Raiders picked fifth in #HLMBB preseason poll; Noel named preseason Player of the Year

INDIANAPOLIS/DAYTON – The Wright State men's basketball team received 315 total votes and four first-place votes as the Raiders were selected fifth in the Horizon League preseason poll ahead of the 2024-25 season, the League announced on Tuesday. Additionally, Brandon Noel was selected as the League's preseason Player of the Year with a spot on the first team while Alex Huibregtse earned second team preseason honors.

Milwaukee and Purdue Fort Wayne each earned 421 total points to share the top spot in the preseason poll, with Milwaukee grabbing 15 first-place votes and Purdue Fort Wayne notching 14. Northern Kentucky earned 389 total points (four first-place votes) in third and Oakland had 345 total points (five first-place votes) just ahead of the Raiders.

Youngstown State (272 total points, sixth place) and IU Indianapolis (91 total points, 10th place) received the remaining first-place votes in the preseason poll.

Noel was named a second team performer by the Horizon League in 2023-24 after averaging 14.5 points per game, 12th in the Horizon League, and 8.0 rebounds per game, which was third in the Horizon League. He shot 53.5 percent overall from the floor last season, a top-three mark in the Horizon, while his 166 field goals made and his 310 field goal attempts were both in the Top 15 of the League. Noel recorded double figures scoring in 27 of 31 games last season with five 20-plus point games and had 15 or more points in 15 contests. He collected nine double-doubles a season ago, with eight in Horizon League contests, and had 18 games with eight or more rebounds. Noel became the 23rd Raider in program history to reach the 500-rebound mark last February at Oakland and was also the Horizon League's Freshman of the Year in 2022-23.

Huibregtse averaged 12.3 points per game last season while shooting 52.5 percent overall from the floor, averaging percentage points below 5.0 made FG per game, excluding him from the NCAA and Horizon League rankings. His scoring average jumped to 14.0 points per game in Horizon League contests, with his shooting percentage climbing to 53.6 percent overall. He recorded double figures scoring in 20 games, including each of the last nine contests, with 12 games scoring 15-plus points, including a career-high 32 points in a win at Cleveland State last January. In addition to his scoring, Huibregtse averaged 3.3 assists per night, Top 10 in the Horizon, with multiple assists in 23 games and had five or more assists in nine games.

Noel, Huibregtse and the Raiders open the 2024-25 season on November 4 at Kentucky in a nationally televised contest on ESPNU. Wright State fans will have their first chance to see the Raiders in action on October 26 in a 7 p.m. exhibition contest against Wilmington inside the Nutter Center. Season tickets, single game tickets and once-a-month plan packs are on sale for the Raiders' 2024-25 home slate. More information can be found by clicking here.

2024-25 Under Armour #HLMBB Preseason Poll
Pl.        Team – Pts. (First-place votes)
T1.        Milwaukee (15) – 421
T1.        Purdue Fort Wayne (14) – 421
3.          Northern Kentucky (4) – 389
4.          Oakland (5) – 345
5.          Wright State (4) – 315
6.          Youngstown State (1) – 272
7.          Cleveland State – 252
8.          Green Bay – 171
9.          RMU – 148
10.        IU Indianapolis (1) – 91
11.       Detroit Mercy – 79

#HLMBB Preseason Player of the Year
Brandon Noel, Wright State

Preseason All-League First Team
Trey Robinson, Northern Kentucky
Sam Vinson, Northern Kentucky
Rasheed Bello, Purdue Fort Wayne
Jalen Jackson, Purdue Fort Wayne
Brandon Noel, Wright State

Preseason All-League Second Team
AJ McKee, Milwaukee
Erik Pratt, Milwaukee
DQ Cole, Oakland
Quinton Morton-Robertson, Purdue Fort Wayne
Alex Huibregtse, Wright State

Raiders picked fifth in #HLMBB preseason poll; Noel named preseason Player of the Year

Players Mentioned

Alex Huibregtse

Brandon Noel

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