Next game
Who: Detroit (15-15, 9-8) at Wright State (18-12, 10-7)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
TV: ESPNU
Radio: WONE-AM (980)
FAIRBORN — Billy Donlon, the Wright State men’s basketball coach, pulled a chair from a corner table, stepped onto it and raised the megaphone he had been carrying through campus.
“I’m really sorry to bother you while you all are eating,” Donlon told the lunchtime crowd at The Hangar, the WSU on-campus eatery. “My name’s Billy Donlon, and I’m the head men’s basketball coach here at Wright State.”
Some might have known that, and some might not have.
When Donlon and program administrative assistant D.J. Wyrick pulled up to the gate at the student union parking lot, the attendant asked Wyrick and the 34-year-old Donlon, “Are you students?”
Donlon was on the campus Tuesday afternoon wearing a gray WSU sweat suit and carrying the megaphone promoting Friday night’s regular-season finale against Detroit. The Raiders (18-12, 10-7) will host the Titans (15-15, 9-8) at 7 p.m., and Senior Night festivities will follow.
“Quite simply I’m here to ... we play Friday night at 7 o’clock on national television against Detroit, and it would be really nice if we could get some support because it’s the last home game for our four seniors, Vaughn Duggins, Troy Tabler, Cooper Land and N’Gai Evans. ... I’m really hoping they can get the send-off they deserve with a sold-out Nutter Center.
“Some of you have been supporting us, and I appreciate that. Some of you might not even be into basketball, and that’s fine, too. I’m sure we can all appreciate young people that work really hard at a goal and have great work ethic, great passion for what they do, and I’m hoping that even if you’re not a fan of basketball you can be a fan of someone who works hard. Have a great day, and I’m sorry for the disturbance.”
Some applauded as Donlon stepped down to continue walking through the campus before practice began.
Donlon has been passionate all season in talking about the team’s four seniors, and he said he’ll continue working this week to try to recruit student spectators, as he did when he was an assistant coach for four seasons.
WSU has averaged 4,852 in attendance this season, which is second in the Horizon League behind Butler (6,960).
Donlon’s trying to get more. Passing through the hallways below the union, Donlon passed two female students.
“Excuse me,” he said, “what are you doing at 7 p.m. Friday night?” Donlon said.
“Going to the game,” one of the students said, and Donlon thanked them.
“One at a time,” Donlon said.
Contact this reporter at
(937) 225-7389 or
knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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