Raiders need an assertive Darling

Sophomore’s time is now with Mays iffy.

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By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer 9:49 PM Tuesday, January 24, 2012

FAIRBORN — A dozen or so people connected to the Darling family had tickets in Calihan Hall on Saturday when the Wright State basketball team traveled to Detroit.

Cole Darling, the WSU sophomore from Holt, Mich., noticed those familiar faces. He also felt the pressure of Wright State’s leading scorer, guard Julius Mays, sitting on the bench with a Achilles tendon and calf muscle strain.

Darling responded with one of his most aggressive games, and coaches hope that continues.

“I haven’t really played to my full potential this year,” said Darling, a 6-foot-8 forward who had 10 points and nine rebounds on a career-high 13 shots (four makes) against Detroit. “I think against Detroit I started to play the way I’m capable of playing. I could feel myself being more aggressive.”

Entering today’s home game against Illinois-Chicago, Darling averages 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds, production that WSU wants to increase for a player who has started 15 times. Darling was the Raiders’ top returning scorer this season (at 4.3 points per game) before dislocating his left shoulder in practice. He missed the first two games and has scored in double figures four times this season.

With Mays’ availability likely a game-time decision tonight, WSU coach Billy Donlon is hoping Darling and others can increase production. Wright State enters ranked No. 324 out of 338 Division I teams in scoring offense, at 58.3 points per game.

“I think for Cole, he’s such an unselfish player that it’s a big adjustment to go from, ‘I’m gonna shoot five or six shots to 12,’ ” Donlon said. “You want it to be an overnight process, but it’s not. None of this on the offensive side of things is an overnight process.”

Today’s game

Who: UIC (6-13, 2-7 Horizon) at Wright State (9-12, 4-5)

When: 7 p.m.

Radio: WBZI-FM (100.3)

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