Horizon

Horizon League Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:44:39 -0500

Butler, with legitimate Elite Eight aspirations, should be the dominant force in the Horizon. An infusion of Juco talent and returning injured players should help the quality of play throughout the league.

Conference Rank: 12th

10 year average: 15th

Conference Page

All-Horizon Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Shelvin Mack	Butler	So
G	Norris Cole	Cleveland St	Jr
G	Vaughn Duggins	Wright St	Jr
G/F	Gordon Hayward	Butler	So
F	Matt Howard	Butler	Jr

Player of the Year - Gordon Hayward Freshman of the Year - Seth Evans (Green Bay)
CHN Award Winners		Leaders
CHN All-Americans Gordon Hayward Mid-Major All-Americans Gordon Hayward (1st Team) Matt Howard (1st)		Best Scorer: Gordon Hayward Best Rebounder: Matt Howard Best Passer: Spencer Stewart

Horizon League Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

11	Butler	Horizon	1	NCAA
57	Wright State	Horizon	2	NIT
87	UWM	Horizon	3	CBI/CIT
111	Green Bay	Horizon	4	CBI/CIT
152	Cleveland St	Horizon	5
177	Valparaiso	Horizon	6
200	Illinois Chicago	Horizon	7
231	Detroit	Horizon	8
281	Youngstown St	Horizon	9
310	Loyola Ill	Horizon	10

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the HL?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Best Non-BCS Conference in 2009-10?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:05:41 -0500

Butler Basketball Preview: #11

Joel Welser — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:39:37 -0500

Overall Rank: #11

Conference Rank: #1 Horizon League

2008-09: 26-6, 15-3

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Brad Stevens (56-10 at Butler, 56-10 overall)

Coach Brad Stevens has lost a grand total of ten games during his two years at Butler. That average of five losses per season could become even more impressive after year three. The Bulldogs return absolutely everybody from a team that was given a nine seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost in the first round to LSU.

Key Losses: none

Key Newcomers:

With nine players back who averaged ten minutes per game or more, it will be difficult for the newcomers to make much of an impact. However, the Bulldogs could always use some more size and Andrew Smith and Emerson Kampen should provide just that. Smith, a true freshman, is 6-11 and 239 pounds, making him the biggest player on the roster and Kampen, a walk-on who turned down scholarship offers from other schools, is 6-9. The other newcomer is redshirt guard Chase Stigall who could be a steady contributor in the future.

Backcourt:

Starters Shelvin Mack and Ronald Nored were big surprises for Butler during the 2008-2009 campaign. Nobody really expected the freshmen to step in and immediately be so productive. Mack is the more dynamic scorer of the two after averaging 11.9 points per game. His outside shooting was a little inconsistent at times, but Mack was still second on the team with 1.8 three-pointers per contest. Just as importantly, Mack dished out 3.5 assists and grabbed 4.4 rebounds per game. Nored started all 32 games, but he averaged just 4.2 points per game. He is a solid ballhandler and will only get better with experience. The elder statesman of the backcourt is Willie Veasley. The 6-3 senior is a versatile glue guy who averaged 8.9 points and 4.3 rebounds last season.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt has two superstars if you count Gordon Hayward as a frontcourt player. The 6-9 wing was yet another freshman who exceeded expectations and tallied 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and proved to be a superb outside shooter. His presence made things much easier for Matt Howard, who was named the Horizon League’s Player of the Year last season and Newcomer of the Year two years ago. During the 2008-2009 campaign Howard led the team with 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Howard will be the go-to-scorer once again, but that may change as the rest of the team gets more experienced. With Avery Jukes and Garrett Butcher joining the newcomers, the frontcourt has more than enough depth.

Who to Watch:

However, depth in the backcourt is a minor issue. Since Nored is not much of a scorer, somebody needs to step up and provide a spark off the bench. Zach Hahn did a decent job of filling that role last year, connecting on 41.0 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc, but Shawn Vanzant and Grant Leiendecker both have the potential to play a significant role if they can score more consistently.

