On The Horizon

Jim Squire

Is This the Upside Down?--HoriZone Roundtable
#HLMBB NET Rankings (And More!) – January 26, 2026--HoriZone Roundtable
Previews – January 28th – February 1st--HoriZone Roundtable
Horizon League Recap Jan. 18-24--Mid-Major Madness
Week 13 Watchlist: Stay Glued to Your TV Set--Basket Under Review

Wednesday, January 28
C Games
#127 Oakland (-4) at #222 Purdue Fort Wayne, 7 PM ET, ESPN+. Oakland! What a fun team. This has been a super up-and-down series, with the teams splitting the last ten matchups. There's no rhyme or reason to why either team wins (they're both .500 at home) and no identifiable trends anywhere. I throw my hands up and await a bizarre result.

#HLWBB Power Rankings — Week 12--HoriZone Roundtable

The Women’s Other Top 25: Rhode Island jumps to No. 2--Mid-Major Madness

Here is the full ranking:

Ranking

Team

Last Week

16 Green Bay 18

Road Test Ahead as Milwaukee Takes on Cleveland State--mkepanthers.com

Ups and downs: NKU women drop second straight after winning program-high seven in a row--LINK nky

Women's Basketball Plays Back-to-Back Home Games Against Jags and Penguins--goldengrizzlies.com

Oakland Comes to the Gates Sports Center on Wednesday--gomastodons.com

5 in 5: A Look at the Week Ahead in Women's College Basketball--Basket Under Review

5 Players I Have My Eye On

Alana Nelson
Nelson has been quietly very good for a Purdue Fort Wayne teams that essentially turned over an entire roster from their team a season ago. She transferred in from Spring Arbor (NAIA) and was an All-American for the last three years there. It’s proof that if you can play, you can play, as she hasn’t missed a beat this season. She’s gotten better as the season has gone on and has become a very efficient scorer for Purdue Fort Wayne. She has notched nine games of 20 or more points and has been excellent so far in conference play. She’s proven to be capable of putting her team on her back and shouldering the load, as evidenced by a 23-point game last week in a win where she shot 9-of-12 from the floor. Purdue Fort Wayne has two games this upcoming week, and Nelson will look to help improve her team to 9-4 in conference.

Mastodons and Colonials Square Off on Tuesday Night--gomastodons.com

RMU Men’s Basketball Wraps Up Homestand Against IU Indy--rmucolonials.com

Colonials, Mastodons Set for Horizon League Rematch--rmucolonials.com

Wright State basketball: Players fine with sharing load as part of deep rotation--Dayton Daily News

Under Armour #HLMBB Players of the Week (January 26)--The Horizon League
#HLMBB Notebook – Jan. 27, 2026--The Horizon League

Under Armour #HLWBB Players of the Week (January 26)--The Horizon League

Jim Squire

Bess Has Career Day, ‘Dons Win Revenge Game in OT--HoriZone Roundtable
'Gotta clear the cobwebs': Oakland, Detroit look to bounce back in showdown battle--The Detroit News
Wells, Robinson lead Oakland to 95-87 victory over Detroit Mercy--The Detroit News

Youngstown State Snows Out Vikings: Five Observations--HoriZone Roundtable
Cleveland State Women’s Basketball Falls At Youngstown State--csuvikings.com

Geeter, Spratt Net Career Highs In #MetroSeries Setback--detroittitans.com

Burrell Scores 14 Points in Titans' Setback at #HLWBB Leader Green Bay--detroittitans.com

O'Hara, Wilkins, and Allen Lead Green Bay Past Robert Morris--greenbayphoenix.com

Skorupski's Season-High 22 Points Lead Phoenix Past Detroit Mercy--greenbayphoenix.com

Struggles continue for depleted UWM in loss to Robert Morris--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Freshman Stevie Elam delivers in the clutch to lead UW-Milwaukee to victory--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Elam Wins It Against Penguins With Late Go-Ahead Basket--mkepanthers.com

