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#HLWBB Power Rankings — Week 5

Kyle Rossi
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#HLWBB Power Rankings — Week 5

The holidays are officially upon us, which means that the best Starbucks drinks are here – along with the vague cloud of guarantee games and de facto scrimmages against lower-division opponents sprinkled throughout December, making power rankings particularly difficult this time of year. What’s more, the frequency of those games drops drastically; in fact, three Horizon League teams didn’t play at all last week while six others only played one game (and this coming week will have a similar look to it).

With that being said…

SchoolRankLWChange
Cleveland State12+1
Youngstown State21-1
IUPUI33–
Northern Kentucky45+1
Green Bay56+1
Milwaukee64-2
Oakland77–
Robert Morris89+1
Purdue Fort Wayne98-1
UIC1010–
Detroit Mercy1111–
Wright State1212–

If there was ever a week to move up without playing a game, Cleveland State found it. The Vikings, of course, had COVID issues within the program that wiped out a scheduled tip at Akron on Sunday (per their release, they’ll try to find a new date for it later this season). But, regardless of the awkward road there, CSU now stands as the conference’s lone unbeaten team, and the Vikings look poised to be factor in the title chase throughout the season. Pending the all-clear, Destiny Leo and company will get back at it this coming Saturday when Hofstra visits the Wolstein Center.

I had a really hard time moving Youngstown State from the top spot, because the Penguins actually did play this week – twice, in fact – including a mid-week win at Canisius and a defeat at Penn State on Sunday. However, YSU wasn’t at their best in either outing. A 2-6 Golden Griffins squad (with those results including a 14-point loss to Robert Morris a couple weeks back) rallied a couple times and nearly negated Chelsea Olson’s career-high scoring game (28 points on 12-for-16 from the floor). Then, four days later, the Guins took a 20-point loss to a PSU team that could fairly be considered an attainable power conference opponent for a top Horizon League team, with the Lady Lions 137th in NET entering the contest to YSU’s 168th. The Penguins actually led 14-2 early on before going on a field goal drought of, I promise that this is not a typo, 19 minutes and 29 seconds.

Given the struggles with the Northeast Ohio delegation, in hindsight this seemed like a moment where IUPUI could finally swoop in and re-claim their preseason ranking. The Jaguars, however, dropped their only game of the week, a contest in The Jungle against Ball State on Wednesday. It was a fairly ugly loss too, as the Cardinals scored the first eight points of the game and were leading by 20 late in the second quarter before the Jags managed to get Macee Williams more involved. Behind Williams (19 points, 15 of those after BSU’s biggest lead occurred) and Natalie Andersen (15 points, including buzzer beaters ending both the second and third quarters), IUPUI rallied and managed to tie the game with 2:01 left on a Williams free throw. However, that would be the home team’s final point of the game, as the reigning player of the year missed her second attempt for the lead, and Ball State’s Sydney Freeman took over in the late moments.

All in all, Northern Kentucky might have had the best week of anyone in the conference. The Norse’s midweek game against Division II’s Kentucky State went about as expected, and that was followed up by a very, very solid win at Saint Louis on Saturday night. Against the Billikens, Lindsey Duvall truly was That Girl, checking in with an absolutely dominant performance. The former five-star recruit (in case you forgot, they mentioned it about 20 times on the broadcast) poured in 29 points on 9-for-20 from the floor and 8-for-8 from the line while pulling down 14 boards, a lot of that coming in high-leverage moments. Even beyond that though, it was just a feeling I got while watching: it was her game, and she was taking it no matter what. Duvall wasn’t the entire show, it does need to be said. Grayson Rose also had a double-double with 11 and 10, while Emmy Souder was outstanding in her garbage collection duties.

The weekly Wisconsin coin flip came up in Green Bay’s favor this time around, though it was helped by a Phoenix win on Sunday against their sister school in Madison. The Badgers are awful, to the point that it’s somewhat unbelievable that they play in the same conference as Michigan, Indiana, and Maryland (they do though, I double checked), so you don’t want to take too much from it. It is notable, however, that Green Bay now has two power conference wins this season, the other coming against Oklahoma State out in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend, of course. Against Wisconsin, UWGB jumped out to a 23-11 lead after the first quarter and pretty much put it in cruise control from there, as Hailey Oskey’s 14 points and Maddy Schreiber’s eight points with nine rebounds led the way.

Milwaukee didn’t really do anything wrong as much as the two teams above them did something right (and it does need to be said that the Panthers also beat Wisconsin by double digits this year), but a home loss to Marquette was UWM’s only result of the week. Going minus-8 against the Golden Eagles, a top-60 NET team right now, is hardly an awful loss, though the contest wasn’t a particularly enjoyable watch for a lot of it – in fact, the Panthers had all of ten points late into the second quarter. Kyle Rechlicz’s always-stout defense kept her team in it though, and the fourth quarter showed just how dangerous Milwaukee can be when its experienced guards are knocking down shots and creating extra dimensions offensively. Sydney Staver was the star last week, though Miquela Santoro and Kendall Nead also connected from deep.

Kahlaijah Dean absolutely went off for Oakland against Central Michigan on Wednesday, giving Duvall some competition for the league’s player of the week honors. In a 21-point win over the Chippewas that was never in doubt beyond the first media timeout, the senior from Bakersfield, CA fired home 34 points (tying a career high) on a blistering 11-for-16 effort, while also grabbing seven rebounds. KD’s 18.6 points per game are good for 51st nationally, and it’s worth mentioning that with two Big Ten teams and IUPUI among the Grizzlies’ nine opponents so far, it’s a well-earned stat. Jeff Tungate’s crew is in the middle of a 13-day stretch between games, spanning from the CMU win to an MTE in Las Vegas featuring contests against Marshall and Campbell beginning on the 20th, so they’ll probably be right around here in next week’s post as well.

