Primarily a collection of news links about all 11 Horizon League teams on a daily basis, culled from online newspapers, school athletic websites, the conference website, and school newspapers, plus some other content from time to time.
76 Classic ... * Clemson 70, Butler 69: In what may have been the game of the night, Clemson rallied from a 12 points deficit to hand Butler their second loss of the tournament. The Tigers made their run when they dropped back from their full court press into a trapping half court defense. Down 67-62, Clemson hit back-to-back three to take the lead, the second of which was made by Andre Young from deep in the corner with just 1:32 to play. A Matt Howard tip-in gave Butler the lead back, and after both teams missed a shot, Demontez Stitt penetrated and drew a foul with 3.3 seconds left, hitting both free throws. His 19 points led the Tigers. Trevor Booker blocked a Shelvin Mack three pointer and then broke up the ensuing in bounds to seal the game. He finished with 12 points and 12 boards and Willie Veasley did an excellent job on him defensively. Mack finished the game with 15, 8 boards, and 4 assists, while Gordon Hayward had 20 and 12 boards for the Bulldogs.
For a program that turns out team free throw percentages a notch or two north of 70% year after year, it's actually a bit surprising to see the Bulldogs currently sitting at 69% for the season. That said, 85 FT attempts through three games, having only 66 possessions per game, and averaging less than 11 turnovers each time you hit the floor, is a blueprint for making this list. You still gotta make 'em, and Butler is hitting just enough. ... The Next 10: ... 17. Detroit (Horizon League), 0.243;
[Comment From MattMatt: ] Hey Damon you're doing an awesome job, Just wanted to get your opinion n Detroit. Everyone seems to talk up Butler in the Horizon with their next level talent. I think Holman and Keeling are right there with them talentwise. Does UofD have a chance if they keep improving? Friday November 27, 2009 2:01 Matt 2:04
Well, Butler has certainly earned the right to be "talked about" as much as they are...though anyone watching them for the first time last night against Minnesota may beg to differ.
I really like the direction Ray McCallum is taking the Detroit program. It's almost as if he surveyed the Horizon League landscape and came to the conclusion that there weren't many physical teams...so he's trying to hoard all of the imposing figures. Holman was fantastic last weekend in Albany, Keeling needs to be a little more positive in the attitude department...but I've been most impressed with Chase Simon. IF they keep improving, they're going to be a tough out come HL Tournament time.
# Northeastern 70, Wright State 67: Chaisson Allen hit a half court shot at the buzzer to win it:
Allen had 21 points, 8 boards, and 6 assists in the win. # DePaul 68, Detroit 66 OT: Will Walker hit a three with 44 seconds left to give the Blue Demons the lead late in OT.
76 Classic. It’ll be West Virginia vs. Portand in the championship game on Sunday night. RTC Live will be there. ... * #10 Butler 69, UCLA 67. For a brief while, it appeared that Butler was going to Portland-ize the Bruins for the second consecutive evening in the 76 Classic after they ran out to a quick 30-16 lead. But UCLA settled down and got things back within a reasonable margin at halftime (7) and they used a little more energetic defense tonight to very nearly knock off the tenth-ranked Bulldogs. Jerime Anderson hit a three with nine seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 67-all, completing the UCLA comeback, but Gordon Hayward got fouled with under one second remaining, and hit both FTs to seal the win for Butler. Other than to say UCLA will continue to improve, we’re not sure what to make of Butler — we’ve yet to be impressed with them in a complete and total way once this season. WVU will be a major test for the Bulldogs.
Minnesota 82, Butler 73: In the most highly anticipated game of the day, the Gophers played phenomenal defensively, holding Butler to just 33% shooting from the field and 21 turnovers. But still, in a testament to how good this Butler team in, the Bulldogs had a dog in this fight until Matt Howard, who scored 23 points, picked up his fourth foul with 14 minutes left and Butler down 39-38. Minnesota immediately responded with an 8-1 run, and Butler never got within four the rest of the way. Look, Minnesota is a good team, and more than anything Butler seemed to just have an off night. Those happen.
Minnesota played very well defensively against Butler. (photo credit: AP)
But if you are going to take anything out of this game, think about how good Minnesota truly is. Three starters went to the bench during the first half with foul trouble, but Minnesota didn't miss a beat as they put three reserves in double figures. The hero in the first half was Colton Iverson, who was everywhere, posting a first half double-double and providing Minnesota with a spark that they seemed to be lacking. Down the stretch, as Butler was trying to make a comeback, the heroes were Blake Hoffarber and Devoe Joseph, who both his two threes in the last five or six minutes of the game to help ice it. Damian Johnson led the Gophers with 18 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Shelvin Mack had 20 for Butler, but 7 turnovers, who Gordon Hayward had 13 and 10 boards, but was just 3-8 from the field with 6 turnovers.
