Desperate to break a five-game losing streak, Nagy turned to the 6-foot-9, 225-pound true freshman and he responded with 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting, sending a jolt of optimism around the program.
He scored only four points at Cleveland State in his second start, but the Raiders knew they’d found their answer.
“He’s not a guy we need to lean on right now, but he’s really good around the basket,” Nagy said. “He’s probably the best finisher we have. He finishes well with both hands.”
Nagy knows the potential payoff of redshirting a player — he’s seen it do wonders for Loudon Love, Grant Basile and Parker Ernsthausen during his time with the Raiders — and he was hoping Braun could devote a full year to maturing physically and mentally.
But the Fenwick High School product was thrust into the playing rotation at the Naples Invitational, and he responded with 22 points in three games, making 9 of 13 shots while playing 46 minutes.
He’s averaging 8.6 points and shooting 79.2%.
“The reason we wanted to redshirt him in the first place was defensive purposes, and that’s where we need him to quickly make a change and be a good defender,” Nagy said.
“He’s not our problem defensively. We need the other guys to do their job. If they do their job, he’ll be a good defender too.”
But getting his holdovers to do the heavy lifting — on both ends of the floor — has been a chore for Nagy.
First-team All-Horizon League wing Tanner Holden had a rare off game in the Cleveland State loss, attempting just one shot in the first half and finishing with five points while going 1 of 7 from the field.
He hadn’t scored fewer the 17 points in the first seven games and was averaging a team-high 21.9, which is why the clunker came as such a surprise.
Nagy, though, is putting all his attention on getting more from his junior star defensively and on the glass.
“He should be, in my opinion, the top defender in the league. He just should be. The only way he’ll do that is if he says, ‘That’s what I want more than anything,’” Nagy said.
“That’s how I want all our guys to think. But if that’s not your focus, you won’t be.”
Holden’s rebounding has taken a dip — when the departure of Loudon Love would figure to boost his numbers.
The 6-6 lefty is averaging 5.8 this season after pulling down 7.3 and 6.5 the previous two years. He had seven double-figure rebound games going into this season — including 17 as a freshman at Toledo — but hasn’t had more than eight in a game this year.
“He’s impossible to block out. He’s got a great nose for the ball. And then, all of a sudden, your focus changes,” Nagy said.
“For almost all players, there’s just such a concern with scoring. ‘I NEED to score.’ That’s how you get your kudos. … But if you’re (only) scoring, you’re not helping us.”
Nagy wouldn’t mind a little more offensive punch from Tim Finke, but the coach doesn’t want him to change his priorities.
“He’s probably been our best defender, the one guy who gives effort every game,” Nagy said.
The 6-5 junior wing made the league’s all-defensive team last season while averaging 10 points and leading the Raiders in 3′s with 43.
He shot 42.4% from the field and 41.3 behind the arc.
He’s still first in 3′s with 14, but his average has dropped to 8.6, and his shooting percentages have plummeted to 29.9% from the field and 33.3 on 3′s.
“He shot 40% from 3 last year, so we know he can do it,” Nagy said. “He just needs to find better shots. Shooting better ones will make his percentage go way up.”
TODAY’S GAME
Akron (6-3) at Wright State (2-6), 7 p.m., ESPN+, 103.9
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