Horizon League Notebook
Player of the week: Mike Green, Butler Bulldogs. Green was named the MVP of the Great Alaska Shootout after averaging 20 points, 6.7 assists and four rebounds a contest.
Butler Bulldogs (6-0 overall)
Week record: 3-0
Recap
Nov. 21 vs. Michigan, Great Alaska Shootout – W 79-65
Nov. 23 vs. Virginia Tech, Great Alaska Shootout – W 84-78 (OT)
Nov. 24 vs. Texas Tech, Great Alaska Shootout – W 81-71
For the second straight year, the Bulldogs won a major in-season tournament by taking the Great Alaska Shootout. Last year, the Bulldogs won the NIT Season Tip-Off, beating Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee and Gonzaga along the way to win that title.
Butler broke the Great Alaska Shootout record with 49 3-pointers for the tournament, and broke the single game mark with 17 against Michigan.
Mike Green had an outstanding tournament, garnering MVP honors. He averaged 20 points, 6.7 assists and four rebounds per game. He had 23 points in the semifinal against the Hokies.
Pete Campbell was 17-of-31 from 3-point range for the tournament, and averaged 18.7 points a contest. Campbell, Green and A.J. Graves were selected to the All-Tournament team.
Graves scored 52 points in the three games, moving him into 10th place all-time on the school’s scoring record list.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 1 vs. Ohio State
Cleveland State Vikings (4-2)
Week record: 1-0
Nov. 24 vs. John Carroll – W 67-57
The Vikings continued a strong start to the season with a victory over John Carroll. Last season, Cleveland State finished last in the Horizon League in rebounding margin (minus-3.5). This year, it’s the other way around (plus-4.0).
Junior J’Nathan Bullock is off to a good start as well, ranking eighth in the league in scoring (16.8 points per game).
Cedric Jackson is averaging 19.2 points per game through six games, which ranks him third in the league.
CSU is averaging just over 11 turnovers per game in the four victories, but more than 20 in the two losses.
The Vikings will continue a three-game homestand this week, which includes a rematch of last season’s ESPN BracketBusters game with Cal State Northridge.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 vs. Cal State Northridge
Dec. 1 vs. Geneva
Detroit Titans (3-2)
Week record: 2-1
Recap
Nov. 19 vs. Western Michigan – L 60-59
Nov. 21 vs. Chicago State – W 77-66
Nov. 24 vs. Rochester – W 67-51
After a close loss to the Western Michigan Broncos, the Titans bounced back with victories against Chicago State and Rochester – all at home.
The Titans shot at least 50 percent from the field in each game, and also got 16 steals against Rochester, the team’s highest total in more than three years (Feb. 28, 2004 vs. Youngstown State).
Junior forward Chris Hayes posted his first collegiate double-double with a 16-point, 12-rebound effort against Chicago State. He also had six assists in the game.
Senior Jon Goode scored a season-high 24 points in the loss to the Broncos. He leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 at Eastern Michigan
Dec. 1 vs. Central Michigan
Illinois-Chicago Flames (2-3)
Week record: 0-1
Recap
Nov. 19 vs. Wichita State, Paradise Jam – L 67-60
Wichita State, a 2006 NCAA Sweet 16 participant, withstood all it could from the Flames in the Paradise Jam, which was held in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Junior Scott VanderMeer scored 10 points, grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and blocked five shots. VanderMeet set the league’s single-season shot block record with 111 last year. He already has 21 this season (4.2 per contest), and could shatter that record at his current pace.
Josh Mayo leads the team in scoring at 17.2 points per game, good for seventh-best in the league.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 at Central Michigan
Dec. 1 at Illinois State
Loyola Ramblers (2-2)
Week record: 0-1
Recap
Nov. 24 at Purdue – L 84-53
It was never close against the Boilermakers. The 31-point loss was the worst defeat for Loyola since a 90-57 loss to San Diego in 2005. In addition, the Ramblers lost consecutive games for the first time in 10 months. The last time that happened was a Jan. 25 and 27 when Loyola lost to Butler and Wright State, respectively.
Junior J.R. Blount scored a team-high 17 points against Purdue. He is the only Rambler in double figures in all five games this season. He ranks fifth in the league in scoring (18.5 points per game) and is also fourth in steals at 2.5 per game.
