The victory against Rutgers snapped a four-game losing streak for the Bearcats, but it didn’t come without a challenge.
The Bearcats nearly saw a 16-point lead vanish as they led by one with 1:22 left.
Deonta Vaughn scored a game-high 18 points to lead Cincinnati. Mike Williams added 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

De Paul Blue Demons (8-10, 0-5)
Last week:
vs. Cincinnati, L 59-55
This week:
Jan. 20 at South Florida
Jan. 24 at Marquette

The Blue Demons have lost five straight and six of their past seven after falling by four to Cincinnati last week. They are 0-5 to start conference play for the first time since starting the 2001-02 season 0-5 while members of Conference USA.
Guard Will Walker scored a team-high 17 points in the loss. He was 4-of-8 from 3-point range, but the rest of the squad was 0-for-8 from 3-point range. Dar Tucker and Mac Koshwal each scored 15 points as well for De Paul.
The Blue Demons will look to avenge an 80-58 loss to South Florida on Jan. 10. It was their first loss to the Bulls since joining the Big East after four straight victories.

Louisville Cardinals (13-3, 4-0)
Last week:
vs. Notre Dame, W 87-73, OT
vs. Pittsburgh, W 69-63
This week:
Jan. 21 at Rutgers
Jan. 25 at Syracuse

The Cardinals have won five straight, including knocking off No. 1 Pittsburgh. They have now won their past three games in the regular season against ranked opponents – Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Villanova.
In addition, Louisville has won three straight against the No. 1 team in the country. The previous two were over Florida on Dec. 13, 2003 and Kentucky on Dec. 27, 2003.
Terrence Williams had a big game with 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Earl Clark had 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks as well.

Marquette Golden Eagles (16-2, 5-0)
Last week:
at Providence, W 91-82
This week:
Jan. 24 vs. De Paul

Marquette used a 51-37 scoring advantage in the second half to squeeze past Providence on the road. The Golden Eagles have now won eight straight games since a 12-point loss to Tennessee in Nashville, Tenn., on Dec. 16.
Lazar Hayward and Jerel McNeal each scored 25 points for Marquette, while Wesley Matthews added 22. Dominic James scored nine points with six assists and only one turnover in 37 minutes. He has only two turnovers in his past two games.
The Golden Eagles are the only team in the league with three players among the top 12 in scoring average – Matthews (19.1, 3rd), McNeal (18.8, 4th) and Hayward (16.5, 12th).
The chances of extending the win streak to nine looks good when Marquette hosts De Paul, a team its beaten three of four times since both joined the Big East.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-5, 3-3)
Last week:
at Louisville, L 87-73, OT
at Syracuse, L 93-74
This week:
Jan. 24 vs. Connecticut

The Irish have lost three of its past five games – all on the road. The most recent was a 19-point rout at the hands of Syracuse. It was also the first time this season Notre Dame has lost consecutive games.
Against Syracuse, Luke Harangody scored 25 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and had six assists. He extended his streak of 20-plus points to 10 games, the school’s longest streak since Adrian Dantley did it in nine straight games. Harangody also has a streak of seven straight double-doubles.
Kyle McAlarney added 24 points, going 7-of-14 from 3-point range. He has hit 74 3-pointers this season, tops in the Big East.
The Irish will have good and bad news this week. The good news is they return home, where they’ve won 45 straight games, dating back to Feb. 25, 2006, and have won 20 straight home conference games. The bad news is the opponent is Connecticut, whose only loss this year was a 74-63 loss to Georgetown at home.
Notre Dame is 5-3 in Big East play at home against Connecticut.

Pittsburgh Panthers (16-1, 4-1)
Last week:
vs. South Florida, W 75-62
at Louisville, L 69-63
This week:
Jan. 19 vs. Syracuse
Jan. 25 at West Virginia

The Panthers, the No. 1 team in the country, suffered their first loss of the season in a great game against Louisville.
The Panthers struggled down the stretch, which likely cost them the game. They hit just one field goal in the final eight minutes of the game, and committed a season-high 20 turnovers.
Jermaine Dixon scored a team-high 19 points, and Sam Young added 18.
They’ll get a chance to get back on track with a matchup against Syracuse. The Panthers have beaten the Orange 10 out of the past 13 meetings. Pittsburgh is also 11-0 at home this season.

Providence Friars (11-6, 3-2)
Last week:
vs. Marquette, L 91-82
This week:
Jan. 19 vs. Cincinnati
Jan. 22 at Seton Hall

The Friars let a five-point halftime lead slip away in a nine-point loss to Marquette, and have now dropped two straight in conference play after a 3-0 start.
For the second straight game, the Friars were led by Marshon Brooks coming off the bench, scoring 21 points. He also had six rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Geoff McDermott had 15 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Randall Hanke was 4-of-4 from the field for nine points. He is second in the conference in field goal percentage at 68.9 percent.

Seton Hall Pirates (9-8, 0-5)
Last week:
at Connecticut, L 76-61
This week:
Jan. 22 vs. Providence
Jan. 25 vs. Georgetown
The Pirates continue to struggle, having lost five straight and seven of their past eight games after a 15-point setback to the Huskies.
Seton Hall shot just 31.4 percent in the first half, and got just two points off the bench.
Jeremy Hazell scored a team-high 20 points. He ranks second in the league at 22.3 points per game. The Pirates are 0-5 in conference play for the first time since the 1985-86 season.
Seton Hall hopes it will turnaround starting this week. The Pirates will play their next four games at home, beginning with Providence, a team Seton Hall has beaten twice in a row.

The Bearcats had four players reach double figures in scoring, three with 14, in the victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Yancy Gates, Deonta Vaughn and Steve Toyloy all had 14 points, while Dion Dixon chipped in 11.
The Bearcats allowed APB to shoot only 31 percent from the field, including 23 in the first half, and forced 24 turnovers. Cincinnati jumped out to a 43-16 first half lead.
This week, the Bearcats, who have won four of their past five games, have a tough non-conference game against Memphis before starting their Big East portion of the schedule at Marquette.
Cincinnati is third in the league in field goal percentage defense at 36.8. Ahead of the Bearcats are Georgetown (34.3) and Pittsburgh (36.2). The Bearcats also lead the league in rebounding at 42.5 per game.
Famed TV analyst Bill Raftery spoke with the Cincinnati Enquirer on Monday, saying he likes what Cincinnati is doing this season, and believes they could make a run in the postseason.
“I like the way their big men pass it, and I like the way they rebound it,” he told the newspaper.

DePaul Blue Demons (8-5)
Last week:
Dec. 22 vs. Saint Louis, W 65-61, Las Vegas Classic
Dec. 23 vs. Creighton, L 83-75, Las Vegas Classic
Dec. 28 vs. Alcorn State, W 90-67
This week:
Dec. 31 vs. Notre Dame
Jan. 3 at Providence

Against Saint Louis, the Blue Demons overcame a 32 percent shooting performance in the second half to hold off the Billikens.
Mac Koshwal led the way for DePaul, scoring 17 points. Jabari Currie, Dar Tucker and Will Walker also scored in double figures with 12, 11 and 10, respectively. Koshwal also added 11 rebounds.
Against Creighton, Tucker and Koshwal had career nights. Tucker scored 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting, and Koshwal scored 13 points, but grabbed 22 rebounds, including 16 on the defensive end. The 22 boards were a season-best in the league.
Creighton’s Booker Woodfox had 26 points.
Both teams shot better than 45 percent. DePaul shot 49 percent, including 54 percent in the first half. Walker added 12 points, and Currie added 10.
And against Alcorn State in the non-conference finale, Tucker had another big night with 25 points. Koshwal added 19 points and 13 rebounds. For the week, Koshwal averaged 16.3 points per game, while Tucker averaged 22.7.
Tucker, who played the Alcorn State game despite having the flu, is fourth in the league in scoring at 19.8 per game. Koshwal is third in the league in rebounding at 11.3.
This week, the Blue Demons start Big East play with a home game against Notre Dame on New Year’s Eve before traveling to Providence.
Alcorn State coach Larry Smith told the Chicago Tribune after the game he likes DePaul’s length upfront with Koshwal at 6-10, Devin Hill at 6-9 and Tucker at 6-5.
“Their length is tremendous,” said Smith, a former NBA star in his first season coaching his alma mater. “They’ve got a lot of athletes out there. They do a good job of crashing the boards, and they give themselves second-chance points, which is huge.”

Louisville Cardinals (8-2)
Last week:
Dec. 27 vs. UAB, W 82-62
This week:
Dec. 31 vs. UNLV
Jan. 4 vs. Kentucky

Terrence Williams scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out seven assists and blocked three shots to help the Cardinals down UAB.
The Cardinals also got a double-double from Samardo Samuels, scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Andre McGee and Earl Clark were also in double figures off the bench with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Cardinals shot 50 percent for the game, including 57 percent in the second half, to blow open a nine-point halftime lead.
This week, the Cardinals continue their non-conference schedule with UNLV and the always-entertaining rivalry game with Kentucky.
According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, coach Rick Pitino has offered Derrick Caracter a chance to sit out this season but return to the team for the 2009-10 season – if he fulfills certain requirements.
Caracter, according to the paper, said he is willing to meet those conditions.
“He’s going to have to get a job that I’m going to have to approve, he’s going to have to pay his own way to school, he’s going to have to get his own apartment,” Pitino said. “We’d be willing to work him out, but he’s not going to practice with our basketball team or be part of it. He’s going to have to get in shape and get himself on the right track academically.”
Caracter, a 6-9 forward out of Fanwood, N.J., averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds as a sophomore last season. He decided to bypass his final two years of college and entered the NBA draft, but he changed his mind and has been looking for reinstatement from Pitino.
Caracter was ruled academically ineligble in May, the paper said, and has been “a major thorn in my side,” Pitino said in April.
In his first two seasons, Caracter has had numerous problems, multiple team rule violations and was held out of games for his failure to meet a target weight.

