Big men struggling to produce in Horizon League

By Kyle Nagel | Monday, July 26, 2010, 10:06 PM

In Sunday’s paper, we addressed the difficulty for conferences outside the power six in finding skilled big men.

One of the main points was this: Even if those players (we used the judgment 6 feet 9 or taller) are on the roster, they often are still developing or don’t produce major numbers.

Here’s what we couldn’t fit in print: The Horizon League list. Here are last season’s players 6-9 or taller listed on league rosters, with points and rebounds per game in parentheses.

Gordon Hayward, Soph. Butler, 6-9 (15.5, 8.2)

Emerson Kampen, RS Fr., Butler, 6-9 (0.3, 0.3)

Andrew Smith, Fr., Butler, 6-11 (1.0, 1.3)

Kevin Anderson, Jr., Cleveland State, 6-10 (1.4, 0.5)

Jared Cunningham, Jr., Cleveland State, 6-9 (5.2, 2.6)

Aaron Pogue, Soph., Cleveland State, 6-9 (6.3, 5.4)

Joe Latas, Soph., Cleveland State, 6-11 (0.9, 0.9)

Eli Holman, Soph., Detroit, 6-10 (11.8, 8.9)

John Hoskins, Fr., Detroit, 6-10 (0.8, 0.6)

LaMarcus Lowe, Soph., Detroit, 6-11 (sat out, transfer)

Randy Berry, Sr., Green Bay, 6-9 (7.7, 8.1)

Clayton Heuer, Fr., Green Bay, 6-9 (redshirt)

Pat Nelson, Sr., Green Bay, 6-9 (2.3, 3.6)

John Benkoske, Soph., Loyola, 6-9 (0.8, 0.7)

Quinton Gustavson, Fr., Milwaukee, 6-9 (redshirt)

Mitchell Carter, Sr., Milwaukee, 6-10 (sat out, transfer)

Christian Wolf, Soph., Milwaukee, 6-9 (sat out, transfer)

Louis Green, Fr., UIC, 6-9 (1.3, 1.8)

K.C. Robbins, Jr., UIC, 6-11 (4.0, 4.0)

Hrvoje Vucic, Fr., Valparaiso, 7-1 (no stats)

Cameron Witt, Soph., Valparaiso, 6-9 (1.9, 1.6)

Ronnie Thomas, Sr., Wright State, 6-9 (5.3, 2.6)

Dallas Blocker, Sr., Youngstown State, 6-9 (3.9, 3.4)

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WSU compiling strong non-conference schedule

By Kyle Nagel | Saturday, July 24, 2010, 01:23 PM

The Wright State men’s basketball team is expected to release its full schedule in the next few weeks, but from what the Raiders have already announced, they’ll have a significant challenge for first-year coach Billy Donlon.

Here’s what has been made public so far:

Nov. 21: Southern (343 RPI, 5-25 last season)

Nov. 23: Oakland (53, 26-9)

Nov. 26*: vs. Richmond (26, 26-9)

Nov. 27*: vs. Purdue (10, 29-6) or Southern Illinois (166, 15-15)

Dec. 1: at Cincinnati (68, 19-16)

Dec. 8: Air Force (247, 10-21)

Dec. 22: at Charlotte (79, 19-12)

(*At Chicago Invitational Challenge, Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Winner of Wright State-Richmond plays winner of Purdue-Southern Illinois, while the losers of those games will face off.)

In these seven games, WSU could potentially play five teams that finished last season in the top 100 of the RPI. Last year, the Raiders faced five top 100 schools out of conference (No. 34 Washington, No. 61 Mississippi State, No. 72 Sam Houston State, No. 77 Northeastern and No. 92 Ohio U). In those games, WSU finished 1-4.

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WSU hall of famer in race for Tennessee state House

By Kyle Nagel | Friday, July 23, 2010, 10:39 AM

A brief note on Gary Loe, a former Wright State cross country runner and a member of the school’s athletic hall of fame:

Loe is now running for a state House seat in Tennessee, and his campaign is getting some coverage, especially because of his former distance running career:

“There are a lot of similarities,” Loe said. “It’s a little different because there’s no head-to-head competition when you’re knocking on doors - it’s a little tough to know how you’re doing. I compare it (campaigning) to racing against a watch, it’s more like a time trial.”

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Loe runs a television production company in the city.

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Indiana guard becomes first WSU commitment in Class of 2011

By Kyle Nagel | Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 12:20 PM

Kendall Griffin, a 6-foot-5 guard from Avon (Ind.) High School, pledged Wednesday morning, July 21, to play for Wright State starting with the 2011-12 season, his high school coach said.

