NCAAB Horizon Conf
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HORIZON CONFERENCE HOOPS PREVIEW: 2007-08
Butler
The Butler didn't do it! They didn't win the Horizon tourney, but that's about the only thing Butler (29-7 SU, 20-10 ATS) didn't do in a remarkable campaign. Butler's 14-1 start turned heads around the nation, with wins over Indiana (60-55 as a +3 dog), Notre Dame (71-69), at Tennessee (56-44) and Gonzaga (79-71 as a +5 dog). Throw in a win at Purdue and the Butler Bulldogs have met many challenges and impressed. The Bulldogs have become one of the nation's model mid-major programs, winning at least 20 games several times the last decade.
However, they have a new coach this season as coach Todd Lickliter left to take over Iowa. He was just one of just four coaches in the history of the Horizon League to guide a team to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, which he did again last season. Lickliter was 131-61 in six years at Butler and led the Bulldogs to 29 wins last season, including an appearance in the Sweet 16, where they lost to Florida. Lickliter is the latest Butler coach to land a big-time job, following the footsteps of Barry Collier (Nebraska's former coach) and Ohio State's Thad Matta. 30-year old Brad Stevens is the new coach.
For this season they lost four seniors, but also return what were four juniors in a balanced and potent attack. Senior guards A.J. Graves (18 ppg) and Mike Green (13 ppg) led the Bulldogs in scoring and are back. Off the court, the 6-1 guard Graves has been an honor student as an exploratory major. There are role players up front in 6-7 senior Pete Campbell and 6-7 senior Drew Streicher. 6-7 freshman Matt Howard comes aboard and is talented enough to help right away.
They beat then No. 21 Tennessee and No. 23 Gonzaga in consecutive games early in the season. They won over the Zags despite allowing 50% shooting while shooting just 39%. They like to shoot the three, nailing 12-of-36 treys against Gonzaga. They trailed at the half at Tennessee on the road, then whipped the Vols 34-19 in the second half. Tennessee shot just 25% for the game! This team will be fun to watch as they have depth, excellent guard play and don't appear to be afraid of anyone. Butler was 13-2 SU, 8-3 ATS at home, and 10-4 SU, 8-5 ATS on the road. They should be in the running for 20 wins again. They started 5-0 SU/ATS as a dog last season!
Valparaiso
Welcome to a new conference! The Crusaders are off a rebuilding 16-15 season under basketball coach Homer Drew. The good news is everyone is back as the team joins the Horizon League, leaving the Mid-Continent. The frontcourt has two big pieces in 6-8 junior Urule Igbavboa (11.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and 7-1, 245-lb senior Calum MacLeod (5.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg). Seven games against five 2007 NCAA Tournament participants highlight Valparaiso's men's basketball schedule for the 2007-2008 campaign.
Valpo returns eight players, including its top seven scorers, from last year's squad. The backcourt has a terrific weapon in 6-8 sophomore Samuel Haanpaa, who led the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and creates mismatches with his size. Throw in 6-6 senior guard Shawn Huff (11.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg), and this is one big backcourt! Believe it or not, those two guys are from Finland.
There's also great depth in the backcourt with junior Brandon McPherson, (11.3 ppg), senior Jarryd Loyd and Jake Diebler. Valparaiso was 9-4 at home and took on tough teams like Marquette, Creighton, Butler, and Ohio State. They should do well in the Horizon League, especially with all this returning talent.
Loyola-Chicago
The Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (21-11 SU, 17-12 ATS) have been one of the big surprises in the Horizon the last two years, winning 19 and 21 games. They were 12-4 at home, and 6-6 on the road. However, their top two scorers are gone in guard Blake Schilb and Majak Kou. A year ago Schilb decided to withdraw himself from the NBA Draft and return to school for his senior season, so the Ramblers caught a break, but now it is rebuilding time. They came close to the Big Dance, too, as the Ramblers dropped an overtime heartbreaker in the Horizon playoffs to No. 18 Butler, 67-66.
In three short seasons, coach Jim Whitesell has injected new life into the Loyola program and made the Ramblers a contender for the Horizon League crown. So far in his brief stay in Rogers Park, the Iowa Falls, Iowa native has guided Loyola to a 53-39 (.582) overall record. A master at rebuilding programs in his previous stops at Elmhurst College and Lewis University, both of which he steered to NCAA Tournament appearances. They play great defense under him, holding opponents to 65 ppg last season, and just 36 percent shooting from the field in their final 10 games!