Hopefully Robert Morris enjoyed the opportunity to go to Miami in the middle of December, at least other than the two hours where they were eating a 41-point loss to the Hurricanes. There’s really not too much else to say about that, other than the fact that Sol Castro clocked a pretty nice game with 19 points, despite battling foul trouble. It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the Colonials, whose last two games prior to Miami were a pair of 19-point losses to Green Bay and Milwaukee. Fortunately for Charlie Buscaglia’s squad, things get a bit more manageable from here with St. Bonaventure and Division III’s Waynesburg remaining on RMU’s non-conference slate.

Purdue Fort Wayne didn’t have a fantastic week, to put it bluntly. While no reasonable person should have expected fireworks from their trip to Notre Dame on Sunday, the real concern here is a pretty ugly loss to a bad (306th in NET) Southeast Missouri State team on Thursday. In that one, a tight first half gave way to an ice-cold second half for the Dons, and things snowballed quickly, thanks to a well-balanced effort from the Redhawks. An issue even more concerning than any one result is the ongoing availability of Ryin Ott. The star freshman landed awkwardly on her arm against SEMO, sustaining what appeared to be a wrist injury. While the severity of it is unknown, she remained out against Notre Dame. PFW, like Oakland, will be out of action until the 20th when they host Indiana State.

UIC was one of the three Horizon League teams that didn’t play a game last week, but the only one that planned it that way and wasn’t interrupted by COVID. The Flames make up for it in the coming week, leading with a very winnable road match against Indiana State on Tuesday before returning home to play Saint Louis on Saturday.

Detroit Mercy’s lone offering last week was the latest in a string of frustratingly-close losses, a game where the Titans rallied to pull within two of a solid Western Michigan team at the half before eventually falling by seven. While UDM is 0-9, four or five of those games definitely fall under the category of “winnable with a couple more plays at the right moments,” and it’s encouraging that they seem to have different players step up every game, with Mo Pruitt’s 17 and 5 leading the way against the Broncos. The Titans’ final two non-conference opponents are North Dakota and Valparaiso, with the Beacons (who are also 0-9 and 303rd in NET) in particular providing a tantalizing opportunity to maybe, finally, taste victory. For a program that has ten total, nine against Division I opponents, since the 2017-18 season started, it will certainly be well-celebrated when it happens.

As an appropriate bookend to Cleveland State, Wright State remained on COVID pause for the entirety of last week, including the cancelation of a trip to Abilene Christian on Sunday. The Raiders’ next scheduled game is on Wednesday against Division II’s Lake Erie College, a nice opportunity to grab the first win of the Kari Hoffman era if it happens. If it doesn’t, WSU will end up going from November 24th until December 21st between games, and the welcome back will be a trip to Indiana to play the Hoosiers. Yikes.

Coming off their first Victory, Colonials fall to talented Florida Gulf Coast

Scott Meier
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Coming off their first Victory, Colonials fall to talented Florida Gulf Coast

Dunk City, baby!

Okay, okay, I know that was years ago, but this Florida Gulf Coast Unit gave Bobby Mo fits Saturday night in Hoop Township, PA. RMU, coming off a dominating, but yet expected win Wednesday, faced a fierce FGCU team Saturday and boy, former “Dunk City” did not disappoint.

I was not really sure what to expect from the Colonials, coming off a 48 point victory versus Lancaster Bible College on Wednesday. Was that first win just what the doctor ordered and would they come out with a little swagger? Would that dominating performance not change much in the grand scheme of things? I Just did not know and that was concerning. The Colonials did seem to get off to a decent start, hitting 2 of their first 3 from deep early, but that quickly dissipated as RMU was shooting a anemic 36% at the under 12 timeout.

Getting back on D, specially after a miss, has plagued this team early on this season and reared its ugly head again tonight. The Colonials seem to be a bit slower to get back after a miss, allowing the Eagles way too many run outs and easy baskets; that can’t continue to happen.

The first half ended with FGCU nursing a 44-35 lead, Tavian Dunn-Martin leading the way with 16 points and Kevin Smart with a eye popping 9 rebounds. RMU was lead by their heartbeat Rasheem Dunn, scoring 12 points on 5/7 shooting. The FGCU had two players in double figures after the first 20 minutes with Caleb Catto scoring 11 points on 4/7 shooting and the eagles as a team shooting 50% from the field. The Colonials had a solid 2 minute stretch late in the first half cutting into the FGCU lead, but the eagles, as they seemed to do every time, stormed back and stopped the bleeding.

RMU has struggled many times in the latter part of games this young season, and today was really not that much different. RMU saw their 9 point half time deficit grow to as much as 18 in the second half, not seemingly having much of answer for Dunn-Martin or Kevin Samuel.

RMU made a strong push the last 5 minutes, clawing back to as close as 9, but ultimately losing 85-74 and falling to 1-8 while the FGCU Eagles improved to 9-3. RMU was lead by Kahliel Spear and Dunn scoring 20 and 16, respectively. FGCU was lead by their stud Dunn-Martin, who ended with a double double, scoring 31 and assisting on 12 baskets.

The Colonials are back in action on December 19th when they visit Bowling Green for a Sunday afternoon tip-off. I am looking for Spear to build off his 20 points today and become more consistent for Andy Toole and RMU. Colonials need a win next Sunday in the worst way, they are going to need Spear and Dunn to continue to step up.

