Bracket Breakdown: Your Complete Guide to the Final Four

On one side of the bracket that went busted a day into the NCAA Tournament, we have two Cinderella teams hoping that the crystal shoe will fit them at the end. On the other, we have two power-conference juggernauts trying to spoil the folk tale’s happy ending.

It’s not a good vs. evil story. It’s merely the Final Four, and its two No. 5 seeds (injury-riddled Michigan State and Butler) battling each other for one spot in the championship game while the ACC’s and No. 1 seed Duke combats the Big East’s and No. 2 West Virginia for the other. Two feel-good stories vs. two bracket-saving, household names.

It should be fun. Let’s take a look at those Final Four-ers.

Even though it’s a second consecutive Final Four trip for the Spartans (28-8), the state of Michigan should still be pleasantly shocked to find them there. Michigan State has walked on the borderline of survival in every round to reach these instances, having won its four games by an average of 3.25 points. Clutchness and healthy doses of guards Korie Lucious and Durrell Summers have done the trick. They have the Spartans feeling they can go from 2009 runner-ups to 2010 champions despite their major underdog status.

However, when it comes to underdogs, no team barks louder than the Bulldogs of Butler (32-4). Fans are growing either hopeful or tired of hearing about how this team’s run is not unlike that of the Hickory team from the “Hoosiers” movie, the story of a small-town Indiana high school squad that wins the state championship — my apologies if I ruined the movie for anyone.

The similarities are there. Butler is also from Indiana and plays in the mid-major Horizon League. Adding to that, the Bulldogs have pulled their set of upsets to get to the Final Four. They beat their region’s No. 1 and No. 2 seeds — Syracuse and Kansas State, respectively — to get a shot at the title while playing in their home state.

As it’s been the case all tournament long, swingman Gordon Hayward will be key for Butler, not just because of his team-leading scoring but because of his rebounding. The sophomore will need to set a tone on the glass and hope his teammates follow. Michigan State is one of the best rebounding teams in the country, and extra possessions could be the difference. The Spartans, for their part, must take Butler’s playing-at-home spirit out right off the bat. And they shouldn’t rely on their crunch-time skills. Butler, which comes into the game having won 24 consecutive games, has been just as good in those instances this tournament.

Whichever squad remains alive after the underdog-off will have to face a powerhouse in the championship game. Duke (33-5), thought by many to be the most vulnerable No. 1 Tournament seed, is the only No. 1 seed to make it to the Final Four. The “Big Three,” guards Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith and forward Kyle Singler, combine for about 70 percent of the Blue Devils’ total scoring and has carried Duke past every team it was supposed to beat. Now, however, Duke, a team that relies heavily on three-point shooting, will face its biggest offensive test against a lengthy West Virginia (31-6) squad that forced another No. 1 seed, Kentucky, into misfiring on 28-of-32 three-point attempts in their Elite Eight match.

The Mountaineers not only are long and effective zone defenders but also feature one of the most exciting players in the field: forward Da’Sean Butler. Butler hasn’t needed to hit any big shots this post-season as West Virginia hasn’t had any major scares during its run, but Butler is one bad dude when called upon, as proven by his two game-winners in the Big East Tournament. He and forward Devin Ebanks are the Mountaineers’ main offensive weapons.

Smith is the guy for Duke. His ability to break down defenses and create, along with his reliable jump shot, could have West Virginia scrambling out of their zone defense rather early. The Blue Devils are an outstanding shooting team, and the Mountaineers might not have a choice but to play them man-to-man. How West Virginia adjusts to Duke’s shooting ability will be the deciding factor. And it would also help the Mountaineers if they could make a couple of shots. Defense is what’s gotten them this far, but they’re the worst shooting team remaining. West Virginia has shot less than 42 percent in all of their tournament wins.

Because of its underdog of underdogs’ status, Butler is the team that seemingly everyone wants to win it all, especially because the Bulldogs are playing in front of their home crowd. Michigan State will be a tough rival, but these teams are evenly-matched. Meanwhile, on the other side, Duke will need a good shooting day to get past the Mountaineers, who will pray for an average shooting day to help them get back to the championship game for the first time since 1959. It should be fun.

Predictions that will probably be completely wrong: Butler and Duke advance. And Duke wins it all.

Horizon Notebook

Horizon League Notebook

by Jay Pearlman

UW-Milwaukee made quick work of Loyola-Marymount on Friday, leading from start to finish to win 75-51. Two newcomers led the way, as JUCO transfer guard Tone Boyle (Highland Community) scored 20 (8-14, 4-8 in treys), and 6-8 freshman Tony Meier (St. Louis) scored 14 (5-11, 4-9 in treys) and grabbed 12 boards.

Then on Saturday, the Panthers fell behind to UC-Davis by 24 at halftime, and mounted a furious second half comeback to defeat UC-Davis 81-75. Winning the second half 54-24, Milwaukee was paced by senior guard Ricky Franklin’s 18 (6-9, 4-6 in treys, and available for another season after this one with satisfactory academic progress), sophomore forward Anthony Hill’s 16 (7-14) and 8 boards, and Boyle’s 16 (5-10, 3-6 in treys). Playing his second college game, Meier was once again effective, scoring 12 (5-8, 2-3 in treys) and grabbing 6 boards.

Then came the big game on Sunday, against home-standing Iowa State, a game the Panthers were forced to play without quickly reliable Tony Meier, sidelined with the flu. Playing all game long from behind, Milwaukee trailed Iowa State by as many as 14 in the first half, and by 10 at the intermission. Quickly becoming the Horizon’s comeback kids, the Panthers once again clawed back in the second half, pulling within 4 three different times, the last at 58-54 at the ten minute mark. Alas, sharpshooting ISU would not be had in its own gym, using the three-point shot and a three rebound advantage against undermanned Milwaukee to pull away to a 79-61 victory, along the way setting a school record by making 15 treys. For the losers, Franklin led the way with 14 (4-11, 2-6 in treys) and 6 boards, Boyle had 13 (5-16, 2-7 in treys) and 5 boards, and Hill had 10 (4-11) and 7 boards.

While missing the monster win over Iowa State they’d hoped for, the Panthers come away from the World Vision Classic with a 2-1 record, along with a confidence bred by two huge comebacks, the one without one of their starters falling just short. They also showed off two quality players joining the ranks Horizon newcomers, Tone Boyle and Tony Meier. I guess this writer needs an excuse to get to Chicago for a day or two pretty soon, and once there the time to sneak up the lake to Milwaukee to catch the Panthers.

Horizon News and Notes

• If the game of the weekend in the conference this first weekend of play wasn’t Milwaukee’s comeback win over UC-Davis in Ames, then it was Butler’s hard-nosed opening win Saturday night in nearby Des Moines at Drake, 58-48. In a grinding defensive game, sophomore guard Zach Hahn came off the bench to lead all scorer with 13 (5-9, 3-7 in treys), star sophomore center Matt Howard added 12 (5-12) and 7 rebounds, and both freshmen who excited this writer two weeks ago contributed, Gordon Hayward with 11 (4-8, 3-6 in treys) and seven boards, and Shelvin Mack with 9 (3-7, 1-4 in treys).
  And oh yes, Butler also announced this week the signing of 6-9 Andrew Smith, well-thought of from Indiana’s Covenant Christian High School.
• Playing without star senior forward Derick Nelson, Oakland University put quite a scare into Cleveland State on Saturday night, leading for 36 and a half minutes Saturday night before falling 58-55 in the Wollstein Arena. D’Aundray Brown kept CSU in the game, leading all scorers with 15 points (7-9) and six rebounds, but CSU’s comeback was energized by the rebounding and relentless second play of fourth-year starter and star forward J’Nathan Bullock, whose 10 boards were far more important than his 11 points (4-12). Now it’s on to Seattle for a first round CBE game at Washington on Tuesday night.
• In other Horizon League action, on Friday night Illinois-Chicago was bested by Bradley 67-61 in Peoria, Detroit was beaten by Purdue 82-50 in West Lafayette, and Loyola lost at home to Rockhurst 86-79. On Saturday, Wright State lost at home to Illinois State 69-61, Youngstown State lost at home to Buffalo 70-62, and Valparaiso defeated NAIA Division II Marian at home 76-56.

Butler Tries To Reload

Butler Tries to Reload

by Jay Pearlman

INDIANAPOLIS – Four of five starters are gone, as well as five of the six Butler players logging 500 minutes, 144 out of 170 starts, two first team all-conference players (including Player of the Year Mike Green), 69 percent of points gone, along with 57 percent of its rebounds. And unlike Duke and North Carolina (which “select” rather than “recruit”), mid-majors rebuild rather than reload, relying on such things as “diamonds in the rough,” transfers, and – can I even speak the words – teaching and player development making average players better. Rarely good enough to go pro – and almost never early – mid-majors hold onto their players for four years – even five – and when the Kents, Vermonts and George Masons of the world play deep into the tournament, most often it’s with 23-year-old seniors playing against more talented 18 and 19-year-old underclassmen.

In my time watching the Colonial, Mason couldn’t reload; Anthony Grant probably won’t be able to reload at VCU when Eric Maynor leaves. John Cheney couldn’t reload at Temple; John Calipari couldn’t reload at Massachusetts (and likely can’t at Memphis, though we’ll see). Gonzaga is the exception that proves the rule, the only school in America outside the BCS conferences to appear in ten straight NCAA tournaments. Perhaps Butler is next.

The coach is second-year man Brad Stevens, who turned 32 barely a week ago. He is one of only six head coaches in history to win 30 games in his first Division I season, and one of only three mid-major coaches to do so (Bill Hodges had Larry Bird at Indiana State in 1978-79, and Stan Heath had all of Gary Waters’ players at Kent in 2001-02). In two glorious seasons the last two years, Butler played that slow deliberate style, relying on long-range shooting late in the shot clock, reminding of Princeton under Pete Carril, Dick Bennett while still at Green Bay. They were first in the conference in scoring defense more by holding the ball and limiting opposition possessions. (Didn’t Gary Walters’ Dartmouth team lead the nation in defense that way? Didn’t Bill Parcells win a Super Bowl over Buffalo much the same way?) Half of their shots were three-pointers last season, and they made 319 of them, 9th most in America, with a higher percentage – 38 percent – than seven of the eight teams ahead of them in total makes (all except Valparaiso).

I certainly didn’t need to go to a November 1st exhibition game against NAIA Division II Marian (well-coached, but no better than an average NCAA Division III team). But something drew me to Indianapolis this night, to venerable Hinkle Fieldhouse, to the “county seat” of the Horizon League, to a gym I’d only seen watching televised Butler games (and on the big screen when Gene Hackman coached there). Hardly Butler-like, they shot a dismal 23 percent from behind the arc (6-26), just 1 for 16 in the first half. Lefty Zach Hahn was 0-4 from long range (and looked like he’d miss forever), and Grant Leiendecker was just 1-3 (his form was better, suggesting that he’ll make a bunch during the season). Star sophomore center Matt Howard began the game with a power move to the goal finishing with his left, later in the first half cupped an offensive board in his right and thunder-dunked in one motion. Last year’s Newcomer of the Year and this year’s preseason all-league selection showed that he’s ready to challenge Josh Mayo and J’Nathan Bullock for conference Player of the Year, barely raising a sweat in scoring 14 (on 4-6 shooting) and grabbing 11 boards in 22 minutes. And then there were the freshman.

Shocking along press row, instead of familiar returnees Stevens started three frosh “guards” along with Howard and undersized 6-3 junior forward Willie Veasley. 6-0 Alabama point guard Ronald Nored (president of Butler’s freshman class) showed athleticism, penetration, and a strong handle in his 18 minutes (to go with a dynamic personality). Hardly the pure shooter Pete Campbell was last year, Lexington’s 6-3 Shelvin Mack showed that he’ll score from inside and out, continue to shoot, and after an 0-5 first half from behind the arc, he was 2-2 in the second half, finishing with 11 points and 5 boards in 25 minutes. And by conference play, these two should be better defensively than anyone was in last year’s backcourt.

Then there is 6-8 Gordon Hayward, the best player on last year’s Indiana 4A champs from Brownsburg. Having never heard his name until he was introduced to start, just one missed shot and thirty seconds of play told me that this young man is special, as special a mid-major freshman as I’ve seen. Told that he grew from 6-1 to 6-8 late in high school, that explains both why he’s a guard rather than a forward, and why – at least in part – the Big Ten missed him (I’m told John Beilen’s Michigan staff made a late run at Hayward after he committed to Butler in June of his junior year, but where was Kelvin Sampson’s IU staff?) Whatever the reasons he’s in the Horizon rather than the Big Ten, Hayward handles the ball like a guard, has tremendous second guard shooting form, tons of range, and terrific quickness and flexibility.

In his first college exhibition game, when he didn’t run basket-to-basket as aggressively as Howard did, I asked Butler SID Jim McGrath which of the two was faster; McGrath later asked the coaches, and reported back that it is indeed Hayward who runs better. In short, it appeared to this writer in the first minute of last night’s game that Hayward has the size, athleticism and skills to be a pro some day, perhaps even an NBA pro (and given his fair complexion, he just might not be done growing). What a great get for Coach Stevens! (Oh, Hayward scored 8 on 2-5 shooting – 2-4 from the arc – grabbed 2 boards, and had 2 assists and no turnovers in 23 minutes of action, but his statistics hardly tell the story).

