Dayton Daily News weekly Horizon League rankings

[ysuindy]

Vindy and Trib writers - if you are reading - something like this would be great.  DDN can do it while covering WSU, UD and I believe MU on a regular basis.


http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/wrightstatesports/entries/2011/12/12/week_5_horizon_league_power_ra.html


Week 5 Horizon League Power Rankings: Holman’s return gives Detroit life at No. 4

By Kyle Nagel | Monday, December 12, 2011, 01:05 PM
The week’s biggest personnel development in the Horizon League was center Eli Holman’s return to the roster in Detroit, giving the Titans their three preseason all-league first team players at the same time for the first time this season. Holman missed the first part of the season on a leave of absence, and he made an immediate impact in his return.

But, that didn’t save Detroit from a loss against nationally ranked Alabama on Sunday during a week that saw Horizon League teams go 10-10. Detroit moved up to No. 4 in the rankings this week, and Milwaukee jumped past Valparaiso into the No. 2 spot despite a loss to an impressive Northern Iowa team. Butler and Green Bay have seen slow starts with difficult schedules, which could help them when league play starts full-time later this month.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS HL POWER RANKINGS

1) Cleveland State (10-1, 2-0): The Vikings will take an eight-day break between games after beating Robert Morris (62-58) and Akron (69-66) before facing South Florida (6-4) on Dec. 19. CSU earned the break, streaking to 10 wins with a loss only to Hofstra (not a good one, as the Pride are 3-7) and wins in its past five games by 18, 2, 5, 4 and 3 points. Trey Harmon, a 6-1 senior (Pasadena, Calif.), led the Vikings in scoring in both games last week, with a career best-tying 24 points against Robert Morris and 16 points against Akron. Before those two performances, the preseason all-league first team guard had averaged 6.7 points in the previous six games, although he still averages 11.4 points for the season. That ranks second on the team to 6-4 senior D’Aundray Brown (Youngstown), who averages 12.7 points per game. The Vikings have reached this mini break ranked first in the league in scoring defense (57.3 ppg) but seven in scoring offense (64.2 ppg), meaning CSU will likely continue to see close games with the experience to finish them with wins.


Guard Ray McCallum and Detroit got a big lift last week with the return of center Eli Holman to the lineup (Associated Press photo)
2) Milwaukee (8-2, 2-0): After scoring an 87-76 victory against DePaul last Monday, the Panthers dropped a 67-51 road decision to Northern Iowa, a game that featured two one-loss teams. Kaylon Williams, a Milwaukee 6-3 senior (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), led the Panthers with 16 points, but the team also shot 5-of-19 from 3-point range, while Northern Iowa made 9-of-19 from long range. Also, a game after scoring 20 points while recovering from a calf injury, 6-8 senior Tony Meier (Wildwood, Mo.), a preseason all-league second teamer, had 2 points in 22 minutes against UNI. The Panthers now prepare to face visiting Wisconsin on Tuesday and Marquette next week, games that will test their strong start. Milwaukee has been without third-leading scorer Ja’Rob McCallum, a 6-0 junior (Marion, Ind.) who averaged 10 points per game while starting the first six games. McCallum has a wrist injury that has caused him to miss the past four games, but the Panthers remain the league’s second-best defensive team (58.6 ppg).

3) Valparaiso (7-3, 1-0): Even in the Crusaders’ midweek loss to IPFW (85-76), 6-7 junior Ryan Broekhoff (Frankston, Victoria, Australia) had 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, four rebounds and three assists. He followed that with 20 points (6-of-8), nine rebounds, four steals and three assists in a victory against Bowling Green (82-79) that helped Valpo reach seven wins. Broekhoff is the league’s top rebounder (9.0) and ranks third in scoring (15.3) while teammate Kevin Van Wijk (6-8 junior from Hoofddorp, Netherlands) is also top 10 in both categories, fifth in scoring (14.4) and tied for fifth in rebounding (6.. With multiple scoring options, including 6-2 sophomore Jay Harris (Aurora, Ill., 20 points against Bowling Green), the Crusaders have the league’s best scoring offense (74.9 points per game), but they also allow 68.2 points per game, second-worst in the league. Valparaiso’s first two losses came against Arizona and Ohio State, but the Crusaders then dropped their third road defeat against a 5-3 IPFW team that lost to 6-5 Missouri-Kansas City by 15 points.

4) Detroit (5-7, 0-2): The return of Eli Holman overshadows everything else in Detroit. The 6-10, 260-pound senior (Richmond, Calif.) missed the first 10 games while on an indefinite leave of absence from the team. He was on the bench for a Monday night game against St. John’s, which the Titans won 69-63 to stop a three-game losing streak. He then returned to the court against Western Michigan (92-81 win on Thursday) with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks … in 19 minutes. In a 62-54 loss to Alabama on Sunday, Holman again came off the bench with 9 points and 9 rebounds in 27 minutes while 6-2 sophomore Ray McCallum (Beverly Hills, Mich.) led Detroit with 13 points. The Titans have the league’s second-best scoring offense (74.1 ppg) with an exciting brand of play on that end, but they also are last in the league in scoring defense (70.6 ppg). Even stranger, in Detroit wins, opponents have scored 72.4 ppg. In losses, they have scored 69.3 ppg. Next up is a home game against Mississippi State (9-1) on Saturday.

