Northwest Wayne News

The Wayne State University men's basketball team, holding a record of 3-5, is preparing to conclude its non-conference schedule for 2024 with two games. The Warriors will face Northwood on Thursday at 7 p.m. and host Redeemer University on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Wayne State's current standing comes after an 85-77 victory over Michigan-Dearborn last Wednesday. They aim to secure consecutive wins for the first time this season. Northwood has had a challenging start, winning four out of ten games and losing the last two matches.

Redeemer University, from Canada and part of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA), holds a 3-7 record and will treat their game against Wayne State as an exhibition match. The Royals have managed one win in five road games this season.

In terms of head-to-head records, Wayne State leads against Northwood with an all-time series score of 45-34 but faces tougher competition when playing away at Northwood, where they trail 21-17. This upcoming game marks the first meeting between Wayne State and Redeemer University.

Northwood's team is led by new coach Tom Church, who previously coached Tiffin for six seasons. Notable players include Elijah Watson with an average of 13.9 points per game (PPG), Jamison Eklund with 12.2 PPG, and Will Young II with 11.0 PPG. JT Morgan leads in rebounds with an average of 8.1 per game.

For Redeemer University, Parker Davis averages 18.1 PPG, Robert Mannella contributes 13.2 PPG along with a team-best of 4.5 assists per game, while Brendan Morris scores around 11.6 PPG.

Reflecting on their recent performance against Michigan-Dearborn on December 11th, Wayne State managed to overturn an early deficit into a commanding lead through strong contributions from Carlos Paul III and Carmelo Harris among others. The Warriors displayed effective shooting and rebounding throughout the match.

This season's games are broadcast live on WDTK - The Patriot except for certain non-Division II games like those against Michigan-Dearborn and Redeemer University which can be streamed online at PatriotDetroit.com or watched via FloSports for GLIAC contests.