Campbell vs Western Michigan prediction: Kahil Fennell's rebuilt Broncos face Campbell's new regime in Kalamazoo
Two first-year coaches and two reshuffled rosters make last season's numbers a rough sketch, but the sketch still points to Western Michigan's defense as the pressure point.
- Expect an early-season feel-out between two new staffs, with last season's profiles suggesting Campbell's physical, foul-drawing offense tests a soft Broncos defense.
- Campbell's trips to the line and the offensive glass against a Western Michigan defense that rarely forced mistakes last season.
- No spread or total is posted yet; last season's meeting finished 91-82, a pace worth remembering when a number appears.
Two programs starting over
Nobody on either bench has coached this matchup before. Western Michigan hired Kahil Fennell away from UT Rio Grande Valley in March to take over a struggling program, and nearly the entire 2025-26 roster entered the transfer portal after the coaching change. Fennell restocked with transfers including Julien Gomez and Jaylen Washington, both from UTRGV, plus Ramere Draper (Claflin), Mason Bendinger (USC Upstate), Tanner Hayhurst (Southern Utah) and Joshua Eli (Army). The Broncos have 14 brand new players.
Campbell turned over its bench, too. John Andrzejek left after one season for an associate head coach job at Louisville, and the Camels named Jimmie Williams on April 8. Williams arrives from Division II Anderson, where he went 69-49.
That makes every team number below a description of last season's teams, not these ones. Treat it as a scouting baseline, not a forecast.
Campbell's identity last season
Under Andrzejek, Campbell finished 16-18 and scored well: its offensive efficiency of 116.4 points per 100 possessions ranked 69th of 365. The Camels got there the hard way. Their free throw rate (free throw attempts per field goal attempt) ranked 20th nationally, and their offensive rebound rate of 35.4% ranked 45th.
The other end was the problem. Campbell's block rate ranked 364th of 365, meaning almost nothing got sent back at the rim, and its defense ranked 315th in points allowed per 100 possessions. Whether Williams keeps the attack and fixes the defense is the first question his tenure has to answer.
Western Michigan's defensive hole
The Broncos went 10-21 last season, and the defense was the reason. Their opponent-adjusted defensive efficiency ranked 316th, and opponents posted an effective field goal percentage (threes count 1.5 times) of 53.9%, 320th nationally.
They also rarely took the ball away. Western Michigan's forced turnover rate ranked 339th and its steal rate ranked 360th. A defense that doesn't create empty trips has to win with shot contests and rebounding, and that is exactly where Campbell's style of attacking the glass and the line pushed teams last season. Fennell's new roster gets a chance to show that profile is gone.
A busy first week in Kalamazoo
This game closes Western Michigan's opening week. The Broncos open Nov. 2 at Old Dominion, then host Kalamazoo on Nov. 5 in Fennell's home debut, so Sunday's game is their third in seven days and second at University Arena.
The last meeting went Campbell's way, 91-82 at Gore Arena on Nov. 9, 2025, the first win of Andrzejek's career. DJ Smith scored a career-high 29 that afternoon. Andrzejek, the winning coach, is gone, and Western Michigan's roster has been heavily reshuffled since it lost that game.
No injury, suspension or eligibility news has surfaced for either team as of Oct. 26.
Key players
- Justice Williams (Western Michigan): Listed among the returners, he scored 15.1 points per game in 18 games last season while shooting 36.4% from three.
- Jayden Brewer (Western Michigan): Also listed as a returner, he averaged 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds last season with a 28 usage rate, the heaviest load on the team.
Numbers that matter
| Campbell free throw rate rank, last season | 20th | The Camels lived at the line, a pressure point for a Broncos defense that ranked 260th in opponent free throw rate. |
|---|---|---|
| Western Michigan forced turnover rank, last season | 339th | The Broncos rarely created empty possessions, leaving them reliant on contesting shots. |
| Campbell offensive rebound rate, last season | 35.4% | A 45th-ranked mark that gave Campbell second chances against most opponents. |
| Campbell block rate rank, last season | 364th | Almost no rim protection, an opening for whatever interior scoring Fennell's transfers bring. |
| Last meeting | Campbell 91, Western Michigan 82 | Played Nov. 9, 2025, with both coaching staffs since replaced on one side and the Broncos' staff new as well. |
Campbell vs Western Michigan: quick answers
When is Campbell vs Western Michigan?
Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET.