Wright State MBB Preview

We have an excellent game on tap for Sunday.

Or so it appears.

BG will be taking on Wright State.  The Raiders have a very strong team and will provide a great test for the Falcons.

Let's take a closer look.

First, Wright State is a good program.  Since becoming a DI program in 1987, they have made the tournament 3 times.  They have won the Horizon the last two seasons in the regular season.  Last year, they were 25-7 (MAC wins over Miami and Toledo--twice--and a one point loss to Kent) and won the title outright.  They had one of those inexplicable meltdowns in the first round of the Horizon tourney against UIC, but would have played in the NIT.

They are picked to finish first in the Horizon this year as well.

They are coached by Scott Nagy, who might be the most successful coach people have not heard of.  He coached for 21 years at South Dakota State, winning 63% of his games and 67% of his conference games.  They started in DII, and he made the DII Tourney eight times.  They moved to D1 and he took them to the NCAA Tournament three times.

This is his 5th year at Wright State, he's won 68% of his games and 74% of his conference games and been to the NCAA Tournament once.

The man is a winning basketball coach.

Wright State also returns the Horizon Player of the Year and the pre-season player of the year.  Loudon Love is the young man's name.  He was going to go to SD State, but moved to Wright State with Nagy.  

He is 6'8" and 260.  Last season he scored 15.9 PPG and 9.7 RPG.  Here's the amazing thing...he only played 26 minutes a game.  Same this year, more or less.  I'd honestly be interested to see if there were any other League POYs who played 27 minutes a game.

He shot 49% and blocked 40 shots as well.  One weakness is at the line, he's a sub-60% FT shooter.

With his 4th rebound tomorrow, he will become Wright State's top career rebounder.

Last year, Wright State was a big 3FG team.  They made over 40% in conference play, which is huge.  They returned 2 players who shot over 40% and Trey Calvin is hitting 50% this year as well.

This is a team that is an inside-outside threat.  So, BG is going to need to bring its guarding.  We're comfortable playing with a smaller lineup, but BG will need to be playing well at both ends of the floor to compete.

Actually, Calvin is their leader scorer to date with 16 PPG.  Also, Tim Finke, a 6'6" Grand Canyon transfer is scoring 11.5 PPG and adding 8.5 RPG on 50% shooting.  They also have Grant Basile, who is 6'9: and is scoring 11 PPG to go with 5RGP and shooting 71% and 4 blocked shots.

Wright State is 1-1.  They lost to what is expected to be a really good Marshall team and then they beat Miami by 71-47, holding the Redhawks to 26% shooting from 2FG.

This is an excellent test for BG for what is anticipated to be the last non-conference game.  We are off until right before New Year's, and a win certainly would send us into that time with the right kind of momentum.