We even have Emeka Okafor saying it: Horizon’s gonna Horizon.
Former UConn great and Jordan Bernfield’s partner on Sunday’s ESPNU broadcast between Robert Morris and Wright State basically said it all. The way this week went for the conference, there’s little evidence otherwise. And as things draw to a close, seeding is still wide open and anything is possible, even a No. 1 seed that isn’t the Raiders.
So, without further ado, here’s how those shake out ahead of the final week of the season:
1. Wright State
It’s never a good sign when you come out flat on the nationally-televised game. And with an outright regular season championship in the balance, Wright State tried everything to get back into the game against Robert Morris, only to come up short. Still, the Raiders only need one win to take the No. 1 seed and sole possession of the crown, and it can happen either against Purdue Fort Wayne or Northern Kentucky. Naturally, Wright State would prefer to wrap up the top spot against the Mastodons rather than wait to face their rival.
2. Robert Morris (+1)
So much for not being in the conversation for a regular season championship. The Colonials made a statement on Sunday that they can handle any conference team, even Wright State. And if the Raiders somehow falter down the stretch and lose the final two games, an RMU sweep in the same span would give the Colonials the top seed and a share of the crown. Not bad for a team that had everyone but Ryan Prather, Jr. from last season’s squad depart.
3. Detroit Mercy (+1)
Well, the Titans didn’t slip this week. In fact, the win against Green Bay put Detroit Mercy at 11 wins, something the Titans haven’t accomplished since the 2021-22 season, not to mention solidifying a home game in the Horizon League tournament. Not only that, Detroit Mercy can spoil Robert Morris’ slim championship hopes, as well as close out the season with a win over Oakland to jumpstart the electricity in the long-dormant Metro Series.
4. Green Bay (+1)
If not for a close loss against Detroit Mercy, the Phoenix would be looking at the prospects of a runner-up finish in the regular season, something most prognosticators would have believed was impossible before the season started. But the upset on the road against Oakland, a game in which Doug Gottlieb was suspended by the league for his comments after the Milwaukee game, was the type of signature win that Green Bay can hang its hat on come the post-season.
5. Oakland (-3)
The Golden Grizzlies finally got off the schnide with a win against Milwaukee, but the previous loss against Green Bay, their fourth straight, probably stung worse, as prior to that they still had a shot to overtake Wright State in the standings. IU Indy, a team that shocked them at home, looms, as well as the season-ender against a Detroit Mercy squad that, as mentioned before, has both seeding and bragging rights implications.
6. Purdue Fort Wayne
The Mastodons have had quite a few stumbles in the second half of the conference season, and the latest was a double-digit loss against Northern Kentucky. And they almost frittered away a 20-point lead against Cleveland State. Even so, a home game to kick off the conference tournament is still a possibility, but Purdue Fort Wayne will need to finish out the season, which includes a tough test against Wright State, plus some help in the form of a few key losses by teams above them.
7. Northern Kentucky
The Norse have had quite an up-and-down season, and at this stage, there’s only two places that they could finish: seventh or eighth. NKU suffers from losing the tiebreakers against the higher teams (except Purdue Fort Wayne and Detroit Mercy, but a lot would have to happen to those two teams), meaning the best it can finish is seventh. But an eighth-place finish could be in the offing, should the Norse lose to Wright State and if Youngstown State, the team that beat them on Sunday, wins out.
8. Youngstown State (+1)
The Penguins can still creep up the conference standings, but with the final two games in Wisconsin, it’ll be difficult. They’d also need for Northern Kentucky to split its final two contests as well. With a win against the Norse, coupled with so many other victories against top teams, YSU fans are probably left to wonder what could have been for a team they, and others, had such high expectations for. However, if there’s any good news to be had, it’s that the Penguins may yet have something for the teams above them come tournament time.
9. Milwaukee (-1)
The Panthers, having been swept in Michigan this week, have one game left against a Youngstown State team eager to move up another spot in the standings. Bart Lundy’s injury-riddled team needs a win, if not to stay out of the 10th seed and a Monday tourney opener, then to show the league that Milwaukee still has a little something for everyone else in March. With a loss, the Panthers will have to cross their fingers that Cleveland State doesn’t win out, or at least beat Robert Morris.
10. Cleveland State
This is a point of the season where teams need to be playing their best basketball to survive, and right now, the Vikings…just aren’t. Not only is CSU digging deficits too big to overcome, the Vikings may not have the services of their best player, Dayan Nessah, whose availability remains in question because of a shoulder injury. If this final week doesn’t turn around for Cleveland State, a 10 seed and Monday game against IU Indy is in their future. And the way things have gone, even the homecourt advantage may not be enough for the Vikings to avoid being eliminated before the real tourney action begins.
11. IU Indy
The Jaguars sealed their fate as the last-place team with a loss to Wright State, despite giving the top team a ton of headaches throughout. All IU Indy can do in the final two games is spoil the seeding prospects of Oakland and Purdue Fort Wayne, along with waiting to see who the Jaguars will play in the Monday tourney opener.
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