NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76 (25-3, 15-1 MAC) • MAC Champions • Virginia Tech Box • Marquette Box • Season Stats
Coach Eldon Miller’s Broncos were one of the country’s “Cinderella” basketball teams in 1975-76, as they attracted more national interest than any other athletic team in the University’s history to that point.
For the final seven weeks of the season, Western Michigan was ranked among the nation’s top-20 in national polls conducted by the Associated Press and United Press International. WMU finished 10th in the final AP poll, the highest placing ever attained by a Mid-American Conference school (finished the year 19th in the UPI).
The 25-3 showing established a new school and MAC mark for victories in a single season. A 15-1 conference slate led to the program’s first outright championship and subsequent initial NCAA Tournament appearance.
Including a victory in the final game of the 1974-75 season, Western Michigan defeated 20 straight opponents, which also set a new school and league mark.
The accomplishments of the team were covered in such publications as Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, New York Times and Basketball Weekly. WMU was featured on all three major national radio or television networks.
Locally, the 14-game home schedule in Read Fieldhouse attracted a MAC record 7,852 spectators. The largest crowd (10,519) ever at Read for a Bronco game turned out to witness an 82-68 win over Miami, which gave WMU sole possession of the league lead for the next three weeks. That attendance mark still stands as a school record today.
Miller was the near unanimous choice for MAC Coach of the Year and Jeff Tyson earned MAC Player of the Year accolades. Teammates Paul Griffin and Tom Cutter joined Tyson on the All-Conference squad, placing a trio of Broncos on the five-member team. All of those players finished among the program’s career top 10 in several categories.
Front: Jimmie Harvey, Bob Pyykkonen, Dave Roland, Marty Murray, Jim Kurzen, Herman Randle, Jeff Tyson
Back: Head Coach Eldon Miller, Assistant Coach Rich Walker, Mike Reardon, S.L. Sales, Dave Carnegie, Paul Griffin, Marc Throop, Tom Cutter, Dale DeBruin, Assistant Coach Dick Shilts
1997-98 (21-8, 14-4 MAC) • MAC Champions • Clemson Box • Stanford Box • Season Stats
The 1997-98 edition of the Western Michigan men’s basketball team put together one of the most successful campaigns in school history.
The Broncos completed the year with a 21-8 record, the second time in seven years the squad had broken the 20-win plateau. The team posted a 14-4 league record and earned a share of the MAC title.
Western Michigan’s regular-season success earned the program its second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Broncos claimed a No. 11 seed and garnered a first round matchup with Clemson.
The guard trio of Saddi Washington, Jason Kimbrough and Rashod Johnson led the team to a 75-72 upset of the ACC power and a second round contest with Stanford. Johnson tallied an NCAA Midwest Regional record 32 points in the victory. The triumvirate combined to tally 64 of the team’s 75 points in the game.
The Broncos led the Cardinal late in the first half, but later fell to the eventual Final Four participant. WMU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in each of its first two appearances.
As could be expected, the Broncos set numerous program bests throughout the course of their postseason campaign.
The previous points mark fell by the wayside as the squad tallied 2,286 on the year. The offensive output led to 78.8 points per outing, the second-best average in school history.
Western Michigan also posted new top totals in 3-point field goals (209) and steals (275). One of the nation’s top free throw performers as a team, WMU converted on 74.6 percent of its opportunities, the second-best percentage to date.
Washington, who earned First Team All-MAC accolades, finished as the program’s third all-time leading scorer with 1,668 points and Johnson wasn’t far behind with 1,143 points (14th). Washington finished among the career leaders in eight different categories.
Front: Kylo Jones, Tony Collins, Aaron Toothman, Jason Kimbrough, Saddi Washington, Brad VanTimmeren, Rashod Johnson, Josh Jansen
Back: Head Coach Bob Donewald, Assistant Coach Kirk Manns, Isaac Bullock, Shaun Jackson, Ryan Black, Bronson Nichols, Assistant Coach Chris Davis, Assistant Coach Christian Wilson, Administrative Assistant Saint Anthony Crawford
2003-04 (26-5, 15-3 MAC) • MAC Champions • Vanderbilt Box • Season Stats
Western Michigan had high expectations entering the 2003-04 campaign, but even the most optimistic of Bronco fans couldn’t have anticipated the level of success the team encountered.
When the season’s final buzzer sounded in mid-March, the Broncos had posted a single-season record 26 victories. Included in those wins were the Mid-American Conference West Division, regular season and tournament titles, leading to the program’s third-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Senior Mike Williams was named MAC Player of the Year and was joined on the First Team All-Conference squad by junior guard Ben Reed. Senior guard Reggie Berry was the MAC Sixth Man of the Year.
The Broncos wasted little time in making a statement for the season under first-year head coach Steve Hawkins. WMU opened the season with an impressive 83-65 victory over USC of the Pac-10 in University Arena.
Following a loss at Detroit, the squad rattled off 11 straight wins. Included in that run were five MAC wins, a victory over NCAA Tournament team UAB and the team title at the azcentral.com Hoops Classic at Arizona State.
Western Michigan jumped out ahead of the rest of the West Division and remained on top for the remainder of the campaign. A convincing victory over rival Central Michigan clinched the crown and eventually allowed the Broncos to claim the top seed in the postseason tournament.
WMU wasn’t happy with its first-ever win in Cleveland and went on to claim two more victories for the championship title. After handing Marshall a 96-62 payback decision (the Thundering Herd defeated WMU in overtime on Feb. 15), the Broncos downed Toledo 87-77 in the semifinals.
The win over the Rockets set up a showdown with MAC power Kent State. Thanks to senior Mike Williams' first-career 3-pointer in the closing moments, WMU was able to hand the Golden Flashes a 77-66 defeat and the celebration began.
WMU saw its season come to an end with a 71-58 loss to Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tournament.
Front: Mike Jefferson, Jeremy File, Rickey Willis, Reggie Berry, Ben Reed, Silver Laku, Brian Snider, Bobby Madison
Back: Coordinator of Basketball Operations Max Rouse, Strength Coach Tim Herrmann, Athletic Trainer Chuck Schenk, Head Coach Steve Hawkins, Andrew Hershberger, Mike Williams, Anthony Kann, Wes deVries, Steve Green, Levi Rost, Jeff Bronson, Assistant Coach Clayton Bates, Assistant Coach Cornell Mann, Assistant Coach Harold Baber
2013-14 (23-10, 14-4 MAC) • Syracuse Box • Season Stats
Heading into the 2013-14 season with 10 underclassmen, Western Michigan knew it was going to have to rely heavily on seniors David Brown and Shayne Whittington in order to produce a successful season. But it would be that combination, along with key roles being filled by young players, that fueled a remarkable year that ended with the fourth NCAA Tournament berth in program history.
WMU opened the season with a visit to Hawaii for the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Rainbow Classic, but it was business as usual for the Broncos, taking two of the three games played by defeating NCAA Tournament participants New Mexico State and Tennessee State and winning the tournament championship. Brown was named the Tournament MVP, the first of many honors he would receive that season, and the Broncos went on to compile a 7-5 record through non-conference play.
WMU opened many eyes around the MAC and showed teams that they were ready to prove the doubters wrong when they defeated preseason MAC West division favorite Toledo by double-digits to open conference play. The Broncos were just 4-3 in conference play before they rattled off eight straight victories, going undefeated in the month of February to put themselves firmly in the hunt for the team’s first MAC regular season championship since 2004. They completed the feat in the regular season finale at rival Central Michigan, blowing out the Chippewas in Mount Pleasant to secure a share of the title.
The Broncos entered the MAC Tournament as the No. 1 seed and produced an instant classic in their semifinal win over Akron; WMU trailed by as many as 18 points in the second half before clawing their way back to force overtime with the Zips. In the extra session, Brown banked in a three-pointer with 32 seconds left to give the Broncos a 64-60 win and send them to the MAC Tournament final against Toledo. Whittington went off for a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds against the Rockets, Brown scored a career-high 32 points, and the Broncos set a MAC Tournament scoring record with a 98-77 win to propel themselves to the NCAA Tournament.
The season came to an end with a loss to No. 3 seed Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament, but not before the Broncos had accomplished a number of milestones along the way. The team’s 23-10 record was the third-highest single-season wins total in program history, and the regular season and MAC Tournament championships marked just the second time in program history the Broncos won both in the same season. Head coach Steve Hawkins reached two personal wins milestones of his own, becoming just the eighth coach in MAC history to win 200 overall games and 100 conference games and was voted the MAC Coach of the Year, as well as NABC District 14 Coach of the Year.
Brown and Whittington were each named First Team All-MAC, becoming the first pair of Broncos to accomplish this feat since 2008. Sophomore Connar Tava was named All-MAC Honorable Mention as well as Academic All-MAC, while freshman Tucker Haymond became the fifth Bronco in six seasons to be placed on the MAC All-Freshman team.
Front, Sitting (L to R): Tim Brennan, Bishop Robinson, Hayden Hoerdemann, Jared Klein, Von Washington, Austin Richie, Leo Svete, David Brown
Back, Standing (L to R): Strength & Conditioning Coach Tim Herrmann, Director of Basketball Operations Dan Hoff, Assistant Coach Larry Farmer, Head Coach Steve Hawkins, Connar Tava, Taylor Perry, Kellen McCormick, Mario Matasovic, Shayne Whittington, AJ Avery, Tucker Haymond, Charles Harris, Assistant Coach Clayton Bates, Assistant Coach James Holland, Athletic Trainer Kevin Lehmann, Manager Logan Neil, Manager Nathan Frisbie
POSTSEASON NIT TEAMS
1991-92 (21-9, 11-5 MAC) • Notre Dame Box • Season Stats
The Broncos hadn’t had much success since the outstanding 1975-76 team made it to the final eight of the 1976 NCAA Tournament, but that would all change in Bob Donewald’s third season as head coach.
Western Michigan started the 1991-92 season by winning nine in a row, including a home win over Oregon State and road victories over Loyola (Ill.), Siena and Fairleigh Dickinson.
Mid-American Conference play opened just as strong with the Broncos racing out to an 8-2 mark, including road wins at Central Michigan, Kent State and Toledo. WMU finished as strong as it started by beating Central Michigan in overtime to take the season sweep over the Chippewas, knocking off Bowling Green on the road and finishing with an 80-66 home win over Eastern Michigan.
The Broncos then won their opening MAC Tournament game over Kent State, before bowing out in the semifinals against Ball State, 65-61.
However, the season wouldn’t end there. The Broncos’ 21-8 record, just the second 20-win season in school history, earned the first Postseason NIT appearance in Bronco history. WMU took the short trip southwest to South Bend, Ind., to play at Notre Dame. The Broncos hung tough with the Fighting Irish in a 63-56 loss at the Joyce Center.
Western Michigan finished the year with the second-best turnaround in the NCAA from 5-22 in 1990-91 to 21-9 in 1991-92. The 21 wins ranked as the second-most in school history to that point. That drastic turnaround earned Donewald the MAC Coach of the Year award.
The Broncos were led by First Team All-MAC senior center Jim Havrilla with 13.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while sophomore forward Leon McGee was named Second Team All-MAC with 15.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. WMU also benefited from the long-range proficiency of junior forward Sean Wightman, as he led the nation by hitting 63.2 percent from behind the three-point line. The Broncos also got solid play from MAC Freshman of the Year runner-up Ebon Sanders with 6.5 points, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game, junior guard Darrick Brooks with 11.3 points and 1.8 steals per game and senior forward Virgil Grayson with 9.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
Front: Darrick Brooks, Leon McGee, Virgil Grayson, Shawn Wightman, Jim Havrilla, Matt Van Abbema, Mark Judge, Sean Wightman, Michael Pearson
Back: Graduate Assistant erb Schoepke, Part-Time Coach Dan Young, Head Coach Bob Donewald, Ebon Sanders, Janocus Sanders, William Johnson, Mike Mosley, Vinton Bennett, Craig Blasko, Doug Schaffer, Shawn Jackson, Assistant Coach Anthony Jones, Assistant Coach Parker Laketa
2002-03 (20-11, 10-8 MAC) • UIC Box • Siena Box • Season Stats
After a 10-win turnaround in 2001-02, the Western Michigan’s men’s basketball team was poised to take the next step in 2002-03 under third-year head coach Robert McCullum.
The Broncos started the season with huge wins at Michigan, 56-52, and at Auburn, 72-54, while also defeating Virginia Tech in Kalamazoo, 75-54. Those wins propelled the Broncos to an 8-1 non-conference record.
That helped the Broncos as they went through an up-and-down MAC campaign that saw the Broncos sitting at just 7-8 going into their final three games. WMU finished strong by defeating Ball State, 86-74, and Buffalo, 87-66, in Kalamazoo before ending the season with a 71-67 overtime victory at Northern Illinois.
WMU then took down Toledo in the first round of the MAC Tournament, but fell to NIU in the next round. Still, the Broncos' 19-10 mark, including three wins over major conference teams in November and December, earned them a spot in their second Postseason NIT.
Western Michigan earned a first round home game, the first postseason basketball game ever hosted by the Broncos, against Illinois-Chicago.
It was a tight game throughout, and the Flames held a one-point edge, 59-58, when Mike Williams hit a jumper with 2:33 remaining to give WMU the lead for good. The Broncos forced a turnover on the next possession and Robby Collum put the Broncos up three with a pair of free throws with 53 seconds remaining.
Anthony Kann led the way with 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Williams had 17 points and nine rebounds, Collum scored 14 points and Ben Reed added 10 points and nine rebounds.
The win earned the Broncos a trip to Albany, N.Y., to play Siena in the next round. WMU trailed by eight at halftime, but came back to take the lead, 54-53, with 5:26 to go on a Jeff Bronson jumper. Siena held WMU scoreless over the next three minutes, holding on for the win. Collum led all players with 27 points and 10 rebounds, while Kann had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Kann led WMU with 14.4 points and 8.8 rebounds, while Collum chipped in 13.6 points, 4.0 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game as both players received Honorable Mention All-MAC honors.
The late season run by the Broncos set the stage for what turned out to be one of the best seasons in school history in 2003-04.
Front: Antwan Joseph, Robby Collum, Terrance Slater, Reggie Berry, Thomas Dillard, Brian Snider, Bobby Madison, Pat Cleland, Ben Reed, Rickey Willis
Back: Administrative Assistant Max Rouse, Assistant Coach Steve Hawkins, Head Coach Robert McCullum, Nick Evola, Mike Williams, Wes deVries, Steve Green, Jeff Bronson, Anthony Kann, Assistant Coach Clayton Bates, Assistant Coach Tommy Deffebaugh, Athletic Trainer Mike Lahaie, Strength Coach Nick Juday
2004-05 (20-13, 11-7 MAC) • Marquette Box • TCU Box • Season Stats
The 2004-05 Western Michigan men’s basketball team had a lot to live up to, following the team that won a school-record 26 games and advanced to the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Despite losing the reigning MAC Player of the Year in Mike Williams and All-MAC center Anthony Kann, the Broncos still had the pieces to make another run at the MAC championship.