So if you’re thinking of scheduling a game against Butler, I suggest playing them this year rather than next (yes, it’s undoubtedly too late to adjust this year’s schedule), and if possible play them early (December 4 seems just right for Cleveland State to get Butler in its own gym, but by the time the two teams meet at Hinkle on Saturday February 28, Butler just might be ready). And if you’re a Horizon fan looking for something to focus on during the team’s non-conference season, follow Bulldog freshman Gordon Hayward and decide how good he can be by the primary conference season in January, by this year’s Horizon Tournament, by each of the next three years, and by four years from now, when he could be earning his first paycheck for playing basketball.

Horizon news and notes

• It took half of my life to get there, but what a joy it was attending my first game at Hinkle! Those of you who’ve read my words before know I have a general preference for the way things were in the past to how they are now, and also that my “Mecca of college basketball” is Philadelphia’s Palestra. Well, having spent time in Bloomington, coached in Northwest Ohio, and lived for most of the 90s in Cleveland, how can I justify never before having attended a game in Hinkle? Opened in 1928, imperfectly lit for television, tall and open and airy and steeped in history, well, I just might like it even more than the Palestra, a gym I’ve been in nearly fifty times. For now, let’s call it a dead heat, and as the Governor of California is fond of saying, “I’ll be back.”
• After just a few practices at CSU and a single exhibition game at Butler, I find myself focusing on the new college three-point line, one foot further out than last year’s. First, keep that increased distance in mind as you evaluate players’ and teams’ shooting statistics, as three-point percentages should come down, period. Second, if the Butler exhibition is any indication, those percentages should be down precipitously early this season, as both players’ muscle memories and coaches’ strategies are adjusted to the new distance. Third, I love the new greater distance, as it seems to separate “real outside shooters” from those less real.
• When the Horizon announced the schedule of games included in its ESPN television package (a package including conference telecasts on January and February Friday nights on ESPNU), I wondered why so many Butler games were chosen (particularly relative to those of preseason favorite Cleveland State). Well, at first I suspected it was carryover from recent years’ success (just as I suspect lots of you – particularly males – generally dress each morning based on yesterday’s weather). Then I thought it could be the fact that the conference office is in Indianapolis, subliminally affecting choices made there. And both of those reasons could provide part of the answer. But after watching the new look Butler Bulldogs last night, there is obviously one additional reason to suggest: the folks in the conference office may well have expected Butler to reload – perhaps they even evaluated its freshman class – and decided that this team is going to be good before very long, and interesting even sooner. While I don’t know how the conference will divide up television income from ESPN (even whether or not this package will generate any), selfishly this writer is now very pleased at the heavy Butler representation in this year’s TV package (living in Cleveland I will attend most of the CSU games in person anyway).
• If the rest of life cooperates, I’ll report from an exhibition game at Valparaiso next week.

Horizon Preview

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.

Butler Wins Horizon

Bulldogs Finally Cut Down the Nets

by Bill Kintner

INDIANAPOLIS – This group of Butler seniors has been ranked since the third week of this season, and was ranked most of last year. They won last year’s Pre-season NIT and this year’s Great Alaskan Shootout. They have knocked off Ohio State, Maryland, Purdue, Tennessee, Michigan, Texas Tech, Gonzaga, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Florida State over the last two years. But they had not cut down the nets in the Horizon League Championship.

They can now cross that off of their to-do list, as they beat Cleveland State Tuesday night in the Horizon League Championship on their home court 70-55.

Early in the first half it looked like it would be a beat-down as Drew Streicher hit two three-pointers and Mike Green, Pete Campbell and A. J. Graves all hit three-pointers to go up 20-6 at the 13:24 mark.

But Cleveland State (21-12) regained their composure and fought back behind J’Nathan Bullock’s nine points to tie it at 34-34 on two free throws by Cedric Jackson with 1:50 remaining in the half. Two free throws by Green and another two by Graves sent Butler (29-3) into the locker room up 38-34.

In the second half the Bulldogs came out firing as Green and Streicher both hit three-pointers to put Butler up 43-36. But a three-pointer by Bullock and a layup by D’Audray Brown got the Vikings within two points at 43-41.

That is when Butler put the lockdown on Cleveland State, as during the next 10 minutes Cleveland State was held to just three points as Butler scored 17 points to go up 60-44.

According to Cleveland State coach Gary Waters, that was the difference in the game.

“They clamped down a little harder defensively and I thought they did a better job on us in the second half,” said Waters. “For about 10 minutes we had a hard time scoring. I thought that was the difference in the game.”

Butler coach Brad Stevens thought it was some adjustments they made in the second half and rebounding that allowed his team to open up the game in the second half.

“I thought our guys adjusted and did a better job on the glass. I thought the first two processions of the second half when we turned them over set a tone for the rest of the game,” explained Stevens.

From that point on Butler held a double-digit lead until the end.

“It is something we talked about from the beginning of the year we were setting our goals. None of us had ever cut down the nets in March,” said a relieved Streicher. “Fortunately we were able to play here at Hinkle. To cut them down here was very special. I think it is something we are going to treasure forever.”

Green led all scorers with 24 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Bullock led the Vikings with 21 points.

Notes

• Butler has been nationally ranked (Top 25) for 33 weeks since November 27, 2006.
• Butler set a new Horizon League record for the best two-year total with 57 victories since the start of last year.
• This is Cleveland State’s first ever appearance in the Horizon League Finals.
• As strange as this may seem this is the first time Cleveland State and Butler have met in the Horizon League Tournament.
• Former Wright State coach Ed Schilling was in attendance sitting next to his father, former Butler player and Hall of Famer Big Ed Schilling.
• Cleveland State had maybe 50 enthusiastic fans in attendance, which would be the most fans the Vikings have produced at a league tournament road game since they joined the Horizon League in 1994.
• This is Butler’s first Horizon League Championship they have won on their home court.
• At the end of the game about 40 Butler students from the Dawg Pound ran on to the court for the obligatory celebration on ESPN, while the other few hundred of the Dawg Pound Students stayed in their bleachers at the end of the court and cheered like this was just another win. The Dawg Pound had just a few hundred students tonight instead of the usual thousand or so they usually have. Their numbers are a little low since it is Spring Break on campus.
• Brad Stevens had a little piece of the net in his pocket during the game tonight from 2001, Butler’s last Horizon League Championship.
• This is Butler 5th championship since 1997, second only to Xavier’s six championships.
• The all-tournament team:
  Mike Green, Butler (MVP)
  Matt Howard, Butler
  J’Nathan Bullock, Cleveland State
  Drew Streicher, Butler
  Jarryd Lloyd, Valpo

Horizon League Semifinal Recaps

Three is the Magic Number as Horizon Championship Set

by Bill Kintner

INDIANAPOLIS – When Valparaiso beat Wright State yesterday for the third time this year three was the magic number. Tonight three was the magic number for Cleveland State as they beat Valpo for the third time this season with a 78-73 decision to advance to the Horizon League Championship game.

Cleveland State started the game on fire, going up 10-2 at the 17:09 mark. At that point Valpo (21-13) looked like a team was playing for the second time in 24 hours. Their shots were falling a little short and they seemed to be a step behind the Cleveland State players.

The Vikings’ lead was up to 18 points when J’Nathan Bullock popped in a three-pointer with 6:38 left in the half.

Cleveland State (21-11) was led by Cedric Jackson’s 11 first half points as they shot 51.7 percent (15-29) including 53.3 percent (8-15) from three-point land in the first half. At the same time Valpo was just 3-12 (25 percent) from three-point land and shooting just 39.3 percent (11-28) for the first half.

Valpo’s Shawn Huff was amazed at how Cleveland State’s players were hitting outside shots as his team packed it inside to try to stop them from dominating inside.

“They were just making shots. Everyone was making shots, everyone who came in made a shot,” said a dejected Huff. “They shot over 50 percent from threes. We didn’t want them to dominate the inside and we were going to take our chances with that and they made us pay.”

The Crusaders did manage to work the deficit down to six points by half time at 39-33 by going on a 15-3 run over the last six minutes of the half.

Coming out to start the second half the Vikings went on a 9-0 run over the first 1:47 to make it 48-33, ending when Valpo’s Shawn Huff made a layup.

At the 6:16 mark Jackson made a jumper to put Cleveland State up by nine at 63-54. Seven seconds later Valpo’s Jarryd Lloyd made a three-pointer.

Bullock responded with a layup, then a three-pointer by Huff, another by Lloyd followed by a layup by Lloyd and the score tied for the first time at 65-65. Breyohn Watson came right back and hit a three-pointer to give Cleveland State the lead for good.

“That play developed off Cedric’s (Jackson) penetration and he ended up finding me. I stepped into it and knocked it down,” explained Watson.

A few seconds later a jumper by Norris Cole and then two foul shots by Cole got the Viking lead up to seven at 72-65 with 44 seconds left.

Two late three-pointers by Lloyd got the score down as close as three points at 76-73 with 8 seconds remaining, but when Valpo fouled Cole he made both free throws and that was how it ended with the score at 78-73.

Cleveland State coach Gary Waters felt fortunate that his team withstood the runs that the Crusaders made.

“Let me just say that we had some big plays down the stretch by a number of people to finish that game out,” said Waters. “Even though we had leads in the game I have to give Valparaiso credit because they never gave up.”

Horizon League Semifinal: Butler/UIC

The script worked out just like it was planned. The 14th ranked team in the country and number one seed hosting the semifinal game pounds their opponent into submission to play in the championship game on their court Tuesday night.

Butler became the sixth straight number one seed to advance to the Horizon League Championship game by beating University of Illinois-Chicago 66-50.

This started out pretty well for UIC (18-15) as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead on a layup by Robert Bush and a lob from Stewart Spencer resulting in a thunderous dunk by Jermaine Dailey.

A quick layup by Mike Green and then a three-pointer by A. J. Graves put Butler (28-3) up 5-4 at the 17:35 mark. The Flames went back up by one when Dailey made a layup to make it 6-5 with 16:21 left.

UIC maintained a small lead until they finally pushed the lead up to five points when Scott Vandemeer was fouled by Butler’s Willie Veasley and made one of the two free throws to make it 16-11 at the 10:18 mark.

Butler went on an 18-2 run toward the end of the first half that resulted in a 10 point lead going into halftime at 34-24. The amazing thing was that Mike Green was responsible for 16 of the 18 points by either scoring or getting the assist.

Coming out of the half Butler continued the charge by going on a 19-5 run to push their lead to 24 points at 56-32 with 8:59 left in the game.

The Vikings whittled the lead down to 15 points with 2:07 remaining when Robert Kreps hit a three-pointer to make it 63-48. Two more free throws by Krebs and a three-pointer by Pete Campbell for Butler got the final score to 66-50.

Butler really put the game away from three-point land making 12 in 27 attempts (44.4 percent) and by just turning the ball over eight times.

Campbell, who was 5-10 from three-point land, said three-point shooting is what Butler looks to do.

“It is something we look to do. The important thing is when you hit shots like that you get stops on the other end. That’s what builds the lead and that’s what we need to do at certain points in the game,” explained Campbell.

Green led all scorers with 19 points, going 5-8 from the field and 8-10 from the charity stripe plus he had seven assists.

“Mike had a great game, no question about it. He has played like that all season,’ said Butler coach Brad Stevens. “He played with great poise and found different guys, he found the right guys at the right time.”

It wasn’t just Stevens praising Green. UIC coach Jimmy Collins thinks he may be the Horizon League Player of the Year.

“He is the player of the year. He is a tremendous leader for this team. Green looks to set up everybody else. When he doesn’t get that accomplished he scores,” said Collins.

Notes

• Cleveland State is just the second Horizon League team to go from losing 20 games to winning 20 games in back-to-back seasons. Last year the Vikings were 10-21 and this year they are currently 21-11. The other team to do it was Xavier, going from 8-20 in 1981-82 to 22-8 the following year.
• Former Butler Hall of Fame basketball player Ed Schilling so far has attended every session of the tournament, even when his Bulldogs were not playing.
• By winning their first two games of the Horizon League Championship, Valpo was trying to be the second first-year team to win the championship since Green Bay did it in 1995. Green Bay beat another first-year team that year in the championship, Wright State.
• Butler has won more Horizon League regular season titles (7) and tournament crowns (4) than any other active league member.
• This is the 5th time in six years that the number two seed advanced to the finals of the Horizon League Championship since they switched to the current format giving the first and second seeds double byes.

Horizon League Tournament Recaps

Valparaiso Knocks Off Wright State Again

by Bill Kintner

INDIANAPOLIS – There is a stick that Valparaiso has used three times this year to beat Wright State with. The Raiders are on the short end of it as they lost their third game in a row to the Crusaders 72-67 in the quarterfinals of the Horizon League Championship.

Earlier this year at Wright State, Valpo pulled out a 71-67 win, then last Saturday on ESPN2 Valpo beat the Raiders in overtime 75-73.

“It is a lot like the other games when we played Valpo. Three terrific basketball games, but unfortunately we came up on the short end of the stick each time,” said a very subdued Wright State coach Brad Brownell. “It is a very bitter pill to swallow, but this was a very good season. I am very proud of my kids we just didn’t get it done tonight.”

With 1:55 left in the game the score was tied at 65. Urule Igbavboa made one of two free throws to put Valpo (21-12) up by one.

After Wright State’s Scottie Wilson missed two free throws with 1:01 left, Valpo’s Brandon McPherson made two free throws with just 37 seconds left after getting fouled by Jordon Pleiman to make it 68-65.

Wright State (21-10) got back within one at 68-67 with 16 seconds left as Troy Tabler made two free throws after he was fouled by Shawn Huff.

The game ended after Valpo’s Jarryd Lloyd made four free throws after being fouled twice in the last 12 seconds of the game.

Lloyd had a lot going through his head at the end when he made the four big free throws. “I was praying actually that I would make them. We lost games on the free throw line and I was just going through my routine and it worked,” said Lloyd.