Final Projection:

There is nothing stopping this team from winning 25 games again. The Horizon League is not too bad, so they might not cruise through the conference, but Butler fans should hope their conference can do better as a whole this time around or Butler will once again lose just a handful of games and then be stuck with an eight or nine seed when they deserve a three or four seed.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Shelvin Mack, Sophomore, Guard, 11.9 points per game

Ronald Nored, Sophomore, Guard, 4.2 points per game

Willie Veasley, Senior, Guard, 8.9 points per game

Gordon Hayward, Sophomore, Forward, 13.1 points per game

Matt Howard, Junior, Forward, 14.8 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
12		13		14		15

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Who Will Win the Horizon League?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:04:33 -0400

College Basketball: Preseason Conference Ranking

CHN — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:43:04 -0400

After finishing 1st in the RPI the last two years, the ACC should fall back slightly thanks to the big-name departures at UNC & Wake Forest. This should allow one of the Big 12, Big Ten, or even SEC a shot at being #1. The Pac-10 is weak enough that a high-major like the A-10, MVC, or MWC could surpass it.

Chime in with your thoughts below if you agree or disagree with CHN's preseason conference ranking.

2009-10 Conference Ranking

*08-09 is last year's conference RPI. Commentary by Shawn Siegel, ranking by CHN.

	Conference	08-09*
1	Big Ten 9 of 11 teams go into season with ncaa hopes, and as many as 7 may reach that goal	2
2	Big 12 ku is the clear title contender. the bottom few teams are weak though and the middle-tier is hit or miss	3
3	ACC no dominant team like last year, but solid as always.	1
4	SEC rise of uk brings league back to prominence after down year..	6
5	Big East lose tons of big name players, and still held down by likes of depual, rutgers, etc	4
6	Pac-10 conceivable the pac-10 only receives 3 tourney bids.	5
7	Atlantic 10 should get at least 2 invites to the ncaa tournament	8
8	MVC with improvement expected from usual leaders creighton & siu, mvc should be solid all-around	9
9	MWC just about every top team loses a top player, but mwc should be one of the more entertaining leagues	7
10	Conference USA though memphis takes step back, rest of league is better than usual.	10
11	WAC after some down years, wac will once again be compeititve league	11
12	Horizon butler has top 10 hopes, but squads like csu and green bay lose key seniors.	12
13	Colonial while still 1 bid league, likes of odu, n'eastern, gmu, and vcu are all quality	14
14	Sun Belt more then just wku, the entire east division is solid	17
15	MAAC siena, niagara, and rider all have postseason hopes	13
16	WCC gonzaga and smc both worse then season ago	15
17	MAC #'s should be better than last year, but west division still a struggle	21
18	Big West led by up-and-coming long beach state. always finish around this #.	18
19	Summit darling ndsu loses a lot, so usual contenders like oru and oakland should be at forefront again	26
20	Big Sky with exception of sacramento st, this is a solid league top to bottom.	24
21	Southland underrated league always good for some non-conference upsets	19
22	Ivy cornell will be the best the ivy has offered in quite some years	29
23	Southern steph curry's departure opens up door for charleston	20
24	America East decimation of binghamton will hurt league #'s	16
25	Atlantic Sun the league's upper half is as solid as it's been for a few years	27
26	Patriot could use a rebound from former top gun bucknell.	22
27	OVC morehead st continues its improbable rise..	23
28	Big South outside of radford, not much to get excited about here..	25
29	NEC nec hasn't had much going for it in recent years	28
30	MEAC as usual, will battle swac for title of country's worst	30
31	SWAC solid jackson st gives swac hope of surpassing meac	31

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Wright State Basketball Preview: #57

Joel Welser — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:24:43 -0400

Overall Rank: #57

Conference Rank: #2 Horizon League

2008-09: 20-13, 12-6

2008-09 postseason: none

Coach: Brad Brownell (63-33 at Wright State, 147-73 overall)

Wright State lost their superstar Vaughn Duggins four games into the season. Despite that major setback, the Raiders still won 20 games and managed to compete in a tough Horizon League. Now Duggins is back, as is nearly everybody else, and Wright State should have the year they were hoping to have in 2008-2009 in 2009-2010.

