EMU-WMU

[Woody12]

JoePa--

Can you tell me why WMU is not favored by at least 4 at EMU?

I am playing EMU as thi libe does not make sense play of the day!

[joepa66]

Woody,

Can't figure that one out myself.....although EMU is really strong at home and not very competitive on the road. Here's my take, with Brandon Bowdry in the lineup, this game will be nothing like the first meeting, an easy 65-48 home win for WMU. Bowdry, suspended for the game in Kalamazoo, is a 20-point, 10-rebound player in college basketball, an aggressive and versatile 4-man built to dominate the MAC. The Bowdry-Flenard Whitfield matchup should be interesting. Both players have a ton of respect for each other and if either gets the other in foul trouble, that’ll change the game. Whitfield has been THE hottest player in the MAC the last couple of weeks!

At home, Eastern Michigan has been impressive over its last four league outings — beating Central Michigan, Akron and Buffalo, while losing to Miami of Ohio at the buzzer. Ball State’s 11-point win in Ypsi on Jan. 19 is the only somewhat comfortable victory any of EMU’s opponents have had this season at the Convocation Center. This is an Eagles squad with five or six players capable of hitting 3s, Bowdry included, but most notably Derek Thompson, who’s made 58 3-pointers this season.

WMU doesn’t need to win today to win the West Division. But if the Broncos do, they can clinch a share of the title and all but lock up the No. 2 seed at the MAC tournament against Ball State on Wednesday. This is something I really hate about the MAC tournament! The EAST IS CLEARLY DOMINATE over the West and has 3 teams with better records, but the MAC crowns two divisional champions and they get the top two seeds in the conference tournament regardless of who or how many teams in the East division beat them!

The Convocation Center isn’t always kind to the Broncos and a Bowdry-led Eagles club will look at this game as a chance to prove the first meeting was only a result of Bowdry’s absence. Still, there’s a reason WMU is 16-11 and EMU is 8-19. Mostly, the Broncos have won close games. They’re 7-4 in one-possession games, while the Eagles are 2-4. That could make a difference if the game is close today......

Probable starters
WMU - Juniors Mikey Douglas (6-foot, 7.7 points per game) and Demetrius Ward (6-3, 14.7) at guard; sophomore Nate Hutcheson (6-7, 7.2) and junior Flenard Whitfield (6-7, 13.2) at forward; and freshman Matt Stainbrook (6-10, 8.6) at center.

EMU - Junior Antonio Green (6-3, 5.1) and redshirt freshman J.R. Sims (6-3, 3.1) at guard; senior Jay Higgins (6-6, 5.3) and senior Brandon Bowdry (6-6, 20.2) at forward; and sophomore Jamell Harris (6-9, 4.6) at center.