On The Horizon

Jim Squire

Cleveland State men’s basketball controls its own destiny heading down Horizon League stretch--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State men’s basketball can’t avoid upset in 76-75 loss to UIC--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Men’s Basketball drops heartbreaker at buzzer to UIC--csuvikings.prestosports.com

Cleveland State Women's Basketball Set To Host Youngstown State On Friday Evening--csuvikings.prestosports.com

McNeal and Murua Post Career-Highs as Detroit Mercy drops #HLWBB Game to Milwaukee--detroittitans.com

UWGB 61, Oakland 57: Phoenix women keep finding ways to win--Green Bay Press Gazette
Oskey's Big Day Fuels Phoenix to Seventh Straight Win--greenbayphoenix.com

MAXWELL, McCLURE SHINE IN ROAD LOSS AT PURDUE FORT WAYNE--iupuijags.com
JAGUARS TO FACE CLEVELAND STATE ON SATURDAY--iupuijags.com

JAGUARS DEFEAT RAIDERS TO EARN 12TH STRAIGHT VICTORY, 73-60--iupuijags.com

Balanced Attack Leads Panthers Past Titans--mkepanthers.com
Revenge Game at Oakland on Deck for MKE--mkepanthers.com

NKU women’s basketball survives late-game surge to douse the Flames--The Northerner
@NKUNorseWBB sweeps season series against UIC--nkunorse.com

SIGHTS SET FOR ROBERT MORRIS MATCHUP ON FRIDAY--goldengrizzlies.com

OAKLAND BATTLES, FALLS SHORT AGAINST GREEN BAY--goldengrizzlies.com

Cameron Benford Sets Career Games Played Record in Win Over IUPUI--gomastodons.com
Homecoming Contest With UIC Set For Gates on Saturday Night--gomastodons.com

Rauf Report: Arkansas surging, rise of Rutgers, other college basketball takeaways--Heat Check CBB

Conferences denying auto-bids during realignment is DUMB

The worse and most troubling trend in college basketball right now is conferences banning teams that are leaving said conferences in the offseason from competing in conference tournaments. As a result, it eliminates that team’s chance at an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

So far, three schools have been affected:

Following this morning’s report, we are now at three teams that will be ineligible for their 2022 conference tournament due to future realignment:

CAA: James Madison

America East: Stony Brook

Horizon League: UIC
— Heat Check CBB (@HeatCheckCBB) February 9, 2022

Long story short, there is a new round of conference realignment happening that is largely sparked by Oklahoma and Texas moving to the SEC and the trickle-down effects of that move. The three teams mentioned above are moving up to what are perceived to be better conferences. Because they are leaving, those conferences are enforcing policies banning them from competing in conference tournaments in the year before the move.

On one hand, yes, those rules have been in place. On the other, players are being stripped of the opportunity to compete and represent their school at the highest level. This only hurts the players — the same people those schools and conferences say they’re working in the best interest of (*insert “Yeah, OK” gif here*).

Unfortunately, we may see this list expand, too, as several schools will be switching leagues this offseason.
Loyola Chicago is moving to the A-10 and both Belmont and Murray State are replacing them in the Missouri Valley with UIC. It may not matter to those three since all have NCAA Tournament at-large hopes, but those would be the notable names to watch.