Western Michigan Broncos (5-6, 0-0 MAC)
at Vanderbilt Commodores (7-4, 0-0 SEC)
Dec. 30, 2015 • 9 p.m. ET • Nashville, Tenn. • Memorial Gym (14,316)
All-Time Series: VU, 0-1
Last Meeting: Last Meeting: 3/19/04 (NCAA Tournament First Round) - WMU 58, VU 71
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Radio • Bronco Radio Network - Robin Hook PBP (Pre-game show begins at 6:30 p.m. ET)
Stations • WZOX — 96.5 FM: (Flagship) Kalamazoo, Portage, Mattawan; WMAX — 96.1 FM: Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon
TV: SEC Network
Talent: Richard Cross (PBP), Sean Farnham (Color)
LIve Stats: vucommodores.com
Twitter Updates: @WMUMBB
ABOUT THE BRONCOS
Western Michigan is 5-6 this season and has won two of its last three. The Broncos are coming off an 89-86 overtime loss to IPFW on Dec. 22, which was the first home loss for WMU this season. All six losses have been by eight points or less. The team is averaging 75.7 points per game and defensively allowing 71.5 ppg. Junior forward Tucker Haymond is currently third in the Mid-American Conference averaging 17.3 ppg, while also pulling down 5.2 rpg. Sophomore point guard Thomas Wilder is averaging 15.5 ppg (4th in the MAC) and has 37 assists on the year while junior Kellen McCormick is chipping in 9.5 ppg off the bench. Senior Anthony Avery Jr. is contributing 7.7 ppg and 5.2 rpg.
TAVA TO MISS 2015-16 SEASON
Head coach Steve Hawkins confirmed on Dec. 17 that senior forward Connar Tava will redshirt this season. Tava has been rehabbing from a broken left foot sustained during the preseason and a decision was made to move forward with a surgery to repair a previous injury on his right foot. Tava (12.3 ppg/6.2 rpg) was WMU's leading returning scorer and rebounder from last year, as well as a Preseason All-MAC West selection this season.
DYNAMIC DUO
Junior forward Tucker Haymond (17.3 ppg) and sophomore point guard Thomas Wilder (15.5 ppg) both rank in the top 5 in the MAC in scoring, coming in third and fourth, respectively. Haymond and Wilder average 32.8 ppg combined. WMU's other three starters are averaging 16.4 ppg collectively, and the Bronco bench is averaging 29.0 ppg.
SHARP SHOOTER
Junior Kellen McCormick ranks second in the Mid-American Conference with a 55.3 three-point percentage (26-for-47). He ranks ninth in the conference for field goal percentage (56.5) and seventh for three-pointers made (26), averaging 2.4 per contest. Sophomore point guard Thomas Wilder is fourth in the MAC in three-point percentage at 47.2 percent (17-for-36). Wilder has 17 three's on the year.
DIALING IN FROM DEEP
As a team, Western Michigan ranks second in the MAC in three-point percentage, connecting at 39.0 percent, and third in FG percentage, shooting 45.6 from the floor. The Broncos are third in rebounding margin at +4.3.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Following Wednesday's game at Vanderbilt, Western Michigan returns to Kalamazoo to close out non-conference play, hosting Jacksonville on Saturday, Jan. 2 at 1 p.m. The Broncos then begin Mid-American Conference play hosting Kent State on Jan. 5 and traveling to Akron on Jan. 8. WMU will play three of its first four MAC games at home, also hosting Ball State on Jan. 12 and Northern Illinois on Jan. 16.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the second ever meeting between Western Michigan and SEC opponent Vanderbilt. Western Michigan won its first Mid-American Conference Tournament title in 2004 and went on to face Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 19. The Commodores came away with a 71-58 win.
SCOUTING VANDERBILT
The Commodores are coached by Kevin Stallings in his 17th season at Vanderbilt and 23rd overall as head coach. VU is off to a 7-4 record, with three of the losses coming against top 25 opponents (including a seven-point loss to No. 2 Kansas). After winning its first five to open the season, Vanderbilt has gone 2-4 over its last six games and 1-3 over its last four. In the most recent outing on Dec. 22, VU lost at No. 14/13 Purdue, 68-55. The Commodores have been ranked in the top 25 most of the early part of the season, earning as high as a No. 13 ranking before dropping out of the rankings this past week. Vanderbilt has the highest RPI of any WMU opponent this season at No. 50. Two players, 6-3 sophomore guard Wade Baldwin IV (14.8 ppg) and 7-0 junior center Damian Jones (13.2 ppg), average double figures scoring. The team averages 79.0 ppg and defensively allows 61.9 ppg.
TAKING IN TENNESSEE
This is WMU's second trip to Nashville this season. Over Thanksgiving break, the Broncos participated in the Challenge in the Music City, Nov. 26, 27 & 29, facing Stephen F. Austin, Liberty and Mercer at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Nashville. WMU went 1-2 at the challenge, defeating Liberty, 68-58.
LAST TIME OUT: WMU 86, IPFW 89 (OT)
Western Michigan's Anthony Avery Jr. hit a jump-shot with one second remaining in regulation to force overtime, but IPFW's Max Landis hit the game-winning three-pointer with 14 seconds left to hand the Broncos their first home loss of the season, 89-86, Dec. 22 at University Arena.
Tucker Haymond paced the WMU (5-6) with 24 points going 8-for-17 from the field and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line. He also led the team with eight rebounds and four assists. Thomas Wilder finished with 19 points and went 8-for-10 from the charity stripe. Kellen McCormick tallied 15 points, all on three-pointers. Drake LaMont scored eight points and also took down seven rebounds off the bench.
The second half of the game featured 10 lead changes. WMU shot 41.5 percent from the field and 77.4 percent (24-for-31) from the free throw line.
