Under Read, the Broncos have an offensive scheme that is structured around a solid group of scoring wing players who get up and down the court with the best of them.  The aforementioned silent superstar is Manny Newsome who is the most explosive of this group.  Newsome may be only five nine but he can score in a variance of ways.  A volume shooter, Newsome has been the main guy offensively in Kalamazoo for a while now and is used to being double or even triple teamed.  Newsome can flat light it up from long range but also loves getting to the hoop and finishing or drawing harm.  He is not a point guard though Read has tried him there at times throughout his career but it never took as he likes to score too much.  This Senior stud is not selfish, however, and gladly gave up some of his scoring (he dropped under 20 ppg for the first time last year) once Read brought in some talent on par with him.  His leadership and consistency have been a solid foundation to the type of program that Read is developing but now is the time for the Broncos and Newsome, like Read, wants to go out on top.  Newsome might not be big enough to play at the next level but he has great leadership skills and will have a great future helping others.  For now his goal is to embarrass the preseason prognosticators who have picked the Broncos in the bottom half and get WMU to the Big Dance.  The players around him are the key as Newsome will continue to be awesome in Kalamazoo.  At least for one more year Newsome will continue to be still the same old cat who makes other coaches shake their head in disbelief when he goes on one of his whirling dervishes through the key for a bucket! 

Senior Don Boven will probably be starting next to Newsome on the other wing.  Boven is the only player on this roster that will even push Newsome for popularity but is in a fight for the starting small forward spot. This hometown hero (literally) is a huge fan favorite as he plays this game with the kind of gusto one has that has been overseas defending his country and is most definitely not afraid of the competition.  While Newsome gets all of the headlines for his scoring, Boven transitioned well to the small forward position after playing his first two years up front where he hung tough with much bigger guys because this man is the definition of gamer.  The man named after a cow (Mark Howard) is a gifted all-around player who gets the job done down low or running the court.  The 6’4 190 pounder can score or board and is a solid passer and defender but that is not where he got his reputation.  Boven may be the toughest player in the country for his size and is not afraid to mix it up with much bigger players.  He fouled out of 4 straight games at one point last season and a total of 8 for the year.  War tested Boven seems more mature than his teammates (he is almost 25 after all) and is definitely the team leader as the big C on his jersey attests.  He earned that and he defines the type of player that attends Western Michigan.  Tough as nails and not willing to back down from anybody and willing to do anything it takes to get the job done. 

Boven has not one but two challengers to his position though I cannot imagine how it would go with the Zoo if one of these guys were announced in the starting lineup when the Broncos take the court against Illinois-Chicago next November!  That being said junior Jeff Tyson and sophomore Booker James are tremendous players who bring a heck of a lot to the conversation (and competition as far as that goes). Tyson can score, board a little and pass but has a mountain to climb with the two legends in front of him.   At 6’3 185 Tyson’s height is better suited for the two but his game is much more suited for being a three.  Tyson looks like he was transported from the 70’s (much like all of this town that time forgot) with his blonde mustache and a game that suits that style though he has become a huge fan (and user) of the new three point line.  A tremendous athlete this lefty is a pure shooter who will continue to get big minutes but starting is a whole different manner.  James is the best athlete on the team and will be pushing hard for playing time.  At six foot two the kid with the coolest name in Kalamazoo is a bit undersized but man can he get up.  He is a terrific rebounder and can flat sky to the hoop and was dominant on the JV team last year.  James is not a shoein even to make varsity with the two guys in front of him but the Broncos need his athleticism on the court.      

The front court is similar to the backcourt with Read rotating many players through trying to find some guys who could compete with the behemoths of the MAC.  He has found a couple and will go with them on his last ride.  A couple of juniors are supposed to do most of the dirty work down low for Read.  Paul Griffin and Tom Cutter complement each other well.  The two corn fed big men love to mix it up underneath.   These ‘Bruise Brothers’ most definitely eat up space and have the size to bare the load in the physical MAC.  Both play solid defense especially in the post and can be counted on for their fair share of buckets.  This pair of twins (not really but man do these two blonde big boys look alike) play together extremely well.  Griffin is the only constant down low and has a unique game.  He is big and beefy and though he does not score much Griffin is a solid all-around player.  He can defend on the blocks and board with the best of them.  Griffin is a terrific passer who plays team basketball first and might be the best high post player in the league.  His screens are legendary around the horn and his ability to hit cutters to the hoop make him an important asset to the Broncos.  He is also a terrific shot blocker who’s help side defense is as good as it gets at this level.  Griffin has the size (6’9 205) and skills to be something special but this kid from down the road in Shelby must become a bit more selfish on the offensive end if this team is going dancing. Cutter is the real deal down low and the fans love his blue collar game (he is more popular here than a snowmobile equipped with a CB radio).  At 6’8 220 Cutter makes his living in the paint, getting position and bullying his way in for easy buckets.  This kid from Lafayette Indiana might not quite have the size (or length) as some of his competitors in the MAC but he is more than big enough to dominate most he comes up against in D-1.  This Cutter has never won the Little Indy but he fits into Read’s philosophy  of getting around the track.  He might not be Booker James on the break but both he and Cutter can fill the lane and are incredible trailers on the patented break.  Of course his strength is planting himself in the middle of the paint like a rock and using his variance of moves to make buckets for the Broncos. 