Marquette Golden Eagles (11-2)
Last week:
Dec. 22 at North Carolina State, W 68-65
Dec. 28 vs. Presbyterian, W 84-45
This week:
Jan. 1 vs. Villanova
Jan. 4 vs. Cincinnati

The Golden Eagles picked up a huge road victory against North Carolina State using tough defense and protecting the basketball.
Despite being outshot (51 to 48 percent) and out-rebounded (29-25), Marquette committed just 10 turnovers, compared to NC State’s 18, to help pick up the victory.
Jerel McNeal lead the Golden Eagles with 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Dominic James added 18 points with six assists, and Lazar Hayward had 16 points.
Against Presbyterian, Hayward had game highs of 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Wesley Matthews added 21 as the Golden Eagles led 40-18 at halftime.
This week, the Golden Eagles have a pair of Big East games against Villanova and Cincinnati. Last year against Villanova, the Golden Eagles shot 50 percent from the field and forced 23 turnovers in an 85-75 victory.
Marquette coach Buzz Williams told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, “I want to be peaking, beginning the rise on Jan. 1 and continuing the rise hopefully to about Valentine’s Day. And when we get to Valentine’s Day, I hope we’re rolling pretty good.”
Marquette hosts St. John’s on Valentine’s Day. After that, the Golden Eagles have a brutal schedule, hosting Seton Hall on Feb. 17, at Georgetown on Feb. 21, hosting Connecticut on Feb. 25, at Louisville on March 1, at Pittsburgh on March 4 and finish hosting Syracuse on March 7.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-2)
Last week:
Dec. 22 vs. Savannah State, W 81-49
This week:
Dec. 31 at DePaul
Jan. 3 at St. John’s

Notre Dame had little trouble in its final tuneup before the Big East schedule.
Luke Harangody scored 23 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, including eight offensively, and shot 13-of-14 from the free-throw line. Tory Jackson and Ryan Ayers each added 10 points for the Irish, who have won three straight after losing to Ohio State on Dec. 6.
All 11 players who played for the Irish scored at least one point.
Harangody has scored at least 20 points in seven of the nine games he’s played in this season, and the Irish are second in the nation in fewest turnovers per game at 9.2 (Houston turns it over 9.1 times per game). Harangody also ranks six in the country in rebounding (11.9).
Teammate Kyle McAlarney is second in the nation in three-point field goals made at 4.07 per game (David Holston, Chicago State, 5.2).
This week, the Irish have a pair of road games to begin Big East play. Up first is at DePaul, who the Irish beat twice last season, and they will be at St. John’s to end the week.
The Irish are still tinkering with their zone defense, according to the South Bend Tribune. Before the DePaul game, the Irish are working in a training camp mentality to fill the holes in their zone defense.
“We need to be able to be confident in our zone,” coach Mike Brey said. “We need to be able to change gears.”
The Irish use zone to try and get their opponent out of their comfort zone, the paper said.

Pittsburgh Panthers (12-0)
Last week:
No games
This week:
Dec. 31 at Rutgers
Jan. 3 at Georgetown

The Panthers didn’t have a game last week, but will begin Big East play with a possible trap game against Rutgers on New Year’s Eve. After that, they will play at Georgetown in what will be a big early statement game in the conference slate.
DeJuan Blair ranks second in the country in rebounding at 13.0 per game, behind Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin at 14.4. The Panthers are also fourth in the nation in scoring differential at plus 20.8. Fellow league member Connecticut is third (21.2).
The Panthers know there’s still much to prove, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Seven teams are ranked in The Associated Press top 25.
“I’ve said all along it’s going to be the best conference in the history of basketball,” coach Jamie Dixon said told the paper. “I can’t go back on that. It’s not a surprise and I think it’s going to continue to grow.”

Providence Friars (8-4)
Last week:
Dec. 22 vs. Bryant, W 91-64
This week:
Dec. 31 vs. St. John’s
Jan. 3 vs. DePaul

Four players were in double figures for Providence, led by Marshon Brooks’ 18 off the bench, against Bryant. Geoff McDermott, Sharaud Curry and Weyinmi Efejuku were the others with 17, 16 and 15 points, respectively. Brooks played in just 18 minutes of the game.
The Friars shot 55 percent from the field, including a sizzling 80 percent (16-of-20) in the second half. In addition, the Friars shot 39 percent from three-point range, a category they rank last in the Big East in (27.6).
The Friars, who are 7-1 at home with the lone loss coming in the season opener Nov. 15 against Northeastern, will begin the Big East portion of their schedule with a pair of home games this week.
St. John’s has won the past two meetings after Providence won the previous 10 in the series.

Seton Hall Pirates (9-3)
Last week:
Dec. 22 at James Madison, L 70-64
Dec. 27 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, W 101-70
This week:
Dec. 30 at Syracuse
Jan. 3 vs. West Virginia

The Pirates shot 52 percent from the field in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to overcome an 18-point halftime deficit.
Seton Hall outscored James Madison, 42-30 in the second half, but the key was being outrebounded 41-30, including James Madison having 11 offensive rebounds.
Robert Mitchell led Seton Hall with 23 points and nine rebounds. Eugene Harvey added 14 points, along with Jeremy Hazell and Paul Gause each having 12.
Against Fairleigh Dickinson, the Pirates matched a season high in points in a 31-point victory.
Hazell and Mitchell each had big nights with Hazell scoring 35 points, tied for the fourth most by a Big East player in a game this season, and Mitchell adding 24 and grabbing 10 rebounds. Harvey added 15 points and six assists, and Jordan Theodore scored 11 off the bench.
Hazell shot 15-of-26 from the field, including 5-of-11 from 3-point range. It was also the best scoring performance by a SHU player under third-year coach Bobby Gonzalez.
Fairleigh Dickinson’s Sean Baptiste scored 31 points.
The Pirates get ready for two tough league games this week at Syracuse and hosting West Virginia.
Syracuse has won seven of the past nine meetings.

The intracity rivalry between Cincinnati and Xavier had everything one could ask for, including five technical fouls. But in the end, it was Xavier coming away with the victory.
The Bearcats were led by Deonta Vaughn with 27 points, hitting five 3-pointers. Dion Dixon and Steve Toyloy each came off the bench to score 11 points for Cincinnati. Vaughn scored 19 of his points in the second half, but the Bearcats’ rally fell short after trailing by 14 at halftime.
Cincinnati shot itself in the foot, turning the ball over 19 times (14 in the first half), and let Xavier shoot 29-of-36 from the free-throw line, giving Xavier 48 points off turnovers or free throws.
It will be a busy week for the Bearcats with three games in six days, including a meeting with Mississippi State. The next victory for coach Mick Cronin will be the 100th of his coaching career.

DePaul Blue Demons (4-4)
Last week:
Dec. 10 vs. Morgan State, L 79-75
Dec. 13 vs. UCLA, L 72-54
This week:
Dec. 17 vs. Liberty at Las Vegas Classic
Dec. 19 vs. Southern at Las Vegas Classic

The Blue Demons went scoreless for seven minutes, and let a 10-point second half lead slip away against Morgan State.
DePaul was led by Dar Tucker with 21 points, followed by 15 points from Mac Koshwal and 14 from Will Walker.
Morgan State had just nine turnovers, and had four players in double figures, led by Reggie Holmes with 29 points.
Then the Blue Demons traveled to the West Coast for the second time in 10 days to face UCLA in the John Wooden Classic, and lost their fourth straight game.
Koshwal scored 12 points and had eight rebounds. Tucker, who didn’t start the game for the first time this season because of “attitude issues,” according to the Chicago Tribune, added 11 points.
UCLA had four players in double figures in scoring, and shot better than 55 percent from the field for the game.

Louisville Cardinals (6-1)
Last week:
Dec. 6 vs. Indiana State, W 83-43
Dec. 7 vs. Ohio, W 91-56
Dec. 8 vs. Lamar, W 78-56
Dec. 13 vs. Austin Peay, W 94-75
This week:
Dec. 18 vs. Mississippi, SEC/Big East Invitational
Dec. 20 vs. Minnesota

Earl Clark had a double-double for the Cardinals with a game-high 16 points and 10 rebounds in their victory over Indiana State. The Sycamores did not get a player in double figures in scoring, while the Cardinals had four. Terrence Williams, Samardo Samuels and Edgar Sosa were also in double figures for the Cardinals with 12, 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Indiana State was held to just 28 percent shooting. Louisville shot 61 percent in the first half en route to a 50-17 halftime lead.
Clark added a second double-double against Ohio with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Samuels led the way for the Cardinals with 19 points, and Jerry Smith added 16. The Cardinals dominated the glass, out-rebounding Ohio 46-26.
The Cardinals shot 52 percent from the field.
Samuels led the Cardinals with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting in their victory over Lamar. Smith added 12 points as well, and Williams grabbed 13 rebounds.
To wrap up the busy week, the Cardinals had three players score at least 20 points, led by Samuels and Preston Knowles with 21. Williams added 20. Samuels also had 12 rebounds.
Louisville will enter the week having won four straight games.

