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Leatherneck Men's Basketball Concludes 2013 with Sun Bowl Classic


MACOMB, Ill. - Western concludes its six-game, nonconference road trip with the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Classic in El Paso, Texas. The Leathernecks are slated to face hosts UTEP on Saturday (Dec. 28) at 8 p.m. (CT) before facing Alcorn State on Sunday at 6 p.m. (CT).

UP NEXT?: Western returns to Macomb for back-to-back home contests. First the Leathernecks play host to nonconference opponent William & Mary on January 4 at 7 p.m. before opening Summit League play against Omaha on January 11.





A LOOK AT UTEP: UTEP, members of Conference USA, enters the weekend with an 8-5 overall record and have earned three straight victories; and have won four of their last five. The Miners most recently defeated Montana State on December 23 at home, 70-55. UTEP is led by McKenszie Moore (13.1 PPG), Julian Washburn (11.4 PPG), and Vince Hunter (10.4 PPG) who are each averaging more than 10 points per game this season. John Bohannon leads the Miners in rebounds (7.3 RPG), and assists (2.6 APG). In the last release of NCAA statistics on Monday (Dec. 23), UTEP ranked in the 'Top 25' of four categories. #15 in field goal percentage defense (38.0), #17 in free throw attempts (361), #19 in free throws made (246), and #25 in three-point field goal defense (28.1). The Miners are coached by Tim Floyd who is in his 20th season as a head coach at the college level and owns a 394-226 record during that time. Floyd is 66-46 in his fourth season coaching the Miners. Floyd also coached the Chicago Bulls for four seasons (1998-2002) and the New Orleans Hornets for a year (2003-04).

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE MINERS: Saturday's game will mark the first meeting between the two programs.



 

A LOOK AT ALCORN STATE: Alcorn State, members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), enter the weekend with a 3-7 overall record. The Braves are the second SWAC team the Leathernecks have played this season (Alabama State). Alcorn State is led by LeAntwan Luckett and Octavius Brown who lead the team in points per game with 14.2 and 10.0, respectively. Luckett also leads the Braves with 22 assists on the season, while Brown leads the Braves in rebounds per game (6.3). In the last release of NCAA statistics on Monday (Dec. 23), Alcorn State ranked in the 'Top 100' of three categories. #69 in fewest fouls (193), #77 in fewest turnovers (124), and #83 in blocks per game (4.6). The Braves are coached by Luther Riley who is in his third season as the head coach of Alcorn State and owns a 23-53 record during that time.

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE BRAVES: The Leathernecks are owners of a 2-0 mark against Alcorn State. Western first defeated the Braves on the road, 77-74, on December 3, 1990. WIU's second victory against Alcorn State came later that season at home when the Leathernecks defeated the Braves, 109-99, on January 28, 1991. 


Opponent Websites:

Live Stats:
UTEPAthletics.com
 
Live Video (vs. UTEP Only):
UTEPAthletics.com/allaccess
 
Radio:
Flagship - WRMS (94.3 FM)
Affiliate - WJEQ (102.7 FM)

Radio Talent:
Beau Spencer
 

Social Media: 
Twitter: @WIUAthletics
Facebook: Western Illinois Athletics

Preseason Info:
2013-14 Quick Facts (.PDF)
2013-14 Schedule Release
2013-14 Preseason Press Conference (Video)

TEAM LEADERS: Senior Adam Link is the only Leatherneck to have started 11 games this season, and leads Western in minutes per game (31.1), points per game (12.0), field goal percentage (60.2), offensive rebounds (21), and field goals made (62). Freshman Garret Covington leads the Leathernecks in three-pointers (18), free throws made (27), and free throw percentage (73.0). Senior Michael Ochereobia ranks first in rebounds per game (6.0), blocks per game (1.8), and defensive rebounds (51). Freshman Jabari Sandifer leads Western with 1.4 steals per game and averages more assists per game than any other Leatherneck (2.8). Sophomore Jordan Foster is shooting 44.4% from beyond the arc, a team best. 

LAST TIME OUT: The Western Illinois men's basketball team dropped a back-and-forth nonconference battle against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos last Saturday evening (Dec. 21) to conclude action in the Basketball Travelers Classic. The contest had nine ties and eight lead changes. The Leathernecks fell to 5-7 overall after the defeat, while UCSB, who is ranked #17 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major 'Top 25' poll, improved to 7-4 overall with the win. WIU finished the tournament 1-2. Freshman Jabari Sandifer's 13 points led a trio of Leathernecks that scored in double figures. The Naperville, Ill. native went 5-of-6 from the floor, 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, and 1-of-2 from the charity stripe. The guard also had three assists, two rebounds and a steal. Adam Link was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 14 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Also named to the all-tournament team was Utah State's Spencer Butterfield (MVP), Preston Medlin and Kyle Davis, and UC Santa Barbara's Alan Williams and Kyle Boswell.

