“He’s got a ton of life and energy. When he plays with that, it’s contagious,” coach Clint Sargent said.
The 6-6 sophomore from Hamilton is getting longer stints on the floor of late. In the last four games, he’s averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds while playing 14.3 minutes.
“He’s understanding the whole floor far better than just around the rim. You can see his shot blocking. Offensive rebounding numbers are something we have to get wildly better at. And he can do that. He’s naturally very gifted with his hands,” Sargent said.
Holden’s 38 blocks (so far) are the 10th-most in a season in program history. Freshman teammate Kellen Pickett is tied for third all-time with 41.
Michael Imariagbe has 26, helping the Raiders become the first team at Wright State to top 4.0 per game with a 4.31 average.
“We always encourage them to make aggressive decisions and fly around. I think Kellen has a natural gift at that. Andrea does, too,” Sargent said.
Probably the best inside defensive team in Sargent’s 10 years in the program was in 2020-21 with the Loudon Love-Grant Basile tandem. They’re first and second in career blocks with 138 and 127.
But those Raiders averaged only 3.63 blocks per game.
“With Loudon, we had a good defensive post player, and we didn’t have to worry about doubling or helping. You could just stay home. Where this team, I think we can cover things up if we get caught (out of position),” Sargent said.
“It’s just different. Both types of paint protection serve a purpose. To be great defensively, you’ve got to have it.”
Staying put: At least a few fans must have gasped when they saw fourth-year junior guard Logan Woods taking part in Senior Day ceremonies with older teammates.
Though he lost his starting job this year — that’s what happens when you land a first-team All-Horizon League pick in TJ Burch from the transfer portal and an all-freshman team selection in Michael Cooper in recruiting — Woods has no plans to leave the program.
“I’ll come back for sure. I wanted to walk this year because the people I came in with like Drey (Carter), they’re not here. And my brothers were Bryan (Etumnu), Sam (Alamutu) and Mike (Imariagbe). I just wanted to walk with those guys.”
Credit: JEREMY MILLER
Credit: JEREMY MILLER
Woods played 23.2 minutes and averaged 6.9 points while starting 25 games last year. His averages have dipped to 18.8 and 5.4 with eight starts this season.
Asked why he wanted to return, he said: “Just the connection I have with the team and the coaches. They’ve been there since day one. I love those guys.
“I know it’s a tough process (getting passed up by other perimeter players), but I just love being at Wright State.”
Still No.1 despite dip: The Raiders averaged 4,148 fans per game while finishing eighth in the league last season. This year, they won the title, but attendance dropped to 3,562.
One theory is roster turnover with the NIL and transfer portal makes it harder for fans to get attached to players.
Wright State still easily led the league in paying customers. Oakland was second at 2,274.
Next game
Who: Green Bay or Northern Kentucky vs. Wright State
What: Horizon League tournament semifinal
When: 7 p.m. Monday
Where: Corteva Coliseum, Indianapolis
Streaming: ESPNU
Radio: 1410-AM, 101.5-FM
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