Key Losses: G William Graham, F Gavin Horne

Key Newcomers:

With the return of Duggins, Coach Brad Brownell does not need help from his three incoming freshmen this year. This class is more about the future, but the future is looking pretty good with Tyler Koch and Darian Cartharn coming into the backcourt. Koch is a wing with good size who can score in bunches and hit the glass. Cartharn could see some minutes this year as a backup point guard, but it might be tough to find minutes in an already crowded backcourt. Forward Paul Darkwa has the most experience after spending eight years in the Navy. The 26 year old is a good athlete and should emerge as a quality player after a year or two in the system.

Backcourt:

It was Todd Brown who really stepped up his game when Duggins went out. Brown ended the year averaging 11.7 points per game and turned into a great outside shooting threat. He even ranked second on the team in rebounding and with him and Duggins on the wings, the Raiders are in great shape. Add N’Gai Evans and Troy Tabler to the mix and Wright State has plenty of options on the perimeter. Yet, it is John David Gardner who is the unsung hero. The 6-4 senior missed part of the season with a hip injury, but he was the leader of the team on the floor, dishing out 3.1 assists per game.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt lacks the scoring punch of the perimeter, but Cory Cooperwood has emerged as a consistent scorer under the basket. A season ago he tallied 9.5 points and a team high 5.4 rebounds and his senior season should be his best yet. Ronnie Thomas is back to start by Cooperwood’s side. Thomas is not much of a scorer, but he will do the dirty work around the basket and help out on the glass. However, the team will rely on Scott Grote and Cooper Land to help out Thomas and give Cooperwood a break when he needs a rest or runs into foul trouble.

Who to Watch:

Two years ago Duggins led the Raiders with 13.8 points and connected on nearly 40 percent of his attempts from long range. He even dished out 2.7 assists and averaged one steal per contest. Losing him unexpectedly was a huge blow to a team that had NCAA aspirations, but now that he is back, the Raiders hope to live up to those lofty expectations.

Final Projection:

If anybody is going to give Butler a run for their money, it should be Wright State. Coach Brownell has done a great job with the Raiders during his three years with the team and his fourth year could be his best yet. This group might not be able to beat out Butler, but they could hang around the bubble if they can win some big non-conference games in November and December.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

John David Gardner, Senior, Guard, 8.7 points per game

Vaughn Duggins, Junior, Guard, 11.8 points per game

Todd Brown, Senior, Guard, 11.7 points per game

Ronnie Thomas, Senior, Forward, 3.9 points per game

Cory Cooperwood, Senior, Forward, 9.5 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
58		59		60		61

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Preview Interviews

Horizon League Quaterfinals: Sights & Sounds

Bill Kintner — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 11:35:27 -0500

INDIANAPOLIS - Tonight the Horizon League played the quarterfinal games at number one seed Butler University. The 6 p.m. game featured Wright State playing Milwaukee and the 8 p.m. game featured UIC and Cleveland State. In both games the higher seed prevailed. Wright State beat Milwaukee 80-70 and Cleveland State beat UIC 67-64.

-Hinkle Fieldhouse is known for the venue where the big game in the movie Hoosiers was played but this court and fieldhouse has seen all kinds of history. For starters almost every major player from the Midwest has played here. Oscar Robertson played high school games here, Steve Alford once scored 50 points in a high school game at Hinkle. Cazzie Russell came in with Michigan to play Butler. You can't forget Larry Bird playing here in high school and college. There have been ABA and NBA All-Star games. Billy Graham once held a crusade here. Presidents Hoover, Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, Clinton and Bush have spoken here. Jesse Owens ran an indoor track meet while a student at Ohio State here. Maybe the most amazing thing is they still use the original court.

