Five Things Virginia Fans Need To Know About Wright State

The Virginia Cavaliers-Wright State Raiders First Round matchup is only two days away. The winner will advance to the Second Round, while the other will make an early exit. As always, competition is expected to be incredibly tight and thrilling—it's called March Madness for a reason.

Ahead of the game, we've been analyzing the Raiders to see how they stack up against the Cavaliers. With that, here are five things every UVA fan should know about Wright State before tipoff on Friday, March 20 at 1:50 p.m. ET.

They Lead Their Conference

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's LeBron Thomas getting a shot blocked by Wright State's Michael Imariagbe. — University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's LeBron Thomas and Wright State's Michael Imariagbe | Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Raiders are riding 23-11 overall and 15-5 in conference play, ultimately leading the Horizon League standings. This year, they managed to clinch both the regular-season title and the tournament title. Wright State is now entering the NCAA Tournament as a No. 14 seed in the Midwest Region. Although Virginia is a large favorite for this matchup, the Cavaliers must be careful not to underestimate this program.

Wright State's Rotation

Wright State Raiders TJ Burch passing a basketball while being guarded by Detroit Mercy Titans London Maiden — Wright State Raiders guard TJ Burch and Detroit Mercy Titans forward London Maiden | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Raiders' rotation primarily relies on a key set of starters—Kellen Pickett, Michael Imariagbe, Dominic Pangonis, TJ Burch and Solomon Callaghan. This set of starters is quite efficient on offense, which could put the Cavaliers to the test.

The Raiders' bench isn't too shabby, either, but it's not as stunning as UVA's. Andrea Holden, Michael Cooper, Logan Woods and Sam Alamutu hold down the fort of their bench.

Key Trio Leads the Pack

Wright State's most valuable players in terms of production are Cooper, Burch and Imariagbe. Cooper, a 6'3" freshman, leads the program with 13.4 points per game, while Burch follows with 12.3 per game and Imariagne averages 11.8 per game.

While Cooper leads in points, Imariagne records a shocking average of seven rebounds per game, while Burch guides the Raiders with 3.5 assists per game. Imariagbe brings veteran leadership to the court, as this season marked his fifth year in college basketball, and his second with Wright State.

They've Appeared in Five NCAA Tournaments

Wright State Raiders Solomon Callaghan being guarded by Detroit Mercy Titans Orlando Lovejoy — Wright State Raiders guard Solomon Callaghan and Detroit Mercy Titans guard Orlando Lovejoy | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This will be Wright State's fifth NCAA Tournament appearance, but they have yet to win a championship title as a Division 1 program. For reference, Virginia secured the highly touted title in 2019. Furthermore, the Raiders have not made an appearance since 2022, when they fell to Arizona 87-70.

With an opportunity to finally make a deep run in the tournament this year, both teams are going to be hungry for victory once Friday rolls around.

The Raiders’ Offense Could Be Troubling for UVA

Throughout the season the Hoos have shown just how dominant they can be on both sides of the ball, but they've also sputtered on the court at times. Wright State has a productive offense, and if the Cavaliers don't pressure them accordingly, this could be their downfall.