No reason WSU shouldn’t pack ‘em in as well. This is an important Horizon League game, to the extent you accept there is such a thing. The Grizzlies are a half game behind first-place Valparaiso. A Wright State win would move the Raiders into a tie with Oakland heading into their game at Valpo on Friday.
An attendance figure starting with anything less than a 5 would be disappointing, especially considering the entertaining style the Raiders are featuring under high-priced first-year coach Scott Nagy.
In a home win against Detroit on Friday, WSU rang up 106 points, shades of the old days under the late Ralph Underhill, who knew the secret to attracting fans had everything to do with lighting up the scoreboard.
It’s never been quite the same, older fans will tell you, since the Underhill era passed into the history books two decades ago.
Sure, WSU regularly leads the HL in attendance, and this year is no exception. Through 10 home dates the Raiders are averaging 3,471 paying customers, a figure surely greater than the number of actual bodies occupying seats. Oakland is next at 2,797, and it dwindles from there, so it’s not much to celebrate.
With UD casting such a large shadow and refusing to play the other Division I team in town, WSU can only climb so high in its own city. And making the NCAA Tournament from a one-bid league is no easy task. The Raiders have made it exactly twice since graduating from Division II.
But every once in a while an opportunity arises to make a statement.
For WSU and its fan base, that hour has arrived.
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