KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team begins its run at the 2025 Mid-American Conference Tournament on Thursday evening as it takes on No. 3 seed Kent State in the quarterfinals. 
 

GAME INFO

Matchup: No. 6 Western Michigan (12-19, 9-9 MAC) vs. No. 3 Kent State (21-10, 11-7)

Date/Time: Thursday, March 13 – Approx. 6:30 pm

Site: Rocket Arena (Cleveland, Ohio)

Video: ESPN+

Radio: Bronco Media Network

Live Stats: SIDEARM

OPENING TIP

• Western Michigan begins MAC Tournament play on Thursday with a quarterfinal matchup against No. 3 seed Kent State.
• WMU is 24-36 all-time in the MAC Tournament with two titles (2004, 2014).
• The Broncos punched their ticket to Cleveland last Friday night with a 64-63 win at Bowling Green. 
• JaVaughn Hannah paced WMU with 18 points, while Owen Lobsinger had 17 and added seven rebounds off of the bench.
• Chansey Willis Jr. was named to the All-MAC Second Team on Wednesday.
• He is the first Bronco to earn Second Team honors since Thomas Wilder in 2016.
• Kent State leads the all-time series between the two programs, 71-59.
• The Broncos and Golden Flashes split the regular season series, with each team winning on the other's home floor.
• WMU and Kent State have met five times in the MAC Tournament, with KSU holding a 3-2 edge in those contests.

TOURNAMENT TIME
No. 6 seed Western Michigan begins its run at the 2025 MAC Tournament on Thursday night as it takes on No. 3 seed Kent State in the quarterfinals. The winner advances to Friday's semifinals to face either No. 2 Miami or No. 7 Eastern Michigan.

MAC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
WMU is making its 37th all-time appearance in the MAC Tournament, in which it holds a 24-36 all-time mark. It is the second straight year the Broncos have made it to Cleveland, making it the first time the program has reached Cleveland in back-to-back years since the 2013-14 and 2014-15 campaigns. Western Michigan is searching for its first berth in the semifinals since it won its second MAC Tournament title in 2014. 

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, WILLIS
Chansey Willis Jr. was named to the All-MAC Second Team on Wednesday, making him the first Bronco to earn Second Team honors since Thomas Wilder in 2016. The junior has been a model of consistency for the Broncos this season, scoring in double-figures in 21 of the 23 contests he's played in, and netting 20 or more points in eight games. He took things up a notch in conference play, ranking second in the MAC in both scoring (17.5 PPG) and assists (5.8), while also finishing among the league leaders in steals (1.8, 4th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7, 7th). 

LAST TIME OUT
For the second straight season, Western Michigan sealed its place in the MAC Tournament with a victory on the final night of the regular season, as it pulled out a 64-63 win at Bowling Green on Friday night. JaVaughn Hannah led the way with 18 points for the Broncos, while Chansey Willis Jr. had 12, including the go-ahead free throw in the final seconds of the contest. 

ROAD WARRIORS
Friday's win at Bowling Green was Western Michigan's fifth road win in conference play, giving it a winning record on the road in MAC play for the first time since the 2013-14 team went 6-3 on the road in the league.

CLEANING THE GLASS
Western Michigan enters the MAC Tournament as one of the conference's best on the boards, leading the MAC in offensive rebounding (13.3, 21st in NCAA Division I), ranking second in overall rebounding (37.9, 52nd DI) and fourth in rebounding margin (+3.2). In conference play, the Broncos averaged a league-leading 13.7 offensive rebounds per game and their 37.8 total boards per contest were second. Owen Lobsinger (6.5) and Donovan Williams (6.3) lead the charge on the glass for WMU, ranking seventh and eighth in the MAC, respectively.

GETTING OFFENSIVE
WMU enters the MAC Tournament ranked 21st in NCAA Division I in offensive rebounding at 13.3 per game. Three Broncos are among the top-15 offensive rebounders in the MAC, with Owen Lobsinger pulling down 2.1 per game (10th), Donovan Williams at 2.0 (11th) and JaVaughn Hannah at 1.9 (13th). In MAC play, Western Michigan boosted its league-leading total to 13.9 per contest.

PROTECTING THE ROCK
The Broncos had just eight turnovers last Friday at Bowling Green, their third straight game and 11th overall this season with single-digit miscues. Western Michigan is averaging 11.0 turnovers per game, the third-fewest in the conference.

SERIES HISTORY
Kent State heads into Thursday leading the all-time series between the two programs, 71-59. The Broncos and Golden Flashes have met five times in MAC Tournament play, with the most recent encounter a KSU victory in the third round of the 2012 tournament. The two teams met in the championship game in 2004, with Western Michigan cutting down the nets to claim the first MAC Tournament title in program history. 

SO WE MEET AGAIN
Thursday's meeting will be the third this season between Western Michigan and Kent State, with each team having won on the other's home floor during the regular season. WMU had five players score in double-figures to earn a 94-83 road win back on Jan. 14, the team's first win at Kent since 2014. The Golden Flashes won the rematch in Kalamazoo, 77-76, on March 4, and outrebounded the Broncos, 53-31.