Raiders to play Buckeyes, Gators to start 2011-12 season

Head Coach Billy Donlon and his squad will be in Italy for 10 days this August. The team will also start the 2011-12 basketball season with games against Ohio State and Florida.

((Contributed by Wright State Sports Information))

The Wright State men’s basketball team will play in the four-game Global Sports Shootout to start the 2011-12 season, facing Ohio State, Florida and North Florida on the road and Jackson State at home.

The Raiders open the season and the tournament November 11 at Ohio State, which finished the season at 32-2 and with the second best RPI in the nation. WSU will then host Jackson State on November 16 before traveling to play Florida on a neutral court in Tampa on November 21 and at North Florida on November 23.

“I am excited to participate in this event as we will have a chance to compete against two of the best teams in college basketball in The Ohio State University and the University of Florida,” WSU head coach Billy Donlon said. “North Florida and Jackson State both will compete for their league championships, which will also help prepare our team for Horizon League play. I believe our team will need to grow up quickly and the only way to do that is by playing the best and we will certainly do that with our nonconference schedule.”

The Raiders have played twice at OSU, the most recent was early in the 1992-93 season. Wright State has never met the other schools. Florida finished 26-7 last year with the nation’s eighth best RPI. North Florida advanced to the championship game of the Atlantic Sun Tournament while Jackson State of the SWAC ended the season at 17-15, 12-6.

WSU finished last year at 19-14 overall and will take a 10-day Italian Tour August 20-30. During the early signing period, the Raiders inked 6-4 guard Kendall Griffin, 6-8 forward Alex Pritchett and 6-9 forward Tavares Sledge. Last week, Donlon signed 6-3 guard Jason Cuffee and 6-2 junior college guard John Balwigaire.

GLOBAL SPORTS SHOOTOUT SCHEDULE