#HLMBB Preview: Wright State
Joey Yashinsky
Wright State Raiders
Last year: 20-12 overall, 11-7 Horizon League
Coach: Scott Nagy (2nd year)
Team Preview
By Joey Yashinsky, Horizon League Contributor
Last season’s Motor City Madness was memorable for a number of reasons.
Northern Kentucky grabbed the tournament championship in their first year of postseason eligibility. Bottom-seeded Milwaukee stormed their way to the title game. And Grant Benzinger almost shot the lights out of Joe Louis Arena.
Sometimes those individual performances from early-round games can be forgotten. Especially when such heroics come during a loss. But anybody that watched the Wright State vs. UIC quarterfinal this past March will remember Benzinger bombing away from every corner of the gym in one of the most impressive shooting displays in league history: 29 points, four of four at the foul line, and a ridiculous seven 3-pointers dropped in softly through the net.
Wright State’s second-year head coach Scott Nagy appreciates the way Benzinger’s game has evolved over time.
“I didn’t have Grant for his for his first two years,” Nagy said. “But when I looked at his stats, I could see he was a shooter. He shot very few free throws. When I came in, the thing I talked to him about was putting the ball on the floor. And he’s worked very hard on it. He’s put the time in. And he’s become a much more complete player. Grant will do whatever is asked of him. He’s one of the toughest kids that I’ve ever coached.”
The most unique player in the Horizon League could very well be Wright State’s do-it-all point guard, Justin Mitchell. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Mitchell somehow managed to rip down more than eight rebounds per contest, second most in the conference. He was also a double-figure scorer and finished top five in assists, all while shooting 53% from the field. Mitchell is not exactly a threat from downtown (just four made 3s), but neither was a guy like Rod Strickland, a similarly crafty, good-rebounding guard that played NBA basketball for 17 years.
With the loss of 14-point scorer Steven Davis up front, the Raiders will need to find a replacement for that production. Parker Ernsthausen, a 6-foot-11 center, should slide comfortably into that role. Like Davis, Ernsthausen can shoot the ball better than most traditional bigs. Coach Nagy has even said to look out for some 3-point attempts this year, after Ernsthausen launched just a single triple try last year (a miss). The defensive awareness from the big man will also be a major factor in the team’s success. Ernsthausen is surprisingly agile for a near 7-footer which allows the the Raiders to switch on screens without fear of a mismatch being exploited.
Nagy will undoubtedly miss the services of Ryan Custer, a hard-working forward that suffered a serious spinal cord injury in April. Custer appeared in all 32 games as a freshman and was expected to play a larger role this season.
The transfer of top scorer and first team all-league player Mark Alstork (Illinois) will also be felt. But there have been many instances where removing a high-volume shooter, even a very gifted one like Alstork, can open up opportunities for others. A team previously dependent on a single player taking over can now achieve better ball movement and play with more collective fluidity.
Keep an eye out for a pair of new faces that Nagy was able to bring over from his previous home at South Dakota State. Cole Gentry is a feisty point guard with deep range that will be available after the first semester. And Loudon Love, an immovable presence in the post that has made great strides in his conditioning over the last year. He should ease some of Ernsthausen’s load in the frontcourt.
There are few Horizon League hoops programs more consistent than Wright State. They’ve collected 19 or more wins in nine of the last 11 seasons.
With the Nagy regime entering year two, and a pair of senior leaders as good as you’ll find anywhere in college basketball, that run of excellence won’t likely be slowing down anytime soon.
Motor City Madness
Support the Raiders at the 2018 Little Caesars Horizon League Basketball Championships March 2-6 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Tickets can be purchased at campus box offices now and online starting December 15. For more information, click here.
#HLWBB Preview Schedule (10 am ET)
#HLMBB Preview Schedule (2 pm ET)