The third-year sophomore for Wright State missed part of preseason practice and the season opener with a fracture in his left (shooting) hand. And he hasn’t reproduced the magic he had late last season.
The 6-2 guard from Wadsworth, Ohio, put together a five-game stretch where he averaged 15.8 points while shooting 61.7% from the field and 54.8 from 3.
In 10 games this season, he’s averaging 8.0 points while shooting 33% overall and from the arc.
But he refused to blame his injury for the clunky start, though conceding the first third of the year hasn’t exactly been his dream scenario.
“It’s been a little bit inconsistent. But the biggest thing for me is just the response. I try to keep myself in the gym and keep working as hard as I can,” he said.
“It’s not like me to doubt my skills or put my confidence down at all. The results are going to come.”
Coach Clint Sargent feels the same way. The Raiders, who are 5-7, likely will need a highly functioning Callaghan to reach their goals this season.
“We need him to (get going). I think that’s okay to say. He knows it. He’s consistent with his energy in practice. It just comes to a point where you’ve got to do it in games,” he said.
“It’s just a matter of time. He’ll get it. And I need to do a better job of helping him see clearly when to put his foot on the gas and when to put it on the brake.”
Sargent also pointed out Callaghan is carrying a bigger burden as a relatively seasoned vet. In an age of constantly revolving rosters, there aren’t many of those.
Credit: Joseph R. Craven
Credit: Joseph R. Craven
“This role is new to him — the leadership and the pressure of that. Most days, he handles it really well,” Sargent said.
Because of their depth, the Raiders don’t have anyone averaging even 30 minutes per game. Callaghan is the team leader at 28.9.
That’s rare. They had three players averaging more than 30 last season and four the year before that.
But they have a 10-man rotation, meaning every player has had to adjust to a smaller slice of the pie.
“The biggest thing is staying ready. We have a lot of trust in our coaches. They really know what they’re doing in terms of the roster and rotation and bringing in the right guys from the portal. Everybody really does have a piece with this team,” Callaghan said.
“We’ve got a lot of assets, We (see) that practice, going against each other. They’re very hard-nosed and tense practices. I feel like everybody’s ready once game time comes.”
NEXT GAME
Who: Eastern Michigan at Wright State
When: 7 p.m. Monday
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 1410-AM, 101.5-FM
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