WMUBroncos.com is starting a five-week series to see who left the most lasting legacy on their respective sport at Western Michigan University.

The Leaving Their Legacy Series begins this week with the WMU men's basketball program.

Voting will take place until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday night and will be on the front page of WMUBroncos.com. Vote as often as you would like and then check back the following Monday for the results from the previous week and the next poll.

LEAVING THEIR LEGACY
WMU MEN'S BASKETBALL

1975-76 Team

The 1975-76 Broncos, led by head coach Eldon Miller, were truly one of the country’s “Cinderella Story” teams that year, and are certainly one of the most memorable squads in program history.

Following a 25-3 season, with a 15-1 conference record, they earned the program’s first outright championship and a berth in the 1976 NCAA Tournament. In the tournament, WMU defeated Virginia Tech in overtime before losing a hard fought game to Marquette. 

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, led by all-time greats like Jeff Tyson, Tom Cutter and Paul Griffin, finished 10th in the final AP poll, the highest placing ever attained by a MAC school.

The 1975-76 hoopsters attracted more national interest than any other athletic team in the University’s history to that date.

Don Boven

Don Boven was affiliated with WMU basketball for more than a decade. He spent four years (1946-49) on the squad as a player, and later donned the whistle for the Brown and Gold for thirteen years, eight as head coach (1958-66).

He was once the WMU leader in free throws with 347 (now sixth) and scoring with 1,099 points (now 20th) before spending playing professionally for three teams.

He was named an All-MAC center as a senior in 1949 and second team in 1948, and also lettered four times in baseball and twice in football.

Manny Newsome

It is virtually impossible to look through WMU’s all-time basketball records without coming across the name Manny Newsome. During his three-season career (1962-64) “Marvelous Manny” put up more than 550 points for the Brown and Gold. He holds school records that still stand for points (1,786), field goals (729) and per-game scoring (26.3). His 26.3 points per game in a career is more than any player in conference history.

He is fourth all-time in career free throw shooting (.824) and had two single 45-point single-game performances on his way to leading the MAC in scoring twice and finishing second his other season.

Newsome, once considered to be “too small for big-time basketball” at 5-foot-10, was named an All-American his senior year and has been inducted into both the WMU Athletic Hall of Fame and the MAC Hall of Fame.

Ben Reed

A member of Coach Steve Hawkins' 2003-04 NCAA Tournament team, Ben Reed is a standout among Bronco athletes. He helped his team to a single-season record 26 victories, the Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament titles and the Broncos’ third-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Reed, who also helped WMU to the Postseason NIT in 2003 and 2005, was a two-time First Team All-MAC selection and the 2002 MAC Freshman of the Year.

He ranks fourth all-time on WMU’s scoring list with 1,688 points and holds the school record for career three-pointers (246) by more than 60. Not just a three-point shooter, Reed is also eighth all-time in free throws made (322). 

Saddi Washington

Saddi Washington was named First Team All-MAC a total of three times, once for playing and twice as an academic selection, and was named Second Team All-MAC once as a player on his way to ranking fourth in all-time scorers with 1,668 points and third in field goals with 575.

Washington helped lead the Broncos to the 1998 NCAA Tournament and one of the most thrilling upsets in tourney history with its 75-72 victory over Clemson.

One of the most versatile players in school history, Washington ranks in the top-10 all-time in three-pointers, free throws, assists and steals.

Washington was a unanimous pick on the 1994 All-MAC Freshman Team, was runner up for MAC “Freshman of the Year” honors, and played in the Olympic Sports Festival in St. Louis during the summer of 1994.

He came back to play following two separate knee surgeries and went on to be selected first overall in the CBA Draft by the Grand Rapids Hoops and played for five NBA teams in the summer.

We know there so many worthy candidates for this list and we want to know who, in your mind, has left a legacy in their respective WMU program.  Please provide a name, team or moment so we can share with all of the Bronco fans later this summer.  You are also more than welcome to send your thoughts or memories of someone from the list above.  Please send your first name and location (city, state) along with your selection/comment to Matt Holmes at matt.holmes@wmich.edu.