A LOOK AT OMAHA: Omaha is in the midst of its second season as Summit League members, and third year transitioning to a NCAA Division I program. The Mavericks enter Saturday's tilt with a 10-5 overall record and have won seven of their last nine contests. Most recently UNO dropped a nonconference game at Hawaii. The team's other losses this season have come at Minnesota, at Drake, at UNLV, and at Iowa. The Mavericks are led by CJ Carter (14.6), John Karhoff (13.7) and Devin Patterson (12.3) who each average more than 10 points per game. Matt Hagerbaumer leads UNO with 6.3 rebounds per game. Patterson leads Omaha in assists per game (3.9). Since Omaha is reclassifying, they are not ranked in the official NCAA statistics. The Mavericks are coached by Derrin Hansen (Nebraska Wesleyan, 1991) who is in his ninth season at Omaha. Hansen holds a 142-111 mark during his time at UNO.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE MAVERICKS: Western Illinois and Omaha have played each other 10 times, and the Leathernecks lead the all-time series 7-3. WIU has earned four consecutive victories over the Mavericks.
TEAM LEADERS: Senior Adam Link is the only Leatherneck to have started 14 games this season, and leads the team in field goal percentage (58.4), offensive rebounds (22), and field goals made (66). Freshman Garret Covington leads the Leathernecks in minutes per game (30.8), points per game (13.0), three-pointers (26), free throws made (38), and free throw percentage (77.6). Senior Michael Ochereobia ranks first in rebounds per game (5.3), defensive rebounds (57), blocks per game (1.7), and is tied for the team lead in offensive rebounds with Link (22). Freshman Jabari Sandifer leads Western with 1.4 steals per game and 3.0 assists per game. Sophomore Jordan Foster is shooting a team best 45% from beyond the arc.
LAST TIME OUT: Freshman guard Garret Covington recorded a career-high 26 points, and a career-best five triples, but Western Illinois men's basketball dropped its final nonconference contest of the season on January 4 inside Western Hall, 78-67, to the Tribe of William & Mary. The Leathernecks led by as many as nine points in the first half, but the Tribe used a 12-3 run midway through the second half to gain an eight-point advantage with just over 10 minutes remaining. WIU was unable to overcome the late deficit as the Tribe improved to 8-5 on the season. Western fell to 6-9 overall on the season after the defeat.
300: Western Illinois head coach Jim Molinari has 298 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: 75 at Western Illinois, 7 at Minnesota, 174 at Bradley, and 42 at Northern Illinois.
WESTERN IN THE NATION TOP 100 (Last Released 1/6): The Leathernecks ranks in the 'Top 100' of seven NCAA statistical categories. Western ranks #11 in scoring defense (59.1), #67 in total steals (108), #67 in field goal percentage defense (40.2), #79 in total assists (209), #86 in steals per game (7.2), #86 in three-point field goal defense (31.3), and #90 in personal fouls per game (18.1).
INDIVIDUALS IN THE TOP 100 NATIONALLY (Last Released 1/6): Individually, senior Michael Ochereobia ranks #88 in total blocks (25), while freshman Garret Covington ranks #95 in three-pointers made (26).
IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE TOP FIVE (Last Updated 1/9): Western ranks in the 'Top 5' of 10 different team statistical categories. The Leathernecks rank #1 in fewest points per game allowed (59.1) and lowest opponent field goal percentage (40.2%). #2 in lowest opponent three-point field goal percentage (31.3). #3 in steals per game (7.2). #4 in fewest personal fouls per game (18.1), rebound margin (+0.1), field goal percentage (45.8), and home attendance average (1,230). #5 in assists per game (13.9) and total home attendance (6,151).
INDIVIDUALS IN THE 'TOP 15' IN THE LEAGUE (Last Updated 1/9): Individually, Jason Hawthorne ranks #2 in assist/turnover ratio (2.7). Michael Ochereobia ranks #3 in blocks (25), #6 in field goal percentage (56.5%), #11 in rebounds per game (5.3), #11 in defensive rebounds (57), #13 in total rebounds (79), and #14 in offensive rebounds (22). Adam Link ranks #4 in field goal percentage (58.4), #12 in field goals made (66), #12 in rebounds per game (5.2), #13 in defensive rebounds (56), #14 in offensive rebounds (22), #14 in total rebounds (78), and #15 in blocks (10). Tate Stensgaard ranks #5 in field goal percentage (57.3). Garret Covington ranks #9 in free throw percentage (77.6), #11 in three-pointers made (26), #11 in points per game (13.0), #12 in minutes per game (30.8), and #14 in total points (182). Jabari Sandifer ranks #9 in total steals (20) and #12 in total assists (42).
SANDIFER'S ASSISTS: Freshman guard Jabari Sandifer leads Western in assists this season, averaging 3.0 per game. This season the Naperville, Ill. native dished out a career-high five helpers at UTEP (Dec. 21), and has recorded four assists versus Greenville (Nov. 30) and Alcorn State (Dec. 29). He also has nine games this season with three assists. Overall on the year, Sandifer has recorded three or more assists in 12 games this season.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Western Illinois freshman guard Garret Covington was named The Summit League's 'Player of the Week' after finishing the Fighting Leathernecks' final nonconference game of the season against William & Mary last weekend (Jan. 4) with a career-high 26 points. Covington also knocked down a career-best five three-pointers in the contest.
ALL-TOURNAMENT NOD: Western Illinois played in nonconference tournaments this season, the Basketball Travelers Classic at Utah State and the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Classic at UTEP. Adam Link was named to the all-tournament team at Utah State after averaging 14 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in the invite. Link also shot 60% from the floor, and 66.7% from the free throw line. Mike Miklusak earned all-tournament honors at UTEP after averaging 9.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game in the two games. Miklusak also knocked down a team-best four three-pointers in the tournament.
SUMMIT LEAGUE OPENERS: The Leathernecks are 12-20 overall in Summit League opening games since becoming a NCAA Division I program. Since head coach Jim Molinari became the head coach at Western, WIU is 3-2 in conference opening games.
DOUBLE FIGURES: Eight 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 35 led by Adam Link and Garret Covington who each have eight games with 10 or more points. Tate Stensgaard has scored in double figures six times, while Michael Ochereobia has four games scoring in double figures. Jordan Foster has tallied double-digits in the scoring column three times, Mike Miklusak and Jabari Sandifer both have two games with double figures, and Remy Roberts-Burnett and Mohamed Conde each have scored 10 or more points in one game.
HOME SWEET HOME: Western is 26-6 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 4-1 so far this year.
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 Division 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 and Jason 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.
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 WIU is slated to travel to.
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.
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.
