On The Horizon

Jim Squire

The Latest: Indiana State withdraws from Gulf Coast Showcase--Associated Press

Milwaukee has paused all team-related men’s basketball activities and has canceled the season-opening MKE Classic event it was set to host due to a positive COVID-19 case within its program.
The MKE Classic was supposed to be a three-day event beginning Friday and featuring Milwaukee, Southern Mississippi and North Dakota State.
Milwaukee officials said there was a positive test within the men’s basketball program’s Tier 1 personnel. Tier 1 members include players, coaches, team managers and support staff.

UWM pauses all men's basketball activities after positive COVID-19 result--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Pausing All Men’s Basketball Team Activities--mkepanthers.com

Marquette Women’s Basketball Announces Four Non-Conference Games--Anonymous Eagle

Milwaukee Panthers

2019-20 Record: 15-16, with an 11-7 record in the Horizon League
2019-20 Final Her Hoop Stats Ranking: #241
Head Coach: Kyle Rechlicz, entering her ninth season with a record of 119-130.
All-Time Series: Marquette leads, 31-19, and has won eight straight.

Last year, Marquette blitzed UWM over on the east side for a 78-56 win where they were up 9-0 in less than three minutes and led by double digits for almost all of the second quarter onwards til the final horn. If you wanted to suspect that more of the same might be on the way this season, well, the Panthers have lost three of their top five scorers from last season.

Of course, given that no one on the team averaged more than 10 points per game a year ago, it’s not like the three women who aren’t returning were ultra crucial to the Panthers last year. Leaders, sure, but it’s not like it’s hard to find multiple someones to average eight points a game.

Brandi Bisping did lead the team in scoring a year ago, and she is back for her senior season now. She’s a preseason all-Horizon League Second Teamer after averaging 9.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. As a team, UWM is picked to finish seventh in the Horizon League this season. FUN FACT: Green Bay is not the pick to win that league this season, which is pretty damn wild to think about.

UWM was a very good free throw shooting team a year ago and a very good two-point shooting team a year ago. Of course, given those two strengths, we have to question why Rechlicz had them taking 35% of their shots (47th most in the country) from behind the arc. Go to the rim! Draw fouls! It’s what you’re good at! Nope, they shot a buncha threes at a 30.1% clip, which even if it wasn’t #224 in the country, it would still be awful.

The Panthers were the 15th best defensive rebounding team in the country last season. That’s something that was a strength for the Golden Eagles a year ago as well. However, Marquette lost the services of Altia Anderson to graduation, and thus will have to rely on freshmen to take up that spot in the rotation. Will that lead to a dropoff and thus something that Milwaukee can take advantage of? We’ll see?

Wright State’s Merriweather bracing for ‘roller-coaster’ season--Dayton Daily News

Jim Squire

Nothing But Family When The Titans Meet Kentucky--detroittitans.com

Kaela Webb Granted Immediate Eligibility by NCAA--detroittitans.com

Report: Blayton Williams out for the season due to injury--Phear The Phoenix
Northern Iowa home-and-home, a couple of national TV games, and more--Phear The Phoenix

RMU Athletics delays start of men’s basketball, reveals new winter sports guidelines--Colonial Sports Network

Illinois’ 2nd opponent, Wright State, opts out of Thursday’s basketball game because of COVID-19 cases, while the Missouri Valley adopts a new scheduling format--Chicago Tribune
Wright State to play non-conference games without spectators--Dayton Daily News
Wright State’s Nagy: Canceling season-opening trip to Illinois the right call--Dayton Daily News
Breaking: No Fans At Non-Conference Basketball Games--Wright State Guardian
Wright State Athletics announces plan for spectators at home basketball events--wsuraiders.com
Wright State Cancels Season-Opening Trip to Illinois--wsuraiders.com

Women’s Basketball Announces 2020-21 Schedule Revisions--wsuraiders.com

Jim Squire

Southern Door's Claflin hoping to make his mark on UWGB basketball--Grren Bay Press Gazette

@NKUNorseMBB adds nonconference tilts versus Chattanooga and Tennessee Tech--nkunorse.com

Feature Friday Presented by Fort Financial: Krisen Hunt--gomastodons.com

Flames Ink Three During Early Signing Period--uicflames.com

Wright State Picked As Top Team For Third Straight Year--Wright State Guardian

2019-2020 Men’s Basketball in Review--The Jambar

Women’s team activities paused--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle

Jim Squire

Plenty of players worth watching from smaller conferences--Associated Press

DETROIT MERCY G ANTOINE DAVIS
Davis, a 6-1 junior, has led the Horizon League in scoring each of the last two years. He ranked third among Division I players in scoring (26.1) as a freshman and finished fourth (24.3) last season. He made 132 3-pointers two years ago to break Stephen Curry’s NCAA freshman record and followed that up with 101 last season.

