Wright State Raiders
Horizon League (20-13, 12-6)
Seed: #
RPI: 93
Big Wins: 12/12 at Arkansas Little Rock (62-55), 12/30 Cleveland State (71-62), 2/28 Wisconsin Green Bay (65-64)
Bad Losses: 11/22 at Central Michigan (68-70), 11/29 at Sam Houston State (65-84), 2/18 at Illinois Chicago (66-77)
Coach: Brad Brownell
Probable Starters:
Will Graham, Senior, Guard, 5.4 ppg, 2.7 apg
N’Gai Evans, Sophomore, Guard, 6.4 ppg, 1.7 apg
Todd Brown, Junior, Guard, 11.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Cory Cooperwood, Junior, Forward, 9.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Ronnie Thomas, Junior, Forward, 3.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Scott Grote, Sophomore, Forward, 5.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg
Gavin Horne, Senior, Forward, 2.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg
Cooper Land, Sophomore, Forward, 4.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg
Troy Tabler, Sophomore, Guard, 5.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg
Why They Can Surprise:
Wright State stays in just about every game they play due to their slow down tempo and tenacious defense. The team gives up a mere 56.9 points per game and the opposition always has a difficult time shooting against the Raiders. Despite injuries to the backcourt stars Vaughn Duggins and John David Gardner, both of whom are done for the season, Coach Brad Brownell rallied his troops and finished the regular season on a relatively high note.
Gardner has been out since early February and that has put a ton of pressure on Will Graham. The 6-3 senior has done an admirable job since handling a majority of the ball handling duties and has had his best games late in the year. The team as a whole, as one would expect from a group that will always slow down the tempo, does not commit a lot of turnovers. Graham must keep that advantage going for WSU or it could be a short postseason.
Why They Can Disappoint:
While the Raiders gain possessions with their quality turnover margin, they lose out on more possessions because of their poor rebounding. Cory Cooperwood is the mainstay in the frontcourt. The 6-7 junior is a decent rebounder and a quality interior scorer, but the consistent production in the frontcourt pretty much ends with him. Ronnie Thomas is the usual starter at the five spot and will do some of the dirty work in the paint, but the Raiders need more production from him and the forwards who come in off the bench like Scott Grote, Gavin Horne and Cooper Land.
Who To Watch:
When Vaughn went down with an injury early in the year it was up to Todd Brown to take over the reigns. The 6-5 junior is the team’s most dynamic scorer and most prolific and efficient outside shooter. His size has been a big asset and he will use it to his advantage either by getting to the basket or shooting over smaller opponents. He is also the second best rebounder on the team and WSU needs all the help they can get in that department. N’Gai Evans, a part-time starter this season, has had some great games during his sophomore campaign. Evans’ consistency in the scoring department has been an issue, but he can score a dozen points on any given day. Troy Tabler is the other outside shooter besides Brown. He can provide a big spark off the bench when his shot is falling and Wright State will need it to fall if they want to win a game or two.
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 59.8 (310th in nation, 9th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 57.1 (4, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 40.6 (290, 9)
Field-Goal Defense: 38.1 (6, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.5 (231, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 31.2 (257, 7)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.3 (153, 6)
Rebound Margin: -3.2 (283, 10)
Assists Per Game: 11.2 (284, 9)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.5 (47, 1)
Joel’s Bracket Says:
