Chippewa Men Tip It Up On Saturday Night

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The Central Michigan men's basketball team will take a second swing at a season opener on Saturday when the Chippewas travel to Illinois-Chicago for a 7 p.m. game with the Flames at Credit Union 1 Arena.

The Chippewas were scheduled to play their season opener on Wednesday at home against Trine. That game was cancelled.

Getting Acquainted
The Chippewas return just one full-time starter, point guard Devontae Lane, and one part-time starter, guard Trayvon Broadway Jr. Just one other player on the roster, backup point guard PJ Mitchell, played for the Chippewas in 2019-20.

Another veteran guard, Matt Beachler, returns to the Chippewas after redshirting last season. Beachler appeared in 59 games – but did not make a start – in his first two years in the program. He averaged about 10 minutes per game in those two years and figures to be among the team's core in '20-21.

Eight of the players in CMU's 15-man roster are newcomers to the program, including true freshmen Ra'Shad Weekly-McDaniels and 6-foot-10 Aundre Polk.

Five other newcomers are transfers: 6-foot-9 Malik Muhammad (East Los Angeles College), 6-7 Ralph Bissainthe (Florida Southwestern), guard Meikkel Murray (Coffeyville, Kan., CC), 7-foot Braden Burke (Michigan State) and guard Caleb Huffman (Iowa Western CC).

The Chippewas also added 6-9 forward Tyler Hankins, a three-year member of the CMU baseball team, to the roster. Hankins helps form a formidable frontcourt that includes 6-10 redshirt freshman Caleb Hodgson, along with Polk, Muhammed, Burke and Bissainthe.

Plenty of Opportunities
The Chippewas graduated four starters from the 2020-21 season. Nearly 80 percent of CMU's scoring (79.4 percent to be exact) is no longer with the program.

Good Starts
CMU has won seven consecutive season-opening games and is 7-1 in such game under coach Keno Davis.

Scouting UIC
The Flames opened the season, their first under coach Luke Yaklich, with a 65-61 win at Northern Illinois on Wednesday. Yaklich is a former assistant at Texas, Michigan and Illinois State. The Flames rallied from a 22-point deficit to post the win over the Huskies, who, like CMU, play in the Mid-American Conference.

Teyvion Kirk and Mitchel RayOuawndis scored 12 points each in leading UIC past Northern Illinois.

UIC, which finished fifth in the Horizon League preseason poll, graduated its top three scorers from last season, when it finished 18-17, 10-8 conference and reached the title game of the league tournament.

Next
The Chippewas head to Miami to play back-to-back games at Florida International's Ocean Bank Convocation Center. CMU will play the host Panthers on Tuesday, Dec. 1, and then will take on Flagler (Fla.) College on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Both games begin at 7 p.m.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Matt Beachler

Ralph Bissainthe

Braden Burke

Tyler Hankins

Caleb Hodgson

Caleb Huffman

Devontae Lane

PJ Mitchell

Malik Muhammad

Meikkel Murray

Aundre Polk

Ra'Shad Weekly-McDaniels