Wright State’s poor free throw shooting did them in. They made just four in ten attempts in the second half and shot just 43.8 percent (7-16) for the game. At the same time the Crusaders shot 84.2 percent (16-19) for the game.

“It came down to free throws. They can do it in their sleep sometimes because we’ve been practicing so much on free throws to put us in that winning situation,” explained the ever-smiling Valparaiso coach Homer Drew.

This game was tied 14 times and the lead changed 16 times. The largest lead of the game was just six points when Valpo lead the Raiders 22-16 at the 10:50 mark.

In the first half the lead see-sawed back and forth. Then in the last five minutes of the half, the biggest lead was two points when Wright State’s Vaughn Duggins made a 3-pointer with 3:55 left.

A free throw by Igbavboa at the 2:46 mark and then two by Lloyd with 1:38 left to put the Crusaders up by one at 37-36. A layup by Pleiman gave the Raiders a one-point lead with 51 seconds left at 38-37 and that was the score going into halftime.

Both teams had four players in double figures. For the Raiders, Wilson and Pleiman both scored 15 points while Will Graham and Duggins scored 13 points.

Valparaiso’s Huff led all scorers with 21 points, Igbavboa put in17 points, McPherson got 16 points and Lloyd chipped in 14 points.

Drew pointed to the balanced scoring as a factor in the win, saying, “We had four in double figures, which is the strength of our team. They really share the ball. They like each other and make the extra pass. Even when we’re small out there we play really, really big in the heart.”

Notes

• Valpo had more fans than Wright State at the game thanks to a major snowstorm that hit SW Ohio but missed Indianapolis. That is one of the few times in the HL that WSU did not bring the most fans.
• During a second half timeout there was a three-point shootout between two Valpo students and two WSU students sponsored by a local pizza joint. As each team’s fans cheered them on the Wright State students prevailed 6-4.
• Wright State leads the all-time series 5-4.
• This is a banner year for Division I basketball in Indiana with six teams achieving 20-win seasons. Those teams are Valpo, Notre Dame, Indiana, Purdue, Butler and IUPUI.
• Valpo plays Cleveland State tomorrow at 3 p.m. in the semifinals.

UIC beats Loyola

When a team doesn’t shoot well, doesn’t rebound well and doesn’t shoot free throws very well, there is a pretty good chance they are not going to win that night. That describes Loyola in their loss to UIC in the quarterfinals 60-49.

Loyola (12-19) shot a poor 38.3 percent (18-47), only made 56.3 percent (9-16) from the line and then got killed on the boards 36-20.

UIC (18-14) was not world-beaters, either, shooting just 36.2 percent (17-47) including just 3-15 from three-point land. But the rebounding margin and shooting 88.5 percent (23-26) from the free throw line provided them with their winning margin.

“It wasn’t pretty according to some bystanders and some of the people I talked to after the game, but it was a win for us and it was a win that was hard-fought, especially in the first half,” said UIC coach Jimmy Collins.

In the first half there were eight lead changes and five ties before Loyola’s Tracy Robinson hit a jumper with 53 seconds left to put them up 21-19 at the half. At that point the rebounding edge by UIC was small at 14-11. In the second half all heck broke lose as both teams clunked shot after shot but the Flames creamed Loyola in rebounding 22-9.

Loyola coach Jim Whitesell pointed to the bad shooting and the poor rebounding of his team as big factors in the loss.

“Give them a lot of credit, I don’t think either of us shot it great. Sometimes you have to get the extras like offensive rebounds,” said Whitesell. “That’s what they did. They didn’t shoot it well but they got some extra boards to make up for it. In a game like this, if you get two shots at a basket, or three, sometimes it gets you going.”

UIC helped keep Loyola off balance by frequently switching defenses from zone to man-to-man.

“It was a team effort. The coaches did a good job of switching us from zone to man to zone and we were able to contain them,” explained UIC’s Josh Mayo, who led all scorers with 17 points.

Robinson led Loyola with 15 points.

Notes

• UIC leads the all-time series with Loyola 29-13.
• There was no three-point shootout between students of UIC and Loyola because there weren’t any at the game. I think there may have been three UIC students but I didn’t see any Loyola students.
• UIC plays Butler Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.

Horizon Notebook

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 Notebook

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

Butler Beats Valparaiso

Basketball in Indiana: Butler beats Valpo

by Bill Kintner

INDIANAPOLIS – It is Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis and historic Hinkle Fieldhouse is the place to be for college basketball fans in Central Indiana. The 7,000-plus fans came to see two of the top so-called mid-major programs not only in the state of Indiana but in the country.

The 16th-ranked Bulldogs are playing Horizon League newcomer Valparaiso in a game that will go a long way in determining the winner of the Horizon League.

The Crusaders won their first two road games in their first year in the Horizon League. They beat Wright State in their first Horizon League game 71-66, which was their first win of the year against a top 50 RPI team, then followed that up with a win at Detroit. Valparaiso’s three losses were road games against Vanderbilt, Wisconsin and North Carolina.

In the crowd today is Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard, an Indiana University grad who likes to watch a top 20 team without having to drive 90 minutes to Bloomington. Governor Mitch Daniels, a frequent visitor to Hinkle, didn’t make today’s Indiana match-up.

Today’s game is between two private schools each with about 4,000 students that really believe in the concept of student athletes. Both teams recruit kids that are coachable and that understand the importance of getting a good education.

Both coaches are models of class. Valpo’s coach Homer Drew is known for his positive demeanor on the sideline and gracious comments once the game is over. During the game he is always clapping his hands in encouragement and slapping his players on the back as they pass by. Brad Stevens, the Butler coach, is just 31 years old, but he has the calm demeanor of an experienced coach that has the situation well-under control. The classic Stevens pose on the side lines is left leg forward, knees bent, his back hunched over and vigorously clapping his hands in encouragement.

In today’s game it was the Crusaders committing 16 turnovers and Butler making 28-33 (84.8 percent) at the foul line that denied Valparaiso a 3-0 start in the Horizon League as Butler wins 73-65.

It was not a pretty game by either team, but Valparaiso (11-4, 2-1HL) started off pretty well. In the first half the Crusaders jumped out to a 4-0 lead after Shawn Huff made two free throws and Jake Diebler made a layup.

Playing at the speed of a couple of Post Office workers, Valpo pulled ahead by nine at 15-6 at the 12:39 mark.

Finally, at the 1:30 mark Butler (13-1, 2-1HL) took their first lead of the game on a 3-pointer by Mike Green to make it 31-29. Just 24 seconds later, Valparaiso’s Jarryd Loyd made a layup to tie the game at 31-31, and that was how it ended going into the locker rooms at halftime.

After scoring just seven points in the first half for Butler, Mike Green turned it on in the latter frame, scoring 17 points on four baskets and going 11-14 from the foul line to help put the game away for the Bulldogs.

Stevens thought that not only did Green lead the team in scoring, but he led then by coming back strong in the second half after a shaky first half performance.

“It was a mature performance from Mike (Green),” said Stevens. “It didn’t start off great. When Mike starts off like that but then picks it up for himself that shows the younger guys that it is okay. Mike’s value goes far beyond making baskets and making assists. He is leading guys all the time and his resiliency was why we were able to win today.”

Drew pointed to Green as the dagger that put his team under.

“Green did a really good job in breaking us down and creating things for himself and his teammates,” said Drew.

The Crusaders took a brief three point lead at 36-33 at the 16:34 mark on a 3-pointer by Brandon McPherson. A layup by Butler’s Matt Howard cut the Crusader lead to one at 36-35 and then a 3-pointer by Green put the Bulldogs up for good at 38-36 with 15:06 left in the game.

Butler got the lead up to 11 points on a free throw by A. J. Graves after being fouled by Loyd to make it 64-53 with 2:12 left. Valpo worked it down to a five-point deficit on a 3-pointer by Diebler and a 3-pointer by Loyd but that was as close they got.

Loyd led Valpo with 15 points.

Valpo will certainly be playing a lot more tough games as they try to position themselves for a run in the Horizon League Tournament. They have lost to four teams with a combined 54-3 record.

The game is long over as I type this and it is dark outside. Besides me, it is just Indianapolis Star writer David Woods here in a darkened Hinkle Fieldhouse. I don’t think either of us really wants to leave as we enjoy the quiet in this sacred temple of basketball.

I don’t know about Woods, but I can almost see Oscar Robertson streaking down the court here 20 feet in front of me. I can almost see Big Ed Schilling elbow an opponent as he goes up for a rebound, or maybe Steve Alford sinking 25-foot shots on this vary court where he once score 50 points in a high school game.

The clean-up crew has long left after giving up on us to clear out so they can clean up.

I may just find a ball and shoot some shots – what a way to spend a Saturday night!

Horizon Notebook

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

Teacher Beats Student In Wisconsin

Teacher Beats Student In Rivalry Game

by Nick Dettmann

MILWAUKEE – Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan is glad he doesn’t have to physically play against Rob Jeter.

“With that jump hook he’d kill me,” Ryan said.

Jeter, the head coach for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, once played for Ryan at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in the late 1980s into the early 90s, and coached under Ryan at Platteville and Wisconsin. Jeter was also an assistant for Ryan when Ryan coached UW-Milwaukee for two seasons.

But for the third straight year, Ryan beat Jeter in coaching when Ryan’s Badgers defeated Jeter’s Panthers 61-39 on Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Arena.

“Teacher kind of gives it to the pupil,” Jeter said.

It was the 15th straight time overall the Badgers (7-2 overall) defeated their instate rival from Milwaukee (3-7). The last victory by Milwaukee against Wisconsin was in the 1992-93 season at the UW Fieldhouse. All-time against the Panthers, the Badgers are 24-1.

But Wednesday night marked the first time since the 2001-02 season the game was played in Milwaukee. For the past five years, the game was played in Madison as part of the contract between the two schools.

The court seemed like a neutral floor Wednesday with about half of the 10,017 in attendance dressed in the Wisconsin red and the other half in the Panthers’ gold.

Unfortunately, the Panthers couldn’t impress one of its larger crowds this season. Playing a perennial top-25 team after losing six straight games yourself doesn’t make things any easier.

“UWM is going to be fine,” said Ryan, who won his 532nd career game. “As long as they keep listening to (Jeter), they’ll be fine.

“I’m glad it’s over. It’s still a game. He’s providing for his family… I’d rather not coach against him.”

When asked if it’s hard to play against his old coach and mentor, Jeter said it was slightly easier because he just wants to impress Ryan with what he is trying to do.

“He can see what we’re trying to do,” Jeter said. “To be one of the guys to keep us down hurts him… Best respect I can pay to him is kick his butt.”

Playing against the coach who recruited them meant a little bit to the Badgers’ players as well, wanting to show him why he recruited them in the first place.

“Me and coach Rob have a great relationship,” Wisconsin’s Marcus Landry said. “He’s a great guy.”

Landry was one of the many players on Wisconsin’s roster who was originally recruited by Jeter to go to Wisconsin.

Leading the Badgers was Landry with a game-high 16 points. He paced three players in double figures. Brian Butch scored 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds, and Trevon Hughes scored 12 points, 10 of which came in the first half.

Milwaukee was led by Torre Johnson’s 10 points. Paige Paulsen, who came into the game averaging more than 14 points per game, scored just two points on 1-of-6 shooting.

Tim Flowers, Ricky Franklin and Marcus Skinner all had six points for the Panthers as well.

The big stat of the night was the rebounding margin. Wisconsin outrebounded the Panthers 37-16, including 15-5 on the offensive end.

“They’re big,” Jeter said. “They’re a tough matchup for us. They just wore us down.”

In what looked like was going to be a respectable game with Wisconsin leading only 31-21 at halftime, the game quickly turned against the Panthers.

The Badgers started the second half on a 11-4 run. With the exception of Paige Paulsen getting two points on a goaltending call, the Panthers didn’t score a field goal until 11 minutes remained in the half.

UWM’s offense never got in sync in the second half, hitting just 38 percent from the field, and 41 percent for the game. Wisconsin, on the other hand, shot 51 percent for the game, including 63 percent in the first half.

Horizon Notebook

Horizon League Notebook

by Nick Dettmann

Player of the Week: Josh Mayo, Illinois-Chicago. It is the second player of the week award for Mayo this season. He averaged 30.5 points in two games against UW-Milwaukee and UW-Green Bay last week, including 32 against Green Bay.

