Horizon League Notebook
by Cory Eve
Tis the Conference Season
It’s already two full weeks into the conference season, and three teams have jumped out to impressive starts. Wright State, Illinois-Chicago and Butler are off and running.
Let’s start with Illinois-Chicago. The Flames have started 4-1 in conference play, including back-to-back six point wins against league-favorite Butler and last year’s league champions Loyola, Ill. Guard T.J. Gray led the way for Illinois-Chicago, averaging nearly 14 points while shooting 53 percent from the three-point line. Leading scorer Othyus Jeffers has also played solid in the Flames’ five conference games averaging about 15 points and eight rebounds per game. What’s most impressive is that all of this has come after coach Jimmy Collins took a leave of absence Dec. 23. The loss of Collins seems to have ignited and poured gasoline on the Flames.
The Wright State Raiders are also off to a 4-1 start in league play and are in first place. They’ve notched wins against Loyola and Illinois-Chicago en route to first place at this point in the season. Like he has all season, DeShaun Wood has led the Raiders, averaging nearly 18 points per game. He scored 32 in an 81-55 win vs. Loyola last week. In addition to his scoring, Wood has averaged almost four assists, four rebounds and a steal a game during conference play. Wright State has helped itself in their four Horizon League wins by only turning the ball over 11.5 times a game and shooting nearly 48 percent from the field.
Butler is off to a good conference start, too, going 3-1 in the first four league games. After a win against Wright State Jan. 6, Butler had established its best 15-game start in school history, going 14-1. Butler continues to win by protecting the basketball, playing good defense, shooting well from the free-throw line and playing fundamentally sound basketball as a team. They’ve turned it over only 10 times a game, given up only 51 points per game and shot 74 percent from the line in their four conference games. It’s like this team is full of throwback 40-year-olds who play better fundamentals than anyone. Everyone knows those guys – they set perfect picks, play hard-nosed defense, make all of their free-throws and use the bank to perfection whenever they have the chance. Despite their loss to Illinois-Chicago, the Bulldogs remain the favorite to win the Horizon League.
League News and Notes
- After missing Saturday’s game against South Dakota State because of dental surgery, Butler’s leading scorer, A.J. Graves, should be back for the Bulldogs’ conference game Jan. 16 against Youngstown State.
- After making both of his free throw attempts last week against Illinois-Chicago, Graves has now hit 54 straight from the charity stripe. He is shooting a NCAA Division I best 98.8 percent (82-of-83) from the line.
- Illinois-Chicago coach Jimmy Collins is in good condition and still resting after successful surgery Jan. 6 to repair swelling in the main blood vessel in his abdomen. School spokesman Mike Cassidy said Collins will not return until he has fully recovered, and associate head coach Mark Coomes will continue to coach.
