Wright State Raiders
Encyclopedia
For many years, Wright State's sports teams used a character called Rowdy Raider as their mascot; a red-bearded Viking with a horned helmet, which emerged in 1986. In 1997, the Viking was retired and the Wolf was born. In 2007, Rowdy Raider received a new update for the mascot suit; a gray, scarier wolf replaced the more humorous brown wolf.
Wright State University has the Nutter Center
, a multi-purpose arena located on campus. Opened in 1990, the Nutter Center is consistently considered to be one of the top arenas of its size. The venue is used for concerts and sporting events (including Wright State Raiders men's and women's basketball).
Among the Raiders' most notable athletic achievements are the NCAA Division II men's basketball national championship in 1983, and taking a turn at March Madness
in 1993, qualifying for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as champion of the Mid-Continent Conference; the Raiders qualified again in 2007 as winner of the Horizon League
tournament. The men's and women's swimming and diving teams are also consistently strong. The men have won 6 of the last 13 conference championships.
The Wright State men's basketball team has seen the national spotlight several times since the program moved to Division I in 1987-88 and into the new Nutter Center in 1990. In 1993, the Raiders qualified for the NCAA Tournament, and since then Wright State is 5-1 all-time at home vs Top 25 competition. In 1995, Wright State defeated #25 Xavier, 71-70, their first ever home win over a Top 25 opponent. In the 1999-2000 season, Wright State beat #8 Michigan State at the Nutter Center, 53-49. On February 10, 2007 Wright State welcomed their Horizon League rival and ninth-ranked Butler
Bulldogs to Dayton. In an impressive showing that would lead the Raiders to be named ESPN.com's "Team of the Week", Wright State dominated No. 9 Butler, 77-65. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2762640 The Bulldogs returned to Dayton for the 2007 Horizon League tournament final, where Wright State again beat No. 17 Butler (by a score of 60-55) to earn a berth in its second-ever NCAA Tournament
. DaShaun Wood, the Horizon League Player of the Year, led Wright State with 27 points and 5 assists. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=270652750 Wright State continued its streak the following season, defeating #13 Butler, 43-42. http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/recap;_ylt=ApPgacsmiOZQe3Va2IxLOnLevbYF?gid=200712080660
Wright State University has the Nutter Center
Nutter Center
The Wright State University Nutter Center is a multi-purpose arena located at Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio. In addition to hosting the Wright State Raiders basketball team, the Nutter Center serves as a music venue for touring concerts and shows...
, a multi-purpose arena located on campus. Opened in 1990, the Nutter Center is consistently considered to be one of the top arenas of its size. The venue is used for concerts and sporting events (including Wright State Raiders men's and women's basketball).
Among the Raiders' most notable athletic achievements are the NCAA Division II men's basketball national championship in 1983, and taking a turn at March Madness
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in 1993, qualifying for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as champion of the Mid-Continent Conference; the Raiders qualified again in 2007 as winner of the Horizon League
Horizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
tournament. The men's and women's swimming and diving teams are also consistently strong. The men have won 6 of the last 13 conference championships.
The Wright State men's basketball team has seen the national spotlight several times since the program moved to Division I in 1987-88 and into the new Nutter Center in 1990. In 1993, the Raiders qualified for the NCAA Tournament, and since then Wright State is 5-1 all-time at home vs Top 25 competition. In 1995, Wright State defeated #25 Xavier, 71-70, their first ever home win over a Top 25 opponent. In the 1999-2000 season, Wright State beat #8 Michigan State at the Nutter Center, 53-49. On February 10, 2007 Wright State welcomed their Horizon League rival and ninth-ranked Butler
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
Bulldogs to Dayton. In an impressive showing that would lead the Raiders to be named ESPN.com's "Team of the Week", Wright State dominated No. 9 Butler, 77-65. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2762640 The Bulldogs returned to Dayton for the 2007 Horizon League tournament final, where Wright State again beat No. 17 Butler (by a score of 60-55) to earn a berth in its second-ever NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. DaShaun Wood, the Horizon League Player of the Year, led Wright State with 27 points and 5 assists. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=270652750 Wright State continued its streak the following season, defeating #13 Butler, 43-42. http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/recap;_ylt=ApPgacsmiOZQe3Va2IxLOnLevbYF?gid=200712080660
Players in Professional Sports
- Brian AndersonBrian Anderson (pitcher)Brian James Anderson is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher, who played 13 season for five teams, as well as a sports broadcaster and coach. Currently, Anderson is the color commentator on the Rays TV crew on Sun Sports....