5) Butler (4-6, 0-1): The Bulldogs are on a three-game losing skid after defeats against Xavier (73-61) and Ball State (58-55) last week. With newfound prestige following back-to-back national runner-up finishes, Butler beefed up its schedule, and the record reflects that difficulty. The Bulldogs have played nine Division I opponents (excluding Oakland City) with a record of 54-29. Their three wins have come against teams 11-20, and they have lost to six teams that are a combined 43-9. It gets no easier. The final three nonconference games this year are against Purdue (9-2) on Saturday, Gonzaga (5-2) on Dec. 20 and Stanford (8-1) on Dec. 22. No one was good offensively against Xavier, as 6-4 freshman Roosevelt Jones (O’Fallon, Ill.) led Butler with 10 points, and 6-6 sophomore Khyle Marshall (Davie, Fla.) exploded for 21 points and 16 rebounds against Ball State. Marshall is the team’s leading scorer, at 10.5 points per game, while 6-1 sophomore Chrishawn Hopkins (Indianapolis) adds 10.4 points per game. The Bulldogs are the second-worst shooting team in the league (38.4 percent), ahead of only Wright State.

6) Youngstown State (6-3, 1-1): The Penguins’ story is behind the 3-point line. In two games last week, a win against Division III Fredonia State (69-35) and loss to Buffalo (80-72), YSU went a combined 21-of-59 from long range, attempting 35 3-pointers against Buffalo. The Penguins are the league’s best at making 3-pointers (39.3 percent from that range) and have attempted 20, 29, 19, 27, 15, 28, 27, 24 and 35 3-pointers in their nine games (an average of 24.9 per game). When they’re falling, it looks great. When not, YSU struggles. Blake Allen, a 6-1 junior (Tampa, Fla.), leads the league with 3.4 3-pointers made per game, and he averages 13.6 points per game, behind 6-0 sophomore Kendrick Perry (Ocoee, Fla.), who scores 15.9 points per game. YSU continues to rely heavily on its starters, as those five play 80.5 percent of the minutes. Four of the five starters are in for more than 30 minutes per game, and the fifth, 6-6 senior DuShawn Brooks (Harvey, Ill.), plays 29.8 minutes per game.


Alec Brown, Green Bay’s 7-1 sophomore seen here earlier this season, had a monster game Saturday as the Phoenix again tangled with a power conference opponent (Associated Press photo)
7) Green Bay (4-6, 2-0): The Phoenix went through a Wisconsin gauntlet last week, dropping road games to Wisconsin (which is 8-2) and Marquette (9-0). Alex Brown, a 7-1 sophomore (Winona, Minn.) delivered one of the league’s statement performances of the week with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks against Marquette, but the Golden Eagles used 32 fast-break points and 46 points in the paint to overpower the Phoenix. Like Butler, they have played a brutal schedule, with opponents a combined 45-11. Green Bay claims the only victory against 9-1 Wyoming and two Horizon League wins, so there’s a bright side to the power conference school defeats. Both 6-0 sophomore Terry Johnson (Chicago) and 6-9 junior Brennan Cougill (Sioux City, Iowa) entered the starting lineup for the first time last week, and the pair has combined to average 14.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. The Phoenix have been solid rebounders (No. 2 in the Horizon League) despite the strong opponents, but they are shooting just 28.4 percent from 3-point range.

Wright State (4-6, 1-1): The Raiders responded to setting a program record for fewest points in a game in a 55-34 loss at Air Force with a 51-49 victory at Miami University on Saturday. Offense continues to be an issue, as the Raiders rank ninth in the league in scoring (55.2 ppg), last in field goal percentage (36.9) and last in rebounding (30.4). However, the Raiders have made enough 3-pointers (32 percent this season, 7-of-18 against Miami) to score three wins against Division I opponents (with a combined record of 9-16). Julius Mays, a 6-2 junior (Marion, Ind.), continues to lead the Raiders in scoring, but at just 10.2 points per game, while points are spread out through a variety of players. Reggie Arceneaux, a 5-8 freshman (Charlotte, N.C.), is second on the team in scoring at 8.1 points per game. WSU has seen four of its last five games come down to the final minute with a defense that has allowed 45, 62, 55 and 49 points in the past four games.

9) Loyola (2-7, 0-2): In two games last week, a loss to DePaul and victory against Toledo, the Ramblers showed they have two major scorers on their roster. Walt Gibler, a 6-7 senior (Cincinnati), and Ben Averkamp, a 6-8 junior (Germantown, Wis.), produced the top two individual scoring games in the league this season. Against DePaul, Gibler had 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting and 8 rebounds, and then against Toledo, Averkamp scored 31 points (the league’s first 30-point game this season) on 13-of-26 shooting with seven rebounds. Loyola dropped Toledo to 6-3 on Averkamp’s baseline jumper as time expired, even more important because Gibler (back spasms) and 6-4 freshman Joe Crisman (Munster, Ind.), who injured his non-shooting hand, were not with the team against the Rockets. In fact, the Ramblers played Toledo with just six healthy scholarship players, as they were already missing starting point guard Courtney Stanley (out for the season with a knee injury) and senior Jordan Hicks, a high-potential guard/forward who has been haunted by injuries his entire career.

10) UIC (3-5, 0-2): The Flames stopped a three-game losing skid with a 62-55 defeat of (albeit winless) Northern Illinois on Saturday. Marc Brown, a 6-4 freshman from Dallas, once again showed he can be a solid scoring option with 15 points on Saturday, four games after scoring 24 points in the Flames’ other victory against a Division I opponent, Evansville. He has started six times in playing all eight games this season, averaging 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds. Gary Talton, a 6-1 junior also from Dallas, has become more of a scoring threat in recent games, as the junior college transfer has scored 10, 14, 18 and 11 points in the past four games to lead the team in scoring at 9.9 points per game. So how is UIC winning? The Flames outrebounded Northern Illinois 42-34 and remain the league’s best on the boards, averaging 41.9 rebounds per game. That helped them reach 19 second-chance points.

