MAC Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
24. Shayne Whittington
A 6’11 center originally from Paw Paw, Michigan, Whittington proved to be a monumental part of Western Michigan’s most recent basketball success. Unfortunately for the Broncos, that success came nearly a decade ago, as Whittington arrived on campus in 2010 and helped the program with a breakthrough during his senior season, our only year of focus today.
In his final collegiate campaign, Whittington averaged 16.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, helping lead the Broncos to a MAC regular season title. He’d contribute a series of great performances and was especially important late in the year, as Western Michigan won the MAC Tournament, keyed by 20 points and 13 rebounds from Whittington in the title game. His career would end against Syracuse in the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
As an upperclassman, Whittington blossomed as a solid scorer and the top rebounder in the conference. He was named First Team All-MAC for that impressive senior year and more importantly led the Broncos to their most recent trip to the Big Dance. His contributions in the frontcourt were important for Western Michigan’s success and they really haven’t had a talented big like him in these more recent seasons.