Spotty Coverage

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With multiple Horizon League teams taking the week off, Bob and Matt talk about the teams that did compete, including Youngstown State, who swept their two games, and Milwaukee, who fell short against Colorado. And since Matt has been out the last couple of weeks, the discuss Oakland’s start that experienced a hiccup with a one-point loss against Bowling Green.

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Conference Realignment inching closer to the Horizon League?

John Parker
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Conference Realignment inching closer to the Horizon League?

UIC linked to the Missouri Valley Conference in latest rumors

In the initial hours following Loyola’s departure from the Missouri Valley Conference to the Atlantic 10, it looked like the Horizon League might not be a candidate to get poached in this round of MVC realignment. But as things have progressed, the fact that the conference was losing its Chicago foothold became a significant issue for MVC officials. Per Matt Norlander, that’s when UIC emerged as a serious candidate. The Flames and Omaha joined Murray State, UT Arlington and Kansas City as the conference’s top choices in this round of expansion. It appears the Missouri Valley might bring in four of the five schools and move to 14 teams in this round of realignment, with schools making their presentations on December 19.

UIC as a candidate for the MVC

While it wouldn’t be how I would do things, the MVC is clearly prioritizing markets over results with most of the teams it’s currently considering. Of the group of candidates who have large media markets but lackluster on-court success, UIC should be at the top of the list. With that in mind, if the MVC’s plan is to go to 14 teams UIC should be a no-brainer.

The Flames allow the MVC to regain a foothold in the massive Chicago market that’s vital to several of the conference’s schools. Chicago has the third largest media market in the nation, which isn’t just larger than the market of any team currently in the conference but the largest that could reasonably be added without stretching the footprint drastically with a team in New York City or Los Angeles.

UIC has the largest budget in the Horizon League despite not having more expensive sports that aren’t sponsored by the league. Recent results haven’t been what you’d like to see out of the Flames, but demonstrated success is there in a way that it’s not for Kansas City. UIC under-performing is Kansas City or Omaha’s baseline.

The other rumored candidates

Even before Loyola left the MVC, the conference was exploring expansion after going to an odd number of teams with the addition of Belmont. While the conference has typically gone for an even number of public and private schools, losing an additional private school makes it difficult to pursue that path any further. The remaining private school options near the MVC footprint don’t have the same sustained success that Belmont does, and as a result the conference’s main contenders are all public schools mostly located in large markets. Here’s a look at the teams that appear to be the top MVC candidates:

Murray State is the candidate that should be the obvious addition for the MVC here. I’ve gone on at length about how the Horizon League should work to bring in the Racers if it doesn’t work out with the Missouri Valley, and pretty much everything in that article is why the MVC shouldn’t let it get to that point. The conference might be apprehensive about a small market school after Valparaiso failed to carry it’s momentum over to the conference once Matt Lottich took over, but Murray State has a proven track record of winning under different coaching regimes that dates back decades. It would be a mistake for the MVC to turn its nose up at the Racers once again (and if they do the Horizon League needs to work to take advantage of it).

Texas Arlington hasn’t been near the level of Murray State in recent years, and would be a market-based addition like UIC. The Mavericks on-court production has been better than the Flames’ with five Top 150 KenPom finishes in the last seven years, but UTA’s success still isn’t on the level of most prior MVC additions. The more pressing concern with UT Arlington is geography. UTA is over 400 miles from nearest MVC member Missouri State, and Missouri State is currently on an island 300 miles away from the next nearest member. With that said the schools most likely to take issue with that are the MVC’s northeastern group of Valparaiso, Indiana State, and Evansville. If I’m the MVC, I’m not sure I care if those three are unhappy. Missouri State is considered a candidate for a move to FBS, and if the Bears do eventually move UT Arlington will be a massive geographic outlier. That could be where serious issues begin for the MVC, as it could force the conference to bridge that gap in future expansion instead of focusing on the top candidates elsewhere in the footprint.

While I see a lot of problems with the idea of UTA to the Missouri Valley, the real head scratcher that emerged as a primary candidate on the day that Loyola left was Kansas City. Two years ago, Kansas City would’ve done anything to get into the Horizon League. If they had done so successfully, all indications are that they would’ve wound up a perennial bottom-half team. The MVC could have its pick of Horizon League schools, so the decision to give Kansas City this level of consideration is strange. You could point to the Loyola team that’s leaving the MVC as an example of the strategy working out, but that team made massive investment in the basketball program to strengthen its argument for the move. If Kansas City doesn’t do the same, they’d likely just predictably water down the basketball product and upset the schools that care about that.

Finally, the most recent update that indicated UIC was working overtime to get into the OVC also named Omaha as a candidate. Like Kansas City, Omaha strikes me as a poor man’s version of a Horizon League school when it comes to realignment. Fifth year seniors on the Mavericks’ roster have been a part of one team that finished the year in the KenPom Top 200, most recently finishing ranked 300 after a 5-20 season and currently on pace to be even worse than that at 1-7 and ranked 334. From reports, it sounds like Omaha might be added if the MVC doesn’t think Kansas City can handle the move financially, but they’re another questionable candidate even as a backup plan. Neither Omaha’s metro population nor it’s media market compares favorably to those of several Horizon League schools. This feels like it would be a nostalgia addition to get back into Creighton’s market.

But seriously, what is the MVC thinking?

If details from Matt Norlander’s report prove true and the MVC picks four of the schools in this article to join the conference, the conference could quickly grow to regret its decisions. While I’ve already said I don’t like the idea of market-based additions, I do understand them as a strategy. The concern is with the specific schools being considered. Todd Aaron Golden of the Tribune-Star touched on several of the issues this morning, but there are so many it’s difficult to hit them all in one piece.

