Moeller guard Benzinger verbally commits to Wright State

The Wright State men’s basketball team picked up its fourth verbal commitment from the class of 2014 — and the first from Ohio — when Moeller High School senior Grant Benzinger picked the Raiders. He announced his decision on Twitter on Tuesday night.

Benzinger, a 6-foot-2 guard, averaged 13.4 points, 1.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game last season for Moeller. He shot 40 percent from 3-point range (59-of-148).

“Grant is one of the hardest-working kids I’ve had in my 29 years at Moeller, 23 as a head coach,” Moeller’s Carl Kremer said. “He’s got a unique skill set. He’s not a good shooter; he’s a phenomenal shooter. He has the work ethic. He’s refined it to be a weapon. He’s not just a catch-and-shoot guy. He’s really good with the shot. He’s really good off the bounce. I just think he’s a tough kid who wants to be great.”

Kremer said Benzinger’s decision came down to Wofford, Elon and Wright State. He had offers from 15 schools in all, including Miami, UNC Asheville and Kennesaw State.

Benzinger is the son of former Cincinnati Reds first baseman Todd Benzinger, who caught the last out of the 1990 World Series and managed the Dayton Dragons in 2009 and 2010.

Benzinger will be the second Moeller player in recent years to play for the Raiders. Troy Tabler, a senior in 2010-11 and a graduate assistant under Billy Donlon last season, also played for Kremer.

“Troy and Grant have a lot of similarities,” Kremer said. “More than that, if you have a chance to play for Billy Donlon and you’re a perimeter player, it’s hard to pass that up.”

Wright State previously received verbal commitments from Roderick Davis, a 6-8 forward from Brandon, Fla.; Justin Mitchell, a 6-4 point guard from Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Grant Evans, a 6-3 shooting guard from Wapahani, Ind.

The Raiders have five seniors this season, so they would have room for one more recruit, unless senior Matt Vest ends up redshirting this season. He’s trying to come back from hip surgery.

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