The first round of the Horizon League Tournament went to plan (well, sort of…right Milwaukee?). The quarterfinals, if history is any guide, could be anything but planned out. While the top seeds are poised as favorites, there are plenty of reasons to, as we always put it, Horizon’s Gonna Horizon. All times ET and on ESPN+.
Purdue Fort Wayne at Oakland, 7pm: Of the two opponents in the 8-9 first-round contest, the Golden Grizzlies were probably rooting more for Robert Morris. That’s likely because the Mastodons gave Oakland headaches in both regular-season match-ups, including a pounding of the Grizz in the first tilt. Why is Purdue Fort Wayne the 8 seed, then, even though the Mastodons won 20 games? A mid-season slump that made it hard to climb up an already tight race in the standings. Oakland will need to rely on its strength in the frontcourt, where Horizon League Player of the Year Trey Townsend and a rotation of Chris Conway and Buru Naivalarua give the Golden Grizzlies the edge. Given Purdue Fort Wayne’s shooting power beyond the arc, it will take All-League second-teamer Blake Lampman and Sixth Man of the Year Jack Gohkle to blunt the anticipated barrage.
Cleveland State at Youngstown State, 7pm: The Penguins have to be feeling good heading into this game, finishing the regular season on a three-game win streak that included a sweep in Wisconsin. Youngstown State may also have a confidence boost in that the Guins will be playing the Vikings at Beeghly, where YSU whipped CSU soundly. The Vikings, however, continue to be an enigma when it comes to consistency, outside of All-League first teamer Tristan Enaruna. Knowing what weapons the Penguins have at their disposal, including All-League second teamers DJ Burns and Ziggy Reid, along with third-teamer Brett Thompon, Cleveland State will need to find a way to overcome that, much like it did in the 8-point win over YSU at the Wolstein Center.
Northern Kentucky at Wright State, 8pm: It seemed as if the Raiders had this game well in hand on the final day of the regular season, going up by 15 at one point in the second half. Nobody told All-League first teamer Marques Warrick that, and he, along with Defensive Player of the Year Trey Robinson, nearly willed the Norse into coming back. Instead, Wright State won, but did nothing to diminish the heat of the rivalry, which carries into the conference tournament once again. Without Keeyan Itejere, NKU will still have trouble counteracting the Raider frontcourt. But, as we’ve seen throughout the rivalry, the star that shines the brightest could be the only factor that matters.
Milwaukee at Green Bay, 9pm: The Panthers made the last game between these two teams look easy, cruising to a 90-69 win. So, the first-round match-up against one-win Detroit Mercy should have been a cinch. Well, it wasn’t really, as the Titans fought the entire time, tying the ballgame with three minutes left. Must have been some conspiracy involved. In any event, Milwaukee held on and advanced. The long-anticipated match-up between Newcomer of the Year Noah Reynolds, who was out on Saturday, and All-League second teamer BJ Freeman, who was out during the first contest, is finally coming to fruition. The superstars will no doubt be on display, but it will be each team’s supporting cast that will likely make the difference here.