For the MVC, schools like Kansas City and Omaha give no indication of being anything but reactionary, desperation additions akin to the Horizon League adding IUPUI when Valparaiso left. This leads into several issues that such moves could cause for the MVC. When the Horizon League made its desperation addition, it diluted its own product while also strengthening the Summit League. A key difference — and another problem with these moves — is that the Missouri Valley has no reason to be desperate and reactionary.

For years, the Horizon League first looked to “call up” teams from the Summit League. The Horizon League was typically significantly stronger than the Summit League, so it was a natural upward progression. After that strategy had underwhelming results multiple times, the conferences have settled in with the Horizon operating entirely east of the Mississippi River and the Summit League being a comparable group of teams almost entirely west of the Mississippi. If the MVC isn’t careful, it’s not impossible that it could find itself in a similar spot. If Kansas City is added and it causes Missouri State to hurry its move to FBS, the conference will not only dilute its product with an underperforming school, but by losing a team that’s currently ranked 68 on KenPom after finishing last year Top 100 as well. If the Summit League calls up Augustana, the 2016 Division II Men’s Basketball National Champion that’s currently 8-1 with a Top 15 win looks to be on the upswing after a few down seasons and could easily find itself outperforming Kansas City if it moves to Division I. If the replacement for Missouri State was Omaha? That’s two underwhelming additions and a strong team departing. The conference would suffer a significant blow to its ranking, and it would be entirely self-inflicted.

While the Horizon League had to make a move to replace a departing school, the MVC preemptively did that. Belmont was added — with Murray State rumored to bring the conference to 12 teams — before Loyola announced its departure. Sitting at 10 schools is an option. A move to 12 with Murray State and another school that’s had actual on-court success is a move that’s available to the MVC as well. Early 2022 regular season results notwithstanding Northern Kentucky would bring excellent facilities, a Cincinnati market about the size of Kansas City’s, and actual on-court production to the MVC. There’s a little more projection required for NKU compared to past MVC candidates, but looking at the current candidates they compare very favorably. The Horizon League shoud feel fortunate if Northern Kentucky doesn’t emerge as an option for the MVC.

And NKU is just the top Horizon League candidate that would be a better addition than Kansas City or Omaha. Wright State has financial issues and a market that’s marginally smaller than Omaha’s that are likely keeping it from being a top option, but the Raiders have been at least decent since Brad Brownell’s tenure began in 2006 and have become the team to beat in recent years under Scott Nagy. Cleveland State would stretch the MVC further east when it apparently wants to move west, but it’s had success Kansas City could only dream of under both Gary Waters and Dennis Gates. Even among purely market-based additions like Kansas City and Omaha, the Horizon League has better options. Oakland, Milwaukee, and Detroit Mercy would bring the MVC large markets in the footprint with schools that have actually had success in Division I. The Titans would even allow the MVC to keep its public/private balance close.

Or the MVC could just wait. Since there’s no need for a reactionary move, the conference could let things play out for a few years. Maybe recent Division I callups St. Thomas (MN) or Bellarmine put themselves on a trajectory that shows actual potential to succeed in a large market, with the added benefit of maintaining the public/private school balance that has been a key factor in past realignment. The MVC is in an obvious position of power compared to the Summit League and Horizon League. There’s no reason to make rash decisions that could change that.

Raiders split early conference play, Intercollegiate Committee set to meet

Blake Schumaker
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Raiders split early conference play, Intercollegiate Committee set to meet

The Raiders started off Horizon League play against Purdue Fort Wayne at the Mastodons’ stadium, a squad that had turned around nearly the entire starting lineup from last year with transfers from other universities. A team that had quietly been making some noise during the non-conference, the Mastodons were the one of the three teams that had entered conference play with a record of at least .500, recording wins over an Austin Peay squad that went on to beat Dayton and going 1-2 in their MTE of the season. The Raiders, conversely, had not yet managed a win against a Division 1 squad, a far cry from what they were expected to be doing at the start of the season. This game would be the first test for the Raiders to see if they would be able to compete in the Horizon after a lot of uncertainty, and if they do manage to beat this Mastodon squad, then Wright State can claim their transitional Gem City Jam trophy for the year.

The contest against the Mastodons started as a track meet. No one was able to defend either side, matching point for point in every possession, usually with both sides finding success getting under the rim to force layups. Fort Wayne saw its biggest lead at 26-22 midway through the first half, but then a lull took over the scoring for the Mastodons and that was all Wright State needed to pull ahead, going on a 11 point run to take the lead for good in the contest. By half time, the two worst defenses in the league created a score of 47-35 in the Raiders’ favor.

AJ Braun’s first official start was exactly what the Raiders needed to rejuvenate the offense as he combined with Basile to power past the undersized Purdue defense. Easy layups in the paint from the two big men saw the offense create production that I haven’t seen a Raider squad match in a couple years, ending the half at a 75% shooting clip. While that percentage is astounding, it was also matched by the squad turning over the ball with their usual frequency, hitting seven of them before the ten minute mark of the half.

The half continued with the Raiders towering over the Mastodons, creating chance after chance underneath the rim that Basile and Braun were able to take advantage of. If neither of the big men were available, Tanner Holden was able to create separation for himself and drive to the rim with a force and grace that is a joy to watch. As the Mastodons tried to create points from the three point range, the Raiders grew their lead to as many as 18 by the middle of the second half, leading 67-49, and kept their double digit lead all the way through the half against a defense that could not solve the Raiders’ offensive efficiency.

