Men's Basketball opens 2026-27 Friday at the Nutter Center against Bellarmine

Friday, October 16

Dayton, OH

7:00 PM

Wright State University

Bellarmine (EX)

Photo by: Addyson Olsen

Men's Basketball opens 2026-27 Friday at the Nutter Center against Bellarmine

10/15/2026 10:40:00 AM | General, Men's Basketball, MBB Tickets, Tickets

DAYTON, Ohio — The reigning Horizon League champions are back at the Nutter Center. The Wright State men's basketball team opens the 2026-27 season Friday night, welcoming Bellarmine for a 7 p.m. exhibition tipoff. No ticket is needed and admission is free for the game.

Friday is the first chance for Raider fans to see head coach Clint Sargent's new-look roster in person. Eleven Raiders are set to make their Wright State game debuts alongside three key returners from last season's championship team.

Gameday at the Nutter Center

Doors open at 6 p.m. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
Parking is free and open to the public

Where we Left Off

Wright State's 2025-26 campaign ended March 20 with an 82-73 loss to Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Raiders swept both Horizon League crowns, claiming the regular-season title with a 15-5 league mark. They then won the Horizon League Tournament with victories over Cleveland State (90-61), Northern Kentucky (103-90) and Detroit Mercy (66-63) to finish 23-12 overall.

New-Look Raiders

Sargent added five transfers:

Nikola Djapa (Colorado State)
CJ O'Hara (Green Bay)
Ilija Milijaševic (DePaul)
Chadlyn Traylor (College of Charleston)
Sam Johnson (Cedarville)

True freshmen Terrence Hayes Jr., Noah Lewis, Tahj Martin and Landen Northrop also join the roster. Redshirt freshmen PJ Douglas and Beavercreek native Isaiah Williams are set for their first game action. [Link each name to its 2026-27 roster bio.]

Dom's Domain

Dominic Pangonis returns as the most experienced Raider on the perimeter. He started 28 of 34 games last season and averaged 8.9 points while shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from 3-point range. Pangonis was even better in league play, averaging 9.7 points on 39.3 percent shooting from deep.

Pickett Fence

Kellen Pickett led the Raiders with 46 blocks as a freshman while averaging 8.5 points and 5.4 rebounds on 55.6 percent shooting. In Horizon League games, Pickett posted 9.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per contest.

Holden Court

Andrea Holden made the most of 14.1 minutes per game last season. He averaged 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 56.6 percent, and added 42 blocks and 53 offensive rebounds. Holden and Pickett combined for 88 of Wright State's 152 blocks a year ago.

Knight Moves

Bellarmine went 13-19 overall and 7-11 in the ASUN in 2025-26 under head coach Doug Davenport. The Knights beat Jacksonville 82-79 in the ASUN Tournament before falling 86-73 to Central Arkansas.
The Knights must replace their top two scorers in Jack Karasinski (21.7 points per game) and Brian Waddell (15.0 points per game). They return:
- Kenyon Goodin: 11.6 points per game, 41.8 percent from 3-point range
- Tyler Doyle: 10.0 points and a team-high 3.8 assists per game
- Sam Donald: 6.5 points per game, 42.1 percent from deep
Bellarmine shot 52.1 percent from the floor as a team last season but was outrebounded by 4.2 per game.
Two Knights hail from southwest Ohio: 6-11 sophomore Jacob Wassler (Cincinnati/St. Xavier) and sophomore Tommy Clark (Kings Mills/Kings).

On Deck

Don't miss the first look at the 2026-27 Raiders on November 2 for the Stars, Stripes, and Flight Classic presented by CareSource Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
Get your tickets for the Stars, Stripes, and Flight Classic: HERE