Week 4 rankings

1) Cleveland State

2) Valparaiso

3) Milwaukee

4) Butler

5) Youngstown State

6) Detroit

7) Green Bay

Wright State

9) UIC

10) Loyola

This week’s schedule

Tuesday

Michigan Tech at Green Bay, 8 p.m.

Wisconsin at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.

UIC at Oregon State, 10 p.m.

Wednesday

Cincinnati at Wright State, 7 p.m., ESPN2

Friday

UIC at Central Michigan, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Mississippi State at Detroit, Noon

Butler vs. Purdue, Conseco Fieldhouse, 2 p.m., CBS

Chicago State at Loyola, 4 p.m.

Ohio University at Wright State, 7 p.m.

Youngstown State at Toledo, 7 p.m.

Nebraska-Omaha at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.

Oakland at Valparaiso, 8:05 p.m.

[HLecter]

LIKE  +1   

[ysuindy]

Trying to get back to updating these ranking posts

Here is last week's DDN poll (December 26)

Will be interesting to see the next poll

Week 7 Horizon League Power Rankings: Butler adding statement wins

By Kyle Nagel | Monday, December 26, 2011, 09:55 PM

After a slow start to the season against a difficult schedule, Butler beat Stanford on Thursday to hand the Cardinal just their second loss. It was the Bulldogs’ second victory in three games against a team from one of the six power conferences, which allowed them to leap up in the rankings to No. 2 behind Cleveland State. Those wins against Purdue and Stanford were two of the league’s most impressive of the nonleague season, making Butler look like the league favorite it was voted in the preseason.

Cleveland State remains No. 1 as it has been for the entire year, since its season-opening victory against Vanderbilt. Milwaukee has suffered several losses with the meat of its nonleague schedule, while Valparaiso’s defense has caused recent struggled for the Crusaders, who started the season hot.


1) Cleveland State (11-2, 2-0): The Vikings shot just 34.9 percent in suffering their second loss of the season, 70-55 to South Florida last Monday. They responded with a 63-45 defeat of Sam Houston State, in which senior guard D’Aundray Brown led CSU with 12 points. He remains the team’s leading scorer, at 12.4 points per game, followed by Trevon Harmon at 11.2 points per game. Freshman Anton Grady, playing for his hometown school, has led the Vikings in rebounding in four of the past seven games, and he is averaging 4.8 rebounds this season. CSU has the league’s top scoring defense, allowing 57.3 points per game.

2) Butler (6-7, 0-1): The Bulldogs scored their second significant win in a week with a 71-66 road defeat of Stanford on Thursday. Senior guard Ronald Nored scored 18 points to lead Butler, and junior center Andrew Smith added 10 points and four rebounds. Nored averages 6.3 points per game as well as 3.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists as no Butler player has been a scoring dynamo this season. Kyle Marshall and Smith are tied for the team lead at 9.5 points per game, and eight players average at least 18 minutes. The Bulldogs have done enough as a team to beat 10-3 Purdue and 10-2 Stanford in the previous three games to reenter Horizon League play on a high note.

3) Milwaukee (9-4, 2-0): The Panthers took on their second power conference team in three games, losing to Marquette 64-50 last week. Senior guard Ryan Allen had 16 points and 13 rebounds against Marquette, boosting his season averages to 9.5 points and 5.8 rebounds. Milwaukee has lost three of its past four games to Northern Iowa (10-2), Wisconsin (11-2) and Marquette (11-1), finishing what it hopes will be a brutal stretch that prepares the team for league play. Kaylon Williams, a senior guard, leads the team in scoring (12.5) and assists (5..

4) Valparaiso (8-5, 1-0): Scoring has been the Crusaders’ strong point, as they lead the league at 75.1 points per game. But they are ninth in scoring defense, which has hurt them in recent losses that included IPFW (85-76), Oakland (82-80) and IUPUI (97-88). Ryan Broekhoff (15.0), Kevin Van Wijk (14. and Jay Harris (11. all average double figures in points for high-scoring Valparaiso, and Broekhoff also leads the league in rebounding, at 9.2 per game. The Crusaders are 2-3 in their past five games, and they will likely to continue to struggle stopping opponents, and even in several of their wins, they have allowed 81, 71 and 79 points.

5) Detroit (6-8, 0-2): The Titans shook off consecutive losses to power conference teams Alabama and Mississippi State to top Alabama State 8-56 last week. Ray McCallum, a sophomore guard, scored 19 points with three rebounds and five assists against ASU, and he is averaging 15.1 points per game, which ranks fourth in the league. His teammate, senior guard Chase Simon, is tied with Kendrick Perry of Youngstown State for the league lead at 15.7 points per game. The Titans are 2-2 since the return of senior center Eli Holman, who is averaging 12 points and 7.3 rebounds, and junior forward Doug Anderson, a transfer from Mott Community College, also averages in double figures at 10.5 points per game.

6) Green Bay (6-6, 2-0): Now a firmer member of the starting lineup, 6-9 junior Brennan Cougill combined 19 points, 19 rebounds, three assists and three steals to lead the Phoenix to a 63-61 home defeat of Idaho in their only game last week. A transfer from Iowa, Cougill is averaging 7.3 points and 6.0 rebounds as a second solid inside presence with sophomore center Alec Brown (14.7 points, 7.9 rebounds). Green Bay won four of its previous six games to reach .500 while re-entering league play. Cougill and Brown help Green Bay rank second in the league in rebounding, at 37.8 per game, while ranking first in offensive rebounds, at 14.2 per game.

