In Dayton, Ohio, a little more than one year ago, ex-Vandal point guard Landon Tatum stood a few feet behind the half court mark and threw up a prayer as the clock ticked down to zero. Trailing 69-66, the basketball gods answered, sending Idaho and Wright State into an overtime period that produced even more ESPN Top 10 drama.
As the overtime clock wound down, the Raiders were forced to reach inside their bag of tricks and, fortunately for the hosts, playmaker Julius Mays came to the rescue to bank a three-point buzzer beater that would mark the beginning of a four-game losing streak for Idaho. The Vandals lost three of those games by a combined seven points.
Idaho-Wright State part two takes place at 7:05 p.m. Friday in Memorial Gym and marks Idaho’s regular season opener.
Coach Don Verlin and the new-look Vandals will have one less thing to worry about in the sequel. Mays, the Raiders’ super-stud from a year ago, is on to bigger and better places and the man who put up 28 points against Idaho will be spending his senior season with coach John Calipari and defending national champion Kentucky.
“Besides Mays, they have a lot of guys back that we played against. As I said in a booster luncheon yesterday, the Horizon League is probably arguably one of the best mid-major leagues in the country because of what Butler has done,” Verlin said.
Mays would have been the only senior on Wright State’s youthful roster, and in the Raiders’ sole exhibition game, a 78-56 victory over Central State, coach Billy Donlon started two underclassmen and three juniors.
Next to Mays’ 14.1 points-per-game during the 2011-12 season stands guard Reggie Arceneaux, who dropped 8.5 points-per-game as a true freshman. Arceneaux accounted for a career-high 19 points against the Vandals, hitting a couple of clutch shots down the stretch in the fourth quarter and during overtime.
Arceneaux played a different role in the Raiders’ exhibition win, dishing out nine assists despite contributing just five points on 2 of 6 shooting.
“Reggie Arceneaux had a very good game against us last year … quick, athletic guy who can shoot the ball from three,” Verlin said.
Verlin has yet to declare an official starting five, but most would expect the same rotation he employed in Nov. 1 win over Central Washington. Due to a family illness, junior guard Antwan Scott isn’t expected to return in the near future, and sophomore Connor Hill will likely step into that role once again.
As expected, Hill has been on point from three-point range thus far, knocking down 7 of his 13 long-range attempts while shooting 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
“I’m just getting shots up and staying on balance and following through, shooting to my specialties so that’s what I’ve got to do to help this team,” Hill said.
If the sophomore’s hot hand persists Friday, Raider defenders could swarm the perimeter and open up scoring opportunities for the Idaho bigs, who combined for 40 points against the Wildcats.
Senior center Kyle Barone expects Idaho’s shooters to perform when they’re called upon.
“I think they’re going to guard us straight up, but once the ball goes in I think they’ll probably double us, at least double me because that’s what they’ve shown,” Barone said. “It’s up to our shooters to just step up and knock them down and they’re more than capable of doing that.”
Coming off a suspension, senior center Kyle Barone worked the post effectively during his return, scoring 16 points while adding eight boards. Junior college transfer Marcus Bell’s 12 rebounds against CWU proved why he has been labeled as the best pure rebounder Verlin has recruited while in Moscow.
With the graduation of Djim Bandoumel, Bell steps into somewhat of a secondary rebounder position.
“Marcus is a relentless player, he’s always moving around trying to get the rebounds,” Barone said. “Offensively and defensively he has a knack for finding where it’s going to bounce to and if he can rebound, that helps me out a lot so I don’t have to chase every rebound.”
The Raiders ranked last in the Horizon League with a -4.5 rebounding margin, something the Vandals look to capitalize on come tip off.
Theo Lawson can be reached at [email protected].
Amrah Canul | Argonaut
Vandal forward Marcus Bell shoots one of 100 post-practice free throws Thursday at the Physical Education Building court. The men host Wright State at 7:05 p.m. today in Memorial Gym.