Four players saw double digit points in the contest as the squad shot at a insane 69% from the floor and out-rebounded the Mastodons by a +13 margin. Led by another 20+ point game by Tanner Holden, his fourth in a row, Basile, Calvin, and Braun all saw success driving the paint and created an additional 50 points for the Raiders. The game also finally snapped the Raiders’ five game losing streak and felt like a breath of fresh air. Nagy seems to have found the starter he needed to step up from the bench in AJ Braun; however, this does pigeon-hole the offense into being centered around the rim. Only twelve attempts were made by the Raiders from deep, and the majority of them came from Basile as he once again only made one attempt from that range.

After defeating the Mastodons with play that Nagy has mastered, it was time for the biggest challenge of the season: attacking Cleveland State in their home. Cleveland State had dispatched NKU by simply forcing them to take shots from behind the arc and watching them fail, winning the first Horizon contest 72-58. Cleveland State had created a culture on their bench of being loud and proud, apparently earning themselves a bench warning before one of their contests had even began. In terms of schemes, Wright State and Cleveland both shared wanting to get into the paint and score as much as possible off of their dynamic guards, this battle was going to rely on who could create a defensive position.

Wright State started the contest against the Vikings by keeping their pace for points. Early easy shots led the Raiders to see a lead that was as high as 4 points before the Vikings defense took over the play after the end of the first media time out. The Vikings made the Raiders earn every possession they had, applying full-court pressure to a team that could not find a way to support the back-court player and playing a stout 2-3 zone defense that prevented any streaking play. For eight full minutes, the Raiders got only 4 points off while Cleveland State took advantage and dragged the score up to 30-18 in the Vikings favor.

The Raiders then went on 8-point run off of sloppy offensive play by Cleveland to get back within two possessions of last year’s co-champion before another stout defensive stand with zone defense left the Raiders trailing 45-33 at the half way mark. For Wright State, the bright spots were showings by Basile and Calvin who led with 11 and 9 points respectively. While the defense left a bit to be desired, allowing Cleveland to turn a majority of their possessions into points, Basile kept control of the rebounding game to prevent any Cleveland second chances on their few misses.

The Raiders entering the half were once again able to battle the score to 56-50 off of Holden’s very first basket of the night. This would be as close as Cleveland would allow them to get for the remainder of the ball game as the Wright State defense could not hold back the Vikings as they continued to sneak past the Raiders under the rim or dish it out to bench player Jayson Woodrich, who shot an incredible 5-5 from three all the way until the final moments of the game. Cleveland State, who entered the game shooting at around the same percentage as Wright State from three, shot 9-18 from three to overpower the Raiders 85-75.

Trey Calvin was the hero of the night as Tanner Holden was held to just 5 points by the Cleveland State defense, as head coach Dennis Gates locked in on the Player of the Year candidate and made the Raiders’ offense try to get points elsewhere. Calvin ended the night with another career game of 28 points, including 3 from three, and Basile, who had to earn every point as he was also targeted by the Cleveland’s defense and big man Deante Johnson, earned 23 points and 15 total rebounds, his best so far this year. AJ Braun was not able to free himself for points in the game as he saw only 4 points and a single rebound in 23 minutes of play.

Cleveland’s game plan of “Stop Holden and Basile” worked wonders for them as Cleveland State was able to see massive production from their bench as opposed to the Raiders, which only managed a total of 6 points compared to the Vikings’ 37. Wright State’s bench, while very young, has yet to prove themselves and could be affecting any late game ability the Raiders could have as three of the starters were on the court for nearly the whole game.

The Raiders’ next games are a return to home after seven games away from the Nutter Center against Akron on December 15th and against Tennessee Tech on December 18th, before hitting the road again for the final non-conference game against Power 5 member NC State on December 21st.

Wright State will also be holding a conference with the committee assigned to assessing the athletics programs at the university on December 14th. This committee was formed after the Raiders cut three teams to dip below the required number of sports for Division 1 play, and the waiver that the NCAA gave the university is due to expire at the end of this school year. The third-party committee should be discussing their findings from the budget analysis and the community survey and provide a course of action for the university to take.

A bad MTE and good conference are tale of the tape for YSU men’s hoops lately

Marc Weems
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A bad MTE and good conference are tale of the tape for YSU men’s hoops lately

In what was dubbed the YSU/J. Arnold Wealth Management Company Basketball Tournament, the Youngstown State University men’s basketball team would’ve been better off just not being there. From Nov. 19-21, the Penguins hosted the event at the Beeghley Center.

At 2-3 overall, the Penguins went 1-2 in the Multi-Team Event (MTE) and that was with a four-point win, so nothing went too well in this tournament.

The MTE included St. Thomas (MN), which made the jump from Division III to Division I in 2021-2022, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and Niagara University.

MTE Disgustingness

GAME 1: St. Thomas (MN) tough win

In the first game of the weekend, the Penguins played against St. Thomas (MN). YSU was trailing at halftime of this game as the Tommies couldn’t be stopped from beyond the three-point line.

YSU had no answer for the Tommies elite-level three-point shooting as the Penguins were down as much as eight in that first half. YSU trailed 36-32 as Anders Nelson had 10 points on 2-of-4 three-point shooting and Riley Miller had eight points on 2-of-6 three-point shooting.

In the second half, YSU didn’t take the lead permanently at the 8:19 mark of the second half on a Myles Hunter jumper. The Penguins didn’t relinquish the lead but it’s not a win that should excite the masses by any means.

Irregardless of that fact, the Penguins won the first game of its weekend which most would assume would be a good omen.