Butler Bulldogs (8-1 overall, 1-1 Horizon League)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Dec. 6 vs. Detroit – W 53-46
Dec. 8 vs. Wright State – L 43-42
The Bulldogs had to go through last week with some injuries. Senior forward Pete Campbell did not play in either game against Detroit or Wright State. Campbell averages better than 14 points per game and hits 50 percent of his 3-point shots. Campbell sprained his right knee in the Bulldogs’ victory over Ohio State on Dec. 1.
Trying to fill the void was freshman Matt Howard, who scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against the Titans.
Against Wright State, the Bulldogs could not avenge last year’s league tournament title loss at Wright State, losing again to the Raiders in Dayton, Ohio. Senior Julian Betko scored 14 points in a rare off night from 3-point range for the Bulldogs.
It was also an off week for sharpshooter A.J. Graves. He scored just 14 points on 4-of-19 shooting in the two games combined.
The Bulldogs will play Florida State at Indianapolis’ Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers, for their lone game this week. The game against the Seminoles is part of the John R. Wooden Tradition double-header. The other game will be nationally televised when Purdue plays Louisville.
Upcoming games
Dec. 15 vs. Florida State at Indianapolis

Cleveland State Vikings (7-3, 1-0)
Week record: 2-0
Recap
Dec. 4 vs. Chicago State – W 77-73
Dec. 8 vs. Youngstown State – W 77-54
The Vikings are already doing things they haven’t done in a while. They enter this week with a three-game win streak. CSU’s 7-3 start is the school’s best start since 1991-92.
Against Youngstown State, Cedric Jackson had a big game with 21 points. He ranks fourth in the league in points per game (17.9), and also leads the league in assists (5.4 per game) and steals (3.1 per game).
The Vikings have no games this week because of final exams. Their next game will be at Ohio State on Dec. 18. That game could feature the debut of freshman Eric Schiele, who averaged 39.6 points as a high school senior.
Upcoming games
No games scheduled

Detroit Titans (4-5, 0-2)
Week record: 0-2
Recap
Dec. 6 vs. Butler – L 53-46
Dec. 8 vs. Valparaiso – L 81-68
The Titans opened the league portion of the schedule with two home losses to Butler and Valparaiso.
Jon Goode scored 21 points in each game, adding 10 assists and five steals in the two games. Goode has scored at least 20 points in a game five times this season, equaling the league lead with Green Bay’s Mike Schachtner and Cleveland State’s Cedric Jackson. Last season, Goode’s season high was 18 points.
Goode, along with senior Zach Everingham, played their 100th games for the Titans. Everingham hit the mark against Butler, while Goode accomplished the feat against Valparaiso.
Everingham is fifth in the nation with a 4.83 assists-to-turnover ratio.
The Titans, who have lost three straight, have no games this week. They return to the court Dec. 17 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, two days before facing Texas A&M.
Upcoming games
No games scheduled

Illinois-Chicago Flames (5-4, 2-0)
Week record: 2-0
Recap
Dec. 6 – vs. UW-Milwaukee – W 91-73
Dec. 8 – vs. UW-Green Bay – W 76-67
The Flames are quickly becoming a hard team to beat at home as they are 4-0 at the Pavilion so far this season.
Josh Mayo played brilliantly last week, averaging an astounding 30.5 points per game. He scored 32 points against UW-Green Bay on Saturday night for his second 30-point game of the season.
Also making a solid impact early in the season is freshman guard Robert Kreps, who is averaged 12.7 points per game in his past three games.
The Flames will head across town to play DePaul for their only game this week.
Upcoming games
Dec. 15 at DePaul

Loyola Ramblers (3-5, 1-1)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Dec. 6 – vs. UW-Green Bay – L 69-63
Dec. 8 – vs. UW-Milwaukee – W 73-68 (OT)
After a respectable start, the Ramblers were in the midst of a slump. But after splitting games with UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee last week, the Ramblers snapped a five-game losing streak. It was the Ramblers’ longest such streak since dropping eight straight in 2004.
Junior forward Leon Young posted his first double-double in nearly a year, scoring 21 points and grabbing a collegiate-high 14 rebounds in the victory over UWM.
Junior guard J.R. Blount, a Wisconsin product, scored 20 points against Green Bay. He has hit the 20-point mark three times this season.
Senior Tracy Robinson scored a collegiate-best 18 points against UWM, including hitting the game-tying basket to send the game to overtime.
On the docket this week is instate foe Northern Illinois. The Ramblers will honor 12 players from the 1960s in school history, including the starting five which won the national championship in 1963.
Upcoming games
Dec. 15 vs. Northern Illinois

UW-Green Bay Phoenix (6-3, 1-1)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Dec. 6 vs. Loyola – W 69-63
Dec. 8 vs. Illinois-Chicago – L 76-67
The Phoenix split a pair of opening league road games in two tough buildings to play in. The loss to Illinois-Chicago ended Green Bay’s four-game win streak.
Junior Mike Schachtner scored at least 20 points in each game, giving him five 20-point games on the season. He scored 24 points against the Flames to match a season-high. Schachtner leads the league in scoring at 20.2 per game and needs just six points to become the 20th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
Against Illinois-Chicago, the Phoenix shot a season-low 36.5 percent from the field, including just 2-of-14 from 3-point range.
The Phoenix will travel to Madison, Wis., to play instate rival Wisconsin. The Phoenix will be gunning for their second 7-3 start since the 1996-97. Green Bay also started 7-3 in the 2004-05 season.
Upcoming games
Dec. 15 at Wisconsin

UW-Milwaukee Panthers (3-6, 0-2)
Week record: 0-2
Recap
Dec. 6 vs. Illinois-Chicago – L 91-73
Dec. 8 vs. Loyola – L 73-68 (OT)
The struggles continued last week for the once powerful Panthers.
UWM has lost five straight games after a solid 3-1 start. Defense is the big struggle, allowing an average of 85 points per game during the streak, and allowing at least 73 in each of the past eight games.
Senior Torre Johnson scored a collegiate-best 30 points against Illinois-Chicago, and added a 19-point, 12-rebound effort at Loyola. Johnson leads the league in rebounding at 8.7 per game.
Senior Paige Paulsen scored 17 points against Loyola, and now averages 14 per game. Marcus Skinner picked up his first collegiate double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Loyola.
UWM is starting two true freshmen (Tim Flowers, Deonte Roberts) for the first time since 1999-2000.
In their only game this week, the Panthers host instate foe Wisconsin for the first time since the 2001-02 season. For the past five years, UWM ventured west on I-94 to Madison. Milwaukee last beat Wisconsin in the 1992-93 season at the UW Fieldhouse – a span of 14 games.
Upcoming games
Dec. 12 vs. Wisconsin

Valparaiso Crusaders (8-1, 2-0)
Week record: 2-0
Recap
Dec. 6 – vs. Wright State – W 71-66
Dec. 8 – vs. Detroit – W 81-68
The Crusaders are already making a big impact in their first season in the Horizon League. Valparaiso has won six straight games, their longest such streak since the 2005-06 season. The Crusaders lead the league in scoring at 74.3 points per game clip. The Crusaders will put a 10-game homecourt win streak on the line this week with a pair of home games against Evansville and former Summit League (then the Mid-Continent Conference) foe Chicago State. The Crusaders are also hoping to improve to 9-1 for the first time in coach Homer Drew’s 19-year tenure.
Upcoming games
Dec. 11 vs. Evansville
Dec. 15 vs. Chicago State

Wright State Raiders (3-2, 1-1)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Dec. 6 – vs. Valparaiso – L 71-66
Dec. 8 – vs. Butler – W 43-42
The defending league tournament champions split two big league games to start the league portion of the schedule.
After a narrow loss to newcomer Valparaiso, the Raiders upset ranked Butler at home. The loss to the Crusaders snapped the Raiders’ 14-game win streak at home. The victory over Butler was an offensive struggle as both teams combined to score 30 points in the second half. Butler shot just 32 percent from the field in the game.
The 42 points allowed was Wright State’s best defensive performance since allowing 39 points to Butler in 2004. The Raiders have now won nine of the past 11 meetings against Butler, including last season’s league tournament championship game.
This week, the Raiders continue a five-game homestand, entertaining Bradley and Miami-Ohio.
Upcoming games
Dec. 11 vs. Bradley
Dec. 15 vs. Miami-Ohio

Youngstown State Penguins (3-5, 0-1)
Week record: 0-2
Recap
Dec. 5 – vs. Kent State – L 59-52
Dec. 8 – vs. Cleveland State – L 77-54
Two instate games meant two instate losses for the Penguins, including a 77-54 loss to Cleveland State to start the league season.
The Penguins, who have lost three straight, are 0-7 in Horizon League openers since joining the league in 2001.
Against Kent State, the Penguins shot just 32 percent, and was 36 percent against the Vikings. During their three-game slide, the Penguins are shooting just 35 percent from the field.
John Barber provided a slight bright spot against Cleveland State, scoring 18 points. He has finished in double figures in scoring in seven of eight games played this season.
The Penguins won’t play any games this week to concentrate on final exams. The Penguins will play again Dec. 17 at home against Robert Morris (Pa.).
Upcoming games
No games scheduled

Horizon Notebook

Horizon League Notebook

by Nick Dettmann

Player of the Week: Matt Howard, Butler. Howard, a freshman, scored a game-high 23 points and had seven rebounds off the bench in the Bulldogs’ 65-46 victory over Ohio State.

Butler Bulldogs (7-0 overall)
Week record: 1-0
Recap
Dec. 1 vs. Ohio State – W 65-46
Butler rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat the Big Ten’s Ohio State at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs had a rare off-night from behind the three-point stripe, missing their first 15 attempts from there. But they outscored the Buckeyes 45-16 in the second half for the victory, he first over OSU by Butler since 1978.
Matt Howard had a big game for the Bulldogs, scoring a game-high 23 points. Senior Mike Green scored all 15 of his points in the second half, and added a game-high eight assists.
In the second half, Butler was 9-of-14 from the 3-point line, and shot 60 percent overall from the field in the half. A.J. Graves scored 14 points to move into 10th place on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,469 points. He has scored in double figures in 15 straight games, and in 82 of his 102 career games.
Butler will return to a house of horrors this week when it plays at Wright State on Dec. 8. The Bulldogs lost the league tournament championship on the Raiders’ floor last season.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 at Detroit
Dec. 8 at Wright State

Cleveland State Vikings (5-3)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Nov. 28 vs. Cal State Northridge – L 78-68
Dec. 1 vs. Geneva – W 107-51
The Vikings eclipsed 100 points in a game for the first time since 2000 in a 107-51 victory over Geneva. The last time the Vikings scored at least 100 points in a game was against UW-Milwaukee on Jan. 29, 2000 – a span of 222 games.
Five players scored in double figures in that game, led by sophomore Joe Davis with 20 points. CSU shot a season-high 56 percent from the field as well. Junior Cedric Jackson scored 13 points in just 17 minutes of playing time. But against Cal State Northridge, Jackson scored a game-high 24 points. He ranks second in the league in scoring at 19 points per game.
CSU leads the league in rebounding margin with a plus-5.9 edge per game.
The Vikings will have a non-conference game against Chicago State in Chicago before hosting in-state rival Youngstown State to open league play.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 4 at Chicago State
Dec. 8 vs. Youngstown State

Detroit Titans (4-3)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Nov. 28 vs. Eastern Michigan – W 72-68
Dec. 1 vs. Central Michigan – L 70-66
The Titans rallied from a 12-point second half deficit to knock off local rival Eastern Michigan.
Senior Jon Goode scored 17 of his game-high 24 points in the second half in the loss to Central Michigan. It was Goode’s third 20-point game of the season, and sixth of his collegiate career. He is now averaging 15.1 points per game.
Junior forward Michael Harrington had a collegiate-best 12 points against Eastern Michigan. Harrington came into the game having scored a total of nine points in the first five games.
Senior guard Zach Everingham is turning out to be one of the most dependable ball-handlers in the league. He has dished out 27 assists this season, while only committing four turnovers.
The Titans lead the Horizon League in three-point shooting accuracy at 45.6 percent.
Detroit, who has played eight of its first nine games inside the state of Michigan after this week, has a pair of tough home games this week with Butler and Valparaiso both coming to town. Heading into the week, both teams are a combined 13-1 in the early stages of the season.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 vs. Butler
Dec. 8 vs. Valparaiso

Illinois-Chicago Flames (3-4)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Nov. 28 vs. Central Michigan – W 65-52
Dec. 1 vs. Illinois State – L 75-47
The Flames completed a five-game road trip with a split this week.
Junior Josh Mayo scored 13 points, and 10 points against Illinois State. He has scored in double figures in at six of the team’s seven games this season.
Junior center Scott VanderMeer collected 17 rebounds in the two games. He had a 16-point, 10-rebound game against Central Michigan. He also has 26 blocked shots this season (3.7 per game), which is more than seven other teams total.
Illinois-Chicago, who hadn’t played at home since Nov. 13 and are 2-0 at home this season, will play league rivals UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee this week at the UIC Pavillion.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 vs. UW-Milwaukee
Dec. 8 vs. UW-Green Bay

Loyola Ramblers (2-4)
Week record: 0-2
Recap
Nov. 28 vs. Bradley – L 64-47
Dec. 1 vs. Northern Iowa – L 61-50
The Ramblers hope a pair of home games will help them break out of a four-game slide.
Last week, Loyola took on a pair of Missouri Valley teams and lost rather convincingly. It is the longest losing streak for Loyola since dropping four straight from Jan. 2-11 in 2006, and much of that could be attributed to a lack of offense. After scoring 73 and 72 points in the first two games, the Ramblers are averaging just 53 points per game during the slide.
Junior J.R. Blount scored 18 points against Bradley, and scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds against Northern Iowa. He has now scored in double figures in seven consecutive games, dating back to last season. He ranks fifth in the league in scoring at 17.5 points per game and has started in 42 consecutive games.
Leon Young scored 16 points against Northern Iowa after scoring 10 points, along with pulling down eight rebounds against Bradley.
The Ramblers have the two league members from Wisconsin coming into the Joseph J. Gentile Center this week with Green Bay and Milwaukee.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 vs. UW-Green Bay
Dec. 8 vs. UW-Milwaukee

UW-Green Bay Phoenix (5-2)
Week record: 2-0
Recap
Nov. 27 vs. Eastern Illinois – W 63-47
Dec. 1 vs. South Dakota State – W 88-81
The Phoenix have won three games in a row. Against South Dakota State, freshman guard Rahmon Fletcher scored a collegiate-best 29 points, including hitting four 3-pointers. Mike Schachtner added 19 points in the game as well. Schachtner leads the league in scoring at 19.7 points per game.
Green Bay hits the road for two games in Chicago this week. A victory against Loyola on Dec. 6 would give the Phoenix their longest win streak since winning six straight in the 2004-05 season.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 at Loyola
Dec. 8 at Illinois-Chicago

