Home Blog Page 215

Horizon League Power Rankings – Week 1

John Parker
-
0
Horizon League Power Rankings – Week 1

And welcome once again…

You know what’s more ridiculous than doing a Week 1 power ranking for a mid-major league that suffered massive roster turnover while only two teams have played multiple games?

Doing it during a pandemic that has resulted in most of the league still waiting to start the season.

But if I’m enough of a glutton for punishment that I can do this column for a full season of 2020 Horizon League nonsense, I’m sure I can handle this week.

A quick note before we get into it: Wright State, Youngstown State, Robert Morris, Northern Kentucky and Milwaukee will be excluded from this week’s rankings. The nature of a Power Ranking is to figure out which team is the most feared at a given moment in time. Nobody that had any of those schools on its schedule fears losing to them right now because the games were cancelled due to positive COVID-19 tests. Detroit Mercy will remain in the rankings, as all indications are it avoided a shutdown and instead delayed its opening games.

  1. Cleveland State Vikings (0-0, 0-0 in Horizon League play)

    With five Horizon League schools – including the top three teams in our Preseason Poll – out of commission, Cleveland State has a potentially short-lived opportunity to sit atop the HoriZone Roundtable Power Rankings. While the Vikings have yet to play, that was by design instead of due to a forced shutdown. Northern Kentucky’s win at Ball State may have been enough to jump the Norse into first if it hadn’t been closely followed by a positive COVID-19 test and a pause in team activities.
  2. UIC Flames (2-0, 0-0 in Horizon League play)

    UIC started its season with a pair of victories over MAC opponents, and the excitement might seem like a reason to argue for the Flames in first place. But much of the excitement comes from a 20-point comeback to beat Northern Illinois 65-61. NIU and UIC’s second opponent Central Michigan were picked for tenth and eleventh place this year, so while the win over the Huskies was fun to watch it doesn’t move the needle much.

    The main takeaway from UIC’s first two games seems to be that its newcomers are living up to the hype. RayQuawndis Mitchell leads the team with 17.5 points per game through two contests, while Zion Griffin is averaging double figures with 10.5 a night. Teyvion Kirk hasn’t found his shot yet, but has impacted the game in other ways with 7 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game.
  3. Detroit Mercy Titans (0-0, 0-0 in Horizon League play)

    Detroit Mercy was supposed to be a part of the Multiteam Event that saw Richmond knock off Kentucky at Rupp arena before a positive COVID-19 test among the team’s support staff prevented the Titans from making the trip. While the team has apparently put itself in a position to delay games for testing and contact tracing rather than being forced into a complete shutdown, it does prevent us from getting a glimpse of another team with a number of experienced newcomers entering the fold.
  4. Green Bay Phoenix (0-1, 0-0 in Horizon League play)

    Unlike several Horizon League schools, Green Bay was actually able to start its season. The Phoenix took on the Minnesota Golden Gophers and performed pretty admirably for much of the game considering the team returns just two rotation players from last season. Green Bay trailed 70-60 with less than nine minutes to play before the wheels fell off and Minnesota prevailed 99-69. With that said, a middle-of-the pack Horizon League school taking on a Big 10 school doesn’t provide a lot of information. We’ll keep Green Bay’s stock essentially where it was entering the season for now.
  5. Oakland Golden Grizzlies (0-4, 0-0 in Horizon League play)

    Somebody forgot to tell the Golden Grizzlies that their quarantine period ended before the first three games of the season. Oakland opened the year in abysmal fashion, even considering that the team’s three opponents are all expected to be at least on par with heavy Horizon League favorite Wright State. The Golden Grizzlies lost to Xavier by 52, to Toledo by 27 and to Bradley by 13 at the Xavier Invitational.

