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.
Indiana 75, Butler 59 Indiana fans have watched Butler have so much success the past couple of years, but they now feel like they've got the talent they need to contend in the Big Ten, and it was clear coming into this game that they had this one marked on their calendar. And Indiana put on a shooting display in this game, going 8-for-13 behind the arc (compared to 5-for-18 for Butler) and 80.6% at the free throw line (compared to 54.5% for Butler). Indiana's not going to shoot that well so often, and Butler can feel like the Hoosiers got a little bit of hometown reffing, but I don't think this result really was that much of a fluke.
First of all, Butler struggled in the same ways they've struggled all season. Their ball handling and offensive creation has been awful. Ronald Nored is the only backcourt player who can create his own shot, and even he's not creating a lot of offense for his teammates. As a whole they had seven assists and 19 turnovers, and allowed Indiana to collect 14 steals. In addition, this is just one in a string of disappointing results for Butler. They lost to Evansville, got destroyed at home by Louisville and had a very narrow win over a mediocre Gardner Webb team. Their Pomeroy rating has slipped to 105th and their Sagarin PREDICTOR is 193rd, believe it or not.
I expect things to get better for Butler. They're not playing up to their talent, and Brad Stevens does a terrific job of adapting his game plans to his talent. He's just still figuring this team out. They're not the 193rd best team in the country - that's for sure. I'm very curious to see how they handle their conference opener against Valparaiso on Saturday. It's a game that they should win if they play well. The Hoosiers are now 6-0, though their best wins were over Butler and Evansville, so they've still got to prove themselves. They've got an interesting Big Ten/ACC Challenge game on Wednesday night at NC State. It will be a great opportunity to steal a win against a team that they might be fighting with for an at-large spot on Selection Sunday.
Beneath the surface: an interesting blend of veterans seeking redemption — Mehmet Okur, Raja Bell — and young guns who form the building blocks of the Jazz’s uncertain future — Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward, Jeremy Evans, Kanter and Burks. ... Utah also won’t have to fill its roster with overpriced mercenaries, relying instead on nine athletes who already know the Jazz’s system and some of whom — Millsap, Miles, Jefferson, Favors, Hayward — are expected to show up for camp Dec. 9 in the best shape of their careers.
Junior Cadougan, Marquette – 6.4 Myck Kabongo, Texas – 5.2 Hernst Laroche, New Mexico State – 4.8 Christian Kabongo, New Mexico State – 3.5 Matthew Wright, St. Bonaventure – 3.3 Alex Johnson, NC State – 3.2 Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga – 3.0 Jason Calliste, Detroit – 2.9 ... Free Throw % (minimum two made free throws per game)
Christian Kabongo, New Mexico State - .920 Nik Cochran, Davidson - .900 Ty Nurse, Texas Tech - .871 Jason Calliste, Detroit - .857 ... Minutes
Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure – 33.8 Tyler Murray, Wagner – 31.7 Jason Calliste, Detroit – 31.1
LOYOLA-CHICAGO AT MILWAUKEE (8 p.m. Thursday at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
It’s hard to believe, but this game marks the start of Horizon League play for these two schools. It stands to reason for Loyola-Chicago, as 18 of its next 23 games are against Horizon teams. Loyola is off to a 1-4 start but found the win column Saturday in a 64-50 win over Fordham. Ben Averkamp (11.4 points) and Joe Crisman (11.0) lead a scoring attack that hasn’t been the best so far this year. Milwaukee (5-1) is licking its wounds following a 68-55 loss to Michigan State, and this game begins a stretch of three straight games against Chicago-area opponents (Loyola, Illinois-Chicago and DePaul). James Haarsma leads Milwaukee with 12.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
Considering they'll be one of the youngest teams in the NBA — with promising up-and-comers like Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward and Enes Kanter — maybe that will turn out to be a good thing for the Jazz.
In their final appearance, the Jazz beat Denver behind the 34-point effort of rookie Gordon Hayward, inspiring hope for the future.
As long as opponents field teams of rec center regulars, as the Nuggets did that night, the Jazz will be just fine.
Otherwise, they’ll do well to win 30 of these 66 games. They will be healthier and more talented than the team that finished last season, but also younger. Imagine this: If Hayward, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and Alec Burks are in the rotation, the Jazz will be relying on four players between the ages of 19 and 21, who played a combined five years of college basketball.
Mario Chalmers is a restricted free agent but would like to remain in Miami. He made an impressive leap during last season’s playoffs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Heat is comfortable with making him a full-time starter. The market is thin on point guard, however, with Dallas’ J.J. Barea seemingly the only other suitable option.
By necessity, draft pick Norris Cole likely will receive minutes this season in a reserve role. It’s a less than ideal situation for the Heat — Cole will have a shortened training camp to prepare for his first season in the NBA with the league’s most high-profile team — but one the team has anticipated. The Heat moved up in the draft to land the point guard from Cleveland State.
While tweeting and sweating up a late-night storm after learning about the NBA's labor resolution, C.J. Miles reminded everybody of an important fact.
