Wright State senior point guard Reggie Arceneaux faced adversity before even setting foot on WSU’s campus, and he set a milestone while fighting an injury this season.
Arceneaux’s journey to Wright State included being displaced from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He and his family relocated to Arkansas, and later to North Carolina, where Arceneaux played at Olympic High School in Charlotte.
Arceneaux’s offer from Wright State was sparked from playing in a high school game against a team coached by a friend of WSU head coach Billy Donlon. The coach of the opposition sent Donlon film of Arceneaux, and an offer was made from there.
Over the course of this year, Arceneaux has dealt with a foot injury, but being relocated with his family and losing everything does not compare to that, according Donlon.
“Having all that taken away from them in a natural catastrophe and starting their lives over in Charlotte, I would imagine with Reggie that the things we’ve gone through this year compared to that are minimal,” Donlon said.
Arceneaux’s toughness and confidence has guided him through his struggles this season, according to Donlon.
“Reggie is playing through some serious stuff and he is giving us everything he has got,” Donlon said. “There are times in the game where it impacts him, but he is fighting hard his senior year.”
Arceneaux has played from the bench several times this season after having a more defined starting role in the past.
“I’ll do whatever is necessary for the team to win if I have to come off the bench or start. It’s really only the coach’s decision, but whatever he decides, I trust the decision. We go with it from there,” Arceneaux said.
Arceneaux hit a major career milestone in the Raider record books, scoring his 1,000th point on Feb. 7 at Cleveland State.
“A lot of players have come through here and played basketball, and to be one of the (29) people to do it speaks volumes,” Arceneaux said.
Hitting the 1,000-point mark says a lot about Arceneaux’s career as a whole, according to Donlon.
“I’m really happy he got to 1,000 points because that is something you can never take away and it shows a significant contribution over his career,” Donlon said.
Arceneaux had a role in some of Wright State’s greatest moments as a team, including a buzzer beater to advanced to the Horizon League Championship in 2013. While these are moments Arceneaux will not forget, he is looking to move on from them.
“They are memories to talk about when it’s all said and done. You also have to move on from it because as of now it doesn’t matter what I did or what the team did in the past,” Arceneaux said.
Even in defeat, making back-to-back league championship games speaks to Arceneaux’s leadership qualities, according to Donlon.
“To go to back-to-back championship games is really a point of pride for him to be a leader those two years and be tied for the most wins over a two-year period in the history of this school. He had a lot to do with that,” Donlon said.
He will be remembered for his genuineness and his honesty as well, according to Donlon.
“He’s been incredibly honest for someone his age since his freshman year. I don’t mean that guys that are 18 are just a bunch of liars. Reggie tells the truth all the time on anything,” Donlon said.
While most players remember the game experiences in their collegiate careers, Arceneaux will remember the work he put in preparation for his games
“For me, it was the offseason and knowing the kind of work of you put in behind the scenes that no one gets to see. The fans, your friends and your family don’t really the work we put in behind the scenes,” Arceneaux said.
