Come March 9, the Ervin J. Nutter Center at Wright State in Dayton could really live up to its nickname ”the Nuthouse.”
That`s the night of the Mid-Continent Conference tournament final, and the host Raiders easily could be playing for an NCAA tournament berth.
Led by 6-foot-8-inch senior Bill Edwards (21 points, 8 rebounds a game last season), Wright State will be tough to knock out of the top spot in the league, but Cleveland State and Illinois-Chicago are expected to give it a shot.
Cleveland State welcomes 6-9 Michigan transfer Sam Mitchell, and point guard Gravelle Craig makes the Vikings go.
UIC has one of the most explosive players in the league in guard Kenny Williams, and sophomore Sherell Ford, who sat out last season as a Prop 48 casuality, is expected to have an immediate impact.
Mike Lipnisky, out all last season with a back injury, and junior-college transfer Randy Tucker bring a lot of flash to the Northern Illinois backcourt. Randy Fens and 7-1 Steve Oldendorf will have to deliver inside.
Wisconsin-Green Bay, meanwhile, has lost guards Tony Bennett (now with the Charlotte Hornets) and John Martinez (knee), and now top inside threat Larry Hill has been suspended indefinitely. Logan Vander Velden, Dean Rondorf and Jeremy Ludvigson are going to have to step up.
Valparaiso, led by guards Tracy Gipson and Lance Barker, will attack from the three-point line, while defending tournament champ Eastern Illinois will look inside to Curtis Leib and outside to Eric West.
Western Illinois, with new coach Jim Kerwin, and league newcomer Youngstown State have their work cut out.