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.
[Comment From Tyler (Indianapolis) Tyler (Indianapolis) : ] Any thoughts on where the Horizon League Tourney will be held this year? Normally they're selling tickets at Hinkle by now and calling it the Butler Invitational. (sarcasm) Butler can't seem to play 40 solid minutes... and it's really pissing me off. Well, on the bright side, everyone loves a wide open race, right? Friday January 28, 2011 4:32 Tyler (Indianapolis) 4:35
Can I say the Wohlstein Center? It seems like a lot of folks have forgotten about Cleveland State. The Vikings had a bad weekend (okay, a realllly bad weekend), but they haven't lost at home and have been on an anger-fueled romping spree since early January. Probably the most dangerous thing about them is that it's not all Norris lately. You have guys like Harmon and Montgomery who are coming in and scoring 20 points. ... [Comment From Dan Dan : ] Kyle, I just want to thank you for writing about Alumni Gym and taking in a volleyball game there. I never saw a basketball game there either, but when I was a student there, I used to love standing in that old gym and imagining the history that happened there. They say the 2nd deck and the rafters would shake during Rambler wins because of all the students jumping up and down. What's your opinion about maintaining historic old gyms vs tearing them down for newer arenas with no character? Friday January 28, 2011 4:41 Dan 4:43
You're welcome and thank you. I think Loyola has done this right, even if they didn't specifically plan it that way: they moved in to the new place and kept the old one for other sports for 15 years. It would still be standing next year if there wasn't a space issue (it's the North Side of Chicago and there isn't unlimited room). There have been other schools that did it that way, Temple comes to mind. My opinion is that it's inevitable and that we should enjoy the old ones while we can. ... [Comment From John L (Rochester, MI) John L (Rochester, MI) : ] My girlfriend lives in Baltimore and I live in Michigan. She wants me to move out there. I'm unsure so I'm weighing the pros and cons. In Michigan I have my two alma maters: Oakland and Western Michigan. I also have the future: Central Michigan with Trey Zeigler and Detroit Mercy with Ray McCallum. In Baltimore I have an unknown. What should I do? Friday January 28, 2011 4:49 John L (Rochester, MI) 4:50
If you're considering moving because of a girl, basketball should not be part of the equation. If you love her, do it. If you have doubts, don't. Either way, Detroit and CMU are usually available on #pixelvision (which is in fact an aphrodisiac).
It’s a surprise but Valpo is actually ahead of Butler in the Horizon League standings by a game. The Crusaders are led by the tandem of Brandon Wood and Cory Johnson who combine for 44% of the team’s total offensive output. You should know, though, that Wood is questionable for this game with a hamstring injury and Valparaiso is banged up in a few places. While a few of the other injured players should play, Homer Drew really needs Wood in this game if he’s able to go. The amazing thing about Butler is their offense has actually improved over last year (#50 to #28) but their defensive efficiency has fallen off a cliff. It’s been one of the biggest mysteries in all of college basketball, but the Bulldogs are rated #124 in defensive efficiency after ranking #5 last year. That’s what propelled them to the championship game. Butler is highly porous inside and that’s where Valpo does most of its damage (53% FG). If Matt Howard and company can’t stop the Crusaders inside, the home folks will win.
Saturday ... * 2:00 pm: Butler @ Valpo: This is a huge game in the Horizon League standings. Believe it or not, Butler is third in the Horizon right now. Valpo is tied for first in the loss column.
Four teams ranked in top 10 in the polls lost Saturday, but the damage done extends so far beyond that, I don't have time to get into it in one post. For space's sake, I'll neglect to mention any result that's already been discussed on the blog earlier today. And most of the teams, like Ohio State, who were ranked and somehow managed to escape with a win, here's your kudos. Can't waste letters on you for doing what you're supposed to. Let's get to all those bad losses!
Most of the noteworthy and newsworthy trangressions can be found below: ... — Oh, I’m still going. Butler — Butler! Newman! — is now out of the at-large conversation in light of losing 85-79 on the road to Valpo, falling to 14-8. Valparaiso and Cleveland State have the Horizon fates in their hands.
Mid-Afternoon (ET) ... Laptop: Butler Bulldogs at Valparaiso Crusaders, Horizon League Network/WNDY/WWRD/CSN Chicago/STO/ESPN3/Full Court (2 p.m. ET) The Crusaders are still looking for their first ever win over the Bulldogs in Horizon League play, and this is their best chance since they joined the conference in the 2007-08 season. Valpo is tied with Cleveland State in the loss column for the league lead (the Vikings are at 4-6 Loyola-Chicago this afternoon), and Butler is tied for third along with Wright State. KenPom.com prediction: Crusaders 69-68, 65 poss.
Wright St. Raiders at Milwaukee Panthers, TWC 32/Horizon League Network (2 p.m. ET) The Raiders look to stay a game behind Horizon co-leaders Cleveland State and Valparaiso. KenPom.com prediction: Raiders 63-62, 62 poss.