76 Classic ... * 12:00 am: UCLA vs. Butler: Butler has struggled a bit in the early season, but what better way to get out of a funk than against a UCLA team that is playing very poorly. To be honest, I expect a big game out of the Bruins. They were embarrassed last night, ad at the very least I see them playing all out tonight.
76 Classic ... * Butler 69, UCLA 67: The Bruins finally showed up to play Friday night. Too bad it was against a team many believe to be one of the best in the country. UCLA hung around with the Bulldogs by forcing another off-night from Gordon Hayward (3-14) and getting Matt Howard into foul trouble (16 minutes before fouling out). Still, Butler was able to build a 60-52, largely a result of a game-high 21 points from Shelvin Mack, before UCLA came storming back. Jerime Anderson hit a three with 8.6 seconds left to tie the game at 67, but Hayward went the other direction, getting into the lane and drawing a foul with 0.6 seconds left. He hit both free throws for the win. Butler blew a 14 points halftime lead, however. I'm not really sure what to make of the Bulldogs right now. UCLA has too many talented players to play as poorly as they did against Portland all season long, but Butler has yet to put together a complete performance. The Bulldogs will get quite the test against Clemson in the fifth place game.
76 Classic ... * 7:30 pm: Butler vs. Clemson: The first of two great games out in Anaheim, the uptempo, pressing Tigers take on the more deliberate Bulldogs. Both of the teams rely on their defensive prowess to be successful, but it is two completely different styles. Clemson plays full court, trying to force tempo and create turnovers. Butler is more comfortable in the half court game. Booker-Howard will be a fun match-up to watch, as will Hayward going against the multitude of athletic wings Clemson has, but this game will be decided by how well Butler defends Clemson from behind the arc. That was the question mark for the Tigers coming into the season, and they have struggled from out there in Anaheim.
ROSEMONT, Ill. — Will Walker scored 20 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 44.7 seconds left in overtime today, leading DePaul to a 68-66 victory over Detroit.
Eric Wallace added a career-high 16 points for DePaul (4-1), which has defeated Detroit in 12 of the teams’ last 13 meetings.
Thomas Kennedy scored 17 points and Chase Simon 16 for the Titans (4-2). They made it 63-all on Simon’s three-pointer with 1:17 to play as coach Ray McCallum was screaming that the shot clock was about to expire.
Walker then dribbled out most of the clock before making his long 3-pointer for a 66-63 lead.
After Detroit’s Xavier Keeling made one of two free throws and DePaul’s Tony Freeland missed two foul shots, Simon misfired on a three-pointer.
Ryan Siggins grabbed the rebound and fed Wallace for a fast-break dunk to made it 68-64. Lamar Lee hit a meaningless shot at the buzzer.
DePaul led most of the way and was ahead 51-44 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation before Lee made two three-pointers during an 8-1 run that made it 52-52 with 4:44 to go.
The teams then traded baskets and each had a chance to win in the final minute of regulation. Keeling and Eli Holman missed close-in shots for Detroit and DePaul’s Jeremiah Kelly missed a short jumper at the buzzer, leaving it tied at 58.
Keeling made a driving basket to start the overtime, giving Detroit its first lead since the game’s opening minutes, but Kelly responded with a three-pointer. After Walker made a layup to put the Blue Demons up 63-60, Simon made his tying 3 to set up the finish.
DePaul won even though center Mac Koshwal, averaging 15 points and 13 rebounds, missed his second-straight game with a foot injury.
In his absence, the Blue Demons got a boost from freshmen Freeland and Siggins. Freeland, a highly touted forward who made his debut after sitting out the first semester waiting for NCAA clearance, had five second-half rebounds. Siggins, a walk-on, had 5 points and 5 rebounds in a career-high 24 minutes.
Holman, who entered the game averaging 16.2 points and 11.2 rebounds for Detroit, picked up three early fouls and didn’t score until 11:56 remained in the game. He finished with six points and six rebounds.
Detroit (4-1) at DePaul (3-1): When: 1 p.m. CT Summary: DePaul returns home to Allstate Arena to take on a Horizon League foe that some people think could challenge Butler in conference. The Titans couldn't pull the upset against California at the opening of the season, but they've handled all of their mid-major opponents since. The Blue Demons had a very successful trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands with victories over St. Joseph's and Northern Iowa, but can't afford to take a step back against Detroit. What to Watch For:
* Will Mac Koshwal play? The Blue Demons junior center sat out the game against St. Joseph's with a foot injury. * Does Tony Freeland get in the game? Freeland is now eligible to play after enrolling at DePaul. He was DePaul's best incoming recruit according to many scouting services, so his eligibility could be very helpful.
UIC is thankful for the continued improvement of young players and a new foundation. Zavion Neely appears to be developing into an exciting young point guard and K.C. Robbins, Louis Green and Anthony Kelley offer hope for a better Flames squad in the future. With Jeremy Buttell the only senior in the rotation youth will continue to be served throughout the season. There are certainly going to be more bumps along the way - UIC plays a brutal non-conference schedule, but changes are coming.
