On The Horizon

Jim Squire

Mid-Majority Chat Block, Episode 716--The Mid-Majority

4:15

[Comment From drewsadersdrewsaders: ]
What do you think about Valpo's meltdown in three of their final four conference games? The two heartbreakers against the Wisconsin schools, and then a home beatdown at the hands of Loyola. One of those, and VU would be part of a four-way tie for first in the HL. What do you think of the Crusaders chances in the HL tourney, and non-NCAA postseason chances?
Friday March 4, 2011 4:15 drewsaders
4:17

I wouldn't call it a meltdown, I'd say that it's their primary weaknesses coming back to bite them. They don't have a lot of size, get beaten to rebounds all the time, and are vulnerable to teams with a lot of intensity. The Youngstown game really showed them back on their heels against a team that had nothing to lose. I don't think they make it through the weekend, but there will be a ghost bracket for them. They'll be better next year.
...
4:24

[Comment From Mike M.Mike M.: ]
There are certainly a number of different conference tourney formats these days. From the straight-up normal format at one neutral site like the Valley, to conferences that split their tourney over campus sites over several days (NEC/Patriot) to the new-fangled double-bye system that provides an ultra-reward for the top teams in a conference (Horizon/WCC). If you were a conference commish, how would you set up your conference tourney, assuming you wouldn't go the Ivy route and not have one.
Friday March 4, 2011 4:24 Mike M.
4:26

I love this discussion. The OVC changed from a split campus-site to a WCC-style staggered bracket this year, and it's been interesting to see the effect on the event. My personal preference is the opposite of that: the central site for the first few rounds, then the final at the highest remaining seed... like the America East does. It's the best of all three worlds: you get the alumni reception and everyone's fans in one building, you get the championship game in a packed arena, and you also get a true reward for the regular season champion: the opportunity to host that game.
...
4:28

[Comment From DwightDwight: ]
Kyle, did you see the Missouri State/Southern Illinois game? UN-BE-LIEVE-ABLE!!! As a Bears fan I'm glad the Bears won, but I'm also extremely disappointed in their performance. If they expect to win Arch Madness (the best conference tournament by the way) they can't show up in the last 1:30 of a game. That won't cut it against the other top teams.
Friday March 4, 2011 4:28 Dwight
4:31

I was stuck in various administrative and travel-related duties at the time, but I kept track. I'll second the selective effort thing, because I've seen it myself. They sent dopplegangers to that Valpo BracketBuster, and they did just enough to win when I saw them play Bradley. You have to be a really, really good team in order to get away with that, and they aren't at the level of the elite Valley teams of four or five years ago. I expect a lot of discussion about building an MVC contender through transfers whenever this is over..

Tourney Central 3/5/2011 (Day 5)--The Mid-Majority

Horizon League

[3] Cleveland State 73, [6] Wright State 59
Star of the Game: Norris Cole 15 Pts (4-10 FG, 6-6 FT), 6 Reb, 3 Stl
VIDEO: Behind the Scenes with Men's Basketball - The Cleveland State Vikings ran away late in the second half from the Wright State Raiders in the Quarterfinals of the Horizon League Tournament Friday night at the U.S. Cellular in Milwaukee. CSU won 73-59 to advance to the semifinals with the Butler Bulldogs Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. The game will be televised in ESPNU in tape delay. ... via Cleveland State

Men Pull Away for 60-50 Win Over Green Bay in Horizon League First Round - Vaughn Duggins scored 22 points to lead Wright State to a 60-50 victory over Wisconsin-Green Bay on Tuesday night in the first round of the Horizon League tournament. ... via Wright State

[4] Valparaiso 88, [5] Detroit 78
Star of the Game: Brandon Wood 30 Pts (11-22 FG, 1-1 FT)
Crusaders Into Semifinals Behind 30 From Wood - Valparaiso connected on a Horizon League Championship record 15 3-pointers, seven of which came in the final 20 minutes from Brandon Wood (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo [Highland C.C./Southern Illinois]), who scored 30 points in all as the Crusaders downed Detroit in quarterfinal action Friday night in Milwaukee, Wis., 88-78. Valpo plays at Milwaukee in the second semifinal Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ... via Valparaiso
...
On Tap Tonight
...
Horizon League
Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History

[3] Cleveland State at [2] Butler - 7:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
CLST - 26-7 (13-5) RPI: 42 State: 45 SOS: 122 Last 10: 6-4 Form: LLWWW PF/PA: 71.8/63.4
BUTL - 21-9 (13-5) RPI: 45 State: 31 SOS: 79 Last 10: 7-3 Form: WWWWW PF/PA: 73.2/65.2
NCAA Selection Sheets: Cleveland State • Butler
Recent meetings: 02/05/2011 BUTL 73 @CLST 61 01/07/2011 CLST 56 @BUTL 79
Players to watch:
CLST - #30 Norris Cole Sr. G (21.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.4 apg)
BUTL - #54 Matt Howard Sr. F (16.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.4 apg)

Bulldogs Begin Horizon League Tournament Play - For the sixth straight year, Butler will begin Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship play in the tournament semifinals. The Bulldogs will face the either Cleveland State or Wright State on Saturday, March 5, at 6 p.m. (ET) in the first tournament semifinal game at U. S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee, Wis. Butler (21-9), the defending tournament champion, earned the No. 2 seed and a double-bye in this year’s tournament, after sharing the regular season crown with Milwaukee (18-12) and Cleveland State (25-7). Milwaukee took the No. 1 seed and the right to host the second round and semifinals, while Cleveland State received the No. 3 seed. Wright State (19-13) and Cleveland State will meet in the second round in Milwaukee on Friday, March 4. The other second round game will match Valparaiso (22-10) and Detroit (17-15), with the winner facing top-seeded Milwaukee in the semifinals. The title game of the 2011 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship will be played on Tuesday, March 8, at 9 p.m. (ET) at the highest remaining seed. ... via Butler