Marquette Golden Eagles (8-1)
Last week:
Dec. 13 vs. IPFW, W 69-50
This week:
Dec. 16 vs. Tennessee, SEC/Big East Invitational
Dec. 19 vs. Western Carolina

In their lone game of the week, the Golden Eagles had little trouble with Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, thanks to Lazar Hayward.
Hayward scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, the highest rebound total in Marquette history since Amal McCaskill on Nov. 26, 1995, had 19.
And he wasn’t alone as three others for Marquette scored in double figures – Jerel McNeal (16), Wesley Matthews (13) and Dominic James (10).
The matchup with Tennessee was supposed to be a union of coaches Tom Crean and Bruce Pearl.
When Pearl was at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he publicly called out to Marquette for the two city schools to play each other. At the time, they hadn’t played since the mid-1990s. Now Crean is at Indiana.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-2)
Last week:
Dec. 13 vs. Boston University, W 74-67
This week:
Dec. 20 vs. Delaware State

The conference’s leading scorer was up to his usual self against Boston University.
Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Irish. Harangody is averaging 23 points per game, putting him slightly ahead of Seton Hall’s Jeremy Hazell (22.4).
It was the 30th double-double of Harangody’s career.
Kyle McAlarney also scored in double figures for the Irish with 16. He was joined in double figures by Zach Hillesland with 11 and Ryan Ayers with 10.
The victory extended the Irish’s home winning streak to 41 games – the nation’s second-longest. But the streak was nearly in jeopardy as the Irish fell behind by 10 early in the game, and trailed by nine early in the second half. The Terriers were held without a field goal over the final 3:26 of the game. The streak began March 4, 2006, against DePaul. The last loss was Feb. 25, 2005, to Marquette.
McAlarney has 980 career points after the BU victory.

Pittsburgh Panthers (10-0)
Last week:
Dec. 13 vs. UMBC, W 91-56
This week:
Dec. 17 vs. Siena

Five players were in double figures for the Panthers against UMBC, led by 19 from Maryland native Sam Young.
Also hitting double figures was Gilbert Brown (13), Ashton Gibbs (13), DeJuan Blair (12) and Levance Fields (11).
The Panthers shot 60 percent from the field in the second half.
Young is third in the Big East in scoring at 20.6 points per game, and Blair is second in the nation behind Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin in rebounding. Blair is averaging 12.8 rebounds per game.
Gibbs, a freshman, was 3-of-4 from 3-point range against UMBC. He is shooting 12-for-20 on the season from 3-point range.
It will be a test this week with Siena, who return all five starters from a team which beat Vanderbilt by 21 points in the first round of last year’s NCAAs.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Young turned his ankle during practice Monday, but it’s not anticipated he will miss any action.

Providence Friars (6-3)
Last week:
No games
This week:
Dec. 17 vs. Jackson State
Dec. 20 at Boston College

After taking time off for finals, the Friars will return with two games, including regional and former Big East rival Boston College.

Seton Hall Pirates (8-1)
Last week:
Dec. 9 vs. California Baptist, W 92-80
Dec. 13 at Saint Peter’s, W 60-46
This week:
Dec. 20 vs. IUPUI

Both California Baptist and Seton Hall shot 53 percent from the field, and nine players between the two teams were in double figures.
But the difference came at the free throw line with Seton Hall going 21-for-26 at the line, while California Baptist went 12-of-16.
Eugene Harvey and Jeremy Hazell each scored 25 points for the Pirates. Robert Mitchell added 18 off the bench, and Paul Gause scored 11.
Seton Hall made more free throws than field goals in the second half (17-15), but still shot 58 percent from the field in the second half.
Unlike against California Baptist, both Saint Peter’s and Seton Hall struggled to shoot the ball.
Saint Peter’s shot 29 percent, and Seton Hall wasn’t much better at 36 percent. But Saint Peter’s was forced into 19 turnovers, while Seton Hall had 11.
Hazell had a game-high 14 points, while Gause and Harvey each had 12.
The Pirates will enter their game against IUPUI on a five-game win streak.

The 6-foot-10 Baltimore product is averaging just four points in fourteen games for the Sacramento Kings. He saw action in the starting lineup in four of those games. Greene, who many feel left prematurely, proved he belongs in the L during a successful summer in Vegas, one underscored by a 40-point outburst.

The No. 20-ranked Orange have held up just fine without the big neophyte, however, rolling out to an 8-0 start for the first start in recent memory.

Upgraded from a schedule that’s traditionally weak, Syracuse topped No. 18 Florida and No. 23 Florida before stamping a 73-70 win on Virginia. Quite impressive for a squad which tends to never leave the state through during Jim Boeheim’s lax early season slate. Not this year. With Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins back in the fold after recovering from devastating injuries that relegated them to spectator role last season, the Orange are playing to resurrect a winning program.

You know, the one that hit the mute button on analysts, pundits, and haters alike when Gerry McNamara (don’t tell Boeheim he’s overrated) shot them to a Big East championship as supreme underdogs in 2006?

‘Cuse survived a scare on Wednesday, gutting Ivy League foe Cornell’s upset bid, 88-78. In what’s evolved into the “season of the upset” (no.2 UConn eked out a 68-64 win over Buffalo last night), it wouldn’t be a surprise if the game came down to one final possession.

Ryan Wittman, the gun-toting son of Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Randy Wittman, fired, fired, and fired some more. It was like watching an old, Wild Wild West flick – shooter’s touch.

The 6-foot-6 forward scorched the nets for a game-high 33 points. He managed this on 50 percent shooting, going 9-for-19 from beyond the arc.

The tandem of Paul Harris and super-sophomore Jonny Flynn, the former high school teammates, helped bail out the Orange. Harris, the man-child who could one day entertain NFL draft thoughts, scored 21 points and ripped down eight boards. Flynn scored 24 points, dished out six assists, but committed a season-high six turnovers.

Syracuse’s rapid resurrection has developed a nice sales pitch for 2009 recruits. The Orange already received a verbal commitment from James Southerland, who starred at Cardozo High School before prolonging his career at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass.

He needed the prep year for academic eligibility, as an under-par SAT score debarred him from joining Mookie Jones, Kris Joseph and the 2008 freshman class.

At Cardozo, Southerland was a walking double-double. He cooked opponents to the recipe of 17.6 points and 11.2 boards per game. A plethora of other recruits are being actively pursued. Philly-bred off guard Dion Waiters, Renardo Sidney of California (the 6-9 forward/center plays for the LA Dream Team on the AAU circuit), combination forward Joston Thomas, who’s also getting some love from West Virginia and Georgetown, are just a few in their laundry-list of targets. Waiters has committed early out of the class of 2010.

The Orange showed interest in Karron Johnson, a player familiar with the New York area who looked at St. John’s in the fall. But Johnson, the 6-foot-7 wing averaging 26 points, 14 boards, and four blocks at Mt. Zion Christian (North Carolina) committed to Oklahoma State.

Still, with the influx of talent that could arrive at Cuse, Boeheim’s troops could be a perennial power for the next 10 years.

No longer the walking wounded, Syracuse is back in their old zip code and here to stay.

Pittsburgh 80, Vermont 51: At the Petersen Events Center, Sam Young cooked Vermont to the recipe of 28 points (10-for-21 FG). The No. 3 Panthers improved to 9-0 on the season. Dujuan Blair added a double-double with 13 points and 16 boards and freshman Ashton Gibbs chipped in with 11. Marques Blakely led Vermont with 19 points, 14 boards, five dimes, six steals, and five blocks.

Louisville 91, Ohio 56: At Freedom Hall, Earl Clark had a career day, scoring 17 points, pulling down 14 boards and doling out eight assists to lead the Cardinals in the Marques Maybin Classic. Highly-touted freshman Samardo Samuels scored 19 points and Jerry Smith chipped in with 16. Jerome Tillman led Ohio with 21 points. Louisville has won two straight after being upset by Western Kentucky.

Ohio State 67, Notre Dame 62: At Lucas Oil Stadium, Ohio State pulled off a pulsating upset of the No. 7 Irish in the Hartford Hall Of Fame Showcase at Indiana. The Buckeyes were led by Evan Turner’s 28 points, 10 boards, and five assists. Freshman B.J. Mullens, a 7-foot, 270-pound center, popped off the bench to score 11 points and grab seven boards in 18 minutes. Luke Harangody led Notre Dame with 25 points and sixteen rebounds in his first game back after battling pneumonia. Tory Jackson chipped in with 13 points and five dimes.

Cincinnati 87, UAB 80: At Fifth Third Arena, Deonta Vaughn scored 16 points in a rare role coming off the pine. Junior Mike Williams added 17 points as the Bearcats improved to 6-1. Robert Vaden, Vaughn’s cousin who he remains tight with, scored 23 points to lead UAB. Mick Cronin opted to go with Vaughn off the bench because of the way he practiced prior to the game.

West Virginia 53, Cleveland State 43: At WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, De’Sean Butler poured in a game-high 18 points. Freshman Devin Ebanks added 10 for the 6-1 Mountaineers. Norris Cole led Cleveland State with 12 points.

Georgetown 73, American 43: At the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., the Hoyas pummeled their neighbors behind local product Chris Wright, who scored a game-high 22 points. Jesse Sapp and DaJuan Summers each scored 14 points and Austin Freeman handed out six assists. Garrison Carr paced American with nine points.

