2011-2012 Season Preview: Western Michigan

Filed under Season Preview on November 4th, 2011

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The 2011-2012 season kicks off for Western Michigan basketball in Brookings on November 12 against South Dakota State. From game one, the Broncos will attempt to prove that they're just as good or maybe a little better than last season's team. They retain 88% of their player minutes from last season and hope to replace the rest with the output of only one incoming freshman.
The biggest gap for Western Michigan to fill will be on the defensive side, as the team lost 20.3% of their shot blocking. That's followed closely by three-point shooting, where they lost 15.8% of last season's numbers.

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Western Michigan finished last season with an overall record of 18-9 and landed in 2nd place in the MAC West with a conference record of 11-5. The Broncos went on to the MAC tournament where they lost to Akron, 79-68.

The Broncos will miss Juwan Howard Jr. (transferred to Detroit).

The Broncos bring back senior Demetrius Ward (13.8 points/game), senior Mike Douglas (4.9 assists/game), senior Flenard Whitfield (13.1 points/game), sophomore Matt Stainbrook (8.8 points/game), and junior Nate Hutcheson (7.4 points/game).

The Broncos recruited one incoming freshman, 6-8 Nick Stapert.

The Broncos go up against two AP preseason Top 25 opponents, at #23 Gonzaga on November 26th and at #6 Duke on December 30th. The first MAC game for Western Michigan is at Ball State on January 7th.

• Since 2001, Western Michigan has an overall winning percentage of 57.2%.
• The Broncos have an average conference finish of 1.6 over the last 5 seasons. Over the past 15 the team has an average finish of 2.5.
• The average final RPI (last year) of opponents on this year's schedule is 112.4.
• This year's opponent with the highest RPI from last year is Duke (#3).
• This year's opponent with the lowest RPI from last year is Winthrop (#219).
• The last time Western Michigan returned more than 87% of the team's statistical production was 2007-2008.

Tags: Juwan Howard Jr., Demetrius Ward, Mike Douglas, Flenard Whitfield, Matt Stainbrook, Nate Hutcheson, Nick Stapert