7) Wright State (6-8, 1-1): The Raiders responded to back-to-back home blowout losses against Cincinnati and Ohio with an overtime victory against Idaho and a win against Central Michigan. After suffering a concussion against Cincinnati and missing the Ohio game, junior guard Julius Mays scored a career-high 28 points against Idaho and 12 points against Central Michigan. He leads the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game as the Raiders continue to struggle to score points (ninth in the league in offense, 57.4 points per game) while playing better defense (fourth in the league, 62.6 points per game).

Youngstown State (6-6, 1-1): The Penguins have lost four straight against Buffalo (6-3), Toledo (7-5), Akron (7-5) and Robert Morris (10-3). The loss against Robert Morris, 59-56, included a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, as Kendrick Perry scored 18 points. Perry leads the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game, as Blake Allen adds 13.6 points per game. Those two ranks Nos. 1 and 2 in the league in minutes played as YSU continues to rely heavily on its starters. The Penguins are also the league’s top 3-point shooting team, making 38.2 percent, as they continue to focus on guard play.

9) Loyola (5-7, 0-2): The Ramblers have won four straight, albeit against Toledo (7-5), Chicago State (0-13), Division II Rockhurst and Canisius (2-9). It’s a nice stretch for first-year coach Porter Moser, whose team is last in the league in scoring offense but second in scoring defense. In two games last week, junior forward Ben Averkamp had 23 points and eight rebounds and then 22 points and five rebounds. He ranks third in the league in scoring (15.4) and sixth in rebounding (7.0) while playing well during the recent stretch. Walt Gibler has also been productive at 14 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, giving the Ramblers a strong inside duo.

10) UIC (4-8, 0-2): The Flames broke a two-game losing stretch with a 57-56 victory against Western Illinois last Monday that came on Gary Talton’s layup with 3.2 seconds left. Daniel Barnes, the team’s leading scorer at 12.1 points per game, scored 22 against Western Illinois, and he followed that with 17 points against Dayton in a loss on Friday. UIC is the league’s top rebounding team, at 38.6 per game, led by Darrin Williams and his 6.8 rebounds per game. Williams also averages 10.3 points and makes 59.5 percent of his shots from the field.

[ysuindy]

YSU up to 6th this week

http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/wrightstatesports/index.html

Week 8 Horizon League Power Rankings: Butler takes over top spot

By Kyle Nagel | Tuesday, January 3, 2012, 06:06 PM

Well, all of a sudden, Butler is back to looking like the Horizon League favorite. Once sputtering (against a very tough schedule, mind you), Butler swept its home Horizon League swing with the Wisconsin schools, including a nice victory against Milwaukee on Saturday to improve to 2-1 in the league. With players figuring out their roles, Butler is defending well and making some timely shots, and the preseason league favorites now look like they could certainly win the conference.

Cleveland State lost to Youngstown State, dropping out of the No. 1 spot to No. 2. Some would think the Vikings should drop more, but YSU is improved this season, and they have a solid resume beyond that game. Milwaukee is No. 3, but the Panthers don’t have a bad loss at 10-5, and they could also make a run at another league title. The top three are very close.

1) Butler (8-7, 2-1): The Bulldogs swept the Wisconsin schools at home last week to reach four wins in the past five games and get above .500. Three of the wins in that stretch came against Purdue, Stanford and Milwaukee, which is a set of three very solid wins. Center Andrew Smith was the most consistent producer in the two games, with 13 points and three rebounds against Green Bay and 11 pounds and six rebounds against Milwaukee. The Bulldogs have also shown they can win close games lately, with victories by 2, 5, 4 and 4 points in the past four wins. No Butler player averages in double figures, and Smith leads the team with a 9.8-point scoring average. Similarly, Butler is about middle of the pack in most league statistical categories.

2) Cleveland State (12-3, 2-1): The Vikings had four double-digit scorers while winning a midweek game against Toledo before dropping their first Horizon League loss of the season against Youngstown State, 73-67. CSU got 21 points from Jeremy Montgomery and 20 from D’Aundray Brown in the loss, but YSU shot 58.1 percent and made eight 3-pointers. Senior guard Trevon Harmon, a preseason all-league first teamer, was lost to a concussion early in the second half, and his upcoming availability is not known. He averages 10.9 points in 29.4 minutes per game. Said CSU coach Gary Waters to The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, “It’s a crushing loss, because it is at home.” It’s the first time this season the Vikings’ place atop the league has been questioned.

3) Milwaukee (10-5, 3-1): The Panthers were nearly the only team to make it through the first two weeks of the league season undefeated, but they lost on the road to Butler, 54-50, on Saturday. Butler’s Chase Stigall hit a 3-pointer with 41.3 seconds left to break a tie, and Milwaukee dropped into a first-place tie with Wright State at 3-1. The Panthers have a very versatile top four players: Kaylon Williams (12.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Tony Meier (10.6, 4-2), Ja’Rob McCallum (10.0, 2.2) and James Haarsma (9.7, 6.9). They also have the league’s top scoring defense at 55.2 points per game allowed and have lost to Michigan State, Northern Iowa, Wisconsin, Marquette and Butler, not a bad loss among them.

4) Valparaiso (9-6, 2-1): After losing to Milwaukee on Thursday night, the Crusaders showed why they have the league’s top scoring offense (74 ppg) by beating Green Bay 90-87. In that game, Valpo got 21 points from Matt Kenney, shot 53.6 percent, shot 80 percent from the free throw line and made 10-of-21 3-pointers. Kenney averages 9.3 points and 4.9 rebounds and underlined that he is just one of many scoring threats throughout the Crusaders’ roster. In the two games last week, five different players scored in double figures, including Ryan Broekhoff and Kevin Van Wijk, who average 15.2 points and 15 points per game as a versatile pair.

