It’s that wonderful time of year when college basketball begins. I’ve taken a look at the area teams (and one not in the area) and will give you what you should watch for this year with each one. This post highlights the best the Gem City has to offer. That’s the American dream, right? Someone who tells you what to think about?
Dayton Flyers (14-17, 8-10 Atlantic 10), Head Coach – Anthony Grant
The Flyers should have some high expectations in the second year of Grant. Of their top five performers from last season, they lost one. Just one. Josh Cunningham is back. The team’s leading scorer and rebounder, Cunningham will lead a group of experience players who went through the struggle of last season. Battle-tested (to get dramatic), these Flyers should be a lot more successful, this season. The test will be health. They aren’t very deep, beyond their top four. That’s not to say a newcomer cant step up, and Dayton does have a redshirt junior in Ryan Mikesell who missed all of last year due to an injury, so that will be the intrigue in this year’s team.
Predicting the team MVP – Cunningham. He’s one of just two seniors on the team and supremely talented. He’s Grant’s go-to guy in all situations.
Best game to watch – Dayton will go down to the Bahamas and play a school that would normally be a two-hour drive away in Butler. Always love a regional battle.
Predicting what we will be looking back on, next April – The Flyers will come close to sending Cunningham off in style, but they are still a year away from being a real monster in the A-10. A top-3 finish is not out of reach, though.
Wright State Raiders (25-10, 14-4 Horizon), Head Coach – Scott Nagy
Gone is the leading scorer, Grant Benzinger, but pretty much everyone else is back. Loudon Love, Mark Hughes, and Parker Ernsthausen were three of the four Raiders to start 33, or more, games (Benzinger was the fourth). Love was the second best scorer (12 ppg) and best rebounder (nine rpg) while Hughes led the team in assists with 105. The Raiders also return Cole Gentry and Jaylon Hall, two players who saw more than 23 minutes a game. The Horizon League Tournament Champion, Wright State faced a juggernaut in the tournament when Tennessee steamrolled to a 73-47 victory. That will be a chip on the shoulders of all these returning players and will push them to a very good 2018-19 campaign.
Predicting the team MVP – Love is the answer. He averaged just shy of a double-double, last season, and may just do that this season. A dark horse is Ernsthausen, if for no other reason than he’s got an awesome name.
Best game to watch – You’ll see this under Northern Kentucky, but both of those games are going to be off the chain and really entertaining basketball.
Predicting what we will be looking back on, next April – The Raiders will not only build on the success of last year, but they will win the Horizon regular season, the Horizon Tournament, and will pull off a first round win in the tournament. Mark it down, @ me, do whatever you have to do, it’s happening.
Check out more area college basketball previews from Sportsinnati:
Miami (OH) and Missouri State Previews
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