Horizon League basketball scheduled for nine games on ESPN networks
Oct. 26, 2006
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Nine basketball games involving Horizon League teams will air on ESPN networks, including four regular-season League games and four conference tournament games, the League office has announced in partnership with ESPN.
Two regular-season men's Horizon League games will be shown on ESPN and another two on ESPNU, plus one women's League game and a non-conference men's tilt on ESPNU. In addition, the men's tournament championship game will continue its slot in ESPN's "Championship Week" lineup with the men's semifinals and the women's championship airing on ESPNU.
League action on the ESPN networks begins on Saturday, Jan. 13, when defending League women's champion University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee travels north to meet perennial rival University of Wisconsin-Green Bay at the Phoenix Sports Center. The game will air on ESPNU, with tip-off at 4 p.m. EST.
The two teams shared the regular-season League title in 2005-06 with matching 14-2 loop records, but the Panthers went on to capture the League Championship crown to end UW-Green Bay's four-year run atop the circuit. Those two programs have combined to win the last nine League championships (seven by the Phoenix, two by the Panthers), with this year's meeting featuring the reigning League Player of the Year (UW-Green Bay's Nicole Soulis) and Newcomer of the Year (Traci Edwards of UW-Milwaukee).
The same two schools open the men's slate two weeks later (Saturday, Jan. 27) when UW-Green Bay visits U.S. Cellular Arena for a 2 p.m. EST contest on ESPN2. UW-Milwaukee has won three of the last four League Championships, and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last March. This year's Panthers have a new look, however, as head coach Rob Jeter must replace all five starters from last year's 22-9 squad which won 12 of 16 League games. The Phoenix finished 15-16 (8-8 in the League) last season, but senior guard Ryan Evanochko anchors a line-up which also includes a talented sophomore class. Mike Schachtner earned a spot on the League's All-Newcomer team in 2005-06, with Terry Evans landing on the All-Defensive Team.
The ESPN2 spotlight remains on the League the following Saturday (Feb. 3) as the University of Deroit Mercy hosts Wright State University at Calihan Hall. That game---tentatively scheduled for 4 p.m. EST---features two of the League's top scorers in senior guards DaShaun Wood of Wright State and Brandon Cotton of Detroit, both members of the Preseason All-League team in 2006-07. Wood finished fourth in the League with an average of 17.9 points per game, while also leading the circuit with 1.82 steals per outing and ranking third with 4.68 assists per contest. Cotton's 17.5 points-per-game pace was fifth-best in the League last season, and included 13 games of 20 or more points.
Preseason League favorite Loyola University Chicago wraps up the regular-season television schedule when the Ramblers face host Butler University on Thursday, Feb. 22, at Hinkle Fieldhouse. ESPNU will broadcast the 9 p.m. EST contest as Loyola (19-11 overall, 8-8 in the League) looks to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1985. Preseason Player of the Year Blake Schilb leads the Ramblers after earning All-America Honorable Mention a year ago when he ranked second in the League in scoring (19.1 points per game), fifth in assists, eighth in blocked shots and tenth in steals. Butler, which finished second in the League during the regular-season (11-5) and in the League Championship, advanced to the second round of the National Invitational Tournament to post a 20-13 overall record---the school's eighth 20-win campaign in the last ten years.
In addition, ESPNU will show Butler's game against the University of Notre Dame in the first round of the Preseason National Invitation Tournament on Monday, Nov. 10, from Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST. It will mark the Bulldogs' first appearance in the event since 1993.
ESPN networks will also carry Horizon League basketball as part of its annual "Championship Week" blitz. Both semifinals of the men's summit are scheduled for ESPNU, with action taking place at the home of the regular-season champion on Saturday, March 3. The first game begins at 5 p.m. EST, with the other half of the bracket determined at 7 p.m.. The higher seed among the two semifinal winners earns the right to host the (Tuesday, March 6) championship game, which airs on ESPN at 9 p.m.
The League's automatic entry in the NCAA Women's Tournament is on the line Sunday, March 11, when ESPNU carries the final game of the League Women's Championship. The highest seed remaining after the quarterfinal round hosts the remainder of the loop summit, with tip-off time for the final showdown at 1 p.m. EST.
All other games of both League Championships will be available over the Internet through the Horizon League Network (HLN), which makes its formal debut later this month. HLN provides free, live coverage of more than 140 regular-season men's and women's basketball games, along with all matches of the League Volleyball Championship and highlights of all other League summits. For more information on HLN and a schedule of events, log on to www.horizonleague.org.
Horizon League entries could earn additional air time as a part of the annual BracketBusters event, scheduled for Friday-Saturday, Feb. 16-17. ESPN2 and ESPNU will carry a total of 11 games that weekend (six on ESPN2, five on ESPNU), with two others available on ESPN 360, ESPN's customized broadband service. Last year, UW-Milwaukee and Butler represented the League in two of 11 BracketBusters games carried to a national audience.
2006-07 Horizon League Men's and Women's Basketball on ESPN Networks
Date Teams Time (ET) Network
Monday, November 13, 2006--Butler vs. Notre Dame, 6 p.m., ESPNU
(Preseason National Invitation Tournament, Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis)
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007--UW-Milwaukee at UW-Green Bay (women), 4 p.m., ESPNU
Saturday, Jan. 27, 2007--UW-Green Bay at UW-Milwaukee (men), 2 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007--Wright State at Detroit (men), 4 p.m., ESPN2
Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007--Loyola at Butler (men), 9 p.m. ESPNU
Saturday, Mar. 3, 2007--League Championship semifinal #1 (men), 5 p.m., ESPNU
Saturday, Mar. 3, 2007--League Championship semifinal #2 (men), 7 p.m., ESPNU
Tuesday, Mar. 6, 2007--League Championship final (men), 9 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, Mar. 11, 2007--League Championship final (women), 1 p.m., ESPNU
