KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Returning to action after final exams the Western Michigan men's basketball team heads to the Big Apple for a match-up with Manhattan on Saturday, Dec. 14. It's the first meeting between the two programs since 1946.
Saturday, Dec. 14 • 7:00 p.m. • Riverdale, New York • Draddy Gymnasium (2,520)
Western Michigan Broncos (5-5, 0-0 MAC) at Manhattan Jaspers (4-3, 0-0 MAAC)
Series Record: WMU leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Dec. 7, 1946– New York, N.Y. – WMU 55, Manhattan 52
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Radio • Bronco Radio Network – Aaron Coyle (PBP)
Stations • WZOX – 96.5 FM: Kalamazoo (flagship), Portage, Mattawan; WMAX – 96.1 FM: Holland, Muskegon; WTKG 1230 AM: Grand Rapids
Watch Live: ESPN Plus (Greg Mescall – PBP, Matthew Estreich – Color)
Get your Tickets!
Make sure to join us for Bronco basketball this season inside University Arena! Single-game tickets start at just $12. Also available is the "Pick Six" plan as Bronco fans have the opportunity to pick six men's home games that fit their schedule starting at only $66. Tickets can be purchased at the Bronco Ticket Office, online at
wmubroncos.com/tickets or by calling 1-888-4-WMU-Tix.
Scouting the Broncos
Western Michigan boasts an overall record of 5-5 this season and recently snapped its four-game losing streak with a 66-64 victory over Youngstown State last Saturday. WMU is the led by the duo of junior
Michael Flowers and redshirt junior
Brandon Johnson who are each averaging over 15 points per game.
Two is Better than One
WMU along with Toledo are the only schools in the Mid-American Conference to have two players rank in the top ten in scoring this season.
Michael Flowers ranks third in the MAC at 17.9 points per game while
Brandon Johnson ranks ninth at 15.6 points per game.
Double-Double Johnson
Heading into Saturday's contest, Johnson has registered back-to-back double-doubles and over the past four games is averaging 17 points and 11.5 rebounds. Against Youngstown State last Saturday, Johnson scored a game-high 19 points to go along with a career-high 16 rebounds.
Protecting the Ball
The Broncos have recorded back-to-back games with single digit turnovers for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. WMU ranks third in the MAC and 17
th in the NCAA in fewest turnovers per game (11.1).
Keep the Streaks Alive
Junior guard
Michael Flowers has scored in double figures in 13 straight games dating back to last season. Flowers has also been automatic at the free-throw line, connecting on 12 straight from the charity stripe.
The Bronco Ironman
After missing all of last season due to injury, redshirt sophomore
Jason Whitens ranks third on the team with 295 minutes played this season. Whitens has played over 30 minutes in five of the first 10 games.
Scouting the Opponent
Manhattan heads into Saturday's contest with an overall record of 4-3 and is coming off a 54-53 overtime win last Saturday at Fordham. The Jaspers are 2-0 at home this season with victories over Albany and Delaware State. It will be the Jaspers first home games since Nov. 16.
The Jaspers are led by Tykei Greene who is averaging 10.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. As a team Manhattan averaging 61.9 points per game and is one of the top teams in the country in steals per game (8.3).
