As part of its run up to the 2013-14 basketball season, ESPN Insider previewed every team in the country. The preview of the Horizon League ran on Oct. 3 and is available here.
Projected standings:
- Wright State
- Green Bay
- Cleveland State
- Detroit
- Youngstown State
- Oakland
- Valparaiso
- UIC
- Milwaukee
Quick-hitters on each teamCleveland State: “The Vikings aren't used to being near the bottom of the Horizon League standings, and there are lots of reasons to believe Cleveland State is well-positioned to resume contending for the Horizon League title.”Detroit: “Brundidge moved on to Detroit, where he's finally going to get a legitimate chance to show the hype was warranted as he attempts to step in for Horizon League Player of the Year Ray McCallum. Expecting Brundidge to be the same kind of point guard isn't fair, though; looking first to score is his modus operandi.”Green Bay: “Green Bay's defense is certainly championship caliber, but there are so many unknowns in its guard rotation. Sykes and Brown likely will need to carry the offense if the Phoenix want to exceed their third-place finish of a year ago -- something we think they'll do.”Milwaukee: “Much of the hope for turning around the offense rests with senior Jordan Aaron, a scoring guard in a 5-foot-10 point guard's body. He will be allowed to move off the ball this season with Indiana State transfer Steve McWhorter becoming eligible. Aaron isn't afraid to launch it early and often, which makes him a nice fit for Jeter's 3-point-happy offense. If moving to the 2 spot helps Aaron cut down on turnovers, his efficiency should substantially improve.”Oakland: “Oakland coach Greg Kampe put together some stunningly prolific -- and fast -- offenses in the Summit League, and it's time to see just how well they play in the stronger Horizon. Our guess? Very well, thank you.”UIC: “Senior transfers Kelsey Barlow (Purdue) and Jordan Harks (Central Arkansas) should each provide an instant infusion of offense. Harks is the better scorer, having demonstrated an ability to finish strong around the basket in the past, while Barlow is reasonably efficient while also playing the stout perimeter defense Moore covets.”Valparaiso: “Carter's eligibility makes Valparaiso a tough team to project. There probably will be some bumps in the road early in league play, preventing Valpo from threatening the top Horizon teams. But it wouldn't be a surprise if nobody wants to face the Crusaders come conference tournament time.”Wright State: “WSU starts with defense, and opponents can be sure of two things. First, the Raiders will make you work -- they had the conference's longest average time of defensive possession. Second, you'll be uncomfortable -- the Raiders crowd opponents like crazy, leading to one out of four possessions resulting in a turnover. This formula has given their Horizon opponents fits for years, but WSU stepped it up a notch last season, attaining elite status when it finally added excellent shooting defense.”Youngstown State: “Senior guard Kendrick Perry is a compelling force at both ends of the floor, and he's the reason the Penguins have hope for their best conference finish in years. Detroit's Ray McCallum ran away with Horizon player of the year honors last season, but the truth is that McCallum's and Perry's rate-based stats were nearly identical -- both were high usage (25 percent) and high efficiency (118 for McCallum to 116 for Perry) with practically the same assist rates, turnover rates, free throw rates and steal percentages.”
Tags: Cleveland State - Men's Basketball · Detroit Mercy - Men's Basketball · Green Bay - Men's Basketball · Horizon League - Men's Basketball · Milwaukee - Men's Basketball · Oakland - Men's Basketball · UIC - Men's Basketball · Valparaiso - Men's Basketball · Wright State - Men's Basketball · Youngstown State - Men's Basketball