Marquette 61, Wisconsin 58: At the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Jerel McNeal scored a game-high 26 points as the Golden Eagles topped the No. 22 Badgers. Lazar Hayward added 13 rebounds for 7-1 Marquette. Trevon Hughes led Wisconsin with 14 points. The Golden Eagles clamped down on Marcus Landry, who had been smoking (18 points on 6-for-7 shooting against Virginia Tech). They held him to a season-low five points.

UCF 71, South Florida 63: At UCF Arena in Orlando, Jermaine Taylor and South Florida’s Dominique Jones went eyeball-to-eyeball. Taylor dropped 30 points and Jones erupted for 31, but UCF topped their Big East foe. Tony Davis added 17 points and six steals for the Knights.

Horizon League 2008-09 Preview

by Nick Dettmann

Two Horizon League teams solidified their respective coaching situations this offseason.

The first came in April when the Detroit Titans hired Ray McCallum to take over the program.

McCallum replaces Perry Watson, who retired from the post in March, but took a leave of absence in January and didn’t coach the team for the rest of the season.

During the 15 seasons which Watson led the way, Detroit was 261-198 with 10 winning seasons and a regular season league championship in 1994 and 1999, reaching the NCAA tournament in 1998 and 1999. The Titans also reached the NIT semifinals in 2001.

McCallum comes to Detroit after three seasons at Indiana, and three seasons at Oklahoma prior to his stint with the Hoosiers.

McCallum brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to Detroit, including 11 as a head coach. His head coaching stints include Ball State and Houston.

McCallum led the Cardinals to a 126-76 record during his seven seasons (1994-2000) in Muncie, Ind. He was the first coach in school history to have seven consecutive winning seasons, and led the team to the NCAA tournament in 1995 and 2000, and the NIT in 1998. While at BSU, McCallum recruited Bonzi Wells, who became the 11th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, and currently plays for the Houston Rockets. During his coaching career, McCallum has coached eight NBA players.

His .624 winning percentage was fourth-best in MAC history when he left in 2000.

At Houston, the Cougars were 44-73 in his four seasons, giving him a 170-149 career coaching record. His best season was the 2001-02 campaign where he led the Cougars to an 18-15 record, reaching the semifinals of the Conference USA tournament. He never reached the NCAAs or NIT while at Houston.

“This is a tremendous day,” McCallum said at his introductory news conference. “UDM has a great basketball tradition and I’m glad to be a part of the next chapter.”

The other coaching move made this offseason was at Wright State. In July, the Raiders gave coach Brad Brownell an extension through the 2013-14 season.

Brownell has averaged 21 victories a season in his six seasons as a Division I coach. He is 44-20 in two seasons thus far at Wright State, including 21-10 a season ago. In 2007, he led the Raiders to a 23-10 record and the school’s first appearance in the NCAA tournament after upsetting Butler in the league tournament championship game. Brownell has beaten nationally-ranked Butler three times.

In his six seasons in Division I, Brownell is 127-60.

“Brad has done an outstanding job in a short period of time,” WSU Athletic Director Bob Grant said in July. “His leadership and commitment to Wright State and our student-athletes have led to unparalleled prosperity on the court as well as in the classroom and in the community.

“His record of success ranks among the top coaches in the nation and I am certainly pleased to have him leading our program and I know our fans feel the same.”

BracketBusters galore
All 10 teams of the Horizon League will compete in this year’s ESPN BracketBuster festivities Feb. 21-22, 2009.

This year, 102 will mid-major teams will be featured with a chance to boost their NCAA tournament resumes. Of the 102 teams, 26 will be nationally televised on the ESPN networks. The matchups will be unveiled Feb. 2.

Loyola, Valparaiso, Wright State, Youngstown State, UW-Milwaukee and Illinois-Chicago will play home games, while Butler, Cleveland State, Detroit and UW-Green Bay will play on the road.

As part of the agreement, teams will play in a home-and-home series with the host team playing at the visiting team in the 2009-10 season.

This year’s field includes last year’s Elite Eight qualifier Davidson, and features 77 appearances in the NCAA tournament, including George Mason (Final Four in 2006) and six Sweet 16 teams (Butler in 2007, Southern Illinois in 2007, Bradley in 2006, Wichita State in 2006, UW-Milwaukee in 2005 and Nevada in 2004).

The Mid-American Conference and Colonial Athletic Association will be represented with 12 teams, while the Horizon League, the Ohio Valley, the Missouri Valley and the Metro Atlantic Athletic will have 10 teams.

Other conferences featured will be the America East, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, MEAC, Northeast, Patriot, Southern, Summit, West Coast and Western Athletic.

Former Penguins coach dies
Dom Rosseelli, who accumulated more than 1,000 career victories in basketball and baseball at Youngstown State, died Oct. 7. He was 93.

He is by far the school’s winningest coach with 589 career victories on the hardwood (1940-1982). The next closest is Dan Peters (1993-99) with 78. His best season on the court was in 1963-64 when the Penguins won a school-record 24 games – a record which still stands today.

In addition to basketball, he coached baseball, and was an assistant for the football team for 21 seasons.

He began the baseball program at YSU in 1948, accumulating 489 career victories.

Horizon League, Detroit will be showcased in April
The 2009 Final Four will be held in Detroit’s Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, this spring. The Horizon League is no stranger to hosting the Final Four as it hosts the prestigious event on a regular basis in Indianapolis and the RCA Dome.

League, ESPN announce Game-of-the-Week schedule
Seven Horizon League matchups featuring all 10 men’s teams and two women’s will be shown on Fridays in January and February on ESPNU as part of 17 games involving league teams to be shown on ESPN networks this season.

“We are excited to expand our ESPN partnership with our first national basketball game-of-the-week,” said Jon LeCrone, Horizon League commissioner, in a statement. “More fans will now be able to follow our teams on a regular basis during the regular season.

“This is another important step in the growth of the League.”

The first game to be televised as part of the Friday Night Game-of-the-Week will Jan. 9 when UW-Milwaukee hosts intrastate rival UW-Green Bay.

The women’s matchup will be when Wright State plays at Butler on Feb. 6.

ESPN2 will also carry two other matchups – Butler at Illinois Chicago on Jan. 17, and a wild-card game which will be announced in early February.

Detroit will play at Purdue on Nov. 14, and it will be shown on ESPN360.com. And like in previous seasons, ESPNU will carry the Horizon League tournament semifinals and ESPN will carry the tournament championship game.

The ESPN Schedule (all times Eastern):
Friday, Nov. 14 Detroit at Purdue (9 p.m., ESPN360.com)
Thursday, Dec. 4 Butler at Cleveland State (8 p.m., ESPNU)
Saturday, Dec. 20 Valparaiso vs. North Carolina (2 p.m., ESPNU)
Tuesday, Dec. 23 Butler at Xavier (7 p.m., ESPNU)
Friday, Jan. 9 UW-Green Bay at UW-Milwaukee (9 p.m., ESPNU)
Friday, Jan. 16 Wright State at Detroit (9 p.m., ESPNU)
Saturday, Jan. 17 Butler at UIC (2 p.m., ESPN2/ESPN360.com)
Friday, Jan. 23 Cleveland State at Youngstown State (9 p.m., ESPNU)
Friday, Jan. 30 Valparaiso at Butler (7 p.m., ESPNU)
Friday, Feb. 6 Wright State at Butler (women’s) (7 p.m., ESPNU)
Friday, Feb. 13 UIC at Butler (7 p.m., ESPNU)
Friday, Feb. 27 UIC at Loyola (9 p.m., ESPNU)
Saturday, Feb. 28 Wild-card game TBD (Noon, ESPN2/ESPN360.com)
Saturday, March 7 Men’s semifinal (7 and 9 p.m., ESPNU)
Tuesday, March 10 Men’s championship (9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN360.com)
Sunday, March 15 Women’s championship (1 p.m., ESPNU)

Preseason All-League Team
MVP: Josh Mayo, Illinois-Chicago
Newcomer of the Year: Jason Bennett, Detroit

First Team
Josh Mayo, Illinois-Chicago
J’Nathan Bullock, Cleveland State
Cedric Jackson, Cleveland State
Vaughn Duggins, Wright State
Matt Howard, Butler

Honorable Mention
Mike Schachtner, UW-Green Bay
J.R. Blout, Loyola
Urule Igbavboa, Valparaiso
Todd Brown, Wright State
Scott VanderMeer, Illinois-Chicago

Predicted Order of Finish

Cleveland State Vikings (21-13, 12-6, 2nd)
Coach: Gary Waters, third season (31-34)
Projected starters
J’Nathan Bullock, senior
Cedric Jackson, senior
George Tandy, senior
Chris Moore, senior
D’Aundray Brown, sophomore
Key nonconference games
Nov. 18 at Washington
Dec. 6 at West Virginia
Dec. 15 at Syracuse
Feb. 21 at BracketBuster
Key losses: Joe Davis, Breyohn Watson.
What to expect: After being a doormat team in the league for a number of seasons, the Vikings are a power in the league, and enter this season the favorite.

With good reason, too.

They return two of the league’s best – J’Nathan Bullock and Cedric Jackson. They also could potentially start four seniors with significant playing experience. There are 127 starts between them from last year’s 21-win club.

Bullock and Jackson return after leading the team in scoring in 2007-08 (Bullock at 14.8 points per game, Jackson at 13.9).

Watson and Davis were quality players last season, but the Vikings shouldn’t have much trouble filling in their vacancies. Sophomore guard Norris Cole played in all 34 games last season, and will likely see more minutes this season. And guard Eric Schiele, who had a record-setting high school career at Atwater High School in Ohio, will make an impact with a full season to work with.

