Pregame Preview: Wright State (19-11, 14-5) vs Northern Kentucky (18-12, 10-9)
Wright State has already wrapped up the Horizon League regular season title heading into the finale. I broke down NKU’s tournament scenarios in the previous piece, so this serves as a quick reset on what is still at stake.
With one game left, the Norse will finish between the No. 5 and No. 7 seeds in the Horizon League Tournament. A win on Saturday locks NKU into the No. 6 seed.
Reaching No. 5 would require everything to fall exactly right. NKU would need to beat Wright State, IU Indy would have to defeat Purdue Fort Wayne, Oakland would need to get past Detroit Mercy, and Green Bay would have to take down Youngstown State. It is about a 6% path, but if it hits, NKU would host Detroit Mercy in the opening round.
The more realistic outlook has the Norse traveling for the first round, with potential destinations including Green Bay, Purdue Fort Wayne, Detroit Mercy, or Oakland. Saturday’s results will finalize the bracket, but a win guarantees NKU will be the 6 seed.
Wright State dictated the first meeting and, despite a late NKU push, came away with an 88-80 win. The Norse leaned heavily on man-to-man defense, but the Raiders were comfortable scoring regardless of the coverage.
Now that Wright State has secured the No. 1 seed, it will be worth watching how they handle Saturday. Do they stick with their usual rotation and minutes, or scale things back a bit to stay fresh and avoid injuries with the tournament beginning Wednesday?
In conference play, Wright State has been the most efficient offense in the Horizon League and the third best defensive team in terms of efficiency. They do not rely heavily on the three to win games. Just 24.8% of their total points in league play come from beyond the arc, the lowest mark in the conference. Instead, they control games inside, ranking as the third best two point shooting team in the league.
They also defend the three well, holding conference opponents to just 34.3% from deep, fourth best in the Horizon League. Across the board, they have been steady and efficient, and that consistency is a big reason they secured the Horizon League regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
Check out the full scouting report ahead of the matchup with the Norse.
Wright State's Scouting Report
★ = Starter of Previous Game
★ #3 Dominic Pangonis – Sophomore Guard, 6'7" 200 lbs – Burlington, Ontario, Canada / Polaris Prep
Previous School: Stephen F. Austin
Season Averages: 27.8 MIN, 9.4 PTS, 2.8 REB, 1.2 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.2 BLK, 1.2 TO, 47.3 FG%, 75.9 FT%, 39.1 3PT%
In the first matchup against NKU, Pangonis finished with 12 points on 4-8 shooting, including 2-5 from three. He scored in a variety of ways, attacking downhill for a finish, knocking down two catch and shoot threes with clean spacing, and adding a transition bucket.
Ten of his 12 points came in the first half. Expect him to once again play a steady complementary role in the rematch.
★ #4 Kellen Pickett – Freshman Forward, 6'9" 215 lbs – Fort Wayne, IN / Blackhawk Christian
Season Averages: 21.6 MIN, 7.6 PTS, 5.3 REB, 1.0 AST, 0.4 STL, 1.3 BLK, 0.9 TO, 54.4 FG%, 66.2 FT%, 29.3 3PT%
The freshman Pickett does most of his work on the block, and that is where he operated in the first matchup. He scored 9 points but needed 3-9 shooting to get there. When NKU made him work over length and physicality, his efficiency dipped.
He did capitalize on a few mismatches inside and created extra chances through offensive rebounds. If the Norse keep him off the glass and defend him with discipline on the block, they can limit his impact.
★ #13 Solomon Callaghan – Redshirt Sophomore Guard, 6'2" 195 lbs – Wadsworth, OH / Wadsworth
Season Averages: 28.8 MIN, 10.3 PTS, 2.0 REB, 1.1 AST, 0.4 STL, 0.0 BLK, 0.9 TO, 41.7 FG%, 92.9 FT%, 38.8 3PT%
After a brief slump where he totaled 10 points across three games, Callaghan responded with one of his best performances of the season against Purdue Fort Wayne. He poured in 24 points on 7-10 shooting and 6-7 from three. The lefty found his rhythm early, knocking down a pair of tough contested threes that clearly sparked his confidence.
