KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team opens up its 2023-24 season on Monday night as it welcomes North Dakota State to University Arena. 
 

GAME INFO

Matchup: Western Michigan (0-0) vs North Dakota State (0-0)

Date/Time: Monday, Nov. 6 – 7 pm

Site: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)

Tickets: wmubroncos.com/tickets

Video: ESPN+

Radio: Bronco Media Network

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

OPENING TIP

• Western Michigan tips off its second season under head coach Dwayne Stephens on Monday night as it welcomes North Dakota State to University Arena.
• The Broncos enter Monday having won five of their last seven season openers and 12 consecutive home openers.
• Western Michigan topped Kalamazoo College 94-63 in an exhibition game back on Nov. 1 at University Arena. 
• WMU brings back a pair of players who started every game last season in Titus Wright and Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro.
• Sophomore Seth Hubbard also played every game last season and was selected to the All-MAC Freshman Team.
• Last season, the Broncos led the MAC in both rebounding margin (+4.7/game) and offensive rebounding (12.2/game).
• Monday marks the fifth all-time meeting between WMU and North Dakota State.
• The all-time series between the Broncos and Bison is even at 2-2.

FOR OPENERS
Western Michigan begins the 2023-24 season on Monday night as it welcomes North Dakota State to University Arena. Entering Monday, the Broncos have won five of their last seven season openers. WMU has won 12 consecutive home openers.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
The Broncos struggled on the road a season ago, but posted an even .500 record (7-7) at home in 2022-23. Western Michigan is set to welcome Georgia State to town on Saturday afternoon, meaning it will start the season with back-to-back home games for the first time since the 2005-06 season. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos capped the 2022-23 season with a resounding 81-65 victory over rival Central Michigan on Senior Night. Two of WMU's seniors led the charge in their final game for the Brown & Gold as Tray Maddox Jr. had a game-high 22 points and Lamar Norman Jr. added 18 points for the Broncos. 

WELCOME BACK
Western Michigan welcomes back eight players from last year's squad, seven of which saw game action. Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro and Titus Wright were the only two Broncos to start all 31 games a year ago, while Seth Hubbard also appeared in all 31 contests for the Brown and Gold in 2022-23.

CLEANING THE GLASS
After ranking near the bottom of the MAC in rebounding in 2021-22, WMU turned things around to lead the league in rebounding margin (+4.7) and offensive rebounding (12.2), as well as rank third in the MAC in overall rebounding (37.0) last season. Nationally, the Broncos were 27th in offensive rebounding and 34th in rebounding margin.

DIALING LONG DISTANCE
WMU was prolific from beyond the arc last season, as it knocked down 250 three-pointers, the second-most in a single season in school history. Seth Hubbard, who hit 44 last season, is the team's leading returning sharpshooter. The Broncos have made at least one triple in 391 straight games.

HOT-HAND HUBBARD
Seth Hubbard got hot down the stretch at the end of 2022-23 for Western Michigan. In WMU's last nine games, he hit 18-of-32 (.563) from downtown and averaged 10.6 points. For the season, Hubbard was sixth in the MAC with a .427 three-point percentage. In league play, he bumped his percentage to .458, fourth-best in the league. Following the season, Hubbard was named to the All-MAC Freshman Team, WMU's first freshman honoree since Titus Wright in 2019-20.

WMU VS THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
Western Michigan's last game against a team from the Summit League was an overtime loss to former conference member Purdue Fort Wayne on Nov. 22, 2015. North Dakota State is the first of two Summit League opponents on the schedule for the Broncos, as they are also slated to face St. Thomas on Dec. 1 at University Arena. 

SCOUTING THE BISON
North Dakota State is coming off of a 16-17 campaign in 2022-23 which saw it finish third in the Summit League and eventually reach the Summit League's Championship Game. The Bison bring back an experienced group, which includes five of the six players who averaged more than 7.0 points per game last season. NDSU was picked to finish third once again in the Summit League's preseason poll released in October.

SERIES HISTORY
Western Michigan and North Dakota State have met four times, with each team having won twice. In the 2010's, the Broncos and Bison met in three consecutive seasons, including WMU defeating NDSU, 72-71, in an overtime thriller in the first round of the 2013 CBI. The following year, the Bison came back to University Arena and won, 83-74, their first win in three trips to Kalamazoo.

HALFTIME LEADS TURN INTO W'S
The Broncos own a 56-21 record over the last five seasons when leading at halftime.

ON THE HORIZON
WMU's season-opening homestand continues on Saturday against Georgia State.