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.
1. Damion Lee (via Drexel) and Trey Lewis (via Cleveland State), Louisville
At the start of the offseason, Louisville’s top returning scorer was Quentin Snider at 4.1 points per game, and that’s after his scoring average jumped a full point following three straight double-digit outings in the NCAA tournament.
But head coach Rick Pitino tapped into the graduate transfer market and came out with the most-sought after transfer, Damion Lee. Before that he had grabbed a point guard and 3-point shooter in Trey Lewis. Those two fifth-year seniors joined a heralded incoming freshman class that included Donovan Mitchell, Ray Spalding and Deng Adel.
Lee missed almost all of the 2013-14 season with a torn ACL, but recovered to finish fifth in the nation in scoring last season at 21.4 points per game. Lewis will be able to play either guard spot and provides a deep threat, hitting 96 threes (42 percent) in 2014-15.
Lee and Lewis benefited from Louisville’s foreign tour in Puerto Rico. The duo left their mark in the first game of the trip, combining for 49 points. Lee went for 36 points off 11-of-18 shooting. The two newcomers have also stepped up as leaders, according to members of the team.
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5. Anton Grady (via Cleveland State) and Conner Frankamp (via Kansas), Wichita State
The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 14.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in his final season at Cleveland State. Electing to use his final year of eligibility as a role player to Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet, Grady will offer a different low-post presence, head coach Gregg Marshall said recently. While it’s a different style than his predecessor, Grady helps fill the void left behind by the graduating Darius Carter.
Reward yourself for surviving six months without college basketball by drowning in it for more than 24 hours beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 16. The annual Tip-Off Tournament features everything from the marquee matchups in the Champions Classic (Kentucky-Duke and Michigan State-Kansas in Chicago) to the obscure (Nevada at Hawaii at 4 a.m.). But it’s all college hoops, all the time. Come next May, you’ll be dying for Green Bay-East Tennessee State (6 a.m.). Don’t take it for granted.
Outlook: This one state that has traditionally been up near the top of a ranking like this. Like North Carolina, there is not only a sense of top-end prestige, but there is also a depth here that few can match with Butler, Indiana, Notre Dame and Purdue to go with other solid mid-majors like Valparaiso, among others. The schools that seem to be holding back the state right now are Indiana and Purdue, two traditional powers that have been just average recently. Both have a chance to rectify that this season, but it's also possible that each coach could also be out of a job if things go poorly. That uncertainty knocks it back just a few pegs to the No. 4 spot.
November 14th vs Florida Gulf Coast
November 22nd vs Tulsa ( Ezybonds U.S. Virgin Island Paradise Jam)
December 12th at Cleveland State
Outlook: The Bobcats are coming off a down year in coach Saul Phillips first year a the head man in Athens. Ohio start their season hosting "Dunk City". Florida Gulf Coast beat the Bobcats last year in Athens and should pose a threat to sour the start to Ohio's season. In their next key match up the Bobcat's take on Tulsa in the Virgin Islands. Tulsa finished last year with a respectable record of 24-11. The Golden Hurricane should give the Bobcats all the can handle in St.Thomas. Lastly the Bobcats face the Cleveland State Vikings out of the Horizon league. This game will take place at Quicken Loans Arena the home of Cleveland's beloved Cavaliers.The Vikings will be hard to beat at home after posting a 12-3 record at home.
Q: Who could be this year's Northern Iowa or Murray State: a non-traditional power that has the talent/team to get a good seed? -- Jordan Kuehne
A: I'll have a preseason Cinderella list when we get closer to the season, but I'll give you two teams now that will definitely appear on it.
Valparaiso gave Maryland all that it could handle last season in the NCAA Tournament, and returns its entire rotation this season after Vashil Fernandez was granted a fifth season of eligibility by the NCAA. The return of Fernandez is massive, as he was the Horizon's Defensive Player of the Year last year and is one of the best returning shot-blockers in the nation. Beyond him, stretch-four Alec Peters returns to be their lead offensive weapon, as do Darien and Tevonn Walker in the backcourt. It's an experienced, defensive-based team that can really shoot, and those are the schools who can give the big boys issues come Tournament time. They went 28-6 last year, and it wouldn't be out of the question for them to win 30 games in 2015-16 and earn an at-large bid.
