2002-03 Warrior Men's Basketball Outlook

Most coaches say their strength of schedule is one of the toughest in the country, but when the Wayne State Warriors’ second-year head coach David Greer says it, he really means it.

Playing in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, this season Wayne State will face three Street & Smith top 25 preseason teams in Michigan Tech, Gannon and Hillsdale. The Warriors will play Gannon and Hillsdale twice in the South Division.

Also on the schedule is a late December trip to Florida with games at the University of Tampa, who finished 2002 ranked seventh in the NABC poll, and Florida Southern, a 19-time NCAA Regional participant.

Still not impressed? How about Division I Butler, who made it to the second round of the Division I NIT Tournament. The Warriors will travel to Indianapolis to face Butler on November 26. Not to mention exhibition games at the University of Michigan and Detroit Mercy.

“Scheduling these teams gives us a realistic check on where we want to go with the program and will be a measuring stick for our guys,” voiced Greer.

After losing its last three home games, WSU has a sour taste in its mouth and is hungry to prove it’s better than a fifth place team from a year ago.

It’s evident that defense is emphasized in WSU’s playbook. In 2001-2002, the Warriors were second in the league in scoring defense (65.7) and rebounding defense (31.7). With a season under their belt, Greer and his players feel more comfortable in the system. “The guys have learned the new system and are more acclimated to it. We stress defense because we always give ourselves a chance to win at the end.” Greer’s point is proven as the average margin of defeat was 5.4 points during last year’s campaign.

Wayne State’s top returnee is GLIAC South Division All-Conference First Team selection Justin Chapman. The 6-5 senior was the South’s Player of the Week twice in 2001-2002 (Jan. 7, Feb. 11). He will bring his 12.6 points and 7.5 boards per game back to the court for the Warriors. Greer expects more great things from Chapman this year. “He is a great competitor who understands what we are doing with the system.”

Also coming back are sophomore A.J. Parker and junior Kendall Lesure. Parker came off the bench last year and was WSU’s second-leading scorer with 10.5 a game, including an eight-game double-digits scoring streak. “A.J. got stronger in the off-season and has great versatility which sets him apart from a lot of guys. He can play the 2-,3- or 4-spot. I expect for him to step up into a leadership role this year,” said Greer.

Lesure made the switch from shooting guard to point guard in 2001-2002. Greer, a former point guard himself at Bowling Green, said, “Kendall went through a tough transition last year to become a point guard, but he is very coachable. He is an excellent defender and has outside quickness.”

Other returnees expected to make an impact on the squad are Jeremy Denha, Nick Dyer and Alton Marks. Denha led the Warriors in field goal percentage at .569 while Dyer ranked second in free throw percentage (.763) and Marks, who was a perfect 18-for-18 from the line last year.

Rick Fox also returns for the Warriors after a yearlong rehab on his knee. Greer is thrilled to have Fox back. “His low-post presence is astronomic and great for the team.” In his junior year, Fox averaged 12.6 points and 5.5 rebounds.

The new faces in the WSU line-up include three transfers and three freshmen. Paris Bernard, who played two seasons at Division 1 Grambling, will be an outside threat. Greer stated, “Paris shoots the ball well from deep and will help us around the perimeter.” Owens Community College transfer Kendon Edwards was a Second Team All-OCCAC choice last year. Greer is high on Edwards. “He is all man, a great rebounder and low-post player, what we lacked last year.” The other transfer, Morris Hall, comes to WSU from Mott C.C.

“Morris is a great on-the-ball-defender,” said Greer. Howard Gaston, Ethan Banks and Sam Passmore comprise the 2003 freshmen class. The three bring great athleticism and depth to the team and will fill valuable minutes in crucial times.

In the off-season, the two main concerns Coach Greer addressed were team depth and outside shooting. The Warriors finished last in the GLIAC in three-pointers made with 123. To remedy the problems, Greer brought in newcomers Bernard and Banks and veterans Fox and Parker. Parker was second on the team as a freshman with 28 three-pointers.

Greer, a former University of Detroit associate coach and the Mid-American Conference’s all-time assist leader, is familiar with success and demands nothing less. “I expect to finish first, I always have that mentality. If our team is healthy and the newcomers step up and do great things, we will be right there.”

“The key in this league is a team who can win in someone else’s gym; that is the formula for winning the GLIAC.”

The Warriors open the regular season schedule by hosting the GLIAC Classic November 22-23 at the Matthaei Complex.