Only one starter return, though and the backcourt will lead they way behind junior guard J.R. Blount (12.9 ppg). 6'-6" junior Leon Young (8.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg) is a strong frontcourt scorer. Young was a huge surprise as a freshman two years ago, leading the team in rebounds. The kid who surprised last season was 6-7, 240-pound Andy Polka, who led the team with 7.2 rebounds per contest. Throw in 6'-8" senior Tom Levin and 6-7 senior Tracy Robinson and there is excellent depth and experience off the bench. Loyola is 42-17 SU/30-18-1 ATS at home the last four seasons!
Wright State
Wright State (23-10 SU, 17-9 ATS) hung close with Butler all season long, then stunned the Bulldogs in the Horizon championship game to leap into the Big Dance. How did they do it? Defense and guard play! The Raiders allow 62 ppg while holding opponents to 41% shooting. They also got hot at the right time and carried a 15-3 SU, 14-3-1 ATS run into the NCAA tourney. They got run over by Pitt, but Wright was still 9-6 SU/ATS as a dog.
It was a great start for Wright State head coach Brad Brownell, his first with the team. He came over from NC Wilmington. During Brownell's tenure as head coach, the UNCW men's basketball program enjoyed an unprecedented era of success. The Evansville, Indiana native brought a four-year head coaching record of 83-40 to the Raiders along with two NCAA Tournament appearances, and promptly added a third last season. Remember that NC Wilmington posted a 25-8 mark his last season there and won the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, beating out eventual Final Four participant George Mason University.
A three-guard lineup leads the way, led by a pair of sophomore guards in 6-5 Todd Brown and Vaughn Duggins, along with junior William Graham. They lost sparkplug guard Dashaun Wood (19 ppg) to graduation, so their leading scorer is gone. Up front, 6-8 senior Jordan Pleiman grabbed 5.4 boards per game and they return 6'-6" senior Scottie Wilson. Wright lost only one home game, but had a losing road record (7-8). It was their first trip to the tourney since 1993 and didn't last long. They stepped up twice during the regular season, losing 73-42 at Butler and 71-45 at L.S.U, but a winning Horizon season is likely again.
Ronnie Thomas, a former freshman men's basketball player at Duquesne, has transferred to Wright State University. Thomas sat out last season but will have three years of eligibility remaining starting this season. Thomas, a 6-9, 235-pound forward from Middlebury, Indiana, played in 24 games at Duquesne two years ago while averaging 4.0 points and 2.1 rebounds.
From the field, Thomas shot 41% overall and 33% from three-points range with 69% clip from the free throw line. Wright State was 13-1 SU/9-3 ATS at home, which makes them 23-4 SU/16-6 ATS at home the last two years. A talented team with a lot of depth and experience should help them improve on the road, so look for another winning season from Wright State and a tough defensive attitude taught by the new coach. They are 15-9 and 15-13 under the total the last two seasons, too!
Wisconsin-Green Bay
The Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix only went 7-9 in Horizon play, but they were 18-15 overall, not bad when you realize they started 2-5 playing only ONE home game, and that included a loss at Wisconsin, 79-62. Green Bay loses one senior starter (point guard Ryan Evanochko), its top scorer, but returns four of its top five scorers. They had a very young team two years ago going 11-4 at home but 2-11 on the road, but improved last season to 11-5 at home and 6-9 SU, 8-4 ATS on the road.
The frontcourt is loaded for this season, led by 6-9 junior Mike Schachtner (14.9 ppg), 6-8 junior Ryan Tillema (8.6 ppg) and 6-5 junior Terry Evans. 6-9 sophomore Randy Berry comes off the bench to add depth and height. Evanochko will be tough to replace in the backcourt, and the top candidate is sophomore G Troy Cotton, who averaged 21 minutes per game. Cotton scored a game-high 19 points and set a collegiate best with five 3-pointers in a convincing 78-59 first-round Horizon win by the Phoenix over Cleveland State.
Guard Chase Sukut came to the Phoenix from Sheridan (Wyo.) College, and suffered through an injury-plagued campaign. He will have one more year of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-1 Sukut averaged 14.3 points and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 48 percent from 3-point range two years ago as a JC sophomore. He helped lead Sheridan to a 30-5 record and an appearance in the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament while being named an all-Region IX selection in the process.
