Sunday, April 26, 2015

News On The Horizon 4/26/2015


Morning News: Kris Dunn Returning, Christian Wood Gone, Damion Lee To Lousiville, And Much More--Basketball Predictions
Anton Grady Leaving Cleveland State It seems like Cleveland State gets hit hard by graduate transfers every year, and Anton Grady is the latest. They had already lost Trey Lewis to Louisville, and now star big man Anton Grady is gone as well, though he hasn't yet decided on a destination. Certainly these two defections will seem to end any realistic chance of Cleveland State challenging for the Horizon League title next season.
Huskers on radar for senior transfer?--247Sports.com
Cleveland State loses another fifth-year transfer in All-Horizon forward Anton Grady--Press Row Sports
Cleveland State basketball loses Anton Grady as fifth-year transfer (photos)--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Men's Basketball Announces Summer Camp Dates--csuvikings.com

Mariana Bautista Signs NLI To Join Women’s Basketball Program--csuvikings.com

UIC chasing former Green Bay commit Antoine Pittman--The Catch and Shoot
All-conference forward Anton Grady leaving Cleveland State--The Catch and Shoot
Ex-Green Bay commit Julian Torres chooses UIC--The Catch and Shoot
Men’s basketball adds staff, two players--UIC News
UIC Men's Basketball Adds 6-9 Julian Torres--uicflames.com

Ruvanna Campbell Featured in Final Four Program--uicflames.com

Mutual interest between Green Bay and Bryson Scott--Phear The Phoenix
All three Green Bay recruits granted release from NLI--Phear The Phoenix
Green Bay offers scholarship to SPASH's Trevor Anderson--Phear The Phoenix

Drake, Milwaukee to participate in 2015 Gulf Coast Showcase--The Catch and Shoot
Milwaukee To Compete In 2015 Gulf Coast Showcase--uwmpanthers.com

Horizon League to add 10th team--The Guardian

Schlegel Named Coach DiGregorio MVP at Women's Basketball Banquet--ysusports.com
Looking Forward: YSU Women’s Basketball Fall Signees Update--ysusports.com

Thursday, April 16, 2015

News On The Horizon 4/15/2015

Horizon League passes cost-of-admission measure for men’s basketball--CollegeBasketballTalk
Ultra Early Horizon League Preview for the 2015-16 Season--The Catch and Shoot

NCAA fifth-year transfer rule needs to be fixed, quickly, say coaches--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Basketball signing day quiet at Akron, Cleveland State and Kent State: College Basketball Insider--Cleveland Plain Dealer

Six Titans Named to Horizon League Winter All-Academic Teams--detroittitans.com

Biggest names in college coaching team up for an auction to raise money for cancer--CollegeBasketballTalk
Fundraiser offers chance to hang with a top hoops coach--USA Today
OU's Greg Kampe: We want to beat cancer--The Detroit Free Press
Oakland unveils new ‘blacktop’ basketball court--The Oakland Press
Horizon League votes unanimously to approve cost-of-attendance measure--Press Row Sports
Oakland’s Greg Kampe, fellow coaches apply full-court press to cancer with fundraiser--Press Row Sports
UWGB hires Florida Southern’s Linc Darner as new men’s basketball head coach--Press Row Sports
Horizon League Board of Directors Passes Cost of Attendance--ougrizzlies.com
KAMPE INVITES ELITE COACHES TO "BEAT CANCER" EVENT--ougrizzlies.com
PETROS NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-HORIZON LEAGUE--ougrizzlies.com

Senior athletes say goodbye--Oakland Post
Basketball

Amy Carlton played on the women’s basketball team for five years. Being a student-athlete taught her time management and teamwork skills. She graduated from Oakland in 2014 and is in her first year of the DPT program. She is returning to the team to serve as a graduate assistant next season.

To my team and coaches: “Thanks for an amazing five years. You are all the reason I come into practice every day smiling. Growing up with all brothers, it’s nice to come out of college with sisters. To my coaches: Thanks for all the incredible opportunities. I have learned so much and will never forget all the experiences along the way. Looking forward to working with you all next year.”

