Thursday, March 31, 2022

News On The Horizon 3/31/2022


Daily Dirt – 3/30/22--Hoop Dirt

I can confirm that Collegiate Sports Associates has the Cleveland State search. It sounds like 20 first round zoom interviews are complete, and it is now headed to the next round (which could be 6-8). It seems like this one will be wrapped up sometime after the final four. Will have some names here by the weekend.



What comes next?--The Varsity News



Wright State basketball: Nagy confident new stars will emerge after losing top two players--Dayton Daily News

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

News On The Horizon 3/30/2022

College basketball transfer portal: The top 20 Chicago area players in the the transfer portal--Chicago Sun-Times

15. Joey St. Pierre, Richmond-Burton (UW-Milwaukee)

The numbers won’t jump out at you, but the size will. And big men are a commodity. St. Pierre is a legit 6-10, 275-pound back-to-the-basket behemoth who was mildly productive in his first taste of Division I basketball this past season. 

Following three seasons at Division II Wisconsin-Parkside –– and sitting out a year after transferring to UW-Milwaukee –– he started 29 games and played 24 minutes a game for the recently fired Pat Baldwin this past season. 

He averaged 6.3 and 5.7 rebounds while converting 59 percent from the field. But his free-throw shooting (25 of 52) is cause for concern.

18. Zion Young, Simeon (Oakland)

There are some up-and-down numbers to sift through as he has now played two seasons at Western Illinois and two at Oakland.

He had a breakthrough season for the Leathernecks in the Summit League as a sophomore in 2019-20. The powerfully built guard averaged 13.2 points, chipping in 4.5 rebounds a game while starting 25 games. 

He played mostly off the bench as a junior following a transfer to Oakland in the Horizon League, averaging 7.8 points, and was limited to just seven games this past season due to an injury. 

Other players in the transfer portal from Illinois:

Bobby Harvey, Hillcrest (IUPUI)



Davis Earns Lou Henson All-America Laurels For Third Time--detroittitans.com



Black & Gold Network Interview With Coach Lundy--mkepanthers.com



Oakland men’s basketball heads into offseason looking for answers--Oakland Post



2022-23 Men’s College Basketball Early Season Tournaments and Exempt Multi-Team Events (MTEs)--Blogging the Bracket

Exempt Multiple-Team Events (MTEs)

CancĂșn Challenge

Tuesday and Wednesday, November 22 and 23: CancĂșn, Mexico

Participants (Mayan Division): Eastern Michigan (Mid-American), Purdue Fort Wayne (Horizon League), Southern Mississippi (Sun Belt*), Winthrop (Big South)



Ranking the best available men’s college basketball transfers and high school recruits for 2022-23--The Athletic

16. Tanner Holden | 6-6 wing | junior | Wright State

Holden will certainly be among the most productive scorers to enter the portal, having averaged 20 points per game in the Horizon League this year on his way to his second-straight Horizon League first-team all-league honors. He just carried Wright State to the NCAA Tournament, where he put up an awesome 37-point performance against Bryant that led Wright State to a First Four win. Holden is a foul magnet, a guy who constantly attacks, plays well off of two feet, absorbs contact, and either finishes or gets to the line. He also moves well off the ball and finds points off of cuts, scoring more points off of cuts — per Synergy — than any wing in the country, largely playing off of Grant Basile post-ups and motion offense back-cuts. Holden has proven he is an excellent player, but this one is all going to be about fit. Holden doesn’t fit everywhere as a wing because he’s a reluctant shooter who won’t have the ball as much at a high-major stop. But he should be a high-major starter next year due to his age, experience, basketball IQ, and well-rounded game.

