Wright State Raiders – Syndication Server

Everything Rick Heller said about Iowa’s NCAA Tournament draw

Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller reacted to returning to his previous coaching stop and the Hawkeyes’ NCAA Tournament fate.

Iowa has its postseason destination. For the sixth time in program history, the Hawkeyes are taking part in the NCAA Tournament.

Hawkeye fans were thrilled to see Iowa is headed to the Terre Haute Regional.

It features No. 14 overall seed Indiana State. Coincidentally, that happens to be Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller’s previous head coaching stop. Heller’s past and present collide as one of the intriguing backdrops to what looks like it could be one of the best regionals nationally.

Of course, Iowa opens versus No. 3 seed North Carolina. It’ll be the third all-time meeting between the pair in a series that’s squared at one.

North Carolina beat Iowa, 5-3, in their first meeting as part of the Northeast Regional in 1990. In 2020, Iowa beat then-No. 20 North Carolina, 5-4. It was a dramatic, come-from-behind victory for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and walked off the Heels in extras with a solo shot from Austin Martin in the Cambria College Classic.

The last puzzle piece is Horizon League regular-season and tournament champion Wright State, which enters as the No. 4 seed.

Like everyone else, Heller and Co. found out their tournament landing spot on Monday during the “NCAA Baseball Selection Show.” Iowa-North Carolina is set for 6 p.m. CT on the ACC Network on Friday, June 2.

Shortly after learning of the Hawkeyes’ postseason destination, coach Heller caught up with local media to discuss a return to his old stomping grounds and a general preview of the Terre Haute Regional.

Here is Hawk Central’s conversation with coach Heller. The full Q&A is transcribed below.

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The Terre Haute Regional Encyclopedia

It’s the Terre Haute Regional encyclopedia! Jam-packed with information on each team, what challenges lie ahead for the Iowa Hawkeyes?

Iowa now has its NCAA Baseball Tournament landing spot. The Hawkeyes are headed to the Terre Haute Regional where No. 14 overall seed Indiana State is the host.

Iowa earned the No. 2 seed in the Regional and will square off against the North Carolina Tar Heels coming up on Friday at 6 p.m. CT on the ACC Network. Meanwhile, Indiana State opens up against fourth-seeded Wright State.

Here’s a Terre Haute Regional primer packed with information and team capsules on each of the four teams participating.

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Tanner Holden transferring back to Wright State

Tanner Holden is back where it all started for him. #GoBucks

I have to admit, this one is rare.

After transferring from Wright State to Ohio State during the offseason last year, former Buckeye guard Tanner Holden is headed back to the Raiders to finish out his last season of college eligibility.

The Wheelersburg, Ohio, native played his first three years at Wright State where he was a star in the Horizon League. He averaged 16.1 points and 6.9 rebounds from 2019-2021, but couldn’t quite carve out a niche in a Scarlet and Gray uniform, with his playing time diminishing as the season wore on.

Holden appeared in 27 games for Ohio State but averaged just 3.6 points in 13.6 minutes per contest. He is most well-known for his winning, buzzer-beater against Rutgers early on in the Big Ten slate. Unfortunately for OSU, that was one of the high points of the season, and for Holden as the Buckeyes limped to a 13th place finish in the regular season conference race.

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It was enough to have Holden reconsider his role with the team, resulting in his entrance into the transfer portal back in April.

Now Holden will be looking to recreate the magic he had in a Raiders uniform for one last ride, and we wish him nothing but the very best.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsUUpBYJ04Q/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The Ohio State basketball roster seems to be complete now heading into the offseason, but as further news develops we’ll continue to stay on top of it.

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Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

Ohio State basketball lands explosive guard transfer from in-state

ICYMI – Ohio State hoops is already active in the transfer portal. #GoBucks

Ohio State and head coach Chris Holtmann are already working on roster construction for next season via the transfer portal. With Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell declaring for the NBA draft, and with wholesale experience running out of eligibility, the roster has a lot of gaps and unknowns for next year.

However, one of those holes in the roster seems to have been filled with the news of Wright State transfer guard Tanner Holden committing to the Buckeyes.

Holden came out of high school in Wheelersburg as a bit of an afterthought but made an immediate impact with the Raiders during his freshman campaign, averaging 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting at a very high clip (61.1%) from the floor.

He made a huge leap his sophomore season, leading Wright State with 20.1 points per contest, and further upped that last year, climbing to 21.4 points per game and leading the Raiders to First Four win in the NCAA Tournament.

O-H 🌰 pic.twitter.com/BXalzEaDQJ

— Tanner Holden (@tannerholden_23) April 2, 2022

Just how much Holden’s skill set translates to the Big Ten remains to be seen, but he should add immediate help on a perimeter that is in need of scoring options. And, at 6-foot, 5-inches, he’s got a bit of height to him to potentially create some mismatches along the way.