Lomen Erupts for Career-High 27, Seven Threes vs. Oakland--mkepanthers.com

Bystry’s career-high 35 not enough as Norse fall to Purdue Fort Wayne in overtime thriller--The Northerner
Gherezgher’s 30-piece not enough as Norse drop road contest to Wright State--nkunorse.com

Bystry’s career day overshadowed by overtime loss to Purdue Fort Wayne--nkunorse.com

Oakland Secures Metro Series Victory in Detroit--HoriZone Roundtable
Oakland Posts Program-Best 95 Points at Calihan Hall in Win Over Detroit Mercy--goldengrizzlies.com

Oakland’s Rally Comes Up Short Against Green Bay--HoriZone Roundtable
Oakland Rolls Past Panthers to Cap Off Road Trip--HoriZone Roundtable
Women's Basketball Nails Season-High 12 Threes as they Earn Season Sweep Over Milwaukee--goldengrizzlies.com

Saturday's area women's basketball roundup: PFW tops No. Kentucky in OT--Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
'Dons Win 97-91 at NKU in Instant Overtime Classic--gomastodons.com

Robert Morris falls to Green Bay in another close loss--Tribune-Review
‘We should be desperate’: Robert Morris falters late, loses tight battle to Green Bay--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Robert Morris Sees Late Comeback Attempt Spoiled By Crucial Turnover in Loss to Green Bay--Robert Morris Sports Now
RMU Men’s Basketball Falls to Green Bay--rmucolonials.com

Traore and Leroux Help Power RMU Past Wright State--rmucolonials.com

Wright State gets back on track, coasts past Northern Kentucky--Dayton Daily News
Imariagbe’s double-double paces Raiders to Saturday victory--wsuraiders.com

Scott’s 15 Points Lead Raiders Saturday Afternoon--wsuraiders.com

Penguins Lose by One to Milwaukee--HoriZone Roundtable
YSU lets one slip away with 65-64 loss to Milwaukee--Tribune Chronicle
Penguins Fall to Milwaukee, 65-64--ysusports.com

Carroll’s Big Night Leads YSU to Victory--HoriZone Roundtable
YSU shuts down Cleveland State in 61-38 win--Tribune Chronicle
Lockdown Defense Leads Penguins to 61-38 Win Over Cleveland State--ysusports.com

Jim Squire

Men's Basketball To Clash With Oakland In #MetroSeries Showdown On Saturday--detroittitans.com

Jackson Posts Game-High 21 Points, Anderson adds Career-High 14 Points as Titans Come Up Short at Milwaukee--detroittitans.com

Phoenix Falls at Youngstown State 88-81--greenbayphoenix.com

Green Bay Never Trails, Downs Oakland 73-59--greenbayphoenix.com

Undermanned Panthers Fall At Robert Morris--mkepanthers.com

Efficient Shooting Effort Lifts Panthers Past Detroit Mercy, 76–68--mkepanthers.com

Robert Morris shows improvement in win against Milwaukee, but questions still linger--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Prather Leads RMU Men’s Basketball to 88-76 victory over Milwaukee--rmucolonials.com

Wright State basketball: With key players back, Raiders work to regain their groove--Dayton Daily News

Jim Squire

Horizon League watchguide Jan. 19-25--Mid-Major Madness
Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Thursday, Jan 22nd--Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:
-IU Indy went on the road and absolutely blew Oakland out 103-85. Oakland was over 200 spots ahead of them in the metrics, so by the standpoint of the metrics this was probably the biggest upset of the whole college basketball season so far. Even more surprising was this was on the heels of a 25-point win at Green Bay – this was a 43-point swing. Also one of the bigger differences this year.

