By Kyle Coppola
Eustis’s Ricardo Wright Shines with Kennesaw State University
EUSTIS, FL— Ricardo Wright, a sharpshooting guard from Eustis, Florida, has built an impressive college basketball career since playing his high school basketball in Lake and Sumter County. Now in his fifth season at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, Wright has made his been a journeyman in college basketball playing for Marist College his Freshman and Sophomore before playing for SMU in Dallas the last two seasons. Wright made the decision to transfer to Kennesaw State University where he will play a fifth year of eligibility due to Covid.
Wright, who graduated from The Villages High School, developed his scoring prowess early. During his high school days, he averaged 21.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game as a senior, leading The Villages to a 21-7 record, a district championship, and a state regional semifinal appearance. His standout moments included a school-record 40-point performance and a selection to the prestigious Florida Athletic Coaches Association North vs. South Game. He was named Class 4A Second Team All-State and First Team All-Area by the Daily Commercial.
(Ricardo Wright playing for Kennesaw State University – Photo Credit – KSU Athletics.)
Wright began his collegiate career at Marist College, where he earned MAAC All-Rookie Team honors in his freshman season after averaging 11.0 points per game. As a sophomore, he led Marist in scoring with 13.6 points per game and ranked among the conference leaders in three-point shooting and scoring.
Transferring to SMU for the 2022-23 season, Wright adapted to the American Athletic Conference’s competitiveness. In his junior season, he showcased his scoring ability with four double-digit performances, highlighted by a 13-point game at UCF and 11 points in an AAC-opening win against Tulsa. Wright also ranks in SMU’s career record books, tying for 21st in program history with a 36.3% three-point shooting mark.
(Wright spent the past two years at SMU. Wright has transferred to Kennesaw State University for the 2024/2025 basketball season. Photo Credit – SMU Athletics.)
Wright is currently having a great start to the 2024/25 NCAA Basketball season. He is averaging 8 points per game while averaging about 17 minutes on the floor with Kennesaw State University.
Beyond his statistics, Wright’s basketball journey is fueled by his roots and a strong family support system. The son of Karen Angel-Wright and Richard Wright, he credits his upbringing and community with shaping his work ethic. It’s been fun to watch Ricardo’s journey and we wish him the best of luck this season!
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