We’ll continue to stay on top of the roster moves as the OSU hoops offseason continues.

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Wright State vs Arizona NCAA Tournament First Round odds, tips and betting trends

The No. 1 seed Arizona Wildcats (31-3) and the No. 16 seed Wright State Raiders (22-13) will meet in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 7:27 PM. Arizona is favored by 22.5 points in the matchup, which airs on truTV. Here’s …

Arizona has a 21-13-1 record against the spread so far this season compared to Wright State, who is 16-18-0 ATS. The Wildcats have a 21-14-0 record going over the point total, while games involving the Raiders have a record of 19-15-0 when it comes to hitting the over. The two teams score 160.6 points per game, 5.1 more points than this matchup’s total. Over the past 10 games, Arizona is 6-4-0 against the spread and 9-1 overall while Wright State has gone 6-4-0 against the spread and 7-3 overall.

To prepare for this college hoops showdown, here is what you need to prepare for Friday’s action.

Wright State at Arizona odds, spread and lines

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list.

Spread: Arizona -22.5
Total: 155.5
Moneyline: Arizona -10000, Wright State +1767

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Wright State at Arizona odds, spread, & more

Moneyline

The Wildcats have won 93.9% of the games this season when they were the moneyline favorite (31-2).
Arizona has played as a moneyline favorite of -10000 or shorter in just one game this season, which they won.
Based on this contest’s moneyline, the Wildcats’ implied win probability is 99.0%.

The Raiders have entered the game as underdogs eight times this season and won three of those games.
Wright State has not entered a game this season as a bigger underdog on the moneyline than the +1767 odds on them winning this game.
The oddsmakers’ moneyline implies a 5.4% chance of a victory for the Raiders.

Against the spread

The Wildcats put up 84.6 points per game, 13.2 more points than the 71.4 the Raiders give up.
When Arizona totals more than 71.4 points, it is 18-9-1 against the spread and 27-1 overall.
When Wright State allows fewer than 84.6 points, it is 12-13 against the spread and 18-8 overall.
The Raiders average 8.5 more points per game (76) than the Wildcats allow (67.5).
Wright State has put together a 12-12 ATS record and an 18-7 overall record in games it scores more than 67.5 points.
Arizona has an ATS record of 15-7 and a 21-1 record overall when its opponents score fewer than 76 points.
The Wildcats have totaled 579 more points than their opponents this season (17.1 per game on average), and the Raiders have scored 161 more points than their opponents (4.6 per game).

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Over/Under

The average implied total for the Wildcats this season is 81.5 points, the same as their implied total for Friday’s game.
This season, Arizona has put up more than 89 points in 13 games.
The 76.4-point average implied total on the season for the Raiders is 9.4 more points than the team’s 67-point implied total in this matchup.
So far this season, Wright State has put up more than 67 points in 29 games.

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How to watch Arizona vs. Wright State

Game Day: Friday, March 18, 2022
Game Time: 7:27 PM ET
Live Stream: Hulu

Find out how to watch March Madness live on Hulu!

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Bryant vs Wright State NCAA Tournament First Four odds, tips and betting trends

The Wright State Raiders (21-13) and the Bryant Bulldogs (23-9) will square off on Wednesday with a spot in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament bracket up for grabs. Wright State has been named a 2-point favorite for this First Four matchup, …

Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

Wright State is 15-18-0 against the spread this season compared to Bryant’s 17-12-0 ATS record. In terms of going over the point total, games involving the Raiders are 18-15-0 and the Bulldogs are 15-14-0. The two teams put up 151 points per game combined, 3.5 fewer than this matchup’s over/under. Wright State is 6-4-0 against the spread and 7-3 overall in its last 10 games, while Bryant has gone 7-3-0 against the spread and 9-1 overall.

Ahead of watching this matchup, here is what you need to know about Wednesday’s college basketball action.

Bryant at Wright State odds, spread and lines

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list.

Spread: Wright State -2
Total: 154.5
Moneyline: Wright State -152, Bryant +129

Bryant at Wright State odds, spread, & more

Prediction

Wright State 74, Bryant 73

Moneyline

The Raiders have won 17 of the 25 games they were listed as the moneyline favorite this season (68%).
In games it has played as a moneyline favorite with odds of -152 or shorter, Wright State has a record of 14-5 (73.7%).
Based on this contest’s moneyline, the Raiders’ implied win probability is 60.3%.

This season, the Bulldogs have won two out of the eight games in which they’ve been the underdog.
Bryant has a record of 1-6 when set as an underdog of +129 or more by oddsmakers this season.
The sportsbooks’ moneyline implies a 43.7% chance of a victory for the Bulldogs.

