TICKET SPECIAL FOR KIDS: Tickets for Saturday's men's basketball game will be only $1 for kids.

UP NEXT: WIU hits the road for a pair of nonconference contests at Akron and Cleveland State... The Leathernecks will face Akron on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m., and Cleveland State on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 12 p.m. Both teams were ranked in the most recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll with Akron at No. 7 and Cleveland State at No. 21.

A LOOK AT GREENVILLE COLLEGE: Greeville College enters Saturday night's game with a 2-2 overall record... The Panthers are coached by Dr. George Barber who is in his 15th season at the helm... Greenville is led by Ron Harris (17.7), Nick Trisko (15.0) and Tim Daniel (13.2) who each average more than 10 points per game... Stevonte Young leads the team in assists, averaging 7.8 per game... Trisko also leads the team in rebounds per game (7.7).

LEATHERNECKS VS. PANTHERS SERIES HISTORY: Western leads its series with Greenville 4-0 all-time... The two programs have faced one another in both of the last two seasons, both of which occured in Macomb... WIU downed the Tigers 76-49 last year on Nov. 30, 2013, and the Leathernecks defeated the Panthers 95-48 two seasons ago on Jan. 9, 2013. The first-ever meeting came on November 28, 2009 when the Leathernecks beat Greenville, 84-46... The only other meeting came during the 2011-12 season on November 22 when WIU won 84-49.

TEAM LEADERS: Sophomore guard Garret Covington leads the team in points (16.0), assists per game (3.8), field goals (18), free throws (19), three-pointers made (9), and field goal percentage (33.5)... Junior guard Jamie Batish leads the team in minutes played per game (35.0) and assist/turnover ratio (3.0)... Senior forward Mohamed Conde and junior guard J.C. Fuller lead the team in rebounds per game (5.0)... Conde also owns the team's best field goal percentage (46.2), sophomore Jabari Sandifer holds the team's best free throw percentage (81.8)... Junior forward Jalen Chapman leads the team in blocks with three.

IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE (as of Nov. 27): The Leathernecks rank second in defensive rebounds per game (25.5) and opponents field goal percentage (42.0), third in opponent three-point field goal percentage (30.6), personal fouls per game (18.8) and turnovers per game (11.8), fourth in rebounds per game (35.5) and assists per game (12.5), and fifth in three-pointers made (7.5), offensive rebounds per game (10.0), blocks per game (2.5) and points allowed per game (70.0).

IN THE NATION (as of Nov. 27): Western Illinois ranks in the top 100 of four national statistical categories: 41st in fewest turnovers (47), 66th in turnovers per game (11.8), 75th in three-point field goals per game (7.5) and 87th in fewest fouls (75).

WIU IN ESPN'S DAILY RPI/STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (as of Nov. 27): Western Illinois has an RPI (Rating Percentage Index) of 343 in ESPN's Daily RPI, and a SOS (Strength of Schedule) of 330. Joe Lunardi and his team of Bracketologists have replicated the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), one of the tools used by the NCAA Selection Committee to evaluate teams. Lunardi & Co. update it daily, and have included additional ratings, providing readers with original data for every Division I team, available only on ESPN.com.

WHERE WIU OPPONENTS RANK IN ESPN'S DAILY RPI (as of Nov. 27): 84. Akron | 156. Memphis | 159. North Dakota State | 165. William & Mary | 189. Cleveland State | 215. Southeastern Louisiana | 225. Denver | 233. Pacific | 243. Omaha | 264. IUPUI | 272. Fort Wayne | 273. UIC | 289. Idaho | 301. South Dakota State | 305. South Dakota | 307. Alabama State  | 312. Oral Roberts.

COVINGTON'S CAREER NIGHT: Sophomore Garret Covington finished the Leathernecks' win over Southeastern Louisiana with 29 points, a career-best... Those 29 points were the most by a member of the program since David Jackson scored 32 against Fort Wayne on Nov. 21, 2006.

DISHING OUT ASSISTS: As a team, Western Illinois finished its game at UIC with 20 assists on 24 made baskets...The 20 helpers is the most since last year's game against Grace Bible College (12/7/2013) when WIU finished with 23... The Leathernecks had three total games a season ago with 20 or more assists, but all three games were against non-Division I opponents... The last time WIU had 20 or more assists against a Division I opponent was Jan. 29, 2012 versus Omaha (25).

MORE ASSISTS: Sophomore guard Garret Covington leads WIU in assists this season after dishing out a career-high nine at UIC (11/17/2014)... His nine helpers is the most from a WIU player since Jan. 9, 2013 when Ceola Clark III had 12 versus  non-Division I opponent Greenville... It also marked the most assists in a game versus a Division I opponent since Feb. 2, 2012 versus Fort Wayne.

WELCOME DELO: Western Illinois head men's basketball coach Billy Wright announced the addition of De'Angelo Bruster to the Fighting Leatherneck family Saturday (Nov. 15). Bruster, who goes by Delo and is a native of Overland Park, Kan., signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at WIU beginning next season and is in the midst of his senior season at Quality Education Academy (Winston-Salem, N.C.).

COACH WRIGHT ON DELO: "De'Angelo is a true point guard who had led both his high school and AAU programs to championships. He has a great feel for the game and understands how to make others better. "De'Angelo has a sincere passion to win and has a great work ethic to go along with that passion. We are really excited to add him to our basketball family."