    Despite the high quality opponents, there was some clamoring to rank OU last if Sunday’s game at Michigan went more like its game against Xavier and less like the overtime loss it turned out to be. While it still remains to be seen if that game says more about Oakland or about Michigan, taking a talented Big 10 school to overtime without shooting the lights out – Oakland hit just 8 of its 34 attempts from 3-point range – is a solid result. This result doesn’t make the team seem like 2020 IUPUI when both Marcus Burk and Jaylen Minnett get hot on the same night.
  6. Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (0-1, 0-0 in Horizon League play)

    Purdue Fort Wayne’s first contest as a Horizon League member wasn’t one to remember. Star guard Jarred Godfrey went down early with an injury in an overtime win at home against Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions are ranked 328 out of 357 on KenPom, so needing overtime to beat them with such a small sample size is beyond concerning.

    At this time, nothing has come out about Godfrey’s status. If he’s out for any extended period of time, the strong play of Loyola transfer Jalon Pipkins is just about the only good news to come out of the Mastodons’ first game. Pipkins scored an efficient 18 points and grabbed five rebounds in his Purdue Fort Wayne debut.
  7. IUPUI Jaguars (0-0, 0-0 in Horizon League Play)

    While IUPUI hasn’t had the chance to show what it can do with a little bit of stability, the gap between the Jaguars and the rest of the Horizon League last season was gigantic. They’ll stay in last place until they earn their way out, which will require the team to play.

Starting the Season With Tony Paul

admin
-
0

Tony Paul, the long-time writer with the Detroit News, joins Bob and Matt to kick off the first episode of the regular season. They talk about Oakland’s early struggles and how the three-week layoff due to positive COVID tests have had an impact. Also, while Detroit Mercy had to cancel its opening set of games against Kentucky and Richmond, they talk about the advantage of more prep time, coupled with Noah Waterman’s transfer waiver approval, will affect the Titans. 

—

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/horizonert/message
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/horizonert/support

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Horizon League Breakout Candidate: Daniel Oladapo

John Parker
-
0
Horizon League Breakout Candidate: Daniel Oladapo

The forward has already proven himself in a crowded frontcourt

Daniel Oladapo joined Oakland last year after a stellar freshman year at Chipola College where he averaged 14.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game on his way to being a First Team All-Panhandle Conference selection. The 6-foot-7 forward was an instant-impact performer with the Golden Grizzlies as well, finishing fourth on the team in scoring with 9.2 points per game and third on the team with 6.3 rebounds per game in 2020 despite playing off the bench for 13 of his 33 appearances. He accomplished those numbers while sharing the frontcourt with First Team All-Horizon League forward Xavier Hill Mais and senior center Brad Brechting.

With Hill-Mais and Brechting gone, Oladapo becomes the obvious focal point of the frontcourt this year. His 26.3 minutes per game as a sophomore could increase pretty significantly in 2021, and early indications are that his main competition at forward will come from freshmen. As is the case with Adrian Nelson at Northern Kentucky, this will present Oladapo with a great opportunity to establish himself as a force on the glass while his young teammates get acclimated to college basketball.

Some fair criticisms of Oladapo’s breakout potential are that Oakland lost a lot of talent and that a team with him as the main post presence might not fare well if a team where he was a spot starter finished 8-10 and in sixth place in the Horizon League. It’s unlikely that Oladapo will be able to fill the shoes of Hill-Mais, who likely would’ve been a strong contender to steal Horizon League Player of the Year from Wright State’s Loudon Love if the Golden Grizzlies were more competitive last year.

That brings us to the next reason Oladapo is such an intriguing pick to break out in 2021. The team appears to have solved arguably its biggest issues from 2020 by landing a pure point guard. Jalen Moore earned Third Team Junior College All-American honors at Olney College last year, where he averaged 19.3 points and an incredible 7.9 assists per game. With Moore running the offense, Oladapo could see entry passes that he and his frontcourt teammates could only dream of in 2020. While it’s fair to wonder how the 155 pound guard will will translate to Division I, Oakland Head Coach Greg Kampe had no trouble figuring out how to find ways to allow another diminutive guard Kay Felder to shine early and often.