After averaging 10 turnovers in the first three games, the Ramblers had 19 against Purdue.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 vs. Bradley
Dec. 1 at Northern Iowa
UW-Green Bay Phoenix (3-2)
Week record: 1-0
Recap
Nov. 24 vs. North Dakota State – W 85-77
The Phoenix shot 51 percent from the field, including 62.5 in the second half in the victory over North Dakota State. Green Bay also scored 51 points in the second.
Junior Mike Schachtner is off to the hottest start in the league, averaging a league-best 20.4 points per game. Against NDSU, he scored 24 points for his third 20-point game of the season.
Terry Evans had a solid all-around game, scoring 15 points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out six assists and getting three steals. He is second in the league in rebounding (7.8 per game).
The Phoenix, through five games, lead the league in scoring at 75.4 points per game.
When the Phoenix play at South Dakota State, it will be the start of a four-game road trip, and they have only one home game in December (Dec. 22 vs. Northern Illinois).
Upcoming games:
Nov. 27 vs. Eastern Illinois
Dec. 1 at South Dakota State
UW-Milwaukee Panthers (3-2)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Nov. 20 vs. South Dakota State – W 89-80
Nov. 24 vs. Drake – L 80-59
Paige Paulsen scored 27 points, and Torre Johnson added 22 in the Panthers’ victory over SDSU. Paulsen, a former Mr. Basketball in South Dakota, tied his collegiate-high in the game and added seven rebounds and five steals. He is averaging 15 points per game thus far this season.
Johnson, a transfer from Oklahoma State, is the league-leader in rebounds at 9.4 per game, and is fourth in scoring at 19.0 points per game.
After closing a three-game homestand with Sam Houston State, the Panthers will play a much-anticipated in-city rivalry game with Marquette. The two last played each other in 1998. The campuses are located about 10 minutes from each other.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 27 vs. Sam Houston State
Nov. 30 at Marquette
Valparaiso Crusaders (4-1)
Week record: 2-1
Recap
Nov. 20 at Vanderbilt – L 87-78
Nov. 23 vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore, South Padre Island Invitational – W 66-55
Nov. 24 vs. Austin Peay, South Padre Island Invitational – W 61-47
The Crusaders nearly pulled off a big upset over NCAA Sweet 16 participant Vanderbilt in Nashville. But they did take two games at the South Padre Island Invitational in Texas.
Shawn Huff earned a spot on the all-tournament team, scoring seven points late in the game against Austin Peay. For the week, Huff averaged 11.3 points and 7.7 rebounds.
Against Maryland-Eastern Shore, Bryan Bouchie scored a season-high 23 points.
Valparaiso has won four of its first five games for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 vs. Western Michigan
Dec. 1 vs. Ball State
Wright State Raiders (1-0)
Week record: 1-0
Recap
Nov. 19 vs. Coastal Carolina – W 71-48
After a long-awaited debut, the defending league tournament champion Raiders finally took the floor against Coastal Carolina.
The Raiders forced 24 turnovers in the game, and led by as many as 29 points in the second half.
Sophomore forward Todd Brown led the way with a game-high 20 points, along with four rebounds and four assists. He also four 3-pointers, and the Raiders hit nine as a team.
Vaughn Duggins added 16 points and six rebounds, and Scottie Wilson scored 14 points.
Jordan Pleiman collected six rebounds, giving him more than 500 for his career. He is the 17th player in Raiders history to achieve that milestone.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 vs. Marshall
Dec. 1 at Marist
Youngstown State Penguins (2-2)
Week record: 0-1
Recap
Nov. 24 at Notre Dame – L 87-75
The Penguins hung tight with the Fighting Irish, who have now won 23 straight home games after beating Colgate on Monday night.
Four players were in double figures for the Penguins. That continues a streak of at least three players in double figures in every game so far this season.
Senior John Barber scored a collegiate-high 19 points and tied his collegiate-best with 12 rebounds to notch his fifth collegiate double-double.
Byron Davis added 14 points for YSU, and leads the team in scoring with 15.8 points per game.
YSU hit 11 3-pointers in the game, making it the second time this year it hit at least 10 3-pointers in a game.
On tap this week is a rematch from last year’s ESPN BracketBusters with Eastern Kentucky.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 at St. Francis (Pa.)
Dec. 1 at Eastern Kentucky
