Nov. 3, 2017
By Andrew Clausen –
Georgia Tech and Wright State face off for the first time in program history on Dec. 22 in McCamish Pavillion. The Yellow Jackets and the Raiders will both be looking to close out their nonconference seasons with wins before Atlantic Coast Conference and Horizon League action begins.
Location: Dayton, Ohio
Conference: Horizon League
Home arena: Nutter Center (12,000)
2016-17 Record: 20-12 overall, 11-7 in Horizon League (5th)
Post-Season: lost to Northern Kentucky in first round of Horizon League Tournament, 82-77
All-time series record: First Meeting
Head coach: Scott Nagy (Second Season, 20-12)
Starters returning/lost: 3/2
Top scorer returning: Mark Alstork (19.0)
Top rebounder returning: Justin Mitchell (8.3)
Quick preview for 2017-18
Second-year head coach Scott Nagy will look to flip the switch coming off a fine performance last year. Returning top offensive threat Mark Alstork, who averaged 19 points per game, and top rebounder Justin Mitchell (8.3 rpg), the Raiders will be one of the older teams in the Horizon League in 2017-18. Having to replace the two starting seniors will prove to be a test, but with a tough nonconference schedule that consists of Georgia Tech, Kent State, Western Kentucky and Loyola, Wright State will have plenty of time to place the pieces.
Quick recap of 2016-17
Led by a strong group of upperclassmen, the Wright State Raiders finished the year fifth in the Horizon League with a 20-12 overall record and 11-7 conference mark. The Raiders only lost consecutive games just three times all season behind efforts from juniors Mark Alstork and Justin Mitchell, who both led the team in scoring and rebounding, respectively. In just his first year at the helm, Scott Nagy battled for key wins against Miami (Ohio), Kent State, Youngstown State and UIC.
Greatest Program Accomplishment
In the 1982-83 season, the Wright State Raiders put together an incredible run to the NCAA Division II Championship. Going 28-4 overall (17-3 home, 8-1 road), including nine-straight victories to start the season, the Raiders handily made the tournament on a mission. Behind Wright State’s all-time winningest head coach Ralph Underhill, the team swept through the tournament with an average margin-of-victory of 12.4 points in the five games. The Raiders played District of Columbia in the National Championship game, putting on a display en route to the 92-73 win. Winning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player was Gary Monroe, who averaged 18.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game on .631 shooting from the field. During the year, Monroe made a record 19 consecutive field goals.
Greatest Player in Program History
The all-time leader in scoring at Wright State, Bill Edwards played from 1989-1993 and has his jersey (No. 42) retired in the rafters at Nutter Center. Edwards finished his career with 2,303 points, including a staggering 757 as a senior. He led the Raiders in scoring all four years of college, while also leading the team in rebounding three years. Named the Mid-Continent Conference Player of the year and a first-team selection in 1993, Edwards led the team to the 1993 Mid-Continent Conference championship and the school’s first NCAA Division I Tournament berth. After falling to Indiana in the first round, Edwards went on to play professionally as an undrafted signee with the Philadelphia 76ers. While his NBA stint was short-lived, his career overseas was prolific. During his 12-year European career, Edwards bounced around, but regularly averaged 17 points or more.
Place to visit on campus or in the city
Being in the birthplace of flight, Dayton is home to both the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park and the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Both of these museums celebrate aviation and its founding fathers, Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright. Whether interested in the history of flight and the evolution from the first airplane in 1905, or the current state of aero-engineering where tours of hundreds of aerospace vehicles and missiles can be seen, tourists and locals alike will all find something up their alley in discovering the history of flight.