Jason Young, the boys basketball coach at Avon, said Griffin will be a starter for the fourth year in the winter. He has averaged about 13 points per game during his career.

“He’s also our hardest worker, just an all-around great kid,” Young said.

Griffin is the first player in the Class of 2011 to give a commitment to WSU coach Billy Donlon.

Griffin had previously said he was building a good relationship with Donlon and the WSU coaches since first visiting the campus in the summer of 2009.

“I really like him,” Griffin said of Donlon. “I’ve talked to him on the phone, and he keeps up on me.”

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Chicago Invitational lineup set for WSU basketball

By Kyle Nagel | Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 11:51 AM

The Wright State men’s basketball team will host Southern University and Oakland University before playing Richmond and either Purdue or Southern Illinois as part of the Chicago Invitational Challenge, which released the event’s schedule Wednesday, July 21.

WSU was announced as a participant in the event last month, and the Raiders learned their opponents Wednesday.

The Raiders will host Southern on Sunday, Nov. 21, and Oakland on Tuesday, Nov. 23, at the Nutter Center before traveling for two games at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. There, WSU will face Richmond at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27. The winner of that game will play the winner of Purdue and Southern Illinois, and the two losers of those first games will face off, both on Saturday, Nov. 27.

Tickets are available starting Monday at the Nutter Center box office or by calling 775-4789.

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Frontier League team signs third player from WSU

By Kyle Nagel | Tuesday, July 20, 2010, 02:00 PM

Someone with the Lake Erie Crushers front office must have season tickets to Wright State baseball games.

On Monday, July 19, the Crushers of the Frontier League signed a third WSU alum this season, adding Casey McGrew. The team had previously signed pitchers Jon Durket and Travis LaMar, although LaMar has since been traded to the Evansville Otters (who play in his home town).

McGrew led Wright State with a .383 batting average this season and was one of the team’s most consistent players over several years. Durket has appeared in five games as a reliever and allowed one run on three hits, and LaMar appeared in three innings with four hits and no runs allowed before his trade.

Rob Cooper, meanwhile, will not be going to Boston College. The WSU baseball coach had reportedly interviewed for the open head coaching position at the school, but BC announced on Monday that it hired Virginia Tech assistant coach Mike Gambino.

Coincidentally, Gambino replaced Mik Aoki, who left for Notre Dame, another job for which Cooper has been rumored as a candidate this offseason.

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Former WSU star has trouble finding court in NBA Summer League

By Kyle Nagel | Tuesday, July 20, 2010, 10:51 AM

Since we told you last week that former Wright State star DaShaun Wood was playing with the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA Summer League, I also wanted to be sure to update on how he finished.

In the first game, on July 12, Wood played just more than 9 minutes and tallied an assist, but he struggled to get on the court for the rest of the session. In the other four games, Wood twice was held out because of “coach’s decision,” and he didn’t play in the two other games.

The experience underlines just how difficult it is to break into the NBA, even after Wood’s spectacular finish at Wright State and strong performance in Italy (where opportunities still await him). He’ll continue to make (very good) money playing basketball for a living, and he certainly could have more opportunities to be looked at by the NBA.

But, as for the short five-game schedule this summer, it was a difficult road for Wood.

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WSU baseball coach reportedly to interview for Boston College opening

By Kyle Nagel | Saturday, July 17, 2010, 12:48 PM

A few weeks after newspaper reports indicated Wright State baseball coach Rob Cooper was a possible candidate for the open job at Notre Dame, another report from Baseball America says Cooper will interview with Boston College for that school’s coaching job.

Cooper is 188-160 in six seasons at Wright State, a stint that has included three appearances in the Horizon League tournament championship round and two appearances in the NCAA tournament.

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WSU golf coach ties for ninth in Ohio Amateur

By Kyle Nagel | Friday, July 16, 2010, 06:53 PM

Pete Samborsky, the Wright State men’s golf coach, tied or ninth in the Ohio Amateur after shooting a final-round, even-par 71 on Friday, July 16, to finish at plus-2 for the tournament.

Samborsky, who tied with Hilliard’s Ethan Tracy at Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby, finished nine shots behind champion Michael Bernard, an incoming junior at Wayne High School who became the event’s youngest-ever champion at 16 years old.

During the four-day tournament, Samborsky shot rounds of 68, 74, 73 and 71.

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WSU golf coach nine shots back in Ohio Amateur

By Kyle Nagel | Thursday, July 15, 2010, 06:17 PM

Wright State men’s golf coach Pete Samborsky shot a 2-over-par 73 on Thursday, July 15, and is nine shots behind the leader in the Ohio Amateur at Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby.

