He averaged 3.3 points while playing 16.7 minutes per game. He’ll have to sit out until midway through next season but will have 3½ years of eligibility.
“He was a top-20 player out of Chicago two years ago. We know he can play,” Nagy said. “He’s a good ball-handler and great in the open floor. He never gets tired and is super quick.”
Justin Mitchell, a 6-foot-4 junior, has been the Raiders’ starting point guard, though he’s more of a natural wing. He’s coming off an 18-point, 10-rebound game, and he’s third in the Horizon League in rebounding with a 7.3 average.
But forced to play out of position, he’s had more turnovers (55) than assists (48) for the 11-6 Raiders.
“Obviously, with the problems we’re experiencing by not having a primary ball-handler, it’s a big focus on finding people who can handle it and pass it. We know Cole fits that pretty well,” Nagy said.
“He’s a great kid, great teammate and a heckuva player, too.”
The 5-10 Gentry will have some competition. Tyler Mitchell, a highly touted 6-0 senior from Kings High School, signed with the Raiders in November.
He’s ranked as the No. 2 point guard and 14th-best prospect overall in Ohio by the recruiting website OHHoops.com. He was the Eastern Cincinnati Conference player of the year as a junior last season.
The Raiders have two more available scholarships.
“I’m excited because those are the guys who recruited me out of high school,” Gentry said of the Wright State coaches. “I know they believe in me, and I trust them, trust what they’re about and trust their system.”
Gentry averaged 18.2 points and 4.7 assists as a senior at St. Charles East High School in Illinois and was named to the Chicago Sun Times all-area team and was a second-team all-state pick.
He shot 55 percent from the field, including 48 percent on 3-pointers and 80 percent from the foul line in leading his squad to a 24-4 record.
He’s already enrolled in classes at Wright State and is scheduled to begin practicing with the team Tuesday.
“I have nothing bad to say about South Dakota State,” Gentry said. “I love the guys, love the coaches, love the school. But at the end of the day, coming here was just a better basketball opportunity for me.”
The chance to be reunited with Nagy also was too enticing to pass up.
“I like that he’s a really good X’s-and-O’s coach,” Gentry said. “He really knows what to do in certain game situations.
“I also really like his consistency, how he approaches everything. You know what you’re going to get. He’s going to work hard for you, and he’s going to have your back.”
THURSDAY’S GAME
Wright State at Green Bay, 8 p.m., 106.5-FM, ESPN3
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