WMU dropped its first two games of the season in Alaska, but then went on an 8-1 run that included road wins at College of Charleston and Virginia Tech. That run helped propel the Broncos to a 5-0 MAC start. Western Michigan hit a bump in the road over its next 12 games, but still managed to finish 11-7, share the MAC West championship and earn a bye in the first round of the MAC Tournament. The Broncos reached Cleveland and had to eke out a 66-60 overtime victory over Akron. The Broncos set a MAC Tournament record in that game with 55 rebounds.
It looked as if WMU was on its way back to the MAC Tournament championship game when it took a 12-point second-half lead on Buffalo in the semifinals, but the Bulls battled back to knock off the Broncos. A MAC West championship and 8-3 non-conference record, however, was enough to get the Broncos into the postseason for the third straight year when they received a bid to the Postseason NIT.
The Broncos’ opening task was daunting, as they were sent to Milwaukee, Wis., to play Marquette, featuring future NBA player Steve Novak. The Broncos were up to the task and held Novak to 1-of-9 shooting and the Golden Eagles as a team to 28.6 percent shooting overall and 4.8 percent (1-of-21) from three-point range. Senior Levi Rost led all scorers with 18 points and nine rebounds and junior Brian Snider added 11 points and seven rebounds.
That set up one of the most exciting games in WMU history, when TCU visited Kalamazoo for the next round of the NIT. A standing-room only crowd of 5,421 packed University Arena to see WMU score on a steal and layup by senior Ben Reed at the end of regulation to force overtime, but it wasn’t enough in a 78-76 overtime loss. Reed led all players with 26 points and Rost added 16.
At the end of the season, Reed (17.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg) was named First Team All-MAC and Rost (16.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) was named Second Team All-MAC. Freshman center Joe Reitz (9.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg) also showed what was to come as he was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team.
Front: Stane's Bufford, Jeremy File, Denarryl Rice, Kristof Kendrick, Ben Reed, Derek Fracalossi, Brian Snider, Silver Laku, Rickey Willis
Back: Athletic Trainer Chuck Schenk, Head Coach Steve Hawkins, Assistant Coach Cornell Mann, Brian Hershberger, Jeff Bronson, Levi Rost, Steve Green, Andrew Paolini, Wes deVries, Joe Reitz, Dan Hess, Assistant Coach Jeff Dunlap, Assistant Coach Clayton Bates, Coordinator of Basketball Operations Matt Blue, Strength Coach Tim Herrmann
CBI TEAM
2012-13 (22-13, 10-6 MAC) • MAC West Champions • North Dakota State Box • Wyoming Box • George Mason Box • Season Stats
The Western Michigan Broncos rebounded from a disappointing finish to the 2011-12 season in the unlikeliest way possible, storming out to the third-best overall single-season record in program history and a deep postseason run with a roster that included just one starter from the previous season and major minutes and contributions from five freshmen.
The stage for the season was set in the summer, when the team traveled abroad for their much-anticipated foreign trip. Playing against club and professional teams in Rome, Florence, Nice, and Monaco, the young Broncos were afforded the opportunity to bond over the course of 10 days, building a chemistry that served them well early in the season. One of the early season highlights included a three-game sweep at the USF Invitational hosted by South Florida, with the Broncos defeating Loyola-Chicago, Maryland-Eastern Shore, and the hosting Bulls on the way to their first in-season tournament title since the 2004-05 season.
Success carried over into the start of the conference season as well, as the Broncos rattled off a seven-game win streak against MAC foes and opened the conference slate with a 7-2 record. The Broncos clinched their sixth MAC West title under head coach Steve Hawkins in the penultimate game of the conference season, and a win against rival Central Michigan in the season finale guaranteed the Broncos the third seed in the 2013 MAC Tournament and a bye to the quarterfinals. The Broncos dismantled Eastern Michigan 70-55 at Quicken Loans Arena to reach the 20-win plateau and the semifinal of the tournament before falling to Ohio.