Schiele played in only four games last year as a freshman, missing the first half of the season waiting to become eligible. He is a terrific 3-point shooter, and could play a big role as the Vikings’ first or second man of the bench, maybe even work his way into the starting lineup.

In high school, Schiele averaged 39.6 points per game in his senior year, shooting 40 percent from the field, 34 percent from 3-point range, and 86 percent at the free-throw line. He had four 50-point games, including a career-high 69 in December 2006.

Wright State Raiders (21-10, 12-6, 2nd)
Coach: Brad Brownell, third season (44-20, 127-60 overall)
Projected starters
Vaughn Duggins, junior
Todd Brown, junior
William Graham, senior
Cooper Land, sophomore
Ronnie Thomas, junior
Key nonconference games
Dec. 14 at Wake Forest
Dec. 20-22 San Juan Shootout, Puerto Rico
Feb. 21 BracketBuster
Key losses: Jordan Pleiman, Scottie Wilson
What to expect: The Raiders are becoming one of the elite programs in the league, winning 44 games in the past two seasons. That shouldn’t change this season with starters back, including Vaughn Duggins and Todd Brown, who are both potentially league MVP candidates.

Both were the leading scorers last season with Duggins averaging 13.8 points per game, and Brown averaging 12.7 points per game.

Another area in the Raiders’ favor is their ability to beat Butler. They’ve done so three times in the past two years.

Also, the Raiders are becoming increasingly difficult to beat at home. In the 18 seasons of the Nutter Center, the Raiders are 188-82 (.696 winning percentage).

The Raiders will need to work on experience in the early stages of the season. Jordan Pleiman and Scottie Wilson started 30 and 31 games last season, respectively, with Duggins, Brown and Graham eating up the rest of the starts. The rest of the roster has just two starts between them (John David Gardner and Gavin Horne have one each).

Illinois-Chicago Flames (18-15, 9-9, 4th)
Coach: Jimmy Collins, 12th season (194-171)
Projected starters
Josh Mayo, senior
Scott Vandermeer, senior
Spencer Stuart, junior
Jeremy Buttell, junior
Robert Kreps, sophomore
Key nonconference games
Nov. 14 at Bradley
Dec. 3 at Vanderbilt
Dec. 14 at Georgia Tech
Feb. 21 BracketBuster
Key losses: Karl White Jr., Robert Bush, Jermaine Dailey
What to expect: The Flames enter the 2008-09 season with Hoopville Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year Josh Mayo.

Mayo, a product of Merrillville (Ind.) High School, averaged a team-leading 17.1 points per game last season – second-best in the league behind Detroit’s Jon Goode’s 19.3.

Also back is ferocious shot-blocker Scott Vandermeer. The 7-foot center out of Lake Central High School in Dyer, Ind., swatted 85 shots a season ago (2.6 per game). He doubled his closest competitor in that category (Cleveland State’s George Tandy, 40 blocks, or 1.2 per game). Vandermeer also led the league last year in rebounding with 7.5 per game.

Having those two back will help the Flames stay in the league title picture, despite losing quality players in White Jr., Bush and Dailey, who combined to start in 57 games last season.

Stuart, Buttell and Kreps all played significant minutes last year and should get into the starting lineup this season. But look for freshman guard Josh Anderson to make an impact off the bench.

Quality basketball players have surrounded Anderson’s life. Anderson’s father, Nick, was an Illinois Mr. Basketball in 1986, was a two-time All-American at Illinois where he played for Collins when he was an assistant at Illinois, and was a 13-year NBA veteran where he was the first player ever taken by the Orlando Magic in 1989.

Josh Anderson was also a high school teammate of Derrick Rose, the 2008 No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.

As for Collins, the school’s winningest coach is six victories shy of No. 200.

UW-Green Bay (15-15, 9-9, 4th)
Coach: Tod Kowalczyk, seventh season (92-88)
Projected starters
Mike Schachtner, senior
Ryan Tillema, senior
Rahmon Fletcher, sophomore
Randy Berry, junior
Terry Evans, senior
Key nonconference games
Nov. 18 at Utah
Nov. 21-23 at Glenn Wilkes Classic, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Nov. 29 UMass
Dec. 13 at Wisconsin
Feb. 21 at BracketBuster
Key losses: None
What to expect: The Phoenix could easily win 20 games this season with five players back, who made 132 starts between them last season, and three of them averaged at least 10 points per game. In addition, a fourth averaged nine points per game.

To summarize, the Phoenix have their top four scorers back this year, led by Schachtner’s 15.8 points per game, which was third-best in the league. Right behind him are Tillema (12.5), Fletcher (10.1), Evans (9.6) and Berry (7.3).

This is easily Kowalczyk’s most-loaded team during his tenure, and winning 20 games is a definite possibility with not a terribly difficult non-league schedule. But games at Utah and Wisconsin will pose challenges.

The last time the Phoenix won 20 games in a season was the 1998-99 under Mike Heideman (20), and since legendary coach Dick Bennett left following the 1994-95 season, the Phoenix have just two 20-win seasons (1995-96 and 1998-99).

During Bennett’s 10-year tenure, the Phoenix won at least 20 games five times – all in a six-year span.

Cordero Barkley and Bryquis Perine will be the Phoenix’s top two options off the bench. Barkley played in 30 games last season and has played in 92 games with UWGB. Perine played in 29 games last year.

Butler Bulldogs (30-4, 16-2, 1st)
Coach: Brad Stevens, second season (30-4)
Projected starters
Matt Howard, sophomore
Shawn Vanzant, sophomore
Zach Hahn, sophomore
Willie Veasley, junior
Avery Jukes, junior
Key nonconference games
Nov. 15 at Drake
Dec. 10 at Bradley
Dec. 13 at Ohio State
Dec. 23 at Xavier
Feb. 21 at BracketBuster
Key losses: Mike Green, A.J. Graves, Pete Campbell, Drew Streicher
What to expect: Stevens led the Bulldogs to a league-record 30 victories last season. Repeating that performance this season will be difficult.

Three of the Bulldogs’ top scorers from last year are gone (Green, Graves, Campbell). Not only that, they had experience, starting in 77 combined games last season, and comprised half of their scoring. Also gone are Julian Betko, who started in 33 of 34 games last season, and Drew Streicher, who started in all 34 games last season.

Howard is the only one back with any extensive experience, averaging 12.3 points per game last season, starting in 26 games. He will need to have a big season this year to pick up for two more sophomores potentially in the starting lineup, who played sparingly last season.

Vanzant, a sophomore, is a quality player after scoring more than 1,100 points in high school. He is the only player in Wharton High School (Tampa, Fla.) to achieve that mark. Jukes, a transfer from Alabama, will likely make a bigger impact this season after becoming eligible in the second half of the season. He’s a good swingman who can score and pull down rebounds.

The Bulldogs will have six freshmen on the roster this season, and each could see significant playing time.

UW-Milwaukee Panthers (14-16, 9-9, 4th)
Coach: Rob Jeter, third season (45-47)
Projected starters
Deonte Roberts, sophomore
Ricky Franklin, junior
Avery Smith, senior
James Eayers, junior (transfer from North Dakota State College of Science)
Burleigh Porte, junior
Key nonconference games
Nov. 14-16 at World Vision Classic, Ames, Iowa
Nov. 22 at Marquette
Nov. 25 Ball State
Nov. 29 at Wisconsin
Feb. 21 BracketBuster
Key losses: Paige Paulsen, Marcus Skinner, Allan Hanson
What to expect: It was a tumultuous season for the Panthers last season. They started the year 3-7, then won nine of their next 10 games before losing seven of its final nine games of the season.

It was a troubling season off the court as well as the Panthers lost two players during the course of the season, most notably Torre Johnson who was dismissed from the team following an arrest for suspicion of battery after allegedly hitting a woman in the mouth in December. Johnson, a transfer from Oklahoma State, was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder when he was dismissed.

This year, the Panthers will have their work cut out for them after losing Paulsen, the team’s leading scorer and a Second Team All-Horizon League selection last season. He averaged 13.3 points per game.

On a good note, the Panthers return Avery Smith to the roster after sitting all of last season because he was dismissed from the team prior to the season. Smith was reinstated this offseason.

He led the Panthers in scoring in 2006-07, averaging more than 15 points per game. He was a preseason All-Horizon League honoree before being dismissed from the team.

The Panthers also return Ricky Franklin, who started in 26 of 30 games, averaging 9.8 points per game, and Deonte Roberts, who was selected to the league’s All-Newcomer Team a year ago.

There will be growing pains this season with nine of the 18 players on the roster in their first year with the program. But Eayers could make an immediate impact. He’s 6-foot-7, and scored 1,156 points in two years at the North Dakota State College of Science. Last season, he averaged 24 points per game.

Valparaiso Crusaders (22-14, 9-9, 4th)
Coach: Homer Drew, 19th season (324-254 at Valpo, 593-376 overall)
Projected starters
Urule Igbavboa, senior
Jake Diebler, senior
Brandon McPherson, senior
Howard Little, sophomore
Michael Rogers, sophomore
Key nonconference games
Nov. 21-24 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam
Dec. 20 vs. North Carolina at United Center, Chicago
Dec. 28 at Purdue
Feb. 21 BracketBuster
Key losses: Shawn Huff, Jarryd Loyd
What to expect: Coach Homer Drew enters the season with 593 career victories. Eight other current head coaches have won at least 600 games. Hoping to get him to that historic mark will be Urule Igbavboa, who returns this season as the leading scorer from last year where he averaged 11 points per game, and is a preseason Hoopville honorable mention all-league member.

