Editor’s Note: This is part of a series checking on MAC teams before they enter Conference play. All rankings are MAC, unless otherwise noted)
COACH: Steve Hawkins (13th season, 224-169). He is the longest-tenured active coach in the MAC and ranks fifth in wins all time among MAC coaches.
2014 RECORD: 20-14 overall (10-8 MAC, 3rd place MAC West). WMU won four of its first five MAC outings last year. However, it then lost five of the next six conference games.
MAC TOURNEY:
Lost to Akron 58-45 in the second round of tournament play.
OTHER POST-SEASON ACTION:
Lost to Cleveland State 86-57 in first round of CIT tourney.
LEFT THE BUILDING
► The Broncos lost three letter winners, including two starters. David Richie led WMU in scoring with a 15.3 ppg. average. He also topped the Broncs in 3-point field goals (85). Richie was second with 52 treys and contributed 10.0 ppg. David Brown, a 6-4 guard, earned All-MAC Second Team honors after averaging 15.3 ppg. He led the team with 85 3-point goals and owned a team-high 45 steals.
BACK FOR MORE:
► Three starters were set to return among the seven returning lettermen. However, senior Connar Tava has not played this year and appears headed for a medical redshirt related to a foot injury. Tava has twice received All-MAC Honorable Mention honors. He averaged 12.3 points a game and led WMU in rebounding and assists.
Tucker Haymond, a 6-6 junior guard, is the only returning player who averaged in double figures (11.8 ppg) last year.
Drake Lamont, a 6-10 center, averaged 5.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in his freshman season last year.
2015-16 RECORD: 6-7
► The Broncos have been up and down through 13 games, never . . .
COACH: Steve Hawkins (13th season, 224-169). He is the longest-tenured active coach in the MAC and ranks fifth in wins all time among MAC coaches.
2014 RECORD: 20-14 overall (10-8 MAC, 3rd place MAC West). WMU won four of its first five MAC outings last year. However, it then lost five of the next six conference games.
MAC TOURNEY:
Lost to Akron 58-45 in the second round of tournament play.
OTHER POST-SEASON ACTION:
Lost to Cleveland State 86-57 in first round of CIT tourney.
LEFT THE BUILDING
► The Broncos lost three letter winners, including two starters. David Richie led WMU in scoring with a 15.3 ppg. average. He also topped the Broncs in 3-point field goals (85). Richie was second with 52 treys and contributed 10.0 ppg. David Brown, a 6-4 guard, earned All-MAC Second Team honors after averaging 15.3 ppg. He led the team with 85 3-point goals and owned a team-high 45 steals.
BACK FOR MORE:
► Three starters were set to return among the seven returning lettermen. However, senior Connar Tava has not played this year and appears headed for a medical redshirt related to a foot injury. Tava has twice received All-MAC Honorable Mention honors. He averaged 12.3 points a game and led WMU in rebounding and assists.
Tucker Haymond, a 6-6 junior guard, is the only returning player who averaged in double figures (11.8 ppg) last year.
Drake Lamont, a 6-10 center, averaged 5.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in his freshman season last year.
2015-16 RECORD: 6-7
► The Broncos have been up and down through 13 games, never . . .
. . . winning or losing more than two straight. WMU had back-to-back wins against Northeastern (87-86 OT) and Marygrove College (101-59) in early January. It finished non-conference play on a winning note, edging Jacksonville, 76-72.
► Western Michigan’s 6-7 record was the only sub-.500 mark among MAC West Division teams.
OTHER:
► The loss of Tava, along with the departures of Brown and Richie, will likely force the Broncos to regroup some this year. That could well mean the end of a very successful streak. WMU has won 20 games in each of the last three seasons, marking one of only two such stretches in program history.
► The MAC media preseason poll, conducted in late October, picked WMU to finish third in the MAC West. The media also selected Tava for the MAC West Division Preseason All-MAC team. His injury, however, has apparently turned his season into a redshirt campaign.
► Western Michigan is scoring at a 74.5 ppg. rate (8th MAC) and surrendering 72.7 ppg (10th). The +1.8 scoring margin ranks 10th among the 12 MAC programs.
► The Broncos are third in overall field goal percentage (44.9%), third in 3-point goal shooting (36.8 %) and sixth in free throw percentage (69.0%).
► WMU ranks fifth in rebounding margin (+4.2), seventh in steals (5.9 per game) and 11th in turnover margin (-1.42)
► Two Broncos average double figure scoring. Haymond is hitting at a 17.6 ppg clip and contributes 5.2 rebounds per outing. Wilder is good for 16.1 ppg and a team-best 3.3 assists.
Junior Kellen McCormick, a 6-8, 215-pound forward, is at 8.3 ppg. McCormick leads the team in 3-point goals (27), followed by Wilder with 20.
► Rebounding is spread through the lineup, with four players averaging 4.5 or more caroms per contest.
► Western Michigan opens MAC play Tuesday at home against Kent State and will be at Akron Friday. Both games tip off at 7 p.m. ET.
► Western Michigan’s 6-7 record was the only sub-.500 mark among MAC West Division teams.
OTHER:
► The loss of Tava, along with the departures of Brown and Richie, will likely force the Broncos to regroup some this year. That could well mean the end of a very successful streak. WMU has won 20 games in each of the last three seasons, marking one of only two such stretches in program history.
► The MAC media preseason poll, conducted in late October, picked WMU to finish third in the MAC West. The media also selected Tava for the MAC West Division Preseason All-MAC team. His injury, however, has apparently turned his season into a redshirt campaign.
► Western Michigan is scoring at a 74.5 ppg. rate (8th MAC) and surrendering 72.7 ppg (10th). The +1.8 scoring margin ranks 10th among the 12 MAC programs.
► The Broncos are third in overall field goal percentage (44.9%), third in 3-point goal shooting (36.8 %) and sixth in free throw percentage (69.0%).
► WMU ranks fifth in rebounding margin (+4.2), seventh in steals (5.9 per game) and 11th in turnover margin (-1.42)
► Two Broncos average double figure scoring. Haymond is hitting at a 17.6 ppg clip and contributes 5.2 rebounds per outing. Wilder is good for 16.1 ppg and a team-best 3.3 assists.
Junior Kellen McCormick, a 6-8, 215-pound forward, is at 8.3 ppg. McCormick leads the team in 3-point goals (27), followed by Wilder with 20.
► Rebounding is spread through the lineup, with four players averaging 4.5 or more caroms per contest.
► Western Michigan opens MAC play Tuesday at home against Kent State and will be at Akron Friday. Both games tip off at 7 p.m. ET.
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