[4] Valparaiso at [1] Milwaukee - 8:30 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
VALP - 23-10 (12-6) RPI: 71 State: 66 SOS: 118 Last 10: 7-3 Form: LLWWW PF/PA: 73.5/67.4
MILW - 18-12 (13-5) RPI: 99 State: 116 SOS: 121 Last 10: 9-1 Form: WWLWW PF/PA: 69.7/70.3
NCAA Selection Sheets: Valparaiso • Milwaukee
Recent meetings: 02/16/2011 VALP 76 @MILW 79 01/21/2011 MILW 43 @VALP 60
Players to watch:
VALP - #32 Brandon Wood Jr. G (16.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.3 apg)
MILW - #23 Anthony Hill Sr. F (15.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.4 apg)

Panthers Will Face Valpo In Semis Saturday After Crusaders Down Detroit - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball team will face Valparaiso in a Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament semifinal Saturday night at the U.S. Cellular Arena after the Crusaders knocked off Detroit in a second round game Friday. Brandon Wood scored 30 points to lead Valpo to an 88-78 win over Detroit. The Crusaders (23-10) made 15 three-pointers in the win, which saw them overcome an early eight-point deficit. ... via Milwaukee

That’s Debatable: Small Conference Tourneys--Rush The Court

Walker Carey, RTC contributor.

I think the Horizon League Tournament is the small conference tournament that is the most compelling in terms of creating chaos for the NCAA Selection Committee. In my mind, Butler, Cleveland State, and Milwaukee are the only teams that have the capability of winning the tournament. If Butler loses (which is very possible), it will be very interesting to see how the committee will view the Bulldogs’ resume. I tend to believe that Cleveland State will win the Horizon League championship because they have the best player in the league on their team in senior guard Norris Cole. I would enjoy to see the Vikings make a run to the Horizon League championship and shake things up in the tournament like they did when they were a #13 seed and upset #4 seed Wake Forest two seasons ago. With Cole, I think this is very possible for Gary Waters’ Cleveland State squad.

Saturday Preview: Duke-UNC leads rivalry weekend--Eye On College Basketball

Cleveland State @ Butler, 6:00 p.m., ESPNU: The Bulldogs haven't had to fight for their postseason lives like this in a while, so this becomes a huge game even though it's a Horizon League semifinal. It will be played at the beautiful and historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, and will feature big time talent Norris Cole on the visitor's side. Plenty of intrigue for a non-final.

Mid-Majors: Indiana State, Valparaiso Advance To Conference Tournament Semifinals--SB Nation Indiana
Championship Festival Go-Round: March 5, 2011--Blogging the Bracket

Horizon League Semifinals

at Milwaukee

Both games air on ESPNU.

No. 3 Cleveland St. Vikings vs. No. 2 Butler Bulldogs, 6 p.m. ET
No. 4 Valparaiso Crusaders vs, No. 1 Milwaukee Panthers, approx. 8:30 p.m. ET

The Vikings pulled away from Wright State late to set up a third meeting with Butler, a team they've lost to handily twice previously. Valpo did the same to Detroit in Friday's second quarterfinal, thanks to some late threes. The Crusaders will look to avenge a February 16th loss to the Panthers, part of a season-ending nine-game Horizon League win streak for Milwaukee.

NIT Bracketology - Bracket Predictor for the weekend--ChicagoNow.com

Utah Flash win eighth consecutive game--Deseret News

The streak was extended to eight games in front of Gordon Hayward, Ty Corbin of the Utah Jazz, and several members of the Sacramento Kings, including Flash guard Ryan Thompson's brother.

Jazz’s Evans has successful D-League debut--Salt Lake Tribune

Playing in front Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin and teammate Gordon Hayward, Evans’ night was highlighted by two spectacular dunks and bookend blocks on New Mexico’s first possession and his final defensive stand.

Butler's Vanzant prepares for career helping wayward youths--The Indy Star
Cleveland State next for Dawgs--Indy Star Butler Insider

Tim Kamczyc's timely buckets deflate Wright State's comeback attempt: Cleveland State Insider--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State beats Wright State, plays Butler on Saturday--Cleveland Plain Dealer
On this day 10 years ago - Mar 04, 2001--Vikings Ball
Wright State vs Cleveland State: Recap Notes--Vikings Ball
Cleveland State Wins 73-59 Over Wright State--Vikings Ball
Vikings Pull Away Late In Win Over Wright State, 73-59--csuvikings.com
Vikings Play Butler in Horizon League Championship Semifinals--csuvikings.com

Valparaiso 88, Detroit Mercy 78: Titans fall in Horizon League tournament--The Detroit Free Press
Valpo ousts Detroit Mercy from Horizon League tournament--The Detroit News
On this day 10 years ago - Mar 04, 2001--Titans Update
Detroit vs Valparaiso: Recap Notes--Titans Update
Valparaiso Wins 88-78 Over Detroit--Titans Update
Titans Fall to Crusaders in HL Quarterfinals--detroittitans.com

UWGB women's basketball preview vs. Detroit--Green Bay Press Gazette

Panthers came together after loss to Valparaiso--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Valparaiso shoots into semifinals--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Crossroads: HLT Semifinals vs. Valparaiso--PantherU
Panthers Will Face Valpo In Semis Saturday After Crusaders Down Detroit--uwmpanthers.com

Live Blog: Milwaukee @ Wright State--Panther Blog Zone

Wood shoots down Titans--The Post-Tribune
Wounded Crusaders excited for rematch with Panthers--The Post-Tribune
Cole sparks Vikings in second half--The Post-Tribune
Horizon League Tournament quarterfinals, March 4, Live Blog--Off The Mark
Valparaiso 88, Detroit 78, HL Quarterfinals--Off The Mark
Wood lifts Crusaders into Horizon League men's basketball semifinals--The NWI Times
Crusaders set for rematch with Milwaukee--The NWI Times
Live from Milwaukee: No. 4 Valparaiso vs. No. 5 Detroit--Region Sports Extra
Detroit vs Valparaiso: Recap Notes--Valpo Daily
StatSheet Projects Valparaiso as NIT Six Seed: 03/05/2011--Valpo Daily
Valparaiso Gets 88-78 Win Over Detroit--Valpo Daily
Crusaders Into Semifinals Behind 30 From Wood--valpoathletics.com
Valpo Takes On Milwaukee Saturday for Title Game Berth--valpoathletics.com

Scouting Valparaiso University women's basketball--The NWI Times

Flu limits WSU’s Evans--Dayton Daily News
Loss to Cleveland State ends Raiders' season--Dayton Daily News
WSU blasted by dizzying stretch from Cole, Cleveland State in 73-59 season-ending loss--Wright State University Sports
WSU recruits continue advancing in state tournaments with Friday wins--Wright State University Sports
What’s your Wright State starting lineup to begin next season?--Wright State University Sports
On this day 8 years ago - Mar 04, 2003--Rowdy Review
Wright State vs Cleveland State: Recap Notes--Rowdy Review
Wright State Falls To Cleveland State, 73-59--Rowdy Review
Raiders Fall to Cleveland State in Horizon League Quarterfinals 73-59--wsuraiders.com

Vikings, Crusaders Headed to Semifinals After Friday Night Wins--Horizon League Network

Jim Squire

Tourney Central 3/4/2011 (Day 4)--The Mid-Majority

Horizon League

[6] Wright State vs. [3] Cleveland State - 6:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
WRIG - 19-13 (10-8) RPI: 123 State: 105 SOS: 131 Last 10: 5-5 Form: LLWLW PF/PA: 64.5/61.3
CLST - 25-7 (13-5) RPI: 42 State: 45 SOS: 121 Last 10: 6-4 Form: WLLWW PF/PA: 71.8/63.5
NCAA Selection Sheets: Wright State • Cleveland State
Recent meetings: 02/16/2011 CLST 74 @WRIG 72 01/22/2011 WRIG 46 @CLST 65
Players to watch:
WRIG - #44 Vaughn Duggins Sr. G (18.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.2 apg)
CLST - #30 Norris Cole Sr. G (21.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.4 apg)

Vikings Face Wright State In Horizon League Championship Quarterfinals - Cleveland State moves on to Milwaukee for the next two rounds of the Horizon League Championship, facing No. 6 Wright State on Friday, March 4 beginning at 5:00 p.m. CST (6:00 p.m. EST) in the U.S. Cellular Arena in downtown Milwaukee. A win would send the third-seeded Vikings to a semi-final matchup against No. 2 Butler on Saturday (March 5). Cleveland State enters the weekend with a 25-7 overall record, the third-highest single season win total in school history. The Vikings, who defeated UIC, 73-61, on Tuesday night to improve to 6-1 in the tourney over the last three seasons, are attempting to become just the second team in tourney history to win the title by winning four games. Wright State is 19-13 after claiming a 60-50 win over Green Bay in the opening round. This will be the 55th meeting all-time between CSU and Wright State with the series being tied at 27-27. The Vikings swept the season series against Wright State, the most recent meeting being a 74-72 decision in Fairborn back on Feb. 16. This will be the third time that CSU has faced the Raiders in post-season play, but the first since 1994-95. ... via Cleveland State

[5] Detroit vs. [4] Valparaiso - 8:30 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
UDM - 17-15 (10-8) RPI: 139 State: 135 SOS: 146 Last 10: 6-4 Form: LWLWW PF/PA: 74.4/72.2
VALP - 22-10 (12-6) RPI: 72 State: 66 SOS: 116 Last 10: 6-4 Form: WLLWW PF/PA: 73.0/67.1
NCAA Selection Sheets: Detroit • Valparaiso
Recent meetings: 02/10/2011 UDM 74 @VALP 82 01/16/2011 VALP 78 @UDM 68
Players to watch:
UDM - #32 Eli Holman Jr. F-C (11.7 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 0.8 apg)
VALP - #32 Brandon Wood Jr. G (16.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.4 apg)

Valpo Ready For Detroit in HL Quarterfinal - Valparaiso makes the trip north to Milwaukee for the quarterfinal round of the 2011 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship, as the fourth-seeded Crusaders face off against fifth-seeded Detroit Friday evening. ... via Valparaiso

Horizon League Teams via Player Ratings--ChicagoNow.com
Horizon League Second Round - Live Blog!--ChicagoNow.com

RTC Official Bubble Watch: 03.03.11--Rush The Court

Last Four In

Butler 20-9 (13-5), 44 RPI, 81 SOS- Last year’s Cinderella is going to be a very interesting case should they fall in the Horizon League Tournament for their sixth conference defeat. Butler clinched the #2 seed in that tournament and therefore receives a bye to the semifinals where they’ll likely try to beat Cleveland State for the third time, their two previous wins making up 2/3 of their RPI top-50 wins (the other being Florida State on a neutral floor). Butler’s other opportunities for quality wins were defeats at Louisville, Xavier and vs. Duke. With six sub top-75 RPI losses, Butler is likely out with a loss to CSU in the semifinals and bubble-in with a loss in the finals. Because of this lackluster resume, it’s shaping up to be a nerve-wracking Selection Sunday for Brad Stevens if his team can’t win the tournament title.

Jazz’s home losing streak is the longest since 1982--Salt Lake Tribune

Still, Denver owned a 42-33 lead before Miles assisted on Earl Watson’s 3-pointer and came up with a steal that led to Gordon Hayward’s layup.

