WRIGHT STATE VS. DETROIT MERCY GAME PREVIEW
Who: WrightState (2-1) atDetroit Mercy (1-3)
When: 2p.m. Saturday, Sunday
TV/Radio: ESPN3/106.5
Series: WrightState leads 34-27. Coaches: Scott Nagyis93-44in his fifth year atWrightState and503-284in his 26thyearoverall. MikeDavis is20-46in his thirdyearatDetroit and372-287in21 years overall.
Davis had six-year stints at his three previoius stops, Indiana, UABandTexas Southern, and reached either theNCAAor NIT14of the18years. Hewas thrust into the IU jobwhenBobbyKnightwas fired in2000and led the Hoosiers to anNCAA runner-up finish in 2002.
AboutWrightState: TheRaiders have won11of the last 13 in the series, including both games last season. ...
Love is averaging 13.0 rebounds, but Finke (7.3), Holden (7.0) and sub Grant Basile (6.3) have been chipping in as well, giving the teamfour of the top 14 rebounders in the league. Wright State has a plus-6.7 rebound margin.… Love is first in career rebounds at the school and 13th in scoring with 1,431 points, 39 away fromcracking the top 10.
Dogged defense: As of Friday afternoon, 35 of357 Division-I teams had yet to play a gamebecause ofCovid-19. Of thosewho have played, the Raiders are 32nd nationally in defensive efficiency (points allowed per possession). They’re well under a 1.0 average, which is their goal, and are sitting at .853. The previous three seasons, they gave up .942, .997 and .929 points per possession.
AboutDetroitMercy:
TheTitans, whose lone winwas at home Saturday overWesternMichigan, have played a meaty schedule. They gaveMichigan State and NotreDameall they could handle on the road. AgainstMSU, itwas a one-possession gamewith just under two minutes to go before the BigTen powerpulled away for an 83-76 win. Davis had a game-high 24 points and Johnson 20. The Titans had a one-point lead at NotreDamewith just under six minutes to go before falling, 78-70. Kuol had a career-high 18 points.… Davis is 12th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,586 points. He’s averaging 39.5 minutes per gameand has played 40 ormore minutes 15 times in his career. … The Titans have made 53 of60 free throws (88.3%), but they tend to hoist some low-percentage shots and are hitting 37.9 fromthe field and 28.9 on 3’s. Their rebound average is an anemic minus-7.8 per game.
Nextgame: After finishingback-to-back games withDetroit, theRaiders arehome against GreenBay at4p.m. Saturdayand3 p.m. Sunday.