In addition, 6-9 sophomore Pat Nelson, who appeared in 27 of 28 games as a freshman for Ball State during the 2005-06 season, transferred to the Wisconsin-Green Bay. A 6-foot-9-inch forward, Nelson sat out the 2006-07 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but will have three years of eligibility remaining, starting with this season. Their depth and frontcourt could make way for another winning season.
Illinois-Chicago
The Illinois Chicago Flames (14-18 SU, 12-17 ATS) have been rebuilding under head coach Jimmy Collins. They lose only one senior starter on a team that averaged 70 ppg and went 17-12 over the total. Junior Josh Mayo, a 5-foot-10 guard, returns after finishing second in scoring with 11 ppg. He came on late last season, scoring 22 points in the Flames' second to last game, and averaged over 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in his last five outings.
The frontcourt sports 6-11 junior Scott VanderMeer (5.6 rpg). He is a former Division I transfer, a former center for Bowling Green, and played his first season at Illinois-Chicago, doing well on the glass. The backcourt and the team depth will be good this season with 6-4 sophomore Spencer Stewart, a former All-State point guard out of Edwardsville. Another face to watch is 6-foot-7, 238-pound forward Jeremy Buttell, who joins the Flames this season after spending his freshman season at Texas Tech. Buttell sat out last year.
As a freshman, Buttell saw action in 19 games for the Red Raiders, averaging 1.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in just over five minutes per contest. He tallied a season-high nine points in Texas Tech's loss to Syracuse at Madison Square Garden. They could have a winning season with so much depth and returning talent. They need to play better on the road, though, going 4-12 SU, 5-10 ATS last season.
Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers finally fell hard, off a 9-22 campaign. That was in stark contrast to the previous four years, when they went 22-9 SU, 14-12 ATS, a sizzling 24-8 SU, 17-8-1 ATS two years ago, 26-6 SU, 19-8 ATS three years ago. They have been winning both straight up and against the number. Coach Rob Jeter runs a terrific program, but they struggled last season with only one senior starter and a 2-15 road record.
Perhaps experience will help them improve. Eighty percent of the team's scoring from a season ago is back in the fold, led by the return of four starters. The backcourt has 6'-3" senior Avery Smith, who led the Panthers with 15.5 ppg. 6'-0" senior Allan Hanson returns, a starter, along with junior guard Ricky Franklin and sophomore Charlie Swiggett. Franklin started 23 games and averaged 7.2 points per game a season ago. But, he averaged 9.6 ppg over the last 16 games of the season, when he reached double figures eight times. Another backcourt player to watch is sophomore guard Roman Gentry, who stepped up late last season in a game against Illinois-Chicago and led the Panthers with 17 points and nine rebounds.
The 6-4 Gentry is a 195-pound standout who was considered by many to be the top player in Iowa, named the 2006 Iowa 4A Player of the Year, beating out Wisconsin recruit Jason Bohannon. Gentry led Sioux City East to the state semifinals as a senior, averaging 20.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He was also the leading scorer and rebounder in the Iowa Class 4A state tournament. The backcourt adds Tulsa transfer Deion James. James returns to action after playing in 55 games over two seasons with the Golden Hurricane.
Up front, Oklahoma State transfer 6-6 Torre Johnson will take the floor for the Panthers after averaging better than 10 ppg in his one season in Stillwater. They return 6'-7" senior Paige Paulsen, who averaged 11 points and over 5 boards. 6-6 senior Marcus Skinner adds frontcourt depth. Skinner is a 6-foot-6, 215-pound forward who had earned All-Michigan Community College Athletic Association Eastern Conference honors at Mott Community College. Skinner averaged 13.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while helping Mott to a 25-6 record. He also shot 56.8 percent from the field. After a 2-15 season on the road, Milwaukee looks to return to their 2003-05 road run when they were a remarkable 30-19 SU/28-13-1 ATS on the road!
Youngstown State
Youngstown State has struggled under Jerry Slocum, going 7-21 two years ago and 14-17 last season (10-17 ATS). He has had a good track record of building up programs, though. Slocum had a nine-year tenure at NCAA Division II Gannon University with a 179-78 record and has 30 years of head-coaching experience. He owns an overall mark of 601-342 having spent nine years at Geneva as well as 12 at Nyack College. Slocum picked up his 600th career win when the Penguins defeated Wright State 72-57 on Feb. 22. Slocum became the 47th coach on the NCAA level (Division's I, II or III) to eclipse the mark.