But that leader, Wayne High School incoming junior Michael Bernard, has become the story of the tournament. Bernard stands 7-under heading into the final round, one shot in front of Bill Williamson of Cincinnati.

Samborsky is alone in eighth place at 2-over for the tournament after rounds of 68, 74 and 73. He tees off for his final round at 10 a.m. Friday.

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WSU golf coach tied for seventh midway through Ohio Amateur

By Kyle Nagel | Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 08:16 PM

Pete Samborsky, the Wright State golf coach, shot a 3-over-par 74 in the second round of the Ohio Amateur on Wednesday, July 14, and stands tied for seventh place at even par with two rounds to play.

Samborsky opened with a 3-under 68 on Tuesday at Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby and trails leader Bill Williamson by eight shots. He will start his third round at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Michael Bernard, an incoming junior at Wayne High School, is in third place at 5-under, and Centerville’s Kevin Grabeman is fifth at 2-under.

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Question: Where does DaShaun Wood rank in WSU basketball history?

By Kyle Nagel | Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 08:00 AM

When I got in touch with Billy Donlon, he was clearly tired.

The Wright State men’s basketball coach has been on the road recruiting since July 5, and he was on his way to another airport. But on the topic was DaShaun Wood, who actually only played for one season at Wright State when Donlon was on the staff as an assistant coach, he wanted to be sure to talk about him.

“In my four years in this league, he had the best season of any player,” Donlon said. “Obviously people will say Gordon Hayward (of Butler) was just picked ninth in the NBA, but when DaShaun was a senior, he had the best year of any player I’ve seen in the league. That’s how good he is.”

Wood’s name came up this week because he’s playing for the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He got his invitation after two successful seasons in Italy and a season off to take care of a bone spur in his knee, which required surgery in January.

Wood was a senior during coach Brad Brownell’s first season at WSU in 2006-07, and what a senior season he had. He led the Raiders to the Horizon League tournament championship and one of the program’s two appearances in the NCAA Division I tournament.

As a senior, he averaged 19.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4 assists per game, certainly among the best seasons any Raider has had in the program’s history.

But, as a career, where do we put him?

Clearly, statistically, Bill Edwards is the man. He’s the program’s all-time leader in points (2,303) and rebounds (907).

There are three other players — Vernard Hollins (2001-04, 1,700 points, 597 rebounds), Bob Schaefer (1976-79, 1,634, 717) and Sean Hammonds (1990-94, 1,573, 828) — who also appear in the program’s all-time top 10 lists for both points and rebounds, aside from Wood.

Wood finished his career second in points (1,849) and 10th in rebounds (563 … as a 5-11 guard) on the all-time lists.

Edwards, like Wood, led WSU to an NCAA tournament appearance in his final season, in 1993. But, he also had another WSU stalwart in Hammonds on the roster, and he wasn’t going through a first-year system following an uncomfortable two-year period with the former coach.

Whatever the answer, Wood was clearly a great player for Wright State, and he’ll be making money playing basketball for a living somewhere. It’s just a matter of where.

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WSU golf coach second after first round of Ohio Amateur

By Kyle Nagel | Tuesday, July 13, 2010, 10:32 PM

One of the first things Pete Samborsky was thinking about after his strong first round in the Ohio Amateur golf tournament was his Wright State golf team.

“I’ve watched a couple of kids I’d like to get into the program,” Samborsky, who will enter his second season as the WSU men’s golf coach in the fall, told the Associated Press. “This gives me credibility that I can play the game, that I’m not just somebody who doesn’t know the game.”

Samborsky shot a 3-under-par 68 to tie for second place following the first round at Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby. The event runs through Friday with four stroke play rounds.

Tied with Nick Reardon of Dublin, Samborsky is two shots behind leader Bill Williamson of Cincinnati.

Samborsky, a WSU alum and a former member of the golf team, has six top 20 finishes the Ohio Amateur during the 2000s, and, just recently, finished tied for 12th at the Ohio Mid-Amateur Championship.

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Former Kentucky recruit building relationships with WSU

By Kyle Nagel | Monday, July 12, 2010, 06:47 PM

Vinny Zollo, then of Greenfield, Ohio, made a (very) early commitment to the University of Kentucky when former coach Billy Gillispie was still at the helm.

Since, there have been many changes — and Wright State has moved significantly into the picture.