A guide to the 2011 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship--Victory Firelight
StatSheet Projects Butler as NCAA Tournament Bubble Team: 03/04/2011--Butler Blue Fever
PHOTO GALLERY | Senior Day at Hinkle Fieldhouse--Butler Collegian
Bulldogs Begin Horizon League Tournament Play--ButlerSports.com

Bulldogs Can Clinch No. 2 With Win At Valparaiso--ButlerSports.com

Cleveland State women's basketball team wins sixth straight: College Roundup--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Vikings Run by Loyola, 73-58--csuvikings.com
Vikings Host UIC For Final Regular Season Game--csuvikings.com

College athletes turn to transfers in search of playing time--Cleveland Plain Dealer

One-year deal: The perception is that when a recruit signs a National Letter of Intent, it's for a four-year scholarship to the school of his choice. The reality is, the NCAA has not awarded four-year scholarships in any sport for 38 years, since 1973. And there is no real push for its return.

At the end of any season, if a coach decides to pull a scholarship, he is within his rights to do so. If a player wishes to leave, he can request a release. At that point, players can transfer to a lower division and play immediately; can play a year of junior college in hopes of another Division I scholarship, or can transfer to another Division I school and sit out a season before playing again.

Ohio State, Cleveland State, Akron and Kent State all have had their share of transfers, in and out, over the past year.

Last season, OSU had one player transfer out and one in; Kent State lost two and gained one; Cleveland State lost three transfers and replaced them with freshmen. Akron had four transfer out, three transfer in.

At Cleveland State, coach Gary Waters had no 2010 scholarships available at the beginning of last recruiting season, yet -- anticipating departures -- he still signed two early recruits, and later a third.

"On both sides, it has become an issue today," Waters said. "Most kids don't want to stay [where they are not playing], and most coaches don't want to keep him [if a player is unhappy not playing]," Waters said.

Cleveland State men's basketball team gets boost off bench from Josh McCoy--Cleveland Plain Dealer
StatSheet Projects Cleveland State as NCAA Tournament Bubble Team 11 Seed: 03/04/2011--Vikings Ball
VIDEO: Behind the Scenes with Men's Basketball--csuvikings.com

College basketball roundup: Titans ready for rematch with Valparaiso in Horizon tourney--The Detroit Free Press
Titans, Crusaders Battle in HL Quarterfinals Friday--detroittitans.com

Allen’s Second-Half Performance Not Enough As Detroit Falls To Milwaukee--detroittitans.com
Regular Season Finale Has No. 15/12 Green Bay In Town--detroittitans.com

March sadness: Flames’ season ends--Whoosh!Net

Women's Basketball's Three-Game Winning Streak Snapped At Youngstown State--uicflames.com
Women's Basketball Closes Out Regular Season At Cleveland State--uicflames.com

Loyola unveils Norville Center--Daily Herald
On this day 6 years ago - Mar 04, 2005--LU Wolf Ball

Second Half Push Sends Cleveland State Past Short-Handed Loyola, 73-58--LoyolaRamblers.com

Women's basketball: No. 15 UW-Green Bay beats Wright State for 19th straight win--Green Bay Press Gazette
Four Players Score in Double Figures in 75-54 Win over Wright State--uwgbathletics.com
No. 15/12 Green Bay Wraps up Regular-Season Play at Detroit--uwgbathletics.com
Bauer Provides Spark off the Bench for the Phoenix--uwgbathletics.com

Panthers win third game in row--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Live Blog: Milwaukee @ Detroit--Panther Blog Zone
Post-Game Wrap-Up: Milwaukee @ Detroit--Panther Blog Zone
**UPDATED WBB Championship Scenarios--Panther Blog Zone
Panthers Downs Detroit For Third-Straight Win--uwmpanthers.com
Panthers Play At Wright State In Regular Season Finale--uwmpanthers.com

The Quarterfinals--PantherU

VU’s ‘ultimate road warriors’--The Post-Tribune
Beating the Titans a tall task for Valpo--The Post-Tribune
Johnson ready for physical battle with Holman--Off The Mark

Women's Hoops Hosts Butler Saturday for Senior Day--valpoathletics.com

ESPN announcer repeatedly botches name of Clemson's coach--Rivals.com
Preview: Wright State vs. Cleveland State--Dayton Daily News
Cleveland State has been more than Cole against WSU--Dayton Daily News
WSU senior attended over 350 Raider athletic events during college career--RaiderRoundball.com

Wright State women fall to Phoenix--Dayton Daily News
Green Bay Overpowers Wright State Women--RaiderRoundball.com
Grandma inspires women’s basketball star--The Guardian
Women Fall 75-54 to #15/12 Green Bay--wsuraiders.com

Brown out: YSU douses Flames--Youngstown Vindicator
Dimitrov reflects on career before finale--Youngstown Vindicator
On this day 8 years ago - Mar 04, 2003--Guin Report
Penguins douse the Flames--The Jambar
Brandi Brown Nets Career-High 35 Points in 72-58 Win over UIC--ysusports.com
With Eyes on No. 9 Seed, YSU Welcomes Loyola for Home Finale--ysusports.com

Tournament Pressure Hightens as Second Round Picks Up Tonight--Horizon League Network

Jim Squire

The Real March Madness: Day 1--Ballin' is a Habit
Welcome To The New Mid-Major Madness--Mid-Major Madness

Mid-Majors: Ball State Falls, Valparaiso Advances In Horizon League Tournament--SB Nation Indiana
Assessing at-large chances--Indy Star Butler Insider
We asked, Brad Stevens answered--Victory Firelight
Senior Day win clinches byes--Butler Collegian

Wisconsin Woes: WBB drops two on road--Butler Collegian

New Women's Basketball Podcast Now Available--uicflames.com

Loyola already pointing to next season--The Chicago Tribune

Women's basketball: Senior stars Kayla Tetschlag, Celeste Hoewisch have UW-Green Bay riding high--Green Bay Press Gazette

Brown's Freshman Campaign Among Best in School History--uwgbathletics.com

Hair--PantherU
Who ya got?--PantherU
Milwaukee Panthers Travel Guide--PantherU
Top-Seeded Panthers Preparing For Saturday Semifinal Contest--uwmpanthers.com
Hill, McClellan Earn U.S. Army ROTC Athlete Of The Month Honors--uwmpanthers.com

