Three weeks ago Winchester surprised WSU by announcing he was transferringdespite playing a key role in helping the Raiders win the Horizon League championship and play in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007.
Two weeks ago, Moeller High School senior Jeremiah Davenport announced that instead of enrolling at WSU in the fall he would be enrolling in prep school while reclassifying as a member of the Class of 2019 and re-opening his recruiting.
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“We knew all along that academically he was going to be a question mark,” Nagy said. “He could still make it, but it would be a lot of work. But we thought it was pretty solid that even if had to go (the prep school) route that he would come to Wright State, but it hasn’t turned out to be the case.”
The door isn’t officially closed on Davenport still attending WSU, but Nagy said he thinks it’s doubtful.
Davenport committed to Wright State before turning in numerous impressive performances in leading Moeller to the Ohio Division I state championship in March.
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“People have been in his ear to go (the prep school) route so that he can go to a higher level,” Nagy said. “If that’s what he feels he needs to do, then that makes it unlikely that he would end up at Wright State.”
Regardless of Davenport’s plans for 2019-2020 and beyond, Wright State has two open scholarships for the 2018-19 season.
Nagy said after Winchester decided to transfer that he felt it would be the best strategy to hold on to the scholarship to see what options might develop with other players announcing transfers.
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But having two open scholarships changes the thought process.
“I don’t like sitting on two,” he said. “For depth purposes, I think one would be more ideal. But we’re also not going to use it just to use it.
“Even if you have two, the main thing is you just don’t rush and take somebody that is not a good fit just to fill it and hope you have depth.”
The other three members of the newest recruiting class, Grant Basile, Skyelar Potter and Malachi Smith, will arrive on campus in early June to take part in offseason workouts and practices.
“Some of these high schools go into June, so some of them graduate and leave the next day,” Nagy said. “Once we get them on campus and get their physicals and get everything set, we’ll get going.
“They’ll be doing the same workouts all the other guys are, but the weight lifting is a little different because our strength and conditioning coaches want to make sure they have a good base and their form and all those things are right,” Nagy said. “But the basketball side of it, they’ll be put in the workouts with everybody else.”
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Nagy said it’s still an adjustment for incoming freshmen, but not nearly as hectic as the system used to be when incoming freshmen couldn’t show up until August.
“Back then they really got thrown in the fire,” he said. “But now, you just kind of take your time. They can adjust and get a feel for how we coach and we can get a feel for how they respond to coaching. It’s a way better scenario for freshmen coming in early.”
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