5) Youngstown State (7-6, 2-1): The Penguins stopped a four-game losing streak by winning at Cleveland State, 73-67. Damian Eargle earned Horizon League Player of the Week honors after scoring 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting and adding 10 rebounds in the game. He was followed closely by DuShawn Brooks, who had 17 points and leads the league in scoring in conference games at 19.3 points per game. As they often do, the Penguins got big points from 3-pointers, going 8-of-16 from long range while shooting 58.1 percent in the game. The win was YSU’s most notable in a season that has seen improvement from recent seasons with roster stability. Now the Penguins are one of six league teams with one loss.

6) Wright State (8-8, 3-1): The Raiders swept their Chicago road trip with wins against Loyola and UIC. The UIC victory came in overtime, giving them two victories in extra time during their four-game winning streak that has helped them reach .500. Junior guard Julius Mays has averaged 21 points during those four games, clearly taking the team’s top scoring role whilethe Raiders have shot the ball better, important for the team that ranks last in the league in shooting percentage (or did, at least, entering the trip to Chicago). WSU will host arguably its most important home league weekend of the season when it faces Butler on Friday and Valparaiso on Sunday. However up and down this season has been so far, the Raiders enter the weekend tied for first place in the league with Milwaukee at 3-1.

7) Green Bay (6-8, 2-2): The Phoenix played two totally different types of games last week, losing to Butler 53-49 on Thursday and to Valparaiso 90-87 on Saturday. Green Bay led Butler for much of the game on Thursday before falling behind early and rallying against Valpo. In Horizon League games, sophomore center Alec Brown is averaging 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 82.1 percent at the line and 2.3 blocks. The Phoenix started the league season with a home sweep of the Chicago schools, so they have been competitive at home and on the road against some of the best as well as the bottom. But, they suffered a blow when they lost sophomore captain Daniel Turner (4.6 points, 4.9 rebounds) for the season with an ACL tear suffered against Valpo. They have a chance for a statement by hosting Milwaukee in the all-Wisconsin throwdown on Saturday.

Detroit (7-9, 1-3): The Titans’ disappointing start to the Horizon League season continued last Thursday when they lost to UIC, the team picked 10th in the preseason poll, 63-59. They saved some face on the Chicago trip by beating Loyola 65-54, but at 1-3 Detroit is now tied for eighth place in the league. The Titans have suffered absences because of injuries and suspensions, but they still have the league’s top scorer in senior guard Chase Simon (15.7 ppg) and the preseason player of the year in sophomore guard Ray McCallum (14.6 ppg). But they rank ninth in the league in scoring defense and 10th in 3-point shooting, failing to come from behind enough on those early deficits.

9) UIC (5-9, 1-3): The Flames scored a good home victory with a 63-59 defeat of Detroit on Thursday before losing to Wright State 74-70 in overtime on Saturday. Get this: The loss to WSU means UIC hasn’t won back-to-back league games since the 2008-09 season. But if Darrin Williams and Gary Talton continue to play like they did against WSU, UIC should win more league games this season. Williams had a career-high 22 points, and Talton matched his career high with 21. That career high, by the way, was set two days before against Detroit. The Flames have the league’s second-best scoring offense (68 ppg) but second-worst scoring defense (69.2).

10) Loyola (5-9, 0-4): The Ramblers had won four straight games before dropping home league contests to Wright State (64-48) and Detroit (65-54). In an unfortunate statistical coincidence for Loyola, there have been four Horizon League games decided by 10 or more points so far this season, and Loyola has lost all four of them. Ben Averkamp and Walt Gibler followed sub-par games against Wright State by combining for 30 points and 22 rebounds, each with double-doubles, against Detroit. But the Titans made 18-of-21 free throws to negate the Loyola offense. The good news for the Ramblers is that they’re healthier than they had been of late, but that hasn’t turned into production.

Week 7 rankings

1) Cleveland State

2) Butler

3) Milwaukee

4) Valparaiso

5) Detroit

6) Green Bay

7) Wright State

Youngstown State

9) Loyola

10) UIC

This week’s schedule

Today

Milwaukee at Western Michigan, 7 p.m.

Thursday

UIC at Cleveland State, 7 p.m.

Loyola at Youngstown State, 7:05 p.m.

Friday

Butler at Wright State, 7 p.m., ESPNU

Valparaiso at Detroit, 8 p.m., ESPN3

Saturday

Loyola at Cleveland State, 2 p.m.

UIC at Youngstown State, 7:05 p.m.

Milwaukee at Green Bay, 8 p.m.

Sunday

Valparaiso at Wright State, 3 p.m.

Butler at Detroit, 4 p.m., ESPN3

[ysuindy]

Rather than start a new thread, putting the DDN's analysis of the Horizon League non-conference strength of schedule here

http://m.daytondailynews.com/dayton/db_/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=WtK0ztoy&full=true#display

By Kyle Nagel

Milwaukee played the final schedule nonconference game in the Horizon League on Tuesday night against Western Michigan. The league’s teams will later participate in the annual BracketBusters event, but it’s time to reflect on how the league’s teams scheduled and performed.

Green Bay played the toughest schedule in terms of average RPI of the opponents, followed by No. 2 Butler and Wright State and Milwaukee, tied for No. 3. Below are nonleague schedule breakdowns by team, with average RPIs of opponents and opponents’ records overall, in wins and in losses.

(True, some coaches despise the RPI, but it’s what I used for this post to determine best wins and worst losses.)