UW-Milwaukee Panthers (3-4)
Week record: 0-2
Recap
Nov. 27 vs. Sam Houston State – L 81-77
Nov. 30 vs. Marquette – L 100-65
Yes the Panthers have dropped four games through this week, including three straight. But the combined record of the four losses (Northern Iowa, Drake, Sam Houston State and Marquette) is 22-3.
Paige Paulsen registered a double-double with a 25-point, 10-rebound effort against SHSU. Paulsen is among the league’s best at 14.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this season.
Torre Johnson added 17 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to SHSU. Johnson leads the league in rebounding (8.6 per game).
Junior Ricky Franklin was the lone bright spot in the Panthers’ 35-point loss to crosstown rival Marquette, scoring 14 points.
Marquette and UW-Milwaukee, only separated by about 10 minutes, played for the first time in men’s basketball since 1998.
UW-Milwaukee heads to Chicago for a pair of league games with Illinois-Chicago and Loyola this week. Both places are usually tough places to play for the Panthers.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 at Illinois-Chicago
Dec. 8 at Loyola

Valparaiso Crusaders (6-1)
Week record: 2-0
Recap
Nov. 28 vs. Western Michigan – W 77-65
Dec. 1 vs. Ball State – W 71-58
The Crusaders are off to a 6-1 start for just the third time in Homer Drew’s 19 seasons at Valparaiso. They reached that plateau by beating two Mid-American Conference foes last week.
Adding to their fast start, the Crusaders have won 10 straight home games, and are 152-27 at home in the past 15 seasons (85 percent).
Shawn Huff led the way in the two games with 36 points total. He leads the team in that category on the season at 12.4 points per outing.
Against Ball State, the Crusaders held the Cardinals scoreless from three-point range (0-for-16). Opponents are shooting just 22.5 percent from 3-point range against the Crusaders this season.
Valparaiso will play its first Horizon League contest Dec. 6 against defending league tournament champion Wright State.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 at Wright State
Dec. 8 at Detroit

Wright State Raiders (2-1)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Nov. 28 vs. Marshall – W 77-70
Dec. 1 vs. Marist – L 79-64
The Raiders will have to rebound from a tough loss in a hurry with two tough opponents coming to town this week.
Against Marshall, the Raiders got 21 points from Vaughn Duggins to improve his average to 14.7 points per game. Against Marist three days later, sophomore Todd Brown, who has led the Raiders in each of their three games thus far, scored 23 points. He ranks third in the league in scoring (18.3 points per game).
Wright State is the league’s best at the free throw line, shooting 80.5 percent.
But this week will be a test with Valparaiso and Butler coming to town. The Raiders have won 14 straight home games. The Butler game will be a rematch of last year’s Horizon League tournament championship game in which Wright State beat the favored Bulldogs, who will enter the game ranked in the top 15 in the country.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 vs. Valparaiso
Dec. 8 vs. Butler

Youngstown State Penguins (3-3)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Nov. 28 vs. St. Francis (Pa.) – W 70-65
Dec. 1 vs. Eastern Kentucky – L 61-50
The Penguins got a collegiate-best 21 points from Byron Davis in the their victory over St. Francis. Then against Eastern Kentucky, he dished out a season-high six assists to go along with eight points.
Junior Jack Liles notched a double-double against Eastern Kentucky with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The 18 points – all of which came in the second half – matched his collegiate high.
John Barber scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds in the victory over St. Francis. For the year, he is averaging a respectable 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
The Penguins play a pair of in-state games this week against nonconference foe Kent State and at Cleveland State to begin league play.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 5 vs. Kent State
Dec. 8 at Cleveland State

Horizon Notebook

Horizon League Notebook

by Nick Dettmann

Player of the week: Mike Green, Butler Bulldogs. Green was named the MVP of the Great Alaska Shootout after averaging 20 points, 6.7 assists and four rebounds a contest.

Butler Bulldogs (6-0 overall)
Week record: 3-0
Recap
Nov. 21 vs. Michigan, Great Alaska Shootout – W 79-65
Nov. 23 vs. Virginia Tech, Great Alaska Shootout – W 84-78 (OT)
Nov. 24 vs. Texas Tech, Great Alaska Shootout – W 81-71
For the second straight year, the Bulldogs won a major in-season tournament by taking the Great Alaska Shootout. Last year, the Bulldogs won the NIT Season Tip-Off, beating Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee and Gonzaga along the way to win that title.
Butler broke the Great Alaska Shootout record with 49 3-pointers for the tournament, and broke the single game mark with 17 against Michigan.
Mike Green had an outstanding tournament, garnering MVP honors. He averaged 20 points, 6.7 assists and four rebounds per game. He had 23 points in the semifinal against the Hokies.
Pete Campbell was 17-of-31 from 3-point range for the tournament, and averaged 18.7 points a contest. Campbell, Green and A.J. Graves were selected to the All-Tournament team.
Graves scored 52 points in the three games, moving him into 10th place all-time on the school’s scoring record list.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 1 vs. Ohio State

Cleveland State Vikings (4-2)
Week record: 1-0
Nov. 24 vs. John Carroll – W 67-57
The Vikings continued a strong start to the season with a victory over John Carroll. Last season, Cleveland State finished last in the Horizon League in rebounding margin (minus-3.5). This year, it’s the other way around (plus-4.0).
Junior J’Nathan Bullock is off to a good start as well, ranking eighth in the league in scoring (16.8 points per game).
Cedric Jackson is averaging 19.2 points per game through six games, which ranks him third in the league.
CSU is averaging just over 11 turnovers per game in the four victories, but more than 20 in the two losses.
The Vikings will continue a three-game homestand this week, which includes a rematch of last season’s ESPN BracketBusters game with Cal State Northridge.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 vs. Cal State Northridge
Dec. 1 vs. Geneva

Detroit Titans (3-2)
Week record: 2-1
Recap
Nov. 19 vs. Western Michigan – L 60-59
Nov. 21 vs. Chicago State – W 77-66
Nov. 24 vs. Rochester – W 67-51
After a close loss to the Western Michigan Broncos, the Titans bounced back with victories against Chicago State and Rochester – all at home.
The Titans shot at least 50 percent from the field in each game, and also got 16 steals against Rochester, the team’s highest total in more than three years (Feb. 28, 2004 vs. Youngstown State).
Junior forward Chris Hayes posted his first collegiate double-double with a 16-point, 12-rebound effort against Chicago State. He also had six assists in the game.
Senior Jon Goode scored a season-high 24 points in the loss to the Broncos. He leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 at Eastern Michigan
Dec. 1 vs. Central Michigan

Illinois-Chicago Flames (2-3)
Week record: 0-1
Recap
Nov. 19 vs. Wichita State, Paradise Jam – L 67-60
Wichita State, a 2006 NCAA Sweet 16 participant, withstood all it could from the Flames in the Paradise Jam, which was held in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Junior Scott VanderMeer scored 10 points, grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and blocked five shots. VanderMeet set the league’s single-season shot block record with 111 last year. He already has 21 this season (4.2 per contest), and could shatter that record at his current pace.
Josh Mayo leads the team in scoring at 17.2 points per game, good for seventh-best in the league.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 at Central Michigan
Dec. 1 at Illinois State

Loyola Ramblers (2-2)
Week record: 0-1
Recap
Nov. 24 at Purdue – L 84-53
It was never close against the Boilermakers. The 31-point loss was the worst defeat for Loyola since a 90-57 loss to San Diego in 2005. In addition, the Ramblers lost consecutive games for the first time in 10 months. The last time that happened was a Jan. 25 and 27 when Loyola lost to Butler and Wright State, respectively.
Junior J.R. Blount scored a team-high 17 points against Purdue. He is the only Rambler in double figures in all five games this season. He ranks fifth in the league in scoring (18.5 points per game) and is also fourth in steals at 2.5 per game.
After averaging 10 turnovers in the first three games, the Ramblers had 19 against Purdue.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 vs. Bradley
Dec. 1 at Northern Iowa

UW-Green Bay Phoenix (3-2)
Week record: 1-0
Recap
Nov. 24 vs. North Dakota State – W 85-77
The Phoenix shot 51 percent from the field, including 62.5 in the second half in the victory over North Dakota State. Green Bay also scored 51 points in the second.
Junior Mike Schachtner is off to the hottest start in the league, averaging a league-best 20.4 points per game. Against NDSU, he scored 24 points for his third 20-point game of the season.
Terry Evans had a solid all-around game, scoring 15 points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out six assists and getting three steals. He is second in the league in rebounding (7.8 per game).
The Phoenix, through five games, lead the league in scoring at 75.4 points per game.
When the Phoenix play at South Dakota State, it will be the start of a four-game road trip, and they have only one home game in December (Dec. 22 vs. Northern Illinois).
Upcoming games:
Nov. 27 vs. Eastern Illinois
Dec. 1 at South Dakota State

UW-Milwaukee Panthers (3-2)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Nov. 20 vs. South Dakota State – W 89-80
Nov. 24 vs. Drake – L 80-59
Paige Paulsen scored 27 points, and Torre Johnson added 22 in the Panthers’ victory over SDSU. Paulsen, a former Mr. Basketball in South Dakota, tied his collegiate-high in the game and added seven rebounds and five steals. He is averaging 15 points per game thus far this season.
Johnson, a transfer from Oklahoma State, is the league-leader in rebounds at 9.4 per game, and is fourth in scoring at 19.0 points per game.
After closing a three-game homestand with Sam Houston State, the Panthers will play a much-anticipated in-city rivalry game with Marquette. The two last played each other in 1998. The campuses are located about 10 minutes from each other.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 27 vs. Sam Houston State
Nov. 30 at Marquette

Valparaiso Crusaders (4-1)
Week record: 2-1
Recap
Nov. 20 at Vanderbilt – L 87-78
Nov. 23 vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore, South Padre Island Invitational – W 66-55
Nov. 24 vs. Austin Peay, South Padre Island Invitational – W 61-47
The Crusaders nearly pulled off a big upset over NCAA Sweet 16 participant Vanderbilt in Nashville. But they did take two games at the South Padre Island Invitational in Texas.
Shawn Huff earned a spot on the all-tournament team, scoring seven points late in the game against Austin Peay. For the week, Huff averaged 11.3 points and 7.7 rebounds.
Against Maryland-Eastern Shore, Bryan Bouchie scored a season-high 23 points.
Valparaiso has won four of its first five games for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 vs. Western Michigan
Dec. 1 vs. Ball State

Wright State Raiders (1-0)
Week record: 1-0
Recap
Nov. 19 vs. Coastal Carolina – W 71-48
After a long-awaited debut, the defending league tournament champion Raiders finally took the floor against Coastal Carolina.
The Raiders forced 24 turnovers in the game, and led by as many as 29 points in the second half.
Sophomore forward Todd Brown led the way with a game-high 20 points, along with four rebounds and four assists. He also four 3-pointers, and the Raiders hit nine as a team.
Vaughn Duggins added 16 points and six rebounds, and Scottie Wilson scored 14 points.
Jordan Pleiman collected six rebounds, giving him more than 500 for his career. He is the 17th player in Raiders history to achieve that milestone.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 vs. Marshall
Dec. 1 at Marist

Youngstown State Penguins (2-2)
Week record: 0-1
Recap
Nov. 24 at Notre Dame – L 87-75
The Penguins hung tight with the Fighting Irish, who have now won 23 straight home games after beating Colgate on Monday night.
Four players were in double figures for the Penguins. That continues a streak of at least three players in double figures in every game so far this season.
Senior John Barber scored a collegiate-high 19 points and tied his collegiate-best with 12 rebounds to notch his fifth collegiate double-double.
Byron Davis added 14 points for YSU, and leads the team in scoring with 15.8 points per game.
YSU hit 11 3-pointers in the game, making it the second time this year it hit at least 10 3-pointers in a game.
On tap this week is a rematch from last year’s ESPN BracketBusters with Eastern Kentucky.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 at St. Francis (Pa.)
Dec. 1 at Eastern Kentucky

Horizon Notebook

Horizon League Notebook

by Nick Dettmann

Detroit senior guard Brandon Cotton has left the Titans’ basketball team, coach Perry Watson announced Nov. 16.

“Brandon remains in school and he is on schedule to graduate in December,” Watson said in a statement released by the university. “We wish him well in the future.”

Cotton was suspended Nov. 1 by Watson for “conduct detrimental to the team,” but was reinstated Nov. 9. Cotton did not play in either of the Titans’ first two games this season.

Cotton becomes the second big name in the Horizon League to leave a team. UW-Milwaukee’s Avery Smith was dismissed from the team shortly before the season began for what was believed to be a violation of team rules.

Cotton transferred to Detroit from Michigan State midway through his freshman season. In his three years at Detroit, he was selection to the All-Horizon League second team in each season. He finishes his career with 1,464 points, good for 13th on the school’s all-time list.

Player of the week: Cedric Jackson, Cleveland State. Jackson averaged 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists in four games.