The Crusaders will have a strong backcourt tandem in Jake Diebler and Brandon McPherson. Both combined to average 15 points per game last season, and have played alongside each other in the past two seasons. McPherson is a good scorer, and Diebler is a solid guard. He had a 2.71 turnover-to-assist ratio last season, second-best in the league.

This is a veteran squad which should improve on its league record from a year ago. A tough nonconference schedule, like usual, will certainly help, including a matchup against North Carolina in December.

A strong recruiting class could provide an immediate impact. One of the gems of the class is De’Andre Haskins, who attended nearby La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind. Haskins averaged 27.5 points per game as a senior, and 31 as a junior. He is quick, athletic and versatile.

Loyola Ramblers (12-19, 6-12, 8th)
Coach: Jim Whitesell, fifth season (65-58)
Projected starters
J.R. Blount, senior
Andy Polka, junior
Ross Forman, junior
Leon Young, senior
Justin Cerasoli, senior
Key nonconference games
Nov. 17 NIT Season Tip-Off vs. Georgia, West Lafayette, Ind.
Nov. 18 NIT Season Tip-Off vs. Purdue or Eastern Michigan, West Lafayette, Ind.
Feb. 21 BracketBuster
Key loss: Tracy Robinson
What to expect: The Ramblers lost just one starter from last year (Robinson), so experience should be on the Ramblers’ side. Blount is the leading returning scorer after averaging 15 points per game as a junior. He is a Hoopville preseason all-league selection. There is solid depth after Blount, led by Polka, who averaged 8.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season, and senior Young, who averaged 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Cerasoli should play a role this season after averaging more than nine points per game in 2007-08.

Loyola will be a team which will hover around the middle of the conference and should improve on its 8th-place finish in the league standings a year ago. Fifth-year head coach Jim Whitesell has averaged 16 victories during his tenure.

Detroit Titans (7-23, 3-15, 10th)
Coach: Ray McCallum, first season (170-149 career record)
Projected starters
Woody Payne, junior
Eulis Stephens, junior
Jason Bennett, junior
Chris Hayes, senior
Michael Harrington, senior
Key nonconference games
Nov. 14 at Purdue
Nov. 26 at DePaul
Dec. 20 at Illinois
Feb. 21 at BracketBuster
Key loss: Coach Perry Watson
What to expect: In a tough season last year, which ultimately led the retirement of coach Perry Watson, the Titans are looking to retool, and so far they appear to be headed in the right direction. But it’ll likely be the 2009-10 season where the impact will be seen by the league.

First-year head coach Ray McCallum has brought in a strong recruiting class, which will eventually put Detroit back into the league championship discussion.

Former Central Michigan and Detroit Community High School product Chase Simon, former Indiana center Eli Holman, and Tallahassee Community College transfer Jason Bennett lead the catches for McCallum.

Simon is a local product who had a stellar high school career. As a senior, he averaged more than 23 points and seven rebounds per game in leading his team to the state quarterfinals. He was selected as a first-team Class C All-State performer by the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit News, The Associated Press and the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan.

Simon will redshirt this season, and will be eligible for the 2009-10 season in compliance with NCAA transfer rules. He played last season at Central Michigan where he played in 24 games, averaging nearly five points per game.

Holman was a recruit of McCallum’s at IU, and Holman decided to follow him to Detroit while IU goes through an overhaul.

Bennett will likely become one of the best shot blockers in league history. He will be the Titans’ tallest player in school history – 7-foot-3, 275 pounds.

Bennett, a top 50 product out of Arlington Country Day High School in Jacksonville, Fla., played one season at Kansas State before transferring to Tallahassee Community College. While at Kansas State, Bennett blocked a school-record eight shots in a game against Chicago State.

But also look for newcomers Thomas Kennedy and Xavier Keeling to make impacts as well.

Youngstown State Penguins (9-21, 5-13, 9th)
Coach: Jerry Slocum, third season (30-59, 610-384 overall)
Projected starters
Jack Liles, senior
Vytas Sulskis, sophomore
Vance Cooksey, sophomore
Mikko Niemi, senior
Dan Boulder, sophomore
Key nonconference games
Nov. 18 at Maryland
Feb. 21 BracketBuster
Key losses: Byron Davis, John Barber
What to expect: The Penguins will be young with eight first-year players. But the veterans they do have are solid, led by Jack Liles and Vytas Sulskis.

Liles and Sulskis averaged more than nine points per game last season. They will have to pick up the slack for losing Davis and Barber, who combined to average 29 points per game last season. Plus, the Penguins lost five players who played in at least 28 games last season. This season’s starting lineup could potentially have three sophomores in it.

The Penguins return just six letterwinners from last season.

A weak schedule should work in the Penguins’ favor with only the ESPN BracketBuster game and a date at Maryland posing as the only troubles.

Newcomers such as Sirlester Martin, DeAndre Mays and Tom Parks could provide solid impacts.

Horizon League Notebook

by Nick Dettmann

Player of the Week: Marcus Skinner, UW-Milwaukee
Skinner averaged 15.5 points and 11 rebounds in two games last week for the Panthers, both victories over Youngstown State and Cleveland State. He posted collegiate-highs with 16 points and 12 rebounds in the victory over Youngstown State.

Butler Bulldogs (19-2 overall, 8-2 Horizon)
Last week: 2-0
Week recap
Jan. 24 vs. Loyola – W 63-50
Jan. 26 vs. UIC – W 73-57
Freshman Matt Howard scored 20 points in the Bulldogs’ victory over UIC. It was his 12th consecutive game of scoring in double figures.
Senior Mike Green added 15 points against the Flames as well. Green is the only player in the league who is leading his team in scoring, rebounding and assists.
A.J. Graves, who has been struggling of late, scored 16 points against UIC. It was his highest scoring output since scoring 17 against Florida Gulf Coast on Dec. 22.
This week, the Bulldogs will open a three-game road swing at Valparaiso in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPN2.
This week’s game
Feb. 5 at Valparaiso (ESPN2)

Cleveland State (14-7, 7-2)
Last week: 0-2
Week recap
Jan. 24 vs. UW-Green Bay – L 59-50
Jan. 26 vs. UW-Milwaukee – L 79-71
The Vikings lost a pair of games on the road in Wisconsin, opening up the Horizon League regular season title race. The Vikings were out-rebounded in both contests, and shot a season-low 28 percent from the field against UW-Green Bay.
Against UW-Milwaukee, junior Cedric Jackson posted his second double-double of the season, scoring 16 points with a collegiate-high 11 rebounds.
The Vikings will stay on the road this week, this time in Chicago for two.
This week’s games
Jan. 31 at Illinois-Chicago
Feb. 2 at Loyola

Detroit Titans (4-15, 0-9)
Last week: 0-1
Week recap
Jan. 26 vs. Wright State – L 66-57
Not much good has happened for Detroit this season.
After losing to Wright State, the Titans have lost 13 consecutive games, which is just one shy of tying the school record for most in a single season. The Titans lost 14 straight to open the 1987-88 season, a streak that doesn’t include losing the season finale the season before.
Junior Chris Hayes led Detroit with 16 points and six rebounds, and Jon Goode scored 17 points to register double figures in scoring for the 13th straight game.
Goode leads the league in scoring at 19.5 points per game, including 22.8 per game during league play.
Detroit will host two tough teams this week, starting with red-hot UW-Milwaukee.
This week’s games
Jan. 31 vs. UW-Milwaukee
Feb. 2 vs. UW-Green Bay

Illinois-Chicago Flames (10-10, 4-5)
Last week: 0-2
Week recap
Jan. 24 vs. Valparaiso – L 60-56
Jan. 26 vs. Butler – L 73-57
The Flames are happy to be back home.
UIC is 2-9 away from home this season (8-1 at home) after losing a pair of games on the road at Valparaiso and Butler.
Scott VanderMeer scored nine points against Valparaiso, but grabbed a collegiate-high 21 rebounds in the loss. He became just the fourth player in league history to grab at least 20 rebounds in a single game, and also became UIC’s all-time leader in blocked shots after three blocks against Valparaiso. He has 166 blocks in two years, which eclipsed Sherell Ford’s record of 164 (1992-95).
Junior Josh Mayo leads the country in 3-point shooting accuracy at 53.4 percent and ranks second in the league in scoring at 17.8 points per game. He has reached double figures in scoring in 19 of 20 games this season, and needs just two points to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career.
Sophomore Spencer Stewart returned to the lineup against Valparaiso, his first action in six games.
The Flames host two of the three Ohio schools this week, including Cleveland State.
This week’s games
Jan. 31 vs. Cleveland State
Feb. 2 vs. Youngstown State

Loyola Ramblers (7-13, 3-7)
Last week: 1-1
Week recap
Jan. 24 vs. Butler – L 63-50
Jan. 26 vs. Valparaiso – W 65-63
If you’re going to reach a milestone, it doesn’t hurt to win the game at the same time.
J.R. Blount hit a shot with four seconds left against Valparaiso to give the Ramblers an upset victory on the road. Blount scored 19 points, giving him 1,000 points in his career at Loyola. He became the fourth league player this year to eclipse 1,000 career points, joining Green Bay’s Mike Schachtner, Detroit’s Jon Goode, and Cleveland State’s J’Nathan Bullock.
In a loss at Butler, sophomore Andy Polka scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Loyola will return home this week for a pair of games.
This week’s games
Jan. 31 vs. Youngstown State
Feb. 2 vs. Cleveland State

