The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Preview: Wright State (6-3) vs. Mississippi State (7-2)

Raiders in spotlight tonight against Mississippi State

Plush basketball offices and other facilities send clear signal to recruits
9:50 p.m.
LaForce leaves lasting impression on Aviators
9:50 p.m.
Brother acts never get old in sports
9:46 p.m.
Big Ten edging toward 4-team BCS playoff
9:29 p.m.
Gregory and Georgia Tech showing life
8:13 a.m.
> More sports headlines

By Marc Katz, Staff Writer Updated 12:03 AM Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Who: Wright State (6-3) at Mississippi State (7-2)

When: 7 p.m. today

Radio: WONE-AM (980), WIZE-AM (1340)

TV: ESPN2

Series: First meeting

Starting lineups

About the Bulldogs

After winning the Southeastern Conference last season and returning all five starters, the Bulldogs were shocked to lose at home to Rider 88-74 in the opening game. Since then, they’ve gone 7-1, losing only 63-62 to Richmond. In the four games since, Mississippi State has beaten Old Dominion, St. Bonaventure, DePaul and UCLA by 14, 52, 31 and 18 points. John Riek, the 7-foot-1 center from Khartoum, Sudan, will be available tonight, Dec. 16, for the first time after sitting out 30 percent of the games while the NCAA checked into his credentials. Still no word on Renardo Sidney, the 6-10 freshman from nearby Jackson, Miss., who spent the past two years playing high school in California. ... Jarvis Varnado has 47 blocks so far this season, giving him 394 for his career, 18 behind SEC career leader Shaquille O’Neal, who played at LSU.

About the Raiders

Must get some consistency among scorers. In the past three games, Troy Tabler has scored 24, 3 and 23 points. Look for him to get more playing time. Without N’Gai Evans at the point, Raiders have a tougher time defending the ball and against the Miami RedHawks on Sunday, asked Duggins to do more than usual. He’s got to have more help. Evans, who has a strained medial collateral ligament in his knee, will be a game-time decision. Todd Brown also must recover from his worst shooting of the year (1-for-10). ... Raiders don’t have an answer for Varnado’s shot-blocking (they have 22 as a team), but will try to pull him away from the basket.

FYI

Unless WSU can slow down the game, look for a higher score than usual. The Bulldogs are averaging 75.8 per game, while WSU is averaging 69.2. In coach Brad Brownell’s three-plus seasons, the Raiders are 21-3 when they score 70 or more points, and 8-20 with the opposition does.

— Marc Katz, staff writer

Share this article