"No I am not a free agent," Miles wrote on Twitter. "I play for the UTAH JAZZ."
He will again soon, at least.
Nine guys who ended the 2010-11 season in April with the Jazz can also claim that — in uppercase letters if they so choose — because they remain under contract for the condensed campaign of 2011-12.
Coach Tyrone Corbin's incoming group includes point guard Devin Harris, shooting guard Raja Bell, swingmen Gordon Hayward and Miles, small forward Jeremy Evans, power forwards Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors, along with centers Al Jefferson and Mehmet Okur. ... Will Hayward take over Kirilenko's role while promising Burks splits time with Bell, or will they bring the latter off the bench after his disappointing return to the NBA last year? Can Miles find the consistency he's lacked? Will the Jazz find a role for the wildly athletic Evans?
If the CBA is approved, Corbin will rely upon returning starters Harris and Jefferson to lead the team, while everyone from Gordon Hayward and Paul Millsap to Kanter and Burks should receive significant playing time.
Hofstra 63, Cleveland State 53 Cleveland State struggled with the aggressive play of Hofstra all night. Hofstra dominated the boards (a 47.8 OR% compared to a 15.4 OR% for Cleveland State). Hofstra shot 12-for-21 from the field in the second half, which sounds on paper like they got hot shooting the ball, when in fact ten of the 12 made baskets were layups or dunks. Hofstra just wanted this game more than Cleveland State did, and earned a huge win because of that.
Hofstra came into this game without a quality win, and with losses to Florida Atlantic, Oregon State and Rhode Island. Hofstra will next play Boston University, later today. Their toughest game before beginning conference play will be Iona on December 29th.
This is a disappointing loss for Cleveland State, particularly if they want to make a run at an at-large bid. This will likely be an RPI 100+ loss, and they don't have a lot of opportunities for good wins. They do have wins over Vanderbilt and Kent State, but they don't have much left on their schedule. They will play Rhode Island later today. Their next game after that will be a true road game at Wright State on Thursday.
The Heat has work to do. Point guard Mario Chalmers is a restricted free agent, and draft pick Norris Cole, the point guard from Cleveland State, must be signed. The Heat will also likely shop for a point guard or center with its midlevel exception.
“I know right now everything is tentative, but it’s great news to get back to work and play basketball,” Cole said. “I’ve been trying to be patient and work out, and I’ve spent a lot of time at home with my family. I wasn’t used to living with my family because I was at college for four years.”
Cole will make his move to Miami this week and, upon signing his rookie contract, will be united with his new teammates who agree with his sentiments.
Akron 81, Detroit 63 — No football coach? No sweat. The Zips continuously pulled away from their Horizon League foes, led by four individuals in double figures. Nikola Cvetinovic had the most for UA with 16 points (on just eight shots). And a 61 eFG% will help every time.
BUTLER AT INDIANA (7 p.m. Sunday at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana)
In any other year recently, this would have been no contest. Not this time. Butler takes its 3-2 overall record to Bloomington and faces an Indiana squad that appears to have turned the corner under coach Tom Crean. Indiana is off to a 5-0 start, which may or may not hold up under the rigors of Big Ten Conference play, but the Hoosiers are at least trying. After losing two of the first three games against Evansville and Louisville, Butler has recovered for victories over Savannah State and Gardner-Webb (the latter was only a 68-66 victory, behind 22 points by Chrishawn Hopkins). Andrew Smith leads Butler with 12.6 points and 6.4 rebounds. Thanks to a sharp .554 field-goal percentage and 87 points per game, which rank a respective second and eighth in the nation for NCAA Division I schools, Indiana is off to a 5-0 start. Its last two victories are against – and no, this is not a repeat mistake – Savannah State and Gardner-Webb. Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo are Indiana’s leading scorers and rebounders, combining for 22 points and 18 rebounds per contest.
7:00pm Utah vs. Detroit – This could be a great match up. Utah’s Taryn Wicijowski is on a tear since coming back from a knee injury last season. She’s averaging 17 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2 blocks in 29.3 minutes a game and is making up for lost time. Detroit’s Canadian in the middle, Yar Shayok is a reigning member of the Horizon League all defensive team. Watching these two go at it in the paint will be titanic. I didn’t even mention Michelle Plouffe who’s averaging a double-double, 11.7 points and 10 rebounds, for Utah.
GREEN BAY VS. GEORGIA TECH (7 p.m. Saturday at Mario Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico)
Part of the prestigious San Juan Shootout, this tournament is a chance for Georgia Tech to show itself off to the masses a little more. The Ramblin Wreck carries a 4-0 record into the tournament but has a tough test against Rutgers on Friday before it can even think about Wisconsin-Green Bay. Included among Georgia Tech’s victories are wins over Old Dominion and Marquette, so Georgia Tech has done some good work. In a 94-51 win over Kennesaw State Tyaunna Marshall and Danielle Hamilton-Carter each scored 14 points. Green Bay has won its first four games, including a very impressive 82-62 win that could spell trouble for most teams once the Phoenix reaches Horizon League play. Julie Wojta paced Green Bay with 24 points in this victory.
