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.
AJ McKee played for UW-Milwaukee coach Bart Lundy at NCAA Division II
Queens College. (Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Shooting guard: AJ McKee, UW-Milwaukee
The Panthers needed a bucket-getter to help ease the loss of leading scorer
B.J. Freeman, who transferred to Arizona State.
So head coach Bart Lundy turned to a familiar face in McKee, who played for
Lundy at NCAA Division II Queens College.
McKee led Queens with at 18.8 points per game on 44.7% shooting. Lundy has
also praised McKee's grit as a defender.
It will be interesting to see how McKee's success translates to the Horizon
League, but there will be plenty of oportunities.
Preston Ruedinger opted to return to UW-Green Bay after a coaching
change. (Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Point guard: Preston Ruedinger, UW-Green Bay
The former Oshkosh Lourdes High School standout is one of just five players
to return to the Phoenix to play for new coach Doug Gottlieb.
The 6-2 Ruedinger averaged 8.4 points and 2.2 assists per game last season.
He should benefit from the tutelage of Gottlieb, who was an excellent
college guard at Notre Dame and Oklahoma State.
BENCH
Faizon Fields, UWM, power forward
The Panthers finished strong last season, thanks in part to the 6-10 Fields
joining the starting lineup.
He does all the dirty work that successful teams need. He had the best
offensive-rebounding percentage in Horizon League games while also finishing
third in block percentage.
Anthony Roy, UWGB, guard
The 6-5 Roy's backstory is as interesting as predicting what he might
provide the Phoenix on the court this season.
He's had four stops in his previous four seasons: San Francisco, Wenatchee
Valley junior college, New Mexico State and NAIA Langston University.
Last season, he was a NAIA All-American who averaged 18.4 points per game.
Can he get close to that at the Division I level?
Isaiah Miranda, UWGB, center
Players that measure 7-1 are always going to be intriguing.
Miranda was a four-star recruit who didn't unlock his potential at North
Carolina State or Oklahoma State. But coaches will never stop giving chances
to 7-footers.
Throw in good length and Davis has the profile of a defensive stopper who
can guard multiple positions.
Head coach: Doug Gottlieb, UWGB
There is little precedent for Gottlieb's situation. He plans to keep his
national radio show while coaching a college basketball team for the first
time.
Gottlieb clearly has a fertile hoops mind, so can certainly excel. Or he
could be overwhelmed with juggling two demanding jobs.
One thing for sure is that it will be intriguing to watch.