Horizon League Nonconference Breakdown

Green Bay and Terry Johnson (2) played the Horizon League’s toughest nonconference schedule, including this matchup with Marquette (Associated Press photo)
1) GREEN BAY (6-8, 2-2)

Avg. RPI: 90.1

Total: 86-27

Wins: 20-9

Losses: 66-18

Best win: Wyoming (13-2, No. 108)

Worst loss: Duquesne (9-5, No. 93)

Note: Green Bay’s six nonleague losses all came against teams in the RPI top 100: Marquette, Wisconsin, Indiana State, Virginia, North Dakota State, Duquesne. But the Phoenix scored just two nonleague wins against D-I schools (Idaho, Wyoming) while beating D-II schools Michigan Tech and University of Mary.

2) BUTLER (8-7, 2-1)

Avg. RPI: 122

Total: 102-50

Wins: 42-32

Losses: 60-18

Best win: Purdue (12-3, No. 47)

Worst loss: Ball State (7-4, No. 193)

Note: The Bulldogs played four teams from the six power leagues, losing to Louisville and Indiana (combined record 26-3) and beating Purdue and Stanford (combined record 24-5). Also had a D-II victory against Oakland City and an exhibition loss to Northern State.

3) WRIGHT STATE (8-8, 3-1)

Avg. RPI: 135

Total: 90-60

Wins: 19-33

Losses: 71-27

Best win: Jackson State (3-10, No. 182)

Worst loss: Air Force (8-4, No. 169)

Note: Weird, but true, according to the RPI Jackson State is Wright State’s best nonleague win. Coach Billy Donlon has said this was the Raiders’ toughest nonleague schedule in school history, and their seven losses came against teams with an average RPI of 89.7 and no RPI worse then 169.

3) MILWAUKEE (10-6, 3-1)

Avg. RPI: 135

Total: 85-75

Wins: 31-55

Losses: 54-20

Best win: DePaul (9-4, No. 166)

Worst loss: Western Michigan (6-8, No. 119)

Note: Before Tuesday night’s loss to Western Michigan, all four of the Panthers’ nonleague losses came against the RPI top 50: Michigan State, Marquette, Northern Iowa and Wisconsin. Not many solid non-league wins, though.

D’Aundray Brown (right) and Cleveland STate scored the Horizon League’s top nonconference win, against Vanderbilt (Associated Press photo)
5) CLEVELAND STATE (12-3, 2-1)

Avg. RPI: 164

Total: 81-73

Wins: 67-58

Losses: 14-15

Best win: Vanderbilt (10-4, No. 32)

Worst loss: Hofstra (6-8, No. 248)

Note: The Vikings beat four teams in the RPI top 100 in Vanderbilt, Kent State, Robert Morris and St. Bonaventure, but their two losses were not great losses, against Hofstra and South Florida (8-7, No. 144). Also beat NAIA Rio Grande.

6) VALPARAISO (9-6, 2-1)

Avg. RPI: 165

Total: 76-66

Wins: 28-37

Losses: 48-29

Best win: Duquesne (9-5, No. 93)

Worst loss: IUPUI (8-8, No. 215)

Note: Two of the Crusaders’ wins came against NAIA Holy Cross and Indiana University-Kokomo, which is a club team. They have three losses to teams from the Summit League, Oakland, IPFW and IUPUI, and have beaten three MAC teams, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green and Akron.

6) DETROIT (7-9, 1-3)

Avg. RPI: 165

Total: 72-67

Wins: 20-36

Losses: 52-31

Best win: Western Michigan (6-8, No. 119)

Worst loss: Bowling Green (6-7, No. 211)

Note: The Titans beat St. John’s of the Big East (7-7, No. 206) but lost to two teams with sub-.500 records in Bowling Green and George Washington (5-8, No. 195). Two of their wins came against D-II (Lake Erie) and NAIA (Concordia).

UIC (5-9, 1-3)

Avg. RPI: 186

Total: 53-52

Wins: 15-21

Losses: 38-31

Best win: Western Illinois (7-5, No. 159)

Worst loss: Toledo (8-6, No. 268)

Note: The Flames also suffered a regular-season loss to Division II Quincy but have beaten two 7-5 teams in Western Illinois and Evansville. They have also topped NAIA Roosevelt while playing one team from the six power conferences, a 95-53 loss to Oregon State.

9) YOUNGSTOWN STATE (7-6, 2-1)

Avg. RPI: 194

Total: 53-54

Wins: 12-27

Losses: 41-27

Best win: UC Riverside (6-8, No. 185)

Worst loss: Toledo (8-6, No. 268)

Note: The Penguins didn’t have a nonleague win against a winning team, and they also defeated teams from D-II (Notre Dame of Ohio) and D-III (Fredonia State). However, YSU lost by three points to the best team it played (Robert Morris, which is 11-4) and didn’t drop a defeat to a losing team.

Detroit and LaMarcus Lowe (20) earned the Horizon League’s only home win against a team from the six power conferences by beating St. John’s (Associated Press photo)
10) LOYOLA (5-9, 0-4)

Avg. RPI: 196

Total: 62-57

Wins: 18-36

Losses: 44-21

Best win: Fordham (7-6, No. 220)

Worst loss: Furman (6-7, No. 226)

Note: Loyola’s win against Fordham has looked better recently, as the Rams have since beaten Georgia Tech and No. 21 Harvard in its past two games. The Ramblers also beat D-II Rockhurst while topping 0-14 Chicago State and 3-10 Canisius.

