By Annie Walker
INDIANAPOLIS/DAYTON – The Wright State men’s basketball team received 392 total votes and 12 first-place votes as the Raiders were selected third in the Horizon League preseason poll ahead of the 2023-24 season, the League announced on Tuesday. Additionally, Trey Calvin was selected as the League’s preseason Player of the Year with a spot on the first team, while Tanner Holden and Brandon Noel earned second team preseason honors.
Northern Kentucky earned 435 total points to claim the top spot in the preseason poll, with NKU notching 18 first-place votes. Milwaukee earned 10 first-place votes and 397 points in second just ahead of the Raiders, while Cleveland State (362 total points, one first-place) and Youngstown State (342 total points, three first-place) rounded out the top five in the preseason listing.
Calvin was named a first team performer by the Horizon League in 2022-23 after averaging 20.3 points per game, which was second in the Horizon League and a Top 20 mark nationally. His 250 field goals made and 508 total field goal attempts both ranked inside the Top 25 nationally as well, while his 49.2 overall shooting percentage was eighth in the Horizon League last season. In addition to the Horizon League recognition, Calvin was also named to CBB Review’s Horizon League first team, was an HL all-conference selection by HoopsHD and an all-district performer by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) this spring.
Noel was named the Horizon League’s Freshman of the Year a season ago after appearing in all 33 games during the 2022-23 season, averaging 13.0 points per game, the second-most on the roster, and pulling down a team-leading 8.7 rebounds per game. His 60.9 percent field goal shooting percentage was first in the Horizon and finished the year ranked 19th nationally as he collected 11 double-doubles. Noel recorded 23 double-figure scoring performances with seven games of 20-plus points in his first season of action while on the glass, he had 13 double-digit rebound games and five-plus rebounds in 28 contests. In addition to the Horizon League recognition, Noel earned top freshman honors from both CBB Review and HoopsHD, while his work I the classroom earned him Horizon League Winter Scholar-Athlete of the season honors.
Holden returns to Wright State for the 2023-24 season after spending a year at Ohio State. Holden has played in 92 career games for Wright State with 91 starts as a Raider, averaging 16.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals over three seasons in the Green and Gold. Holden averaged 20.1 points per game in 2021-22 when his 723 total points were the sixth-most nationally. A two-time Horizon League first team selection, along with being an HL All-Freshman performer, Holden was named to the 2021-22 Lou Henson All-America Team, which honors the nation’s best mid-major players in Division I college basketball.
Wright State’s non-conference schedule is highlighted by the season-opening visit to Colorado State on November 10 followed days later with the home opener against Toledo on November 14 inside the Nutter Center. The non-League schedule includes visits to Indiana (November 16) and Davidson (December 2), along with a trip to the Gulf Coast Showcase and five home non-conference contests. The Raiders later play six of their final nine Horizon League contests at home down the stretch to close the regular season heading into March.
2023-24 Under Armour #HLMBB Preseason Poll
Pl. Team – Pts. (First-place votes)
1. Northern Kentucky (18) – 435
2. Milwaukee (10) – 397
3. Wright State (12) – 392
4. Cleveland State (1) – 362
5. Youngstown State (3) – 342
6. Oakland – 280
7. RMU – 186
8. Purdue Fort Wayne – 166
9. Detroit Mercy – 132
10. IUPUI – 116
11. Green Bay – 96
#HLMBB Preseason Player of the Year
Trey Calvin, Wright State
Preseason All-League First Team (alphabetical order by school)
Tristan Enaruna, Cleveland State
BJ Freeman, Milwaukee
Marques Warrick, Northern Kentucky
Trey Townsend, Oakland
Trey Calvin, Wright State
Preseason All-League Second Team (alphabetical order by school)
Jlynn Counter, IUPUI
Sam Vinson, Northern Kentucky
Tanner Holden, Wright State
Brandon Noel, Wright State
Brandon Rush, Youngstown State
COURTESY WRIGHT STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