Butler Bulldogs (3-0 overall)
Week record: 2-0
Recap
Nov. 14 vs. Indiana State – A.J. Graves scored 26 points to lead Butler past in-state rival Indiana State 76-48.
Graves was 8-of-12 shooting for the game, including making six three-pointers. Mike Green had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Pete Campbell added 11 points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs.
Jay Tunnell and Gabriel Moore each scored 10 points for Indiana State, who gave Butler its first loss last season and had won the previous three meetings.
For the game, the Bulldogs shot 53 percent from the field, including 12-of-23 on three-pointers.
Nov. 17 at Evansville – Graves had another big game for Butler, scoring 22 points to lead the Bulldogs past in-state foe Evansville 60-47.
Graves was 8-of-15 shooting on the night, including 5-of-10 from three-point range. He was the only player in double figures for Butler.
Jason Holsinger led Evansville with 16 points.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 21 vs. Michigan at Great Alaska Shootout
Nov. 23-24 at Great Alaska Shootout

Cleveland State Vikings (3-2)
Week record: 2-2
Recap
Nov. 13 at George Mason – Against 2006 NCAA Final Four participant George Mason, the Vikings struggled, losing 56-47.
Cedric Jackson scored a collegiate-high 20 points, but the Vikings shot just 28 percent from the field in the second half. In the first half, Cleveland State shot 50 percent to trail just 31-28 at halftime. George Mason shot 26 percent from the field in the second half, but was 14-of-21 from the free-throw line.
Joe Davis also scored in double figures for Cleveland State with 13.
Will Thomas and John Vaughan each scored 18 for George Mason.
Nov. 16 vs. Georgia Southern at Daytona Beach, Fla. – In the Glenn Wilkes Classic, Cleveland State lost a nail-biter 72-70 to Georgia Southern.
Jackson scored a game-high 21 points and had nine assists to lead Cleveland State. J’Nathan Bullock also had a big night for the Vikings, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
After taking a 40-34 halftime lead, the Vikings struggled in the second half for the second game in a row, shooting just 36 percent in the half. Georgia Southern, who was led by Louis Graham’s 18 points off the bench, shot 52.2 percent in the second half.
Nov. 17 vs. Florida State in Daytona Beach, Fla. – Cleveland State won a thriller in the Glenn Wilkes Classic, but not without some controversy.
The Vikings knocked off Florida State of the ACC 69-66 for Cleveland State’s third victory in 11 games against the ACC. Jackson continued a monstrous week, scoring a collegiate-high 27 points for the Vikings, and Bullock added 19.
The game had nine lead changes and 10 ties.
Uche Echefu led FSU with 13 points and 10 rebounds. But the controversy came with less than a second remaining in overtime.
With 0.7 seconds left and after a series of timeouts, FSU inbounded the ball from underneath the Vikings’ basket. After a long inbounds pass, Bullock deflected the ball out of bounds. But the clock failed to start after the touch. After the officials conferred, FSU got the ball out of bounds underneath its own basket with 0.4 seconds remaining.
Isaiah Swann got the ensuing inbounds pass and drilled a three-pointer, but was waved off immediately.
Nov. 18 vs. Florida Atlantic in Daytona Beach, Fla. – Cleveland State got a balanced effort from three players en route to a 76-66 victory in the final round game of the Glenn Wilkes Classic.
Bullock, Davis and Jackson combined to score 60 points for the Vikings. The Vikings, who jumped out to a 39-26 halftime lead, went 2-1 in the tournament.
Bullock led the way with 25 points and eight rebounds. Jackson scored 17 points and had six assists, and Davis scored 18 points. George Tandy scored five points, but grabbed 10 rebounds.
Carlos Monroe led Florida Atlantic with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 24 vs. John Carroll

Detroit Titans (1-1)
Week record: 0-1
Recap
Nov. 14 at Saint Louis – Despite shooting 50 percent from the field in the second half, Detroit lost to Saint Louis 66-58.
Josh Samarco had a game-high 16 points off the bench on 6-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three-point range. Chris Hayes also added 14 points off the bench, and Jon Goode scored 10 points.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 19 vs. Western Michigan
Nov. 21 vs. Chicago State
Nov. 24 vs. Rochester

Illinois-Chicago Flames (2-2)
Week record: 1-2
Recap
Nov. 13 vs. Illinois-Springfield – Four of five starters scored in double figures for UIC in the Flames’ 81-55 blowout of Illinois-Springfield.
Scott VanderMeer led the way with 19 points, while Jeremy Buttell reached a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds for UIC. Josh Mayo scored 13 points and dished out eight assists, and Karl White Jr. scored 14 points and had six assists.
The Flames shot 53 percent from the field in the game, and were 13-of-24 from three-point range.
Nick Livas scored 18 points off the bench to lead UIS.
Nov. 16 vs. Winthrop at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands – In the opening game of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam, the Flames lost 72-58 to Winthrop.
Mayo led UIC with 16 points, followed by 14 from VanderMeer and 10 from Karl White Jr. VanderMeer was one rebound short of picking up a double-double.
Taj McCullough scored a game-high 21 points for the Eagles, who beat Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament last season.
Nov. 17 vs. Charlotte at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands – Charlotte hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 12 seconds remaining to hand Illinois-Chicago a 64-63 loss in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.
Mayo led the way for the Flames by scoring a game-high 15 points, all in the second half. Spencer Stewart added 10 points. Buttell grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, and VanderMeer had five rebounds and five blocks.
Charlotte got 14 points from Lamont Mack and Leemire Goldwire.
Both teams shot poorly with Charlotte hitting 36 percent of its shots and UIC hitting 39 percent from the field. UIC also shot just 62 percent from the free-throw line.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 19 vs. Wichita State at Paradise Jam

Loyola Ramblers (2-1)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Nov. 13 at Eastern Illinois – Five players were in double figures for Loyola to give the Ramblers a 72-65 victory over in-state foe Eastern Illinois.
It is the sixth straight road victory for the Ramblers, dating back to last season.
Five players were in double figures in scoring for Loyola, led by a double-double by Andy Polka. Polka scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Tracy Robinson led the Ramblers in scoring with 16 off the bench. J.R. Blount, Leon Young and Ross Forman also were in double digits, scoring 15, 12 and 10, respectively.
Mike Robinson led Eastern Illinois with 13 points.
Nov. 16 vs. Western Michigan – A three-point second half deficit was nearly erased as Loyola lost to Western Michigan 63-61.
The loss for the Ramblers is just the second in the past 17 games against non-conference opponents at the Gentile Center.
The first half featured eight lead changes and four ties.
Blount had a big game for the Ramblers, scoring a game-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Robinson added 11 points as well for Loyola.
Western Michigan, which had three players in double figures, was led by Joe Reitz’s 17 points.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 24 at Purdue

UW-Green Bay Phoenix (2-2)
Week record: 1-2
Recap
Nov. 12 at Ohio State – Mike Schachtner led Green Bay with 17 points in a 91-68 loss to the 2007 NCAA runner-up Ohio State Buckeyes in the first round of the NIT Season Tip-Off’s Midwest Regional.
Terry Evans had a big game in rebounding for Green Bay with a game-high 12 to go along with six points.
Ohio State was led by David Lighty’s 21 points, and Jamar Butler had 17 points and 10 assists.
Nov. 13 vs. Delaware State – In the consolation round of the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament, the Phoenix cruised to a 70-50 victory.
Schachtner had another big night in the tournament, scoring 18 points. Ryan Tillema scored 14 points off the bench for the Phoenix as well, and the Phoenix shot 57 percent from the field for the game.
Roy Bright led Delaware State with 18 points on 8-of-18 shooting.
Nov. 17 at Massachusetts – Green Bay was unable to come back from a 21-point halftime deficit in a 93-78 loss to Massachusetts.
It was the 24th victory for the Minutemen in the past 28 home games.
Schachtner scored 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Evans had 16 points, and Rahmon Fletcher added 10 for the Phoenix.
Entering the game averaging 11 turnovers per game as a team, the Phoenix had 22 turnovers on the night.
The Minutemen got big games from Etienne Brower and Gary Forbes as each scored 25 points.
Green Bay was outscored 56-35 in the first half.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 24 vs. North Dakota State

UW-Milwaukee Panthers (2-1)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Nov. 14 at Ball State – Torre Johnson and Paige Paulsen each scored 19 points to help erase Milwaukee’s 17-point second half deficit to win 81-74 in overtime.
Ricky Franklin, who scored 11 points off the bench for Milwaukee, hit a game-tying three-pointer with 0.7 seconds remaining. Milwaukee outscored Ball State 59-35 in the final 19 minutes of the game.
Johnson also grabbed 13 rebounds for the Panthers, and all 19 of Paulsen’s 19 points came in the second half and overtime.
It is the largest comeback by a UWM team since it rallied from a 21-point deficit in 2001 to beat Virginia Tech in overtime.
Nov. 18 vs. Northern Iowa – Milwaukee could not overcome a 20-point, 10-rebound effort by Jordan Eglseder as Northern Iowa handed the Panthers their first loss of the season 73-66.
Unfortunately, the Panthers wasted a big game by Johnson. He scored 29 points on 12-of-12 shooting, and had nine rebounds and two blocks in 35 minutes. Paulsen scored 11 points for the Panthers, but no other player from UWM scored more than six points.
Milwaukee also struggled from the field, shooting just 35 percent for the game.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 20 vs. South Dakota State
Nov. 24 vs. Drake

Valparaiso Crusaders (2-0)
Week record: 2-0
Recap
Nov. 12 vs. Grace – Four different players scored in double figures for Valparaiso in the Crusaders’ 90-59 victory.
Leading the way was Samual Haanpaa with 15 points. Brandon McPherson, Jarryd Loyd and Bryan Bouchie also scored in double figures with 14, 14 and 11 points, respectively. Shawn Huff also had a solid game with nine points, eight rebounds and seven assists to just one turnover.
Marcus Moore led Grace with 11 points.
Nov. 15 at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne – Valparaiso never trailed, and built a nine-point halftime lead en route to a 74-64 victory over IPFW.
The Crusaders had a balanced attack against the Mastadons with nine of the 10 players who played scored. Jake Diebler and Loyd led the way with 10 points each. The Crusaders also shot 50 percent from the field for the game.
Jakari Johnson led IPFW with a game-high 18 points.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 20 at Vanderbilt
Nov. 23-24 at South Padre Island (Texas) Invitational

Wright State Raiders (0-0)
Week record: 0-0
Has yet to play a game
Upcoming games:
Nov. 19 vs. Coastal Carolina

Youngstown Penguins (2-1)
Week record: 2-1
Recap
Nov. 12 at UCLA – Four players were in double figures for Youngstown State but UCLA, who have been to the past two Final Fours, proved to be too much, beating YSU 83-52.
John Barber led the way for the Penguins with 12 points. Byron Davis added 11 points, and Jack Liles and Vance Cooksey each added 10 points. The Penguins shot just 39 percent from the field, and had 23 turnovers.
Kevin Love led UCLA with 21 points and nine rebounds.
Nov. 13 vs. Weber State – Davis scored a collegiate-high 19 points, including two free-throws with 1.8 seconds remaining to lift Youngstown State past 2007 NCAA tournament participant Weber State 69-66 in the consolation bracket of the CBE Classic.
YSU led by as many as 18 points in the first half in the game, which was played in Los Angeles, and shot 56 percent from the field for the game.
Cooksey had another solid game, scoring 18 points, and Vytas Sulskis scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds.
Weber State, who was the Big Sky Conference representative in the NCAA tournament last season, was led by a double-double by Arturas Valeika with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Nov. 17 vs. Lock Haven – Davis tied a collegiate-high with 19 points and four Youngstown State players in double figures to win big over Lock Haven 95-55 in the Penguins’ home opener.
Dan Boulder had a huge game off the bench for the Penguins, scoring 10 points and grabbing 15 rebounds, including on the offensive glass. Gemayl Johnson added 11 points, and Sulskis scored 10. Cooksey scored just five points, but handed out six assists.
YSU’s defense was strong all game, holding Lock Haven to 31 percent shooting for the game, including 21.2 percent in the first half. On the offensive end, the Penguins shot 52 percent for the game, and outrebounded Lock Haven 62-32.
Billy Arre led Lock Haven with 15 points.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 24 at Notre Dame

Horizon Preview

Horizon League 2007-08 Preview

by Nick Dettmann

It’s an exciting time to be a fan of the Horizon League.

First, the Horizon League welcomes the Valparaiso Crusaders into the conference this season.

The Crusaders come to the league from the Mid-Continent Conference where they won a number of MCC regular season and tournament titles. In all, the Crusaders have appeared in seven NCAA tournaments. And the rich history doesn’t end there.

Valparaiso will be guided yet again by Homer Drew. Drew sports a 571-362 overall record in 30 seasons in northwest Indiana. At Valparaiso, Drew is 302-240 in 18 seasons.

The Horizon League got richer with the addition of VU on July 1.

In addition, the Crusaders will celebrate all season long the 10-year anniversary of Valparaiso’s magical run into the Sweet 16. The highlight of that run was Bryce Drew – now the associate head coach of the Crusaders – sinking the buzzer-beater against Ole Miss.

Even as a new team in the league, the Crusaders are right in the thick of the league title race. Add in a talented Butler, which won a school-record 29 games last season, reached the Sweet 16, and cracked the top 10 in the AP poll, and Wright State teams and you’ve got one of the toughest conference races in the country that probably nobody knows about.

Then throw in teams like UW-Green Bay and a more experienced UW-Milwaukee squad and it could be anyone’s guess who’s going to win the league.

But the biggest challenge facing the Bulldogs is a new coach. Todd Lickliter, who led the Bulldogs for six seasons, left Butler to take the head coaching vacancy at Iowa. During his tenure at Butler, the Bulldogs were 131-61. Replacing him is Brad Stevens, an assistant under Lickliter the past six seasons, and also worked under current Ohio State coach Thad Matta.

Butler finished No. 13 in the coaches poll after last season.

It will be an exciting season in the Horizon League

Below is the league’s predicted order of finish.

