Two popular phrases could be used to describe tomorrow afternoon’s game between the Bowling Green men’s basketball team and Western Michigan.
The Falcons could take a page out of Bob Dylan’s book, because “The Times are A-Changing” for the Falcons.
This was evident at the end of last season, when center Kevin Netter graduated and took his 12.5 points per game with him. It became even more obvious when last season’s leading scorer Ron Lewis left for Ohio State over the summer.
But the times changed even more this season as the Falcons jumped out to a 10-2 mark overall and a 4-0 mark in the Mid-American Conference. Last season, they had just 14 wins total and eight MAC wins.
BG head coach Dan Dakich thinks it is a combination of aspects that has brought about this change.
“Coming to practice ready, coming to walk-throughs ready and going back and talking about the game if you’re on the road in your hotel room,” he said. “Our seniors have provided an environment where those types of things are important.”
The seniors providing the winning attitudes are forwards John Reimold, Josh Almanson and Cory Eyink, all of which have played enough in their time at BG to know what to bring to the court.
Leading the way for BG as probably the most improved scorer in the MAC is Almanson, who is pouring in 18.8 points per game and shared a brunt of the scoring duties with Reimold, who is scoring 17.1 points per contest. Eyink is the one who may not be flashy, but is more than happy doing the rest of the work, averaging 5.8 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 41.2 percent from beyond the arc.
They are just a few of the many Falcons who can score at any time this season.
“There are no ulterior motives with this year’s team,” Reimold said. “Doing that makes you more comfortable with your teammates.”
The Falcons have also stepped up their hustle plays.
“It’s in Mawel’s (Soler) nature and guys like John Floyd,” Reimold said. “They love to dive on the floor.”
And that is something the Broncos will have to deal with.
The popular phrase that most suits this season’s Western Michigan team is “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Western suffered a heavy loss in the offseason with the graduation of 2004 MAC Player of the Year Mike Williams.
But with that change has come consistency.
The Broncos have taken the talent left over from last year’s team and turned this year’s campaign into another successful one. The Broncos come into tomorrow’s game with an 11-3 mark overall and a 5-0 MAC mark.
Where the Falcons thrive with inside-outside players, the Broncos thrive with an inside monster and an outside threat.
Post player Levi Rost has broke out this season and is averaging 17.9 points and 5.6 boards per game while guard Ben Reed holds down the fort on the perimeter, scoring 17.8 points per game while shooting 39 percent from three.
While each team has taken a different road to getting there, both of them are sitting atop the MAC West division.
Tomorrow’s game at Anderson Arena will prove who reigns supreme early in the season in the MAC West. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