VU’s ‘ultimate road warriors’--The Post-Tribune
Beating the Titans a tall task for Valpo--The Post-Tribune
Johnson ready for physical battle with Holman--The NWI Times
Updated: Valparaiso Closes the Season Against Detroit--Valpo Daily
Valpo Ready For Detroit in HL Quarterfinal--valpoathletics.com

Once-beaten Horizon champs to test Raider women--Dayton Daily News
No shortage of contenders in Horizon tourney--Dayton Daily News
WSU forward Land finding rhythm after knee injury--Wright State University Sports
Updated: Wright State Closes the Season With Cleveland State--Rowdy Review

Penguins prepare to extinguish Flames--The Jambar
Guins Open Final Home Week on Thursday vs. UIC--ysusports.com

Men's Basketball Season Highlighted by Team, Individual Accomplishments, Exciting Games--ysusports.com

Seeds up for grabs as women's basketball closes out regular season--Horizon League Network

Jim Squire

Tourney Central 3/2/2011 (Day 2)--The Mid-Majority
Ten Tuesday Scribbles--Rush The Court

Two conference tournaments that have my interest piqued this week are the Horizon League and the Missouri Valley. Not only do they feature a handful of well-known former Cinderellas and marquee mid-major programs (Butler, Wichita State, Northern Iowa, Valparaiso) and high-major caliber players (Norris Cole, Matt Howard, Kyle Weems, Gregory Echenique), but the fields are as wide open as ever. There’s no ranked team playing on their home floor as has been the case with Butler in the Horizon the last few seasons. In fact, due to their sweep of the Bulldogs, Milwaukee, a team led by seniors Anthony Hill and Tone Boyle that hasn’t lost in league play since January 21, earned the #1 seed and will host the tournament. Butler obviously has the firepower to win in Milwaukee with Howard and preseason conference POY Shelvin Mack, while Cleveland State can pull it off if Cole receives enough help from his supporting cast. Detroit’s plethora of transfers are very talented, Valparaiso has an outstanding guard in Brandon Wood and Wright State the same with Vaughn Duggins. The MVC is a one-bid league this season which will make the tournament even more intriguing. Missouri State and Wichita State are the favorites going in, but don’t count out Northern Iowa, Indiana State or Creighton.

Horizon League Wrap & Tourney Preview--Rush The Court
O26 Primers: Big South and Horizon League Tourneys--Rush The Court
ATB: Who Wants to Play in This Tournament?--Rush The Court

Conf Tourneys. Two conference tournaments kicked off Championship Fortnight tonight with 1st Round action. Here’s what you need to know.
...
* Horizon League. The opening round of the HL Tournament bore no surprises, as the four home teams — #3 Cleveland State, #4Valparaiso, #5 Detroit, and #6 Wright State — all won handily. The quarterfinals matching CSU and WSU in one game and Valpo and Detroit in the other will take place Friday night at Milwaukee, with the winners advancing to play #1 UWM and #2 Butler on Saturday. This is a league where any number of things could happen; it’ll be interesting to keep an eye on it.

Previewing the Madness: The Horizon League Tournament--Ballin' is a Habit
Big dreams come in little packages--ESPN

Horizon (27). March 1-8 at various sites.
Top seed: Milwaukee (split regular-season title with Butler, Cleveland State).
Minutes tourney champ prediction: Butler.
Storyline: Just when everyone was ready to write off the Bulldogs after three straight losses dropped them to 6-5 in the league, they regained their form. Butler has won seven straight to close the regular season, earning a No. 2 seed, a double-bye into the semifinals and a possible date with No. 3 Cleveland State -- a team the Bulldogs have beaten twice this season. Milwaukee closed on a roll of its own, winning nine straight league games, but the March experience advantage goes to Butler.
Sagarin conference rank: 10th out of 31.
Last time league champ won an NCAA tourney game: Butler last year. You may have heard something about it.

Projecting the conference tournaments winners (part I of II)--Rivals.com

Horizon League

Dates: March 1, 4-5, 8

Site: Milwaukee, Wisc.

Outlook: If Butler is even going to have an opportunity to make another memorable NCAA tournament run, the Bulldogs may need to win the Horizon League tournament. Butler could still earn an at-large bid thanks to non-league wins over Florida State and Washington State, but the Bulldogs certainly will not feel safe without the automatic bid. The trouble for Butler is that path will not be easy. Up first will likely be either conference player of the year favorite Norris Cole and Cleveland State or longtime nemesis Wright State, followed by perhaps host Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the title game.

Projected champion: Butler (JE), Butler (CC), Butler (RG), Cleveland State (GW)

Dark horse: Cleveland State (JE), Valparaiso (CC), Detroit (RG), Detroit (GW)

And the Horizonys go to…--Joe Sports
NIT Bracketology - Return of the Bracket Predictor--ChicagoNow.com
Loyola and UIC's seasons end too quickly, too quietly--ChicagoNow.com
Tuesday Truths--Basketball Prospectus

Horizon (FINAL): The curious case of Milwaukee

W-L Pace PPP Opp. PPP EM
1. Cleveland St. 13-5 66.4 1.09 0.99 +0.10
2. Butler 13-5 63.9 1.11 1.02 +0.09
3. Valparaiso 12-6 66.4 1.03 0.98 +0.05
4. Wright St. 10-8 62.2 1.04 1.02 +0.02
5. Detroit 10-8 69.6 1.07 1.05 +0.02
6. Milwaukee 13-5 66.1 1.06 1.04 +0.02
7. Green Bay 8-10 65.8 1.03 1.04 -0.01
8. Loyola 7-11 64.5 1.02 1.03 -0.01
9. UIC 2-16 65.4 0.95 1.08 -0.13
10. Youngstown St. 2-16 69.4 0.96 1.10 -0.14

AVG. 66.0 1.04

The Horizon plays a round-robin schedule so we can say with some degree of confidence that Milwaukee is, at best, this league's fourth-best team. Nevertheless an OT win at Youngstown State on Saturday won the Panthers the 1-seed in the Horizon tournament. That's huge, because it means Rob Jeter's team not only receives a bye that lands them in the semifinals but also that they'll be playing on their home court. Meanwhile 2-seed Butler's being shown as an NCAA at-large on most projected brackets. That being said, the Bulldogs would be well advised to win their semifinal at Milwaukee on Saturday evening against either Cleveland State, Wright State, Green Bay, or Illinois-Chicago.

