On The Horizon

As we enter the final week and change leading up to Selection Sunday, I want to take a moment to highlight some teams that have flown under the radar. A multitude of programs have had special seasons to varying degrees, but particularly in the mid-majors, quite a few teams are putting together landmark seasons. While they may not wind up in the Big Dance, they’re fighting for the chance to play their way in, and could crash the party.

Purdue-Fort Wayne

The Mastodons have been a D1 school since only 2002 and didn’t have their first winning season until 2011. Maria Marchesano has secured a second straight 20-win season in Fort Wayne, Ind., tying the program record for wins (23) while jostling with Green Bay and Cleveland State for control of the Horizon League. The Mastodons need to win the conference tournament to make it to the Big Dance for the first time, but this season has already been a massive success.

Midmajors

Projected in: Albany, Ball State, Columbia, Fairfield, Fairleigh Dickinson, FGCU, Gonzaga, Grand Canyon, Green Bay, Hawaii, Harvard, High Point, James Madison, Lehigh, Middle Tennessee, Missouri State, Montana State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina-Greensboro, South Dakota State, Southeastern Louisiana, Southern, Tennessee Tech, UNLV, UTSA

Cleveland State Men's Basketball Hosts Northern Kentucky in Horizon League Quarterfinal Doubleheader--csuvikings.com

Cleveland State Women's Basketball Set To Host Detroit Mercy In #HLWBB Quarterfinals--csuvikings.com

Men's Basketball Season Comes To An End At NKU--detroittitans.com

Jackson Drops Career-High 25 Points Leading No. 6 Detroit Mercy to Win Over No. 11 Milwaukee In #HLWBB Championship First Round Action--detroittitans.com

UWGB men's basketball ousted from Horizon League tournament, ending Doug Gottlieb's first season--Green Bay Press-Gazette
Green Bay Drops #HLMBB First Round Contest at Oakland--greenbayphoenix.com

Game Preview: GB Welcomes Oakland for Quarterfinal Matchup--greenbayphoenix.com

WRIGHT STATE OUTGUNS JAGUARS IN OPENING ROUND OF HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT--iuindyjags.com

IU INDY FALLS SHORT IN OPENING ROUND OF HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT--iuindyjags.com

Postseason Gets Underway With Rematch Against Oakland Thursday--mkepanthers.com

Women's Basketball Exits Horizon League Championship with First Round Loss to Detroit Mercy--mkepanthers.com

NKU in season-high scoring outburst to romp in Horizon tourney play over Detroit Mercy--NKyTribune
Survive and Advance: NKU shows no mercy against Detroit--The Northerner
Men's Basketball kicks off tournament time with dominant, blowout victory over Detroit Mercy--nkunorse.com

Oakland leads wire to wire in 96-72 first round win over Green Bay.--HoriZone Roundtable
Oakland starts Horizon League tournament with a bang, cooks Green Bay--The Detroit News
As offense clicks, Oakland starts to believe magical run is doable--The Detroit News
Golden Grizzlies Cruise Past Green Bay in #HLMBB Championship Opener, 96-72--goldengrizzlies.com
No. 6 Golden Grizzlies Continue on #HLMBB Championship with Quarterfinal Tilt at No. 3 Milwaukee--goldengrizzlies.com

Oakland women clamp down in 4th quarter against IU Indy to advance in Horizon League Tournament--HoriZone Roundtable
Golden Grizzlies Survive and Advance as they Take Down Jags in HL Championship First Round--goldengrizzlies.com
Golden Grizzlies Look to Continue Tournament Run as they Head to Green Bay to Tackle Phoenix--goldengrizzlies.com

No. 5 Mastodons Travel to No. 4 YSU in #HLMBB Quarterfinals--gomastodons.com

PFW women focused headed into Horizon tourney--Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Mastodons Welcome Wright State For #HLWBB Quarterfinal--gomastodons.com