It’s possible that the additions of Moore and Western Illinois transfer Zion Young — the Leathernecks’ second leading scorer in 2020 with 13.2 points per game — could take away from Oladapo’s offensive production, but it’s equally possible that having three perimeter-oriented volume shooters will give Oladapo more second-chance opportunities. He led the team with 2.5 offensive rebounds per game a season ago despite sharing the post with Hill-Mais and Brechting.

With his minutes and his role likely to increase significantly while his competition for post touches decreases, Daniel Oladapo looks like he should be poised for a breakout season in 2021. If he can continue to be a force on the offensive glass while the shots are coming from the perimeter instead of the post, Oladapo should be a consistent double-double threat this year. If Oakland can find a way to get all of its new pieces to play together and finish toward the top of the league, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Oladapo find his way onto an All-League team.

Miss anything from Preview Week(s)? Check it all out below:

HoriZone Roundtable Predictions
HoriZone Roundtable Preseason Poll • Preseason All-League Teams
If we had an All-Newcomer Team… • All-Freshman Team Picks

Team Previews
Wright State • Youngstown State • Robert Morris • Cleveland State
UIC • Oakland • Northern Kentucky • Detroit Mercy
Green Bay • Purdue Fort Wayne • Milwaukee • IUPUI

Official Horizon League Predictions
Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll • Men’s Basketball All-League Picks
Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll • Women’s Basketball All-League Picks

Breakout Candidates
Dante Treacy • Trevon Faulkner • Adrian Nelson

Horizon League Breakout Candidate: Adrian Nelson

John Parker
-
1
Horizon League Breakout Candidate: Adrian Nelson

A second NKU returnee could step into a starring role this season

At first glance, many Horizon League fans were miffed when Lindy’s predicted Nelson to be a Second Team All-League player this year. Nelson averaged just 4.6 points in under 18 minutes per game in 2020. When a player like Youngstown State’s Naz Bohannon — who regularly posts double-doubles — struggled to find his way onto an All-League team, it’s hard to see how someone who has scored double figures five times in 59 career games could work his way into that conversation.

Much like with Northern Kentucky’s other breakout candidate Trevon Faulkner, a big part of the answer lies with departing talent. In Nelson’s case it’s not just the departures of Northern Kentucky’s All-League trio that should position him for a big year, but also fellow front court player Silas Adheke’s decision to transfer. With Adheke and Dantez Walton gone, Nelson is the only returning post player who has seen NCAA action. NKU’s two freshman post players are both stretch forwards that aren’t likely to put up as much of a fight against a high-level rebounder like Nelson, and a shooting percentage of 68.4 in 2020 suggests he can significantly increase his shot attempts while still remaining an efficient scorer.

The first obstacle Nelson needs to overcome is overall team success. Elyjah Goss was the Horizon League’s leading rebounder and an All-Defensive Team pick in 2020, but his All-League candidacy suffered because IUPUI finished in a distant last place at 3-15 in the league. Northern Kentucky was picked seventh out of 12 teams in the HoriZone Roundtable Preseason Poll. If the middle of the league remains a jumbled mess like it did last year and Northern Kentucky is still in play for a top three seed with two weeks to play, seventh should be more than good enough to keep him from being punished by voters.

If Northern Kentucky can be a competitive team in 2021, the path for Nelson to get into the All-League conversation is straightforward. An increase in minutes seems inevitable, but he’ll need to stay out of foul trouble: If Nelson is able to increase his minutes to about 30 without fouling at a higher rate due to fatigue, he’d be about in line with players like Elyjah Goss and Loudon Love in terms of fouls per game.

Next, Nelson needs to keep attacking the glass. Rebounding rates tend to be fairly consistent and if anything losing Adheke and Walton should artificially inflate his stats, so don’t be surprised if Nelson is a Top 3 rebounder in the Horizon League and averages over 10 rebounds per game.