EXHIBITION VICTORY: The Western Illinois men's basketball squad earned an 82-48 victory in its lone exhibition of the year over Cornell College (Iowa) on Nov. 8 under first-year head coach Billy Wright. The Leathernecks never trailed as they used a 32-6 run to open the contest, and went into the midway point with a 47-20 advantage. The second half was much of the same with the Leathernecks out scoring the Rams 35-28. All of the players that dressed played, and 11 players scored. Mike Miklusak led WIU with 14 points, while both Garret Covington (12) and J.C. Fuller (10) both finished in double figures. Seven different players also made up the team's 19 assists, and the same 11 players that scored all recorded at least one rebound. Besides leading the team in scoring, Miklusak also grabbed eight rebounds, which tied for the team lead. Tyson Reynold also pulled down eight boards while Tate Stensgaard finished with seven rebounds.

PRESEASON RECOGNITION: Western Illinois men's basketball sophomore guard Garret Covington, the league's reigning 'Newcomer of the Year', was tabbed preseason All-Summit League First Team on Oct. 8 as announced by the league office. As a team, the Fighting Leathernecks were picked to finish seventh in the league with 151 votes. The preseason poll and all-league teams were voted on by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and select media members.

DIRECTOR OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS: Dodie Dunson, a former standout basketball player at Bradley, joined the Western Illinois Athletic Department as Director of Basketball Operations this past summer and officially began his duties on August 1. Dunson oversees the day-to-day operations of the men's basketball program, recruiting visits, team travel, video exchange, direct summer camps, supervise student managers, and oversee academic progress of the student-athletes.

THE RETURNERS: Western returns only six players from a season ago. Remy Roberts-Burnett enters his fourth season at WIU and is one of two seniors on the team. Roberts-Burnett battled injuries again last season, only allowing him to play in 15 of the team's 30 games. The rest of the five returners are each entering their second season. Senior Mohamed Conde played in 24 games, averaging 3.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Like Remy, junior Tate Stensgaard battled injuries but played in 27 games and averaged 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. The other returners are sophomore Garret Covington, Jabari Sandifer and Mike Miklusak. Covington returns as the league's 'Newcomer of the Year' after leading the team in points per game (14.3) and grabbing 4.7 rebounds per game. Sandifer played in all 30 games and led the team in assists per game (3.1), while Miklusak only missed the season opener and averaged 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

THE NEWCOMERS: The Leathernecks have nine new players for the 2014-15 team. Five freshman, two of which are walk-ons, and four JUCO transfers. The five freshman are: Kam Rowan (Champaign, Ill./Champaign Central), Kendall Rollins (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike), DeVante Mayes (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Central), Dalan Ancrum (Round Rock, Texas/Westwood), and Jalen Morgan (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike). The four transfers are: Jamie Batish (Melbourne, Australia/Sandringham College), Tyson Reynold (Queens, N.Y./South Florida Prep), J.C. Fuller (Sioux City, Iowa/East), and Jalen Chapman (Bronx, N.Y./Eagle Academy).

THE 2014-15 SCHEDULE: Western's schedule features a total of 27 games, 14 at home and 13 on the road... Head Coach Billy Wright on the team's schedule: "We have put together a schedule that I believe not only challenges our team but also offers a good competitive balance. I was looking for opponents who had been to the postseason, because if we want to get back to that level, we have to test ourselves against opponents who have recently competed in the postseason. I also wanted to get as many home games as possible for our fans and our students. With 14 regular season home games, plus one home exhibition game, our fans and our students will have plenty of opportunities to show their support."

NEW COURT IN WESTERN HALL: The playing court inside Western Hall under went a renovation this past summer. Not only does the court for Leatherneck basketball have a new look thanks to a donation from the family of a Western Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame member, it will carry a new name as well. Athletic Director Tommy Bell announced the Western Hall playing court is now known as the LeRoy A. Ufkes Court, honoring the 1996 Hall of Fame inductee. The Leathernecks received a generous donation by Joan Ufkes and the late LeRoy Ufkes. LeRoy Ufkes was a long-time contributor to the WIU Athletics Department. A lifelong resident of nearby Carthage, Ufkes and his wife Joan (a 1954 graduate of Western Illinois University) have supported the Leathernecks for more than 25 years.

UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP: Billy Wright returned to the Fighting Leathernecks men's basketball program as Western Illinois Director of Athletics Tommy Bell announced the hiring of Wright as the Leathernecks' head coach. Wright was introduced at a press conference on April 15 in the University Union. Wright spent five years (2009-13) at WIU as an assistant then associate head coach. After working at Ball State last season, he will take over as the 20th overall head coach in Western men's basketball history, and fifth in the program's Division I era. It marks Wright first collegiate head coaching job.

RETURNING ACADEMIC SUCCESS: Western Illinois landed four men's basketball players on The Summit League's Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll of the 122 WIU student-athletes on the list. To be eligible for the Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.0 GPA and use a year of eligibility. The three returning players included: Garret Covington (Law Enforcement & Justice Administration), Mike Miklusak (Management) and Jabari Sandifer (Management).

WHAT IS A LEATHERNECK?: Western Illinois holds the distinction of being the only non-military institution to officially have its nickname derived from a branch of the military service. The school began use of the Marine Corps' official nickname, "The Fighting Leathernecks", in 1927 when then-athletic director and head baseball, basketball and football coach Ray "Rock" Hanson was granted permission by the U.S. Navy, based on his status as a Marine hero, to use the Marine's official seal, bulldog mascot and nickname.