Though it was a nice effort, none of them could cheer — or bark — which made for a dead atmosphere in the building.
But that will change in the home opener against Lake Erie College on Tuesday. Fans are back.
“It’ll be great,” coach Scott Nagy said. “It’s been fun this fall watching football games and the excitement in the stands. Our guys are looking forward to that.
“It’ll be a little odd to go on the road and face that kind of thing. But it’ll definitely get the juices flowing. It’s one of the reasons the guys play. It makes it exciting.”
No one is happier to have patrons back than athletic director Bob Grant — and not just for the bottom line.
“I’m super excited,” he said. “There’s a buzz around our office, a buzz around our staff. It feels like it’s been many years since we’ve had fans and a legit basketball atmosphere.
“As much as we love the flat cutouts, we’re glad they’re gone and replaced by real people.”
VOSS IN PLANS: The Raiders allowed media to watch about an hour of practice Thursday, and former Cornell forward Riley Voss seemed to be the front-runner for the one vacant starting spot.
During a controlled scrimmage, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound grad transfer was on the floor the most with the first string, although another starting candidate, 6-7 Milwaukee transfer C.J. Wilbourn, was out with an injury.
Voss, a Cincinnati Moeller product, started 15 games as a junior with the Big Red in 2019-20 and averaged 3.4 points and 2.3 rebounds. The Ivy League cancelled basketball last season.
Asked what he brings to the team, Nagy said: “Experience, great passer, really good shooter, another coach on the floor, very smart.
“He’s not a guy who’s out there just trying to score every time he touches the ball, which is important in our offense. We already have enough aggressive scorers. We need a guy who really gives us some balance.”
Asked if Voss’ Ivy League background shows up in heady play on the court, Nagy said: “I’ve had guys who were so incredibly book smart, but, basketball-wise, it didn’t translate.
“It’s a different kind of smart on the court, but he has both.”
TESTING THEMSELVES: After their home opener, the Raiders don’t return to the Nutter Center until Akron visits Dec. 15.
That’s not the way they wanted it. The Horizon League gave them two road games to start conference play, and Nagy took some games in hostile venues to bolster the schedule, including trips to Purdue and N.C. State.
“I think without question it’s the toughest schedule I’ve ever had as a coach in 27 years,” he said. “We play Lake Erie, and then from there, there’s no non-D-I’s or games where you look at them and think it’s a walkover.
“It’s a very brutal schedule but one we need to play if we want to get our team to an (NCAA) at-large level.”
Some top programs didn’t return their calls.
“It’s been hard to get those games because, generally, teams just want to pay someone to come and get a win and get out there. We’ve certainly won enough of those games to warrant people not wanting to play us.”
QUICK TRIP: After traveling to France to begin his pro career, Loudon Love quickly reversed course and put his name into the G League draft.
“He was there for a day,” Nagy said with a chuckle. “He didn’t necessarily like what he saw, so he came back home. He took a chance doing that, but I think he’s glad he did.”
Love was drafted 11th overall by the Dallas Mavericks’ minor-league team, the Texas Legends.
TUESDAY’S GAME
Lake Erie College at Wright State, 7 p.m., ESPN3, 103.9
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