If the Norse play fairly well and Nelson can stay out of foul trouble, scoring will be the biggest determining factor as to whether he can post a season that will be acknowledged as All-League worthy. His scoring output should rise with an increase in minutes and less competition for shots. If he can focus on increasing his attempts per minute, that rise in scoring could be significant. Given that he’s hitting almost 70 percent of the shots he takes, his shooting percentages can slip pretty far while remaining efficient enough that Darrin Horn would still want him shooting. Raising his free throw shooting percentage back from the 44.4 percent he shot as a sophomore closer to the 62.5 percent he shot as a freshman would also provide a scoring boost that wouldn’t need him to change his play style.

If Nelson averages an efficient 13 points and over 10 rebounds per game for a competitive Norse team, he’ll certainly find himself in the conversation for All-League honors in 2021. While that might seem like a lot to ask from a player that has recorded one double-double in two seasons, the opportunity should be there for him.

Miss anything from Preview Week(s)? Check it all out below:

HoriZone Roundtable Predictions
HoriZone Roundtable Preseason Poll • Preseason All-League Teams
If we had an All-Newcomer Team… • All-Freshman Team Picks

Team Previews
Wright State • Youngstown State • Robert Morris • Cleveland State
UIC • Oakland • Northern Kentucky • Detroit Mercy
Green Bay • Purdue Fort Wayne • Milwaukee • IUPUI

Official Horizon League Predictions
Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll • Men’s Basketball All-League Picks
Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll • Women’s Basketball All-League Picks

Breakout Candidates
Dante Treacy • Trevon Faulkner

The 2020 Student Media Forum

admin
-
0

As it’s become tradition in run-up to basketball season, Bob and Matt welcome members of the student media to discuss their teams and, given the unusual circumstances that the pandemic has created, how they’ve adjusted. This year, student media from across the Horizon League include Anton Krieger from the Cauldron at Cleveland State, Matthew Dietz from Northern Kentucky’s Northerner, and Austin Bechtold from the Colonial Sports Network at Robert Morris. 

—

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/horizonert/message
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/horizonert/support

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Horizon Boy Returns!

admin
-
0

Bob and Matt welcome back the ubiquitous Horizon League handicapper Horizon Boy to the podcast. During this episode, they discuss the odds of potential game cancellations, due to COVID-19, as well as how he shapes up the conference standings in general.

—

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/horizonert/message
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/horizonert/support

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Oakland women’s basketball shut down for COVID

Matt Dudek
-
0

At this point, we have all heard of programs being shut down due to a positive COVID test within the team. It has hit programs across the country from Toledo to California and this pandemic continues to affect everyone. In the past week the shutdown hit the Horizon League with Oakland men’s basketball coach Greg Kampe and women’s coach Jeff Tungate testing positive and both programs shutting down for 14 days while the teams test and contact trace. But what does this really mean and look like for a program?

For the OU women’s team, the timing seems extra inconvenient. If everyone continues to test negative and they get clearance when expected, they will only have one week to prepare for the first game against Michigan in the Orena.

The women’s team lost a lot of close games last year. That will happen when you’re a young team with no seniors. This often goofy and fun bunch had embraced their only new player, Freshman Lamariyee “Sug” Williams and had come back from the summer with a lot of progress already in place. Coaches were impressed with the early play of Kahlaijah Dean, their go to player that just wasn’t herself last year.

The Golden Grizzlies were also seeing continued progress from Junior Kayla Luchenbach who had gotten stronger while continuing both the inside and outside game they believe they can use to their advantage. And maybe most important, Breanne Beatty had come back to campus with a swagger that coaches, especially associate head coach Ke’Sha Blanton, had been looking for from their point guard. Now it will be up to the players and their mental approach to the game if that momentum will continue upon return or take a step back.

Last year the team had to overcome adversity as Tungate missed most of the season with a serious back injury. For him to now test positive becomes just another obstacle for the team. Tungate was super serious about COVID to the point that it was surprising he got it. It also shows that even the most cautious are still susceptible to the virus.

For now, all the team is able to do is have Zoom meetings and review film. It becomes a mental preparation for their Big Ten opponent and hopeful first game. They will continue to be tested and quarantine themselves in hopes of a November 16th return to in person practice.

