But youthful enthusiasm is hard to contain.
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“Mark was the catalyst for that, but it’s kind of died down since he’s gone,” Wampler said. “We try to keep it relaxed since coach Nagy isn’t a big fan of it.”
But though the senior wing has toned it down this season, he still flashes the German three after connecting from long range — the index finger, middle finger and thumb all raised in the air — while peering proudly toward the bench. And opponents have had to put up with that gesture on a regular basis this season.
Wampler, who averages 15.8 points, is first on the Raiders, fifth in the Horizon League and 85th in the nation in 3-pointers with 70. He’s also hitting a nifty 41.2% of his treys, which actually is only third on the team behind Tanner Holden (43.3) and Cole Gentry (41.5).
He’s been on a roll lately. In his last six games, he’s averaged 20 points while shooting 52.7% from the field and 51.2 on 3’s.
“I feel like guys are getting me more looks, and I’m finding spots where I’m open,” he said. “Every time I shoot, I feel it’s going in. That’s really good confidence to have as a shooter, thinking the next shot is going to go in no matter what.”
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Nagy’s motion offense is ideal for shooters. He wants the ball to go inside first, hoping to collapse the defense and create space at the 3-point line.
Some foes would rather stay attached to perimeter players, but that gives center Loudon Love room to operate.
What a quandary.
“It takes pressure off Loudon to be able to put good shooters around him. And you just can’t help off Bill at all,” Nagy said.
Though he can be animated on the sidelines when he sees something he doesn’t like, Nagy rarely furrows his brow when Wampler lets it fly.
“He’ll never tell me not to shoot the ball,” he said. “He ultimately wants me to have the green light and be confident. He’ll let me know when I take a bad shot, and he’ll just say, ‘Get a better one next time.’”
Wampler has the top 3-point perentage in leagues games at 47.4, but he’s become much more capable of putting the ball on the deck and creating contact, which has enabled him get to the foul line more often.
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He’s shooting 78 percent, having made 22 in a row until a second-half miss against Cleveland State on Saturday.
That’s helped to put him on the cusp of 1,000 career points as a Raider. He needs just 17 more to do it.
“To score 1,000 at Wright State would be pretty incredible. It shows I worked hard and was given opportunities. I’m thankful for it,” said Wampler who tallied 408 points in two seasons at Drake before transferring.
Gentry also is closing in on 1,000. He has 968, not counting the 33 he scored as a freshman at South Dakota State before transferring.
“They’re great program guys. They care, and they put a ton of time in,” Nagy said. “When people say ‘our kind of guys,’ what that means is they’re reliable. Those two are the epitome of that. You can just rely on them.
“You know what you’re going to get from them. And not only are they really good players, but character-wise, everything they’ve given us has been perfect.”
FRIDAY’S GAME
Wright State (24-6, 14-3) at Northern Kentucky (21-8, 13-4), 7 p.m., ESPNU, 106.5
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