The 2024-25 season for the Wright State Raiders men’s basketball team under Clint Sargent was definitely not one of the best; fans and critics would say that they underachieved more than they did in the 2023-24 season with Scott Nagy.
Wright State finished with the nation’s sixth-best overall team field goal percentage (49.4 percent) and the 13th-best team three-point percentage (38.4 percent), but they also had the nation’s 25th-worst opponent’s three-point percentage (36.6 percent) and were tied with Long Beach State for the nation’s 33rd-worst defensive efficiency (1.102).
While their offensive numbers were solid, their lack of defensive effort was a big reason why they finished with a 15-18 overall record and 8-12 in conference play.
A total of six players transferred out of the program during the offseason: their top four scorers in Brandon Noel (19 ppg, 7.7 rpg), Alex Huibregtse (13.5 ppg, 37.5% 3-PT), sixth man Jack Doumbia (11.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg), and Keaton Norris (7.5 ppg, 4.3 apg, 1.2 spg, 44.6% 3-PT); as well as Drey Carter and Ben Southerland. The other two that left, Andrew Welage and Braden Grant, both graduated.
Noel was the only Raider to start all 33 games and was a member of the All-Horizon League 2nd Team, while Norris – who redshirted the year before – improved his all-around game and ended up with the conference’s second-best assist-to-turnover ratio (2.42).
Noel stayed in Ohio and became a Buckeye with Ohio State; Huibregtse is now at Bradley – which is in Chicago; Norris joined little brother Cade down south at Samford University in Birmingham, AL; Doumbia is back in the state of Maryland with Towson; Southerland (University of Tampa) and Carter (Fairmont State) are both now at Division II schools, Grant is now a grad assistant for Nebraska, and Welage basically retired from basketball altogether.
Sargent is now entering his 10th season at Wright State and second as a head coach. With that type of longevity under Nagy’s tutelage dating back to their South Dakota State days, Sargent described how different it was and how the times have changed.
“How long did we get here?,” he joked. “I kinda describe it, it was brutally awesome. I think this time last year, I was so emotionally excited to get an opportunity to lead a program. Being here 10 years and growing up as a man, growing up as a husband and a coach, Wright State – I feel like – has really built a lot of who I am and the people. So, you get a chance to lead it with guys that, in the same way what I just said, they would probably say the same thing. You can imagine how excited you would be, and then to get that crack at it and just to fail in a lot of areas was awesome. Because I have so many great people around me through that, I really feel like I’m growing at a high rate in the program and really the department. In this new era, we need to grow, we need to change in some areas. A lot of things I’m thankful for, and choosing to now do some things differently, and that process again. Because of our staff, our department, my wife, it’s been a really good process for me.”
Six players are back from last year’s team: starters Solomon Callaghan, Michael Imariagbe, and Logan Woods; and reserves Andrea Holden, Ayden Davis, and Alex Bruskotter.
Also, they have a total of eight new faces on the roster: grad transfers Bryan Etumnu (Merrimack) and Sam Alamatu (Vermont); sophomore transfers TJ Burch and Dominic Pangonis; and freshmen PJ Douglas, Michael Cooper, Kellen Pickett, and Isaiah-Michael Williams.
With the new-look squad, Sargent also talked about how bringing key pieces helps out. “I think it’s critical, I think you wanna retain under the right understanding, and I think that was the first place every coach is starting there,” he stated. “But for me and our staff, it was, ‘Okay, we’re gonna retain under the heart posture of why you’re in the program and what we need to get back to in terms of a team and not just being here because you think maybe doing a retention that you get the keys just because.’ No, we need to retain guys, and Solomon [Callaghan] and Mike [Imariagbe] embody that. Their personalities are big, they got big hearts, and that’s really molded a locker room where we retain six, brought in eight. Really through just a few months together, you can see those relationships that started off as teammates slowly turn into man like, ‘I can fail with you, I can struggle with you’, a brotherhood mentality, and it’s enlarge part to the guys you retain. How are they gonna accept the new guys? From a staff standpoint, what are we gonna prioritize when you do go to the portal and when you do go to high school? All of that has never been more important, and those two leading our personality out of the locker room, you can definitely see how it’s taking shape.”
