Friday, March 31, 2017

News On The Horizon 3/31/2017

Basketball Diary: February/March 2017--Kenpom.com
Lowest-scoring game

March 4: #274 Milwaukee 43, #95 Valparaiso 41 [53] This was in the Horizon League quarterfinals and Valpo was adjusting to like without it’s star player Alec Peters. One can understand why the Crusaders may have been out of sorts. Still, it’s kind of frustrating to know you only needed 44 points to buy yourself another game. The 43 points was the lowest for a winning team all season. The game was 4 to 3 at the end of the first quarter, which was the lowest-scoring first quarter in any game in over five years. Milwaukee won its semifinal and its appearance in the Horizon League final was the least-likely team accomplishment in all of the conference tournaments, estimated at 2% before action began.
VIDEO: Dennis Felton Interview With Al Pawlowski--csuvikings.com
Hard work brings five Titan b-ballers honors--Varsity News

In end, Green Bay better prepared for Horizon final--Varsity News
Dorsey-Walker looks past Oakland basketball--Oakland Post
Final Illinois Rankings for the 2016-17 season--The Catch and Shoot
The state of Illinois finally ended its shutout streak in the NCAA Tournament with Northwestern going dancing. Aside from that? It was a somewhat disappointing year.

UIC reached the CBI semifinals and Illinois made the NIT quarterfinals, but the state had a legitimate chance to send four teams to the NCAA Tournament at one point during championship week with Illinois State on the bubble after its Arch Madness finals loss, Illinois trying to play its way into the field with the Big Ten Tournament coming up and UIC being favored in the Horizon League semifinals against Milwaukee.
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7. UIC (17-19, 7-11 Horizon; CBI Semifinals)

After upsetting Green Bay, UIC had a wide-open path to the Horizon League championship game. But then the Flames got knocked off by bottom-seeded Milwaukee in the semifinals.

UIC still got a bid to the CBI and took advantage with two postseason wins before falling to Coastal Carolina in the semis.
Shocking exodus--Whoosh! Net
UWGB men land big recruit in Patterson--Green Bay Press Gazette
Manny Patterson commits to Green Bay--Phear The Phoenix
Our best destination doesn’t exist yet--PantherU

Rechlicz Looks Back On 2016-17 Season--mkepanthers.com
On Improving the NCAA Tourney: Part I--Rush The Court
Open Hearts and Minds for the Little Guys

Perhaps the biggest problem for the committee each year is how to assess the teams that play in non-power conferences. With so few opportunities for resume-enhancing wins using the current methodology, those squads are at a distinct disadvantage. The solution is for the committee to consider other evaluation tools when its standard method does not give enough information. For example, here is a situation that occurred during the 2016 selection process.
The committee chose Tulsa and Temple ostensibly because they owned more top-50 wins, but those two teams also had numerous more chances to play top-50 opponents. Since St. Mary’s and Valparaiso didn’t have those same opportunities, the committee should have utilized another metric to properly consider them. This methodology should also apply to seeding — making Wichita State (KenPom top 10) a #10 Seed in this year’s event was extremely unfair to both the Shockers and the other teams in their pod (i.e., Dayton and Kentucky). This inherent availability problem in evaluating teams from mid-major leagues is only going to get worse as several power conferences move to 20-game league schedules and further limit opportunities for the teams from the other leagues to schedule tough non-conference games.
Valparaiso athletic director Mark LaBarbera talks hot-button topics in Q-and-A--Post-Tribune
Peters Named Honorable Mention All-American by Associated Press--valpoathletics.com

Crusaders Announce Elite Camp--valpoathletics.com
Report: NKU Working to Extend Brannen's Contract--River City News
Update: Bothof issues statement on Brannen’s status--The Northerner
Competitors announced to face WSU’s Davis in dunk contest--Dayton Daily News
Former Wright State standout Thomasson signs NBA D-League contract--Dayton Daily News
Davis exits dunk contest with groin injury--Dayton Daily News
WSU’s Alstork declares for NBA Draft--Dayton Daily News
Sports Today: Grant’s challenge at Dayton, Ohio State’s rebuilds and reboots and the Reds are coming to town--Dayton Daily News
Wright State can brag of a shorter NBA draft drought than UD’s thanks to big man Vitaly Potapenko, who was taken 12th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1996.

Mark Alstork, who led the Raiders in scoring last season as a junior, declared this morning he will enter the draft, although it is likely a fact-finding mission more than anything else. He can return if he doesn’t sign with an agent.

As a 6-5 guard, he has the size to intrigue scouts if he continues to develop under now-second year coach Scott Nagy, so it will be interesting to find out what he learns from scouts during this process.

