“We’re going there to win just like any other game we play,” Raiders coach Scott Nagy said. “We also understand that since I’ve been here at Wright State it will be the best team we’ve ever played. We’re going to have to play pretty darn perfect.”
Purdue (2-0) is ranked No. 6 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 and was picked second in the Big Ten preseason media poll behind No. 4 Michigan. They have all five starters back, and, speaking of Goliath, there’s 7-foot-4 and 295-pound sophomore Zach Edey filling the paint.
In blowouts of Bellarmine and Indiana State, Edey averaged 19 points, 9.5 rebounds and two blocked shots. He’s made 12 of 14 shots. The Raiders no longer have their star center of recent seasons, Loudoun Love, to muscle with Edey.
The Raiders (1-1) have started a four-guard lineup, leaving 6-9, 225 forward Grant Basile to deal with Edey. But Edey is far from the only big man Purdue has, or even their best one.
Senior forward Trevion Williams is 6-10, 255 and a physical force in the post. He averaged 15.5 points and 9.1 rebounds last season and was first-team all-Big Ten. So far Williams has been coming off the bench while 6-10 freshman Caleb Furst has started. Williams needs 18 points to reach 1,000.
The Raiders’ backcourt will have its hands full with high-scoring Jaden Ivey, three-point shooter Sasha Stefanovic and Isaiah Thompson.
“Defensively it’s going to be a big challenge both literally and figuratively because they’re the biggest team we’ve ever seen,” Nagy said. “We’re obviously going to have to do a good job of trying to limit their inside possessions, which very few people have been able to do, and try to make them beat us from the perimeter. But they shoot the ball great, too. Defensively it’s as big a challenge as we’ve ever had.”
The Raiders, however, will also be Purdue’s toughest challenge so far. The Raiders’ resume as defending regular season Horizon League champion and being picked to finish second behind Cleveland State in the Horizon is far more than what Bellarmine and Indiana State offered.
Basile, who was named Horizon League Player of the week on Monday, is coming off a 37-point game at Marshall, and Tanner Holden scored 25. Nagy wants to see more balance and victories, and he said he believes that’s the kind of team the Raiders will be. To beat Purdue, the Raiders must not only contend with the Boilermakers’ offensive threats, but they must be efficient on offense.
“We’re going to have to shoot the ball very well, we’re going to have to take care of it, we’re going to have be a little more patient offensively,” Nagy said.
However this game turns out for the Raiders, they will have time to rest and prepare for next week’s trip to Florida for the Naples Invitational. Starting Monday, the Raiders will play three straight days beginning with George Washington. Tuesday’s game will be against either Kent State or James Madison. Wednesday’s opponent is to be determined.
“Our schedule is the toughest schedule I’ve ever had without question,” Nagy said. “How much that helps, I don’t know. It could help. It could hurt. It could hurt your confidence if things don’t go the way you want them to. But we felt like this was a team we wanted to challenge, so we put together a tough schedule.”
Going back to Friday’s 96-88 loss at Marshall, the Raiders will play seven straight games away from home. The next game at the Nutter Center is Dec. 15 against Akron.
“In order to win a championship you have to win road games,” Nagy said. “Because even the average teams can win at home, but the good teams can win on the road.”
TUESDAY’S GAME
Wright State at Purdue, 7 p.m., BTN, 103.9
About the Author