-Wright State came out hitting shooting well and then Milwaukee switched to a zone at about the 13 minute mark and Wright State kept up shooting well from outside including several 3-pointers. The Panthers went back to man-to-man and started a run.

-The crowd in game one was heavily Wright State supporters, probably 85 percent or so were cheering for the green and gold. In fact, I think Wright State had more fans than the other three teams combined. There were maybe 500 Raider fans in attendance tonight.

-At the 10:35 mark writer Jay Pearlman leaned over and called the game for Wright State. The Raiders were leading 59-45. In case you are not familiar with Pearlman's background he used to be a coach on Dan Dakich's staff at Bowling Green State University, so he knows a little about basketball. Of course, he was right again.

-In the second half of the game Wright State held the Panthers to just six points in the first 9:47. The amazing thing was that Milwaukee had just six points and not one was a legit field goal. Their scoring consisted of two foul shots and Wright was called for two goal-tending calls.

-Wright State's athletic director Bob Grant expects 1000 or so fans to be in attendance for the semi-final game against Butler.

-The 80 points Wright State scored tonight were the most points the Raiders have scored in a game all season.

- So far the Horizon League Tournament has had no flub-ups here at Hinkle Arena. No birds flying around crapping on fans or flying into the ventilation system and getting ground up in a flurry of feathers. No score board malfunctions. No mascots taking a doo doo on the court. All of those things I have witnessed at college games. It had been rather uneventful except for the great basketball on the court.

-There was a little unusual excitement tonight when the game officials asked Horizon League officials to remove several Wright State students that were sitting under the basket where the Butler students usually sit. It is not known what they said, but the students said as they were being tossed out that they said nothing offensive. Three Raider Rowdies were removed and the other Raider students behaved themselves.

-UIC has won six of the last seven games they have played coming into tonight's game.

-UIC's 7' 0" Scott VanderMeer hold's the Horizon League record for blocked shots. Including the two he got tonight, it is 273.

-The semifinals on Saturday night feature four teams with at least 20 wins or more.
*Wright State (20-13) plays Butler (25-4) at 7 p.m.
*Cleveland State (23-10) plays Green Bay (22-9) at 9 p.m.

Horizon League Tournament: Preview & Predictions

Evan Dorey — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:47:02 -0500

This is one in a series of conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, giving a brief statistical review and presenting the log5 projections, using in-conference offensive and defensive efficiency. The basic log5 methodology comes from Bill James, and this is an area Ken Pomeroy has looked at in the past as well. I claim nothing new in the application, but obviously with slightly different methodologies, these numbers may differ from others you find. I don’t claim to be an expert on any particular conference, and I’m sure there are some mis-characterizations on some players I’ve seen sparingly at best, so please add your thoughts in the comments. Anyway, with no further ado, the preview follows below:

Horizon League Championship

The Horizon league utilizes a two-round bye, in which the bottom 8 teams battle for spots in the semifinals, where the top 2 seeds are waiting for them. First round games are hosted at campus sites, the quarters and semis are in the #1 seeds’ building, and the highest remaining seed hosts the final.

Tournament Odds

#	Team	QF	SF	F	W
1	Butler	100.00%	100.00%	86.12%	68.48%
2	Green Bay	100.00%	100.00%	56.98%	16.28%
3	Cleveland St.	97.12%	81.56%	40.18%	11.28%
4	Wright St.	92.77%	61.28%	10.15%	3.04%
5	Milwaukee	90.81%	35.86%	3.66%	0.74%
6	Youngstown St.	60.07%	9.91%	1.43%	0.08%
7	Illinois Chicago	39.93%	7.87%	1.38%	0.09%
8	Loyola Chicago	9.19%	1.13%	0.02%	0.00%
9	Valparaiso	7.23%	1.73%	0.05%	0.00%
10	Detroit	2.88%	0.66%	0.03%	0.00%

Only two teams look to have any legitimate shot of stopping Butler and causing consternation across the bubble, Green Bay and Cleveland St. There’s also a pretty clear drop-off below the #5 seed, with the bottom five having little chance to even make the final.