Chloe Guingrich Credit: Jose Juarez

Horizon League releases Women’s Basketball Preseason All-League Teams

John Parker
-
0
Horizon League releases Women’s Basketball Preseason All-League Teams

IUPUI’s Williams picked to three-peat as Player of the Year

The Horizon League released its Women’s Basketball Preseason All-League Teams on Friday. The teams were selected by the 12 Horizon League Head Coaches. Unsurprisingly, IUPUI senior Macee Williams was picked to win a third straight Player of the Year award.

With five players who earned First or Second Team All-League returning, the First Team All-League picks were pretty straightforward. Williams was joined on the first team by 2020 First Team All-League picks Wright State guard Angel Baker and Youngstown State wing Chelsea Olson, as well as 2020 Second Team All-League picks Ally Niece of Northern Kentucky and Mariah White of Cleveland State.

The The Preseason Second Team All-League could’ve been even more straightforward if 2020 Third Team All-League pick Savanna Crockett didn’t transfer away from Cleveland State. With Crockett’s early departure, four of five players from the inaugural Third Team All-League return for another season, and they take up four spots on the Preseason Second Team All-League. Caitlin Hibner of Green Bay, Rachel McIlmore of IUPUI, Milwaukee’s Brandi Bisping and Kahlaijah Dean of Oakland are the returning All-League performers. They’re joined by 2020 Horizon League Freshman of the Year Shamarre Hale of Wright State.

First TeamSecond Team
Macee Williams, C, IUPUI (POY)Caitlin Hibner, G, Green Bay
Angel Baker, G, Wright StateRachel McIlmore, G, IUPUI
Chelsea Olson, G, Youngstown StateBrandi Bisping, F, Milwaukee
Ally Niece, G, Northern KentuckyKahlaijah Dean, G, Oakland
Mariah White, G, Cleveland StateShamarre Hale, C, Wright State

While Youngstown State got some good news on the men’s side when Naz Bohannon was finally recognized in an official capacity by the league as a Horizon League Preseason All-Second Team pick for 2021, the Penguins now have the women’s player with the biggest gripe about being snubbed. Mary Dunn was a First Team All-League selection over teammate Chelsea Olson in 2019, and was averaging 17.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game through four games against solid competition in 2020 before being sidelined for the season with a torn meniscus. If she’s fully healed, Dunn feels like a player that could single-handedly throw off the accuracy of not just the Preseason All-League teams, but the Preseason Poll as well.

While Robert Morris is probably an unknown to a lot of Horizon League fans, the fact that there are no Colonials on the Preseason All-League team is definitely notable. RMU joins the Horizon League after winning the Northeast Conference Regular Season Title in four straight seasons. With a 49-5 record in NEC play over the last three years, it seems like the Colonials should definitely be able to be a competitive team in the Horizon League quickly, but they get left in the cold on the preseason All-League team largely due to timing. Nneka Ezeigbo was the Colonials star and earned back-to-back All-NEC First Team honors in 2019 and 2020, but she’s out of eligibility for RMU. Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu looked like the one to step in and fill the void left by Ezeigbo after earning All-NEC Second Team honors in 2020 despite playing just 16.1 minutes per game, but she opted to join Eastern Michigan as a graduate transfer. Junior guard Isabella Posset is the lone returning player to earn All-NEC honors last year, when she was a Third Team selection. If she takes control, don’t be surprised to see her in the running for a spot on one of the first two All-League teams in 2021, but Robert Morris has operated heavily through the post lately so it’s also possible that a player that was buried behind Ezeigbo and Ozzy-Momodu could be in for a breakout year and become the team’s star.

Miss anything from Preview Week(s)? Check it all out below:

HoriZone Roundtable Predictions
HoriZone Roundtable Preseason Poll • Preseason All-League Teams
If we had an All-Newcomer Team… • All-Freshman Team Picks

Team Previews
Wright State • Youngstown State • Robert Morris • Cleveland State
UIC • Oakland • Northern Kentucky • Detroit Mercy
Green Bay • Purdue Fort Wayne • Milwaukee • IUPUI

Official Horizon League Predictions
Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll • Men’s Basketball All-League Picks
Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll

Horizon League releases Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll

John Parker
-
0
Horizon League releases Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll

Defending League Champion IUPUI picked to repeat

The Horizon League released its Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll on Friday. The poll was voted on by the 12 Horizon League Head Coaches. Defending Horizon League Champion IUPUI — which finished last year 15-3 in league play — received all 12 first place votes as the overwhelming favorite to repeat.

