The Raiders have been a step slow on defense most of the year, and Nagy is beginning to see a trend.
Foes go into matchups with his team already brimming with confidence because they know they can get almost any shot they want.
“Since we’ve not been very good defensively, teams come into our game feeling better about themselves offensively even before the game starts. We’ve kind of created that deal for ourselves,” Nagy said.
That’s certainly what happened against Green Bay on Thursday. The Phoenix tied the second-most 3′s in Nagy’s tenure by going 15 of 28, snapping a 10-game losing streak at the Nutter Center with an 88-81 victory.
The Horizon League co-leaders went 12 of 26 from 3 in an 88-77 win in the first meeting.
“Teams have seen it now and know to expect going against our defense,” Nagy said. “We’re a good offensive team, but we’re a really, really bad defensive team.”
Green Bay is 12-8 overall and tied for first with Oakland at 7-2 in the league after going 3-29 and 5-25 the last two seasons. The trajectory of the program has changed with the offseason acquisition of dynamic guard Noah Reynolds.
The 6-3 junior, who played the last two seasons at Wyoming, has scored 30 and 39 points in the two games against the Raiders. He overtook Trey Calvin for the league lead in scoring at 19.7 per game;
“They have one great, great guard, and they’ve surrounded him with a bunch of heady players that are good shooters,” Nagy said.
“Honestly, it takes one guy to change things. I’m not saying Reynolds is the only one who has changed them because they’ve got some other good players. But basketball is a sport where one or two players can make an incredible difference.”
Milwaukee was expected to keep rising after going 22-12 last season — a 10-win improvement from the year before.
But first-team all-league guard B.J. Freeman missed six games with an undisclosed injury. He also was held out of the season opener for violating team rules.
Standout guard Markeith Browning II also was dismissed from the program.
They’re 9-9 overall and 4-3 in the league after a 90-72 loss at Northern Kentucky on Thursday, but they’ve won five of their last seven games.
“It’ll be a test of our character for sure,” Nagy said of the rematch. “Coming back Saturday, emotionally, can we bounce back from (the Green Bay loss)?”
The Raiders, who are 9-10 overall and 4-4 in the league, don’t have much choice — even with 12 games to go.
Youngstown State won the title last season with a 15-5 record, and Purdue Fort Wayne and Cleveland State shared the crown with 15-6 marks when the league had 12 teams and expanded the schedule in 2021-22.
But those are the only champs to finish with more than four losses. And the Raiders can’t expect to get there without drastic improvement defensively.
Green Bay shot 54.4% to become the ninth foe in 19 games to top 50%.
The Phoenix also became the 12th opponent to score 81 or more points.
Wright State still leads the nation in field-goal shooting at 53% and is 15th in scoring at 84.7 per game. But they’re last in the conference and near the bottom of the country in points allowed (80.4) and opponent field-goal shooting (47.4%).
“I think the way we play offensively and the pace we play at makes it more difficult for our defense,” Nagy said of his up-tempo attack.
“We probably could play a little slower and run other teams through picks and grind them up a little more. But it might take something away from the offensive end.
“The rest of the season, if we’re going to contend, it’s going to be based more on how we defend.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Milwaukee at Wright State, 7 p.m., ESPN+, 101.5, 1410
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