Friday, February 28, 2014

Final tiebreakers

And now there are only 16 scenarios left. There's not much left to decipher.

With 4 games remaining, the standings are:
Team               W   L   Games Left
Green Bay         13   2   @UDM
Cleveland State   11   4   @VU
Wright State       9   6   @UIC
Valparaiso         9   6   CSU
Milwaukee          7   9
Oakland            6   9   @YSU
Detroit            6   9   GB
Youngstown State   6   9   OU
UIC                1  14   WSU
The 4 remaining games can now be split up into 2 independent pairs. As already mentioned, if WSU beats UIC or Valpo loses to CSU, WSU gets the 3 seed while Valpo gets the 4 seed. Conversely if Valpo beats CSU and UIC beats WSU, Valpo gets the 3 seed and WSU gets the 4 seed.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee has clinched a home game on Tuesday. They will be the 5 seed unless Detroit beats Green Bay and YSU beats Oakland. In that case Milwaukee, Detroit, and YSU will be 7-9. The 3 teams split with each other, both Milwaukee and Detroit will split with Green Bay, both were swept by CSU, both split with WSU, but Detroit split with Valpo while Milwaukee was swept by Valpo. Hence in this case, Detroit gets the 5 seed and hosts Oakland, and Milwaukee gets the 6 seed and hosts YSU.

Otherwise Milwaukee gets the 5 seed. If Detroit beats Green Bay and Oakland beats YSU, Milwaukee wins the head-to-head-to-head tiebreaker 3-1 to 2-2 (Oakland) to 1-3 (Detroit). If Detroit loses to Green Bay, then Milwaukee ties with either Oakland (0-2) or YSU (swept by Green Bay). Either way, Milwaukee gets the 5 seed and the winner of Oakland-YSU gets the 6 seed. The loser gets the 7 seed (Oakland because they swept Detroit; YSU because they split with CSU) and Detroit gets the 8 seed.

Detroit will either host the 8 seed at home, or go on the road Tuesday. There is no 6 seed for them. If they beat Green Bay but Oakland beats YSU, Detroit gets the 7 seed. If they lose to Green Bay they get the 8 seed.

If Oakland beats YSU they get the 6 seed. If they lose, then it depends on Detroit's game. If Detroit wins, Oakland gets the 8 seed. If Detroit loses, Oakland gets the 7 seed.

YSU can get the 6 seed by beating Oakland and Green Bay beating Detroit. They lose the tiebreaker with Milwaukee, but finish ahead of both Detroit and Oakland. If they lose to Oakland, they get the 7 seed if Green Bay beats Detroit (they tie with Detroit and win the tiebreaker by splitting with CSU) and they get the 8 seed if Detroit beats Green Bay (YSU would be alone at 6-10).

The only way WSU could have broken a lower tie is if Oakland was part of that tie, since WSU split with the other 3 teams but swept Oakland. Oakland can only tie with Milwaukee or Detroit or both, and in each case, head-to-head resolves the tie, so there's no need to resort to WSU. Therefore, it doesn't matter if WSU finishes ahead of Valpo or behind Valpo. The two sets of games are independent.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

And then there were 64...

... scenarios, that is. After Wright State knocked off Valpo to complete the season sweep, CSU held off YSU in OT to complete a season split, and UIC finally knocked that 0 out of their win column with a win over Milwaukee, a lot was resolved.

With 6 games remaining, the standings are:
Team               W   L   Games Left
Green Bay         12   2   @OU, @UDM
Cleveland State   11   4   @VU
Wright State       9   6   @UIC
Valparaiso         9   6   CSU
Oakland            6   8   GB, @YSU
Detroit            6   8   UWM, GB
Milwaukee          6   9   @UDM
Youngstown State   6   9   OU
UIC                1  14   WSU
Cleveland state has now clinched the 2 seed, so the double byes are now resolved. There remains a battle between Wright State and Valpo for the 3 seed, but Valpo missed a great chance to clinch that when they lost to the Raiders. Now, WSU takes on UIC while Valpo takes on CSU. The former needs only to win to clinch the 3 seed and the single bye. Valpo needs to not only beat CSU but also have UIC beat WSU in order to get the 3 seed.

And of course, whichever of the two fails to get the 3 seed gets the 4 seed. It's either WSU then Valpo or the other way around. Oakland, Detroit, Milwaukee, and YSU will fight it out for 5 through 8.

The 5th seed will either be 8-8 or 7-9, since Milwaukee plays Detroit and YSU plays Oakland. Somebody will have to finish 7-9.

At 8-8, our scope is limited to Detroit and Oakland since Milwaukee and YSU have already lost 9. Similar to WSU-Valpo, in order for Detroit to get the 5 seed at 8-8 they need Oakland to lose at least once more, since Oakland wins the tiebreaker because of their head-to-head sweep of the Titans. So, if Oakland beats Green Bay and YSU, they clinch the 5 seed. If Detroit beats Milwaukee and Green Bay and Oakland loses one or both of their remaining games, Detroit gets the 5 seed.

At 7-9, all 4 teams are eligible. In 20 out of those 36 scenarios, Milwaukee gets the 5 seed by beating Detroit as long as they don't tie with only Detroit and YSU. Those 3 teams will each be 2-2 against the other two teams. Milwaukee and Detroit will both split with Green Bay (eliminating YSU). Both were swept by CSU, both split with WSU, but Detroit split with Valpo while Milwaukee was swept by Valpo, so in that case, Detroit gets the 5 seed, Milwaukee the 6 seed, YSU 7, and Oakland 8. They would also lose a 2-way tie with Detroit, but there is no such thing because either Oakland or YSU or both must also win 7, so we don't have to worry about that one. If Milwaukee finishes in a 2-way tie with Oakland, they win that tiebreaker because they swept Oakland. If they finish in a 2-way tie with YSU, they win that tiebreaker because of their split with Green Bay. All other 3 way ties benefit Milwaukee: with Oakland and YSU, Milwaukee wins head-to-head 3-1 to 2-2 (YSU) to 1-3 (Oakland); with Oakland Detroit, Milwaukee wins head-to-head 3-1 to 2-2 (Oakland) to 1-3 (Detroit). And in a 4-way tie (meaning both Detroit and Oakland beat Green Bay), Milwaukee is 4-2, Oakland and YSU are 3-3, and Detroit is 2-4.

In 8 of those 36 scenarios, Oakland gets the 5 seed by winning out or by finishing 7-9 in a tie with Detroit and perhaps YSU, but not with Milwaukee. In a 2-way tie with Detroit, Oakland wins because of their sweep. If YSU is also 7-9, the Penguins would finish in between Oakland and Detroit since they will be 2-2 against them, but Oakland still gets the 5 seed.

In 4 of those 36 scenarios, Detroit gets the 5 seed as long as Oakland finishes 6-10 (meaning YSU finishes 7-9). YSU beats Oakland, and Detroit loses to Milwaukee but beats Green Bay. Milwaukee, YSU, and Detroit all finish 2-2 against each other. Milwaukee and Detroit each will split with Green Bay. They each were swept by CSU. They each split with WSU, but Detroit split with Valpo while Milwaukee was swept by Valpo. Hence, Detroit gets the 5 seed. Interestingly enough, beating Milwaukee (and losing to Green Bay) kills Detroit's chance for the 5 seed because they will have to tie either with Oakland or YSU and they lose the tiebreaker in each case.

In the remaining 4 scenarios, YSU gets the 5 seed if they beat Oakland, Detroit beats Milwaukee (and loses to Green Bay), and Oakland loses to Green Bay). This leaves YSU tied with Detroit alone. Both were swept by Green Bay, but Detroit was swept by CSU while YSU split with them.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

News On The Horizon 2/26/2014

Vince Lombardi to Dick Bennett--The Mid-Majority

Cleveland State survives to take second in the Horizon League with 70-69 victory over Youngstown State--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Akron, Kent State need big wins; Cleveland State gets one - local college hoops this morning--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State pulled victory from the jaws of defeat Tuesday night, 70-69, in overtime as Youngstown State had the last shot in both regulation and overtime to topple the Vikings. In regulation the Penguins had an uncontested short-corner jumper off the baseline roll around the rim and out, then had the point-blank tip-in hit the front of the rim.