Best wins

Cleveland State def. Vanderbilt (10-4, No. 32), 71-58

Butler def. Purdue (12-3, No. 47), 67-65

Butler def. Stanford (12-2, No. 81), 71-66

Cleveland State def. St. Bonaventure (7-5, No. 84), 67-64

Cleveland State def. Kent State (10-3, No. 86), 57-53

Cleveland State def. Robert Morris (11-4, No. 91), 57-53

Valparaiso def. Duquesne (9-5, No. 93), 84-68

Worst losses

Bowling Green (6-7, No. 211) def. Detroit, 67-61

IUPUI (8-8, No. 215) def. Valparaiso, 97-88

Furman (6-7, No. 226) def. Loyola, 63-51

Hofstra (6-8, No. 248) def. Cleveland State, 63-53

Toledo (8-6, No. 268) def. UIC, 82-67

Toledo (8-6, No. 268) def. Youngstown State, 86-77

Quincy (Division II) def. UIC, 65-61

[ysuindy]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/wrightstatesports/entries/2012/01/11/week_9_horizon_league_power_ra.html

Week 9 Horizon League Power Rankings: Cleveland State regains top spot

By Kyle Nagel | Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 10:31 AM
Cleveland State responded with its first Horizon League loss of the season against Youngstown State with back-to-back drubbings of UIC and Loyola, and Butler’s loss against sputtering Detroit again puts CSU in the top spot in the rankings. The Vikings were the league’s top-ranked team for the entire season until their loss to YSU, which came while Butler was winning four of five games. CSU showed its offensive versatility to go with the league’s best defense last week, and the Vikings will get a chance to show what they would do against last week’s No. 1 Butler in a Friday night showdown at Butler on ESPNU.

Butler drops to third after a loss at Detroit, which is just 8-10 and 2-4 in the league. However, the Titans were picked to finish second in the league, so they have plenty of talent, and they are 6-4 at home with losses by 3, 5, 5 and 2 points against teams that are a combined 34-19.

Milwaukee, at No. 2, played one of the league’s toughest schedules, with only one bad loss, against Western Michigan early last week. But, it was a nonleague game snuck in a mix of league matchups, which can make it difficult for a team to focus.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS HL POWER RANKINGS

1) Cleveland State (14-3, 4-1): The Vikings responded to their only league loss, to Youngstown State the previous Saturday, by drubbing UIC 73-56 and Loyola 69-48. Six different CSU players scored in double figures in the two games: Trevon Harmon (20 vs. Loyola), Jeremy Montgomery (14 vs. UIC), D’Aundray Brown (13 vs. UIC), Charlie Lee (13 vs. UIC), Anton Grady (13 vs. UIC, 10 vs. Loyola) and Tim Kamczyc (10 vs. Loyola). Harmon returned from a concussion to play against Loyola and along with his 20 points he added 6-of-7 shooting from 3-point range, two rebounds and two assists. CSU connected its standout defense with consistent offenses for one of the first stretches this season. The Vikings rank 15th nationally in steals per game (9.2) and 20th nationally in scoring defense (58 points per game). They have followed each of their three losses this season (Hofstra, South Florida and Youngstown State) with at least two straight wins.

2) Milwaukee (11-6, 4-1): The Panthers had lost five of their previous seven games against Northern Iowa, Wisconsin, Marquette, Butler and Western Michigan before beating Green Bay 64-63 on Saturday. Senior guard Kaylon Williams hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer after taking the inbounds pass with 1.1 seconds left to win the game. He finished with 13 points, four rebounds, seven assists and three steals, and the assists and steals numbers each tied season highs. He is the Horizon League’s assists leader. Paris Gulley, a 6-2 junior guard, scored 18 points against Green Bay to reach double figures in points in consecutive games for the first time this season. Milwaukee is the nation’s No. 1-ranked team at defensive 3-point percentage, as opponents are shooting 24.2 percent from 3-point range against them. They pair that with an overall strong scoring defense that ranks No. 28 nationally, at 59.1 points per game.

3) Butler (9-8, 3-2): The Bulldogs scored a third straight win when they got a Ronald Nored free throw in the final seconds to beat Wright State 62-62 on Friday, but the close calls ended there. Even though Butler had won those four consecutive games by 5, 4, 4 and 1 points, it went down early and dropped a second league loss to Detroit, 76-65, on Sunday. Nored was the only player to score in double figures in both games, with 11 points against WSU and 13 against Detroit, but free throws were again a major problem. In the loss to the Titans, the Bulldogs made 6-of-11 from the line, and they rank 320th out of 338 Division I teams in free throw shooting, at 60.8 percent. They have stayed in and won games with their defense, as they allow 63.4 points per game. Nored ranks second in the league in assists, at 4.3 per game, and third in steals, at 2.1. Butler has made a habit of winning close games, but four losses have come by 3 (Ball State), 3 in overtime (Evansville), 6 in overtime (Valparaiso) and 8 (Xavier). The other losses have come by 11 (Detroit), 16 (Indiana), 16 (Louisville) and 16 (Gonzaga).

4) Youngstown State (9-6, 4-1): The Penguins have won three straight following a four-game losing streak and extended it with an overtime win against Loyola (68-64) and victory against UIC (71-50) last week. Ashen Ward was named the Horizon League’s co-player of the week along with WSU’s Julius Mays after the senior guard scored 21 and 22 points against Loyola and UIC. In the past three games, he has totaled 58 points after scoring a combined four points in the previous three games. The Penguins are keeping things fast and shooting from deep, ranking 6th nationally in forcing turnovers (10.2 per game), 7th in 3-pointers per game (9.3) and 42nd in 3-point percentage. Ward has helped that charge, making a total of 10-of-15 3-pointers in the past three games. Speaking of standout performances in the past three games, junior forward Damian Eargle has averaged 15 points and 8.7 rebounds in that stretch.