Top Five Sacred Arenas--Lost Letterman

4. Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler)

Thanks to last year’s Final Four run, Butler’s program has risen to national prominence. But it was in 1986 that Hinkle Fieldhouse was immortalized thanks to arguably the best sports movie of all time, Hoosiers. The host of the championship game in the famed film and in real life during the 1954 “Milan Miracle,” Hinkle Fieldhouse ascended to legendary status. Opened in 1928, the court that has long held Indiana high school tournaments and because of the likes of Billy Chitwood, Hickory High, Gene Hackman, and the good old picket fence, Hinkle Fieldhouse has a mythical ambiance to it that will outlast time. It’s also got a beautiful view inside, as the interior feels like a giant warehouse.

Conference Tournaments – Bid Stealing 101--The Bracket Man

Conference: Horizon League
School: Butler
Record: 20-9 (13-5)
Why: 3 Top 50 wins, 5 Top 100 wins (3 away from home), Top 50~ RPI, Top 100 SOS.
Chance to Dance: 40% – Might depend on who the Bulldogs lose to (RPI). Either way, could Butler withstand 6 losses to Horizon League teams with 3 (maybe 4) of them being “bad losses”?

Utah Jazz eager to hit the practice floor--Deseret News

Like his predecessor, Corbin continues to tinker with lineup combinations in hopes of finding the best matchups that will work against different opponents.

For example, Ronnie Price didn't play a minute Monday night after seeing extended minutes Saturday, and it was the exact opposite for Gordon Hayward.

Utah Jazz: Youngsters Hayward, Favors show maturity on the court--Deseret News
Youth movement--Salt Lake Tribune

For 13 minutes against Boston, Jazz youngsters Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors were on the floor at the same time.

Hayward is 20. Favors is 19.

"They were playing a good game," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "They didn’t look, act or play like 20- and 19-year-old kids. …

"They did a good job. They were aggressive. They played good defense and they fought their guys in tough situations. It was a pleasure to see."

Hours before the Jazz-Boston game, Tyrell Corbin scored 33 points in West High’s 51-41 win over Riverton in the Class 5-A state basketball tournament.

But the Jazz coach doesn’t think his 18-year-old son is NBA-ready, despite his closeness in age to Hayward and Favors.

Referring to the Jazz rookies, Corbin said, "That’s how these guys are. They’ve been around the game forever. They played a lot of basketball. To their credit, they’re ready for it."

Cornette weighs in on Horizon League tourney--Victory Firelight

Butler Women's Basketball Meet Devin Brierly--activelife

Tim Kamczyk praised by Gary Waters for hustle against Illinois-Chicago: Cleveland State Insider--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Second-half fade can't prevent Cleveland State from topping Illinois-Chicago, 73-61, in Horizon tourney opener--Cleveland Plain Dealer
CSU Basketball Notebook: Vikings Begin Journey Towards Horizon League Tournament Championship--Let's Go Vikes!
STO to Televise Cleveland Staet Vs Wright State Tournament Game--Let's Go Vikes!
Updated: Cleveland State Finishes the Season Against UIC--Vikings Ball
UIC vs Cleveland State: Recap Notes--Vikings Ball
Cleveland State Gets Win Over UIC, 73-61--Vikings Ball

Vikings Top UIC, 73-61, in First Round of Horizon League Championship--csuvikings.com
Vikings Face Wright State In Horizon League Championship Quarterfinals--csuvikings.com

Vikings Host Loyola To Begin Final Week of Regular Season--csuvikings.com

Detroit Mercy 90, Loyola 69: Titans defense tough on Ramblers--The Detroit Free Press
Detroit Mercy enters March on upswing--The Detroit News
Detroit Mercy stops Loyola with big second half--The Detroit News
March Madness might finally have the whole state of Michigan dancing this spring--The Detroit News
Updated: Detroit Closes the Season Against Loyola (Chicago)--Titans Update
Loyola (Chicago) vs Detroit: Recap Notes--Titans Update
Detroit Gets Big Win Over Loyola (Chicago), 90-69--Titans Update
HL Tourney Play Begins Tonight at Home vs. Loyola--detroittitans.com
Titans Rout Loyola in Horizon League Tourney Opener--detroittitans.com
Follow the Titans in the Horizon League Tourney--detroittitans.com
Travel with the Titans to Milwaukee!--detroittitans.com

Save the Dates! Basketball Postseason Banquets Upcoming--detroittitans.com

Last Homestand Starts With Detroit Looking For Regular Season Sweep Over Milwaukee--detroittitans.com

UIC falls to Cleveland State--The Chicago Tribune
Loyola, UIC bounced out of Horizon tourney--The Chicago Sun-Times
UIC’s season ends with HL tourney loss: Links and notes--Fan the UIC Flames
UIC vs Cleveland State: Recap Notes--FLAME FANATIC
Cleveland State Too Much for UIC, 73-61--FLAME FANATIC
Postseason Blog: Follow the Flames LIVE at Cleveland State--uicflames.com
Flames Fall 73-61 at Cleveland State; Eliminated from Horizon League Tourney--uicflames.com

Basketball: Women defeat, Men defeated--UIC Chicago Flame
Happy Hour with Moore, Ryckbosch Set for March 15--uicflames.com

Women's Basketball Seniors Sent Off In Style--uicflames.com

RPI WATCH: 3/2/2011Bring On The Cats

Finally, Loyola's season mercifully ended with a first-round ejection from the Horizon League postseason, while Savannah State improved its mood with another road win and Missouri let its NCAA seed slip with another road flop.