The 6-foot-8, 215-pound center from George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, Ky., said Monday, July 12, that the Raiders are high on his recruiting list, in large part because of his relationship with new WSU assistant coach Clayton Bates. Zollo got to know Bates at Western Michigan before Bates joined new WSU coach Billy Donlon’s staff, which has benefited Wright State.

“They’ve got a young staff with coach Donlon,” said Zollo, who will be a senior next season. “I really look for them to do a lot of things. They’ve got a brand new practice facility. I built a relationship with coach Bates from when he was at Western Michigan. Recruiting is a lot about relationships. It’s definitely a program I’m interested in.”

Zollo said he has received scholarship offers from Wright State and Miami University and has taken an official visit to Butler. He also said he’s being recruiting “pretty hard” by Dayton.

Marquette has entered the picture recently as larger programs have taken notice, as well.

Mark Story of The (Lexington) Herald-Leader wrote an interesting piece on Zollo and his early commitment to Kentucky in April 2009.

Even since then, things have changed. And Wright State is glad they did.

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Indiana center and WSU target stays home in college choice

By Kyle Nagel | Saturday, July 10, 2010, 02:01 PM

Justin Gant, a 6-foot-8 center from Terre Haute, Ind., recruited by Wright State, announced Friday, July 9, that he will play for Indiana State following his senior season at Terre Haute North High School:

“The coaching staff is one I could see myself being coached by and ISU has great players. It’s nice to stay in town with my family and friends. ISU is moving in the right direction. I want to be a part of that to help me be successful and get them back in the tournament,” explained Gant on his reasons for choosing the Sycamores.

WSU is believed to be recruiting several other big men in the Class of 2011, including 6-8 Max Bielfeldt of Peoria (Ill.) Notre Dame High School, 6-8 Jared Bryant of Roger Bacon, 6-8 Alex Pritchett of Bedford (Ind.) North Lawrence High School and 6-9 Vinny Zollo of George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, Ky.

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Roger Bacon big man mulling WSU offer

By Kyle Nagel | Friday, July 9, 2010, 02:42 PM

Jared Bryant, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound center/forward from Roger Bacon High School, made the rounds of pick-up games, tours and coaching visits during a stop at Wright State’s campus about three weeks ago.

The experience kept the Raiders near the top of the incoming senior’s college consideration, and his high school coach said he’s only getting better.

Bryant picked up a scholarship offer from Wright State after averaging 12.8 points and 7.8 rebounds (second-best in the Greater Catholic League) last season in helping Roger Bacon finish 19-6. He has been part of a resurgence at the school, as the Spartans improved from 11-13 the year before he joined the varsity to 39-10 in his two varsity seasons (he averaged 6.4 points and 4 rebounds as a sophomore).

“I feel like my game now is better than it’s been the past three years,” Bryant said while traveling between AAU events on Friday, July 9.

Bryant said he also has scholarship offers from Bowling Green and James Madison. Toledo has also been talking with him, although the Rockets have not yet offered a scholarship, he said.

Brian Neal, Bryant’s coach at Roger Bacon, said he could become a Big Ten-level recruit if he continues to improve, meaning he would be a nice get for Wright State if the major-level interest doesn’t materialize.

And after his visit, Bryant said he certainly likes the Raiders.

“The guys were great, and it seemed like they were all players I could really get along with and bond with,” Bryant said. “And I really liked the coaches too. Everything was nice.”

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Could the Horizon League get bigger?

By Kyle Nagel | Thursday, July 8, 2010, 07:07 PM

There are schools out there that set the Horizon League as their goal.

Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, for instance, as its athletic director told The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette:

“If I was given one wish from a genie and he says, ‘You could have anything for your athletic department at IPFW’ - if I could put us in the Horizon League, that’s an (aspiring) league for us to have an association with,” Bell said.

In all of the news about college conference changes this year, few have considered the domino effect on less powerful conferences like the Horizon League. But changes could be coming for the HL, also.

The last addition to the league came in 2006, when Valparaiso joined. But that doesn’t mean that everthing will stay the same for the forseeable future.

At least if the IPFW athletic director has his way.

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Indiana recruit picks WSU league rival Butler

By Kyle Nagel | Tuesday, July 6, 2010, 12:02 PM

According to a report in the Indianapolis Star, Pendleton (Ind.) Heights High School junior guard Kellen Dunham has chosen to play in college at Butler.

Wright State also had Dunham, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who averaged 22.5 points per game as a sophomore last season, on its radar. He plays at the same high school that produced Raiders guard Vaughn Duggins.

An evaluation period began for college basketball coaches today, July 6, which means Raiders coaches are on the road taking in-person looks at recruits.

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