Wright State’s Holden earns national honor--Dayton Daily News
Wright State’s Holden enters transfer portal--Dayton Daily News
Breaking: Wright State’s Tanner Holden Enters the Transfer Portal--WSU Guardian

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

News On The Horizon 3/23/2022


Vikings season ends in NIT; Gates departs for Missouri--HoriZone Roundtable
Daily Dirt – 3/23/22--Hoop Dirt

Pretty good endorsement for Dru Joyce III at Cleveland State from his former HS teammate:


Leo Named To WBI All-Tournament Team--csuvikings.prestosports.com



Basketball and Brains: HoopsHD interviews Detroit Mercy Academic All-American Antoine Davis--Hoops HD



UWGB's Lucas Stieber, grandson of legendary coach Dick Bennett, enters transfer portal--Green Bay Press Gazette



Faulkner returning to NKU for fifth season--Link NKy
Trevon Faulkner returning to the Norse for one more season--The Northerner
One last ride: @NKUNorseMBB’s Trevon Faulker returning for fifth season--nkunorse.com



Men’s basketball plan for the next season: pass the basketball--Oakland Post

Oakland women’s basketball looks ahead to the offseason--Oakland Post



Wright State’s second-leading scorer enters transfer portal--Dayton Daily News
Wright State basketball: Losing Basile a blow, but Nagy ready to move forward--Dayton Daily News
Breaking: Men’s Basketball Grant Basile Enters Transfer Portal--WSU Guardian



College basketball transfer rankings 2022-23: Tracking the top committed transfers--Heat Check CBB

13. Brandon Rush

Previous | NewFairleigh Dickinson | Youngstown State
Height | Weight | Hometown6-3 | 175 | Warrensville, Ohio
Basic career stats76 games | 56 starts
24.4 mpg | 10.8 ppg | 2.6 rpg | .356 3P%
1.0 OBPM | -3.1 DPBM | 105.1 ORtg

Rush could be a significant addition to Jerrod Calhoun‘s YSU squad if he can rediscover his perimeter stroke. During the ’20-21 season, Rush connected on 42.1 percent of his 5.8 3-point attempts per game. However, after a hefty usage bump, Rush’s 3-point clip dipped all the way to just 29.6 percent this past season. If he’s surrounded by enough offensive potency, Rush could be the right fit in the Horizon.

Penguins visit Fresno State in Classic quarterfinals--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle

Sunday, March 20, 2022

News On The Horizon 3/20/2022


Report: Missouri Set to Hire Dennis Gates as New Men’s Basketball Coach--Sports Illustrated

Cleveland State Women’s Basketball Advances To WBI Championship With 58-50 Semifinal Victory Over Nevada--csuvikings.prestosports.com



Robertson’s 22 points help Oklahoma women top IUPUI 78-72--Associated Press
NCAA Tournament Day 2 Recaps: No. 12 seed Belmont comes back in both overtimes to best No. 5 seed Oregon--Swish Appeal

No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners over No. 13 IUPUI Jaguars, 78-72

IUPUI was able to cut it to four on a Anna Mortag three with 27 seconds to go and on Rachel McLimore free throws with 14 seconds to go, but Taylor Robertons free throws with 12 ticks remaining iced it for the Sooners. Robertson made four threes for 22 points and her co-star, Madi Williams finished with 21 points. Macee Williams had 17 points, 13 boards and six assists in defeat.

'We were right there': IUPUI came so close in March Madness debut. The Jaguars have come so far.--Indy Star
Oklahoma Downs IUPUI in Tense NCAA Tournament Opener--Sports Illustrated
IUPUI COMES UP SHORT AGAINST NO. 4 OKLAHOMA, 78-72--iupuijags.com



Milwaukee Names Bart Lundy New Head Men’s Basketball Coach--mkepanthers.com



Mastodons lose, ending record-breaking season--Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
'Dons Fall in CBI to Drake--gomastodons.com



Penguins excelled through change--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle

Saturday, March 19, 2022

News On The Horizon 3/19/2022


Cleveland State Women’s Basketball Picks Up 73-60 Victory Over Northeastern In WBI First Round Action--csuvikings.prestosports.com



Baranczyk gives Sooners women a boost in 1st year at helm--Associated Press
2022 Women’s NCAA Tournament odds and picks: Lyndsey D’Arcangelo selects Saturday’s first-round winners--The Athletic