WESTERN IN THE NATION (Last Released 12/23): Western ranks #6 in scoring defense (56.6), #38 in total steals (95), #43 in personal fouls per game (17.3), #45 in field goal percentage defense (39.6), #48 in steals per game (7.9), #58 in three-point field goal defense (30.1), and #91 in turnover margin (1.5).

INDIVIDUALS IN THE TOP 100 NATIONALLY (Last Released 12/23): Individually, senior Adam Link ranks #25 in field goal percentage (60.2), while fellow senior Michael Ochereobia ranks #78 in total blocks (22) and #87 in blocks per game (1.83).

IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE (Last Updated 12/27): Western ranks in the 'Top 4' of eight different team statistical categories. The Leathernecks rank first in points per game allowed (56.6), lowest opponent field goal percentage (39.6%), and lowest opponent three-point field goal percentage (30.1). Western ranks second in fewest personal fouls per game (17.2) and steals per game (7.9). WIU ranks third in blocks per game (3.9), and fourth in rebound margin (1.4) and defensive rebounds per game (23.9).  

INDIVIDUALS IN THE TOP 1O IN THE LEAGUE (Last Updated 12/27): Individually, Adam Link ranks third in field goal percentage (60.2) and ninth in rebounds per game (5.9). Michael Ochereobia ranks third in blocks (22), seventh in rebounds per game (6.0), ninth in field goal percentage (51.4%), and ninth in total rebounds (72). Tate Stensgaard ranks fourth in field goal percentage (59.1). Remy Roberts-Burnett ranks fifth in assists/turnover ratio (2.8). Jabari Sandifer ranks seventh in steals (16).

300: Western Illinois head coach Jim Molinari has 297 career victories as a head coach, approaching the career milestone of win #300. The Leathernecks head coach is in his sixth year at Western, and 20th season as a NCAA Division I head coach. Molinari's career win totals look like this: 74 at Western Illinois, 7 at Minnesota, 174 at Bradley, and 42 at Northern Illinois. 

DOUBLE FIGURES: Seven Western Illinois men's basketball players have had at least one game this season with 10 or more points. The total numbers of 10-plus points games for WIU is 27 led by Adam Link's eight. Garret Covington has six games with 10 or more points, while Tate Stensgaard has scored in double figures five times. Jordan Foster has three games scoring in double figures, Michael Ochereobia has two, and Remy Roberts-Burnett, Mike Miklusak and Jabari Sandifer each have scored 10 or more points in one game. 

HOME SWEET HOME: Western is 26-5 inside Western Hall since the beginning of the 2011-12 season. The Leathernecks went 10-4 during their 2011-12 campaign, 12-2 during last season's conference championship run, and are 4-0 so far this year.

STARTERS: Western has put eight different starting lineups on the floor this season in just 12 games. No Leatherneck has started every game. Adam Link leads the team having started 11 contests. Page six of the game notes lists game starters.

SHUTTING DOWN EIU: The Leathernecks defeated the Panthers of Eastern Illinois 60-32 on December 4 this season. Eastern's 32 points was the lowest point total the Leathernecks have given up in their program's NCAA Division I history, and the lowest point total WIU has given up since January 10, 1948 when Western defeated Concordia-Missouri, 60-32. EIU's 32 points was also the Panthers' lowest point total since EIU became a Divsion I program in 1981.

BLOCK PARTY: Senior Michael Ochereobia tallied a career-high eight blocks for the Leathernecks on December 4 versus Eastern Illinois. As a team, WIU finished with 10 blocks.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Newcomer Tate Stensgaard recorded the team's first double-double of the season versus Eureka (Nov. 21) at home by scoring a game-high 14 points and pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds. On December 7th Garret Covington totaled 15 points and a season-high 11 rebounds for Western, marking WIU's second double-double of the season.

RETURNING TO THE TEAM: Western has six players returning to the team this season in seniors Adam Link,Michael Ochereobia and Billy Molinari, junior Remy Roberts-Burnett, and sophomores Jordan Foster andJason Hawthorne.

WELCOME TO WESTERN: Six newcomers joined the Leatherneck family prior to the 2013-14 season. Four freshmen begin their college playing careers this season in: Garret Covington, Jabari Sandifer, Mike Miklusak and Travis Barnes, while sophomore Tate Stensgaard and junior Mohamed Conde transferred to Western.

SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL: Western Illinois was projected to finish fourth in The Summit League this season according to the annual preseason poll of league coaches, SIDs and media. The Leathernecks, who shared the league's regular season championship last season, received a total of 161 points in the poll. 

PRESEASON RECOGNITION: Senior Adam Link was tabbed Preseason All-Summit League Second Team by the league's coaches, SIDs and media. The Elbert, Colo. native finished last season third on the squad in points having averaged 9.9 per game, while also tied for second in rebounds having pulled down 4.1 per game. Link was one of two Leathernecks to start all 31 games last season. Link was also tabbed All-Summit League Second Team by College Sports Madness in September.