The Raiders were also in the news last night as Steven Davis took part in a slam dunk contest for college seniors, but an injury wiped out his chance to take home the title…
Alstork leaving options open, but focus set on NBA--Springfield News-Sun
Alstork Declares for NBA Draft--wsuraiders.com

Women Enjoy Success Under First-Year Coach Merriweather--wsuraiders.com
The Morning Dish – Tuesday, March 28, 2017--Hoopville
Youngstown State has long been one of the true outposts in Division I basketball, a school where winning seasons are rare-just five over the last 33 years-and finishing even near the middle of the Horizon League has been a success. The Penguins are known far more for football, but they do seem to have done very well with the hire of Jarrod Calhoun, who comes from Fairmont State (W.Va.), which just played in the NCAA Division II championship game. Calhoun was a success at Fairmont State and as head coach at then-NAIA (now NCAA D-II) Walsh (Ohio), and he also spent time working under Bob Huggins at West Virginia.
Ed Puskas: Penguins are already winning--Youngstown Vindicator
Calhoun plans to bring up-temp style to YSU--Youngstown Vindicator
YSU officially hires Calhoun as men’s coach--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Huggins a big fan of new YSU coach--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
New YSU coach wants turnaround--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Penguins pleased with new leader--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
A Sleeping Giant: Jerrod Calhoun Introduced as YSU Men’s Basketball Coach--The Jambar
Peters Named AP Honorable Mention All-American--The Horizon League

Saturday, March 25, 2017

News On The Horizon 3/25/2017

College basketball coaching changes: Archie Miller leaves Dayton for Indiana; who will Flyers hire?--CBS Sports
Cleveland State Vikings

Out: Gary Waters

The Vikings had Waters run the program for 11 seasons, making the NCAAs in 2009. The past two years, CSU had nine-win campaigns. From this program to Miami University to Youngstown State, and perhaps more to come, the state of Ohio will have a influx of new coaches this spring.

In: Dennis Felton

Felton is a veteran in the coaching world, having spent more than 30 years on the bench and previously was at Georgia (2003-09) and Western Kentucky (1998-2003). Most recently, he was an assistant for Frank Haith at Tulsa.
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Youngstown State Penguins

Out: Jerry Slocum

The Penguins haven’t made the NCAA Tournament in their history. Slocum spent 12 years with the program but never won more than 18 games. This season, Youngstown State went 13-21. The program should seek to hire an elite assistant who knows the Midwest well and can recruit.
See how Corey Allen, other college basketball players from Ann Arbor area fared this year--MLive.com
Detroit Mercy freshman Corey Allen. (Photo used with permission from Detroit Mercy Athletic Communications)


Corey Allen, Detroit Mercy

Allen was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year after leading all conference first-year players with 14.3 points per game. The 6-foot-3 guard started 26 of 30 games and played the most minutes on the team this year. Allen, a 2016 graduate of Ypsilanti, was the 2016 Ann Arbor News Player of the Year.
Ryan Zuke | rzuke1@mlive.com
Michigan State guard Eron Harris (14) tries to guard Youngstown State guard Latin Davis (11) in the second half of their NCAA basketball game at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, on Tuesday, December 6, 2016. Michigan State won the game, 77-57. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)
Latin Davis, Youngstown State

The 2015 Milan graduate played in 31 games for Youngstown State this season, starting in two. The 5-foot-11 guard was 8-of-22 shooting from beyond the arc, and averaged 2.9 points per game. At Milan, Davis was named the 2015 Ann Arbor News Player of the Year.
Mike Mulholland | MLive.com
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Michigan State forward Matt Van Dyk (30) looks to go up for a layup against Youngstown State forward Devin Haygood (2) in the second half of their NCAA basketball game at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, on Tuesday, December 6, 2016. Michigan State won the game, 77-57. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)
Devin Haygood, Youngstown State

Haygood shot 59 percent from the field and averaged 6.1 points per game this season. He played in all 34 games, starting three. The 6-foot-7 forward graduated from Ypsilanti Lincoln in 2015.
Mike Mulholland | MLive.com
The Morning Dish Saturday, March 25, 2017--Hoopville
Side Dishes
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Cleveland State has hired Tulsa assistant Dennis Felton to take over for Gary Waters. Felton had a successful run at Western Kentucky before spending six years at Georgia, then he spent the past three seasons as an assistant at Tulsa. Hoopville is keeping track of all the coaching changes right here.
Florida coach Mike White knows the other side of a buzzer-beater--USA Today
Penguins practice as they await new coach--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle

Friday, March 24, 2017

News On The Horizon 3/24/2017

Cleveland State hires Dennis Felton as head coach--College Basketball Talk
Cleveland State makes an underwhelming hoops hire in Dennis Felton--Crains Cleveland
Cleveland State hires former Georgia coach Dennis Felton--Associated Press
Dennis Felton to be next Cleveland State basketball coach--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State Men’s Basketball Hires Dennis Felton as New Head Coach--NEO Sports Insiders
Cleveland State Hires Dennis Felton. That’s About It--Campus Pressbox
Dennis Felton Named Head Coach of Cleveland State Basketball--csuvikings.com
CBI run concludes at Coastal Carolina--UIC News
UIC’s CBI Run Concludes at Coastal Carolina--uicflames.com
UWGB's Kanter to declare for NBA draft--Green Bay Press Gazette
Kerem Kanter declares for NBA Draft--Phear The Phoenix
UNC-Greensboro 59, UWM women 49: Cold shooting leads to loss--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Comes Up Just Short In WBI Semifinals--mkepanthers.com
Lottich’s first season a success despite postseason losses--The Torch
Peters Named an NABC Third Team All-American--valpoathletics.com

Rising seniors can lead the way for women’s basketball--The Torch
Per NCAA 'value' bracket, the price is right at NKU--Cincinnati Enquirer
The NCAA Tournament: A Sports Writer’s Dream--The Northerner
NKU men’s basketball attendance rises with improved record--The Northerner
UCLA assistant Ed Schilling coached at Wright State, played at Miami--Dayton Daily News
Morse earns yet another hoops honor--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Peters Named NABC All-American--The Horizon League
Dennis Felton Named Head Coach of Cleveland State Basketball--The Horizon League

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

News On The Horizon 3/22/2017

Jerrod Calhoun Boosts Resume for Cleveland State Coaching Job, One Win at a Time--Campus Pressbox
HAYES, WALKER EARN NABC HONORS--golengrizzlies.com
The Morning Dish – Wednesday, March 22, 2017--Hoopville
Tonight’s Menu:

The CBI semifinals are held. Illinois-Chicago goes to Coastal Carolina, which also was a semifinalist in the CIT a year ago. Later, Utah Valley is at Wyoming, a good Rockies matchup in Laramie as the Wolverines try to keep up their run from the WAC while the Cowboys look to stay on track to make it two straight Mountain West champions in this tourney after Nevada won it last year.
UIC’s CBI Run Concludes at Coastal Carolina--uicflames.com
Vance Johnson receives Green Bay scholarship offer--Phear The Phoenix

Mehryn Kraker Named Scholar-Athlete of the Season--greenbayphoenix.com
Conference has real opportunity with openings--PantherU

Panthers Look For WBI Championship Berth Thursday--mkepanthers.com
Peters Earns All-District Accolade; Named League Scholar-Athlete of Season--valpoathletics.com
2017-18 Season Tickets Now Available for Men’s Basketball--nkunorse.com
Alstork Honored by NABC--wsuraiders.com
Cameron Morse Named NABC All-District 12 First-Team--ysusports.com
Peters Named Academic All-American--The Horizon League
Five #HLMBB Players Named NABC All-District--The Horizon League

Peters and Kraker Earn Scholar-Athlete of the Season Honors--The Horizon League

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

News On The Horizon 3/21/2017

Cleveland State coaching job has some intriguiging possibile candidates--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Isaiah Brock’s family and Army friends show support at Richmond game--Oakland Post
The Morning Dish – Tuesday, March 21, 2017--Hoopville
Side Dishes
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In addition to Utah Valley’s win, the CBI semifinals are now set, and it’s not going out on a limb to say Wyoming has emerged as a heavy favorite. The Cowboys defeated UMKC 72-61, and at 20-14 are easily the most successful team left this season. The other three semifinalists have a combined record of one game over .500, though 17-18 Illinois-Chicago picked up a solid home win over George Washington 80-71, while Coastal Carolina knocked out Loyola (Md.) 72-63.
UIC postseason run part of college basketball resurgence in Illinois--Chicago Tribune
Flames head to CBI semifinals--UIC News
A big helping hand--Whoosh! Net
UIC Set for CBI Semifinal at Coastal Carolina--uicflames.com

SPARK Donates Over 1,000 Items of Clothing--uicflames.com
Seniors end careers with most wins in GB history--

UWGB women still the top team in Horizon--Green Bay Press Gazette
“Concerned Panther Fan” responds to Amanda Braun controvery--UWM Post
Alec Peters--Draft Express
Sports Vault: In 2000, the NKU women weren't considered contenders -- until they won it all--WCPO
Men’s Basketball to Host Summer Camps--wsuraiders.com