Horizon League passes cost-of-attendance legislation--The Catch and Shoot
UIC extends offers to several 2017 guards--The Catch and Shoot

Laura Litchfield Signs NLI with UIC Women's Basketball--uicflames.com

Green Bay hires Linc Darner as new head coach--USA Today
Green Bay hires Linc Darner as next head coach--The Catch and Shoot
UWGB gets its man in Linc Darner--Green Bay Press Gazette
Darner has great resume, but is UWGB good fit?--Green Bay Press Gazette
Daeshon Francis to transfer from GB?--Phear The Phoenix
Linc Darner is Green Bay's new head coach--Phear The Phoenix
Linc Darner Named Green Bay's Men's Basketball Head Coach--GreenBayPhoenix.com

O26 NCAA Tourney Reflections: What Went Right & What Went Wrong--Rush The Court
Close… But Not Close Enough. Several O26 underdogs came oh-so-close to pulling off upsets only to come up empty against their higher-seeded counterparts. Harvard, a #13 seed, led North Carolina at the 1:15 mark before losing its edge and eventually falling by two. Wofford missed a game-winning three-point attempt in a narrow loss to #5 seed Arkansas. UC Irvine nearly toppled #4 seed Louisville – only to turn the ball over on its final possession – while fellow #14 seed Valparaiso was stifled by Maryland on its game-tying, buzzer-beating attempt. All told, seven low-seeded mid-majors lost by seven points or fewer in the round of 64, the majority of which had a chance to tie or win their games in the final minute. Unfortunately, ‘close’ isn’t close enough.
O26 Never-Too-Early Top Five (and More)--Rush The Court
Five More
After nearly toppling Maryland in March, Valpo should be even better next season. (Joe Raymond/Associated Press)
...
Valparaiso. Losing conference defensive Player of the Year Vashil Fernandez (2.9 BPG) will hurt, but nearly everyone else returns for this season’s Horizon League champions. Stretch-four Alec Peters (16.8 PPG) will likely enter 2015-16 as the preseason Player of the Year, while the Crusaders’ already-good backcourt – led by Darien Walker (10.7 PPG) and Tevonn Walker (10.3 PPG) – should be even better with the return of injured point guard Lexus Williams. To boot, Bryce Drew welcomes 7’0” freshman Derrik Smits, son of Indiana Pacers great Rik Smits, along with LSU transfer Shane Hammink (6’7”) and Portuguese import Daniel Relvao (6’9”).
Eight Crusaders Earn Winter Academic All-League Accolades--valpoathletics.com

Five Student-Athletes Named Winter HL All-Academic--wsuraiders.com

Horizon schools vote to add stipends for hoops--Youngstown Vindicator
Men's Basketball Adds Forward Matt Donlan During Late Signing Period--ysusports.com

Second WNIT Berth Highlights 2014-15 Women's Basketball Season--ysusports.com

College Basketball Coaches Team Up with American Cancer Society for "Beat Cancer"--Horizon League Network
Linc Darner Named Green Bay's Men's Basketball Head Coach--Horizon League Network

Sunday, April 12, 2015

News On The Horizon 4/12/2015


From bubble to Final Four: MSU season was one to remember--The Detroit Free Press
■Thinking at different points that Nairn, Clark, Bryn Forbes and Alvin Ellis probably were on their way out of the rotation, then watching all of them matter in the postseason.

Missing Linc: coaching search continues--Phear The Phoenix

More has meant less for attendance at college basketball games--The Post-Tribune

Thursday, April 9, 2015

News On The Horizon 4/9/2015


Louisville lands Cleveland State transfer Trey Lewis--CollegeBasketballTalk
Report: Cleveland State guard Trey Lewis transferring to Louisville--Press Row Sports
Seidel: Young Spartans determined to win title next year--The Detroit Free Press
Next year's team has the potential to be strong and tough, right from the start. It will look like an Izzo team, not one that has to transform into one.