Here’s a look at the preseason poll:

RankSchool
1IUPUI
2Green Bay
3Wright State
4Northern Kentucky
5Robert Morris
6Youngstown State
7Milwaukee
8Cleveland State
9Oakland
10Detroit Mercy
11Purdue Fort Wayne
12UIC

IUPUI was picked as the unanimous favorite to win the Horizon League, largely thanks to senior center Macee Williams. Williams is the two-time defending Horizon League Player of the Year. The team will have to replace last year’s starting point guard and Second Team All-League performer Holly Hoopingarner. Hoopingarner led the league in assists with 3.7 per game, and that number jumped to 4.5 per game in Horizon League play. The return of Preseason Second Team All-League pick Rachel McLimore — a Third Team All-League pick in 2020 — will help the Jaguars as they try to remain the team to beat.

Green Bay has been a perennial powerhouse in the Horizon League: 2020 was the first time the Phoenix lost more than 3 games in league or conference play in such a long time that it was necessary to specify “league or conference play” because the Horizon League didn’t exist yet in 1997. Frankie Wurtz — a First Team All-Horizon League and All-League Defensive Team pick last year — graduates and it will be up to 2020 Third Team All-League guard Caitlyn Hibner to try to fill in that void.

Wright State finished last season tied for second place with Green Bay and each school lost an All-League performer to graduation, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Raiders are picked two points behind the Phoenix for third place. WSU loses Second Team All-Horizon League guard Michal Miller, but brings back First Team All-League guard Angel Baker as well as 2020 Horizon League Freshman of the Year Shamarre Hale and All-Freshman Team pick Jada Roberson.

Northern Kentucky hopes to improve it’s Horizon League record for the fourth season in a row in 2021. The Norse went 12-6 in Horizon League play last year, finishing a game behind the two teams that tied for second place. While the team lost stellar wing Molly Glick to graduation, guard Ally Niece was a Second Team All-Horizon League pick in 2020 and is a Preseason First Team All-League pick this year. 2020 All-Freshman Team member Ivy Turner looks like she could play a big role this year. A potential x-factor for the Norse is Louisville transfer Lindsey Duvall. The 5-foot-8 guard was the 23rd ranked prospect out of high school, but suffered a knee injury early in her career and couldn’t work her way into the Cardinals’ rotation. Indications are that she will play this year, and she has the potential to be a significant difference maker.

Robert Morris is in uncharted territory. The team is in a new, tougher league and finds itself projected outside of the Top 3 in a preseason poll for the first time in years following the departure of a star player. The Colonials went 33-3 over the last two years of play in the Northeast Conference, but will need to replace a lot this season. Nneka Ezeigbo was one of the school’s all time greats. Ezeigbo was named All-NEC Rookie Team in 2017, All-NEC Second Team in 2018, and All-NEC First Team in 2019 and 2020. She also won the NEC. Tournament MVP and NEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. Further complicating things for RMU, 2020 All-NEC Second Team pick and heir apparent to Ezeigbo, Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu opted to finish her career at Eastern Michigan University. While the Colonials look like a team that could follow the same path as IUPUI in the Horizon League, there are giant shoes to fill in the team’s first year in the league.

Youngstown State went just 6-12 in the Horizon League last year but is picked just four points behind a strong RMU program, likely thanks to the return of star Mary Dunn from an injury that sidelined her for all but the first four games of 2020. Dunn returns to a Penguins team that saw returning forward Chelsea Olson go from a Second Team All-League pick in 2019 to a First Team All-League pick last year. While the teams that finished ahead of Youngstown State last year don’t lose much top-end talent, it’d be bold to predict that any of them will add a player like Dunn this year. Don’t be surprised if YSU jumps even higher than this in the final standings. The Penguins went 13-5 in the Horizon League in 2019.