#1 – Butler Bulldogs (25-4, 15-3) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.153

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (2^nd Round)

There’s no Horizon team that’s as complete as the Bulldogs, who have the conference’s best defense and one of its best attacks. They make more than 50% of their shots from inside the arc, and get a lot of points from the free throw line, but turn the ball over more than a ‘traditional’ Butler team. Butler’s defense is spectacular at stopping shots, holding opponents to 36% from the field and 30% from three.

Players to watch:

6-8 FR Gordon Hayward, 13.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 61.7 eFG% - Hayward has been one of the nation’s best freshmen, and looks like the kind of player power conference programs will be kicking themselves over the years to come. He doesn’t lead Butler in scoring or rebounding, but is easily the team’s most efficient option, a good inside guy who shoots 46% from behind the arc and over 80% from the free throw line. He’s also a solid defender, averaging better than a block and a steal, and should be a player to watch throughout the month of March.

6-8 SO Matt Howard, 14.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.6 BPG, 55.6 eFG% - Another key to Butler’s successful season, Howard is a good inside scorer who does his best work at the free throw line; he’s 7^th in the nation in free throw rate, and hits them at a 77% clip. He’s also the team’s best rebounder, and one of the Horizon’s best shot blockers.

#2 – Green Bay Phoenix (22-9, 13-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.103

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1996 (1^st Round)

Green Bay is as good a shooting team as you’ll find in the country, the only team in the top 5 nationally in both three-point and free-throw shooting. It’s also pretty solid inside, and manages to hold on to the ball, all of which adds up to the conference’s best offense. When the Phoenix get on a roll, they can put up some frightening offensive numbers, which is good, because their defense hasn’t been particularly strong. They are the worst team in the Horizon on the defensive glass, and are only average at defending shots, so they need all the points they can get.

Players to watch:

6-8 SR Ryan Tillema, 17.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG,60.3 eFG% - Tillema missed the first month of the season, and despite starting only 5 games, he leads the Horizon in scoring. He’s a 44% three-point shooter, and is an excellent ball control guard, turning the ball over just 30 times all season.

6-4 JR Troy Cotton, 12.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 58.4 eFG% - Cotton is the Phoenix’s most-frequent three-point shooter, and at 42% he’s a very dangerous long-distance option. Like Tillema, he doesn’t turn the ball over much, and is an incredibly efficient offensive player.

#3 – Cleveland St. Vikings (21-10, 12-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.093

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1986 (Sweet Sixteen)

The Vikings’ season may best be remembered for some close finishes, falling on a buzzer-beating three against Butler and winning on a miraculous half-court shot at Syracuse. An eight-game winning streak towards the close of the conference season got them into the battle for a second seed, but they couldn’t clinch it, forcing them to play two extra games. The Vikings are the most inside-oriented team in the tournament, a good thing, given their poor three point shooting. They also struggle to defend the outside shot, but make up for it by leading the league in shot-blocking and forcing turnovers.

Players to watch:

6-5, SR J’Nathan Bullock, 15.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 47.7 eFG% - Bullock is a critical player for the Vikings, leading them in both scoring and rebounding. He’s a solid player who does a lot well, but doesn’t have any particular area where he’s a dominant force. His

6-3, SR Cedric Jackson, 9.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.4 APG, 3.0 SPG, 41.3 eFG% - Almost all of Jackson’s value comes when he’s not shooting the ball, and the Vikings should try to avoid possessions ending in his hands. He makes up for his shooting by leading the conference in assists and steals, while also being a good rebounder.

