East Michigan News

The Eastern Insider podcast recently released its latest episode, featuring discussions on the current state of Eastern Michigan University's (EMU) basketball programs. Hosts Tom Helmer and Greg Steiner provided updates on both men's and women's teams as they approach upcoming conference matchups.

The men's basketball team is focusing on improving their defense as they prepare to face Central Michigan and Bowling Green. Helmer highlighted the importance of securing early wins in the MAC schedule, noting that past seasons saw EMU miss crucial victories affecting tournament seeding. Key players such as DePaul transfers Jalen Terry and Da'Sean Nelson were discussed, with Nelson recovering from illness during a recent game.

On the women's side, despite a challenging season, the team showed improved defense in a close loss to Akron. Sisi Eleko reached her 1,000th career point against Akron, demonstrating determination despite defensive pressure from Ball State. The team is preparing for a matchup against Buffalo.

The podcast also mentioned the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge, where EMU will host Old Dominion. The women's team will travel to Georgia State.

In an interview segment, Sisi Eleko joined host Tom Helmer to discuss her milestone achievement of reaching 1,000 points in her collegiate career. Eleko expressed gratitude for reaching this benchmark and reflected on her journey since transferring from Canisius. She currently averages 20.1 points per game this season.

Hall of Fame Coach Ben Braun also appeared on the podcast with Greg Steiner, reflecting on his legacy and modern college basketball's challenges. Braun shared his thoughts on topics such as NIL deals and the transfer portal reshaping college sports.

Braun praised current EMU Head Coach Stan Heath's team for their offensive play while emphasizing consistent defensive effort as key to success.