Michael Akuchie finished the game with a game-high 20 points 8-of-13 shooting. He also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds. Hunter contributed nicely off the bench with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and six rebounds.

GAME 2: Strange loss to SIU-Edwardsville

A disappointing loss to say the least. YSU had a nice lead, 39-31, at the half but it wouldn’t hold as YSU yet again struggled to keep the other team from hitting perimeter shots. SIUE’s Ray’Sean Taylor led the Cougars with 13 first-half points. Akuchie again led the Penguins and has been YSU’s major bright spot this year.

The Penguins were outscored, 38-27, in the second half as SIUE hit 50 percent of its shots to YSU’s 46 percent. The Cougars also hit four threes and made six more free throws in the win. It was now on to the third game for YSU.

GAME 3: A terrible loss against Niagara

This may very well have been YSU’s worst game of the weekend. It was bad basically from the start. Niagara came out and scored the first seven points of the game. The Eagles led 7-0 as YSU didn’t score until the 13:22 mark of the first half. That ended up being the theme of the game as YSU just couldn’t hit enough shots in the entire game.

In every way possible, the Penguins outplayed Niagara but not where it mattered; the scoreboard.

Niagara shot only 39.2 percent, which is great defense, but YSU only hit 33.3 percent of its shots which is not good by any measure. The Penguins hit just 16.7 percent of its threes by hitting four of its 24 attempts.

Only one important area of the game came back to bite the Penguins, turnover and the points scored off of them.

YSU turned the ball over 11 times for 16 points while Niagara turned the ball over nine times for 11 points. In a game that YSU lost, 58-53, that is the exact distance the Eagles needed. What a terrible showing for the Penguins.

CONFERENCE PLAY TURNAROUND

It was easy to say after that MTE back in November that the Penguins were due to have a bad start to Horizon League play. (Spoiler Alert: The Penguins didn’t suck.)

YSU started conference play with two road games in Wisconsin against University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Green Bay.

MILWAUKEE

The first game was in Milwaukee against the Pat Baldwin Jr-less Panthers. The Penguins couldn’t shoot yet again but played a better game than it did a few weeks prior. On Dec. 2, the Panthers outshot the Penguins significantly. Despite shooting just 31.3 percent, the Penguins kept the ball tight and got a ton more free throws to balance out the game.

The Penguins hit 23 of its 27 free throws while the Panthers had just 14 attempts of which it hit 10. Also, the Penguins only turned the ball over five times to UWM’s 14. Off those turnovers, the Penguins scored 18 points to the Panthers’ four. Those were the main differences in a game that otherwise would’ve been a loss for the Penguins if PBJ did play.

In a 70-68 win, junior transfer Owen Long had his best game in a YSU uniform. He scored 17 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. He was the best player on the floor from an efficiency standpoint as Tevin Olison led the Penguins with 18 points on 6-of-19 shooting.

GREEN BAY

This game against the Phoenix would have to be considered YSU’s best game of the season. It was a total effort that propelled the Penguins to victory. In the 82-58 victory, the Penguins took the lead on a Jamir Thomas layup to go up 8-6 with 15:25 remaining in the first half and never looked back.

From there, the Penguins turned up the intensity in the Kress Center. It was an all-around game for the Penguins as four guys scored at least 15 points. Olison (20), Akuchie (17), Shemar Rathan-Mayes (15) and Dwayne Cohill (15) combined for 67 points on 24-of-44 shooting to pace YSU to victory.

The Penguins outrebounded, outshot and out-passed the Phoenix in this one. The second half was where the clamps really came in. Only Emmanuel Ansong scored in double figures for UWGB with 13 points. The Penguins allowed the Phoenix to grab just 19 rebounds which is quite an incredible number.

Quick Wrap Up

At 4-3, the Penguins will need to continue to play at this level to keep itself on pace with the top half of the league moving forward. After the GB on Dec. 4, the league play for YSU will pause with four games in between.

Before the Penguins get screwed by playing three more road games in league play, this week the Penguins will host Central Michigan and Canisius.

IUPUI falls to 0-2 in Horizon League play following two blowout losses

Nick Lorensen
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IUPUI falls to 0-2 in Horizon League play following two blowout losses

The struggles continue for IUPUI, as they fall to 0-2 in Horizon League play.

It began on Thursday as they got dominated against Detroit Mercy, 69-45.

The Titans began the game on an 11-0 run and did not look back from there.

At the half, the Jaguars scored a total of 12 points, trailing 38-12. IUPUI was a horrendous 4-22 from the field as they matched their point total with turnovers and personal fouls.

The Jaguars would actually win the second half by two points, 33-31, but the lead was far too insurmountable for IUPUI.

BJ Maxwell did score double digits for the fourth game in a row, scoring 10. He followed that up by scoring the first six points, and a season-high 19 on Sunday, against Oakland.

The Jags took a lead at the 15:48 mark via a Maxwell jumper, but it would not get any better from there. IUPUI lost to the Golden Grizzlies on Sunday, 78-45.

Right before the break, the Jaguars had the same amount of turnovers as points again, at 14. They would trail 36-20 at the break.

In the second half, IUPUI did not score for 5:46 as Oakland went on a 14-0 run, taking a 30 point lead. The Jaguars would also not hit their first three-pointer until the 5:28 mark of the second half as they started 0-10.

Luckily for IUPUI, they do bring the be solid out of their last three games. A win over D-3 Spaulding.

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, they picked that up by a score of 61-41. The Jags did it without Maxwell as well.

It was a dominant first half, as they took a 33-10 lead at the break.