#4 – Wright St. Raiders (18-12, 12-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.068

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2007 (1^st Round)

Wright St. had an 0-6 start to the season, including dropping its first two conference games, but rebounded to reach a 7-3 conference record before picking up a few tough losses down the stretch. The Raiders defend better than any non-Butler team in the HL, holding opponents below 38% from the field, and forcing turnovers at an impressive rate. They play at a pretty slow pace, and are somewhat vulnerable to the three, but their problems tend to come from the offensive end. Wright St. simply doesn’t make many shots, just 41% from the field, and compounds that by getting very few of their misses back. It does manage to get shots up, as it rarely turns it over, but that doesn’t end up producing a lot of points.

Players to watch:

6-7 JR Cory Cooperwood, 9.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 49.0 eFG% - Cooperwood’s stats fit Wright St.’s profile really well: he’s only a decent scorer by many team’s standards, but he’s the Raiders’ most efficient offensive player. He’s also an effective defender, recording good block and steal rates, and is easily the Raiders’ best rebounder.

6-5 JR Todd Brown, 11.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 49.5 eFG% - Brown plays more minutes than any other Raider, and is the only serious three-point threat on the team, a 43% shooter from behind the arc. 39% from two, though, means he that he should try and stick to the outside shot.

#5 – Milwaukee Panthers (16-13, 11-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.024

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (2^nd Round)

Milwaukee looked to be serious challengers for the conference title when it sat at 7-1 in mid-January, but it closed the season with a 4-6 record, and was unable to parlay a big win over Butler into a top 4 seed. The Panthers shoot a terrible percentage from the field, but have put together a decent offense anyways. They rebound well and take a lot of threes, which they make at a decent clip. Their performance inside the arc is their Achilles heel, as they hit just 43% of inside shots. Defensively, Milwaukee is again around league average, and unlike the offense, it is stronger inside than outside. It is also one of the nation’s weakest teams at forcing turnovers.

Players to watch:

6-7 JR James Eayrs, 11.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 50.6 eFG% - One of my favorite moments of the season was watching ‘Big Lumber’ hit the game-tying three against Green Bay, a game that really started an uptick in his minutes and his level of play. He’s 6-7, 340 pounds, and an solid three-point shooter, not the most common sight. He’s good on the glass and at the free throw line, but his biggest asset is his play behind the arc.

6-3 SR Avery Smith, 11.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 42.9 eFG% - Smith does just about everything but make shots, leading the team in assists and steals and sitting second in scoring and rebounds. His problem is his shooting percentages, which are terrible, 39% overall and just 29% from behind the arc.

#6 – Youngstown St. Penguins (11-18, 7-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.055

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Outside of a four-game stretch that saw it beat both Chicago schools and both Wisconsin schools, Youngstown has struggled to find any consistency, getting some very nice wins, but dropping a lot of games against the bottom teams in the league as well. The Penguins are good three point shooters, but most of their offense comes from inside the arc. They also do quite poorly on turnover margin, forcing few themselves while committing more than most league teams. Their one defensive strength is on the perimeter, where they hold opponents below 33% on three-point attempts. When the ball goes inside, though, they usuallly have trouble getting stops.

Players to watch:

6-7 JR Sirlester Martin, 9.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 44.1 eFG% - Martin is second in the Horizon in rebounding, and while he’s only fourth on the team in scoring, he’s part of a fairly even group of scorers around the 10 PPG mark. Martin’s problem is shooting, as he hits just 43% of his two attempts.

6-2 JR DeAndre Mays, 10.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 43.4 eFG% - Mays’ overall percentages aren’t great, but he’s a solid lead guard, with a good assist rate and the ability to hit the long distance shot.

