thursday. Roosevelt is coached by Dee Brown, now in his fourth year with a 56-54 overall record. The team ranks last in the GLIAC for both scoring offense and defense, averaging 67.1 points per game while allowing 80.1 points per game.
Three Roosevelt players average double-digit points: junior Hamahrie Bowers (15.5), senior Mikey West (14.1), and senior Dante Sawyer (12.8). Junior Davon Smith-Johnson leads the team in rebounding and blocks, while Sawyer has recorded the most steals and West leads in assists.
Parkside, led by head coach Luke Reigel in his 23rd season with a 335-309 record, has found success at home with nine wins out of eleven there this season. Parkside is recognized as one of the top free throw shooting teams nationally, ranking among the best for free throws made per game, percentage, and attempts per contest.
The Rangers feature three of the conference’s top scorers: senior Paxton Warden (18.7 points per game), redshirt junior Luka Mateski (16.0), and graduate student Josiah Palmer (12.8). Senior Fawaz Surakat averages 7.3 rebounds per game while Palmer contributes significantly with assists.
In their most recent outing against Michigan Tech, Wayne State fell behind early but managed to tie the score several times before ultimately losing 77-73. Carlos Paul III led Wayne State with 19 points; JaKobie Boose and Devin Belle each scored 13; Marshall Thorn added a season-high 12 points along with a game-high 11 rebounds for his first double-double at Wayne State.
Wayne State’s strength of schedule currently ranks seventeenth nationally (.590 winning percentage). Their remaining schedule features opponents with a combined .424 winning percentage.
With four games left in the regular season, Wayne State is tied for fourth place in the GLIAC standings alongside Lake Superior State and ahead of upcoming opponents Roosevelt and Saginaw Valley State who are tied for ninth place.
Kevin Brechmacher will provide commentary for both upcoming road games in Chicago and Kenosha.
The Wayne State Warriors Men’s Basketball program competes in NCAA Division II as part of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. It serves as a major athletic initiative within Detroit’s public university system under Wayne State University athletics. The program maintains records documenting historical achievements including all-time top players lists and honors such as GLIAC Player of the Year awards (source).
