Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News
Wright State coach Scott Nagy poked fun at himself during his postgame radio show after beating Purdue Fort Wayne two weeks ago for not being perceptive enough to realize what he had in A.J. Braun.
The Raiders had been searching for a fifth starter to go with their four returning standouts. And while they tried a different player in each of the first four games, nothing worked.
Desperate to break a five-game losing streak, Nagy turned to the 6-foot-9, 225-pound true freshman and he responded with 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting, sending a jolt of optimism around the program.
He scored only four points at Cleveland State in his second start, but the Raiders knew they’d found their answer.
“He’s not a guy we need to lean on right now, but he’s really good around the basket,” Nagy said. “He’s probably the best finisher we have. He finishes well with both hands.”
Nagy knows the potential payoff of redshirting a player — he’s seen it do wonders for Loudon Love, Grant Basile and Parker Ernsthausen during his time with the Raiders — and he was hoping Braun could devote a full year to maturing physically and mentally.
