KALAMAZOO -- The No. 7 seed Western Michigan men's basketball team (17-14) heads to
Cleveland for the 2010 FirstEnergy Mid-American Conference Tournament against
No. 2 seed Central Michigan (15-14) in the quarterfinals on Thursday at
noon.
The Broncos defeated No. 10 Bowling Green, 75-73, on Sunday in the first
round of the tournament.
The game will be televised on FS Detroit, FS Ohio and ESPN360.com. Bronco Insider
subscribers can watch the game online at WMUBroncos.com.
Robin Hook and
Matt Holmes will have the call on the Bronco Radio Network
Stations • WZUU — 92.5 FM: (Flagship) Kalamazoo, Portage, Mattawan; WMAX — 96.1
FM: Grand Rapids, Holland, South Haven, Muskegon; WBCH — 100.1 FM/1220 AM:
Hastings; WTVB — 1590 AM: Coldwater
QUICK HITTERS• Western Michigan is led by 2010 MAC
Player of the Year
David Kool. Kool leads the MAC with 20.9 points per game in
all games and 21.9 points per game in conference play. Kool also ranks first in
the MAC in free throw shooting (.895), fifth in steals (1.71 spg), 11th in
three-pointers per game (1.87) and 15th in three-point percentage (.354). Kool
also adds 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. A four-time MAC West Player of
the Week and four-time MAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Week this season, Kool
scored 20 points or more in 17 games this season, including nine in MAC play,
and seven games of 30 points or more, four in conference action. Kool is the
fourth MAC Player of the Year in school history (Jeff Tyson-1976, Booker
James-1987, Mike Williams-2004).
• The Broncos earned their first win as a
No. 7 seed with their first win ever in the MAC Tournament against No. 10
Bowling Green in the first round, 75-73. Kool led the Broncos with 20 points,
six rebounds and five assists, while sophomore
Flenard Whitfield added a
career-high 19 points, six rebounds and two steals.
• The Broncos will be
playing No. 2 Central Michigan for the first time in their 25th MAC Tournament
appearance. The Broncos are 8-10 all-time in the quarterfinals and 2-6 against
the No. 2 seed. The Broncos' last game against the No. 2 seed was a 77-66
victory over Kent State in the 2004 MAC Tournament championship game.
• The
Broncos split the season series against Central Michigan this season with each
team winning on its home floor. The Broncos won, 70-61, in Kalamazoo on Jan. 16,
but fell, 74-66, in Mt. Pleasant on Feb. 27.
• Kool is the career leader in
points at Western Michigan with 2,057 (surpassing Manny Newsome's record of
1,787 set in 1964), which is ninth in Mid-American Conference history. Kool is
only the 12th 2,000-point scorer in league annals. Kool has also passed former
WMU teammate
Joe Reitz' MAC record for career free throws made with 583 and he
is the WMU single-season leader with 187 this year. Kool is also six points away
from setting a new school record for total points in a season. Manny Newsome's
654 points has stood since 1963-64.
• Whitfield has stepped up his play to
close the season with of late with 13.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game over
his last seven contests. Whitfield is shooting 54.5 percent from the field in
that stretch that includes six games of 10 or more points.
