Butler downs Raiders

By Marc Katz | Thursday, January 8, 2009, 08:51 PM

INDIANAPOLIS — Vaughn Duggins didn’t play again for Wright State tonight, and maybe it didn’t matter.

The Raiders’ leading scorer missed his 12th straight game following his breakiing a finger on his shooting hand and WSU lost its first game after six straight victories, 64-48 to the No. 21-ranked Bulldogs.

It was thought Duggins might be able to play after he rejoined his team’s practice sessions last week, but after a shoot-around today around noon, his hand still hurt and it was decided he would not play.

Saturday, the Raiders are at Valparaiso. It has not been determined if he will play then or not.

Butler gained a 34-21 halftime advantage, although the Raiders scored the final seven points of the half.

Wright State also made a run in the second half, closing an 18-point deficit to 50-42 on a John David Gardner basket on a drive with under eight minutes to play. That’s as close as the Raiders came.

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They’re off

By Marc Katz | Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 03:50 PM

FAIRBORN — Within the last half hour, Wright State’s bus pulled away from the Setzer Pavilion with a full roster of players headed for Butler University in Indianapolis.

The game will be played Thursday, and the big question is whether junior guard Vaughn Duggins will use the game uniform he packed in his bag.

“I want to play,” Duggins said, “but my hand still hurts.”

That’s his right, shooting hand, the one with the repaired broken ring finger. Coach Brad Brownell has said all along it will probably be a game-time decision on whether Duggins will go against the 12-1 and No. 21-ranked Bulldogs.

Duggins said the decision will be made by himself, his parents (who live in nearby Pendleton Heights, Ind.) and Brownell. Duggins said he has also sought council from his high school coach.

As for how important this game is to the Raiders, they’re 2-2 in the league and mindful Cleveland State coach Gary Waters predicted the Horizon League champion would lose at least four games.

“It’s way too early to make predictions, but I just hope (the champion) loses two or more,” Brownell said. “We do have to win some road games.”

The Raiders get their chance. Including Butler, the next three games are on the road, at Valparaiso Saturday and at Detroit next Friday.

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Duggins answer hanging

By Marc Katz | Tuesday, January 6, 2009, 07:38 PM

FAIRBORN — Still looking for the definitive answer on when injured junior guard Vaughn Duggins will play again?

So am I.

He looked fine at practice today, admitting when he was hit on the right hand, it stung a little.

“But it didn’t last long,” Duggins said. “It’s up to the coach if I play.”

Well, not really. It’s up to coach Brad Brownell if Duggins is cleared to play. It’s up to Duggins and his family if he wants to play, and only if he gets a final okay from doctors.

Duggins broke the ring finger on the right, shooting, hand Thanksgiving Day in practice. He had surgery the following week, had the pins removed last Wednesday and has slowly integrated himself into practices ever since.

Today he said he felt fine, but the question is, will the hand stay healthy through another 16 or more games (depending on how far the Raiders advance in the Horizon League tournament).

Ideally, Duggins would sit out another week. He has already missed 11 games. But Thursday, WSU’s game is at Butler, a nationally-ranked team undefeated in league play. A loss at Butler would give the Raiders three league losses and a much-diminished chance to win the regular season and secure a good spot in the league tournament seeding.

A healthy Duggins would certainly help WSU’s cause. But what if he didn’t play, WSU won, then won at Valparaiso on Saturday — and Duggins came back next week, stronger, healthier and more sure of the hand?

That would be great. Then again, what if WSU lost at Butler, then lost again at Valpo? Chances of WSU recovering from that would not gbe out of the question, but would be diminished.

Tough questions to answer, and they won’t be answered today or probably even Wednesday. Remember, it wasn’t known right away that Duggins’ hand was broken. He played one game that way, with his fingers taped together, and scored 16 points. Two days later, an x-ray revealed the break.

Broken bones heal, but on their own time.

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Ultimate Duggins decision unlikely before Thursday

By Marc Katz | Monday, January 5, 2009, 05:39 PM

FAIRBORN — Vaughn Duggins went through another practice today with his broken right ring finger taped securely to the middle finger, and he did wince a time or two when he was hit on the hand.

