@WSU_MBB to Face Clemson on ESPNU in the NIT

Tuesday, March 19

Clemson, SC

7:00 PM

Wright State University

Clemson

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Raiders will Play in their First NIT Game Ever Tuesday NIght

3/18/2019 8:12:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Raiders at Clemson Tuesday, March 19 at 7:00 PM ESPNU Big 106.5 FM/iHeart App Digital Program Live Stats Nagy Comments Tickets

Raiders/Tigers Tipoff at 7:00 PM

By: Communications

The Wright State men's basketball team will make their first-ever appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), as the no. 7 seed Raiders will travel to South Carolina to face the no. 2 seed Clemson Tigers on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU. Fans can also listen to Chris Collins and Jim Brown on Big 106.5 FM/iHeart App.

Wright State
The Raiders (21-13), regular-season co-champions of the Horizon League, have been led by All-League first team performer Loudon Love with averages of 15.1 and 8.2 rebounds, and second-team player Bill Wampler at 14.9 points off the bench. Freshman Team member Malachi Smith came on strong late in the season, scoring in double figures in five of the final 10 games. Wright State also boasts two on the All-Defensive Team in seniors Parker Ernsthausen and Mark Hughes. Love has recorded 12 double-doubles on the season and ranked ninth nationally in offensive rebounds.

Wright State started the season at 8-10 and 2-3, before ending the campaign with 13 wins in the final 16 games, tying Northern Kentucky for the regular-season crown at 13-5 in league play. WSU posted nine wins in the last 11 games. Over that stretch, the Raiders held their opponents to just 64.3 points per game, while generating 74.8 points, and shooting 46% overall from the field. Overall, the Raiders led the Horizon League in defense, giving up only 67.4 points to rank in the nation's top 70.

Clemson
The Tigers (19-13), went 9-9 in the ACC this year under head coach Brad Brownell, now in his ninth season at Clemson. Raider fans are familiar with Brownell, who coached at Wright State from 2007-10, compiling a record of 84-45. He led the 2007 Horizon League championship team that qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers were 13-4 at Littlejohn Coliseum. They are led by a trio of senior transfers. Guard Marcquise Reed was named to the All-ACC Third Team after averaging 19.3 points per game. Reed transferred from Robert Morris after his freshman season, and has scored 1,433 career points. Elijah Thomas, a 6'9" post player, earned Honorable Mention All-ACC and All-Defensive Team honors this season. He also earned All-Defensive Team recognition after the 2018 season. He averaged 13.0 points and posted 69 blocks in 32 games. Thomas cracked the top 10 in career blocks in only three seasons with the Tigers (he transferred from Texas A&M). Point guard Shelton Mitchell, a transfer from Vanderbilt, averages 11.5 points and 3 assists per game.

While this is a first for Wright State, Clemson is making its 17th appearance in the NIT. The program has an 18-16 record all-time in the event and advanced to the championship game twice previously (1999, 2007). Clemson is 12-4 in Littlejohn Coliseum in the NIT, having won 12 of its last 13 at home heading into Tuesday's contest.

Next Up
The winner of the Clemson-Wright State matchup faces the winner of Furman-Wichita State in the second round. The first three rounds of the NIT are held at host sites, while the semifinals and championship are scheduled for Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 2 and 4.

Tickets
Fans can purchase tickets by clicking here. General public tickets are $12.

Milano's
Milano's Beavercreek is your away game WSU viewing party headquarters - see every game on multiple big screens. Cheer on our Raiders with your favorite subs and pizzas!

Follow the Raiders
Fans can listen to Chris Collins and Jim Brown make the call of each game on Big 106.5 FM and the iHeart App. The iHeart app is easy to download and use. Just go to the App Store for Android or iPhones and select the iHeart App for free. Once it's downloaded, you can search and bookmark Big 106.5 for the games. It's that simple, and you won't miss a minute of the action. Visit www.wsuraiders.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets by searching '@WSU_MBB' on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.