Conference Tournament Round-Up: Automatic NCAA berths also were decided in the Horizon League, Summit League and WCC last night.Pregame Shootaround: Four automatic bids are on the line tonight--CollegeBasketballTalk
Valparaiso held Wisconsin-Green Bay to five points over the final 11:43, finishing the game on a 23-5 run over that time to clinch the Horizon title 54-44. Valpo goes into its eighth NCAA tourney with a glittering 28-5 record, while the Phoenix will almost certainly just miss the field for the second straight year.
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Side Dishes
Howard Moore is out as head coach at Illinois-Chicago after five years. Moore posted a 49-111 record at UIC and finished this year 10-24. The Flames had an especially hard time the last two years, going 16-49, but were good for a few surprises both years, including a run to the Horizon League semifinals this year.
Horizon League final: Green Bay vs. Valparaiso, 9:00 p.m.Late Night Snacks: No. 7 Gonzaga, three other teams claim automatic bids--CollegeBasketballTalk
Keifer Sykes is the star for the Phoenix, one of the best mid-major players in the country. But Valpo was the Horizon League champion, which, again, gives us the top two teams in the conference playing for the right to get to the NCAA tournament.
IMPORTANT OUTCOMES2015 Horizon League Championship: Valparaiso Second-Half Rally Puts Away Green Bay--Mid-Major Madness
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2. Valparaiso 54, Green Bay 44
Both teams defended well but the Crusaders were just a bit better on that end, as the limited the Phoenix to 30.2 percent shooting. David Skara scored 12 points off the bench and E.Victor Nickerson added 11 for Valparaiso, whose head coach (Bryce Drew) was on the team that’s responsible for both of the program’s NCAA tournament victories (1998). Keifer Sykes scored 14 points for Green Bay but he shot 5-for-15 from the field, and Carrington Love made just one of his ten shots from the field.
Horizon League: Valparaiso topples Green Bay to capture NCAA Tourney berth--Press Row Sports
Improved play of Clark, Ellis help MSU's rotation--The Detroit Free Press
Travis Trice, Denzel Valentine, Lourawls (Tum Tum) Nairn and Bryn Forbes have gone most of the season without much help from him. And if Izzo knows who is going in and when, he can better avoid the imbalanced lineups. With Clark, he can stretch the opposing defense with a shooter at power forward, an element Dawson doesn't provide.'Fired up' Izzo drills MSU players as tourney nears--The Detroit Free Press
Izzo is focusing in particular on freshmen Clark and Lourawls (Tum Tum) Nairn and junior guard Bryn Forbes, who has never played in an NCAA tournament game. But he also needs the very best from his big three of Valentine, Branden Dawson and Travis Trice — if you can't handle the pressure "you don't belong in this program," Izzo said — and the Spartans view the weekend as a test.MSU notes: Is 'Hack-a-Spartan' the new trend?--The Detroit Free Press
"Hack-a-Spartan -- you know, I'm not worried about it," Izzo said. "I've got some guys who aren't as good of free-throw shooters. Like I said, I feel comfortable with how we're shooting them in practice. I feel comfortable when a Travis and a Zel and a Bryn (Forbes) is at the line, the best I got and I believe (in) them. You know what? I'm done complaining about it because it doesn't matter, so we're either going to make some free throws, or we're going to be even better defensively. They say you've got to find a way to win. That's all I'm looking for, is to find a way to win.MAC teams, Cleveland State look to extend seasons with tournament bids: 2015 MAC Tournament--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State accepts bid into CIT for second straight year--Cleveland State Hoops
CSU Accepts Bid to CIT Postseason Tournament--csuvikings.com
Vikings Advance To Horizon League Semifinals With 76-70 Victory Over UIC--csuvikings.com
No. 3 Cleveland State Falls To No. 2 Wright State In Semifinal Action--csuvikings.com
Men's Basketball Holds Awards Banquet--detroittitans.com
Titans Fall In Horizon League Championship Quarterfinals--detroittitans.com
Oakland to host Eastern Illinois in CIT first-round game; Cleveland State among others accepting bids--Press Row Sports
Grizzly top 5: Men's basketball--Oakland Post
TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR CIT POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT--ougrizzlies.com
GOLDEN GRIZZLIES HOST EASTERN ILLINOIS IN CIT OPENING ROUND--ougrizzlies.com
Blitz--Oakland Post
Women’s Basketball
Oakland forward Sinclair Russell was named to the Horizon League All-Defensive Team on Monday. The redshirt sophomore averaged 1.6 blocks in league play and had 50 total blocks during the season. The Golden Grizzlies will face off against Wright State Wednesday night in the Horizon League tournament.
Men’s Basketball
Senior forward Corey Petros was honored last week with being named as a finalist for the inaugural Haier Ultimate Achievement Award for success beyond the sport. Seven other athletes were named to the list, Petros being the only male basketball player. Haier says Petros was named to the list for being a four-time Academic Honor Roll selection and that he’s been very active in volunteering for literacy programs in Michigan.
Oakland's season ends in league tournament--Oakland Post
WRIGHT STATE FLIES PAST OAKLAND IN LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL, 95-60--ougrizzlies.com
UIC Flames Fire Coach Howard Moore, Begin National Search--Mid-Major Madness
UIC commit Drew Hackett will wait for new coach to be hired before making decision--The Catch and Shoot
Moore will not return as Flames head coach--UIC News
All over for Moore--Whoosh!Net
Jay Harris Named to Horizon League All-Tournament Team--uicflames.com
Women’s basketball heads to quarterfinals--UIC News
Flames End Season with Quarterfinal Loss at Cleveland State--uicflames.com
Green Bay's Sykes destined to leap into NBA ranks--nba.com
Cinderellas that never were: The misfortune of power mid-majors--USA Today
Green Bay coach Brian Wardle, whose team finished second in the regular season Horizon League race and lost to Valparaiso in the conference tournament final on Tuesday, concurred.Green Bay Men's Basketball 2015 NIT Tournament Capsule--College Sports Madness
"I think it would be better to consider a three-month body of work vs. a three-day body of work," Wardle said. "It's a double-edged sword. This year we finished second so we wanted that shot."