Men's Basketball To Visit Michigan State, Host Kent State--detroittitans.com

Minnesota Men’s Basketball: Breaking down the Gophers’ non-conference schedule--Daily Gopher

Green Bay Phoenix | Nov. 25

The Phoenix finished third in the Horizon League last year but return just one starter from the team that was bounced in the conference tournament semifinals. That player, though, is the reigning Horizon Freshman of the Year, Amari Davis, who averaged nearly 16 ppg and 4 rpg and broke Green Bay’s freshman scoring record. He’ll be a handful.

Oh, and Green Bay’s coach is Bo Ryan’s son, Will, who is in his first year at the Division I level. Let’s give him a warm welcome.

The Phoenix are expected to be a middle-lower tier Horizon League team and begin the season ranked #266 in KenPom. Minnesota should roll in this one.

JAGUARS ADD HIGHLY TOUTED POINT GUARD FOR 2021-2022--iupuijags.com

MKE Men’s Basketball Announces Non-Conference Slate--mkepanthers.com

Women's Basketball Notebook: Nov. 19--goldengrizzlies.com

Robert Morris postpones men’s basketball opener, team on hold after positive covid test--Trib Live
How RMU’s frontcourt will determine its style of play--Chronicling The Colonials
What RMU’s COVID-19 shutdown means moving forward--Chronicling The Colonials
RMU Announces Changes To 2020-21 Schedule--rmucolonials.com

Women’s basketball adds four recruits to program--Colonial Sports Network

Nagy joins Coaches vs. Cancer national golf auction--wsuraiders.com

Youngstown State Women's Basketball Pauses Team Activities--ysu.prestosports.com

Jim Squire

Michigan State Basketball: 2020-21 Non-Conference Schedule Analysis--Tuori Sports Report

December 4: vs Detroit
2019-20: The Titans were 8-23. They were 6-12 in the Horizon League.
Key Returning Players: Antoine Davis (G) 23.4 PPG; Dwayne Rose Jr (G) 7.3 PPG; Brad Calipari (G) 6.1 PPG; Willy Isiani (F) 4.9 PPG
Notable Newcomers: Taurean Thompson (transfer, F, Seton Hall, 4.6 PPG in 2018-19); Bol Kuol (transfer, F, Cal Baptist, 5.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG); Marquell Fraser (transfer, G, Idaho, 7.1 PPG); Matt Johnson (transfer, G, St. Bonaventure, 1.6 PPG)
Series History: Michigan State leads 45-16
Last Meeting: Michigan State 80-70 in 2001

Thoughts: Of the four in-state games, I think I might be most excited for this game. Antoine Davis is one of the purest scorers in the country. He will be a handful for whomever is tasked with guarding him. This is a great test for the Spartans to prepare for the B1G. Mike Davis has gone back to the transfer portal and found a plethora of players to shore up the roster around Davis, and they run a high-volume offense that, if hot, could keep this interesting. Let's not forget that Mike Davis beat Tom Izzo at Texas Southern...
December 13: vs Oakland
2019-20: The Golden Grizzlies were 14-19 overall and 8-10 in the Horizon League.
Key Returning Players: Rashad Williams (G) 19.5 PPG; Daniel Oladapo (F) 9.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG; Kevin Kangu (G) 5.2 PPG, 3.5 APG
Notable Newcomers: Zion Young (transfer, G, Western Illinois, 13.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG); Jalen Moore (transfer, G, Olney Central, 19.3 PPG, 40.8%3P)
Series History: Michigan State leads 18-0
Last Meeting: Michigan State 72-49 in 2019
Thoughts: Greg Kampe's bunch usually gives Michigan State some fits, but the last two meetings have been blowouts. I wish that Michigan State would have gone to the O'Rena for this game, I wish they would visit again in this annual series. The Golden Grizzlies have some scorers, but they won't have enough weapons to hang around in the end.

Michigan State will play Detroit Mercy in basketball for first time since 2001--Detroit News

Women's Basketball Announces Four Non-Conference Games--detroittitans.com

Back to basics: Fundamentals the new style of play in Green Bay--Phear The Phoenix

A game-by-game breakdown of Evansville basketball's non-conference schedule--Evansville Courier & Press

IUPUI Jaguars
Home on Dec. 6. Last year record: 7-25. KenPom: 250
IUPUI is the only non-conference opponent the Aces also played last season. UE won that meeting 70-64 on the road and is 4-0 all-time in the series – ironically, Todd Lickliter spoke to the team that night.
DeAndre Williams led the Aces in the win with 20 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, but Noah Frederking, Evan Kuhlman, Jawaun Newton and Shamar Givance all played at least 13 minutes and should be familiar with the Jaguars.
Seniors Marcus Burk and Jaylen Minnett might be one of the nation’s top-shooting backcourts. Burk is a preseason All-Horizon League selection after averaging 21.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game last year. He tested NBA waters before opting to return.
Yet, IUPUI still was picked to finish last in the Horizon League and has nine newcomers. The Jaguars only had five D-I wins last year.