Raiders coach Greg Sargent learning to deal with the sting of defeat

As much as his faith and priorities help him to stay grounded, he wasn't prepared for how much losses would hurt — especially the coin-flip games that could have gone either way.

After leading Wright State to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years, Scott Nagy was named Horizon League Coach of the Year.

But Nagy, who is entering his 24th season, deflected credit to his staff and players.

“I’m fortunate to have a great staff and a bunch of hard-working players,” Nagy said. “It’s a collective effort. I’m just a small part of it.”

Nagy guided the Raiders to a 17-15 record and a 10-8 mark in the Horizon League, good for fourth place. They earned the No. 4 seed in the Horizon League Tournament and upset top-seeded Cleveland State in the semifinals before falling to Purdue Fort Wayne in the championship game.

But the Raiders received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to eventual national champion Kansas in the first round.

Nagy, who has a 448-343 record at Wright State, is now one of the longest-tenured coaches in Division I.

“I’m blessed to be at a place like Wright State,” Nagy said. “I love the Dayton community and the university. I’m grateful for the opportunity to coach here.”

Nagy's son, Scott Jr., is a senior guard on the Wright State team. He said his father is deserving of the award.

“He puts in so much time and effort,” Scott Jr. said. “He's always thinking about basketball and how to make our team better. He's a great coach and an even better person.”

YOUNGSTOWN TO HOST: Youngstown State will host the Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship for the first time on March 8-11 at the Beeghly Center.

The Penguins, who are hosting the men's championship for the second time, last hosted the women's tournament in 1998 at the Covelli Centre.

“We are excited to once again host the Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship,” YSU athletic director Jeff Bunney said. “Our staff is committed to providing a first-class experience for the student-athletes, coaches, officials and fans.”

The top four seeds will receive byes into the semifinals, while seeds 5-8 will play in the quarterfinals on March 8. The semifinals will be played on March 10, and the championship game will be played on March 11.

All tournament games will be streamed on ESPN+.

YOUNGSTOWN STATE ADDS TRANSFER: Youngstown State has added 6-foot-7 forward Jalen White as a transfer from Chipola (Fla.) College.

White, who is originally from Columbus, averaged 7.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game last season at Chipola, which finished 28-4 and advanced to the NJCAA Tournament.

“Jalen is a versatile forward who can shoot the ball, rebound and defend,” YSU coach Jerrod Calhoun said. “He's a great addition to our program.”

White, who has two years of eligibility remaining, will join a Youngstown State team that returns four starters from a squad that finished 19-13 last season and advanced to the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament.