2009–10 Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 2009–10 Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team was a NCAA
Division I college basketball
team representing Western Michigan University
. The team was the two-time defending Mid-American Conference
(MAC) West Division champion. WMU was coached by Steve Hawkins
who was in his seventh season as head coach of the school. The Broncos played their home games at University Arena
in Kalamazoo, Michigan
. They finished the season 18–15, 8–8 in MAC play and lost in the semifinals of the 2010 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament
.
was selected to the All-MAC West Division Pre-season team.
This season also marked the return of assistant coach Clayton Bates who had left the team for a season in order to work in the private sector. Bates previously served as assistant coach at Western Michigan for eight seasons. Bates replaced former assistant coach Andy Hipsher. Hipsher left WMU to become director of basketball operations at USF.
. After losing the first game to eventual champion USC, WMU defeated Northeastern
and the College of Charleston
to finish the tournament 2–1. Western Michigan led USC 27–18 at the half and 47–46 with 4:24 to go in the game. WMU gave champion USC their toughest game of the tournament.
The tournament was the breakout performance for junior walk-on guard Alex Wolf, who scored 28 total points in the final two games of the tournament. Wolf had scored only 11 career points until the point. In the tournament, Wolf earned career highs in points (15) and rebounds (5) and made his first career three-point field goal. Wolf averaged 11 points, four rebounds and one assist per game and made six out of eight three-point field goals and four out of six free throws. For his accomplishments, Wolf was named MAC West Co-Player of the Week.
!colspan=9| Exhibition
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!colspan=9| Regular Season
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!colspan=9| 2010 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
team representing Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
. The team was the two-time defending Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
(MAC) West Division champion. WMU was coached by Steve Hawkins
Steve Hawkins
Steve Hawkins is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Western Michigan University. He had previously served as the head coach at Quincy University.- Background :...
who was in his seventh season as head coach of the school. The Broncos played their home games at University Arena
University Arena (Western Michigan University)
University Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Located in Read Fieldhouse, the arena opened in 1957 and is home to the Western Michigan University Broncos men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and gymnastics teams...
in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
. They finished the season 18–15, 8–8 in MAC play and lost in the semifinals of the 2010 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament
2010 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2010 Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournament is the post-season basketball tournament for the Mid-American Conference 2009–2010 season...
.
Pre-season
Western Michigan was picked to finish fifth in the MAC's West Division by members of the MAC News Media Panel. The Broncos received four first-place votes. Senior guard David KoolDavid Kool
David Anderson Kool is a former collegiate basketball player for the Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team. He is six feet three inches tall and weighs 200 lbs. Kool is WMU's all-time leading scorer and was named Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in his senior season...
was selected to the All-MAC West Division Pre-season team.
This season also marked the return of assistant coach Clayton Bates who had left the team for a season in order to work in the private sector. Bates previously served as assistant coach at Western Michigan for eight seasons. Bates replaced former assistant coach Andy Hipsher. Hipsher left WMU to become director of basketball operations at USF.
Awards
- David Kool
- All-MAC West Division Pre-season team
- West Division Player of the Week
- Week 5 – For the week, Kool averaged 23.5 points per game on 45.7% shooting, 42.9% shooting from three-point range and 100% shooting from the free throw line. Against Eastern Illinois, Kool produced the highest-scoring game of any player in the MAC this season with 34 points. He made a career-high eight three-pointers out of a career-high 11 field goals in 18 attempts.
- Week 6 – In WMU's only game of the week, Kool led his team over Kennesaw State with 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Kool scored nine of WMU's final 11 points of the game, including a three-pointer with 2:16 remaining that gave WMU the lead for the rest of the game.
- Mid-American Conference Male Scholar Athlete of the Week
- Week 15 (Dec. 18)
- Week 16 (Dec. 23)
- Week 18 (Jan. 8)
- Martelle McLemore
- West Division Player of the Week
- Week 2 – Set career highs with 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists against VCU. McLemore converted on 9–13 from the field, including 8–9 on two-point field goals and 3–3 free throw shooting.
- West Division Player of the Week
- Alex Wolf
- West Division Player of the Week
- Week 7 – Wolf earned player of the week honors based on his performance at the Diamond Head ClassicDiamond Head ClassicThe Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic is a three-day invitational college basketball tournament held at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on the campus of the University of Hawaii-Manoa. Each team plays three games, winners facing winners and losers facing losers. The Western...
.
- Week 7 – Wolf earned player of the week honors based on his performance at the Diamond Head Classic
- Mid-American Conference Male Scholar Athlete of the Week
- Week 17 (Jan. 1)
- West Division Player of the Week
Diamond Head Classic
The Broncos finished fifth out of eight teams in the December 2009 Diamond Head ClassicDiamond Head Classic
The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic is a three-day invitational college basketball tournament held at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on the campus of the University of Hawaii-Manoa. Each team plays three games, winners facing winners and losers facing losers. The Western...
