The fifth-year senior wing — a two-time first-team All-Horizon League pick — was granted a waiver by the NCAA and will be eligible this season, turning the Raiders from a conference contender into perhaps one of the best mid-major teams in the country.
“Mostly, we’re just happy for him,” coach Scott Nagy said. “If he wouldn’t have gotten a waiver, I wouldn’t say he’d be wasting a year of his life, but it would have put his life on hold almost.
“The NCAA, if you’re worried about student-athlete welfare, I think this was an easy one.”
NCAA transfer rules allow players to change schools once without sitting out a year, but not twice.
Teams can file a waiver, though, and Holden received a favorable ruling because he returned to Wright State, finished his degree and graduated in July.
“That’s what got him over the hump,” Nagy said.
Holden averaged 20.1 points in 2021-22, but just 3.6 for the Buckeyes last season — prompting a desire to rejoin the Raiders.
He’s never been a prolific 3-point shooter — which may have made him a poor fit at Ohio State — but he led the nation in free throws made (6.1 per game) and attempted (7.8) as a junior.
In his next-to-last game at Wright State, he scored 37 points in a 2022 NCAA First Four win over Bryant, going 11 of 15 from the field and 14 of 16 from the foul line while collecting 11 rebounds.
“It could be, if we’re healthy, one of the most talented teams I’ve ever had,” said Nagy, who’s in his eighth year at Wright State and 29th as a head coach. “But that’s not the question. The question will be how tough we are — because everyone is going to come after us.
“Will we defend and make that the most important thing? We’re probably going to score quite a bit. The whole defensive end of the floor has to get better for things to change for us.”
The Raiders had their worst record under Nagy last season, going 18-15 overall, 10-10 in the league and getting bounced in the HL tourney quarterfinals.
But they have an abundance of battle-tested 2′s (shooting guards) and 3′s (small forwards), which is always preferable, of course, to having too few. But Nagy will have some hard decisions when it comes to doling out playing time.
“You can’t ever have too many good players, but it could make it difficult for some that are going to be forced to wait,” he said.
“But you also could have an injury tomorrow. You just have to keep yourself prepared. You can’t give in and say, ‘Oh, this is my lot in life.’ You have to come and fight every day and give it your best.”
Guard Trey Calvin, who came back for his fifth season of eligibility, averaged 20.3 points last season. And Brandon Noel, the league freshman of the year, appears capable of blossoming into a big-time scorer.
They’ll probably have to be content with fewer looks this season with Holden in the fold.
“With our team, it’d be hard for anyone to average 20 points a game,” Nagy said. “Now, we have six or seven guys that I wouldn’t be shocked if they SCORED 20 points in a game. But the individual stuff has to be put aside.”
Ballots have already been submitted for the league preseason poll — voted on by coaches, media and sports information directors — and it’s scheduled to be released Tuesday.
If the league doesn’t opt for a re-vote, the Raiders likely will be slotted considerably below their true potential.
“When everybody voted, they didn’t know about Tanner,” Nagy said. “It’ll be interesting to see what that looks like.”
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