Butler Bulldogs (29-7 overall in 2006-07, 13-3 league)
Head coach: Brad Stevens (first season)
Assistants: Matthew Graves, Brandon Miller, Terry Johnson
Projected starters
A.J. Graves
Mike Green
Pete Campbell
Julian Petko
Drew Streicher
Key losses: Brandon Crone, Brian Ligon
Schedule highlights
Nov. 21-24 Great Alaska Shootout, Anchorage, Alaska
Dec. 1 vs. Ohio State
Dec. 15 vs. Florida State at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis
Dec. 28 at Southern Illinois
Feb. 23 ESPN BracketBusters
Outlook: The Bulldogs return their top two scorers from last year in Graves and Green. Butler had solid depth last season, and it will need the same thing again this year. Take away the total starts by Graves and Green last year, Betko started 36 games last season, but the rest of the returners have two total starts last year (Streicher). Green was the league’s Newcomer of the Year last season, and incoming Matt Howard turned down scholarship offers to Big Ten schools to come to Butler. If he plays, Howard will be a tremendous addition.

Wright State Raiders (23-10, 13-3)
Coach: Brad Brownell (second season, 23-10; sixth season, 106-50 overall)
Assistants: Mike Winciecki, Bill Donlon, Victor Ebong
Projected starters
Jordan Pleiman
Vaughn Duggins
Todd Brown
Scott Wilson
William Graham
Key losses: DaShaun Wood, Drew Burleson
Schedule highlights
Dec. 15 vs. Miami
Dec. 29-30 Dr. Pepper Classic, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Feb. 23 ESPN BracketBusters
Outlook: Wood won the league MVP honors last season after leading the league in scoring (19.6 per game) and steals (1.94 per game). Wood scored 27 points with eight rebounds and five assists in the Raiders’ upset of Butler in the league tournament championship game, which gave WSU its first NCAA appearance since 1993. Replacing Wood will be tough, but the Raiders under second-year coach Brownell return three starters, led by Duggins (9.0 points per game). The Raiders also get two talented transfers in John David Gardner (UNC-Wilmington) and Ronnie Thomas (Duquesne). Pleiman brings veteran leadership, but will need to improve his seven points per game clip he averaged last season after averaging more than 10 a game two seasons ago.

Valparaiso Crusaders (16-15, 9-5 Mid-Continent Conference finish)
Coach: Homer Drew (19th season, 302-240; 31st season, 571-362 overall)
Assistants: Bryce Drew, Luke Gore, Chris Sparks
Projected starters
Shawn Huff
Urule Igbavboa
Samuel Haanpaa
Brandon McPherson
Jake Diebler
Key losses: Moussa Mbaye, Arden Skoglund
Schedule highlights
Nov. 20 at Vanderbilt
Nov. 23-24 at South Padre Island (Texas) Invitational
Dec. 22 at Wisconsin
Dec. 30 at North Carolina
Feb. 23 ESPN BracketBusters
Outlook: The Crusaders join the Horizon League from the Mid-Continent Conference (now the Summit League), and right away Valparaiso will have a tough schedule. Dec. 22 will be interesting as two of college basketball’s best and most-respected coaches square off (Drew and Bo Ryan). North Carolina is a perennial national champion contender, if not favorite, and Vanderbilt made it to the Sweet 16 last year. Valparaiso will return four double-digit scorers from last season, led by Haanpaa at 12.0. Igbavboa, Huff and McPherson all averaged at least 10 points per game.

UW-Green Bay Phoenix (18-15, 7-9)
Coach: Tod Kowalczyk (sixth season, 77-73)
Assistants: Dale Race, Jon Harris, Brian Wardle
Projected starters
Mike Schachtner
Ryan Tillema
Terry Evans
Troy Cotton
Randy Berry
Key losses: Ryan Evanochko, Josh Lawrence
Schedule highlights
Nov. 12-17 Preseason NIT Tip-Off
Dec. 15 at Wisconsin
Dec. 29 at Michigan State
Feb. 23 ESPN Bracket Buster
Outlook: This team is young by year in school, but they are experienced. Last season, the underclassmen averaged 130.5 minutes of playing time per game, 65 percent of the team’s total. And nothing changes much as the Phoenix have just one senior (Tevah Morris). Otherwise, there are five juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen. One of the freshmen will not be available this season, as D’Angalo Jackson will sit out this season after transferring from Creighton due to NCAA transfer rules. But it will be easy to confuse UWGB as a Big Ten team. Three teams from the conference will play the Phoenix this season, including Ohio State in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

UW-Milwaukee Panthers (9-22, 7-9)
Coach: Rob Jeter (third season, 31-31)
Assistants: Brian Bidlingmyer, Chad Boudreau, Duffy Conroy
Projected starters
Paige Paulsen
Avery Smith
Ricky Franklin
Allan Hanson
Marcus Skinner
Key losses: Kevin Massiah, Ryan Thornton
Schedule highlights
Nov. 18 vs. Northern Iowa
Nov. 30 at Marquette
Dec. 29 at Wyoming
Feb. 23 ESPN BracketBusters
Outlook: The city of Milwaukee is getting the college basketball matchup they’ve longed for since 1998. The Panthers and Marquette will play for the first time since the ’98 season. After a rough 2006-07 campaign, the Panthers are older and more experienced, unlike last year where there were a combined nine collegiate starts on the roster. Paulsen and Smith are two of the best in the league, and will have big seasons. In addition, the Panthers assembled one of the best mid-major recruiting classes in the country. But UWM will need to improve on having the league’s worst offensive field goal percentage and worst defensive field goal percentage (38.7 percent to 47.5 percent, respectively).

Detroit Titans (11-19, 6-10)
Coach: Perry Watson (15th season, 254-175)
Assistants: Kevin Mondro, Carlos Briggs, Garland Mance
Projected starters
Brandon Cotton
Jon Goode
Chris Hayes
Zach Everingham
Eulis Stephens
Key losses: Ryvon Coville, Brandon Bell
Schedule highlights
Dec. 17 at Texas A&M
Dec. 29 DePaul
Feb. 23 ESPN BracketBusters
Outlook: The Titans returned a talented group of players back from last season. Leading the list is former Michigan State transfer Cotton. Cotton led the Titans in scoring last season with 18.1 points per game. However, the Titans lost double-double man Ryvon Coville (13.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game last season). But Watson’s teams always play stingy defense, and look for that defense to carry this team. Cotton is the leading returning scorer in the entire league, and the Titans will look to rebound this season after collapsing late last season.

Loyola Ramblers (21-11, 10-6)
Coach: Jim Whitesell (fourth season, 53-39; 331-223, 20 seasons overall)
Assistants: Patrick Baldwin, Lance Randall, Shay Boyle
Projected starters
J. R. Blount
Andy Polka
Leon Young
Tracy Robinson
Tom Levin
Key losses: Blake Schilb, Majak Kou
Schedule highlights
Nov. 24 at Purdue
Dec. 15 vs. Northern Iowa
Feb. 23 ESPN BracketBusters
Outlook: The early stages of this season will be tough and Whitesell may be the first to tell you so. The Ramblers lost four starters, and with them 48 percent of its offense from last season. The leading returning scorer (Blount) averaged 12.9 points per game. After that, the production dips tremendously. Blount is a rising star for the program after averaging double figures in points in each of his first two seasons on Chicago’s North Side (a first in school history since 1998-2000 with Chris Williams).

Illinois-Chicago Flames (14-18, 7-9)
Coach: Jimmy Collins (12th season, 176-156)
Assistants: Mark Coomes, Tracy Dildy, Bryant Lowe
Projected starters
Josh Mayo
Robert Bush
Scott VanderMeer
Karl White
Spencer Stewart
Key losses: Othyus Jeffers, T.J. Gray, Jovan Stefanov
Schedule highlights
Nov. 17-19 Paradise Jam, U.S. Virgin Islands
Feb. 23 ESPN BracketBusters
Outlook: The Flamers lost two of their top three scorers from last season (Jeffers, Gray) to transfers, as Jeffers transferred to Robert Morris and Gray to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. But they do return Mayo, who averaged 12.2 points per game. Unfortunately after that, the next top returning scorer is Bush, who averaged 6.8 points per game. Bush will need a big season, as will VanderMeer. UIC will get the services of Texas Tech transfer Jeremy Buttell. Buttell, a 6-foot-7 sophomore forward, worked under legendary coach Bobby Knight and should provide a spark off the bench. He may work into the starting lineup by season’s end.

Youngstown State Penguins (14-17, 7-9)
Coach: Jerry Slocum (third season, 21-38; 33rd season, 601-363 overall)
Assistants: Michael Wernicki, Byron thorne, Brian DePaoli
Projected starters
Byron Davis
Jack Liles
John Barber
Dwight Holmes
George Cotal
Key losses: Quin Humphrey, Keston Roberts
Schedule highlights
Nov. 12-13 at CBE Classic, Los Angeles (will play UCLA on Nov. 12)
Nov. 24 at Notre Dame
Dec. 21 at Akron
Feb. 23 ESPN BracketBusters
Outlook: Humphrey and Roberts were the heart-and-soul of the Penguins last season, literally. The two combined to average 35.1 points per game on a team that averaged 66 points a game. Davis provides a little punch at 8.6 points, but not too much is there after that. YSU will be tested early with a matchup against UCLA, who has reached the Final Four in each of the past two seasons. Barber does provide experience as a three-year letterwinner. Gemayl Johnson will be a spark off the bench and may start by the end of the season. Johnson, a junior college transfer from Montgomery (Md.), averaged 19 points and nine rebounds a game last season. He was an All-American last season at the JC ranks.

Cleveland State Vikings (10-21, 3-13)
Coach: Gary Waters (second season, 10-21 at CSU; 181-156 in 11 years overall)
Assistants: Jayson Gee, Larry DeSimpelare, Jermaine Kimbrough
Projected starters
J’Nathan Bullock
Joe Davis
Cedric Jackson
Kevin Francis
Chris Mooris
Key losses: Raheem Moss, Carlos English, Victor Morris, Bahaadar Russel, Patrick Tatham
Schedule highlights
Nov. 13 at George Mason
Nov. 17 vs. Florida State in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Feb. 23 ESPN BracketBusters
Outlook: The Vikings have been consistently at the bottom of the league for a number of seasons and nothing is going to change that anytime soon unfortunately. CSU lost a lot of experience last season and will need a lot of untested players to fill in those voids. A relatively easy schedule should help CSU with that problem. CSU did lose four conference games last year by five points or less.

Horizon Championship Recap

Horizon League Championship Recap

by Bill Kintner

DAYTON, Ohio – It was 90 minutes before game time and the upper lot outside the Ervin J. Nutter Center on the campus of Wright State University was already filled. There were TV satellite trucks parked all round the outside and people hawking tickets.

This is the championship game for the Horizon League and there was certainly a buzz in the air. The student section was already 1,500 strong an hour before game time, and by the time the game started there was over 2,500 students raising heck for their beloved Raiders.

This is mid-major basketball at its best and tonight there was a crowd of 10,686, the third-largest crowd in the history of the Nutter Center.

Tonight’s game matches the No. 1 seed Raiders against the No. 2 seed Butler Bulldogs. In the Horizon League pre-season poll, Wright State was picked No. 5 and Butler No. 6. I guess that goes to show you that the game is played on the court and that polls really don’t mean that much.

Of course, Butler had been out-performing the polls for years. For instance, earlier this year, when Butler ran through the Pre-Season NIT they were unranked until they knocked off their third big boy. Those wins in order were Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee and Gonzaga.

Tonight’s game was a thriller to the end as the teams battled back and forth before the Raiders were able to get a couple more stops than Butler. The game was tied nine times and the lead changed skintnern times.

But Wright State’s DeShaun Wood scored 27 points, including six three-pointers, to lead the Raiders to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 14 years.

In the first half, Butler (27-6) jumped out to a 10-0 lead as three different players scored on four straight shots. It wasn’t until the 16:24 mark that the Raiders got on the board when Wood hit a three-pointer.

Wright State’s Coach Brad Brownell did not call a time out since his players were getting good looks and they just were not falling.

“What I am going to do? Pull them over and tell them to start making shots? That just puts more pressure on them,” explained Brownell. “Now if they weren’t getting the kind of shot I like then I bring them over and tell them we need better discipline in our offense.”

After that 10-0 deficit, Wright State (23-9) went on a 19-5 run to take a 19-15 lead. From that point on, Wright State maintained a modest lead of between two and six points for the rest of the half.

“It seemed like they were able to counter a lot. I was really impressed. They (Wright State) stayed poised. There is a reason why they have only lost only one game in here this year,” explained Butler Coach Todd Lickliter. “My hat goes off to Wright State, they are a terrific team in this league and I wouldn’t want to play them in the first round.”

It looked like the Raiders would take a four-point lead into halftime until Butler’s A.J. Graves hit a three-pointer with a second remaining to cut Wright State’s lead to two at 31-29.

In the second half the Raiders slowly started increasing the lead, with a falling-away three-pointer by Drew Burleson giving them their biggest lead of the game at 43-35.

The Bulldogs were a little down but nowhere near out. A three-pointer from Brandon Crone got the Bulldogs rolling, as they fought until they tied the score at 45.

This baby was going down to the wire.

With just a little less than 90 seconds left in the game, Graves drove to the basket only to get the ball blocked by Wood, who came up behind him. When they got down to the other end Wood, came off a pick to hit a three-pointer to make it 55-52.

With just 33 seconds left, Crone, who led the Bulldogs with 18 points took a pass in the lane and scored.

Just a few seconds later Wright State’s Vaughn Duggins was fouled and hit one foul shot to make it 56-54.

