MAC Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

19. Thomas Wilder

A 6’3 combo guard from Montgomery, Illinois, Wilder found a home at Western Michigan, playing for the Broncos between 2014 and 2018. He arrived on campus right after the Broncos made the NCAA Tournament, and though he wouldn’t get the Broncos back to the Dance, he’d certainly make some memorable contributions to this program.

In each of Wilder’s final three seasons, he averaged at least 18 points per game for Western Michigan, becoming their best offensive players. Wilder had decent assist numbers and actually shot 44% from outside the arc during his junior year. As a senior, he had a 40-point performance against Toledo and came up just short of a triple-double against Central Michigan near the end of the season.

Wilder earned Second Team All-MAC honors as a sophomore and First Team honors in his final two seasons. While at Western Michigan, he scored a ton of points, totaling 2040 for his four-year career with the Broncos. He had solid assist and steals numbers and was one of the league’s best free throw shooters as well. Wilder did plenty for the Broncos; it’s just a shame that the program couldn’t win a few more games or make another trip to the Big Dance.