OPENING TIP
Armed with a new coach, new faces and several veteran returners, the Davis & Elkins men's basketball team heads to Michigan to open the 2019-20 season against Ferris State and Grand Valley State this weekend. It will be the official debut for head coach
Daniel Mondragon, who took the reigns of the program back in September.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
- Game One: Davis & Elkins at Ferris State
- When: Saturday, November 9 (4:00 PM)
- Where: Ewigleben Sports Arena— Big Rapids, Mich.
- Records: Davis & Elkins (0-0); Ferris State (3-0)
- Live Audio: Click Here
- Live Stats: Click Here
- Twitter Updates: @Senator_MBB
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- Game Two: Davis & Elkins at Grand Valley State
- When: Sunday, November 10 (1:00 PM)
- Where: GVSU Fieldhouse Arena — Allendale, Mich.
- Live Stats: Click Here
- Twitter Updates: @Senator_MBB
AROUND THE LEAGUE
DAVIS & ELKINS NOTES
- D&E begins its new season with an extended road trip to Michigan. The Senators will take the floor for the first time since last March.
- The Senators opened last season against the same two opponents, welcoming Ferris State (L, 89-70) and Grand Valley State (L, 85-68) to the McDonnell Center.
- The 2019-20 season is the first for Davis & Elkins as members of the Mountain East Conference. The Senators were picked tenth in the league's preseason poll released last month.
- Mondragon arrives at D&E after spending time as the head coach at DME Academy (Fla.). He also played college basketball and coached at Embry-Riddle prior to his time in Elkins.
- Donte Doleman (6.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 37.1 FG% in 2018-19), Patrick Wilburn (5.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 39.8 FG% in 2018-19) and Erkam Kiris (4.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 38.3 FG% in 2018-19) are among the key returners for Davis & Elkins this season with considerable playing experience from last season.
- Doleman has scored 100 or more points in each of his first three seasons with the Senators. The 6-0 guard has started over 50 games during his career.
- One big area of improvement the Senators will be focusing on this season is consistency at the foul line. D&E was 279 out of 300 NCAA DII college basketball programs last season, converting just 65% of its foul shots.
- Terrance Lakes and Teemu Tumanoff are two of several newcomers that could be relied upon this season for D&E. Tumanoff played last season at Charleston (W. Va.) while Lakes joins the Senators for his first season as a junior.
SCOUTING FERRIS STATE
- Ferris State is set for its first home game of the season after opening the year with three wins in the D2 Tip-Off Classic.
- The Bulldogs notched victories over Wayne State (100-78), Tex. Permian Basin (111-91) and Concordia (Calif.) (91-83, OT) in California last weekend.
- Head coach Andy Bronkema is now in his seventh season, guiding the Bulldogs to 20 ore more wins each of the past five years. Ferris State posted an impressive 38-1 record n its way to a national title in 2017-18.
- Walt Kelser dropped a team-best 33 points in the overtime win against 23rd-ranked Concordia-Irvine.
- Ferris State was predicted to win the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division.
SCOUTING GRAND VALLEY STATE
- Grand Valley State opens the 2019-20 season at home against Alderson Broaddus on November 99 before facing the Senators one day later.
- The Lakers dispatched of Hope College, 99-62, in their lone exhibition game of the season.
- GVSU selected third in the GLIAC South Division in the conference preseason coaches' poll.
- Three Division I transfers look to bring a spark to the Lakers lineup this season, as Isaac Gassman (Illinois State), Jayden Hodgson (Bradley) and Christian Negron (Loyola Chicago) will make their official debuts this weekend.
- Ben Lubitz is a returning senior for head coach Ric Wesley.