UW-Green Bay Phoenix (11-8, 5-4)
Last week: 2-0
Week recap
Jan. 24 vs. Cleveland State – W 59-50
Jan. 26 vs. Youngstown State – W 66-58
The Phoenix defense was stingy this week, holding Cleveland State and Youngstown State to an average of 54 points – leading to two victories.
Junior Terry Evans scored a collegiate-high 16 points and added eight rebounds against Cleveland State. By beating the Vikings, the Phoenix snapped CSU’s six-game win streak.
Junior Mike Schachtner scored just five points against CSU, but did grab 10 rebounds to set a new collegiate high. Schachtner is third in the league in scoring at 17.2 points per game.
The Phoenix, who rallied from halftime deficits in both games, defense has held each of their past three opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field.
UWGB will play five of its next seven games on the road, starting at Wright State on Thursday.
This week’s games
Jan. 31 at Wright State
Feb. 2 at Detroit

UW-Milwaukee Panthers (12-8, 7-3)
Last week: 2-0
Week recap
Jan. 24 – vs. Youngstown State – W 76-69
Jan. 26 – vs. Cleveland State – W 79-71
Milwaukee, since losing to Wisconsin on Dec. 12 to drop to 3-7, has won nine of its past 10 games, after beating Youngstown State and Cleveland State at home. UWM has found a niche to playing close games, winning eight of the 11 close games it’s been in this season.
Senior Paige Paulsen led UWM with 24 points and nine rebounds against Youngstown State. He then followed that up with a 13-point, 11-rebound effort against Cleveland State. Paulsen is fifth in the league in scoring at 15.3 points per game.
The Panthers grabbed 32 offensive rebounds in the two games and have collected at least 10 offensive rebounds in 17 of 20 games so far this season.
The Panthers hit the road for a pair this week, starting at Detroit.
This week’s games
Jan. 31 at Detroit
Feb. 2 at Wright State

Valparaiso Crusaders (14-7, 5-4)
Last week: 1-1
Week recap
Jan. 24 vs. UIC – W 60-56
Jan. 26 vs. Loyola – L 65-63
The Crusaders have made it a habit of playing in close games in this league season. Of the first nine league contests, six have been decided by six points or less.
Sophomore Samuel Haanpaa led Valpo with 15 points against UIC. All of his points came off of 3-pointers, making it the 16th time in his career he’s hit at least four 3-pointers in a single game.
Valparaiso won’t play another game for nine days, but it will be a big one when instate rival Butler comes to town on national television (ESPN2).
This week’s game:
Feb. 5 vs. Butler (ESPN2)

Wright State Raiders (12-6, 5-4)
Last week: 1-0
Week recap
Jan. 26 vs. Detroit – W 66-57
The Raiders finished off a three-game road swing with a perfect record. The Raiders are now 6-3 away from the Nutter Center this season.
Sophomore Todd Brown led the way for the Raiders, scoring 18 points. Seniors Scottie Wilson and Jordan Pleiman added 14 and 13 points, respectively.
The Raiders will play the next three games at home, and will be the busiest team this week in the Horizon League. WSU will play three games in six days starting with UWGB on Jan. 31.
This week’s games
Jan. 31 vs. UW-Green Bay
Feb. 2 vs. UW-Milwaukee
Feb. 4 vs. Presbyterian

Youngstown State Penguins (7-13, 3-7)
Last week:
Week recap
Jan. 24 vs. UW-Milwaukee – L 76-69
Jan. 26 vs. UW-Green Bay – L 66-58
The Penguins have dropped four straight games after losing a pair on the road in Wisconsin to Green Bay and Milwaukee.
Freshman Vytas Sulskis averaged 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in the two losses for the Penguins.
Senior Mike Barber registered his third double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds against Milwaukee. Senior Byron Davis scored 22 points against Milwaukee as well.
YSU remains on the road with a pair of games in Chicago. YSU has the opportunity to sweep either Loyola or Chicago for the first time in school history.
This week’s games
Jan. 31 at Loyola
Feb. 2 at Illinois-Chicago

Horizon League Notebook

by Nick Dettmann

Player of the Week: Matt Howard, Butler. The freshman from Connersville, Ind., averaged 19.3 points and seven rebounds per game in leading the Bulldogs to three victories. He scored 22 points on Jan. 10 against Green Bay.

Butler Bulldogs (16-1 overall, 5-1 Horizon League)
Last week’s record: 3-0
Week recap:
Jan. 7 vs. Loyola: W 66-55
Jan. 10 vs. UW-Green Bay: W 74-65
Jan. 12 vs. UW-Milwaukee: W 72-56
Only top-ranked North Carolina has more victories in the country this season than the Bulldogs, who are off to their best start in school history. Senior guard Mike Green has scored in double figures in eight consecutive games – the same streak as the Bulldogs’ win streak.
This week, the Bulldogs will play two games in Ohio, including a battle for first-place against Cleveland State on Jan. 17.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 at Cleveland State
Jan. 19 at Youngstown State

Cleveland State Vikings (12-5, 5-0)
Last week’s record: 2-0
Week recap:
Jan. 10 vs. Detroit: W 74-64
Jan. 12 vs. Wright State: W 65-63
For years, the Vikings were looking up at the rest of the league. This year, they’re looking down as they lead the league just shy of the halfway point of the league season. The Vikings are 5-0 in league play, which is their best start since the 1992-93 season. The 12-5 mark is also their best mark in 15 seasons.
This week, eyes will be on J’Nathan Bullock, who just needs 20 points to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau. This week, the Vikings will be tested when Butler comes to town in what should draw the biggest home game crowd since North Carolina came in a few seasons ago. Then, on Jan. 19, the Crusaders come to town.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 vs. Butler
Jan. 19 vs. Valparaiso

Detroit Titans (4-12, 0-6)
Last week’s record: 0-2
Week recap:
Jan. 10 vs. Cleveland State: L 74-64
Jan. 12 vs. Youngstown State: L 70-66
The Titans have lost 10 straight games, making a 4-2 start seem a distant memory. Detroit last won Nov. 28 against Eastern Michigan.
Senior Jon Goode did become the 34th player in school history to score at least 1,000 career points with a 21-point effort against Youngstown State. He now has 1,014 points. Goode also ranks second in the league in scoring at 18.1 points per game.
The 10-game slide is the longest since a 12-game losing streak in 1998-99. The Titans will head to Chicago for a pair of game in hopes of preventing the school’s longest losing streak.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 at Loyola
Jan. 19 at Illinois-Chicago

Illinois-Chicago Flames (9-7, 3-2)
Last week’s record: 1-0
Week recap:
Jan. 12 vs. Loyola: W 78-68 (2 OT)
In 2002, Loyola and Illinois-Chicago battled in overtime for the Horizon League tournament championship. On Jan. 12, they were at it again. Only this time it was in double overtime. The Flames won both instances. The victory on Jan. 12 snapped a three-game slide, and kicked off a three-game home stand on a positive note.
Junior guard Josh May led the Flames with a 20-point effort, and Scott VanderMeer scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Senior guard Karl White Jr. chipped in with 19 points.
This week, the Flames continue their home stand where they have been tough to outscore. The Flames are averaging 82 points per game at home, compared to 63 on the road. Wright State and Detroit come to Chicago this week.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 vs. Wright State
Jan. 19 vs. Detroit

Loyola Ramblers (5-11, 1-5)
Last week’s record: 0-2
Week recap:
Jan. 7 vs. Butler: L 66-55
Jan. 12 vs. Illinois-Chicago: L 78-68 (2 OT)
The Ramblers have lost at least four consecutive games for the second time this season. Earlier this year, Loyola lost five straight, and are just 3-11 since a 2-0 start, including dropping six of their past seven games.
Junior Justin Cerasoli scored a collegiate-high 21 points in the loss to the Flames. Cerasoli has averaged 13.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in seven games since becoming eligible following his transfer from Mississippi.
Junior J.R. Blount scored 23 points, his highest single-game effort since a 27-point game at Cleveland State last season.
The Ramblers hope a pair of home games will reverse some misfortunes. Loyola is 1-7 away from home this season, but are 4-4 at home.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 vs. Detroit
Jan. 19 vs. Wright State

UW-Green Bay Phoenix (9-7, 3-3)
Last week’s record: 0-2
Week recap:
Jan. 10 vs. Butler: L 74-65
Jan. 12 vs. Valparaiso: L 82-73
Junior Mike Schachtner scored 34 points in the Phoenix’s loss to Valparaiso, matching the league’s highest scoring game this season. UIC’s Josh Mayo scored 34 points against Bradley on Nov. 10. Schachtner leads the league in scoring at 18.3 points per game. The Phoenix, as a team, rank sixth in the nation in free-throw percentage at 76.8 percent.
This week, the Phoenix host instate rival UW-Milwaukee.
This week’s game:
Jan. 19 vs. UW-Milwaukee

UW-Milwaukee Panthers (9-8, 4-3)
Last week’s record: 2-1
Week recap:
Jan. 7 vs. Youngstown State: W 61-39
Jan. 10 vs. Valparaiso: W 71-69
Jan. 12 vs. Butler: L 72-56
What looked like was going to be a rough season has turned into a promising one. The Panthers have lost a number of players for various reasons, including elite scorers Avery Smith and Torre Johnson, this season. But prior to the Panthers’ loss to Butler, the Panthers strung together six straight victories, last losing to Wisconsin on Dec. 12. The nine victories have already matched last season’s total win total.
Junior guard Deion James led the Panthers against Valparaiso with 20 points off the bench. And, against Youngstown State, the Panthers were a perfect 15-for-15 from the free-throw line.
The lone game on the schedule this week is an hour-and-a-half trip north to Green Bay to play the Phoenix.
This week’s game:
Jan. 19 at UW-Green Bay

