Nagy nets Drake transfer Wampler the second time around

Bill Wampler’s two-day visit to Wright State last week was one more than he needed.

The 6-foot-6 junior transfer from Drake visited campus Friday and needed just a couple of hours to get reacquainted with Raiders coach Scott Nagy before committing to play for WSU.

“Coach Nagy recruited me pretty heavily out of high school, so I knew him and coach (Brian) Cooley and knew I’d be a good fit for their system,” Wampler said. “He showed me some film of how I’d fit in their system and how I’d be an effective player for him. I really liked what he had to say and I liked the city a lot, so I decided to make it quick and commit the first day.”

›› RELATED: Trotwood’s Patton lists WSU as a top choice, sets date for signing

Wampler, who will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules, appeared in 60 games in his first years at Drake, with all 16 his starts coming this past season.

He averaged 9.6 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 34.3 percent from 3-point range. But Bulldogs coach Ray Giacoletti abruptly resigned eight games into the season, and Drake went on to post a 7-24 record for the second consecutive year.

The coaching change and a desire to win were the biggest reasons Wampler decided to transfer, he said.

“I made up my mind right after the season was done,” Wampler said. “I knew (interim coach Jeff) Rutter was probably not going to get the job, and even if he did get the job, I was probably going to leave anyway because I wanted to be able to win.

“Obviously coach Nagy has proven himself as a winner, these last five years especially with three out of the four South Dakota State teams going to the NCAA tournament and obviously winning 20 games last season when nobody really expected them to,” Wampler added. “That was the biggest thing for me.”

›› MORE: WSU coach says Custer injury has hit everybody hard

Wampler played through a foot injury last season but said he’s recovered and is 100 percent healthy. He is finishing classes at Drake until May 18 and will enroll at WSU on June 5. With an extra year of school ahead of him due to the transfer, the business major said he intends to pursue a double major by also getting a degree in marketing.

As for his game, Wampler said he’s a teammate first and a shooter second.

“I like to shoot it. That’s kind of what I do,” he said. “I really feel like last year I got a lot of confidence shooting the basketball. I started shooting from 36 feet out and I was making them.

“Besides shooting, I like to mix it up,” he continued. “I can get to the basket. I’m an unselfish guy. I really like to be a teammate first. That’s what I pride myself on, being a teammate. I’ll always get on the floor and always run to help my teammates.”

Follow Jay Morrison on Twitter

A native of Eau Clair, Wisc., Wampler said Horizon League foe Wisconsin-Green Bay was one of his top choices as a transfer school as well.

“It ended up not working out because I didn’t feel they were being honest with me,” he said. “Coach Nagy was honest the whole entire time with me, so I really appreciated that.”

Last week the Raiders signed 6-5 guard Jaylon Hallfrom Doss High School in Louisville, Ky. Previously, they inked guard Tyler Mitchell from Kings High School while guard Cole Gentry transferred to Wright State from South Dakota State in December.

In addition to transferring schools, Wampler is also undergoing a minor change. Listed as “Billy” on all the documents at Drake, Wampler is switching to “Bill.”

“It’s just something that has kind of happened as I’ve gotten older,” he said. “I really don’t have a preference. My mom starting calling me ‘Bill’ this year, too, so I guess it’s Bill now.”

About the Author