They lost the second half by three but still won by 20.

Bakari LaStrap was the only player for IUPUI to score double digits at 10.

The Jaguars will look to pick up another win as they travel to Nashville to face Tennessee State on Friday.

Vikings off to hot start in conference play

Alec Kwait
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Vikings off to hot start in conference play

The beginning of conference play always brings a newfound sense of optimism as teams are able to analyze what went right and what went wrong during the non conference portion of the schedule. For the Cleveland State Vikings and the rest of the Horizon League, fans were able to enjoy two conference battles before ending their non conference slate towards the middle of December. The Vikings were able to fine tune some aspects of their offensive output in conference battles with Northern Kentucky and Wright State, just in time for arguably CSU’s toughest two-game stretch of the season which includes games at Oklahoma State, and at Duke.

To kickoff the conference schedule, Cleveland State hosted the Northern Kentucky Norse, one of the four teams that advanced to the conference tournament semi finals a season ago. Despite their successes last year, the Norse came into the game with a sub .500 non-conference record. Cleveland State utilized a strong first half effort to secure a 72-58 victory over the sliding Norse. The potent combination of Trevon Faulkner and Marques Warrick were held in check as the two combined for just 21 points on 7-23 shooting against the stifling Cleveland State defense. Northern Kentucky is a team that love to shoot the ball from the perimeter, as they hoisted up 39 total three pointers, almost one per minute. Conversely, Cleveland State only attempted 11 three pointers on the night as the Vikings were able to live in the paint against the Northern Kentucky “amoeba zone” with 48 paint points.

“It’s not necessarily patience, it’s making the right reads…” exclaimed Dennis Gates following the victory over NKU. “…and being able to see where the open spots are. I think our guys watch enough film and they understand…our coaches sit them down, they have conversations about the next play. When you have guys that are able to be in the moment, but also thinking and considering checking down like they are a quarterback into the next play…that’s a very unselfish spirit about us.”

One of the most impressive aspects of Cleveland State’s victory over NKU was the execution of their zone offense. Gates and offensive coordinator Rob Summers implemented a scheme that included big man Deante Johnson stationed at the high post as a facilitator. Johnson had perhaps his most complete game of the season, as he scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out four assists. Cleveland State’s offense was superb with Johnson operating at the high post, something we could see more of if future opponents decide to zone the Vikings as well.

Following the victory over Northern Kentucky, Cleveland State did battle with another team predicted to finish in the upper echelon of the Horizon League, the Wright State Raiders. Wright State came into the tilt with a subpar record for their standards, but the Raiders still have many capable players such as Grant Basile, Tre Calvin, and Tanner Holden. While Basile and Calvin were able to hurt the Vikings with their scoring prowess, the Vikings defense held Holden in check, as he scored just 5 points on 1-7 shooting. This defensive effort helped propel the Vikings to a 85-75 victory over a team that some picked to take the conference title crown.

Cleveland State amassed 22 assists as a team on Saturday against Wright State; further evidence of the Vikings finding their footing on the offensive end. Specifically, Torrey Patton has elevated his game and has become more than a scorer. Patton finished with a game high ten assists on Saturday, as he put his teammates in terrific positions to have success. The sky is certainly the limit for the Vikings as Patton has become a true dual threat player on the offensive end. This not only speaks to his development as a player, but also the trust he has in his teammates to convert on open looks.

In addition to Torrey Patton, Jayson Woodrich deserves special recognition for his performance on Saturday afternoon. Woodrich came off the bench to lead the Vikings in scoring as he poured in 17 points and five three pointers. While Woodrich’s minutes have been somewhat limited to start the season, this could very well be the breakout performance he needed to ensure more playing time in the future. Dennis Gates referred to Woodrich as “The 6th man of the game” as he helped lead the Vikings to the crucial victory. The win puts Cleveland State at 2-0 in league play, atop the conference with Oakland and Youngstown State who have an identical 2-0 record.

Up next for the Vikings, a trio of non conference road games before moving on to Horizon League play for the remainder of the season. A battle with Oklahoma State is on the horizon, in addition to games at Duke and at Kent State.

Leo, Vikings answer gut-check moment to down NKU

Kyle Rossi
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Leo, Vikings answer gut-check moment to down NKU

Cleveland State 63, Northern Kentucky 52

Here’s the situation: tie game, 6:10 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Visiting Cleveland State, despite holding Northern Kentucky at arm’s length since midway through the second quarter on Friday night, had seen its lead – which lasted for 18 minutes of game time and reached ten points late in the third quarter – evaporate. Most of the Norse stars contributed to that development, including reigning Horizon League Player of the Week Ivy Turner, who scored three of her team-high 16 points bookending a Nadia Dumas foul to pull NKU within two. Grayson Rose and Emmy Souder jump-started the 8-0 run with back-to-back layups to open the final quarter.

Lindsey Duvall finished the comeback, popping home consecutive buckets to tie the score at 49-49, representing the first time CSU wasn’t leading the game since the 4:35 mark of the second quarter. The made basket gave Norse coach Camryn Whitaker a chance to set up her press, various forms of which have caused the Vikings fits whenever deployed this season.

Let’s dig a little further. CSU entered the game 7-0 overall, but it could probably fairly be called a soft 7-0, as the Vikings had yet to play a road game. They had also been the beneficiaries of a pair of COVID-related forfeits, a lower-division win (Division II’s Quincy), and had played the Division I teams that, as of Saturday, were ranked 273rd (LIU), 288th (East Tennessee State), and 339th (UIC) in the RPI rankings. The Vikings had clocked a series of mostly-comfortable wins in those contests, as expected, but whether they could go on the road and beat a battle-tested conference contender like NKU (which entered the game 4-2 overall against a tougher schedule) remained an open issue.

