Well, #HLMBB fans, my watch has come to an end. Bob takes over next week, so this is the last time you will be able to get mad at me. Let’s dive in.
1. Wright State
Michael Imariagbe enjoyed this week. He averaged 17.5 points per game and 14.5 rebounds per game in the two games this week. The Raiders did lose at Robert Morris on national TV but recovered with a win over Purdue Fort Wayne to give themselves a one-game lead with six games to play.
2. Oakland
Oakland has trailed Wright State for first place since December. The Golden Grizzlies have only lost three games since then, but one was to Wright State, and the other two were on the same night that Wright State lost their only two games since then. Oakland lost at Cleveland State this week, but it’s still hard to drop the Golden Grizzlies below second with their results against the chase pack, as well as Isaac Garrett about to return.
3. Green Bay (+3)
Preston Ruedinger played hero at Northern Kentucky to snap Green Bay out of a 1-4 stretch, and then the Phoenix went on to handle Detroit Mercy at home. Don’t look now, but there are only five games left to play and this team is currently your three seed. Big game on Thursday against Purdue Fort Wayne on ESPN2.
4. Purdue Fort Wayne (-1)
What the heck happened to Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday? The Dons were blown out at home 90-61 to a Youngstown State team that has struggled most of the conference season. There was better fight shown at Wright State on Saturday, but that loss resulted in Purdue Fort Wayne’s third loss in four games. The Mastodons did not drop further because that one win was against Robert Morris.
5. Robert Morris (+3)
Here come the defending champions. A big win over Wright State started it off and then the Colonials went on the road and handled Youngstown State — both scores were 72-66. Robert Morris is now in a coveted top five spot. Ryan Prather Jr. has had four-straight games of leading the team in assists as well becoming the team’s go-to scorer.
6. Cleveland State (-1)
Just an impossible task figuring out where to rank this team. The Vikings drained a school record 17 threes to beat Oakland by 13 for their fifth win in a row, and followed that up by pretty much no showing at IU Indy. It will be really interesting to see if the Vikings are more than a hot streak in these last six games.
7. Detroit Mercy (-2)
Another hard one to find a spot for. Detroit Mercy is 7-7 with five teams above them and five teams below them. The Titans are 7-0 against the five teams below them and 0-7 against the five teams ahead of them. They can certainly prove something at Wright State this week.
8. Northern Kentucky (-1)
Losing that Green Bay game had to be a hard pill to swallow. The Norse were going to snap their four game losing streak but gave away the game in the final seconds to drop their fifth straight. Nice bounce back to win an ugly affair against Milwaukee, but now three of the next four are on the road before closing with Wright State at home. Feels like a team that’s one big moment away from a run.
9. Youngstown State (+1)
The Penguins are 3-2 in their last five and seem to be slowly pulling it together. A 29 point win at Purdue Fort Wayne proved that this roster is not one to be taken lightly. While home court in the first round may be unlikely, these last six games are huge for this team to try and build some momentum.
10. IU Indy (+1)
When this team wins, they WIN. The Jags’ three wins in Horizon League play are an overtime thriller against the defending champs, a road drubbing at Oakland and easily handling the hottest team in the league, Cleveland State. If IU Indy is going to get out of the 11 seed, Tuesday is a must win at home against Milwaukee.
11. Milwaukee (-2)
The Panthers finally got Faizon Fields back, but he ended up getting hurt again. Milwaukee is 2-10 since starting out 3-0 in the league, and injuries have really taken a toll. Big game at IU Indy this week to try and start to salvage the season and build for the tournament.
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