Bill Wampler was in his first season as a starter in 2018-19, primarily because of his long-range shooting. But the 6-6 transfer with the sweet stroke suddenly lost his form.
The Raiders had slumped to a 6-8 record, and Wampler was mired in a five-game rut, going 21 of 64 from the field and 11 of 40 on 3′s.
Nagy replaced him, making defensive ace Alan Vest a permanent fixture in the starting five. And the Raiders went 15-6 after that to win a share of the Horizon League title and advance to the NIT.
“It really helped Bill to come off the bench. It’s just a different mindset. He hit some big shots for us,” Nagy said.
Hall has been coming through in the same way — especially last weekend when the Raiders were pushed by lightly regarded Milwaukee.
The fourth-year junior from Houston had 14 and 19 points off the bench in the two games, going a combined 11 of 14 from the field, 6 of 8 on 3′s and 5 of 5 on foul shots.
“It’s calmed him down,” Nagy said. “It’s a big help for us for him to play that way. I’m happy for him.”
Nagy revamped the lineup after a two-point home loss to Youngstown State on Jan. 8, pairing the 6-foot-9 Basile with 6-8 Loudon Love. The Raiders are 10-1 since then and are outscoring foes by 21.4 points per game.
Horizon League teams don’t have the size to match up defensively when those two are playing together. And Nagy can keep at least one on the floor at all times, making sure the Raiders are never without a fresh post player.
But the revamped lineup would only work if Hall accepted his new role — and he has.
“I look at it as everybody gets put into tough situations. It’s how you handle it,” Hall said. “I think this is just another learning experience for me and it’s going to make me better at the end of the day.”
The 6-6 wing averaged 9.1 points as a freshman, missed the next year after undergoing shoulder surgery, and then scored 7.8 points per game last season.
He’s averaging 9.6 this season while shooting 45.8% from the field and 46.3% on 3′s — the first time in his career he’s been above 40% in either category.
He’s also versatile enough to play some point guard, moving to the 1 spot when starter Trey Calvin needs a breather.
“He’s a good shooter. He’s taking great shots. He’s not forcing anything,” Nagy said. “He has so many other good players around him, and you look at the averages, and he might be fifth or sixth in scoring on the team. But (opponents) have to figure out who to stop.”
Hall said his goal each game is “bringing the energy. Coming off the bench, that’s the main thing we need. I’ve been able to do that for the team. I just want us to win. At the end of the day, as long as we win, I’m happy.”
National attention: The Raiders made the list of “others receiving votes” in the AP poll this week. Their one vote — which came from Dayton Daily News writer Dave Jablonski — puts them in a tie for 44th nationally with BYU, Wichita State and others.
They also appeared in the poll on consecutive weeks in February last year. Their lone vote then was from Dave Preston of WTOP Radio in Washington D.C.
FRIDAY’S GAME
Wright State at Northern Kentucky, 6 p.m., ESPN3, 106.5
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