Bridgeport Region

No. 13 IUPUI vs. No. 4 Oklahoma (-7.5), 10 p.m., ESPNU

IUPUI has Cinderella written all over it. The Jaguars have shown they can compete with top-tier teams, narrowly losing 67-62 to Michigan and beating Iowa 74-73 during the regular season. Senior Macee Williams averages 18.7 points per game on 64.9 percent shooting. Though Oklahoma boasts the third-best scoring offense with 83.3 points per game, it also ranked close to last in average points allowed (76). If the Jaguars can keep the Sooners’ offense at bay, win the battle of the boards and pour on the points, they’ll advance to the next round. My pick: IUPUI

Oklahoma Starts 'Unknown' NCAA Tournament Journey in Norman--Sports Illustrated
NO. 13 IUPUI TO FACE NO. 4 OKLAHOMA IN FIRST EVER NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE--iupuijags.com



UWM is set to hire Bart Lundy of Division II Queens University as its men's basketball coach--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel



3/19/2022 NIT/CBI/TBC NEWS AND NOTES--Staring At The Floorboards

Subscriber Content

CBI FIRST ROUND (all games in Daytona Beach)

IPFW’s inventive motion actions are tough to defend if you’re unprepared/not engaged, and while I don’t have any reason to think Drake is either of those...



Koloko, Arizona overpower Wright State in NCAA 1st round--Associated Press
All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Arizona vs. Wright State--Hoops HD
Archdeacon: Prime-time spotlight ‘tremendous’ for Wright State--Dayton Daily News
Wright State ousted from NCAA tourney by No. 1-seed Arizona--Dayton Daily News
Archdeacon: The silver linings of Wright State’s tournament experience--Dayton Daily News
Wright State Seeking Bracket Breaker in Tonight’s Game--WSU Guardian
Wright State Men’s Basketball Ends Historic Season in San Diego--WSU Guardian
Raiders fall to No. 1 Arizona in NCAA Tournament--wsuraiders.com



Penguins to Visit Fresno State in The Basketball Classic Quarterfinals Wednesday--ysu.prestosports.com


Thursday, March 17, 2022

News On The Horizon 3/17/2022


Cleveland State Women's Basketball Set For 2022 WBI--csuvikings.prestosports.com



All eyes now on Antoine Davis' future as Detroit Mercy falls in postseason game--Detroit News
Titans Season Comes To An End At FGCU--detroittitans.com
Davis Selected To USBWA All-District V Team--detroittitans.com



NCAA Tournament brackets & betting roundtable: Lots of love for Kentucky, FGCU’s the popular upset pick and more--The Athletic

6. How many double-digit seeds will make it to the Sweet 16, and which is your favorite?

Chantel: I have four in my bracket: Florida Gulf Coast, IUPUI, South Dakota and DePaul. IUPUI could catch some opponents off guard because it’s a less well-known mid-major but the team’s leader — four-time Horizon Player of the Year Macee Williams — could turn heads. Oklahoma, the Jaguars’ first-round opponent, gives up 76 points per game, and I like Williams’ odds in that game (if you remember, Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee already scored 61 points alone on the Sooners earlier this season). And Notre Dame, their second-round opponent, has a few key young players (Olivia Miles, Maddy Westbeld, Sonia Citron) competing against a more-veteran IUPUI squad.

How Austin Parkinson took IUPUI from darkest days to Big Dance: 'Nothing short of miraculous'--Indy Star
MACEE WILLIAMS NAMED AP ALL-AMERICAN HONORABLE MENTION--iupuijags.com



Kam Farris enters transfer portal--Colonial Sports Network

Where are they now?: Robert Morris women’s basketball’s 2020-21 transfers--Colonial Sports Network



Wright State defeats Bryant at UD Arena to continue dancing--HoriZone Roundtable
Wright State beats Bryant 93-82 for NCAA Tournament win--Associated Press
NCAA Tournament trends: Davidson hasn’t won a tourney game since Steph Curry was there and more fun facts for all 68 teams--The Athletic

SOUTH

1. Arizona vs. 16. Wright State

Arizona (31-3, 18-2 Pac-12)

Arizona won the Pac-12 tournament, but point guard Kerr Kriisa sprained his ankle in the quarterfinals. His status is a big question for one of the fastest tempo teams in the country that leads the nation with nearly 20 assists per game.