The backcourt loses its top two scorers in Quin Humphrey (19 ppg) and 6-4 senior Keston Roberts (16 ppg). The duo has been leading the team in scoring the last two years, so the team will have a new look. 2 starters and a sixth man return, so this is where Slocum's first real recruited class must step up. Senior guard Byron Davis, a former transfer from New Mexico State, provides some backcourt experience and was a starter, leading the team with 3.9 assists per game.
The frontcourt will look to 6'-8.5? former Maryland prep forward Jack Liles (6.4 rpg). Liles was second on the team in rebounds, along with 6-6 senior John Barber and 6-6 newcomer Kevin Draughn (JC transfer). All in all, the Penguins lost their top two players, but the coach has many of his recruits stepping in, which makes this a difficult season to predict. Youngstown was an impressive 10-4 at home, though.
Detroit
Detroit (11-19) likes to slow things down, averaging 64 ppg, under 14-year coach Perry Watson. After a run of 30-25 "under" the total over two seasons (including 10-5 under the total on the road), oddsmakers caught up last season as the Titans went 17-11 over the total. Also note that Detroit was 6-6 SU/4-7 ATS at home, but 4-13 SU, 8-8 ATS on the road! That's 7-26 SU the last two years on the road.
Guard Brandon Cotton led the Titans with a career-high 33 points in his final game, a Horizon tournament loss to Youngstown. He averaged 18 ppg and is gone, along with All-League center Ryvon Covile and his 13 points, 10 rebounds per game. So it is rebuilding time for Detroit head coach Perry Watson.
The should be a backcourt oriented club. Senior guard Jon Goode (9 ppg) is back, along with senior guard Brandon Bell. The frontcourt has skinny junior forward 6-7 Chris Hayes and sophomore Russell Allen, a 6-8, 255-pound center from Paris, Kentucky, who only played in one game. Allen averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior for Bourbon County High School. This is a young team with question marks up front and the loss of their do-it-all backcourt star, so don.5?t be surprised if they struggle on the road again.
Cleveland State
It's been a dismal three seasons for Cleveland State, at 9-17, 10-18 and 10-21. Coach Mike Garland left, so Gary Waters took over last season. Waters had been head coach at Rutgers and Kent State. He led the Scarlet Knights to three appearances in the National Invitation Tournament, compiling a 79-74 record. Prior to that, he led Kent State to national prominence, earning two NCAA bids and one NIT berth in his five seasons. But the team hasn't played any defense under either coach, allowing 72, 69 and 69 points the last three years.
The Vikings lose three starters. One area that the Vikings have shown a considerable improvement in was taking better care of the ball. CSU averaged 13.5 turnovers a game last year, 2.6 fewer turnovers a game from the previous year's 16.1 average. They will build around two key starters. The frontcourt has 6-5, 240-lb junior J'Nathan Bullock (13.5 ppg 6.5 rpg), who led the Vikings in scoring and rebounding. Only the third Viking to lead the team in scoring as both a freshman and sophomore, he uses his strength and athleticism to create match-up problems for opponents at both ends of the court.
A second team preseason all-league choice for the second straight year, he is slated to see more time at small forward this season, a move that will let him utilize his perimeter skills better while still allowing for him to use his quickness to get to the basket. He ranked fifth in the Horizon League in rebounding (6.5), 11th in free throw percentage (.748), 13th in scoring and blocks (0.43) and 14th in steals (1.0). They don't have a lot of height, so look for more from senior 6-7 Kevin Francis, who was a role player off the bench last year. They also bring in 6-11 freshman center Joe Latas and 6-8 junior George Tandy, who transferred from Eastern Illinois.
The Cleveland State backcourt has sophomore Joe Davis, who averaged 9 ppg. Davis averaged 28.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists his senior year in high school, shooting .560 from the field and is strong from the line and long rang. He was named the Lake Erie League Most Valuable Player en route to earning district MVP honors as well. Russell moved into the starting lineup late in the season against Detroit and played well, averaging 11.3 points over his last 12 games to become one of the team's top offensive options. Russell also made 22 steals over the last 11 games. There is hope, but this team averaged just 59 ppg on the road, where they went 3-12 and 10-5 UNDER the total.
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