On The Horizon

Jim Squire

The Morning Dish – Friday, January 8, 2016--Hoopville

Tonight’s Menu: Quiet Friday nights from now until March, though this one does not lack for action.

One of the games of the year in the Horizon League takes place with Valparaiso at Oakland (7 p.m. EST, ESPN2). This one has almost everything you could want: quality (the top two teams in the league entering the season with the defending champions on the road at what is expected to be their top challenger), stars (Alec Peters for Valpo, Kahlil Felder for Oakland), contrast of styles (the defensive-minded Crusaders against the freewheeling Golden Grizzlies), and two teams who tested themselves with tough non-conference schedules. This should be a lot of fun.
Also in the Horizon League, Illinois-Chicago is at Detroit (9 p.m., ESPNU). The Titans are starting to heat up, having won six of eight, and are one of just three Horizon teams without a conference loss so far.

Walker hits 6 3s, Valparaiso beats Oakland 84-67--CBS Sports
Balanced Detroit starts fast to beat Illinois-Chicago 87-69--CBS Sports

SMU edges Cincinnati; Akron, Kent State home tonight: College Basketball Schedule & Scoreboard for January 8, 2016 (photos)--Cleveland Plain Dealer

Down again: Cleveland State just did not have enough in its Horizon League home opener as Wisconsin Green Bay took down the Vikings, 87-67. CSU turns right around and hosts Milwaukee at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Wolstein Center.

No. 1 Kansas faces another test at Texas Tech: College Basketball Schedule & Scoreboard for January 9, 2016 (photos)--Cleveland Plain Dealer

CSU at home: Cleveland State tries to bounce back from Thursday's loss to Wisconsin Green Bay when it plays host to Milwaukee at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Wolstein Center.

Vikings Fall to Butler [sic] 87-67 in CSU Horizon League Home Opener--NEO Sports Insiders
Cleveland State Announces Guard Myles Hamilton Has Been Dismissed From the Team--NEO Sports Insiders
Stipe Miocic’s Cleveland State Roots--More Than A Fan

Levitt Out, Hamilton Possibly Out and the Wheels Have Fallen Off

Cleveland State men’s basketball coach Gary Waters has, over the years, stressed that his team should be judged on what it does in the final months of the season, rather than the beginning.

Well, at 5-11 and with three straight losses to open the Horizon League slate, are we ready to judge yet?

The historically stalwart Viking defense, a Waters hallmark, has disappeared. In fact, in the losses to Oakland, Detroit and Wisconsin-Green Bay, Cleveland State has given up at least 86 points in each of those games.

When Green Bay’s Turner Botz is torching you from the three-point arc, it may be time to re-think your defensive strategy.

Even Rob Edwards, who started the conference schedule on fire, was neutralized against the Phoenix. Fans worry if this is an omen of things to come.

To make matters worse, the backcourt is starting to thin out, and not in a good way.

First, Daniel Levitt, the walk-on three-point specialist, suffered a knee injury in the loss to Oakland. According to Waters, doctors have pointed to a possible ACL and MCL tear. If an MRI shows that to be true, Levitt will be lost for the remainder of the season.

And then there’s Myles Hamilton, the Kennesaw State transfer that was supposed to be the answer at point guard. Well, if limited production and a crappy attitude define answer, then there you have it.

Hamilton was probably already on thin ice with Waters, starting the season being suspended for violating team rules. After making his debut against Kent State, he virtually disappeared in the win against Belmont, and things haven’t really clicked.

Then the Green Bay game happened.

After playing a minute, Waters yanked Hamilton not only off the court, but off the bench, sending him back to the locker room after they got into it. Tom Mieskoski tweeted that this may very well be the last straw, as Waters is contemplating cutting Hamilton loose.

The original thought was that this season’s team, full of underclassmen, would somehow get it together in time for conference play. Now, it just looks like any hope of that happening has been beaten violently into the ground.

At this point, CSU president Ronald Berkman could very well be sweating bullets that he’ll get a call from Quicken Loans Arena president Len Komoroski telling him the deal’s off.