"I wish I could hit the gym right now," Bryn Forbes said. "In the last three weeks, I learned you have to step up in crunch time."
Trey Lewis appears headed for Louisville after graduating from Cleveland State (photos)--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Trey Lewis Transfers to Louisville--Cleveland State Hoops

Ex-Pershing, U-D star Haywood named to Basketball HOF--The Detroit Free Press
Juwan shooting for NBA--Varsity Press
Seniors: A recap of your four years--Varsity Press
2011
...
December: The Court in Calihan Hall is dedicated to former coach Dick Vitale.



2012
...
March: The Titans win the Horizon League Championship, the first in 13 years, and they advance to the first round of the NCAA tournament.
...
2013

January: A whistleblower lawsuit is filed against UDM by ex-assistant men’s basketball coach Carlos Briggs.
...
June: Former Titan basketball player Ray McCallum is drafted by the Sacramento Kings.
Spencer Haywood Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame--detroittitans.com
Howard to Compete at Portsmouth Invitational--detroittitans.com

Ristovski, Reynolds Earn Top 20 Finishes In National Statistics--detroittitans.com

Greg Kampe tweets a photo of Oakland’s new blacktop floor--CollegeBasketballTalk
Check out Oakland U.'s new basketball floor at O'rena--The Detroit Free Press
Paint it black: Oakland converting hoops court to playground look--The Detroit News
Blitz--Oakland Post
Basketball

Senior Corey Petros received an invite to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament that will be held April 8-11 in Virginia. 64 college seniors from across the nation are invited to the four-day, 12-game tournament to showcase their talent in front of NBA representatives. Petros is the fourth Oakland player in the last five years to be invited to the tournament
PETROS BEGINS PORTSMOUTH INVITATIONAL TONIGHT--ougrizzlies.com

All-Chicago Awards for the 2014-15 Season--The Catch and Shoot
All-Chicago Team
...
Jay Harris, UIC

In his one season at UIC as a graduate transfer, Harris was quite the entertaining scorer. Although he shot just 38.4 percent from the field, he was near unstoppable during a hot streak. Harris averaged 19.8 points during UIC’s final five games as he carried the team to the Horizon League semifinals.
...
All-Chicago Newcomer Team
...
Jay Harris, UIC

You read about him above.
VIDEO: MBB Players React to a Steve McClain Practice--uicflames.com

Women's Basketball coaches to serve together at Final Four--wsuraiders.com

4 area colleges play for charity--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle

YSU Announces Summer Women's Basketball Camps--ysusports.com

Sunday, April 5, 2015

News On The Horizon 4/5/2015


MSU hoops: What they lose, gain on 2015-16 roster--The Detroit Free Press
G Bryn Forbes, jr.

Forbes is going to have to fight for minutes, even with Trice leaving, because reinforcements are coming on the perimeter. But the way his season ended suggests he could be a key piece as a senior. There's no questioning the purity of his jump shot. His defense is improving. He should do more with the ball.
Valentine declares MSU will be back next season--The Detroit News
More could come with improved play from the current roster and an infusion of talent.

Matt Costello and Bryn Forbes will be seniors next season, and each will have to take on bigger roles while Nairn and fellow freshman Marvin Clark will need to build off strong finishes to the season.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

News On The Horizon 4/4/2015


The Morning Dish – Saturday, April 4, 2015--Hoopville
Some transfer news from earlier this week: Cleveland State guard Trey Lewis is another who is going to transfer for his senior year. Lewis averaged better than 16 ppg for the Vikings this year and is graduating, and already has high-profile suitors like Louisville courting him. Like too many of these graduate transfers now, this will be his third school in four years.
Again: this waiver needs to be trashed ASAP. Giving a benefit to student-athletes to transfer for academic reasons is perfectly fine. It doesn’t take a private eye to see that the vast majority of these graduate transfers have zilch to do with academics. The rule is being thoroughly abused, to the point where it’s almost pointless to even give players redshirt years when they’re just likely to jump ship anyway. And if a player transferred before-such as Lewis did-then a school has no choice but to make him redshirt one year. Something needs to be done about it, as any rule encouraging transferring specifically for athletic reasons is bad for the sport and for education. Perhaps it’s eliminating redshirt years, perhaps it’s limiting a student-athlete to one transfer before losing a year of eligiblity. It is becoming an embarrassment to the sport. Undoubtedly, it’s something the schools have brought on themselves to a significant extent, but that doesn’t make the transfer rate right. It’s time it is fixed by and for all sides.
MSU's Bryn Forbes: Our defense is much better--The Detroit Free Press
Final Four scouting report: Duke offense hard to stop--The Detroit Free Press
Benches