SEASON ENDING INJURY: Senior guard Billy Molinari, son of head coach Jim Molinari, suffered an injury practicing during the 2013-14 preseason that required season-ending surgery. It marks the fourth consecutive season Billy has suffered an injury that has ended his season. Billy redshirted his freshman season and has only been able to compete in three games during his career at WIU due to injuries.

DIFFERENT AREA CODES: Western is slated to play 12 games on Waste Management Court inside Western Hall, and 17 games away from Macomb in 11 different states. The graphic below highlights each location the Leathernecks are slated to travel to.  

HOKENSON PROMOTED: Head coach Jim Molinari promoted Wade Hokenson, who is entering his sixth season at Western, to Associate Head Coach during the fall of 2013. Molinari had this to say about Hokenson: "Wade is a big part of the building of last year's championship season from the ground up. He is very efficient, he has tremendous organizational skills, and he commands great respect from our players. I think in the role of associate head coach, you want someone that has seen your philosophy be successful. He has truly earned this promotion." 

OFF THE COURT: The Western Illinois men's basketball team earned a share of the 2013 Men's Basketball Academic Achievement Award based on percentage of list-eligible student-athletes on The Summit League's Commissioner's List. The honor marked the first of its kind in Leatherneck men's basketball program history.

A SEASON TO REMEMBER: The Western Illinois men's basketball team concluded its historic season with its second-straight appearance in the College Basketball Invitational. Although The Fighting Leathernecks didn't reach their ultimate goal of advancing to the program's first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, the Leathernecks still made program history by winning a share of the Summit League regular season championship, and earning 22 wins, the most ever in the program's NCAA Division I history.

IN THE NATION LAST SEASON: As a team, the Fighting Leathernecks ranked #1 in personal fouls per game, having committed only 12.6 per game, #1 total fouls with 391, and #2 in scoring defense having allowed only 53.6 points per game. Western also ranked #12 in three-point field goal percentage having connected on 39.1 percent of their attempts and #20 in fewest total turnovers with 352. Other notable team rankings: #33 in field goal percentage (46.6), #35 in turnovers per game (11.4), #46 in field goal percentage defense (40.0), #47 in win-loss percentage (71.0) and #74 in scoring margin (5.9).

2013 HUGH DURHAM AWARD FINALIST: Western Illinois head coach Jim Molinari was named a finalist for the 2013 Hugh Durham Award. The Hugh Durham Award is given annually to the nation's top mid-major coach. The award is named in honor of Hugh Durham who had retired at the end of the 2004-05 season. Durham is one of just twelve coaches to have led two different programs to the NCAA Final Four (Florida State in 1972 and Georgia in 1983). He is the only coach among that group to have led both schools to their lone Final Four appearance.

2013 COACH OF THE YEAR: Head coach Jim Molinari was tabbed The Summit League's 'Coach of the Year' for the second time in his career, and first time as the leader of the Leathernecks' program. Molinari also earned the honor in 1991 at Northern Illinois. Molinari was also tabbed The Summit League's 'Coach of the Year' by CollegeInsider.com and College Sports Madness in 2013.

NCAA RPI: The Leathernecks finished last season #137 in the NCAA's RPI ratings after being ranked 163rd to begin the season.

MORE WINNING: Besides earning more wins than any other Leatherneck men's basketball team in the program's NCAA Division I history, Western finished the 2012-13 season with 13 league wins. The 13 league wins tied the most ever earned during a season in Western Illinois' Division I era, and their win percentage stands alone as the program's best ever. 

WIN STREAK: Early in the 2012-13 season, Western had earned 11 consecutive wins, a winning streak that started with a win on November 29 at South Dakota, and ended at home versus South Dakota State on January 17. The Leathernecks had never earned 11 or more straight wins in a season during its Division I history, and the last time they did so in the program's history was during the 1957-58 season when they put together 27 consecutive wins.

UNDEFEATED DECEMBER: The Leathernecks finished the month of December with a 6-0 record. It was the first time Western finished the month of December undefeated in its Division I history, and the first time since the Leathernecks went 8-0 in December during the 1957-58 season. 

DIVISION I SINGLE-GAME ATTENDANCE: The Western Illinois men's basketball team had its best attendance since 1987 when it played host to South Dakota on March 2, as 5,089 fans packed Western Hall and watch the Leathernecks clinch a share of the The Summit League regular season title. 

A COUPLE OTHER NOTABLE ATTENDANCES: The Fighting Leathernecks had two other games last season with more than 4,000 fans. First when they played host to South Dakota State on January 17 (4,163), and then on February 23 when Cleveland State visited Western Hall (4,259). Western also had 3,973 fans pack Western Hall on January 19 versus North Dakota State.

DIVISION I HOME ATTENDANCE AVERAGE: Last season Western averaged 2,454 fans per game, which ranks eighth in the program's NCAA Division I era, and was the best average since the 1998-99 season.

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