MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.  –  Western Michigan men's basketball begins play at the 11^th annual Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Myrtle Beach on Thursday, Nov. 16 when the Broncos take on Tulsa at 8:00 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on ESPNEWS.

It's the first of three games in four days for the Broncos as they will face either Appalachian State and Iowa State on Friday. The tournament will be played at the HTC Center on the campus of Coastal Carolina University. The tournament was relocated due to the effects of hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico.

Thursday, Nov.16  • 8:00 p.m. • Myrtle Beach, S.C. • HTC Center (3,600)
Tulsa Golden Hurricane (1-1, 0-0 American) vs. Western Michigan (1-1, 0-0 MAC)

Series Record: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting

BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Radio • Bronco Radio Network – Aaron Coyle (PBP)
Stations • WZOX – 96.5 FM: (Flagship) Kalamazoo, Portage, Mattawan; WMAX – 96.1 FM: Holland, Muskegon; WTKG 1230 AM: Grand Rapids
Watch Live: ESPNEWS (Alvaro Martin – PBP, Debbie Antonelli – Color)

Scouting the Broncos
Western Michigan heads into the tournament with an overall record of 1-1 after a season opening victory over a Siena Heights and a loss at South Carolina. WMU is averaging 81.5 points per game and on average are outscoring their opponents by 6.5 points.

Last Time Out
On Monday, the Broncos squared off with 2017 Final Four Participant South Carolina and fell to the Gamecocks, 78-60. WMU had three score in double figures for the second consecutive game with senior guard Thomas Wilder leading all scorers with 23 points.

Swiping It Away
As a team the Broncos rank 22^nd in the NCAA with 10.1 steals per game and rank third in the MAC. Wilder leads the conference with an average of 3.5 steals per game while his six steals against South Carolina was the third most in a single game in program history.  

Moving Up the Mid-Major Polls
WMU moved up two spots to No.21 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The Broncos are the only team from the MAC to be ranked in the top
25.   

Davis Lights Up South Carolina
Junior Josh Davis had a career night against South Carolina, recording 11 points along with a career-high eight rebounds. Davis also had a career-high in blocks, registering three of WMU's six total blocks against USC. This season Davis is second on the team in scoring, averaging 10 points and six rebounds per game.

Against the Field
Against the teams that are in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, the Broncos have a head-to-head record of 7-7. The field includes South Carolina, Illinois State, UTEP, Boise State, Iowa State and Appalachian State.  

Broncos Are Dominant with Halftime Lead
Since the start of last season, the Broncos are 14-3 when heading into halftime with the lead.  

Scouting Tulsa 
Tulsa is 1-1 on the season and is coming off a 90-71 victory over Oral Roberts on Monday night. Sterling Taplan leads the way for the Golden Hurricane, averaging 17.5 points per game to go along with four rebounds and 2.5 assists. Fourth year head coach Frank Haith is no stranger to the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Haith while that coach at Miami (FL), won the inaugural tournament in 2007.

What's Next
It will be a quick turnaround for WMU as the Broncos will play either Iowa State or Appalachian State on Friday. Game time is set for either 5 or 7 p.m.

WMU Tabbed as Preseason MAC Favorite
As voted on by the leagues' head coaches and media, the Broncos are the favorite to claim the MAC Tournament championship with 10 votes WMU received 22 of 30 first-place votes to repeat as MAC West champions.

Many Preseason Awards for Wilder
Returning for his senior season Thomas Wilder was named Preseason All-MAC west by the league's head coaches and media. Wilder was also named to the All-High Major Third Team by College Sports Madness and was added to the Lou Henson Player of the Year Award Watch List. The award is given annually to the nation's top Division I mid-major player.