Green Bay had an NCAA tournament-worthy profile last season, sporting a 24-6 record that included a victory against No. 1 seed Virginia. But the team's best player, Keifer Sykes, had a sprained ankle in the Horizon League tournament. The Phoenix lost in the Horizon semifinals and did not make the NCAA field.
"If we didn't get in last year, we know we're not getting in this year," Wardle said.
Though one solution — scheduling better — seems simple, it's not. Mid-major coaches' biggest headaches come with trying to put together a non-conference schedule that bolsters RPI and will allow their team to have a tournament-worthy profile.
"Getting an at-large bid as a mid-major is almost impossible," Wardle said. "We have a difficult path and it's mainly because of scheduling.
"You hear a bracket guy say, 'Their strength of schedule is in the 200s, they're not getting in.' There's nothing we can do about it. You have to play teams in your conference that bring numbers down. And then you're limited on resources and getting teams to play you in the non-conference."
Nightmare finish dooms UWGB men at Valparaiso--Green Bay Press Gazette
Phoenix fall short in championship game--UWGB Fourth Estate
Green Bay Downed by Valparaiso 54-44--Phoenix Fever
NCAA Tournament hopes fade away in championship loss--Phear The Phoenix
NIT bid likely for Green Bay--Phear The Phoenix
Green Bay Falls in Horizon League Title Game--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Lukan, UWGB women too much for UW-Milwaukee--Green Bay Press Gazette
Phoenix don't want to leave big dance to chance--Green Bay Press Gazette
UWGB women vs. Youngstown State: What to watch for--Green Bay Press Gazette
UWGB women pass test, advance to Horizon finals--Green Bay Press Gazette
Kaili Lukan's 24 Points Pushes Green Bay into Tourney Semifinals--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Lukan's Career High Sends Green Bay into Title Game--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Green Bay Vies for 13th League Tournament Title on Sunday--GreenBayPhoenix.com
UW-Green Bay eliminates Panthers--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Phoenix Hold Off Panthers Down The Stretch--uwmpanthers.com
Valparaiso returns to March Madness--ncaa.com
March Madness offers little-known players a shot at NBA glory--CNN
Valpo has punched their ticket--1070 The Fan
Introducing Cinderella: Meet the Valparaiso Crusaders--CollegeBasketballTalk
Ticket punched: Valparaiso wins defensive battle to capture Horizon title--USA Today
Valparaiso Men's Basketball 2015 NCAA Tournament Capsule--College Sports Madness
Valparaiso beats Green Bay to return to NCAA Tourney--The Catch and Shoot
Valparaiso wins Horizon League tourney, punches NCAA ticket--The Post-Tribune
Horizon League champion Valparaiso awaits NCAA tournament seed, destination--The Post-Tribune
Green Bay recruited David Skara, but he picked Valparaiso--The Post-Tribune
Banged-up Valparaiso looks for healing before tourney--The Post-Tribune
Crusading to victory--The NWI Times
Carter makes a difference for the Crusaders--The NWI Times
JIM PETERS: Valpo embraces 'Next Man Up' theme all the way to Horizon League title--The NWI Times
Reserves lift Valparaiso back to the Big Dance--The NWI Times
Gallery: Crusaders win Horizon League tournament title--The NWI Times
Valparaiso poised to take flight--Inside VU Sports
Men’s basketball team punches ticket to the Big Dance--The Torch
Valparaiso Gets Win over Green Bay 54-44--Valpo Daily
The Crusaders Are Going Dancing Again!--valpoathletics.com
Selection Show Party to Be Held Sunday Night; NCAA Tournament Page Unveiled--valpoathletics.com
Area coaching legend Ross dies--Dayton Daily News
Donlon’s job safe, Wright State AD says--Dayton Daily News
WSU board meets privately--The Guardian
Department Mourns Passing of John Ross--wsuraiders.com
WSU women open tourney play against Oakland--Dayton Daily News
Women’s basketball: Zoning in--The Guardian
Women’s basketball: WSU advances to semifinals in dominating fashion--The Guardian
Women’s basketball: Raiders set scoring record--The Guardian
Women Roll Past Oakland in Horizon League Quarterfinals--wsuraiders.com
Women Set Scoring Record in Semifinal Win--wsuraiders.com
Raider Fans: Watch the Championship Game With Us--wsuraiders.com
Arbanas, Schlegel lead Youngstown State past Detroit--Youngstown Vindicator
YSU has a third shot at Phoenix--Youngstown Vindicator
Bob the builder: Boldon duplicates success at OU--Youngstown Vindicator
YSU women put a scare into Green Bay--Youngstown Vindicator
It’s win or stay home for YSU women--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
YSU pulls away--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
YSU takes third crack at Green Bay--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Penguins’ comeback falls short in semifinal--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Penguins Advance to Next Round fo Horizon League Tournament--The Jambar
Arbanas, Schlegel Leads Penguins Past Detroit, 73-55, Advance to HL Semis--ysusports.com
Penguins Put Scare Into Top-Seed Green Bay Before Falling--ysusports.com
Crusaders Come Back Late for Second Title in Three Years--Horizon League Network
Top Seeds Advance to #HLWBB Semifinals--Horizon League Network
#HLWBB Championship Central--Horizon League Network
Wright State, Green Bay To Play in Title Game Sunday--Horizon League Network
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