Northwest Wayne News

The Wayne State University men's basketball team is set to begin its 20-game GLIAC schedule this week. The Warriors, currently holding a 1-4 record, will face Davenport and Grand Valley State in home games at the WSU Fieldhouse. The match against Davenport is scheduled for Thursday at 7:30 p.m., followed by a game against Grand Valley State on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Wayne State recently secured their first win of the season with an 84-54 victory over Tiffin but subsequently lost to Lewis, bringing their overall record to 1-4. Their upcoming opponents have had varied success this season. Davenport holds a 2-4 record, with wins against non-NCAA teams Grace Christian and Kuyper. Meanwhile, Grand Valley State has achieved four wins out of six games, with both losses occurring narrowly at home.

Historically, Wayne State and Davenport have split their past encounters evenly, with the home team generally having the upper hand. Wayne State has been more successful in recent matches against Davenport in Detroit. In contrast, Grand Valley State leads the all-time series against Wayne State but was defeated by them in Detroit earlier this year.

Davenport's team is led by veteran head coach Burt Paddock and features standout players such as senior Jovan Tucker and freshman Matyas Vrabel. On the other hand, Grand Valley State is coached by Cornell Mann and boasts strong performances from players like Jalen Charity and Ethan Alderink.

In their last outing against Lewis on November 26th, Wayne State showed resilience but ultimately fell short despite leading early in the game. Rob Lee Jr.'s performance stood out as he scored a team-high of 24 points.

Despite a challenging start to the season, Wayne State has shown efficiency in shooting both from behind the arc and at free throws nationally ranking high in these categories.

All regular-season games will be broadcast live on WDTK - The Patriot (1400 AM / 101.5 FM) except for two non-Division II games scheduled for later this month.