Still, no decision has been made for him to return to the WSU lineup, and that decision won’t likely be made until game time Thursday — or even beyond.

So far, Duggins has missed 11 games, or about a third of the season. He could apply for a medical redshirt and would be awarded one, but there are several considerations to make.

Most importantly, Duggins must be healthy. He wants to play basketball beyond his college career, and ruining a finger for life is no way to do that.

Of course, there is no way to assure he won’t get hurt again, even if his finger were completely healed.

As for the team, the Raiders have managed to turn around their season without their best player. They are 8-7 overall and 2-2 in league play, but have 14 league games remaining.

Navigating that gauntlet will not be easy without Duggins.

Coach Brad Brownell said he will not make the decision alone. He will involve Duggins and his family. He also said a determination will probably not be made much before game time Thursday, which happens to be 7 p.m. at Butler, undefeated in league play, nationally-ranked and WSU’s arch rival.

Even if Duggins does not play against Butler, there is still a chance he will return to the team. However, as more and more games are played without him, his chances of returning this season diminish.

What’s best for Duggins should be decided by his doctor and how he feels his hand is progressing. What’s best for Wright State is for Duggins to play. With him in the lineup, even in a diminished role, the Raiders are a better team.

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Close works well for Raiders

By Marc Katz | Saturday, January 3, 2009, 11:19 PM

FAIRBORN — Whew, that was close.

When Wright State beat Youngstown State 60-59 Saturday night, it was the 36th time in 22 seasons of Division I basketball the school has been involved in a one-point game. It has been a good run for the Raiders, too. they’re 27-9 in those games, 11-0 in the two-plus years of the Brad Brownell era.

Ironically, it was the first game of this season decided by the smallest margin possible.

A year ago, the Raiders beat six teams by a single point. The year before, it was 4-0. In no other season have the Raiders been involved in more than four one-point games. IOn 2000-01, they were 3-1.

Since many of those games have come against Horizon League opponents, understand this. When you go to a league game, expect a good show. There are very few blowouts in Horizon League play.

That’s top to bottom. Last Tuesday, Cleveland State, considered the best team in the league, was beaten by the Raiders 71-62 in a game decided in the final minute.

Youngstown State is considered the team most likely to finish on the bottom of the league. It took until the last play of the game to beat the Penguins.

Thursday, Wright State is at Butler, a ranked team that split with the Raiders last year. Wright State won at home, 43-42. Butler won at home, 66-61.

By that game, we should know if guard Vaughn Duggins will be returning to the team, or sitting out a medical redshirt year. He played four games before breaking his right ring finger.

Duggins began practice Wednesday, but has yet to participate in every drill.

His return would be a big lift to the team. With Duggins in the lineup, maybe the Raiders can win games by two.

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Raiders hang on

By Marc Katz | Saturday, January 3, 2009, 09:03 PM

FAIRBORN — A Youngstown State shot at the buzzer went off the rim and Wright State’s Todd Brown hugged the rebound as the Raiders hung on to defeat YSU 60-59 tonight at the Nutter Center.

Youngstown State led 33-20 at the half, but WSU scored the first nine points in the second half to get back into the game. Brown’s two free throws with 33.7 seconds left put the Raiders in the lead.

DeAndre Mays, who led the Penguins with 15 points and had made two of three 3-point shots, took the final shot of the game that missed.

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Duggins at practice

By Marc Katz | Friday, January 2, 2009, 12:26 PM

FAIRBORN — Junior guard Vaughn Duggins did a little more at practice today on his way to recovering from a broken right ring finger.

On Wednesday, Duggins had two pins removed from the finger he broke on Thanksgiving Day. He was allowed limited ball-handling and shooting on Wednesday and Thursday, and participated a little more in drills today.

Duggins injured his hand after playing in four games, and there remains a possibility he will seek a medical redshirt and not play again this season.

However, he said he is leaning toward playing again, although it won’t be Saturday against Youngstown State. The earliest he would be ready to play would be Thursday, at Butler.

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