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.
Not a particularly impressive performance last night from either finalist in Daytona Beach, as Cleveland State
had to squeeze past a severely shorthanded FGCU team, and really only
scored consistently at the FT line and the offensive glass. Illinois State
meanwhile predictably couldn’t stay in front of UIW’s dribble
penetration for the vast majority of the game and were outplayed
everywhere except for Chase Walker’s paint production...
Cleveland State hasn’t played for 2 weeks while Queens got the lay of the Ocean Center, shooting 12-22 from 3 yesterday against NAU en route to 1.29 PPP...
2024-25 season stats: 16.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, and 3.8 apg
After
a couple of solid years at EMU, Lovejoy was the star for Detroit this
past year, leading them in scoring on 45% FG shooting. Some of his best
games include 30 points against Rhode Island and a career-high 32 to
beat Horizon League champs RMU in OT. As a Detroit native, there's a
chance he'll stay close to home for his next option.
On
a roster filled with senior guards, Fulks emerged as the top perimeter
player, leading the team in scoring and passing. The 6'1 guard had a
24-point game against Wofford, along with 21 points and 12 assists
versus Wright State. As a Winston-Salem native, he could make his way
back out west.
The
6'8 forward was one of the top rebounders in the nation, including a
24-point and 19-rebound performance against Green Bay. Stillwell is a
good athlete as well, capable of spacing the floor, too. He'll need to
improve on that if he moves up a level since he won't be able to play
the 5-spot.
The
6'2 guard is a two-time all-league player in the Horizon League,
leading the entire conference in scoring this past season. Jackson shot
48% from the field and had eight games of at least 25 points, including a
career-high 38 points on the road at IU Indy. Jackson is from Fort
Wayne, and there are multiple local options if he were to move up.
2024-25 season stats: 6.8 rpg, 5.8 rpg, and 3.1 bpg
Dynes
is a 7'3 center who was second in the nation with 102 total blocks,
including nine in one game against Toledo. He can also give some
offense, including 19 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Green Bay.
His size and shot-blocking ability alone make Dynes an intriguing portal
target.
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Robert Morris (Friday, 12:40 p.m., truTV; Cleveland)
Alabama wants to run and play at an extremely fast pace, ranking No. 1
overall in adjusted tempo. Robert Morris, meanwhile, is 9-6 when its
games get up over 70 possessions (17-2 otherwise). The Colonials simply must
find a way to slow the game down. The Crimson Tide are extremely
difficult to beat regardless, but it becomes even more difficult if they
are allowed to play at their preferred pace.
Nate Oats’ club ranks fourth nationally in adjusted offense,
consistently bringing it on that end. Even in their eight losses, the
Tide have performed in the 66th percentile offensively. When they have
struggled, it has been because of their defense. In Alabama’s wins, its
opponents’ offensive rating has been 110.6; in its losses, that number
skyrockets to 122.7. Most notably, they have been crushed from three in
their defeats, giving up 37.9% shooting from deep compared to 28.7% in
wins.
Alabama went an undefeated 14-0 during the season against teams
ranked in the bottom half of the country for 3-point percentage (11-8
against the upper half). Robert Morris, while not elite, does rank in
that upper half at 120th nationally at 34.9%. Do-it-all forward Alvaro Folgueiras is RMU’s 6-9 matchup nightmare, having shot 42.7% from three this year; DJ Smith, Josh Omojafo and Ryan Prather are also dangerous threats from beyond the arc.