The over is 8-1 in the last nine Arizona games and a healthy Wildcats team usually gets high totals. Arizona won and covered in both games Kriisa missed after the injury.

Wright State (21-13, 15-7 Horizon)

The Raiders didn’t look like a possible NCAA Tournament team after they started 1-5 and 2-7. However, immediately after that they rattled off seven straight wins after that and enter the NCAA Tournament on a five-game winning streak. The over is 6-2 in Wright State’s last eight games.

2022 NCAA Tournament picks: Seth Davis makes his picks for Friday’s first-round games--The Athletic

No. 1 Arizona (-22.5) vs. No. 16 Wright State, 7:27 p.m., truTV. The Wildcats are my choice to win the national championship, and though the ankle injury sustained by their starting point guard, 6-3 sophomore Kerr Kriisa, is a concern, this team is plenty capable of doing damage without him in the lineup. Kriisa is a valuable leader, but he’s also a volatile one, and when he’s not on the floor the ball spends more time in the hands of their All-American guard Bennedict Mathurin. The Raiders showed good poise Wednesday night in beating Bryant, 93-82. The team’s leading scorer, 6-6 lefty Tanner Holden, was sensational in scoring 37 points, but 14 of those came on free throws, and he won’t get those types of chances in this one. Moreover, Wright State has the shortest bench of any team in the NCAA Tournament, and Arizona has a way of getting opponents in foul trouble. Throw in the Wildcats’ ability to turn this into a track meet, and they cover this spread with room to spare. The pick: Arizona

Ranking the 32 first round NCAA Tournament games from the 2022 March Madness bracket--CBS Sports

24. (1) Arizona vs. (16) Wright State/Bryant

Friday | 7:27 p.m. | truTV
Wright State plays fast and scores a lot. Arizona plays faster and scores more. The Raiders won at NC State earlier this season, which should get Arizona's attention. Keeping up with the Wildcats won't be plausible for Wright State in the end, though, since it gets most of its points inside the arc and Arizona's size will make life hard. Bryant's Peter Kiss is a fun player, but the Bulldogs' 111-44 loss to Houston earlier this season -- yes that score is correct -- suggests they would be ill-equipped to handle the Wildcats. If Houston, which plays at a slow pace, scored 111 on Bryant, just think what Arizona could do. The subplot of this game is how Arizona looks assuming that Kerr Kriisa is out due to the ankle injury he suffered in the Pac-12 Tournament. That injury is a big storyline hanging over the Wildcats entering the tournament.

Former Raider great Grote pleased with program’s growth, believes future is bright--Dayton Daily News
First Four: Wright State downs Bryant for first NCAA Tournament win--Dayton Daily News
Wright State’s first NCAA Tournament win ‘a lifetime moment’ for players--Dayton Daily News
Calvin comes through in the clutch for Raiders despite illness--Dayton Daily News
Archdeacon: Historic night for Wright State at UD Arena--Dayton Daily News
Wright State Men’s Basketball Makes History in UD Arena--WSU Guardian
Wright State beats Bryant 93-82 for first NCAA Tournament win--wsuraiders.com
Coming off historic win, Raiders continue NCAAs on Friday night--wsuraiders.com



Penguins fend off Morgan State in Basketball Classic opener, 70-65--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Cohill Scores 28 as Penguins Top Morgan State 70-65 in The Basketball Classic--ysu.prestosports.com

YSU women fall to Kent State--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Penguins Fall 68-59 to Kent State in Opening Round of Women's NIT--ysu.prestosports.com