Men's Basketball Preview - Part 5: Wright State
Nov. 4, 2006
When new coach Brad Brownell took over the reigns of the Wright State University men's basketball program last March, he saw potential--potential not only to win, but potential to win continuously and do it the right way. The Indiana native saw the support staff and facilities were in place; he saw a University and a great community that was hungry for a winner.
The Raiders will have their top four scorers and top four rebounders return from last year's team which includes Horizon League first teamer DaShaun Wood and fifth-year senior Drew Burleson.
Wood, a 5-11 guard, averaged nearly 18 points a game and led the League in steals while being the first Raider to ever be named to the Horizon's All-Defensive Team. The Detroit native currently sits as the 16th all-time scorer and seventh in assists. Burleson, a 6-5 forward, ranked second on the squad in points and rebounds at 12.5 and 5.1 respectively.
Also returning will be 6-8, junior center Jordan Pleiman. Pleiman, a crowd favorite, led the Green and Gold in rebounding last year at 6.7 per game but also broke the double-digit barrier in points at 10.5 per contest. The Ohio native can point to several positive games last year, including 18 points at Bowling Green and a couple 11-rebounds efforts.
Joining these three with experience wearing the Raider colors will be four players, all of whom started games throughout last season. The back court players back include seniors Reinaldo Smith and Tyrone Scott and sophomore William Graham. Graham started 18 contests, averaging more than 21 minutes a game for the year along with a 2.7 points per game average and 59 assists. Smith, an early-season starter who had injury problems, started three game while playing in just 14 tilts overall. Scott, a 6-3 junior college transfer, started six games mid-season, averaged nearly 23 minutes a game overall while hitting 31 threes--second best on the team.
The final returning player will be 6-7 Scottie Wilson, who showed flashes of brilliance starting five games. The junior collected his career high 14 points against Detroit and nine rebounds with eight made free throws against league-leader UW-Milwaukee.
Like the new coach, the Raiders will also have three new players to lean on this year: Vaughn Duggins, Todd Brown and Eric Stevenson. Duggins, a 6-3 guard from Indiana, played in several All-Star games after averaging a state-high 26.5 points and 6.9 rebounds a game. Brown played last year with Canton-McKinley High School and helped them to their second straight division I state title, averaging nearly ten points a game. Stevenson, a late bloomer from North Carolina, averaged 17 points a game while being named his league's Player of the Year.
As for the schedule, the new WSU coaching staff came in last Spring with many holes to fill and came up with one of the best slate of games for the Raiders. Familiar names such as Miami (OH), Bowling Green and IFPW will now be mixed with new foes like Coastal Carolina, Bradley, St. Bonaventure, Marshall and Marist. Also, there will be a trip to preseason national favorite LSU for a tournament that includes the Tigers, Samford and Mississippi Valley. Al always, the schedule includes home-and-home contests with the competitive Horizon League, that has sent teams to the Sweet 16 twice in the last four years.