Undermanned? Undersized? Underdog? Underestimated Vikings Upend Raiders--HoriZone Roundtable
Cleveland State Men's Basketball Topples Wright State on the Road, 85-79--csuvikings.com

Flat Opening Dooms Vikings at Purdue Fort Wayne: Five Observations--HoriZone Roundtable
Cleveland State Women’s Basketball Falls At Purdue Fort Wayne--csuvikings.com

Titans Downed By Purdue Fort Wayne--detroittitans.com

Games 19 & 20: Detroit Mercy Travels to Wisconsin for a Pair of #HLWBB Games at Milwaukee and Green Bay--detroittitans.com

Green Bay Hits the Road to Take on Youngstown State and Robert Morris--greenbayphoenix.com

Former Hortonville basketball star Kamy Peppler happy to be with UWGB--Green Bay Press-Gazette
Women's Basketball Set to Host Oakland and Detroit Mercy--greenbayphoenix.com

JAGUARS PUT UP DOMINANT ROAD EFFORT AT OAKLAND IN 103-85 WIN--iuindyjags.com

JAGUARS DEFEND JUNGLE IN WIN OVER NORTHERN KENTUCKY--iuindyjags.com

Road Swing Continues For MBB At Robert Morris Thursday Evening--mkepanthers.com

Thursday Night Matchup Set for Panthers against Detroit Mercy--mkepanthers.com

Norse go ice-cold from deep in road loss to IU Indy--nkunorse.com

Oakland Embarrassed by IU Indy at Home--HoriZone Roundtable
Oakland sweeps Wisconsin road trip: Golden Grizzlies dominate Milwaukee and Green Bay--The Oakland Post
IU Indy Pulls Away Late to Top Oakland, 103-85--goldengrizzlies.com

Strong Fourth Quarter Not Enough as Women's Basketball Falls at Green Bay--goldengrizzlies.com

Mastodons Win Fifth Straight; Top Detroit Mercy 83-76--gomastodons.com

Hot Start for the Mastodons Shellshocks the Vikes, Get Back to Winning Ways--HoriZone Roundtable
'Dons Never Trail in 10-Point Win Over Cleveland State--gomastodons.com

Robert Morris men get key Horizon League win vs. Milwaukee--Tribune-Review
Robert Morris Uses Most Complete Performance in HL Play to Defeat Milwaukee By Double Digits--Robert Morris Sports Now
RMU Men’s Basketball Opens Three-Game Homestand Against Milwaukee--rmucolonials.com

RMU Rides Strong Second Half to 55-40 Victory Over Youngstown State--RMU Sentry Media
Colonials Pick Up Big Rivalry Win Over Youngstown State at Home--rmucolonials.com

Wright State basketball: Pickett’s easy-going approach helping him emerge as star--Dayton Daily News
Wright State basketball: Cleveland State pulls off shocker against first-place Raiders--Dayton Daily News
Men's Basketball slips against Cleveland State--wsuraiders.com

Carroll’s career day helps YSU beat Green Bay to snap recent skid--Tribune Chronicle
Carroll Scores 34, Leads Penguins to 88-81 Victory Over Green Bay--ysusports.com

YSU Loses by 15 at Robert Morris--HoriZone Roundtable
YSU goes cold in 55-40 loss at Robert Morris--Tribune Chronicle
Robert Morris Controls Second Half as YSU Falls 55-40--ysusports.com

Jim Squire

#HLMBB Power Rankings 1/19--HoriZone Roundtable
Horizon League recap Jan. 12-18--Mid-Major Madness
Teams of the Week: Bearcats Bounce Back--Basket Under Review

HONORABLE MENTION: REMAINING CONFERENCE AWARDS
HORIZON LEAGUE: OAKLAND - The Golden Grizzlies were no match for the State of Wisconsin Horizon League schools this past week. Both Milwaukee and Green Bay were dared to shoot it from deep and combined to go 7-for 44 (far south of 20%), playing right into Oakland's hands. Buru Naivalurua continued his league POTY campaign with a 26 point, 10 rebound effort in Green Bay to get his Golden Grizzlies' squad to 7-2 in league play.
Future HOF HC Greg Kampe looks on as his Oakland defense leads Green Bay's offense into unwanted issues.