Men's Basketball Notebook (Nov. 26)

Horizon League Men's Basketball Weekly Release (Nov. 26)

News and notes from around the Horizon League for the week of Nov. 26:

On the Schedule [all times ET]        
Tuesday, Nov. 27
Detroit at Bowling Green                    7 p.m.
UIC at Northern Illinois                        8 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 28
Cleveland State at Ball State               7 p.m.
Kent State at Youngstown State         7:05 p.m.
Tennessee Tech at Loyola                  8 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 1
UIC at Northwestern                            2 p.m.
Morehead State at Wright State       2 p.m.
Youngstown State at Bowling Green 2 p.m.
Toledo at Cleveland State                   2 p.m.
Furman at Loyola                                 3 p.m.
Green Bay at Virginia                           4 p.m.
Detroit at #rv/rv Pittsburgh               7 p.m.
Milwaukee at Northern Iowa             8 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 2
Valparaiso at St. Louis                          4:30 p.m.

Key:
(#) Rankings are AP Top 25/ESPN-USA Today* - Horizon League game

On the Horizon   

• Fight the Power: Horizon League teams meet Power 6 conference members three times this week, all on Saturday, Dec. 1. UIC heads to Northwestern, while Green Bay visits Virginia. Detroit wraps the day at Pittsburgh (7 p.m. ET, ESPN3).
  In non-Power 6 matchups, the Horizon League and MAC will meet six times; the Horizon League holds a 5-2 record versus the MAC this year.
• Ranked: After the holiday week, the Horizon League continues to sit 12th among Division I conferences in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings.
  Pegged 15^th to start the year, the Horizon League currently holds a ranking of 12^th, making it one of the largest gainers to this point in the season.
  Full Pomeroy and Basketball State analysis of each team is on Page 7 of the Weekly Release.
• Are You Experienced?: In March, the Horizon League’s media, coaches and sports information directors voted the youngest First Team All-Horizon League in the conference’s history.
  This fall, that entire First Team returns in the Horizon League, making the League the only Division I conference bringing back its full first team.
  Two-time Preseason Player of the Year Ray McCallum (Detroit) leads the team, while 2012 Player of the Year Ryan Broekhoff (Valparaiso) will likely challenge McCallum for postseason honors.
  Kevin Van Wijk (Valparaiso) joins his teammate on the team, while Kendrick Perry (Youngstown State) and Alec Brown (Green Bay) are both primed for breakout seasons in their junior years.
• Favorites: The defending regular season champions, Valparaiso was tabbed the preseason favorite in the Horizon League, earning 40 of 44 first-place votes among the conference’s coaches, media and sports information directors.

• After two weeks filled with participation in multi-team events, Horizon League teams return for what seems like a full schedule of games against Mid-American Conference foes. The Horizon League and MAC will square off six times this week; the Horizon League owns a 5-2 record versus the MAC so far this season.
  
  Preseason Horizon League favorite Valparaiso will meet one of the favorites in the Atlantic 10 on Sunday afternoon, traveling to St. Louis for a 4:30 p.m. ET tip.
  
  Horizon League teams will meet Power 6 conference members three times this week, beginning with UIC’s trip to Northwestern on Saturday (2 p.m. ET, BTN.com). Green Bay heads to Virginia that same day, while Detroit will close the three-game slate at 7 p.m. ET at Pittsburgh (ESPN3). To this point in the season, the Horizon League is 1-6 in those meetings thus far.
• Horizon League teams will meet Power 6 conference members three times this week, beginning with UIC’s trip to Northwestern on Saturday (2 p.m. ET, BTN.com). Green Bay heads to Virginia that same day, while Detroit will close the three-game slate at 7 p.m. ET at Pittsburgh (ESPN3). To this point in the season, the Horizon League is 1-6 in those meetings thus far.

• UIC took fourth place at the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam, rallying past Iona, 86-81, on Monday. The Flames narrowly fell to eventual tournament champion New Mexico, 66-59, in the tournament opener before rolling past Mercer, 62-36, to set up the game versus Iona.
• Valparaiso tied for the best record at the Joe Cipriano Nebraska Classic, going 3-1 in the event after a 2-0 weekend against Chicago State and Bethune-Cookman.

• The Horizon League is ranked 12th by Ken Pomeroy (KenPom.com), up from its preseason prediction of 15th. The conference is solidly 12th, just behind Conference USA and ahead of the MAAC. Basketball State (BBState.com) ranks the Horizon League 13th.
• For the first time since joining the Horizon League, Valparaiso was tabbed the preseason favorite in the Horizon League.
• The defending regular-season champions, Valparaiso earned three points in the Associated Press preseason poll.
• The Horizon League is the lone conference in the country returning its entire All-League First Team from a year ago.

• Freshman Junior Lomomba saw his first collegiate action against Robert Morris on Nov. 20 after missing the first five games of the season with a broken foot. He played 25 minutes, finishing with eight points and four assists. Lomomba was the No. 4 ranked player in Wisconsin and 38th-best small forward in the country, per ESPN.
• Sophomore Charlie Lee leads the Horizon League in assists (5.5) and has dished out at least five dimes in four of CSU’s six games.
• Among Horizon League players used on at least 20 percent of possessions, Lee is tied with Valpo’s Ryan Broekhoff with a 125.0 offensive rating. Lee has been used on 21.2-percent of Cleveland State’s possessions.
• Head Coach Gary Waters has won 297 games in his 17-year career, including 126 at CSU. Waters isgned a seven-year contract with Cleveland State just prior to the season tipping off.
• Throughout Waters’ tenure with the Vikings, Cleveland State has hung its hat on defense. The Vikings effective defensive field-goal percentage of 43.6 ranks 91st nationally.
• The Vikings forced Old Dominion into an 0-for-10 performance from three-point range. It was the 16th time in program history that a team failed to make a three-pointer against the Vikings.

