Western Michigan Guard David Brown Granted 6th Year of Eligibility By NCAA

Those ready to declare the 2014-2015 season as the year of the Toledo Rockets may want to slow their role a bit. The reigning MAC basketball champions, Western Michigan, aren't ready to concede the crown so easily. Thursday night the Broncos title defense odds got a huge boost when David Brown announced vis his personal instagram that he will be back for a sixth and final season.

Brown, whose Instagram feed is private, posted this message on the social network:

I received news that I am going to be a Bronco for one more year!!! I get a chance to do something great this upcoming year. I am truly blessed to be giving this opportunity, now it's time for me to show the best of me.I am thankful for all the blessings I have been giving, now its time to chance after another RING!!!!! Look out for The Broncos, because we are coming!!!!! #rings # MAC #letsgetit

The news was first reported by David drew of MLive.

Getting Brown back is a huge boost to the Broncos' championship hopes this upcoming season. In 2013-2014 Brown helped WMU go 23-10 (14-4 MAC) while leading the MAC with 19.1 points per game. The First-Team All-MAC guard was a key player in the Broncos' first MAC Championship season since 2004, lighting up Toledo in the title game in Cleveland with 32 points and earning the game's MVP award.

At 6 foot 4, 205 pounds Brown is an athletic scorer, and a matchup problem in the MAC. Plagued by injuries early on in his career, he appeared in just 19 games between 2010 and 2012. Fully healthy, and with an impressive season under his belt, it's likely that Brown will once again challenge as the MAC's scoring champion, and without big Shayne Whittington on the roster anymore—he's with the Indiana Pacers now—Brown's output could even jump up a few ticks.

Three other starters are back for the Broncos. Senior guard Austin Richie (7.9 ppg, 2.3 assists), junior power forward Connar Tava (11.8 ppg, 5.7 rebounds), and sophomore small forward Tucker Haymond (7.1 ppg, 3.8 rebounds) should all retain their starting roles alongside Brown.

The Broncos took two out of three from the Rockets in 2013-2014, running away in both victories. The Rockets' break-neck pace struggled to get going against WMU who was able to slow them down, and control the flow of offense in all three contest. Losing Whittington will have an impact, but if Steve Hawkins has a trio of promising young bigs who could fill in adequately for Whittington and give the Broncos  a great chance to repeat as MAC champions this winter.