In overtime, CSU had the ball and the lead, 70-69, but failed to get the ball inbounds, giving YSU a final shot with four seconds to play. But CSU's Anton Grady stepped up to block it.

Combined with Wright State's upset of third-place Valparaiso, the Vikings secured second place in the Horizon League and the No. 2 seed no matter what happens in the final game of the season Saturday at Valparaiso. The Vikings, however, would be advised not to take the game lightly.

As the No. 3 seed, Valpo and CSU, who beat the Crusaders 69-50 earlier this season, could very well meet a third time in next Saturday's HL Tournament semifinals.
Cleveland State 70, Youngstown State 69 (OT): Grady's Block on Perry Saves the Day for the Vikings--Cleveland State Hoops
Cleveland State Slips by Youngstown State 70-69 in OT--Vikings Ball
CSU Tops Youngstown State in OT; Clinches #2 Seed in HL Tourney--csuvikings.com

Vikings Travel To Oakland For Midweek Contest--csuvikings.com

Titans Host Milwaukee Thursday at Historic Calihan Hall--detroittitans.com

Oakland University, Greg Kampe and the ups and downs of his unique college basketball season--The Oakland Press
GRIZZLIES HOST REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPION PHOENIX ON SENIOR NIGHT--ougrizzlies.com

OAKLAND HOSTS CLEVELAND STATE ON SENIOR DAY--ougrizzlies.com

UIC Ends Losing Streak, Notches 1st Horizon League Win at Milwaukee--The Catch and Shoot
UIC wins to end 17-game losing streak--The Chicago Tribune
UIC takes down Milwaukee 80-58--Daily Herald
UIC Pounds Milwaukee 80-58--Flame Fanatic
UIC Snaps 17-Game Losing Skid at Milwaukee, 80-58--uicflames.com

Women’s basketball eyes program record--UIC News

Five bubble games to watch as tournament picture comes into focus--Sports Illustrated
UW-Green Bay (22-5 RPI: 51, SOS: 132) -- The Phoenix are another real threat to bubble teams if they end up losing in the Horizon League tournament. They're just outside the top 50 in both RPI and on KenPom, own a win over Virginia and lost by three to Wisconsin. Needless to say, there will be a ton of bandwagon UW-Green Bay fans all across the country during the second week of March.
The long and short of it: Odd pairing fuels Green Bay's emergence--Eye On College Basketball

Women's Basketball Battles for Top Spot in HL at Wright State--GreenBayPhoenix.com

Panthers get burned by Flames on Senior Night--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
UIC Upsets Milwaukee on Senior Night--UWM Post
Stuck in the mud--PantherU
Milwaukee Loses Big against UIC 80-58--UWM Update
Panthers Struggle In Home Loss To UIC--uwmpanthers.com
Panthers Finish Regular Season Thursday At Detroit--uwmpanthers.com

Valpo hurt by 20 turnovers in loss to Wright State--The Post-Tribune
Crusaders surrender control in Horizon League men's basketball race--The NWI Times
Crusaders fall at Wright State--The Torch
Freshmen Impact--The Torch
Horizon League finish--The Torch
Valparaiso Loses to Wright State 67-58--Valpo Daily
Valpo Unable to Capture Road Win Tuesday--valpoathletics.com

Looking at Dorow’s Valpo reign--The Torch
Crusaders top Oakland--The Torch

WSU gets key win vs. Valpo to send seniors out winners--Dayton Daily News
Men Hold Off Valparaiso on Senior Night--RaiderRoundball.com
Men Hold Off Valparaiso on Senior Night--wsuraiders.com

Women’s Basketball: Promotion attempts to lure larger crowd for WSU, GB tilt--The Guardian
Demmings Featured in Wright State Headlines--wsuraiders.com

Penguins fall just short of Vikings in OT--Youngstown Vindicator
Youngstown State Narrowly Beaten by Cleveland State 70-69 in OT--Guin Report
Valiant Effort By Penguins Not Enough in One-Point Loss at CSU--ysusports.com

Penguins Start Final Stretch versus UIC on Thursday with "Beach Night" at Beeghly--ysusports.com

Seeds Take Shape After CSU, WSU, UIC Victories--Horizon League Network
Men's Basketball Weekly - Feb. 26th--Horizon League Network

Women's Basketball Weekly - Feb. 26th--Horizon League Network

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

News On The Horizon 2/25/2014

Late Night Snacks: North Carolina beats No. 5 Duke--CollegeBasketballTalk
STARRED

1) Kendrick Perry (Youngstown State)

Perry scored 35 points on 11-for-17 shooting from the field to go along with nine rebounds, five assists and four steals in the Penguins’ 88-83 overtime win over Milwaukee.
...
STRUGGLED
...
2) LaVonte Dority (Valparaiso)

Dority made just three of his 13 shots from the field, scoring nine points in the Crusaders’ 67-53 loss at Green Bay.
...
NOTABLES
...
Green Bay clinched the Horizon League regular season title with a 67-53 win over Valparaiso. As a result Brian Wardle’s team will host the quarterfinals and semifinals of the conference tournament, and should they advance to the title game they’ll host that as well.
Friday’s Pregame Shootaround: VCU visits UMass and a showdown in the A-Sun--CollegeBasketballTalk
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH FOR:
...
Oakland is hoping to improve its standing within the Horizon League with a win over a UIC team that’s 0-13 in league play and mired in a 16-game losing streak. A Duke Mondy three-pointer as time expired gave the Golden Grizzlies a 76-75 win in the first meeting.
Also of note in the Horizon League is Wright State’s game against Detroit, with the Raiders looking to make a run at the three-seed in next month’s conference tournament. They currently trail Valparaiso by a game for third.
Late Night Snacks: UMass outruns VCU--CollegeBasketballTalk
Starred
Travis Bader (Oakland)
The 6-foot-5 wing threw off the mental handcuffs Wright State had placed on him during Oakland’s recent loss, converting four of six threes and attempting twelve free throws in a win over UIC.
...
Struggled
...
UIC’s offense
Oakland has always been known more for its offensive, and not defensive, schemes, but the former Summit League member limited UIC to just over one point per possession and only twelve two-point field goal makes.
The Rundown: February 20--Run The Floor
Valparaiso at Green Bay

Green Bay has a 2 game lead in the Horizon over Valpo. The Crusaders smacked the Phoenix by 15 in the first meeting. A win here would clinch the Horizon league regular season title for the Phoenix since they have a 2 game lead on Cleveland State and swept the Vikings.
February 20 Winners and Losers--Run The Floor
Green Bay

The Phoenix won big in the return game against Valpo. Not only did they get the satisfaction of that, but they clinched the Horizon league title. They are guaranteed to at least make the NIT. Congratulations to Green Bay.
Night Court: UNC nabs 8th straight ACC W; Horizon title clinched--Eye On College Basketball
That's a good win: Green Bay clinches at least share of Horizon League regular-season title.

The Phoenix won 67-53 at home over Valpo to give Brian Wardle his first Horizon League title as a head coach. This is a team that won over Virginia earlier in the season and fell to Wisconsin by just three points. Good chance it can earn a No. 12 seed, maybe even a No. 11 if it doesn't lose before Selection Sunday.
...
Players with impact

Kendrick Perry, really one of the unheralded mid-major stars in the nation, led the country in scoring Thursday night. Perry put up 35 for the Penguins in Youngstown State's 88-83 OT win over Milwaukee. He also had four steals.
...
You sway away eight or more in a game, you get a mention. Alec Brown of Green Bay will be subject to a feature soon here at the blog, and he came up big in the Phoenix's win Thursday over Valpo.
The Final Stretch: Title race reset--Eye On College Basketball
Horizon: The only thing left to see is if Cleveland State can forge a tie in the standings – as Green Bay is up two games with two left, and also beat Cleveland State twice during the season.
College Hoops Viewing Guide: February 25, 2014--College Sports Madness
Elsewhere

Valparaiso Crusaders (17-12, 9-5 Horizon) at Wright State Raiders (16-13, 6-8 Horizon), 7 p.m. (ESPN3)
Youngstown State Penguins (15-14, 6-8 Horizon) at Cleveland State Vikings (19-10, 10-4), 7 p.m. (Horizon League Network)
Longwood Lancers (8-21, 3-11 Big South) at Liberty Flames (10-19, 4-10), 7 p.m. (Flames Sports Network/MASN/ESPN3)
UIC Flames (5-23, 0-14 Horizon) at Milwaukee Panthers (16-12, 6-8), 8 p.m. (Horizon League Network)
Wichita State Shockers (29-0, 16-0 MVC) at Bradley Braves (12-17, 7-9), 9 p.m. (ESPN2)

The main attraction out of this group of games is Wichita State's continued quest for regular season perfection. However, Cleveland State and Valparaiso each have crucial games in the race for the second seed in the Horizon League Tournament.
Mid-Major Rankings for the Week of Feb. 24--The Catch and Shoot
3. Green Bay (22-5, 12-2 Horizon). Last week: 6

Green Bay clinched the outright Horizon League title and No. 1 seed in the Horizon League Tournament with a win against Valparaiso on Thursday. The Phoenix finish the regular season at Oakland and Detroit.
...
24. Cleveland State (19-10, 10-4 Horizon). Last week: 23

Cleveland State can clinch the No. 2 seed in the Horizon League with a win Saturday at Valparaiso

LeBron James hurts nose, leads Miami Heat in rout of Thunder--Miami Herald
Norris Cole gave Miami a 17-point lead with 8:36 left in the half with a 3-pointer but the Thunder soon mounted a comeback.
Chris Bosh now center of gravity for Miami Heat--Miami Herald
Bosh is shooting 36.9 percent from three-point range this season and has already attempted 122 shots from beyond the arc. By comparison, that’s more than guard Norris Cole (120 attempts). What’s more, Bosh’s three-point percentage is better than that of LeBron James (36.6 percent), Ray Allen (35.4), Battier (34.8) and Rashard Lewis (34.3).
Comfort level for Heat's Mario Chalmers at all-time high--South Florida Sun Sentinel
Chalmers' play of late has widened the gap between backup Norris Cole. There was talk at the beginning of the season of Cole perhaps challenging Chalmers for playing time, even the starting spot. While Cole has somewhat leveled off the last month, Chalmers has elevated his game.
Critical games on tap for Cleveland State, Kent State, Akron - Local college hoops this weekend--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State defense shuts down Milwaukee in 74-50 win--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Akron, or another MAC team, could feel the sting of tournament format - local college hoops this week--Cleveland Plain Dealer
For the majority of mid-major conferences, where it is rare to have more than a team or two annually compete for a league title, such a format protects the yearly elite. This season the Horizon League, which many compare to the MAC, has Green Bay (22-5, 12-2) clearly the best in the league, and two games ahead of the pack in the HL standings.

Injuries were a key to the Phoenix losing their two league games, but still, nobody else in the HL could touch them. Green Bay deserves to be rewarded for winning the conference, and protected as the best possible HL representative to the NCAA Tournament.

This is normal for the Horizon League, where only once in the last six years has more than two teams finished within two games of the conference champion. But the MAC is different.
Cleveland State not 100 percent for Youngstown State rematch - local college hoops this morning--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Vikings victorious over Milwaukee--The Cauldron
Cleveland State 74, Milwaukee 50--Cleveland State Hoops
Cleveland State Takes Loss against Green Bay 68-54--Vikings Ball
Cleveland State Crushes Milwaukee 74-50--Vikings Ball
Updated: Cleveland State (19-10) vs. Youngstown State (15-14)--Vikings Ball
Cleveland State vs Milwaukee Men's Hoops Promo--csuvikings.com
Vikings Continue Homestand Against Milwaukee--csuvikings.com
Vikings Top Milwaukee, 74-50, on Senior Day--csuvikings.com
Vikings Host Youngstown State in Regular Season Home Finale--csuvikings.com
Cleveland State MBB vs Youngstown Promo--csuvikings.com

Coleman Scores 1,000th Point As Vikings Drop Close Contest At Green Bay--csuvikings.com
Women's Basketball Falls At Milwaukee--csuvikings.com

Critical trip to L.A. coming up for Ducks--The Register-Guard
“We are making steps,” senior guard Jason Calliste said. “We are pushing each other to make the right plays. It is about palying hard for us. When we have a slow start it is because we are not playing hard. It has nothing to do with talent or anything like that.”
Wright State defeats Detroit 65-61--The Oakland Press
Detroit Tripped Up by Wright State 65-61--Titans Update
Titans Drop Tough One at Wright State, 65-61--detroittitans.com

Detroit Falls In Shootout To Wright State--detroittitans.com
Titans Put On Another Great National Girls & Women In Sports Day--detroittitans.com
Freshman Sensation Galloway Earns Second Straight HL Honor--detroittitans.com
Titans To Clash With Crusaders On Wednesday--detroittitans.com

Oakland Coach Kampe Says Bader Should Have Future in NBA--The Catch and Shoot
Travis Bader, Duke Mondy pace Oakland past Illinois-Chicago--The Detroit Free Press
Ralph Hill excels for Oakland as Tommie McCune sits due to suspension--Grizzlies Den
Oakland freshmen Jalen Hayes, Artis Cleveland progressing in red-shirt seasons--Grizzlies Den
Oakland Punishes UIC 86-71--Grizz Gang
Oakland (11-18) Goes Up against Green Bay (22-5)--Grizz Gang
OU holds on despite late UIC run--Oakland Post
Oakland Cruises Past UIC, 86-71--ougrizzlies.com

OAKLAND FALLS AT VALPO 84-70--ougrizzlies.com

Oakland Pulls Away from UIC Behind Bader’s 28 Points--The Catch and Shoot
Illinois College Basketball Rankings for the Week of Feb. 24--The Catch and Shoot
13. UIC (5-23, 0-14 Horizon). Last week: 13

UIC is one of four teams (TCU, Southern Utah, Citadel) that is winless in conference play. The Flames have lost 17 straight games and finish the regular season this week against Milwaukee and Wright State.
Tuesday's matchup: UIC at Milwaukee--The Chicago Tribune
Force is with Bader, Oakland--Whoosh!Net
UIC Punished by Oakland 86-71--Flame Fanatic
UIC (5-23) Squares Off with Milwaukee (16-12)--Flame Fanatic
UIC's Comeback Falls Short Against Oakland, 86-71--uicflames.com
Flames Set For Final HL Road Game on Tuesday at Milwaukee--uicflames.com

Flames Seek Program Record Thursday at Youngstown State--uicflames.com

O26 Weekly Awards: Wyoming, Billy Baron, Brian Wardle & George Mason…--Rush The Court
O26 Team of the Week
...
Honorable Mentions: Green Bay (2-0: @Youngstown State, @Cleveland State); Middle Tennessee State (2-0: vs. Tulane, vs. Southern Miss); Eastern Michigan (2-0: @Ball State, vs. Toledo).
...
O26 Coach of the Week
Green Bay’s Brian Wardle is our O26 Coach of the Week. (Michael Sears)

Brian Wardle – Green Bay. This time last week, Green Bay appeared to be struggling. The team had just been thoroughly beaten at home by a solid-but-inferior Milwaukee bunch, and star center Alec Brown seemed not himself since returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him against Valparaiso a couple weeks earlier. Moreover, the metrics showed the Phoenix to be slipping on both ends of the court. Confidence might have also been slipping, not that any measurement would prove it. So credit Wardle, then, for the sharp turnaround that came next: Thursday night at Youngstown State, Green Bay responded to the loss by absolutely manhandling the Penguins by a whopping 31-point margin. Wardle’s club held preseason Horizon League Player of the Year Kendrick Perry to just 10 points — one of only two players to reach double-figures — and didn’t allow YSU many second chance looks at the basket. Brown, meanwhile, was back to his excellent self, scoring 24 points on 10-fof-14 shooting and swatting three shots. The 71-40 final was a categorical beat-down, by any metric.

Saturday, though, was the big test, on the road at surging Cleveland State. Although the Vikings were without leading-scorer Bryn Forbes, Green Bay still came in as a slight underdog at the Wolstein Center. The game was huge, the stakes were high… and whatever Wardle said to his guys beforehand worked incredibly well. The Phoenix smacked Cleveland State right out of the tunnel, jumping to a 16-2 lead in the opening seven minutes and never allowing the Vikings to get within 11 points the rest of the way. It was the definition of a wire-to-wire thrashing, putting to rest questions about Green Bay’s confidence, Brown’s health, and whether Wardle’s team is the best in the league — it most definitely is. The coach deserves a nod for re-energizing and refocusing his talented bunch as it heads into the final month of the season.
O26 Resume Review: Bubble Watch Edition--Rush The Court
Others

Locks: Wichita State
A lot of work to do: Toledo, Green Bay, Stephen F. Austin
...
Green Bay (21-5, #64 RPI). The only thing keeping Green Bay in the at-large picture is a strong non-conference win against Virginia (#17 RPI) in December. While the Cavaliers disappointed early, their resurgence in ACC play make Green Bay’s win look better by the day. Yet that’s the only top-100 RPI win on the entire docket. The Phoenix stayed within three of Wisconsin in mid-November and also have a 12-point loss to Harvard, but they also have two sub-100 RPI losses to Milwaukee and Valparaiso. Green Bay needs to win just one of its last three games in the Horizon League to take the regular season title and earn home court advantage throughout the conference tournament. Again, auto-bid or bust.
Mid-Major Madness Power 15: Green Bay Makes it's Move, Delaware Plummets--Mid-Major Madness
Green Bay (22-5) Squares Off with Oakland (11-18)--Phoenix Fever
NOTEBOOK: Brown Helps Secure First League Title in 18 Years--GreenBayPhoenix.com
The Madness is Coming: Horizon League Championship Tickets On Sale Now--GreenBayPhoenix.com

Women's basketball: Monke lifts UWGB over Cleveland State in 1st career start--Green Bay Press Gazette
UWGB's annual PinkZone game extra special for Weitzers--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's basketball: Youngstown State tops UWGB to create 3-way tie for 1st--Green Bay Press Gazette
Mike Vandermause column: Don't underestimate young UWGB women's squad--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's Basketball Controls Paint Play to Get by Cleveland State, 59-56--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Youngstown State Uses Second Half Runs to Top Phoenix, 72-63--GreenBayPhoenix.com

Panthers succumb on Kendrick Perry's record night--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Winter gets a bit chillier for Panthers--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Panthers, Flames will square off on Senior Night--PantherU
Updated: Milwaukee (16-12) Squares Off with UIC (5-23)--UWM Update
Panthers Wrap Up Road Swing At Cleveland State--uwmpanthers.com
Panthers Can't Overcome Slow Start In Falling To Vikings--uwmpanthers.com
Panthers Back Home For Senior Night Tuesday--uwmpanthers.com

UWM loses battle of struggling squads--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Rodriguez, Young lead Panthers--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Postgame Report: Cleveland State at Milwaukee--Panther Blog Zone
Green Nets 1,000th Career Point But Panthers Fall To Penguins--uwmpanthers.com
Panthers Host Cleveland State In Final Game Of February--uwmpanthers.com
Rodriguez, Young Pace Milwaukee In Big Victory Over Cleveland State--uwmpanthers.com

Green Bay clinches Horizon title after beating Valparaiso--The Post-Tribune
Horizon League seeding still important for Valpo--The Post-Tribune
Men’s basketball: Valpo really needs to win last two games--The Post-Tribune
VU's Dority limited as Green Bay clinches Horizon League title--The NWI Times
Crusaders entering key seven-day stretch to determine conference finish--The NWI Times
'Big Shot Bob' delivers for Valparaiso University's men's basketball team--The NWI Times
Challenging week ahead for Valparaiso men's basketball team--The NWI Times
Valpo vs. Youngstown State Wrap up--The Torch
Valparaiso Sneaks by Youngstown State 68-66--Valpo Daily
Updated: Valparaiso (17-12) vs. Wright State (16-13)--Valpo Daily
Valpo Looks to Bounce Back Saturday versus YSU--valpoathletics.com
Crusaders Pull Out Key Win Over YSU Saturday--valpoathletics.com
Valpo Men's Basketball Postgame Press Conference - Youngstown State--valpoathletics.com
Crusaders Kick Off Final Week of Regular Season at WSU--valpoathletics.com
Peters Earns HL Freshman of the Week Award--valpoathletics.com
Valpo Men's Basketball Weekly Preview Show--valpoathletics.com

Women’s basketball: Oakland (11-14, 6-6) at Valparaiso (3-21, 1-10)--The Post-Tribune
Women’s basketball: Valparaiso ends six-game skid--The Post-Tribune
Balanced effort leads Crusaders past Oakland women--The NWI Times
Play 4 Kay Game on Tap for Crusaders Saturday vs. Oakland--valpoathletics.com
Karungi's Monster Game Leads Valpo over Oakland--valpoathletics.com
College Sports Madness Tabs Karungi as HL Women's Player of the Week--valpoathletics.com
Crusader Women Carry Momentum into Wednesday's Showdown with Detroit--valpoathletics.com

Raiders rally to topple Titans--Dayton Daily News
Sledge hammers the boards to offset Young’s absence--Dayton Daily News
Special night could be in store for WSU seniors--Dayton Daily News
Valparaiso -Wright State preview--Dayton Daily News
Raiders top Detroit on free t-shirt night 65-61--RaiderRoundball.com
Wright State Gets Win against Detroit 65-61--Rowdy Review
Updated: Wright State (16-13) and Valparaiso (17-12) Face Off--Rowdy Review
Men’s Basketball: Vest sparks Wright State’s second half rally over Detroit--The Guardian
Men’s Basketball: Plenty on the line for senior night--The Guardian
Men Hold Off Detroit 65-61--wsuraiders.com
Young in Round Two of Dark Horse Dunker Competition--wsuraiders.com

Women’s Basketball: Putting Green Bay, Cleveland State losses into perspective--The Guardian
Women Dominate Second Half for 102-82 Win at Detroit--wsuraiders.com

Sources: YSU’s Keene punched teammate Weber--Youngstown Vindicator
YSU seeks victory, respect at CSU--Youngstown Vindicator
Youngstown State Loses Heartbreaker to Valparaiso 68-66--Guin Report
Youngstown State (15-14) Faces Cleveland State (19-10)--Guin Report
Penguins Finding Offensive Groove Once Again--The Jambar
Ryan Weber Scores Career High 24 in 68-66 Loss at Valpo--ysusports.com
Men’s Basketball Visits Cleveland State in Road Finale--ysusports.com
Kendrick Perry Named Horizon League Men's Basketball Player of the Week--ysusports.com

Hornberger, Schlegel lift YSU women over Milwaukee--Youngstown Vindicator
YSU women grab share of first place--Youngstown Vindicator
On a Mission: ’97 – ’98 Penguins Aimed For Redemption (Part 1)--The Jambar
Hornberger, Schlegel Lead Penguins to 81-69 Win at Milwaukee--ysusports.com
YSU Moves Into Tie for First with 72-63 Win at Green Bay--ysusports.com
Schelgel Named Horizon League Women’s Basketball Player of the Week--ysusports.com