Valparaiso Crusaders (12-5, 3-2)
Last week’s record: 1-1
Week recap:
Jan. 10 vs. UW-Milwaukee: L 71-69
Jan. 12 vs. UW-Green Bay: W 82-73
Valparaiso’s 13-game home court win streak came to an end with a two-point setback to Milwaukee on Jan. 10.
Senior guard Jarryd Loyd came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points, marking the fourth consecutive game he led the Crusaders in scoring. Sophomore Samual Haanpaa scored 24 points to lead the Crusaders against the Phoenix. Loyd has not started a game this season, but still leads the team in scoring at 12.2 per game.
This week, the Crusaders hit the road to renew acquaintances with old Mid-Continent Conference rival Youngstown State. Then it’s off to league-leading Cleveland State.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 at Youngstown State
Jan. 19 at Cleveland State

Wright State Raiders (9-6, 2-4)
Last week’s record: 1-1
Week recap:
Jan. 10 vs. Youngstown State: W 66-55
Jan. 12 vs. Cleveland State: L 65-63
The defending league tournament champions split last week’s games with instate rivals Youngstown State and Cleveland State. In four of the Raiders’ six league games thus far, the final margin was decided by five points or less with the Raiders going 1-3 in those games.
Junior guard Vaughn Duggins scored 34 points with nine assists in the two games.
The injury bug has bit the Raiders also. Sophomore John David Gardner will miss four to six weeks with a broken bone in his left foot, and junior Gavin Horne will continue to miss at least another week with a sprained ankle.
The Raiders have a pair of games in Chicago this week with Illinois-Chicago and Loyola.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 at Illinois-Chicago
Jan. 19 at at Loyola

Youngstown State Penguins (7-9, 3-3)
Last week’s record: 1-2
Week recap:
Jan. 7 vs. UW-Milwaukee: L 61-39
Jan. 10 vs. Wright State: L 66-55
Jan. 12 vs. Detroit: W 70-66
The Penguins salvaged a rough start to a busy week with a victory over slumping Detroit, 70-66. This year, the Penguins are 7-0 when leading at halftime, and 0-9 when trailing after 20 minutes. In the victory over Detroit, the Penguins hit 11 3-pointers, marking the 11th time in coach Jerry Slocum’s three-year tenure at YSU that the Penguins have made at least 10 3-pointers in a game.
This week, the Penguins host the Crusaders for the first time since Feb. 10, 2001. Then Butler comes to town.
This week’s games:
Jan. 17 vs. Valparaiso
Jan. 19 vs. Butler

Horizon League Notebook

by Nick Dettmann

Player of the Week: Samuel Haanpaa, Valparaiso. The sophomore guard from Finland averaged 26 points in two Crusaders victories last week. He scored 20 points against Evansville and 32 against Chicago State. Against Chicago State, he set a school-record for 3-pointers in a game with 10. The previous record was held by current Valparaiso associate head coach Bryce Drew.

Butler Bulldogs (9-1 overall, 1-1 Horizon League)
Week record: 1-0
Recap
Dec. 15 vs. Florida State – W 79-68
The Bulldogs knocked off the ACC’s Florida State as part of a doubleheader in the Wooden Tradition Classic in Indianapolis. Purdue beat Louisville in the other game.
With the victory, the Bulldogs have gone 62 consecutive games without suffering back-to-back losses.
Seniors A.J. Graves and Mike Green had solid games, combining for 45 points. Green scored 20 points, including 11 of Butler’s final 13 points of the game. Graves became the 39th player in league history to reach the 1,500-point plateau. His 25 points gives him 1,508 for his collegiate career.
Freshman Matt Howard continued his steady play, scoring 11 points and grabbing four rebounds.
A pair of games this week are in store for the Bulldogs. Sophomore forward Avery Jukes is expected to play in either of the two games to make his season debut. Jukes sat out the first semester after transferring from the University of Alabama.
Upcoming games
Dec. 19 vs. Bradley
Dec. 22 at Florida Gulf Coast

Cleveland State Vikings (7-3, 1-0)
Week record: 0-0
Recap
No games were played last week because of final exams. But this week, highly-touted freshman Eric Schiele could make his season debut against Ohio State.
Upcoming games
Dec. 18 vs. Ohio State at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
Dec. 22 vs. Central Michigan

Detroit Titans (4-5, 0-2)
Week record: 0-0
Recap
No games were played last week because of final exams. The Titans will play a pair of games in Texas this week.
Upcoming games
Dec. 17 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Dec. 19 at Texas A&M

Illinois-Chicago Flames (6-4, 2-0)
Week record: 1-0
Recap
Dec. 15 vs. DePaul – W 85-80
The Flames beat cross-town rival DePaul for the first time in school history.
Freshman guard Robert Kreps scored a team-high 19 points with four 3-pointers in the game. Junior Josh Mayo added 18 points. The Flames improved to 6-0 this season when leading at the half.
The Flames have a pair of non-conference games against Toledo and Howard, both at home.
Upcoming games
Dec. 19 vs. Toledo
Dec. 22 vs. Howard

Loyola Ramblers (4-5, 1-1)
Week record: 1-0
Recap
Dec. 15 vs. Northern Illinois – W 76-72 (OT)
For the second game in a row, the Ramblers won in overtime, something they haven’t done in nearly five years.
Juniors Leon Young and J.R. Blount scored 16 points each, while sophomore Andy Polka added a season-high 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Ross Forman scored 11 points off the bench.
The Ramblers will play a pair of games on the road this week, first in St. Louis before heading across the state to play the UMKC Kangaroos.
Upcoming games
Dec. 19 at Saint Louis
Dec. 22 at UMKC

UW-Green Bay Phoenix (6-4, 1-1)
Week record: 0-1
Recap
Dec. 15 vs. Wisconsin – L 70-52
The Phoenix finished off a four-game road trip with an 18-point loss to instate rival Wisconsin.
Junior guard/forward Cordero Barkley led the Phoenix with 11 points and 11 rebounds. It was the first time he had ever registered team honors in either category. The Wisconsin game was Barkley’s 72nd at Green Bay.
Junior forward Mike Schachtner finished with just eight points against the Badgers. But that was enough for him to become the 20th player in school history to hit 1,000 career points. He also still leads the league in scoring at 19 points per game.
The Phoenix will welcome Northern Illinois to town this week. They are 20-1 against its former Midwest Collegiate Conference rivals, including winning the past 11.
Upcoming games
Dec. 22 vs. Northern Illinois

UW-Milwaukee Panthers (3-7, 0-2)
Week record: 0-1
Recap
Dec. 12 vs. Wisconsin – L 61-39
The struggles continued once again for the Panthers. They lost their sixth straight game and tallied their lowest point total in three years (since a 66-37 loss to Wisconsin in 2004). However, the game against Wisconsin was played in front of 10,017 – the largest crowd for a regular season game in school history.
Things aren’t getting better for the Panthers as they will be without Torre Johnson, who was suspended from and then kicked off the team following an arrest where he allegedly struck a 23-year-old woman in the face on Dec. 15. A preliminary court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 27.
Upcoming games
Dec. 19 vs. Central Michigan

Valparaiso Crusaders (10-1, 2-0)
Week record: 2-0
Recap
Dec. 11 vs. Evansville – W 75-67
Dec. 15 vs. Chicago State – W 90-61
The Crusaders are off to their best start since joining Division 1.
Sophomore Samual Haanpaa scored 32 points in their victory over former Mid-Continent Conference rival Chicago State. He was the first to eclipse 30 points in a game for the Crusaders since Dan Oppland scored 35 at Western Illinois in Jan. 2006. In addition, Haanpaa set a new school record by hitting 10 3-pointers in the game, topping the record previously held by former Valparaiso great and current associate head coach Bryce Drew.
The Crusaders will head to Madison, Wis., to play the Badgers on Saturday. The Crusaders have won eight straight games, and the Badgers are on the upswing after winning two straight instate rivalry games over Green Bay and Milwaukee.
Upcoming games
Dec. 22 at Wisconsin

Wright State Raiders (4-3, 1-1)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Dec. 11 vs. Bradley – L 72-65 (OT)
Dec. 15 vs. Miami (Ohio) – W 58-57
Both games last week saw teams rally from late deficits to win.
Against Bradley, the Raiders led 57-53 with 45 seconds left in regulation, but couldn’t hold on. Sophomore guard Vaughn Duggins scored 24 points in the game.
Then against Miami (Ohio), the Raiders’ Todd Brown hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to win the game. It was the only time Wright State led for the entire game. It was also the second straight year the Raiders defeated the RedHawks on a last-possession shot. The Raiders trailed that game 44-28 at halftime.
The Raiders will finish a five-game homestand when they host St. Bonaventure.
Upcoming games
Dec. 18 vs. St. Bonaventure
Dec. 22 at Cal State Fullerton

Youngstown State Penguins (3-5, 0-1)
Week record: 0-0
Recap
No games were scheduled because of final exams.
Upcoming games
Dec. 17 vs. Robert Morris (Pa.)
Dec. 21 at Akron