The Wayne State University men's basketball team is set to begin the 2024-25 season with two non-conference road games, marking the first time in nearly eight years they have opened with consecutive away matches. The Warriors will face Lincoln University of Missouri on Friday night and the University of Indianapolis (UIndy) on Sunday afternoon.
Head coach Bryan Smothers, a former Warrior himself, enters his third year at the helm. Over his initial two seasons, Smothers has compiled an overall record of 22-32 and a GLIAC record of 12-24. Last season, Wayne State ended with a 14-15 overall record and a 7-11 mark in the GLIAC. They secured a place in the GLIAC Tournament by defeating Saginaw Valley State with a last-second buzzer-beater by Carmelo Harris. As the seventh seed, they then upset second-seeded Lake Superior State in their first GLIAC Tournament victory since 2012.
Returning players for this season include three starters: Carmelo Harris, Ray Williams Jr., and Tamario Adley. Also back are Rob Lee Jr., Jordan Briggs, and Kareem Aburashed among others.
The upcoming game against Lincoln marks their first-ever meeting. Lincoln recently joined the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) after leaving the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Under coach Jimmy Drew's leadership, Lincoln has improved significantly over recent seasons.
Wayne State will also play UIndy, who had a strong previous season finishing 23-9 overall and winning their second straight GLVC Regular-Season Championship. Scott Heady takes over as UIndy's head coach after a successful tenure at Marian University.
In preparation for this season, Wayne State was ranked fifth out of eleven schools in the GLIAC Preseason Poll. Sophomore guard Rob Lee Jr. was named to the Preseason All-GLIAC Second Team.
The Warriors' schedule includes 28 games with 26 against NCAA Midwest Region opponents and features 20 within GLIAC play. All regular-season games will be broadcast live on WDTK - The Patriot radio station and streamed online at PatriotDetroit.com.
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