A trio of seniors will be moving on next year but not before they finish their glorious careers with flair.  Gene Ford, Dillard Crocker and Reggie Lacefield have had solid careers but got pushed aside by bigger, bulkier players down low.  Lacefield is a horse down low who gets the job done with sheer brute strength.  At only six five, Lacefield better be able to figure out how to play the wing as Boven did this last year to get to the next level which he can do.  Lacefield is a physical player who uses his 230 pounds to space in the paint and is more than athletic enough to play the wing but can he handle the ball well enough?  He did lose minutes as the year progressed last season to the bigger kids Read brought in but he is a steady hand in the locker room who likes to mentor almost as much as he did playing.  Ford has had a terrific career in Kalamazoo and might be the antithesis of a guy who is terrific against lesser competition but might not be ready for the big boys.  At six five Ford is a post player who gets overmatched against bigger, stronger guys.  This Chicago kid can score inside and out though and Read got him some minutes at the three last year where he did well though he is not quite quick enough for the Lucketts or Harpers of this league.  Still, he can play and will get a shot at some serious minutes if he can stay healthy?  The Powerful Crocker, saw his season cut short due to injury very early on last year, is back and full recovered. Similar to both Ford and Lacefield, Crocker plays bigger than his height and will be in the mix with his compadres to take comes minutes away from Cutter and Griffin. That is easier said than done.  Fellow seniors Edgar Blair (6’5), Ron Jackson (6’6), Ajac Triplett (6’3) and Jack Smith (6’4) are in the same mix as the aforementioned trio of veteran players who are a bit undersized to play the post in this modern era.  None of this group will beat out the incumbents in front of them unless there is a rash injuries.  To be honest if any of Read’s recruits are up to snuff the likelihood is that most of these guys will not even make the traveling roster (13 players).  Heck, these guys might not make it to November.  Bob Bolton, another senior, has been a project since he arrived but has a much better chance than this group for one reason and one reason only.  He is 6’9!  Perhaps the best chance of breaking into the rotation up front is junior Earl Jenkins who goes 6’7.  Jenkins is solid in the paint both scoring and boarding and fits into the backup mode well.  Of course all bets are off if Read does bring in a couple of monsters who can actually play the game and are not just big linemen from the football team trying to stay in the shape in the winter.  Apparently there is a 6’11 and 6’10 kid coming to Kalamazoo and they are not traveling against the wind!  

Point guard is a huge problem for the first eight games with Read trying everyone and their dog trying to find somebody who could set up teammates and play next to the high scoring but undersized Newsome.  Senior Bob Adams was first up last year but is not really a point guard though he had a terrific career in Kalamazoo.  Fellow seniors Niles Dave Anderson and Sam Key are in the midst of a two person battle though admittedly neither is exactly the next coming of Magic Johnson.  Don’t get me wrong these guys can play but Anderson, at 6’3, is much more of a scoring guard than a point guard.  Key might be well the key to this team as he is the only true point guard on the roster of returnees.  He is a 5’10 165 pounder hailing from Dowagiac Michigan and is as quick as it takes to say his name.  He will start for now but having a back court on any D-1 program with two starters under six foot does not bode well for the future.  Still, Key is the best option and maybe he opens the door to the style of play Read wants to play as one thing Key does well is run the break.  Key actually came here on a music scholarship and basketball is his hobby but he has become pretty dang good at his hobby.  His music might not be that old fashioned rock and roll that is so popular in these parts but Key’s style of play is still music to the ears.  Read has brought in a slew of freshmen in the backcourt with the purpose of finding some back court  help but the answer might come via a JC transfer.  In reality, if Russell can continue to develop into the player he is starting to look like he can carry the Broncos a long way.  At six five with his ability to guard wings as well as point guards he is the perfect complement to Newsome.  He might not be a scorer yet as he would rather distribute as his perimeter shooting is inconsistent but his ability to post up smaller guys and set up teammates is already next level.   

When you talk about Western Michigan basketball it starts with a legendary coach who put in his place many decades ago a style of basketball that not only his Broncos but every team that plays full court basketball uses. The Western Michigan Broncos fits the style that their coach implemented with an up and down pace that will compete even if it doesn’t have the best talent.  Bob Read is constructing a nice team in Kalamazoo. The student section known as the Zoo fill University Arena are thankful to watch this up and down style and let them know by filling it up on a regular basis. The players know that and though they might have got passed up by the Big Ten or other big conferences Kalamazoo is a mighty fine place to play and it is major college basketball.  Read has let loose a group of real stallions who have set the tone for the underclassmen to succeed by being consummate team players and these kids most definitely got their feet wet in the Big Pond of the MAC.  One thing for sure is the Broncos will move up this year.  This team will continue to play tough hard-nosed basketball and will win more than they lose.  This team might be known for running but when it’s against the wind that is not a good thing and it is time for them to make some moves whether or not they be night moves!