Oakland and Wright State Tally Key Conference Wins--Horizon League Network
CSU, Valpo Maintain Pace in Chase for Byes--Horizon League Network
YSU's Perry, Valpo's Peters Tabbed for #HLMBB Honors--Horizon League Network
Tickets Now On Sale for #HLMBB Tournament--Horizon League Network

Green Bay and Youngstown State Win to Stay at Top of Standings--Horizon League Network
Wright State and Valparaiso Score Key Wins on Saturday--Horizon League Network
YSU Win Creates Three-Way Tie at Top; UWM Captures Big Home Win--Horizon League Network
Schlegel Named Player of the Week, Galloway Earns Freshman Honors--Horizon League Network

Post-Saturday tiebreaker update

My last post was already obsolete by the time I posted, I'm afraid. At any rate, after CSU clocked Milwaukee at the Wolstein Center and Valpo pulled out a spine-tingler against YSU, there are 9 games left and the standings are as follows:
Team               W   L   Games left
Green Bay         12   2   @OU, @UDM
Cleveland State   10   4   YSU, @VU
Valparaiso         9   5   @WSU, CSU
Wright State       8   6   VU, @UIC
Milwaukee          6   8   UIC, @UDM
Oakland            6   8   GB, @YSU
Detroit            6   8   UWM, GB
Youngstown State   6   8   @CSU, OU
UIC                0  14   @UWM, WSU
The 2 seed is now down to CSU, Valpo and WSU. In fact the 3 seed is also down to those 3 teams because everyone else already has at least 8 losses and the current 3rd place team, Valpo, will finish no worse than 9-7.

Of the 512 scenarios remaining, CSU gets the 2 seed in 62.5 % (320) of them by finishing 12-4 since no one else can OR by finishing 11-5 by either beating Valpo or beating YSU and Valpo losing to WSU. In the former case, they win the tiebreaker with Valpo if there's a tie at 11-5. In the latter case, Valpo finishes 10-6.

The 3 seed scenarios in this case split down the middle between WSU and Valpo. Valpo needs to finish at 10-6 and WSU needs to finish 9-7 or 8-8 in order for Valpo to get the 3 seed. If WSU finishes 10-6, they win the head-to-head tiebreaker with Valpo because they will sweep the Crusaders. If WSU gets the 3 seed, Valpo gets the 4 seed because Valpo leads 5th place by 3 games with 2 left to play.

If Valpo gets the 3 seed, Milwaukee, Detroit, Wright State, or Youngstown State can achieve the 4 seed. Oakland's problem is that they are the only one of the remaining 5 who has been swept by WSU who has to finish at least 8-8. Milwaukee, Detroit, YSU, and Oakland can finish no higher than 8-8, so Oakland loses out on the all the tiebreakers for 4 seed. They did sweep Detroit, who split with WSU, but they not only got swept by WSU but by Milwaukee as well. Even if Oakland somehow ends up tied only with WSU and Detroit, the best they can do is the 5 seed since WSU still wins the tiebreaker (3-1, 2-2, 1-3).

Obviously in this scenario (GB 1, CSU 2, Valpo 3), WSU has the inside track on the 4 seed. They have a 2 game lead, after all. 1 win in the last 2 games clinches it outright. The only ones they really don't want to get in a tie with are Milwaukee and -- if they pull out a win over Green Bay at Calihan Hall -- Detroit. These two teams split with WSU and, more importantly, they both will do something WSU can't do: beat Green Bay. Actually, there's one other team that can bump WSU out of the 4 seed, and that's YSU. If they finish in a 2-way tie with WSU, they get the 4 seed because the two teams split with each other, they both were swept by Green Bay, but if YSU finishes 8-8 they sweep CSU while WSU only split.

Of the 512 scenarios remaining, Valpo gets the 2 seed in 31.25 % (160) of them by beating both WSU and CSU (winning any tiebreaker with the latter because of their split with Green Bay) OR by beating CSU, losing to WSU, and WSU losing to UIC. If the 3 teams all finish 10-6, WSU would win the head-to-head-to-head tiebreaker 3-1 to 2-2 (CSU) to 1-3 (Valpo). So, if Valpo is going to get the 2 seed with a 10-6 record, WSU must finish 9-7 or 8-8 in addition to CSU finishing 10-6. With valpo getting the 2 seed, CSU gets the 3 seed since WSU falls short of 10-6, and WSU gets the 4 seed unless they finish 8-8 and either Detroit or Milwaukee also finishes 8-8. Oakland drops out of any tie because they were swept by WSU, and YSU drops out because they were swept by Valpo. Milwaukee has already beaten Green Bay, and Detroit will also do so if they finish 8-8, so whichever one finishes 8-8 (they play each other so they both can't) will bump WSU out of the 4 spot.

The remain 32 scenarios have WSU getting the 2 seed by winning a 3-way tie with Valpo and CSU (they sweep Valpo and split with CSU and Valpo splits with CSU). CSU gets the 3 seed and Valpo gets the 4 seed.

Tonight's games and their impact:

If CSU beats YSU, they eliminate WSU from the 2 seed as they increase their lead to 3 games, and they clinch the 2 seed with a Valpo loss tonight or by beating them on Saturday. If YSU wins, Valpo can grab the 2 seed by winning both games or by beating CSU and WSU losing to UIC.

If Valpo beats WSU, they clinch the 3 seed since WSU can finish no better than 9-7 and Valpo will be at 10-5. They then can grab the 2 seed simply by beating CSU on Saturday regardless of what happens at the Wolstein Center tonight. If WSU wins, as mentioned above, they must beat CSU and rely on UIC to beat WSU. If CSU beats YSU, Valpo would need UIC to beat WSU to even get the 3 seed with a win over CSU.

If UIC beats Milwaukee tonight, that will eliminate Milwaukee from the 4 seed because they would finish no better than 7-9 and 4th place has to be at least 8-8.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Race for the 3 seed

Having analyzed the possibilities for the 2 seed, I now turn to the single-bye. In truth both the 2 and 3 seeds do have the capability of hosting the championship game if the 1 seed falls in the semifinals, but otherwise, all games they play are road games. Compensation for the leg up and extra rest, I guess.

As things stand now, there are 11 games left and the standings are as follows:
                   W   L   Games left
Green Bay         12   2   @OU, @UDM
Cleveland State    9   4   UWM, YSU, @VU
Valparaiso         8   5   YSU, @WSU, CSU
Wright State       8   6   VU, @UIC
Milwaukee          6   7   @CSU, UIC, @UDM
Youngstown State   6   7   @VU, @CSU, OU
Oakland            6   8   GB, @YSU
Detroit            6   8   UWM, GB
UIC                0  14   @UWM, WSU
With their victory Thursday night over Valpo, Green Bay has now clinched the 1 seed and 2nd/3rd round hosting duties. They will play the 2nd game on Saturday night, after 6 other teams have already been eliminated. To reiterate: Cleveland State is the only team left who can hope to match their record and the Phoenix swept the Vikings, so they win the tiebreaker. Another obvious impact from yesterday is that with their loss to the Penguins in OT, Milwaukee has been eliminated from contention for the 2 seed. They still have a shot at the 3 seed.

In 47 % of the scenarios with CSU as 2 seed (1293 out of 2048), Valpo gets the 3 seed by beating WSU, or by finishing ahead of them. By beating WSU, they win any tiebreaker with them because of their split with Green Bay. If they lose to WSU, then they must beat CSU and YSU while WSU loses to UIC (which seems unlikely).