Crone was fouled by Burleson with 11 seconds left and made one foul shot to narrow the gap.

Will Graham was fouled and made both foul shots to give the Raiders a 58-56 lead.

Then at the other end, Graves wiggled through skintnerral defenders and heaved up a three-pointer that missed. Graham was fouled again and he sunk both shots with 1.3 seconds left and that is where it ended.

As the buzzer sounded, thousands of fans descended on the court for a celebration that was long overdue. As the on-court celebration got going, the Butler players hustled off the court toward their locker room knowing they, too, will be going to the NCAA Tournament.

Burleson scored 15 points and Scottie Wilson scored 10 points for the Raiders. Graves also scored 12 points for the Bulldogs.

When asked if his team has fallen off since their impressive run early in the season, Lickliter said they were playing well and didn’t think his team would have any problems when they play in the postseason. He cited some of the factors in Butler’s recent losses as a tough schedule with very little rest between games and then having to come into a hostile arena to play a very good team for the championship.

“We are playing some of our best ball right now,” he said, defending his team after the game.

We will see in a little more than a week.

On the Horizon (League)

• There was a young coed wearing a UNCW shirt and holding a sign that read “UNCW Tennis is getting Rowdy.” She was referring to the Wright State mascot, Rowdy Raider. During this tournament there has been a small contingent of Seahawk fans at the Nutter Center for each game supporting Brad Brownell and his new team.
• There were two fans dressed up like the Wright Brothers with a sign that said “Win one for Wilber and Orville.”
• University of Northern Iowa Athletic Director Rick Hartzell was one of the officials tonight. For the record I thought he did a good job.
• This is the third time this year that Butler and Wright State have played and the 30th time they have faced off. Butler leads the all-time series 16-14.
• Butler is 19-0 when holding opponents under 60 points this year. They remained perfect when that happens once the Raiders hit 60 points with 1.3 seconds remaining in the game.
• As the clock wore down and the Raiders were ahead by three, the game officials had the media get up form the media tables in front of the student section so they could take down the tables so the students didn’t trample over members of the media.
• As the game wore on and the score went back and forth there were probably 10 bubble teams watching at home praying for Butler to win.
• Butler has lost six of their last skintnern times at the Nutter Center.
• Former Raider Coach Jim Brown was in attendance tonight. He was the top assistant coach on Ralph Underhill’s staff and he was the interim coach for the 1996-97 season after Underhill was fired. He said that DaShaun Wood was the difference in this game and he also pointed to Butler’s lack of an inside threat as a factor in the Raiders win.
• Tonight’s game was covered by Mike DeCourcy of Sporting News, Pat Forde of ESPN.com, Mike Lopresti of Gannett/USA Today, Fox Sports Radio, ESPN Radio and a ton of regional media. In fact, the Horizon League issued over 140 media credentials for this year’s tournament compared to just 80 last year. Mike DeCourcy credited that increase to Southwest Ohio being a great basketball area.
• The all-tournament team was:
  DeShaun Wood, Wright State (MVP)
  Brandon Crone, Butler
  Scottie Wilson, Wright State
  Blake Schilb, Loyola
  Scottie Wilson, Wright State

Horizon League Semifinal Recap

Horizon League Tournament Semifinal Recap

by Bill Kintner

DAYTON, Ohio – Three games played, 415 points scored, one win for each team and one point separates the two teams.

It came down to just one possession in overtime, and on that possession Butler’s defense was able to collapse on Loyola’s J.R. Blount and prkintnernt him from getting off a good shot to allow Butler to hang on for a 67-66 win.

To add to the unusual nature of this game, Butler’s leading scorer A. J. Graves went 0-9 from the field during the game, but did manage to go 12-12 from the free throw line.

Butler Coach Todd Lickliter thought that Graves played a strong game kintnern without a field goal.

“It says more about their team,” said Lickliter. “They really defended him well. He went 12 for 12 from the line. He found a way to score.”

In the second half, the biggest lead was five points by Loyola to start the half as Brandon Woods put in a lay up to make it 28-23.

As the game came to a close Butler led by two at 54-52 with 32 seconds until Schilb hit a jumper to tie it up. Butler couldn’t score, and as time ran out Schilb heaved up a 25-foot shot that that rolled around the rim and went out.

Then the over time trauma began.

A 3-pointer by Brandon Crone put Butler ahead by three points. A couple of foul shots by Schilb cut it to one at 57-56. Blount then hit a 3-pointer to put the Ramblers up by two at 59-57.

Polka then fouled Butler’s Mike Green, who made two foul shots to tie it at 59 with 1:51 left.

Finally, the Bulldogs go up by four on foul shots by Brian Ligon and Graves at 65-61 with 28 seconds left. But Butler’s not in the clear yet as Schilb hits a 3-pointer to bring the Ramblers within 65-64.

When Butler finally held on for the win the whole crowd was worn out.

“It was a great basketball game. It was anyone’s game until the last play. They fought the whole time; kintnerry possession. It’s tough for us to take, congratulations to Butler,” said Loyola Coach Jim Whitesell.

Schilb led all scorers with 29 points.

For Butler Pete Campbell came through with 18 points and Crone scored 17 points.

“He (Graves) struggled a little bit, but played really well,” explained Campbell. “We’re not a one-man team. He set up Brandon in regulation and get me some good looks. Even though he was not hitting, he was drawing attention on off-the-ball schemes.”

When the game started Butler (27-5) got up by four at around the 15-minute mark, but in just six minutes Loyola (21-11) went up by skintnern at 17-10 when Blount hit a short jumper and then came back and hit a couple of foul shots. After a media timeout Loyola’s Andy Polka hit a 3-pointer followed by a nice feed by Leon Young and a lay up by Tracy Robinson.

That is how the Ramblers managed an 11-point turnaround.

With just under a minute left in the half Butler’s Drew Streicher put in a lay up and the Bulldogs were up a point at 24-23. But a few seconds later a jumper by Robinson and another by Blake Schilb with three seconds left gave the Ramblers a 26-23 halftime lead.

Raiders Join Bulldogs in Final

The whole production went according to script. The Horizon League’s Player of the Year DaShaun Wood led all scorers with 25 points to lead his team to a 67-51 victory over Wisconsin-Green Bay.

This puts the No. 1 seed Raiders in the championship game against the No. 2 seed Butler Bulldogs on Tuesday night.

“We had nine days off and did a lot of preparation,” said Wood. “We wanted to come out with energy. The shots didn’t fall early, but we had good looks.”

With the Phoenix ahead 5-2, a jumper by Wright State’s Jordan Pleiman cut it to 5-4 and then a 3-pointer by Vaughn Duggins gave the Raiders the lead at 7-5 and Green Bay nkintnerr led again.

Wright State’s biggest led of the game was 23 points with 1:50 left in the game and the Raiders emptied their bench and got kintnerryone in the game.

The biggest mystery was how many points would Wood score and if Wright State could keep Green Bay’s super-senior Ryan Evanochko under control. The Raiders held him to just two points on a poor 1-6 shooting performance. On the other-hand, Wood got four assists and didn’t turn the ball over in addition to his points.

After the game, Wright State head coach Brad Brownell talked about how Wood has improved this year.

“He recognizes what he needs to do during each game, what we need to do to attack or get others involved,” said Brownell. “He has matured as a player as to when to be aggressive as a player. He has more confidence in his teammates.”

It seemed like as the game wore on, the Phoenix wore down, and Green Bay Coach Tod Kowalczyk thought that was the case.

“I did (think fatigue was a factor),” said Kowalczyk. “It is hard with this format, to play three straight games when they (Wright State) are off. We did not play well and they did.”

Horizon League happenings

• Former Butler Athletic Director John Parry was in attendance tonight. Parry is now running 140 branches of the Indiana BMV for the State of Indiana. He has four tickets to Butler home games that he frequently uses. It appears government work is not as taxing as running a Division I athletic program.
• Loyola ends the year 21-11, which is their greatest number of wins since 1984-85.
• This was the 73rd meeting between Butler and Loyola, with Butler leading the all-time series 43-29. Both teams were charter members of the Horizon League back when it was first called the Midwestern City Conference.
• Todd Lickliter, who won the Horizon League Coach of the year for the second straight year, is a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year.
• A WSU student had a sign that read “beware of VD” referring to Wright State’s Vaughn Duggins.
• Ever wonder what the financial arrangements are on these tournaments in regards to the host team? Here is the skinny. The league gets all net ticket rkintnernue. The host team gets rent and concessions. It looks like the Horizon League makes out pretty well when a team like Wright State or Butler hosts as compared to a low-attendance team like Detroit.
• Butler assistant coach Mathew Graves came in a day early to watch the Loyola/UIC game. He said he did not expect to see anything of value, but was on the lookout for any new plays that either team might roll out. He said he did not see any.
• This is the second straight appearance by Butler in the Horizon League Championship. This is Wright State’s first since 1995.
• Butler is looking for its fifth championship all-time. Xavier holds the league record with six.
• There were about 12 UNC-Wilmington fans in attendance to root on the Raiders and their former coach in tonight’s game.
• Tonight in Dayton, there were 22,563 fans watching college basketball. Aside from the 9,128 at the Nutter Center there were 13,435 at University Arena to watch Dayton play St. Louis.
• Green Bay leads the all-time series with Wright State 19-16.
• Former Wright State Coach Ralph Underhill was in attendance tonight here in the Nutter Center, known to many as “the house that Ralph built.”
• Wright State and Butler play at 9 p.m. on Tuesday on ESPN at the Nutter Center on the campus of Wright State University.

Horizon League Quarterfinal Recap

Horizon League Tournament Quarterfinal Recap

by Bill Kintner

DAYTON, Ohio – Two out of three ain’t bad, or maybe it is the third time is a charm. The University of Illinois-Chicago, which had defeated Loyola in their two previous meetings, could not complete the season sweep as they fell to the Ramblers 66-62.

For most of the first half, UIC (14-18) held a single-digit lead thanks to Josh Mayo, who scored 11 points, and their guards harassing the Ramblers’ guards. With just 2:03 left in the first half Loyola’s Andy Polka hit a jumper to give the Ramblers their first lead of the game at 32-30. When the buzzer sounded, Loyola had completed a little 10-4 run that gave them a 39-34 halftime lead.

Coming out of the half, Loyola (21-10) went on another 10-4 spurt in the first eight minutes of the second half to take a 48-38 lead.

“We really did some nice things in spurts. We had some nice spurts the last few minutes of the first half and the first few minutes of the second half. Give UIC credit, their zone gave us some troubles,” said Loyola coach Jim Whitesell.

Loyola’s dominance on the boards really kept the Flames from making a prolonged run. Loyola out-rebounded UIC 40-26, including 16 offensive rebounds.

“We really took a beating on the boards and that made a big difference in the game,” explained UIC interim coach Mark Coomes.

At the 6:14 mark Loyola’s Blake Schilb hit a 3-pointer to give the Ramblers their biggest lead of the game at 56-44. Schilb led all scorers with 31 points.

Then the Flames went to work and started to chip away at Loyola’s lead. For UIC, it was a jumper by Jovan Stefanov, then a 3-pointer by T. J. Gray, a couple of good free throws by Othyus Jeffers, another jumper by Stefanov and couple more buckets by Jeffers that brought Loyola’s lead down to two points at 62-60 with just 43 seconds to go in the game.

Then Schilb put it away when he made a jump shot as Jeffers fouled him. He made the foul shot to put the Ramblers up by five at 65-60.

A made foul shot by Loyola’s Tom Levin and then a basket by UIC’s Gray put the final score at 66-62.

Night Cap: Phoenix Complete Three-Game Sweep

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay did what they always say can’t be done in basketball and that is beat a team three times in one season as they beat Youngstown State handily, 72-55.

The Phoenix jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first three and a half minutes. Youngstown State (14-17) took the lead back at the 13-minute mark at 11-10 when John Barber hit a jumper. At the 8:44 mark they took a 15-14 lead when Keston Roberts hit a short jumper.

And that was it for the Penquins’ leads. They never led again. The Phoenix took over, and at the half they led 33-24.

In the second half, Green Bay (18-14) just kept slowly pushing the led out. With 9:34 left it was 51-36, and it stayed about 12-15 points until there was 30 seconds left, when Tevah Morris made two foul shots to get the final score to 72-55.

The Penguins’ two stars, Quin Humphrey and Keston Roberts, were both kept under 20 points. Humphrey scored just 12 points, going 3-12, and Roberts scored 18 points on 8-20 shooting.

Green Bay Coach Ted Kowalczyk thought that containing Humphrey and Roberts was the key to winning the game.

“Making Humphrey and Roberts work for everything they got (was key). And I think we did that,” said Kowalczyk.

Ryan Tillema led Green Bay with 22 points and Ryan Evanochko scored 17 points.

Sights and Sounds of the Horizon League Tournament

• According to Butler Sports Information Director Jim McGrath, Butler received word today that the NCAA Selection Committee decided to count Butler’s three games at Conseco Fieldhouse as neutral games rather than home games. That should raise Butler’s RPI a few notches.
• UIC’s interim head coach Mark Coomes compiled an 8-11 record after he took over for coach Jimmy Collins, including five wins in the last seven.
• Former Wright State Assistant Coach Brian Donoher did the color commentary for the Horizon League Network and Raiders’ play-by-play announcer did the play-by-play.
• The last time Green Bay played the Raiders at the Nutter Center in a conference tournament game was when they won the then-Midwestern Collegiate Conference Championship in 1995.
• The semifinal games will be No. 3 seed Loyola versus No. 2 seed Butler at 5 P.M., and at 7 P.M. No. 4 seed Green Bay takes on No. 1 seed Wright State.