Club hopping

Mitchell Foland turned in the best club basketball performances in Wright State’s young history at the University of Dayton on Jan. 23.

His 44 points, including eight 3-point baskets, 15 rebounds and six assists earned him his third National Club Basketball Association (NCBBA) Player of the Week. He has also earned a Conference Player of the Week honor this season.

The recent basketball accolades are remarkable considering he’s a soccer player.

“I played pickup ball all of the time, but I didn’t play basketball in high school,” said Foland, a junior marketing major.

Foland also plays club soccer at Wright State. As a member of the Tecumseh High School soccer team, he was named First Team All-Conference in the Central Buckeye Conference and Athlete of the Week by the Springfield News-Sun in 2017.

“It all surprises me now,” Foland said of his recent basketball accolades. “All my family is like you should try out for the varsity team.”

The NCBBA consists of 105 teams from around the country, and Wright State plays in the North Atlantic Region West Conference. The Raiders have wins against Ohio State and Xavier and are undefeated against Dayton this season. Wright State is having tremendous success considering it’s the club’s first year. The team is 9-8 overall and is currently on a three-game winning streak.

“This provides a fun outlet for the players on the team to go out and compete against other universities and show them what Wright State can do,” said Daniel Havener, a graduate student and club coach.

Foland said he enjoys playing club sports because it takes his mind off schoolwork, keeps him active and it’s competitive and fun.

The team will wrap up its regular season with two games against Carnegie Mellon on Feb. 20.