Robert Morris basketball brings ray of sunshine to bleak Pittsburgh sports landscape--TribLIVE
Well-traveled Woods plays important role in getting Robert Morris the top seed for the Horizon League Tournament--TribLIVE
'Brotherhood' between Alvaro Folgueiras, Amarion Dickerson helps Robert Morris to Horizon League regular season title--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Toole Named Finalist for Hugh Durham Award--rmucolonials.com
RMU Hosts Wright State in Barbasol Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship Quarterfinals--

Colonials to Host Northern Kentucky in Barbasol Horizon League Women’s Basketball Championship Quarterfinals--rmucolonials.com

Wright State takes control after rough start, advances in tourney--Dayton Daily News
Doumbia's double-double helps lead Raiders to HL first round win--wsuraiders.com
Raiders continue postseason climb Thursday at Robert Morris--wsuraiders.com

Wright State women’s basketball: Staton sets rebound records in HL tourney win--Dayton Daily News
Staton’s Record-Breaking Night Advances Raiders to HL Quarterfinals--wsuraiders.com
Women’s Basketball Travels to Purdue Fort Wayne for HL Championship Quarterfinals--wsuraiders.com

Penguins Host Mastodons in Quarterfinal REDOUT Thursday--ysusports.com

Staton’s record-setting night leads Raiders to victory over Youngstown State--HoriZone Roundtable
YSU women’s season ends in Horizon League tournament loss to Wright State--Warren Tribune Chronicle
Penguins Conclude Season in Tournament’s First Round--ysusports.com

Northern Kentucky, Oakland and Wright State Open 2025 Barbasol #HLMBB Championship with First Round Victories--The Horizon League

Detroit Mercy, Oakland and Wright State Collect Wins in the Opening Round of the 2025 Barbasol #HLWBB Championship--The Horizon League

Jim Squire

How does each #HLMBB school win tonight?--HoriZone Roundtable
Horizon League tournament bracket: Full TV schedule, channels, scores for 2025 men's basketball championships--Sporting News
Horizon League Men’s Tournament Preview--Mid-Major Madness
3/4/25 TUESDAY NOTES--Staring at the Floorboards

Subscriber Content
HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT (TOURNAMENT PREDICTION: CLEVELAND STATE over MILWAUKEE)

Green Bay is obviously playing their best basketball of the year, and should have just defeated Oakland at the Resch Center to close out the regular season (featured an Always Foul Up 3 disaster)....
Detroit didn’t do much against NKU’s zone despite scoring a win at home against the Norse, but that was mainly due to NKU’s second worst shooting game of the year...,
Wright State is stumbling hard coming into the HL, and finished the year with a brutal loss at IU Indy, who they draw in the opening round tonight- but that makes them ripe for the picking...

Horizon League Women’s Tournament Preview--Mid-Major Madness

The Doug Gottlieb era: See photos from the UWGB men's basketball coach's first year--Green Bay Press-Gazette

Four Green Bay Phoenix players win Horizon League honors--WFRV Local 5

4 underrated teams to watch for during conference tournament season--Mid-Major Madness

Purdue Fort Wayne

Jalen Jackson (1) averaged a team-high 19.2 points per game for Purdue Fort Wayne.
Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

Seed: 5-seed in Horizon League

Record: 19-12 overall (12-8 Horizon League)

It’s been an awful end to the year for Purdue Fort Wayne, who lost four of their final five games, but they have one of the better duos in mid-major basketball with guards Jalen Jackson and Rasheed Bello.

Jackson, who missed the Mastodon’s regular-season finale, was a legitimate contender for Horizon League Player of the Year after averaging 19.2 points per game on 48 percent shooting. Bello is one of the best defensive players in the conference and has found his scoring touch down the stretch, averaging 21 points per game in the last five games.

As a team, Fort Wayne is another team that shoots the crap out of the basketball, shooting 37.4 percent from three-point range. The Mastodons are also good at protecting the basketball, turning it over on 12.5 percent of their offensive possessions.

If you’re willing to look past the final five games of the regular season, there are plenty of reasons to like Fort Wayne’s chances in the conference tournament. Earlier in the season, the Mastodons beat Robert Morris and Milwaukee, the top two teams in the conference, and held their own against high-major teams like Penn State and UCF.

