WSU big man Pacher making big gains

A.J. Pacher in his last 5 games

FAIRBORN — After each Wright State game, 6-foot-9 freshman A.J. Pacher heads into assistant coach Clayton Bates’ office for a video breakdown.

Bates and Pacher, the Vandalia Butler High School product, watch only his defensive playing time. Bates, who works with the WSU big men, doesn’t say much. Pacher is expected to do the talking.

“He wants me to point out things to see I’m learning and know what I’m doing wrong or right,” Pacher said.

Pacher is doing enough right to become a bigger part of the Wright State rotation. After playing 24 minutes in the Raiders’ first six games, Pacher has averaged 12.8 minutes per game in the past five while improving on defense and becoming a reliable 3-point shooter.

Pacher played perhaps his best game in Wright State’s 53-49 victory against Central Michigan on Tuesday, when he collected a season-high 9 points in a season-high 20 minutes. In one stretch, Pacher scored seven straight points on a 3-pointer, catch and layup and up-and-under post move.

Like many freshmen big men, Pacher faced more development than freshmen at other positions. He has done it quickly, said WSU coach Billy Donlon.

“When he gets a running start, he’s a pretty good athlete,” Donlon said. “We compare it to cars. His zero to 60, that’s not as good. But once he gets going and moving, he’s really pretty good. I’ve been pleased with his progress.”

Because Pacher is a 3-point threat as a big man — he has made 7-of-11 this season — he is a challenge for other teams to defend. Now that he has improved on his own defense, he could continue to see more playing time, Donlon said.

“I’ve taken so many steps to improve on defense,” Pacher said. “The scary thing is, there’s so much more I need to get to. If I keep getting better, I can help the team out.”