UIC (1-2) at Southern Illinois (2-1): When: 7 p.m. CT Summary: The Salkuis are known for the defensive intensity and thus this could be a long day for UIC on offense. The Flames need to find consistent offense and thus whether Zavion Neely can continue to play at a high level will be of the utmost concern. Ironically this season it has been Southern Illinois' offense that has been playing at a particularly high level. The Salukis are scoring 1.25 points per possession and have been getting to the free throw line at a high rate - and cashing in at a 76.8% clip. Southern Illinois defends the perimeter well, but defends the paint well, so it'll be interesting to see how UIC plays in this game. What to Watch For:
* How many two point shots will UIC make? The Flames have had some problems scoring inside. Southern Illinois gives up easy two-point baskets. Something has to give. * Will Robo Kreps find room to operate? Kreps is UIC's best threat, but he might not be able to get open with a lot of attention being paid to him.
Loyola-Chicago is thankful for intensity and deep rotations. Those two characteristics have carried the Ramblers to three straight victories against decent NCAA Division I competition. Loyola has one more tune-up against non-NCAA Division I St. Ambrose before the beginning of Horizon League play. The Ramblers go on the road for their first two games at Milwaukee and at Green Bay, but Loyola can be thankful that Jordan Hicks will be returning soon from injury and giving the Ramblers another talented scoring option.
St. Ambrose at Loyola (Ill.) (3-1): When: 3 p.m. CT Summary: The Ramblers get a bit of a break from all the hectic hustle of playing decent mid-major teams for a break against an NAIA school. St. Ambrose is 4-2 overall and is led by four players in double-figures including sophomores Mike Kennedy (13.0 ppg) and Chris Donnelly (12.6 ppg). St. Ambrose has no player taller than 6'8" on their roster, so the Ramblers should dominate inside. What to Watch For:
* Can Courtney Stanley keep Loyola running? Stanley has been a little up-and-down this season, but when he's at his best the Ramblers are a great team on offense. * Will Andy Polka, Ben Averkamp and others take advantage of the soft interior of St. Ambrose? Polka has been having some excellent games lately. Averkamp has looked like a freshman, but he also seems to be getting more comfortable on the interior. Both should play well against St. Ambrose.
* 4:30 pm: Cleveland State vs. Kentucky: Cleveland State lost quite a bit off talent off of their second round tournament team, and while they might have enough talent to compete in the Horizon League, they shouldn't have the horses to compete with Kentucky. That said, Kentucky has struggled with some lesser opponents this year. Will the freshman be distracted by being in Cancun?
* #5 Kentucky 73, Cleveland State 49. Playing in a converted ballroom with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and a buffet of all things just beyond one endline (see below pic), Kentucky took control of this one in the second half behind John Wall’s 15/4/6 assts. John Calipari complained about UK’s defensive effort last week, but he had to be pleased with this performance, as the Cats held CSU to 27% from the field and were +20 on the boards.
KW: Well, the Horizon League has been really quiet on the RLU front so far, with only the HL-over-Big Ten win for Butler over Northwestern last week. Not only that, Hoops Nation's top Final Four aspirant had a really tough time against Evansville this weekend. Shot 28% and won by four, which isn't really supposed to happen in basketball.
DL: Yeah, as a whole I feel like the HL may have scheduled down a little bit this year. Butler's is good...but had they slipped against the Aces, I can't imagine what some of their message boards would have looked like. The sky is probably already falling, despite the ugly victory.
#11 Butler 64, Evansville 60. Butler struggled for the second time in three games this year, shooting a pitiful 28% from the field and almost allowing an Evansville freshman named Colt Ryan to singlehandedly steal the game away from them. Ryan hit all three of Evansville’s treys in a 45-second span of the final minute, cutting the lead to two points and very nearly pulling off the upset. BU needs to get its offense working better or they’ll come away with three losses in this week’s 76 Classic in Anaheim (first game: Minnesota). ... #2 Michigan State 90, Valparaiso 60. Tom Izzo tied his mento Jud Heathcote for the most wins in MSU coaching history with 340 total Ws in this one, as the talented starting guads for MSU scored a combined 47 pts in a blowout win.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jon Scheyer, Duke ... Also good this week:
* Shelvin Mack, Butler: Butler had a 2-0 week, winning both games on the road, and Mack's performance was a huge reason why. He averaged 16.0 ppg, 5.5 apg, and 4.0 rpg in the two wins.
* #24 Minnesota vs. #11 Butler (in Anaheim, CA) – 8:30 pm ET (also on ESPN2) – Butler continues its difficult nonconference schedule with an opportunity to play three ranked teams in three days at the 76 Classic, starting with Tubby Smith’s Gophers.