#7 – UIC Flames (15-14, 7-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.036

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2004 (1^st Round)

The Flames are the last team that are close to even in in-conference efficiency margin, and the last team with a significant chance of making the semifinals. A good start and strong finish to the season for UIC were ruined by a 4-11 stretch in the first month and a half of the conference season. This is a quality shooting team, making a good percentage of free throws and threes, but with most of its shots coming from insie, where the Flames shoot just 43%, the offense as a whole isn’t too strong. Interestingly, their opponents tend to have success from outside as well, making a lot of threes and rarely turning the ball over. The Flames’ defensive system leads to opponents taking a large number of threes, and since UIC doesn’t stop enough of them from being made, it has the conference’s second worst defense.

Players to watch:

5-11, SR Josh Mayo, 16.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 48.6 eFG% - Mayo is part of one of the conference’s best inside-outside combinations, and is second in the Horizon in scoring. The senior guard shoots an almost identical percentage from two and from three, both around 40%, and is excellent at the free throw line, where he shoots 86%. He’s not the primary ball distribution guard, but does manage to average more than 3 assists.

7-0, SR Scott VanderMeer, 10.7 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.6 BPG, 41.2 eFG% - VanderMeer is the conference’s best pure big man, a dominant shot-blocker and rebounder. What’s surprising about him is his shooting percentage, which is certainly not as high as you’d expect from a 7-footer.

#8 – Loyola Chicago Ramblers (14-17, 6-12) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.118

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1985 (Sweet Sixteen)

The Ramblers came up with the Horizon’s most surprising result of the year when they snapped a six-game losing streak by being the only HL team to win a regular season game at Hinkle Fieldhouse. They were incredibly efficient on the offensive end in that game, which is the only way they can realistically win with the conference’s worst defense. Horizon opponents have shredded Loyola, shooting over 50% from two, and 46% overall. Loyola also has a worse offense than any team ahead of them in the standings, explaining why there is such a big gap to the bottom three teams. They are the conference’s worst at making shots, but are very good offensive rebounders, and don’t turn it over much.

Players to watch:

6-1, SR J.R. Blount, 13.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, 39.9 eFG% - Blount leads the Ramblers in scoring and assists, but this isn’t really a good thing, as he is quite a poor percentage player, shooting under 40% from the field and struggling with turnovers.

6-8, SR Darrin Williams, 7.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 51.4 eFG% - Williams is only Loyola’s fifth ranked scorer, but is really the only player who shoots decently, at 51%. He’s also a good rebounder and shot blocker, and the Ramblers need him to play well in the post.

#9 – Valparaiso Crusaders (9-21, 5-13) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.090

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2004 (1^st Round)

The Crusaders are the perfect example of why this time of year is so magical, as more than a decade later the Valpo name is still associated with its huge tourney upset in 1998. This edition will have pulled a big upset if it even manages to make the semifinals, as they’ve had a tough season, though they have won two of their last three. Valpo’s offensive struggles have come despite their solid shooting; the problem has been in getting possessions, as they are near the bottom of the league in turnovers and rebounding. Defensively, the Crusaders are pretty mediocre, with he only bright spot being their ability to force turnovers.

Players to watch:

6-9, SR Urule Igbavboa, 12.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.9 BPG, 50.2 eFG% - Igbavboa has taken a larger role in the Valpo offense in his senior year, and seen his efficiency drop from a successful 07-08 season. Still, he’s a versatile player with a lot of talents, leading the Crusaders in scoring, blocks and rebounding and chipping in with some assists as well. He is at his best when he can get to the free throw-line, where he earns a lot of points despite a mediocre percentage.

6-3, SO Howard Little, 9.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 54.7 eFG% - Little is the rare Crusader who is a serious threat from behind the arc, and while he doesn’t take a lot of shots, he’s efficient enough to sit second on the team in scoring. He’s also a pretty good rebounder, and leads the team in steals.

