Wright State-Kent State: What you need to know about Saturday’s game

Who: Kent State (5-4) at Wright State (5-4)

When: 3 p.m. Saturday

Where: Nutter Center

TV/Radio: ESPN3/106.5-FM

Series: Tied 2-2

Coaches: Scott Nagy is 25-16 in his second season at Wright State and 435-256 in 23 years overall. Rob Senderoff is 127-85 in his seventh season at Kent State.

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Probable Wright State starters

Parker Ernsthausen;6-11;Jr.;C;4.2

Justin Mitchell;6-4;Sr.;G;9.8

Mark Hughes;6-4;Jr.;G;10.6

Louden Love;6-9;Fr.;C;9.8

Grant Benzinger;6-3;Sr.;G;14.0

Probable Kent State starters

Danny Pippen;6-9;So.;F;8.0

Jalen Avery;6-0;Jr.;G;9.2

Kevin Zabo;6-2;Sr.;G;8.9

Mitch Peterson;6-5;So.;F;5.1

Adonis De La Rosa;7-0;Jr.;C;12.8

About Wright State: The Raiders have won five straight home games. They haven't won six in a row at the Nutter Center since 2007-08. … Their field-goal percentage improved from 42.5 to 44.9 with a strong shooting effort against Ohio Valley on Tuesday. They were ranked 267th out of 351 Division-I teams in that department going into the game but jumped to 181st. … They've out-rebounded opponents by 4.1 per game (100th nationally) and have 2.6 fewer turnovers each outing (84th). They're also committing only 15.2 fouls per game (15th). … Everett Winchester, a 6-6 forward, is one of the top freshmen in the Horizon League. He's third on the team in both scoring at 10.2 per game and in rebounding at 4.0. Jaylon Hall, a 6-5 freshman, also has been gaining confidence and is averaging 9.6 points. Coach Scott Nagy said he's considering playing both together in a "small-ball" lineup with Winchester at center. That would make the Raiders more athletic and explosive, but he's concerned about potential match-up problems on defense.

About Kent State: The Flashes won the MAC last year and made the NCAA tourney, losing to UCLA, 97-80, in the first round. … Jaylin Walker was named the 2017 MAC tourney MVP and is a preseason all-conference pick. He's averaging a team-best 17.7 points but has missed the last three games after injuring his ankle in practice. He's doubtful for the Wright State game. He hit the game-winning shot in the MAC tourney semifinals last year against Ohio U. and had 30 against Akron in the finals.… The Flashes were picked to finish second in the MAC East and are coming off a 96-70 loss at No. 13 Xavier on Wednesday. … They're 2-0 against the Horizon League, beating Youngstown State, 111-78, and Cleveland State, 72-62. … They have a common opponent with Wright State in Loyola (Ill.), which just knocked off No. 5 Florida on the road. The Raiders lost to Loyola, 84-80, in Chicago, while the Flashes lost, 75-60, at a neutral site.

Coming up: The Raiders have three more non-conference games before getting into league play, all on the road. They finish at Toledo on Saturday, Dec. 16; Missouri State on Dec. 19 and Georgia Tech on Dec. 22.

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