In 50.2 % of the scenarios with CSU as 2 seed, WSU gets the 3 seed by beating Valpo and finishing tied with or ahead of Valpo. Since both here and in the previous paragraph, the team in question has to finish at least 9-7, and since YSU split with both teams, the only relevant 3rd party is Milwaukee. If WSU, Valpo, and Milwaukee end up 9-7, the winner of next Tuesday's game at the Nutter Center will get the 3 seed by virtue of tiebreakers. The winner would be 3-1 and the loser would be 2-2, while Milwaukee in either case is 1-3. Note: if YSU instead of Milwaukee is 9-7, it would come down to Valpo's win over Green Bay to break the tie.

In 1.5 % of the scenarios (20) with CSU as 2 seed, YSU gets the 3 seed by finishing 9-7 (beating Valpo, CSU, and Oakland) and UIC beating WSU and CSU beating Valpo and Milwaukee loses at least once more and WSU beats Valpo. Thus Valpo and Milwaukee finish no better than 8-8 leaving YSU tied with WSU at 9-7. They split with each other and were both swept by Green Bay, but whereas WSU split with CSU, YSU sweeps CSU to win the tiebreaker.

In 1.3 % of the scenarios (16) with CSU as 2 seed, Milwaukee gets the 3 seed by finishing 9-7 (beating CSU, UIC, and Detroit), Valpo finishes 8-8 (losing to WSU, CSU, and YSU), and WSU loses to UIC to finish 9-7. This puts Milwaukee in a 2-way tie with WSU or a 3-way tie with YSU (the latter of which is irrelevant because YSU split with both Milwaukee and WSU). Milwaukee wins the tiebreaker because they are the only one involved to beat Green Bay.

In 78.1 % of the scenarios with Valpo as 2 seed (576 out of 2048), CSU gets the 3 seed. I'll tackle the other 21.9 % extensively and leave this one as what happpens if none of that happens.

In 10.4 % (60) of the scenarios with Valpo as 2 seed, WSU gets the 3 seed by finishing 9-7 (beating either Valpo or UIC but not both), CSU finishing 9-7 (losing to Valpo, Milwaukee, and YSU), YSU loses to either Oakland or Valpo, Milwaukee loses to either Detroit or UIC, for starters. This puts WSU in a 2-way tie with CSU at 9-7. If they beat Valpo, they win the tiebreaker immediately because they will sweep Valpo while CSU will split with Valpo. So let's look at WSU losing to Valpo and beating UIC: They were both swept by Green Bay and they both will split with Valpo. They both will split with Milwaukee, they both swept Oakland, and they both sweep UIC, so those teams don't matter (none of them can finish higher than 8-8). It comes down to Detroit and YSU. Detroit favors CSU by +1 and YSU favors WSU by +1, so the additional requirement is that YSU finish higher than Detroit (if they tie, RPI must be consulted, see below).

In 5.6 % (32) of the scenarios with Valpo as 2 seed, Milwaukee gets the 3 seed by finishing 9-7 (beating CSU, UIC, and Detroit), CSU finishing 9-7 (also losing to Valpo and YSU), and YSU finishing 8-8 or worse. In a 3-way tie with CSU and YSU, YSU's sweep over CSU keeps Milwaukee from winning the tiebreaker. In a 2-way tie with CSU, Milwaukee's win over Green Bay wins the tiebreaker.

In 2.8 % (16) of the scenarios with Valpo as 2 seed, Youngstown State gets the 3 seed by finishing 9-7 (beating Valpo, CSU, and Oakland) and CSU finishing 9-7 (losing to Milwaukee, YSU, and Valpo). In a two-way tie with CSU, YSU wins the tiebreaker because they sweep the Vikings. WSU and Milwaukee each split with both teams, so they add nothing.

In 3.1 % (18) of the scenarios with Valpo as 2 seed, RPI will be needed to settle things if WSU finishes in a two way tie with CSU at 9-7 and Detroit and YSU finish tied at 8-8 or 7-9 as mentioned above: Milwaukee, Oakland, and UIC are neutral, Detroit favors CSU by +1 while YSU favors WSU by +1 (so they cancel each other out if Detroit and YSU are tied).

In 55.3 % (94) of the scenarios with WSU as 2 seed, CSU gets the 3 seed by WSU beating Valpo and several other factors. I'm going to cop out again and look at the other possibilities instead.

In 37.6 % (64) of the scenarios with WSU as 2 seed, Valpo gets the 3 seed by beating CSU and losing to WSU (finishing 9-7 or 10-6) and CSU finishing 9-7 (also losing to Milwaukee and YSU) for starters. If Valpo beats YSU, that's enough to get the 3 seed (they lose the head-to-head tie with WSU for the 2 seed). If Valpo loses to YSU, then there are still Milwaukee and YSU who can finish 9-7. If YSU finishes 9-7, WSU must finish 10-6 (because YSU's sweep of CSU and split with WSU pummels Valpo in the tiebreakers -- if WSU is out of the equation, Valpo's sweep of Milwaukee cancels out YSU's sweep of CSU). One way or another, Valpo ends up in a 2-way tie with YSU, and Valpo's win over Green Bay wins that tiebreaker.

In the remaining 7.1 % (12) of the scenarios with WSU as 2 seed, YSU gets the 3 seed by finishing 9-7 (beating Valpo, CSU, and Oakland), Valpo finishing 9-7 (also beating CSU and losing to WSU), CSU finishing 9-7 (also losing to Milwaukee), and WSU to also lose to UIC. As mentioned above, with WSU also in the tiebreaker, YSU wins the tiebreaker (their 3-1 against WSU/CSU overtakes Valpo's 2-0 against Milwaukee).

That leaves 9 scenarios where RPI must be consulted to determine the 3 seed, and then only because RPI is need to determine the 2 seed. Luckily I covered this already in the above linked post.

Friday, February 21, 2014

News On The Horizon 2/21/2014

Late Night Snacks: Bubble teams take center stage--CollegeBasketballTalk
STRUGGLED

1) Ryan Weber (Youngstown State)

Weber shot 1-for-10 from the field, scoring two points and committing five turnovers in the Penguins’ 71-40 blowout loss to Green Bay.
...
NOTABLES
...
Green Bay rebounded from its second Horizon League loss with a 71-40 win over Youngstown State. Alec Brown scored 24 points on 11-for-16 shooting.
Late Night Snacks: Arizona State, Harvard earn double overtime victories--CollegeBasketballTalk
STARRED
...
2) Travis Bader (Oakland)

Travis Bader is draining threes — the sky is also blue and the grass is green. In an 83-82 overtime win against Detroit, the senior sharpshooter drilled eight three-pointers and was a perfect 8-8 from the charity stripe, en route to a 30 point performance.
...
NOTABLES
...
Oakland beat Detroit in overtime on a Duke Mondy jumper with 11 seconds remaining.
Pregame Shootaround: Florida at Kentucky headlines big day of action--CollegeBasketballTalk
MID-MAJOR GAME OF THE DAY: Green Bay at Cleveland State (4 p.m., ESPN2)

The top two teams in the Horizon League square off as league No. 1 Green Bay (20-5, 10-2) travels to league No. 2 Cleveland State (18-9, 9-3). Both of these teams are having solid seasons and Green Bay got the best of this matchup when these two teams played in Wisconsin in January. Can Cleveland State get a big win?
February 13 Rebound--Run The Floor
HORIZON

Green Bay 71 (20-5, 10-2) Youngstown St 40 (13-13, 4-7)

This beatdown keeps the Phoenix a game up on Cleveland State. Alec Brown went off for 24 on 11 of 16 shooting. Keifer Sykes had 14-9-5 assists.

Cleveland St 73 (18-9, 9-3) Illinois-Chicago 53 (5-20, 0-11)
February 14 Rebound--Run The Floor
A wild night in college basketball saw a triple double by Kahlil Felder of Oakland, double OT in the Ivy, OT in the Horizon and the insanity that was Arizona/Arizona State.
...
HORIZON

Oakland 83 (10-17, 5-7) Detroit 82 (12-15, 5-7) - OT

Travis Bader, the NCAA career leader in made 3s, hit a 3 with 26 seconds left to send this into OT. Duke Mondy scored a put back on an offensive rebound with 11 seconds left for the deciding bucket. Bader scored 30 on 8 of 13 from 3. Kahlil Felder of Oakland had a triple double with 15 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds. Juwan Howard Jr scored a game high 33 for Detroit.
Night Court: Syracuse gets another miracle escape to stay unbeaten--Eye On College Basketball
Players with impact
...
Here's to you, Kendrick Perry. The Youngstown State guard cracked 238 steals on Saturday, becoming the all-time leading scorer in swipes in conference history.
Green Bay vs. Cleveland State Game Recap: Phoenix Rise Up Against Lee, Vikings--Mid-Major Madness
Mid-Major Rankings for the Week of Feb. 17--The Catch and Shoot
6. Green Bay (21-5, 11-2 Horizon). Last week: 8

Green Bay’s quest for the Horizon League title continued Saturday with a win at Cleveland State. The Phoenix now need just one win in their last three games to lock up the conference tournament’s No. 1 seed.
...
23. Cleveland State (18-10, 9-4 Horizon). Last week: 25

Cleveland State’s seven-game winning streak ended Saturday against Green Bay. The Vikings’ chances of earning the Horizon League Tournament’s No. 1 seed are now close to zero as they need to win out and have Green Bay lose out.

Spotlight on Cleveland State; Akron and Kent State also at home - local college hoops this morning--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Coach Gary Waters makes Cleveland State feel like home: Terry Pluto--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State falls with a thud to Green Bay, 68-54--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State has big letdown in front of a big crowd: Terry Pluto--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Akron, Cleveland State battle to the end for top tournament seeds - Local college hoops this week--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Look who's at the bottom of the Top 25 poll - Elton Alexander's AP vote--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Athlete spotlight: Charlie Lee--The Cauldron
Cleveland State 73, UIC 53: Vikings rout Flames to set up big showdown Saturday against Green Bay--Cleveland State Hoops
Green Bay 68, Cleveland State 54: Vikings Fall to Phoenix in first place showdown--Cleveland State Hoops

Cleveland State Takes Loss against Green Bay 68-54
--Vikings Ball
Vikings Host League-Leading Green Bay on Saturday at 4pm--csuvikings.com
CSU's Seven Game Win Streak Snapped by Green Bay--csuvikings.com
Getting to know CSU MBB...Ismaila Dauda--csuvikings.com

Getting up to speed with winter sports--The Cauldron

Vikings Conclude Homestand Against Detroit Saturday Afternoon--csuvikings.com
Strong Second Half Leads Vikings To 79-74 Victory Over Detroit--csuvikings.com
Vikings Face Green Bay In Crucial League Contest--csuvikings.com

UW Gameday: Notes, quotes, and links--The Register-Guard
Jason Calliste will likely be the first player off the bench again for Oregon and Altman praised his work in that role. He is shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 51.2 percent on three-pointers.
Ducks win second straight, beat UW 78-71--The Register-Guard
"The plan was for me and Jason (Calliste) to try and deny him the ball, limit his shots," Dotson said. "We tried our hardest not to let him get going."
Detroit 65, Illinois-Chicago 59: Juwan Howard Jr. lifts Titans--The Detroit Free Press
Tuesday's college roundup: Juwan Howard Jr. scores 20 to lead Detroit in road victory--The Detroit News
Detroit Picks Up Win against UIC 65-59--Titans Update
Second Half Run Lifts Titans Past UIC, 65-59--detroittitans.com
Titans Play Fourth-Straight Game on ESPNU Friday at Wright State--detroittitans.com

UDM Edged On The Road At Cleveland State On Saturday--detroittitans.com
Horizon League Selects Galloway As Freshman Of The Week--detroittitans.com
Women's Basketball Notebook: Feb. 19, 2014--detroittitans.com
Detroit Readies For A Battle With The Raiders On Saturday--detroittitans.com

College basketball roundup: Oakland's Kahlil Felder named Horizon League's freshman of the week--The Detroit Free Press
Sunday's college basketball roundup: Oakland lets lead slip, stumbles at buzzer to Wright State--The Detroit News
Wright State rallies to beat Oakland at the buzzer--The Oakland Press
Oakland Nipped by Wright State 72-71--Grizz Gang
Oakland loses in final seconds against Wright State--Oakland Post
OU'S FELDER GARNERS FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK HONORS--ougrizzlies.com
GOLDEN GRIZZLIES TAKE ON UIC FLAMES ON FRIDAY NIGHT--ougrizzlies.com

Elena Popkey scored a career-high 28 points in OU women's loss--The Oakland Press
Grizzly defense breaks down in 92-78 loss--Oakland Post
STRONG SECOND HALF DOWNS OAKLAND 92-78 TO WRIGHT STATE--ougrizzlies.com

Illinois College Basketball Rankings for the Week of Feb. 17--The Catch and Shoot
13. UIC (5-21, 0-12 Horizon). Last week: 13

UIC seems destined not to win a Horizon League game this year. The Flames once again held a sizable lead at halftime but lost control and were defeated by Youngstown State. They return home Tuesday to face Detroit.
Detroit Pulls Past UIC in Second Half--The Catch and Shoot
Friday's matchup: Oakland at UIC--The Chicago Tribune
Real life harder than skid on UIC coach--The Chicago Tribune
Another one gets away--Whoosh!Net
Tweet and sour--Whoosh!Net
UIC Drops Close One to Youngstown State 59-56--Flame Fanatic
UIC Tripped Up by Detroit 65-59--Flame Fanatic
Flames Let Lead Slip Away in 59-56 Defeat at YSU--uicflames.com
Flames Drop Nail-Biter at Home Versus Detroit, 65-59--uicflames.com
Flames Host Oakland on Friday for First Time Since 1976--uicflames.com

Women’s basketball ties program record for wins--UIC News
Flames Drop Shootout at Wright State, 103-91--uicflames.com
Hannemann Named Illinois National Guard Student-Athlete of the Week--uicflames.com
Flames Defeat Milwaukee, 79-54, to Tie Program Record for Wins--uicflames.com
Katie Hannemann Interviewed by The Horizon League Network--uicflames.com

Three potential No. 13 seeds that could be a threat in tournament--Sports Illustrated
UW-Green Bay (21-5, RPI: 63, SOS: 144) -- The Phoenix bounced back from a loss against UW-Milwaukee by beating Youngstown State and Cleveland State, both on the road, last week. The latter of those wins was huge, as it gave them a two-game lead over Cleveland State in the Horizon League with three games to play. The Phoenix rank 57th on KenPom.
Forde Minutes: Why college basketball is must-see TV this week--Yahoo Sports
Wisconsin-Green Bay (34). After an upset home loss to Milwaukee loosened the Phoenix’s grasp on the Horizon League, they went on the road and took care of business twice. First was a 31-point massacre at Youngstown State, then came an authoritative win at Cleveland State in a game that all but decided the regular-season title. Green Bay (21-5) blew out to a 24-5 lead on the Vikings and was never seriously threatened en route to building a two-game league lead with three to play.
College Basketball Bubble Watch--ESPN
Other at-large contenders
Work left to do: Gonzaga, Toledo, Southern Miss, Brigham Young, Indiana State, Green Bay, Louisiana Tech
...
Green Bay [21-5 (11-2), RPI: 63, SOS: 167] The Phoenix own a home win over Virginia, a three-point home loss to Wisconsin and computer numbers that honestly could be worse given how tough things are in the Horizon League this season. The best bet is still to make it academic in the HL tourney, but Green Bay isn't as long a shot as, say, Toledo.
Horizon League Round Up: Green Bay Clinches Regular Season Championship--Mid-Major Madness
Men's basketball: UWGB tops Cleveland State, zeroes in on title--Green Bay Press Gazette
Men's basketball: UWGB's Brown wins another league honor--Green Bay Press Gazette
Men's basketball: UWGB hopes to clinch Horizon title at home--Green Bay Press Gazette
Mike Vandermause column: No time to savor title as UWGB sets sights on NCAA tournament--Green Bay Press Gazette
Worth the wait: UWGB men clinch 1st Horizon League title since 1996--Green Bay Press Gazette
Phoenix falls to Milwaukee--UWGB Fourth Estate
Phoenix basketball Horizon’s best--UWGB Fourth Estate
Green Bay Defeats Cleveland State 68-54--Phoenix Fever
Green Bay Gets Win against Valparaiso 67-53--Phoenix Fever
GB one win away from regular season crown--Phear The Phoenix
Bracketology: 02-17-14--Phear The Phoenix
Horizon League champs!--Phear The Phoenix
Green Bay Routs Cleveland State for Two-Game Lead--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Brown Named League Player of the Week for Fourth Time in 2013-14--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Sykes Nominated for GEICO Play of the Year--GreenBayPhoenix.com
CHAMPS! Green Bay Clinches Horizon League Title--GreenBayPhoenix.com

Women's basketball: Reserves spark UW-Green Bay past rival Panthers--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's basketball: UWGB opens pivotal Horizon run--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's Basketball Evens Season Series with Milwaukee, 81-69--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Women's Basketball Hosts Two Games this Weekend--GreenBayPhoenix.com

Jordan Aaron's suspension cripples UWM against Valparaiso--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Panthers, Crusaders battle for third place--PantherU
Panthers Unable To Capitalize--PantherU
Panthers and Penguins will square off--PantherU
Aaron suspended for three more games--PantherU
Milwaukee Punished by Valparaiso 77-62--UWM Update
Milwaukee Loses to Youngstown State 88-83 in OT--UWM Update
Ice-Cold Panthers Drop Home Game To Valparaiso--uwmpanthers.com
Panthers Start Two-Game Road Swing At Youngstown Thursday--uwmpanthers.com
Aaron To Miss Three Additional Games--uwmpanthers.com
Penguins Clip Undermanned Panthers In Overtime--uwmpanthers.com

Panthers unable to repeat upset over mighty UW-Green Bay this time--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
UWM's blowout loss to UIC enlarged by turnovers--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Final Milwaukee Run Comes Up Short Against Green Bay--uwmpanthers.com
Cold First Half, Travel Woes Hamper Milwaukee In Loss--uwmpanthers.com
Milwaukee Women Close Out February With Two Games At Home--uwmpanthers.com
Video: A Look Back With Assistant Coach Frank Goldsberry--uwmpanthers.com

Valparaiso overcomes foul problems to beat Milwaukee--The Post-Tribune
Valpo seeks sweep of first-place Green Bay--The Post-Tribune
Crusaders grind out road victory in Milwaukee--The NWI Times
Carter slowly finding his groove with the Crusaders--The NWI Times
Green Bay beats VU, clinches Horizon League title--The NWI Times
A.J. Pacher tightens Horizon League race--Inside VU Sports
Valparaiso Demolishes Milwaukee 77-62--Valpo Daily
Valparaiso Takes Loss against Green Bay 67-53--Valpo Daily
Crusaders Earn Key Road Win at Milwaukee Saturday--valpoathletics.com
March 1 Cleveland State Game Time Change--valpoathletics.com
Valpo Men's Basketball Weekly Preview Show--valpoathletics.com
Crusaders Unable to Knock Off Green Bay Thursday--valpoathletics.com

Multi-sport athlete Amanda Meyer headlines Valparaiso’s 17th Hall of Fame class--The NWI Times
Penguins Shoot Past Valpo in Youngstown--valpoathletics.com

Raiders brace for top 3-point shooter in NCAA history--Dayton Daily News
Wright State-Oakland preview--Dayton Daily News
Wright State rallies to stun Oakland--Dayton Daily News
Vest shuts down Oakland 3-point specialist Bader--Dayton Daily News
Raiders rally aided by Oakland mistakes--Dayton Daily News
Wright State ready for the late show--Dayton Daily News
Detroit-Wright State preview--Dayton Daily News
Wright State Edges Oakland 72-71--Rowdy Review
Men’s Basketball: Pacher lifts Raiders to incredible comeback at Oakland--The Guardian
Coach’s Corner: Billy Donlon--The Guardian
Men’s Basketball: Raiders looking for assistance in getting a first-round bye--The Guardian
Men Rally for 72-71 Win at Oakland--wsuraiders.com

Women’s Basketball: Raiders score most in 27 years in win over Flames--The Guardian
Jason Doyle’s pathway to 25-year career as WSU PA announcer--The Guardian
Women’s Basketball: Raiders stay in hunt for first place with blowout win over Golden Grizzlies--The Guardian
Women's Basketball Set Scoring Record in Win Over UIC--wsuraiders.com
Demmings Named HL Player of the Week by College Sports Madness--wsuraiders.com
Mingo Chosen as Horizon League Player of the Week--wsuraiders.com
Women Pull Away for 92-78 Win at Oakland--wsuraiders.com

Perry's 31 lead YSU past UIC--Youngstown Vindicator
Can Kendrick Perry, one of YSU’s all-time greats, play in the NBA?--Youngstown Vindicator
Perry powers Penguins — again--Youngstown Vindicator
Youngstown State edges Illinois-Chicago 59-56--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Perry leads Youngstown St. past Milwaukee 88-83--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Defense lifts Penguins past UIC, 59-56--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
YSU missing best 3-point shooter--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
YSU needs another defensive stand against Milwaukee--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Perry, YSU?get win in OT--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
YSU’s defense needs to carry Penguins--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Youngstown State Sneaks by UIC 59-56--Guin Report
Youngstown State Takes Down Milwaukee 88-83 in OT--Guin Report
Penguins snap losing skid--The Jambar
The Fight for a Home Tournament Game Begins--The Jambar
Perry sets new career high in win over Milwaukee--The Jambar
Perry's Heroics Lead Penguins to 59-56 Win Over UIC--ysusports.com
Perry's Career Night, Weber's Late Points Lifts Penguins Past Panthers--ysusports.com
Kendrick Perry Named Capital One Academic All-America Second-Team--ysusports.com

Weekend road swing key for YSU title hopes--Youngstown Vindicator
Hornberger, YSU women break three-game skid--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Back on Track--The Jambar
Road Test: Penguins Travel Twice as Schlegel Nears Milestone--The Jambar
Penguins Get Back to Winning Ways with 84-56 Victory Over Valparaiso--ysusports.com
YSU Starts Big Wisconsin Road Swing at Milwaukee on Friday--ysusports.com

Seeds Begin to Sort Out on Saturday--Horizon League Network
WSU Stuns Oakland with Last-Minute Rally--Horizon League Network
Brown, Felder Receive #HLMBB Weekly Honors--Horizon League Network
Second-Half Rally Sends Detroit Past UIC--Horizon League Network
Sykes Nominated for GEICO Play of the Year--Horizon League Network
Men's Basketball Weekly - Feb. 19th--Horizon League Network
Perry Named Second Team Academic All-America--Horizon League Network
Interview: Alec Brown--Horizon League Network
Green Bay Clinches No. 1 Seed; Perry's Career Night Keeps YSU in Home Game Hunt--Horizon League Network

CSU, GB, WSU and YSU Win on Saturday--Horizon League Network
Mingo Named Player of the Week, Galloway Earns Freshman Honors--Horizon League Network
Big First Half Run Leads UIC to Win--Horizon League Network
Demmings' 36-Point Effort Leads Wright State to Victory--Horizon League Network
Women's Basketball Weekly - Feb. 19th--Horizon League Network
Interview: Katie Hannemann--Horizon League Network