The Broncos were not done, however, as they reached postseason play for the fourth time under Hawkins with a berth in the 2013 College Basketball Invitational. WMU hosted and defeated North Dakota State in overtime in the opening round of the tournament at University Arena, and went on to break Wyoming’s 23-game non-conference home winning streak with a thrilling 75-67 overtime win in Laramie, highlighted by David Brown draining a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of regulation to send the game to the extra session.
Shayne Whittington was a dominant force at center for the Broncos, earning Second Team All-MAC honors, while senior teammate Nate Hutcheson was an Honorable Mention selection. Brown earned MAC Sixth Man of the Year honors while Darius Paul was the conference’s Freshman of the Year.
Front, Sitting (L to R): Von Washington, Tim Brennan, David Brown, Brandon Pokley, Jared Klein, Hayden Hoerdemann, Austin Richie, Taylor Perry, Charles Harris
Back, Standing (L to R): Manager Vince Thibodeau, Manager Sam Miller, Head Coach Steve Hawkins, Assistant Coach David Kool, Dan Loney, AJ Avery, Darius Paul, Shayne Whittington, Nick Stapert, Kellen McCormick, Connar Tava, Nate Hutcheson, Director of Basketball Operations Luke Hendrick, Assistant Coach James Holland, Assistant Coach Clayton Bates, Athletic Trainer Kevin Lehmann, Strength & Conditioning Coach Tim Herrmann.
CIT TEAM
2010-11 (21-13, 11-5 MAC) • MAC West Champions • Tennessee Tech Box • Buffalo Box • Season Stats
Having to replace the program's all-time leading scorer in David Kool, the 2010-11 edition of the Western Michigan Broncos did not have high expectation from the outside. Prior to the season, the media picked WMU to finish fourth in the MAC West Division. The Broncos responded by turning in a 21-win campaign, the fourth 20-win season in the first eight seasons under head coach Steve Hawkins.
After beginning the season 1-4, the Broncos rebounded with a four-game winning streak and turned in a 7-6 mark in non-conference play. With the MAC West up for grabs in the season's final weeks, Western Michigan won its final four regular season contests, including road tilts at Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan, to collect its third MAC West Championship in the last four seasons.
The Broncos earned the two seed for the Mid-American Conference Tournament in Cleveland, and opened with a quarterfinal matchup against seventh-seeded Bowling Green. Western Michigan led most of the way, and led by junior guard Demetrius Ward's 14 points and junior forward Flenard Whitfield's double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds), WMU topped the Falcons, 67-56, to move on to the semifinals. The Broncos' tournament run ended there, however, as they fell to the six-seeded and eventual tournament champion Zips, 79-68.
The Broncos were not done, however, as they were selected to play in the 2011 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Western Michigan hosted a postseason game for the fourth time in program history, as it welcomed in Tennessee Tech for a first round matchup. Five Broncos scored in double-figures, led by Ward with 15, and WMU advanced with a 74-66 victory. WMU played at home again in the second round as it welcomed conference foe Buffalo to town for the second time that season. The Bulls came out on top once again, as they edged the Broncos, 49-48, in a defensive struggle.
Western Michigan had a trio of players receive All-MAC accolades, with Ward earning a spot on the All-MAC Second Team, Whitfield getting Honorable Mention All-MAC recognition and Juwan Howard Jr. making the All-Freshman Team.
Front, Sitting (L to R): Nate Hutcheson, Brandon Pokley, David Brown, Ed Thomas, Alex Wolf, Juwan Howard Jr., Mike Douglas, Demetrius Ward
Back, Standing (L to R): Athletic Trainer Kevin Lehmann, Head Coach Steve Hawkins, Director of Basketball Operations Luke Hendrick, Assistant Coach Jeff Dunlap, Dan Loney, Flenard Whitfield, Caleb Dean, Shayne Whittington, Matt Stainbrook, Nick Stapert, Muhammed Conteh, Assistant Coach Larry Farmer, Assistant Coach Rick Carter, Head Manager Taylor Johnson, Strength & Conditioning Coach Tim Herrmann.
