Area's top teams are eager to hit the floor--The Indy Star
Butler
The only team from Indiana to make it to the second week of the NCAA Tournament last season will sneak up on no one this time.
A.J. Graves, the preseason Horizon League Player of the Year, and backcourt mate Mike Green are back after leading the Bulldogs to a 29-7 record. They beat Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee and Gonzaga on the way to winning the preseason NIT and becoming the first Horizon League team to achieve a Top 10 ranking.
Graves and Green combined for 30.8 points per game. Senior Julian Betko is the third starter back, and Pete Campbell, who set a league record for 3-point shooting at 51.9 percent, is an overlooked weapon.
Todd Lickliter became the third coach to leave Butler this decade for a high-paying job, handing the reins to 31-year-old Brad Stevens.
Matt Howard, the first national top-100 recruit to sign with Butler since such rankings became common, is the best of the freshmen and could start immediately.
Call Star reporter Jeff Rabjohns at (317) 444-6183.
MEN'S BASKETBALL: Butler's Graves leads conference's preseason honors--The Post-Tribune
A. J. Graves Tabbed Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year--ButlerSports.com
Akande, Lester Named To Preseason All-Horizon League Teams--ButlerSports.com
Klein & Bullock Earn Spots on Preseason All-Horizon League Team--csuvikings.com
COLLEGE HOOPS: UDM picked seventh; Cotton a first-teamer--The Detroit Free Press
Titans Pick Up A Pair of Pre-Season Horizon League Accolades--detroittitans.com
Titans Picked To Place Ninth In Pre-Season Horizon League Poll--detroittitans.com
Let's get it started--Chicago Sun-Times
UIC
Even though UIC lost top scorer and rebounder Othyus Jeffers, and No. 3 scorer T. J. Gray, when they transferred to Robert Morris and Southern Illinois, respectively, coach Jimmy Collins is counting his blessings.
''I'm happy to be alive because I almost lost my life,'' said Collins, who missed 19 games last season after suffering a near-fatal abdominal aortic aneurysm that required surgery. ''We lose players every year, and we find able replacements. We've got a mixture of talented, experienced players returning and some promising new players coming in.''
Assistant coach Mark Coomes took over for Collins and guided the Flames to a 14-18 finish while weathering key injuries and internal turmoil stemming from a player filing a $1 million lawsuit against the school, alleging that another assistant coach sexually propositioned him.
Collins returns 5-11 point guard Josh Mayo, the team's No. 2 scorer (12.2), and 7-foot center Scott VanderMeer, who averaged 5.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots. He said 6-4 Spencer Stewart, 6-4 Robert Bush and 6-7 Jeremy Buttell would join them in the starting lineup if the season began today. Buttell is a transfer from Texas Tech.
Guard Karl White and forwards Jermaine Dailey and Ebenezer Noonoo also return, and newcomers Robert Kreps, Billy Baptist and Tori Boyd are expected to help.
Lacy J. Banks
League poll picks Flames 8th--Whoosh Net!
Mayo A Preseason All-Horizon League Pick--uicflames.com
Miller Earns All-Horizon League Preseason Honors--uicflames.com
Let's get it started--Chicago Sun-Times
Loyola
Loyola is coming off its best season in more than 20 years, but 21-11 still wasn't good enough for a postseason tournament. That goal might seem more difficult to reach with do-it-all star Blake Schilb and defensive specialist Majak Kou gone, but coach Jim Whitesell has confidence in a younger but experienced corps of contributors.
Junior guard J.R.Blount, junior forward Leon Young, sophomore forward Andy Polka and senior forward Tom Levin are the key returners.
''We've invested a lot of minutes in those guys,'' Whitesell said. ''Hopefully they make that next jump.''
Whitesell is counting on the rest of his squad -- including freshmen Kyle Thomas, a 6-8 forward from Folsom, Calif., and Ryan Sterling, a 6-4 guard from Fishers, Ind. -- to fill the roles that graduated seniors Brandon Woods and Kye Pattrick played coming off the bench.
''We talk about getting better as a group,'' Whitesell said.''We need other guys to become good role players. That will be the true test for us to see what kind of season we'll have.''
The Ramblers were the preseason favorite to win the Horizon League a year ago but are picked for the middle of the pack this season as the league adds Valparaiso as its 10th member.
Toni Ginnetti
Blount Named Preseason Second Team All-Horizon League--LoyolaRambers.com
Maggie McCloskey Named Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team--LoyolaRambers.com
Men's basketball: Schachtner named to Horizon preseason first team--Green Bay Press Gazette Sports
Women's basketball: Porath named to Horizon preseason first team--Green Bay Press Gazette Sports
Green Bay's Schachtner Tabbed Preseason First-Team All-League--uwgbathletics.com
Porath Earns Horizon League Preseason Honors--uwgbathletics.com
Smith, Paulsen Honored By Horizon League--uwmpanthers.com
Edwards Named Horizon League Preseason Player Of The Year--uwmpanthers.com
Area's top teams are eager to hit the floor--The Indy Star
Valparaiso
The Crusaders jump from the former Mid-Con (now the Summit League) to the Horizon.
Youngstown State joined the Horizon in 2001 and promptly went 2-14. Of course, Valpo, with seven NCAA Tournament appearances, isn't a weakling. Coach Homer Drew is in his 19th season at Valpo.
Valpo continues to mine its international pipeline as sophomore Samuel Haanpaa and junior Urule Igbavboa led the team in scoring last year, slightly ahead of Lawrence North product Brandon McPherson.
Call Star reporter Jeff Rabjohns at (317) 444-6183.
WSU basketball players earn preseason honors--Dayton Daily News Sports
Raiders tackled tough practices preparing for year--Dayton Daily News Sports
Duggins Honored by Horizon League--wsuraiders.com
Lewis Named Preseason Second Team All-Horizon League--wsuraiders.com
YSU’s Karner receives Horizon League honor--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle Sports
Penguins Picked Sixth, Karner Tabbed Preseason All-League Second-Team--ysusports.com
Horizon League Announces Preseason All-League Men's Basketball Team--The Horizon League
Milwaukee's Edwards highlights Horizon League Women's Basketball Preseason Team--The Horizon League
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