Men's Basketball Preview Part 4: Wright State
Nov. 10, 2004
This is the fourth in a nine-part series on the 2004-05 Horizon League men's basketball season. Each weekday leading up to the season opener on Nov. 16, www.horizonleague.org will profile a League men's basketball team, beginning with the team picked ninth in the preseason poll on Wednesday, Nov. 3, and ending with the preseason favorite on Tuesday, Nov. 16. The regular season will tip off on Nov. 16, when Wright State plays at Tulsa in the Preseason National Invitation Tournament. All stories are courtesy of their respective school's sports information office.
Rebuilding the Raiders
When Paul Biancardi took over the Wright State University men's basketball program a little over a year ago, he had two starting seniors and a load of freshmen. A year later, he looks at his roster and he has two starting sophomores and a load of newcomers.
The Raiders will enter the 2004-05 campaign with a bad news, good news situation. The bad news is that they lost 31.0 points and 13.3 rebounds per game in the graduations of all-league players Seth Doliboa and Vernard Hollins. The good news is that the "load" of freshmen are now sophomores plus former Ohio State star Zach Williams now dons a WSU on his jersey.
"As the freshmen become sophomores and we add seven new players, we are still very inexperienced. All our players are enthusiastic and excited about the coming season," Biancardi said. "All but two of our players are underclassmen and those two have never played at Wright State."
Leading the returnees is Horizon League All-Newcomer team member DaShaun Wood. During his rookie season, he learned under fire as he started and played over 30 minutes a game last year. The 5-11 point guard from Detroit ranks as the team's leading returning scorer and play maker, averaging 8.7 points and 3.1 assists. His career-high 21 points paced the Raiders over Loyola at home but Wood also notched 10 double-figure scoring games with five or more assists in eight games.
The other returning starter won his starting role ten games into the season and helped spark a six-game winning streak in January. Forward Drew Burleson averaged 7.6 points and 4.2 rebounds overall last year but his numbers increased to 9.1 and 4.3 during the Horizon League schedule. He also scored in double figures 10 times in his rookie season with a career-high 17 points at Cleveland State.
The others returning for a second year of Raider basketball will sophomores Vova Severovas and Zakee Boyd. Severovas, a native of Lithuania, started the first team games of the season, posting six games of 10 points or more and helped the Raiders on the boards with a career-high 14 rebounds at Morehead State, second highest total on the team last year. Boyd, a Jersey native, showed a shooting touch that wowed his teammates, coaches and the fans as he hit at least three three-pointers on nine different occasions, registering his career-high 14 points against NCAA-hardened Southern Illinois.
"I am very proud of the way our freshmen performed last year in a challenging situation," Biancardi said. "They all made progress as the season went on. Add seven new faces to this year's squad and we're still a work in progress."
That brings us to the newcomers and senior Zach Williams. Williams, who started more than 80 games in the Big Ten for Ohio State, brings a wealth of experience and talent to a young squad. The New York native nearly ten points and over five rebounds a game for the Buckeyes against top national competition.
Another upperclassman new to the Raiders will be junior college transfer Jaron Taylor. Taylor, a native of Baltimore, MD, averaged 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds last year and looks to battle for playing time as well as looked to for leadership.
"Those two bring the most collegiate experience to our court and that will help us as we encounter the rigors of a long season," Biancardi said. "Their work ethic, leadership and toughness will be a major plus for us."
The roster will sport five freshmen which has Biancardi a little uneasy as well as confident for the future. William Graham, a possible redshirt from Lexington, KY, was named first-team Kentucky but had season-ending knee surgery, forcing him to miss the final two games of his senior season. Another first-team player will be Jordan Pleiman, a 6-9 forward from Ft. Loramie, OH. He averaged over 17 points and 12 rebounds on the way to being named Division IV Player of the Year.
Also on the roster vying for playing time and a possible starting role will be 6-6 guard Everett Spencer who averaged over 26 points a game and led his team to the Prep Schools national championship last winter. Lorenzo Shine, a 6-2 guard from Detroit Rogers High School was also named first-team All State in Michigan while he averaged 20 points and seven boards. Lastly is Bahama native Parish Munroe who 15 points and 12 rebounds last year at Massanutten.
"We are very happy to have all the newcomers with us," Biancardi said. "They each have special talents and skills for the program that we hope to develop throughout their careers. They are exactly the type of person who will represent the University on and off the court. They are exactly what we are looking for here at Wright State."
So, as the year progresses and as the saying goes, "those freshmen will become 'sophomores' by the end of the year."
"It is imperative that we continue to show the patience necessary to develop the whole program," Biancardi said. "We must strive for improvement each and every day in the classroom and on the court."