Mastodon women dominate Horizon hoops awards, men put pair on first team--Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Wright State Men's Basketball Falls Short Against Rival Northern Kentucky University--Wright State Guardian

Fantastic Freshman: West Branch’s Gregory earns Horizon League honors--Warren Tribune Chronicle

#HLMBB Notebook – March 4, 2025--The Horizon League

#HLWBB Notebook – March 4, 2025--The Horizon League

Jim Squire

Expand Your Horizon: Preview Edition – Horizon League Tournament--HoriZone Roundtable
The HoriZone Roundtable Post-Season All-#HLMBB Teams and Awards – 2024-25--HoriZone Roundtable
Here's why NIU is joining the MWC and Horizon League--Extra Points
2025 Horizon League Tournament: Schedule, Bracket, Recent History, TV/Streaming Info--Blogging the Bracket

Which Horizon League awards and honors did Cleveland State men’s basketball earn?--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State Men’s Basketball Well Represented on #HLMBB All-Conference Teams--csuvikings.com

How many Horizon League awards and honors did Cleveland State women’s basketball earn?--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State Women’s Basketball Enters #HLWBB Tournament As No. 3 Seed--csuvikings.com
Perdue Named #HLWBB Player of the Year; Guerreiro, Leo & Reisma Earn All-League Honors--csuvikings.com

Men's Basketball Starts #HLMBB Postseason At NKU On Tuesday--detroittitans.com
Johnson Named To Horizon League All-Freshman Team--detroittitans.com

Detroit Mercy women's hoops out to make more noise in Horizon tournament--The Detroit News
Game 29: No. 6 Detroit Mercy Hosts No. 11 Milwaukee in 2025 Barbasol #HLWBB Championship First Round Action--detroittitans.com
O’Brien, McQueen and Starks Earn #HLWBB All-League Honors--detroittitans.com

Green Bay men’s hoops drops regular season finale--WFRV Local 5
Phoenix Readies for Rematch Against Oakland in Horizon League Championship First Round--greenbayphoenix.com

Green Bay wins Horizon League title after OT thriller--WFRV Local 5
Sports Xtra: GB women’s hoops head coach Kayla Karius joins the show--WFRV Local 5
Four Phoenix Earn All-League Honors--greenbayphoenix.com

GOODE VOTED TO #HLMBB ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM--iuindyjags.com
MEN'S BASKETBALL TO OPEN #HLMBB TOURNAMENT AT NO. 8 WRIGHT STATE--iuindyjags.com

DAVIDSON NAMED 92C ATHLETE OF THE WEEK--iuindyjags.com
DAVIDSON AND NEWSON-COLE EARN #HLWBB ALL-LEAGUE AWARDS--iuindyjags.com
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HOSTS OAKLAND FOR OPENING ROUND OF #HLWBB TOURNAMENT--iuindyjags.com

Two UW-Milwaukee men's basketball players earn all-Horizon League honors--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Panthers secure regular season win on Senior Day--UWM Post
Stillwell And Fulks Claim Horizon League Postseason Honors--mkepanthers.com

Payton Rechlicz Named to Horizon League All-Freshman Team--mkepanthers.com

Wobbly Oakland faces daunting task to get back to NCAA Tournament--The Detroit News
Mukeba Named #HLMBB All-League Second Team Honoree; Woodrich Named Sportsmanship Award Finalist--goldengrizzlies.com
No. 6 Golden Grizzlies Host No. 11 Phoenix in First Round of #HLMBB Championships--goldengrizzlies.com

Golden Grizzlies Head to IU Indianapolis for First Round of #HLWBB Championship--goldengrizzlies.com
Skorupski Named to #HLWBB All-League Second Team--goldengrizzlies.com

Jalen Jackson and Rasheed Bello Earn Multiple League Honors--gomastodons.com

Ross, Purdue Fort Wayne dominate 2024-25 HoriZone Roundtable #HLWBB postseason awards--HoriZone Roundtable
PFW women take second in Horizon League track championships, men fourth--Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Five Mastodon WBB Players Collect All-League Honors, Marchesano Named Coach of the Year--gomastodons.com

