Horizon League's Biggest Surprises

With conference play in full swing, I thought this would be as good a time as any to look at the biggest surprises in the league so far.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out the biggest surprise team in the league this year. Picked to finish dead last, the Loyola Ramblers are 11-5 and sit just outside the RPI top 100 (107th). We've discussed how they're doing it; a little bit of luck with some hard work thrown in. I think there may be another, bigger, factor. Ignorance. Loyola is such a young team they couldn't have been too worried about being picked last in the league, they know a big part of that prediction is about players that have already graduated. Coach Whitesell is doing a nice job keeping the team focused and playing hard for40 minutes. It's paid off with a couple close wins and a record much better than I would have ever thought.

For those of you clamoring for Detroit to be a surprise team, you're not going to get any love from me. I had Detroit picked third in the league coming into this year, while my colleague Damon Lewis had them fourth. So as improved as the Titans are, it wasn't totally unexpected.

Looking at individual players, I think the most surprising player in the league is Brandon Wood. Wood leads the league in points per game, and points per 40 minutes. He got everybody's attention with his 30-point performance against North Carolina in November. Coming out of Highland Community College nobody expected this type of production from Wood. He's still only a sophomore, which is a scary thought for the rest of the league.

*Sidenote: If the season ended today, Brandon Wood would get my vote as a first-teamer in the HL.

Wood isn't the only transfer returning home that has made a huge splash in his first season in the HL. Chase Simon, a 6-6 guard from Detroit, has been a huge surprise for the Titans. Simon is in the top 20 in the conference in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Damon and I alerted you of Simon's ability to make tough shots when we saw him at one of Detroit's preseason games. At 6-6, Simon is a matchup nightmare that could develop into a dominant scorer.

This next surprise gets my vote for the most improved player in the league. Bryquis Perine has really been everything the Green Bay Phoenix needed coming into this season. Questions about a third scorer were answered in the third game of the season when Perine went for 20 against Kent State. Hitting a miracle shot to win the game isn't bad either. He has upped his scoring over 10 ppg from his career average and stepped in admirably when Rahmon Fletcher went out against Wisconsin. He is top ten in the league in 3pt %, assists, minutes, and assist/turnover ratio. Not bad for a guy that weighs 170 lbs soaking wet.

The last name on this list may be the most surprising. Matt Howard, the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year, makes this list for a different reason. Howard's play has been surprisingly bad. Now let me preface this point by saying he is a victim of his own success and has played against arguably the toughest schedule in the country. But he's still been disappointing. It all starts with the foul trouble. It's hard to help your team win games from the bench. He's fifth on his team and 32nd in the conference in minutes per game. He has 12 more fouls than field goals made this season and he's only scored 15 points twice this year.

So what happened?

A tough schedule combined with some tough calls seems to have shaken Howard's confidence a bit. He's a tough-minded, smart kid so I truly believe he'll snap out of it but there aren't many signs of a breakout. He's managed stay in the last four games (29 mpg) but hasn't topped the ten point mark. Butler isn't going to fulfill their potential and beat good teams on the road, this year or next, if Matt Howard doesn't play to his capabilities. He'll have his next chance against Cleveland State on Thursday night.

So there you have it. The biggest surprises in the league so far this season. Disagree? Take it to the message boards or tweet @HLNAdam to get your opinion heard.