There's a significant difference in depth, and if MSU can exploit it, the Spartans have a better chance of running and having more energy late. Matt Costello and Bryn Forbes will be huge factors. Can Marvin Clark Jr. and Alvin Ellis also do the job and carve out quality minutes? Duke's main sub is junior forward Amile Jefferson, with help from 7-footer Marshall Plumlee. This enables the Blue Devils to go big when needed, moving Winslow to a wing position if that helps matchups. Guard Grayson Allen gets a couple of minutes here and there. Cook and Tyus Jones rarely get breaks.

Edge: MSU
Niyo: MSU finds magic in togetherness--The Detroit News
Trice and Branden Dawson, the two seniors, have been together since the seventh grade. Denzel Valentine and junior transfer Bryn Forbes won a state title together at Lansing Sexton, but they were raiding the fridge "drinking all the Capri Sun juice boxes" long before that, said Valentine's father, Carlton. The freshmen, specifically Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn and Marvin Clark, were no strangers, either.
Wojo: Perceptions aside, MSU deserves Final Four berth--The Detroit News
"It's us against the world," guard Bryn Forbes said. "People wrote us off a long time ago."

Highlights of the college dunk contest (VIDEO)--CollegeBasketballTalk
Hirings and firings: 2015 college basketball coaching changes--Eye On College Basketball
Gillespie conducting interviews this weekend--Phear The Phoenix

Take The Milwaukee Basketball Fan Survey And Win Prizes--uwmpanthers.com

Wetzel's winding road to the Final Four--Inside VU Sports

Women’s Basketball Banquet Set for April 18--ysusports.com

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

News On The Horizon 4/1/2015

2015-16 Preview: Mid Majors, Part II --Basketball Predictions

Cleveland State to lose Trey Lewis to transfer--CollegeBasketballTalk
Spartans get no timeout with academics--The Detroit News
Cleveland State confirms top scorer Trey Lewis released from scholarship, can seek transfer--The News-Herald
Leading scorer Trey Lewis transferring from Cleveland State--The Catch and Shoot
Cleveland State's Trey Lewis exploring transfer options (photos)--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Former Cleveland State guard Bryn Forbes on the big stage with Michigan State: NCAA Tournament 2015 (photos)--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State Basketball: Trey Lewis latest to transfer out of program--Cleveland State Hoops

Blitz--Oakland Post

LOVELACE TO PLAY IN WPBA LADY LEGENDS CELEBRITY GAME--ougrizzlies.com

Head Coach Steve McClain in the Media--uicflames.com

Regina Miller Interviewed During NBC 5's Shamrock Shuffle Coverage--uicflames.com

Brian Barone to leave Green Bay if not named head coach--Mid-Major Madness
Dick Bennett considering return to sidelines--PantherU
Little guy Sykes hoping to wow dunk contest crowd--Green Bay Press Gazette
Monday coaching search rumors--Phear The Phoenix
Keifer Sykes Voted AP Honorable Mention All-American--GreenBayPhoenix.com

Coveted coach Bryce Drew, Valparaiso 'ready to have a great summer'--The Post-Tribune
Darien Walker Named Riley Wallace Award Finalist--valpoathletics.com
Tevonn Walker Joins Valpo All-Access--valpoathletics.com

Men’s basketball: Guards leave the program--The Guardian
Men’s basketball: Donlon already set for sixth year as head coach--The Guardian
Raiders to Play at Kentucky Next Year--wsuraiders.com

Women’s basketball: WSU looks ahead to 2015-16--The Guardian
Women's Basketball Signs Seven for 2015-16--wsuraiders.com