COACHES FOR CANCER: Coaches vs. Cancer Suits And Sneakers™ Awareness Week, a collaborative initiative of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society, will take place Jan. 19-25, 2015. During this week, more than 4,000 high school and college men's basketball coaches, including head coach Billy Wright and our Western Illinois staff, will swap their dress shoes for sneakers with their usual game attire during Jan. 22's game against the South Dakota Coyotes to demonstrate their support for the American Cancer Society's efforts to finish the fight against cancer. 

College and high school coaches and teams who participate in Suits And Sneakers Awareness Week help the American Cancer Society save lives and fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. The Society's efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the US since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates since the 1960s. The Society is finding cures as the nation's largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need, and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. To learn more, visit cancer.org.

UP NEXT: The Leathernecks continue their longest Summit League home stand of the season, welcoming IUPUI on Friday, Jan. 30, and begin the second portion of league play when North Dakota State comes to town on Sunday, Feb. 1.

LEATHERNECKS VS. COYOTES SERIES HISTORY: Western Illinois leads the all-time series 6-3... The Leathernecks dropped the first two meetings between the two teams, first at home on Dec. 6, 1969, 82-74, and then again on December 12, 1970, when USD downed WIU in Vermillion, 83-82... Since the two teams began playing one another in Summit League play, Western has only lost once, last season at South Dakota... Before last season's defeat on the road, WIU had won five consecutive meetings...Perhaps the most historic win over South Dakota came in WIU's 2013-14 regular season finale which gave the Leathernecks a share of the regular season title... Below is a look at all of the meetings between the two teams:

vs. South Dakota • Western leads 6-3

Dec 6, 1969     L    74-82    H
Dec 12, 1970     L     82-83     A
Jan 3, 2012     W     67-44     H
Jan 21, 2012     W     47-45     A
Nov 29, 2012     W     73-71     A
March 2, 2013     W     61-59     H
March 9, 2013     W     54-53     N
Jan 23, 2014     W     79-61     H
Feb 22, 2014     L     54-64     A

HOME SWEET HOME: Western is 36-13 (.735) inside Western Hall since the beginning of the 2011-12 season... The Leathernecks went 10-4 during their 2011-12 campaign, 12-2 during the 2012-13 league slate, and 7-5 last season... So far this year WIU is 7-2 on LeRoy A. Ufkes Court inside Western Hall.

ON THE ROAD: With all of its success at home, Western has struggled on the road the last four seasons... WIU is 14-37 (.275) on the road since the beginning of the 2011-12 season... The Leathernecks went 6-10 in 2011-12, they were above .500 in 2012-13 with a 7-6 road mark, struggled last season with a 1-13 record on the road, and are 0-8 so far this year.

COVINGTON FOR THREE: Sophomore guard Garret Covington had 70 three-pointers as a freshman, and has 36 so far as a sophomore... He has 106 in his career, six away from jumping into the program's 'top 10'... He has played in 45 career games, has only had five games without at least one three, and has made at least one triple in 39 games... He has 29 games with multiple three pointers... He has 10 games with one trey, eight games with two triples, nine games with three makes from long range, nine games with four three pointers, two games with five connections from beyond the arc, and a career-high six three-pointers in one game.

DOUBLE FIGURES: Sophomore guard Garret Covington has 681 career points and averages 14.8 points per game during his career... He has 35 games with 10 or more points, 26 games having scored between 10-19 points, and nine games with 20-plus points... He finished the Leathernecks' win over Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 22) 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.

SANDIFER'S ASSISTS: Sophomore guard Jabari Sandifer has 169 assists in his young career, and averages 3.6 per game during his career... As a freshman, he played in all 30 games and averaged 3.1 per game, and has played in all 17 games this season and averages 4.5 per game (77 total)... He has at least one assist in all but two of his 46 career games played... He has multiple assists in 42 of those games... Three-plus assists in 36 career games... 20 games with four-plus... Eight games with five-plus... Seven games with six-plus... Three games with eight-plus, all of which have come this season... And a career-high 13 assists this season versus Greenville College (Nov. 29) while not turning the ball over in 29 minutes of play... His 13 helpers was two shy of WIU's single-game record. 

TEAM LEADERS: Sophomore Garret Covington and junior Tate Stensgaard are the only two Leathernecks to have started all 17 games this season for the Leathernecks... Covington also leads the team in points per game (15.2), minutes per game (31.7), field goals (74), three-pointers (36), free throws (75), free throw percentage (84.3) and defensive rebounds (63)... Stensgaard also leads the team in field goal percentage (56.5)... Junior Jamie Batish leads the team in three-point field goal percentage (39.7)... Senior Mohamed Conde leads the team in rebounds per game (5.8) and offensive rebounds (36)... Sophomore Jabari Sandifer leads the team in assists per game (4.5)... Junior Jalen Chapman leads the steals (19) and blocks (9).

INDIVIDUALLY IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE (through Jan. 20): Sophomore Garret Covington ranks: Third in free throw percentage (84.3)... Fifth in free throws made (75)... Fourth in three-pointers (36)... Fifth in points per game (15.2). Sophomore Jabari Sandifer ranks: First in assists per game (4.5)... Eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.8). Junior Jamie Batish ranks: Ninth in three-point field goal percentage (39.7).

WIU AND ITS OPPONENTS IN THE NCAA'S DAILY RPI: (as of Jan. 19): Western Illinois has an RPI of 290 in NCAA's Daily RPI... It's opponent's rankings are: 207. Pacific | 291. UIC | 234. Southeastern Louisiana | 86. William & Mary | 122. Akron | 135. Cleveland State | 262. Idaho | 237. Alabama State | 91. Memphis | 300. Fort Wayne | 309. Omaha | 143. South Dakota State | 157. Oral Roberts | 229. Denver | 159. North Dakota State | 232. South Dakota | 212. IUPUI.