What kind of team is Cleveland State? What kind of player is star point guard Destiny Leo? They’re questions both asked and answered in the moments that make basketball, and all sports, so compelling.

And the Vikings had answers.

That included Leo, who immediately countered Duvall with her own bucket to return the lead to her team, after Gabby Smith ripped the ball out of Turner’s hands and sent it up the court. The layup began a stretch where Leo scored eight straight CSU points, part of a game-and-career-high 31 on 11-for-15 shooting from the field. Following that initial two, Leo blocked a Turner shot attempt to help produce a shot clock violation, buried a three off of a ball screen on the following trip down, then added a finish through a Souder blocking foul and converted a free throw.

Smith, who finished with eight points, then got even more involved on offense by knocking down a wing jumper over Carissa Garcia and, following a timeout, hitting a corner three from Leo with 90 seconds remaining.

Cleveland State 62, Northern Kentucky 51. Ballgame, effectively, over.

While Leo and Smith headlined things offensively, CSU’s team defense was stellar all game long and particularly following the squad’s gut check moment, as Northern Kentucky scored a mere three points over the last 6:10 of the game after Duvall tied things, including just one point over the final 4:52. The Vikings also held NKU to 32.8 percent shooting and forced 20 turnovers, a lot of that the result of a pressuring 2-3 that had the home team frequently battling the shot clock.

For the Norse, who controlled much of the first quarter before Leo threes on consecutive possessions gave the Vikings their first lead and unofficially got the sophomore revved up, Duvall and Rose each scored 11 points in support of Turner’s effort – though Duvall, a Louisville transfer, was held to 3-for-14 shooting, including 0-for-5 from behind the arc. The duo also grabbed ten rebounds each, tying with CSU’s Barbara Zieniewska for the game high.

For the Vikings, a new series of questions will undoubtedly be revealed next Sunday at Akron.

Cleveland State 2, Wright State 0

For the second time in 2021-22, CSU was the beneficiary of an opponent’s COVID-19 struggles, and earned a forfeit win in its contest at Wright State scheduled for Sunday. The Raiders were also forced to take a loss in a game scheduled for Friday against Purdue Fort Wayne.

Previously, of course, the Vikings received a similar result from a home showdown with IUPUI initially set for November 18th.

Colonials’ struggles continue, dropping both road tilts in Wisconsin

Scott Meier
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Colonials’ struggles continue, dropping both road tilts in Wisconsin

Frustration, anger, anxiety; all emotions that I am sure are running ramped in the RMU locker room right now. Colonials faced two more road challenges in Horizon League play this week, squaring off against Green Bay and Milwaukee.

Thursday, the Colonials faced a Green Bay team to open Horizon League play for the 2021-22 season. RMU opened the game hitting 4 of their first 5 from deep, which was a much better start than their previous games. Defensively, the Colonials came out in a zone defense, which to RMU fans, was a welcomed sight. RMU was able to hold the Phoenix to 37% from three point land, while absolutely getting dominated inside, allowing 22 points in the paint.

Turnovers kill and they were a major pain for Bobby Mo Thursday evening. Robert Morris ended the first half with only 4 assists to 10 turnovers; that wont win you a YMCA league game let alone one versus a division 1 opponent. The second half saw much of the same from the Colonials, way too many “one and done” trips offensively and seemingly missing every single shot they took around the rim.

RMU was hard to watch offensively in the second half, very little movement and Kahliel Spear, someone who RMU plans to lean on this season, had 5 points off 1/8 shooting with 3:30 remaining. Losing 70-58, RMU had to quickly move their focus on to the Milwaukee Panthers and the return of Patrick Baldwin, Jr.

Bobby Mo, still searching for that ever elusive first win, had to know they were going to have their hands full Saturday afternoon. Baldwin, Jr., returning from missing the last 3 games due to injury, made his presence known early and often. One of the nations top recruits coming in, he turned down offers from power 5 schools, such as Duke, to have the opportunity to play for his father. Coming into the game versus the Colonials, Baldwin, Jr. was averaging 15 points per game but reached a new career high quickly; scoring 19 in the first 15 minutes.

One very promising aspect from the first half was the fact, despite the play of the Panthers star, RMU hung in there after each blow. Kam Farris hit a huge three right before halftime, giving the Colonials a one-point edge at the break. It is early in the season, but the way the game was transpiring, Baldwin Jr. seemingly not missing a shot, but this would be an important second half for the psyche of the Colonials, could they with stand more punches?

Farris, who has had injury problems of his own this season, was injured early on in the second half and to make matters worse, Spear picked up 2 quick fouls, giving him 3 for the game and forcing coach Toole to find him a seat on the Bench. RMU would have to lean on Rasheem Dunn with Spear and Farris out, and he kept them alive for the most part but Bobby Mo simply did not have enough.

The Panthers captured their first Horizon League win by closing out the Colonials with a 77-69 victory. Yes, it’s another loss and the frustration has to be mounting, but this one, this one felt different. Robert Morris played much of the second half short handed with Farris out due to injury and Spear finding a seat on the bench after two quick fouls, but they would not make things easy for coach Pat Baldwin, Sr. and Milwaukee. After how things ended their two previous games, this is something they can take and build off of.

Colonials finally get to head home to Peoples Court for two home games this coming week, facing Lancaster Bible Wednesday and Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday. RMU can build off their loss Saturday, there was effort, there was fight, now they need to transform that into wins.

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