Milwaukee was the Horizon League’s fifth place finisher last year and brings back its lone All-League pick Brandi Bisping, but falls in the league’s preseason poll likely thanks to a strong new addition to the league in Robert Morris and the return of Mary Dunn at Youngstown State. Bisping averaged STATS last year and is a Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team pick. The Panthers will need to find a way to replace Lizzie Odegard — the team’s second leading scorer in 2020 — as well as Sydney Levy, who transferred to rival Green Bay.

Cleveland State finished sixth in the Horizon League at 9-9 in 2020, and lost 2020 Horizon League First Team All-League pick Mariah Miller to graduation and third team All-League forward Savanna Crockett to transfer. The Vikings do bring back Second Team All-League pick and League Defensive Player of the Year Mariah Miller, who averaged 15.7 points, 3.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game in 2020.

Oakland brings back every player from last year’s roster that tied Youngstown State for seventh place at 6-12 in Horizon League play in 2020, but suffers from similar issues that Milwaukee and Cleveland State do with regard to Youngstown State and Robert Morris and might have a tough time finishing as high in league play. Junior Kahlaijah Dean was in a unique position last year, earning the Horizon League’s Sixth Player of the Year Award while also earning Third Team All-League honors. She led the team with 12.0 points and 3.0 assists per game despite making just four starts. Don’t be surprised if the Golden Grizzlies are more competitive in 2021, but struggle to make that show in the final standings.

Detroit Mercy brings back a significant amount of its talent from last year, but the school went just 3-15 in 2020. The Titans are the first returning Horizon League school without a returning First, Second or Third Team All-League pick from 2020. Skylare Starks led the team with 10.1 points per game last year on her way to earning Horizon League All-Freshman Team honors. She leads a team that prominently featured several freshmen and sophomores last year and that hopes to get out of the Horizon League basement in 2021.

Purdue Fort Wayne departs the Summit League — a league that has shown itself capable of placing multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament — but the Mastodons haven’t been one of the teams contributing to that. Last year, Purdue Fort Wayne went just 1-15 in league play. The Mastodons did beat UIC by 11 points in both teams’ first regular season games of 2020, but went just 5-24 overall with a lineup featuring three seniors. It seems Horizon League coaches think the loss of three starters will offset the fact that Purdue Fort Wayne played tougher competition on a regular basis in the Summit League.

UIC hasn’t finished anywhere but in last place in the Horizon League since 2014, so it’s not surprising to see the Flames picked here. UIC went 2-16 in Horizon League play in 2020, plus the previously mentioned loss to Purdue Fort Wayne. 2020 All-Defensive Team member Jada Nneji led the team with 11.3 points and 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. She returns for her senior season to a team that prominently featured several freshmen last year in hopes that a year of her teammates getting acclimated to Division I basketball can result in a big jump in 2020.

Miss anything from Preview Week(s)? Check it all out below:

HoriZone Roundtable Predictions
HoriZone Roundtable Preseason Poll • Preseason All-League Teams
If we had an All-Newcomer Team… • All-Freshman Team Picks

Team Previews
Wright State • Youngstown State • Robert Morris • Cleveland State
UIC • Oakland • Northern Kentucky • Detroit Mercy
Green Bay • Purdue Fort Wayne • Milwaukee • IUPUI

Official Horizon League Predictions
Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll • Men’s Basketball All-League Picks
Women’s Basketball All-League Picks

Preseason Madness

admin
-
0

While Tony Paul from the Detroit News will still be on a future episode, in this particular episode, Bob and Matt discuss the recent news that Oakland’s Greg Kampe tested positive for COVID and what we expect to see in that area from schools around the league. They also talk about the Horizon League schedule format and how the conference’s preseason polls match up with the HoriZone Roundtable’s.

—

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/horizonert/message
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/horizonert/support

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

1...214215216...240Page 215 of 240