Against the spread

The Raiders score 75.5 points per game, five more points than the 70.5 the Bulldogs give up.
Wright State has a 12-12 record against the spread and an 18-7 record overall when putting up more than 70.5 points.
Bryant is 11-2 against the spread and 14-2 overall when allowing fewer than 75.5 points.
The Bulldogs put up only 4.4 more points per game (75.5) than the Raiders give up (71.1).
When it scores more than 71.1 points, Bryant is 12-6 against the spread and 17-4 overall.
Wright State has an ATS record of 11-11 and a 17-6 record overall when its opponents score fewer than 75.5 points.
The Raiders have totaled 150 more points than their opponents this season (4.4 per game on average), and the Bulldogs have scored 162 more points than their opponents (five per game).

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Over/Under

The average implied total for the Raiders this season is 76.4 points, the same as their implied total for Wednesday’s game.
So far this season, Wright State has scored more than 78 points in 12 games.
The average implied point total on the season for the Bulldogs (77.6) is 1.6 more points than the team’s implied total in this matchup (76).
This year, Bryant has scored more than 76 points 16 times.

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2020 Horizon League College Basketball Tournament odds and betting futures

Analyzing the 2020 Horizon League Tournament odds and futures, with sports betting picks, tips and best bets.

Then there were four remaining in the Horizon League race for a dance ticket to the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

The Wright State Raiders, Northern Kentucky Norse, Green Bay Phoenix and Illinois-Chicago Flames are the last four standing, but the oddsmakers are really considering it a two-horse race. Stranger things have happened, however, and that’s what makes the craziness of March college hoops so exciting.

Below, we look at the futures odds to win the Horizon League, which is down to Monday’s semifinals after featuring first-round games March 3 and the quarterfinals Thursday.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, March 9 at 3:10 p.m. ET.

2020 Horizon League odds: Wright State Raiders (-179)

Wright State rolled to a 15-3 regular-season conference record, winning the league by two full games over second-place Northern Kentucky. As such, the Raiders earned a bye into the semifinals, avoiding the possibility of an early-round upset. It could have happened, too. They were shocked in an 88-70 loss at Youngstown State, the No. 5 seed, three games ago. But YSU was knocked out by Illinois-Chicago in the quarters.

Get some action on this event or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

The Raiders rank fifth in the country in offense, posting 81.4 points per game (PPG), and are 37th with a 36.6 percentage from 3-point land. The one thing that could potentially hold the Raiders back in a close game, either in the semifinals, conference final or in the NCAA Tournament, is their struggles at the free-throw line. They’re terrible, ranking 270th at just 68.0 percent. The player to watch is C Loudon Love, the 6-foot-11 big from Illinois who averages 16.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game.

The FAVORITE IS WORTH A BET AT -179, and just hope the Raiders can avoid the upset bug and a disappointing trip to the NIT.

The Raiders (-6, -110) are favored vs. the Flames in Monday’s first semifinal at Indianapolis (7 p.m. ET). WSU is -250 on the moneyline, while UIC is +200. The O/U is 150.5.

2020 Horizon League odds: Northern Kentucky Norse (+130)

The Norse fell to Wright State at home on Feb. 28 in the regular-season finale, but they were still able to snag the No. 2 seed. They didn’t fare terribly well down the stretch, however, going 2-2 straight up (SU) and 1-4 against the spread (ATS) in the final four. If a 3-pointer is needed, the Norse rank a lowly 306th at 30.7 percent from behind the arc, and they are a middling 137th in points scored (72.2 PPG).

NKU went 0-2 SU/ATS against Wright State. The Norse split with each Green Bay and UIC, going 1-1 SU/ATS. They have some short odds, but it might be best to look elsewhere.

NKU (-5, -115) play Green Bay in Monday’s second semifinal. The Norse are -228 on the moneyline, while the Phoenix are +185. The O/U is 151.

2020 Horizon League odds: Green Bay Phoenix (+1500)

The Phoenix ended up just one game over .500 at 16-15 in the regular season, but finished up strong. Green Bay won four of the final five in the regular season, only falling at Oakland 92-88 in overtime on Feb. 23. The Phoenix exacted revenge in the Horizon quarters with a 78-63 beating of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, easily covering a 4-point number. For the Phoenix, it’s all offense and very little mind to defense. They rank third in the country at 82.0 PPG, and they’re 22nd in 3-pointer percentage (37.3%). However, they are 338th in scoring defense, yielding 80.1 PPG. Still, they’re a pretty solid long-shot pick worthy of a SMALL-UNIT BET AT +1500.

2020 Horizon League odds: Illinois-Chicago Flames (+2000)

The Flames were 15-16 during the regular season, but they have racked up wins over IUPUI and Youngstown State to play their way into the Horizon semifinals. UIC struggles to post points, averaging just 69.0 PPG to rank 237th. Despite the Flames’ scoring woes, they still managed to split with each of the top three seeds, Wright State, NKU and Green Bay. Still, UIC is likely to flame out, pun totally intended. AVOID.

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