Robert Morris men claim 3 Horizon League postseason awards--TribLive
Robert Morris men's basketball makes history, sweeps Horizon League awards--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Folgueiras, Dickerson, Toole Take Home Superlative Horizon League Awards, Woods Named All-League--rmucolonials.com

Wright State basketball: Noel named all-league second team, Callaghan makes all-freshman team--Dayton Daily News
Wright State basketball: Horizon League tourney looks wide open to Sargent, Raiders--Dayton Daily News
Noel, Callaghan earn Horizon League honors--wsuraiders.com
Sargent named a finalist for Joe B. Hall Award--wsuraiders.com
Raiders open postseason action on Tuesday night inside Nutter Center--wsuraiders.com

Amaya Staton locks in 8th consecutive double-double in Senior Day loss to Robert Morris--HoriZone Roundtable
Amaya Staton Earns All-League Honors--wsuraiders.com
Women’s Basketball Readies to Host YSU for first round of 2025 Barbasol HL Championship--wsuraiders.com

Galette, Farmer, Dynes Earn Horizon League Postseason Honors--ysusports.com
Faulkner Named Finalist For 2024-25 Joe B. Hall Award--ysusports.com

Gregory Named Horizon League Freshman of the Year; Watkins Earns Second Team Honors--ysusports.com
Women’s Basketball Begins Tournament Play Tuesday at Wright State--ysusports.com

Horizon League Unveils 2024-25 #HLMBB All-League Awards--The Horizon League

Horizon League Releases 2024-25 #HLWBB All-League Awards--The Horizon League

Jim Squire

How Wrong Were We???--HoriZone Roundtable
Predicting the first 15 college basketball conference tournament winners of 2025 March Madness--Busting Brackets

Horizon League

Dates: March 4th-11th

Venue: Higher seed campus sites and Corteva Coliseum

Top Seed: Robert Morris Colonials

Winner: Cleveland State Vikings

It is now the fourth season in a row that has seen the Vikings finish at or near the top of the Horizon League standings, and four years in a row that they were one of the favorites to win the conference tournament. The Vikings head into the tournament this year as one of the best defensive teams in the entire country and the best defensive team in the Horizon League. Scoring on Cleveland State has become a chore. They force turnovers and force you to play in the half-court. The Vikings do foul a lot, but they make up for it by rarely allowing a clean look at the basket. The Vikings have been the best team in the Horizon since January.

Sleeper: Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Looking at it on paper, most would think that there is no chance that any team outside of the top 4 teams will win this league. That would be an acceptable assumption, but given that the Horizon League tournament never goes as people expect it, and it has been full of upsets, anyone can win it. The Golden Grizzlies were the Cinderella of the NCAA tournament last year when they made the Sweet 16, and they did so with ridiculous three-point shooting. Oakland still takes a ton of threes, but this year, they are shooting under 30% from deep. They likely won’t fix that in a week, but if they can make some shots, they can stick around for a while.

Conference Tourney Previews, Part 1 of 3--Hoops HD

Horizon tourney predicted champ: Youngstown State (#4 seed)
Dates: March 4-11
Location: Campus sites and Indianapolis, IN
2024 tourney champ: Oakland (#1 seed)
Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 4 years
Seeding: 7 of past 9 champs were not #1 seed
I do like Penn alumni so I am dying to go with my fellow Quaker Andy Toole, the head coach at Robert Morris (or as the folks at HoopsHD like to call them: Morris Robert). However, this tourney dislikes #1 seeds so I will go with another HoopsHD favorite: the Penguins! Even though I dislike 1st-year coaches, Coach Ethan Faulkner has had quite a wild debut season. He started 2-5 in non-conference play, then won 8 in a row, then had a rocky ride in conference play but was still able to finish top-4 in the conference standings. Their starting lineup is a little short with nobody standing taller than 6’6”, yet they are #10 in the nation with 5.4 BPG due in “large” part to 7’3” C Gabe Dynes, whose defensive prowess is…DYN-O-MITE!!