Northwest Wayne News

Wayne State University has announced the addition of two freshmen to its men's basketball program for the 2025-26 season. Head coach Bryan Smothers, entering his fourth year at the helm, confirmed that center/forward Braylon Mannan and guard Luke Westerdale have signed with the Warriors.

Under Smothers' leadership, Wayne State's men's basketball team has seen steady improvement in recent years. The team's win total increased from eight to 15 over three seasons, while conference victories in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) rose from five to 11. The roster for the upcoming season will include eight returning letterwinners as well as redshirt freshman JaKobie Boose.

Braylon Mannan joins from Belleville High School, where he was a three-year varsity letterwinner and served as a two-year captain under coach Adam Trumpour. During his tenure, Belleville achieved a 50-23 record and reached both regional championship and state playoff rounds. Mannan earned KLAA All-Conference East Select Team honors for 2024-25 and was named to the Detroit Free Press All-West Honorable Mention Team. He also played summer basketball for The Academy 2025 under coach Jordan Ebbs.

Coach Smothers commented on Mannan’s potential: "Braylon is a really high upside player. He was recruited by most of the GLIAC and some low D1 schools. He has been committed to us since the summer of 2024. We are excited to watch him develop in our program."

Luke Westerdale arrives from Riverview Gabriel Richard High School, where he became the school's all-time leading scorer over four years with coach Kris Daiek. Westerdale helped lead his team to an 84-12 overall record and a state title in 2025 after reaching the semifinals in 2024. In his final season, he contributed significantly during key postseason games, including scoring 17 points with seven rebounds and five assists in the Division 3 state championship victory. Westerdale received first-team All-State honors from both Detroit Free Press and Mitten Prep Hoops and was a three-year team captain. He played summer ball for The Academy Ny2La coached by Jordan Ebbs.

Coach Smothers described Westerdale’s skills: "Luke is coming to our program as a productive high school player and a state champion from Riverview Gabriel Richard. He's really skilled and knows how to make other players better."

Mannan plans to major in Nutrition and Food Science, while Westerdale intends to study Business or Political Science.