, former Mid-Continent Conference Pitcher and Player of the Year (1992) and finalist for the Golden Spikes AwardGolden Spikes AwardThe Golden Spikes Award is awarded annually to the best amateur baseball player. It is awarded by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Though the award can be presented to any amateur player, it has always been given to a college baseball player.-Past...
(1993), was drafted by the Angels in the first round of the June free agent draft in June 1993 after completing his junior year. He made his major league debut in September 1993. http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=110230 He was a member of the 2001 World Series2001 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 27, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, ArizonaArizona showed no fear and chased Yankees starter Mike Mussina after just three innings. The Yankees gave up five unearned runs and the Diamondbacks rode Curt Schilling's seven strong innings to a 9–1 rout...
Champion Arizona DiamondbacksArizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
and started Game 3 of that World Series against the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/dailypitch/2001-10-30-pitch.htm http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/anderbr02.shtml - Bill EdwardsBill Edwards (basketball)William Allen Edwards , popularly nicknamed Dolla Bill, is a retired American professional basketball player...
played for the Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
in 1993.http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=EDWARBI01 - Keith Gordon was drafted in June 1990 by the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in the 2nd round of the amateur draft. http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/stats/historical/individual_stats_player.jsp?c_id=mlb&playerID=114968 - Carlos PenaCarlos PeñaCarlos Felipe Peña is a Dominican professional baseball left-handed first baseman. He played previously with the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs.Although he was born in Santo Domingo and his family is from San Francisco de Macorís,...
attended WSU and Northeastern University before being drafted by the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
as the 10th pick of the 1998 amateur draft. http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/penaca01.shtml http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=150289 - Vitaly PotapenkoVitaly PotapenkoVitaly Nikolaevich Potapenko is a Ukrainian former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Wright State University and was selected 12th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1996 NBA Draft...
was selected 12th overall by the Cleveland CavaliersCleveland CavaliersThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
in the 1996 NBA Draft1996 NBA DraftThe 1996 NBA Draft was the 50th draft in the National Basketball Association . It was held on June 26, 1996 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the Turner Network Television...
and went on to an 11-year NBA career. In June of 2010, Potapenko was hired on as an assistant coach for the Indianapolis Pacers Potapenko was named the Horizon League's Newcomer of the Year for the '94-'95 season, and led the Horizon League in FG% in both '94-'95 and '95-'96 while garnering First Team All-League honors both years. Vitaly was born in KievKievKiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. http://sportsline.com/nba/players/playerpage/6748 - Bill Shea is currently a backup quarterback and vice president of communications for the Port Huron PiratesPort Huron PiratesThe Port Huron Pirates were a charter member of the Continental Indoor Football League from 2006-2007. They began their existence playing their home games at McMorran Place in Port Huron, Michigan. The logo features a fierce pirate, symbolic of the surrounding Great Lake Huron...
professional indoor football team. The Pirates play in the Continental Indoor Football League. Shea was part of the inaugural Pirates squad that went 12-0 and won the league title. http://www.porthuronpirates.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=6&id=20&Itemid=39 - Frank LickliterFrank LickliterFranklin Ray Lickliter II is an American professional golfer. He has featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings....
has been on the PGA tour since 1991 and has over $10 million in career earnings. He has won 2 PGA tournament titles in his career and finished 2nd on four separate occasions. http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/players/Frank+Lickliter+II/218 - Joe Smith is a Major League Baseball player who currently is a reliever for the Cleveland Indians. He quickly ascended through the minor leagues and is now in his rookie season. "Smitty" keeps hitters off-balance with his unusual siderarm delivery. Teammates have also nicknamed him "Mighty" Joe Smith.
- DaShaun WoodDaShaun WoodDaShaun Wood is an American basketball player. , he's under contract with Bundesliga club Alba Berlin. A point guard, Wood was named Horizon League Player of the Year in 2007 and Bundesliga MVP in 2011.- College career :...
was invited to the Atlanta Hawks summer league team and since signed with the Italian Division A basketball team, CantùCantùCantù is a city and comune in the Province of Como, located at the center of the Brianza zone in Lombardy. It is the second largest city in Brianza.-History:...
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