In the first meeting with NKU, he was largely a non factor. He finished with 3 points, all at the free throw line, along with 4 fouls and 2 assists in 30 minutes. His only two shot attempts were a backdoor cut that Wells rejected at the rim and an open three that missed. Look for him to have some fresh confidence ahead of Saturday's game.
#21 Logan Woods – Redshirt Junior Guard, 6'5" 185 lbs – Fairfield, OH / Fairfield
Season Averages: 18.7 MIN, 5.6 PTS, 1.9 REB, 1.5 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.1 BLK, 0.9 TO, 45.7 FG%, 64.3 FT%, 33.8 3PT%
Woods was the second leading scorer against Purdue Fort Wayne in their last outing, finishing with 16 points in just 18 minutes off the bench. He shot 6-9 from the field and 2-4 from three. Most of his production came from smart cuts behind defenders and catch and shoot opportunities from the perimeter. Like Callaghan, he too was a non-factor in the first matchup with the Norse, scoring 2 points on 1-3 shooting in 10 minutes.
★ #22 TJ Burch – Sophomore Guard, 6'1" 160 lbs – Dallas, TX / Ball State
Season Averages: 24.1 MIN, 11.6 PTS, 2.4 REB, 3.5 AST, 2.6 STL, 0.2 BLK, 1.9 TO, 45.3 FG%, 70.2 FT%, 32.8 3PT%
Burch had a quiet outing against Purdue Fort Wayne, scoring just 3 points on 1-7 shooting from the field. His lone make came from three. It was his lowest scoring game since a two-point performance in 11 minutes back in late November against Stetson.
In the previous matchup against NKU, Burch scored 16 points on 7-13 shooting, adding 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, and 4 steals. Most of his damage came off the dribble, attacking downhill and finishing through traffic. He is comfortable taking tough shots at the rim, so Norse defenders must do a strong job staying in front and forcing him into contested looks.
★ #33 Michael Imariagbe – Graduate Forward, 6'7" 225 lbs – Houston, TX / Alief Elsik
Previous School: Houston Christian
Season Averages: 23.7 MIN, 11.7 PTS, 6.7 REB, 1.8 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.9 BLK, 1.7 TO, 57.1 FG%, 70.4 FT%, 16.7 3PT%
Imariagbe dominated the Norse in the first matchup. He scored 24 points on 7-10 shooting from the field and 10-12 at the free throw line, while adding 11 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive glass.
He has attempted just eight shots away from the rim this season and does almost all of his damage on post ups, dump offs, pick-and-rolls, and offensive rebounds. NKU defenders must be more physical with him this time, while staying disciplined and avoiding unnecessary fouls.
#55 Michael Cooper – Freshman Guard, 6'3" 185 lbs – Jeffersonville, IN / Jeffersonville
Season Averages: 26.2 MIN, 13.1 PTS, 2.7 REB, 2.3 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.3 BLK, 1.3 TO, 43.5 FG%, 81.2 FT%, 34.2 3PT%
The freshman guard has hit a bit of an inconsistent stretch for Wright State. Over the last eight games, he has scored eight points or fewer in four of them, but in the other four he is averaging nearly 15 points. You are not always sure what kind of scoring night he will bring off the bench.
Last time against NKU, though, he was a major factor. Cooper scored 21 points in just 22 minutes, finishing 5-9 from the field and 9-10 at the free throw line as the Raiders’ second leading scorer.
He hurt the Norse in a variety of ways. He attacked Elliott off the dribble, drove at Wells to finish through contact, and even turned a sneaky backcourt steal into a three. When Gherezgher went under a screen, Cooper stepped confidently into a pull up three. Down the stretch, he kept getting downhill, drawing fouls, and converting at the line to help seal it for Wright State.