Detroit tops Loyola in Horizon tourney--The Chicago Tribune
Loyola (Chicago) vs Detroit: Recap Notes--LU WOLF BALL
Loyola (Chicago) Sinking After 90-69 Beatdown By Detroit--LU WOLF BALL
Detroit Proves Too Much For Loyola In 90-69 Loss In Horizon League First Round--LoyolaRamblers.com

Loyola Opens Final Regular Season Road Trip With Thursday Night Tilt At Cleveland State--LoyolaRamblers.com

Women's basketball: Phoenix rises to 12th in ESPN/USA Today poll--Green Bay Press Gazette
Mike Vandermause column: UWGB women's basketball keeps getting better--Green Bay Press Gazette
Phoenix cruise past Crusaders for 13th consecutive title--UWGB Fourth Estate
Phoenix women win on emotional senior day--UWGB Fourth Estate
Tetschlag Named to Capital One Academic All America Team--uwgbathletics.com
Phoenix Fans Create Energetic Atmosphere on the Road--uwgbathletics.com
Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship Central--uwgbathletics.com
No. 15/12 Green Bay Starts Final Regular-Season Road Trip at Wright State--uwgbathletics.com

Men's basketball: Wright State ends UWGB's season--Green Bay Press Gazette
Horizon League Tournament: Wright State 60, UWGB 50 FINAL--UWGB Basketball
On this day 9 years ago - Mar 01, 2002--Phoenix Fever
Green Bay vs Wright State: Recap Notes--Phoenix Fever
Wright State Gets Win Over Green Bay, 60-50--Phoenix Fever
Green Bay Falls at Wright State in First Round of Horizon League Tournament --uwgbathletics.com

UWM coach Jeter, point guard Williams find mutual trust--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Horizon League Power Rankings (February 22 – 28)--PantherU
And here…we…go--PantherU
Filling out my brackets--PantherU
Higher Seeds Win, Move On To Weekend Tournament Play In Milwaukee--uwmpanthers.com

2011 Horizon League WBB Championship: 256 simplified...--Panther Blog Zone
Panthers Hit Road To Close Out Regular Season--uwmpanthers.com

Crusaders survive, advance--The Post-Tribune
Youngstown State at Valparaiso, HL Tourney, March 1, Live Blog--Off The Mark
Valpo holds off pesky Penguins after building 19-point lead--The NWI Times
Valparaiso sophomore scores eight first-half points to help in 80-71 victory--The NWI Times
Live from the ARC: No. 4 Valparaiso vs. No. 9 Youngstown St.--Region Sports Extra
StatSheet Projects Valparaiso as NIT Seven Seed: 03/01/2011--Valpo Daily
Youngstown State vs Valparaiso: Recap Notes--Valpo Daily
UPDATED: Cameron Witt is questionable for Friday's Horizon Conference Tournament game against Detroit.--Valpo Daily
Valparaiso Beats Youngstown State, 80-71--Valpo Daily
Valpo Holds Off Penguins; Advances to HL Quarterfinals--valpoathletics.com

Donlon’s halftime message fuels WSU--Dayton Daily News
Flu keeps Donlon from afternoon shootaround--Dayton Daily News
Fine time for Battle to emerge--Dayton Daily News
Tabler’s experience, attitude key for WSU in league tournament--Dayton Daily News
WSU recruits open high school postseason tournaments this week--Wright State University Sports
Duggins leads WSU in physical first-round HL tournament victory--Wright State University Sports
WSU recruits score 23, 20 points in postseason wins Tuesday--Wright State University Sports
Raiders win in Horizon League tourney action--Fairborn Daily Herald
Men Pull Away for 60-50 Win Over Green Bay in Horizon League First Round--RaiderRoundball.com
Wright State Closes Their 2010-2011 Campaign With Green Bay--Rowdy Review
Green Bay vs Wright State: Recap Notes--Rowdy Review
Wright State Beats Green Bay, 60-50--Rowdy Review
Raiders win ‘Battle’ over Green Bay--The Guardian
Men Pull Away for 60-50 Win Over Green Bay in Horizon League First Round--wsuraiders.com

The Never-Been-To-The-NCAA-Tournament Club: Northwestern and our 51 best friends--Sippin' On Purple

7 p.m., Horizon League Tournament: No. 10 Youngstown State Penguins (9-21, 2-16, kenpom ranking 252) vs. No. 4 Valparaiso Crusaders (21-10, 12-6, kenpom ranking 104)

Our squad: Youngstown State

Youngstown State's chances today: 8.9 percent

Youngstown State's chances of winning the conference tourney: .01 percent. (Yes, .01. Thanks, kenpom.)

Something Youngstown State has going for them: The film "March of the Penguins" won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. They also had a very improbable win against Butler and took Valpo to OT.

Some things Youngstown State does not have going for them: This game is on the road, at Valpo. Youngstown State's road record: 0-13. (In their defense, they were 9-8 at home. Not bad! They will not have any more home games this year.)

Reasons to irrationally hate Valparaiso: Everything about Bryce Drew. Coach's son, hit a huge game-winner yes, then parlayed that into a brief (and completely undeserved) NBA career and now a gig as an assistant coach for Valpo.