. After losing the first game to eventual champion USC, WMU defeated Northeastern
2009–10 Northeastern Huskies men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Northeastern Huskies men's basketball team represented Northeastern University during the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Bill Coen's fourth season at Northeastern. The Huskies competed in the Colonial Athletic Association and play their home games at Matthews...
and the College of Charleston
2009–10 College of Charleston Cougars men's basketball team
The 2009–10 College of Charleston Cougars men's basketball team represented the College of Charleston in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Bobby Cremins's fourth season at College of Charleston. The Cougars compete in the Southern Conference and played their home games at...
to finish the tournament 2–1. Western Michigan led USC 27–18 at the half and 47–46 with 4:24 to go in the game. WMU gave champion USC their toughest game of the tournament.
The tournament was the breakout performance for junior walk-on guard Alex Wolf, who scored 28 total points in the final two games of the tournament. Wolf had scored only 11 career points until the point. In the tournament, Wolf earned career highs in points (15) and rebounds (5) and made his first career three-point field goal. Wolf averaged 11 points, four rebounds and one assist per game and made six out of eight three-point field goals and four out of six free throws. For his accomplishments, Wolf was named MAC West Co-Player of the Week.
Roster
| No. | Name | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown (Previous school) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | David Brown | G | 6'3" | 213 | Fr. | Roscoe, IL (Hononegah) |
| 32 | Muhammed Conteh | F/C | 6'7" | 232 | So. | Bloomington, IN (Providence School Providence School Providence School of Jacksonville is a private Christian college preparatory school in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. It has a preschool, a lower school, a middle school, and a high school, and enrolls about 1,200 students a year... ) |
| 5 | Mike Douglas | G | 6'0" | 177 | So. | Detroit, MI (Finney Detroit Public Schools Detroit Public Schools is a school district that covers all of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The student population of the Detroit Public Schools is about 65,971 , which is down about 9.7% from the previous school year. Detroit Public Charter Schools educate an additional 56,000... ) |
| 22 | Austin Harper | G | 6'2" | 176 | Fr. | Grand Haven, MI (Grand Haven) |
| 11 | Nate Hutcheson | F | 6'7" | 206 | Fr. | Marion, IA (Linn-Mar) |
| 23 | David Kool David Kool David Anderson Kool is a former collegiate basketball player for the Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team. He is six feet three inches tall and weighs 200 lbs. Kool is WMU's all-time leading scorer and was named Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in his senior season... |
G | 6'3" | 213 | Sr. | Grand Rapids, MI (South Christian South Christian High School South Christian High School is a private Christian high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It offers classes from the 9th through 12th grade. SCHS is affiliated with Byron Center Christian School, Dutton Christian School, Legacy Christian School, and Moline Christian School, all of which provide... ) |
| 24 | Donald Lawson | C | 6'10" | 243 | Sr. | Chicago, IL (Leo Catholic Leo Catholic High School Leo Catholic High School is an all-male Catholic high school in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and home to a predominantly African–American student body... ) |
| 3 | Martelle McLemore | G/F | 6'5" | 205 | Sr. | Detroit, MI (Consortium Prep Detroit Public Schools Detroit Public Schools is a school district that covers all of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The student population of the Detroit Public Schools is about 65,971 , which is down about 9.7% from the previous school year. Detroit Public Charter Schools educate an additional 56,000... ) |
| 10 | Brandon Pokley | G | 6'4" | 176 | Fr. | Clarkston, MI (Clarkston) |
| 50 | Nick Stapert | C | 6'8" | 230 | Fr. | Gobles, MI (Gobles) |
| 1 | Demetrius Ward | G | 6'3" | 208 | So. | Detroit, MI (Pershing Detroit Public Schools Detroit Public Schools is a school district that covers all of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The student population of the Detroit Public Schools is about 65,971 , which is down about 9.7% from the previous school year. Detroit Public Charter Schools educate an additional 56,000... ) |
| 33 | Flenard Whitfield | F | 6'7" | 222 | So. | Detroit, MI (Martin Luther King Martin Luther King High School (Michigan) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. High School is located at 3200 East Lafayette Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan; the building is operated by the Detroit Board of Education. King's district encompasses Downtown and Midtown Detroit; it also includes the Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects, the Martin Luther... ) |
| 21 | Shane Whittington | C | 6'10" | 210 | | Fr. | Paw Paw, MI (Lawrence) |
| 15 | Alex Wolf | G | 6'0" | 198 | | Jr. | Parchment, MI (Parchment) |
Schedule
|-!colspan=9| Exhibition
|-
!colspan=9| Regular Season
|-
!colspan=9| 2010 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament
2010 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2010 Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournament is the post-season basketball tournament for the Mid-American Conference 2009–2010 season...