The wait is over for Wright State fans – Tanner Holden has been given the all clear by the NCAA to return this season after a lengthy wait.
No more than four hours after my preview was released about the Wright State MBB season where I went on to give my outlook with or without Tanner Holden, Wright State Athletics broke news of the NCAA giving the former Horizon League First Team standout a waiver for the upcoming season.
Tanner Holden gives the team a total of three all-league selections, with Brandon Noel and Trey Calvin making up the others, going into the season. His time at Wright State two years back saw him help lead the Raiders in a 37 point effort to their first NCAA tournament win in the First Four, along with earning First Team honors on the year. Holden averaged 20 ppg during that timeframe, on par with Calvin’s records from 2022-2023. While Holden transferred to Ohio State and saw limited time during that year, he’s now returning to a coach and team that knows him and his strengths.
The impact of this decision is massive. Wright State is now looking at potentially the strongest all-around team they’ve ever put onto the court.
That doesn’t mean the pathway is smooth. Coach Scott Nagy has gone on record saying that the cloud of the waiver’s decision has affected practice and building key chemistry between the players and Holden. No transition is easy, even back to a home most familiar. But with this decision and the season due to start in three weeks, Holden and Nagy can now look towards the future and put their sole efforts on building the squad into a juggernaut.
New Projected Starting Lineup
G Trey Calvin
G Tanner Holden
G Drey Carter
F Brandon Noel
C AJ Braun