Cleveland State’s Cole is POY--Youngstown Vindicator
Like it or not, Slocum will return--Youngstown Vindicator
Penguins sidelined by Valparaiso in first round--Youngstown Vindicator
Updated: Youngstown State Finishes Their 2010-2011 Campaign With Valparaiso--Guin Report
Youngstown State vs Valparaiso: Recap Notes--Guin Report
Valparaiso Gets Win Over Youngstown State, 80-71--Guin Report
Beware the Ides of March--The Jambar
Eargle Scores 21 in Valiant Come-Back Attempt as Guins Fall to Valpo, 80-71--ysusports.com

Inconsistency bothers coach--Youngstown Vindicator
Guins Open Final Home Week on Thursday vs. UIC--ysusports.com

Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament Preview Show--Horizon League Network
Seeds Hold Serve in First Round of Horizon League Championship--Horizon League Network
Men's Basketball Championship Tips Off Tuesday Night--Horizon League Network

Tetschlag named to Capitol One Academic All-America Team--Horizon League Network

Jim Squire

Tourney Central 3/1/2011 (Day 1)--The Mid-Majority
No exclusivity in this tourney field--Sports Illustrated

The Others
...
IN THE MIX
...
Butler (20-9, 13-5; RPI: 45, SOS: 79)
The Bulldogs finished in a three-way tie for the Horizon crown and landed the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, which gives them a double-bye. The bad news is they very well could have to beat Cleveland State for a third time in the semis and the tournament is being hosted by UW-Milwaukee, the top seed. Unless the Panthers lose a semifinal at home, Butler will need to win a road game against a team that swept the Bulldogs to get the auto bid. This is the best setup for a possible at-large, though.
GW: Florida State (N), Washington State (N), Cleveland State (2x)?
BL: Evansville (without Nored), UW Milwaukee (2x)?, at Wright State, at Youngstown State.
...
Others in consideration: Wichita State, UAB, Cleveland State, VCU, Memphis, Harvard, Belmont.

Bubble Banter--Bracketville

BEST OF THE REST
Locks: NONE | Should Be In: George Mason | Bubble: Butler, Cleveland State, Missouri State, Old Dominion, Memphis, Southern Mississippi, UAB, Gonzaga, St. Mary’s, Utah State

* Butler (20-9 | 13-5) | RPI: 45 | SOS: 79 | – Butler finished its regular season with 7 straight wins to earn the 2-seed and double bye in the Horizon League Tournament. A win over Florida State in Hawaii could still help, but the victory over Washington State isn’t what it once was – although the Cougars could rally. It’s the five league losses – including a sweep by Milwaukee – that’s holding Butler back. Getting to the Horizon League final would put BU right on the cutline.
* Cleveland State (22-7 | 13-5) | RPI: 39 | SOS: 107 | – Vikings have to reach the Horizon League Tournament final to stay on the bubble.

Hoops Housekeeping--Ballin' is a Habit

Brad Stevens: The Butler head coach had a scary incident on the sidelines during Butler's game against Loyola on Saturday. I'll let him explain:

"Right now, I can't see and my eye feels like it has a thousand scratches," Stevens said from home. "My vision got progressively worse as we were getting ready to start the game, and by the final media timeout of the first half, I could not see the other end of the court and everything in front of me was blurry."

He was diagnosed with a corneal edema and was back coaching on Monday.

Center Okur seeks medical green light--Salt Lake Tribune

Still available

Corbin said that rookie Gordon Hayward is still in the Jazz’s immediate plans.

Hayward did not play Saturday during a road loss to Detroit. But Corbin said the forward’s lack of action was attributed to the Pistons going small, and wasn’t related to Hayward’s rotational position now that Favors has been added to the team.

Utah has 14 players on its roster after dealing with 13 most of the season. Hayward and fellow rookie Jeremy Evans have seen their time cut since the Jazz dealt Williams.

"Gordon will play," Corbin said. "He’s made some strides thus far in the season, and I think he’ll continue to make those strides."

Jazz hang tight with Celtics, but lose 107-102--Salt Lake Tribune

Utah is building, too. Jefferson carried the Jazz throughout the second half of February, and is finally taking the dominant form the organization hoped for when he was acquired last summer to replace Carlos Boozer. Rookies Favors and Gordon Hayward showed a confident spark, while Harris, Millsap and Kirilenko performed like playoff-capable starters.

Butler's Matt Howard named All-Horizon for 3rd time--The Indy Star

TeamRankings.com College Basketball Daily Feast: Feb 28, 2011--Team Rankings

The Horizon League regular season ended in a three-way tie for first between UW Milwaukee, Butler, and Cleveland State. Due to tiebreakers, their seeds in the conference tournament, which begins tomorrow, will be in the same order I just listed them. The top two seeds receive double byes to the semifinals, and the #1 seed gets home court advantage from that point on, meaning Cleveland State is at a huge structural disadvantage. Of course, that means we may get to see two extra games from Norris Cole, who may be the best player in the Horizon League.

Cleveland State's Norris Cole dominates Horizon League's 2011 awards--Cleveland Plain Dealer

Detroit Mercy enters March on upswing--The Detroit News

UIC at Cleveland State--The Chicago Tribune
UIC hoops scouting report--Daily Herald
Carter nets Horizon League honors--Whoosh!Net

Loyola's McCammon Horizon League's 6th man of the year--The Chicago Tribune
Loyola hoops scouting report--Daily Herald
Suburban star wins Sixth Man honors for Loyola--Daily Herald

Women's basketball: UWGB climbs to No. 15 in AP poll--Green Bay Press Gazette

Men's basketball: UWGB's Fletcher gets fourth all-conference honor--Green Bay Press Gazette
Men's basketball: UWGB can't afford another late meltdown against Wright State--Green Bay Press Gazette

Milwaukee headlines dangerous group of potential bid stealers--Sports Illustrated
Jeter named Horizon League coach of the year--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Your Milwaukee Panthers: 2011 Horizon League Regular Season Champions--Milwaukee Panther Tracks

Lazerus: VU needs to be mentally tough for tourney--The Post-Tribune
Wood named to Horizon League First Team--The NWI Times
Crusaders open Horizon tourney against Youngstown State--The NWI Times

Raiders confident as HL tourney begins--Dayton Daily News
WSU guards continue Wright State All-Horizon League presence--Wright State University Sports