#10 – Detroit Titans (7-22, 2-16) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.142

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1999 (2^nd Round)

It may be as cheesy as it gets, but ‘Mercy’ is an appropriate name for the Titans, given their woeful performance with the ball, one of the worst in-conference offensive showings in the nation. Consider that if they were as good defending against the Horizon average as Memphis have been against Conference USA (which is pretty damn good, if you didn’t know), they’d probably still be a .500 team. Given this, it’s a miracle that they managed to stay within single digits of Butler in both games against the Bulldogs. Interestingly, they manage to be terrible offensively while still making a decent field goal percentage, which should tell you everything you need to know about how useful that stat is in isolation. The problem is twofold, turnovers and three-point shooting. When you make just 25% of long-range attempts, and give the ball up once every four times down the floor, it’s hard to find possessions in which the ball ends up in the basket. Defensively, Detroit are actually decent, mostly because they force turnovers themselves and do well on the glass.

Players to watch:

5-11 JR Woody Payne, 8.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.2 SPG, 45.7 eFG% - Payne is a bit of an oddity, a 5-11 player who takes very few threes, and doesn’t do well on those he does attempt. He’s a decent point guard, leading the team in assists, having one of the best steal rates in the country, and only occasionally struggling with turnovers.

6-7 JR Thomas Kennedy, 11.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 47.5 eFG% - The Titans’ leading scorer, Kennedy could actually be an efficient player if he cut out the three-pointers, on which he shoots just 24%. He’s an OK rebounder, but nothing special, and doesn’t contribute enough in any other area to make up for his poor shot selection.

My statistical all-Horizon League team:

Butler SO G Matt Howard, 14.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.6 BPG, 55.6 eFG%

UIC SR G Josh Mayo, 16.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 48.6 eFG%

Green Bay SR G Ryan Tillema, 16.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG,59.4 eFG%

Butler FR G/F Gordon Hayward, 13.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 61.7 eFG%

Cleveland St. SR F J’Nathan Bullock, 15.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 47.7 eFG%

Horizon League Tournament 2009: Seeding/Schedule

Press Release — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:27:55 -0500

2009 Speedway Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship

Tuesday, March 3 / First Round / at campus sites
Game 1 - #10 Detroit at #3 Cleveland State, 7 p.m. ET (HLN)
Game 2 - #7 UIC at #6 Youngstown State, 7 p.m. ET (HLN)
Game 3 - #9 Valparaiso at #4 Wright State, 7 p.m. ET (HLN)
Game 4 - #8 Loyola at #5 Milwaukee, 8 p.m. ET (HLN)

Friday, March 6 / Second Round / at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Game 5 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6 p.m. ET (HLN)
Game 6 - Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 8 p.m. ET (HLN)

Saturday, March 7 / Semifinals / at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Game 7 - Game 5 winner at #1 Butler, 7 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
Game 8 - Game 6 winner vs. #2 Green Bay, 9 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

Tuesday, March 10 / Championship / at higher remaining seed
Game 9 - Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Indianapolis Regional: 2009 NCAA Tournament

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:24:46 -0500

Midwest Regional

Friday & Saturday, March 27 and 29, 2009

Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana
Host: Butler University/Horizon League

Midwest Regional Tickets

Phone: 317/262-3389
E-mail: ticketoffice@iccrd.com

Arena Information

Indianapolis - Lucas Oil Stadium
The brand new, state-of-the-art Lucas Oil Stadium is located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana on South Senate Avenue, only blocks from the RCA Dome, the Colts previous home stadium. The $675 million facility will seat 63,000 people and features a retractable roof and moveable window wall. The stadium will feature two Daktronics high-definition scoreboards at northwest and southeast corners. Each scoreboard is 53 feet tall and 97 feet wide, meaning the fans won't miss any of the action.

Indianapolis will be the home of the 2010 Final Four!

More:

2008 NCAA Tournament

NCAA Tournament Venues

Final Four Info

Final Four Tickets