5) Wright State (9-9, 4-2): The Raiders dropped a second Horizon League home game with a 63-62 loss to Butler on Friday night, and the other loss came by two points to Cleveland State. They rebounded with a decisive 73-55 win against Valparaiso on Sunday, during which Julius Mays continued a strong stretch. In six games, the junior guard has averaged 21.5 points to help WSU come back from a 4-8 start to reach 9-9 with a 5-1 stretch. Junior forward Armond Battle scored 23 points on Sunday to best his career high by a whopping 10 points, and it was just the fourth time this season he has scored in double figures. He is one of nine Wright State players who have scored at least 13 points in a game this season, as the Raiders have started to develop some scoring depth. They also rank 59th nationally in scoring defense, at 61.8 points per game, and 52nd nationally in turnover margin.

6) Valparaiso (10-7, 3-2): The Crusaders suffered their second-worst loss of the season, after only a 80-47 setback against Ohio State, in a 73-55 defeat to Wright on Sunday. That followed a close 73-71 road win against Detroit on Thursday, during which Will Bogan, a junior guard and transfer from Mississippi, scored 23 points. The Crusaders had been impressive in the league, beating Butler on the road in overtime, at Detroit and at home against Green Bay while losing to Milwaukee by just two points at home. Ryan Broekhoff tied his career high with 14 points against Wright State while adding 18 points for his eighth double-double of the season. He has also scored in double figures in 14 times this season while tying for the Horizon League lead in scoring at 15.3 points and leading the league in rebounding at 9.4 per game. The Crusaders remain a high-scoring bunch, but their defense can leave them in stretches, causing a few bad losses to go along with several solid wins this season.

7) Detroit (8-10, 2-4): The Titans have alternated wins and losses in their past six games, including a two-point loss to Valparaiso on Friday night before an 11-point win against Butler on Sunday. In the Butler win, the Titans shot 53.2 percent, 56.3 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent from the free throw line. Jason Calliste, a 6-2 junior guard, scored in double figures in consecutive games for the first time this season against Valpo (14) and Butler (16), and he now averages 9.4 points per game. Preseason player of the year Ray McCallum scored a season-high 22 points against Valparaiso, as well. Detroit was picked No. 2 in the preseason poll, but the Titans started the league season 1-4. However, a win against Butler can give a jolt to anyone in the league, whether the Bulldogs are up or down. The Titans rank 41st nationally in free throw percentage at 73.5 percent this season, and even though they score a lot (73.1 ppg), they also allow plenty of points (68..

Green Bay (6-9, 2-3): The Phoenix suffered their third straight loss, all in league games, with a 64-63 defeat against Milwaukee on Saturday. Those three losses have come against Butler, Valparaiso and Milwaukee by 4, 3 and 1 points. Freshman Keifer Sykes is on a breakout period of games. The 5-foot-10 point guard from Chicago scored 20 points against Milwaukee on 10-of-18 shooting with two rebounds, three assists and three steals. That followed 17 points in the previous game against Valparaiso, a game in which he also handed out seven assists. His high school team finished in third place in the Illinois Class 3A state tournament in 2009-10. Alec Brown, the 7-1 sophomore center, had five blocks against Milwaukee, the fourth time this season he has reached that many. In all, his line against Milwaukee was 8 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 blocks as he continues to improve inside.

9) UIC (5-11, 1-5): The Flames suffered significant road defeats against Cleveland State (73-56) and Youngstown State (71-50) to reach three straight defeats. A bright spot was Hayden Humes, the sophomore forward who had arguably his best two-game stretch of the season since coming to UIC from Toledo, where he was a victim of scholarship reductions as punishment for too-low Academic Progress Rate scores. He had 8 points and 6 rebounds against CSU before combining 11 points, 2 assists and 1 rebound against YSU. Guard Gary Talton continues to be one of the best free throw shooters around, reaching 85.1 percent. Has hasn’t missed more than one free throw in any game this season, but he reached the line just twice against Cleveland State and once against Youngstown State. UIC ranks 310th nationally in shooting percentage, at 39.3.

10) Loyola (5-11, 0-6): The Ramblers remain the only team winless in the Horizon League after losses of 68-64 in overtime to Youngstown State and 69-48 to Cleveland State. They have now lost four straight games, including three by 11 points or more. Junior Ben Averkamp has reached at least points in six of the past eight games, including 23 points but just two rebounds against Youngstown State. He averages 15.2 points (No. 3 in the league) and 6.8 rebounds (No. 6 in the league). He is joined by another offensive standout in senior Walt Gilbler, who is seventh in the league in scoring (14.1) and fifth in rebounding (7.1). Gibler has scored in double figures in his past 10 games, during which he is averaging 16.4 points. Even though the Ramblers rank 41st nationally in scoring defense (60.3 ppg), they are 331st (out of 338) in scoring offense, at 55.9 points per game.

Week 8 rankings

1) Butler

2) Cleveland State

3) Milwaukee

4) Valparaiso

5) Youngstown State

6) Wright State

7) Green Bay

Detroit

9) UIC

10) Loyola

This week’s schedule

Thursday

Detroit at Green Bay, 8 p.m.

Wright State at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.

Friday

Cleveland State at Butler, 7 p.m., ESPNU

Youngstown State at Valparaiso, 8:05 p.m.

Saturday

Wright State at Green Bay, 2 p.m.

Loyola at UIC, 4 p.m.

Detroit at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.

Sunday

Youngstown State at Butler, 2 p.m.

Cleveland State at Valparaiso, 2:35 p.m.