Were there prognosticators, even among the most optimistic, coming into this season who believed the Jazz would roll through the elite teams in the league?
Negatory on that one, too.
The Jazz offloaded Carlos Boozer, they lost Wesley Matthews, a bigger deal than it seemed, and Kyle Korver, and Mehmet Okur was gone to injury. They got Al Jefferson, Raja Bell, and Gordon Hayward. Chances were decent they were going to be better at some point — just being free from the baggage that came alongside Boozer’s scoring.
One-Bid Conferences Unless Favorite Loses ... Horizon: Although Butler is not in first-place right now, the Bulldogs are the Horizon’s only shot at an at-large bid this season. They have wins over Florida State and Washington State, and have also defeated Cleveland State and Valparaiso within the conference. However, their resume is also littered with a quartet of sub-100 losses. They will need to win the regular-season title if they want a shot at an at-large. Cleveland State has the league’s best RPI, but the Vikings don’t own any impressive wins and have a mostly empty resume.
Kirilenko had come off the bench the past two games as Jazz coach Jerry Sloan tinkered with the lineup hoping to spark the team. Both Gordon Hayward and C.J. Miles took one-game turns as starters, but those changes did not affect the outcome on the scoreboard as Utah continued to lose.
AK-47's return to the first five comes a night after C.J. Miles started against the Lakers, and that came a game after rookie Gordon Hayward got the tipoff call at the 3 spot on Saturday. The Jazz lost both games. ... Hayward has a 3-4 mark as a starter, while Miles' only experience came in Tuesday's lopsided loss to the Lakers.
Sloan changed his starting lineup for the fourth straight game, going back to his most-used lineup of Williams, Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson, Raja Bell and Andrei Kirilenko. Kirilenko replaced Miles, who started against the Lakers. Miles was in for Hayward, who started against the 76ers. Hayward had replaced Kirilenko.
It’s been a doubly difficult stretch for Utah rookies Gordon Hayward and Jeremy Evans.
Not only have the Jazz struggled recently, but so have their colleges. Butler is 14-7 overall and 6-3 in the Horizon League after an overtime loss at home to Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Last season, Hayward led the Bulldogs to a record of 33-5, including 18-0 in the conference.
Butler reached the NCAA championship game, where it lost to Duke, 61-59.
"They’re frustrated," Hayward said. "I talked those guys a lot and they are frustrated just like [the Jazz] are frustrated. ...
"But they’ll be fine. They still have the tournament. Hopefully, they can pick it up when the tournament season comes around."
4. Missouri State at Valparaiso: The Crusaders and Bears are the surprise teams in the Horizon and Missouri Valley, respectively. Each team has a chance to unseat the prohibitive favorite in its conference in Butler and Wichita State. This would be a grinding matchup between two teams few would want to play in March.
5. Cleveland State at Indiana State: The Sycamores handed Missouri State its first conference loss, and Greg Lansing is conducting a revival in Terre Haute. Indiana State lost in three overtimes at Wichita State. Had they pulled out the victory, the Sycamores would be the favorites in the Valley. Meanwhile, Cleveland State, which won its first 12 games, is tied with Valparaiso atop the Horizon (7-2) heading into its two-game road trip to Illinois, in which it plays Illinois-Chicago and Loyola.
Williams topped Utah with 17 points and eight assists, while C.J. Miles had 14 points in his first start of the season after replacing Gordon Hayward at the small forward spot.
But that lineup change — the third in as many games after Andrei Kirilenko was replaced by Hayward on Saturday — failed to do the trick on this night.
Small forward C.J. Miles replaced Gordon Hayward in the opening lineup after the rookie replaced usual starter Andrei Kirilenko at the 3 spot for one game (a 96-85 loss at Philadelphia).
Sloan tweaked his starting lineup again Tuesday, inserting forward C.J. Miles into the first rotation and moving rookie Gordon Hayward back to the bench. Miles responded by pouring in Utah’s first seven points and finishing with 14.
Nothing to exciting has happened out here since I've been back. We’ve had two away games out of the three so I haven't been out much. I'm sure I’ll have a story of a night out shortly, PG of course. That’s the rating not ball talk. I want to say congratulations to my sister for giving birth to a healthy baby boy Jaidan, that leaves me with two nephews (Jaylan, Jaidan) and two nieces( Aliyah, Yanniah) I guess I’m next (to babysit). Also want to send a shout out to my Big Bro Patrick Tatham who celebrated his 94th Birthday this month, some of you may be familiar with him; he played at Cleveland State before playing professionally overseas and is now coaching at Stoneridge Prep (sorry folks, couldn't find a link to the ball team) in California.
Two weeks ago, the ladies were above .500 with a 8-6 record. Things took an unfortunate turn for the Ramblers, though, as they have dropped their last four games. Now stuck at 8-10, the Ramblers are in a sticky situation that they may not be able to get out of, considering their next three games are on the road — where they have only won two games all season.