Despite the talent they had last season, Wright State proved to be one of the country’s worst defensive teams as they finished with the NCAA’s 25th-worst opponent’s three-point percentage (36.6 percent) and were also tied with Long Beach State for the nation’s 33rd-worst defensive efficiency (1.102). Sargent even said that defense is something that they must work on in order to succeed.
“Well, I think when learning where we’ve been lately, you look at our defensive numbers and then you look at them in more detail, just our passivity,” he explained. “How passive we are with the ball, how passive we are with our hands, the lack of detail. As a coach, we have to get more detailed within those principles so we can win more of the margins. I think this group, if they’ll buy into the mentality that we can just go longer and we can go harder, and we can embrace the ugly of the game, we have a chance to be very good. Far too long, it’s like we’re just used to the ball going in the first time. The last two years, we’ve been top 10 in field goal percentage, and we have nothing to show for it. So, flipping that mentality, where it doesn’t matter if we miss 10 straight possessions like that, 11th possession like ‘We’re going to sit down and guard, we’re going to finish the possession.’ In order to do that, it all sounds great. But the daily habit of just handling really hard days, really uncomfortable days, days where you just got to understand it cannot be about you, you can do that. The makeup of our roster, we have men that have identities, that are bigger, it’s bigger than basketball. So they can step in and like, ‘Man, we need you to serve, we need you to take on the burden of maybe for your teammate.’ That’s starting to take shape, and it’s going to show up with how we play.”
Although the defense needs work, Wright State has proven to be more of an offensive-oriented team with the NCAA’s sixth-best overall team field goal percentage (49.4 percent) and the 13th-best team three-point percentage (38.4 percent) last season.
“It starts with really good offensive players,” Sargent said regarding the offense. “I think that’s where the retention of how to move, how to cut, how to be self-aware with what you do well, what you don’t do well, all of those things. I think year in and year out, a lot of having understanding and that chemistry shows up for us. But it’s really a credit to those kids, our culture of working, and I love efficient offense. We just need a winning product, and that’s what we’re aiming for, but we want to keep all of those habits and just bring along the defense, maybe flip our mindset. For me as a coach, ‘What am I backing? What are the guys catching me being upset with?’ In a firm, wavering spirit to guard, in a wavering spirit. No matter if that ball goes in or not, that we’re going to sit down and guard and finish possessions. That’s the mentality that we need to shift. Offensively, when you have that, I think the game becomes a lot easier.”
Here’s a look at the 2025-26 roster and what’s ahead for the people in Raider Country.
Projected Starting Lineup
Bryan Etumnu, F (6-7/220, Sr.)
Etumnu started all 33 games; 8.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 40% 3-pt FG last season at Merrimack. With a wingspan of a little over seven feet, Etumnu was voted as the Defensive Player of the Year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) after becoming one of the best shot blockers in all of college basketball, having the nation’s 16th-most total blocks (73) and the 14th-best blocks per game average (2.28).
Michael Imariagbe, F (6-7/215, Gr.) – played in 32 of 33 games (18 starts); 6.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Imariagbe’s numbers were down at WSU compared to the season he had before whilw at Houston Christian, but he stepped up near the end and recorded three straight double-digit scoring efforts, including putting up a double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds) in the regular-season finale at IU Indy.
Sam Alamatu, G (6-5/215, R-Sr.) – played all 33 games (19 starts), 5.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 48.4% FT last season at Vermont
Alamatu is a veteran who played in two NCAA Tournaments for the Catamounts and started the final 18 games of last season, recording four double-doubles and even pulled down a career-high 21 rebounds against Maine in the America East Tournament Semifinals. He is basically a forward in a guard’s body because of his ability to crash the glass, but his shooting needs work. If he improves that, he can be an offensive asset in addition to his efforts defensively.
Logan Woods, G (6-5/180, R-Jr.) – played 32 of 33 games (25 starts); 6.7 ppg, 46.1% 3-PT (41-of-89)
Although he missed one game in the middle of last season due to an illness, Woods has worked hard to improve his game and has put it into good use. He scored in double-digits six times last season, including an 18-point performance on November 21 against Princeton in the Myrtle Beach Invitational.
Solomon Callaghan, G (6-2/195, R-Soph.)
Callaghan is a left-handed sniper who started WSU’s final nine games of last season and scored a career-high of 21 points at Green Bay, playing in 32 of 33 games last season, with 11 starts, averaging 6.7 PPG, and 37.2% from three-point range. While his offensive game is good, he must tighten it up defensively.
Returners
Andrea Holden, W (6-6/215, Soph.)
After being eligible to compete in the spring semester, Holden burst onto the scene with his tireless energy, scoring 11 points in each of his first two NCAA games and even recorded a double-double against Oakland in just his second game (11 points, 11 rebounds), which earned him the Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors. After that, he eventually earned five starts before basically fizzling out. However, he has shown terrific athleticism and heart, so expect him to do more of that this season.
Alex Bruskotter, G (6-8/205, R-Fr.)
Bruskotter is a local product who has point forward skills. Although he redshirted last season, he is known to be very versatile and multidimensional. In his senior year at Shelby High School, he averaged 23.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest.
Ayden Davis, C (6-10/250, R-Fr.) – played six games, 1.3 ppg, one rpg, 6.3 mpg
The team’s biggest player, Davis played in only six of the team’s first nine contests before redshirting the rest of the season due to an injury, so his main option is to stay healthy. If he does that, he can be a big contributor.
Other Transfers
Dominic Pangonis, G (6-7/205, Soph.)
Pangonis is a naturally much better shooter than what his stats have shown in his freshman season with the Lumberjacks, playing all 31 games (one start) and averaging 6.2 ppg, 21.3 mpg, 27% 3-PT (17-of-63), 62.9% FT (39-of-62) last season at Stephen F. Austin. Now in a different environment, his goal is to perform twice as better than they year before.
TJ Burch, G (6-1/175, Soph.)
While Burch did get some limited minutes at Ball State as a freshman, he definitely made the most of it by scoring in double-digits on three different occasions. However, he did average only one rebound and one assist per game on the downside. Now that Burch is in Raider Country, expect his numbers to bump up.
Freshmen
Best friends Michael Cooper (18.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.2 spg, 41% 3-PT) and PJ Douglas (12.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.6 spg, 47% 3-PT), who stand 6-3 and 6-4 respectively, ended their high school careers by leading Jeffersonville High School to an Indiana Class 4A State Championship this past spring. With their friendship off the court, it led to success on the court and they plan on maintaining that philosophy on the collegiate level. While Cooper has the better all-around game between the two, Douglas has proven to be better in terms of crashing the glass.
Standing 6-9, Kellen Pickett is another Indiana kid hailing from Fort Wayne who has a 7-6 wingspan and brings some much-needed size to Sargent’s program. Pickett averaged a double-double in both his junior and senior years at Blackhawk Christian, while also winning a state title as a junior in 2024.
Isaiah-Michael Williams is another local kid who was just added to the roster last week as a walk-on. Standing 6-3, he averaged 22.1 points in his senior year at Beavercreek High School and led them to its first district crown in 25 years all while playing for his dad, head coach Isaiah Williams.
Outlook
Lindy’s Sports has WSU picked to finish fifth in the Horizon League, but HoriZone Roundtable editor Bob McDonald initially picked them to finish at the bottom of the barrel in 11th. With a relatively young group and a Fall Out Boy reference included, there is no telling if Sargent is gonna have a “Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year.”
Preview Week 2025-26
MBB: Preseason Poll | Preseason All-League | Preseason Awards
WBB: Preseason Poll | Preseason All-League | Preseason Awards
Cleveland State (MBB | WBB) | Detroit Mercy (MBB | WBB) | Green Bay (MBB | WBB) | IU Indy (MBB | WBB)
Milwaukee (MBB | WBB) | Northern Kentucky (MBB | WBB) | Oakland (MBB | WBB) | Purdue Fort Wayne (MBB | WBB)
Robert Morris (MBB | WBB) | Wright State (MBB | WBB) | Youngstown State (MBB | WBB)