• Junior Ray McCallum currently leads the Titans in three categories this season scoring (19.5 ppg), assists (4.5 apg) and steals (2.25 spg) and is also climbing up the career record board in all three. McCallum has 1,079 points (31st), 322 assist (13th) and 120 steals (16th) in his career. The last Titan to rank among the top-10 in all three of those categories was Rashad Phillips ‘01. Phillips finished his spectacular career with 2,319 points (1st), 548 assists (4th) and 190 steals (2nd). McCallum needs 523 points, 19 assists and 20 steals to reach that plateau.
• McCallum was named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list. The list recognizes the top-returning players in all of college basketball. McCallum, the Horizon League preseason Player of the Year and first team selection for the second-straight season, was named the Horizon League Tournament MVP last year after he helped lead the Titans to the League crown and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999. McCallum led the team in scoring (15.4 ppg), assists (4.0 apg) and steals (1.6 spg) for the second-straight season.
• The Titans continue to play at one of the country’s quicker paces, posting an adjusted tempo of 69.9 possessions per game, the 46th-quickest rate in the nation.
• Detroit has been one of the nation’s best teams in terms of taking care of the ball. The Titans’ 17.0 turnover percentage is 40th in the country.
• Detroit has won 10 straight games at home dating back to last season. The Titans last loss at Calihan Hall came against Valpo on Jan. 6, 2012.

• Green Bay knocked down a season-high 9 (9-17) 3-pointers in its 74-59 win over North Dakota State. The first time the Phoenix had made 50+ percent from long range since Feb. 12, 2012 at Detroit (11-22).
• Sophomore Keifer Sykes scored a team-high 21 points against NDSU, improving his scoring average to a team-best 16.3 points per game. Sykes has 52 points in two home games this season and has reached double figures in five of the team’s six games.
• Freshman Jordan Fouse has started all 6 games for the Phoenix and leads the team in rebounds, blocks and steals.
• Alec Brown ended his sophomore year with a Green Bay single-season record 89 blocks, including at least one block in 27 of 30 games. With one versus NDSU, Brown is 63 shy of matching the Horizon League’s all-time record of 228.
• Brown is the only returning player in the country to have averaged 13+ points, 8+ rebounds and 3+ blocks per game last year.
• With Brown and burly forward Brennan Cougill up front, Green Bay poses a sizeable advantage on the boards. Green Bay’s 36.3 offensive rebound percentage is 80th nationally, while the Phoenix have allowed an offensive board in just 28.2 of its defensive stands, ranking 76th.
• Kam Cerroni ranked eighth nationally with a 66.7-percent true shooting percentage, per KenPom.com, in 2011-12. After a slow start this year, Cerroni was 3-for-5 on Saturday night. The Phoenix will add another shooter, Cole Stefan, at the semester. Stefan was ranked as the 54th ranked shooting guard nationally before attending LaSalle in his freshman season. As a freshman, Stefan played 25 games, including one start, making three or more shots from long range in five different games.

• Senior forward Ben Averkamp continues to put up impressive numbers and in a 53-46 win at Northern Illinois Nov. 24, he recorded his first double-double of the year, and seventh of his career, with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
• Sophomore guard Joe Crisman, who went three straight games without a rebound (Nov. 12-17), has averaged 8.0 rpg in the last two games. He ripped down a career-high 10 boards at Northern Illinois, the most by a Rambler guard since Aric Van Weelden grabbed 11 versus Valparaiso on Jan. 17, 2009.
• In Loyola’s four wins this season, it has allowed only 45.8 ppg and limited opponents to 33 percent (70 for 212) shooting from the field and 25 percent (14 for 57). Under Porter Moser, the Ramblers have yielded only 49.2 ppg in their 11 wins since the start of the 2011-12 campaign.
• Through six games, Loyola has only allowed 332 points, its fewest through six games since 1949-50 (309 points).
• Averkamp has been named as one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. The Germantown, Wis.-native was voted Second Team All-League after his junior season, becoming Loyola’s first all-league pick since 2006-07.
• This season, Loyola is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1963 NCAA Championship. To this day, Loyola is the only school from the state of Illinois ever to have won the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball title.
• With 16 years of experience spread among 16 players, Loyola ranks as the seventh-youngest team in the nation. Averkamp and Jordan Hicks provide the bulk of experience with seven total years entering the 2012-13 season.

• After knocking off Davidson, 73-68, on Nov. 17, Milwaukee endured an 0-3 week, dropping all three games in the Hoops for Hope Classic.
• Two of the reasons for Milwaukee’s struggles have been on the defensive side of the ball. The Panthers rank 274th in defensive rebounding, allowing offensive rebounds on 36.5 of the opposition’s possessions. UWM’s 55.1 defensive FGA/FTA rate is 339th in the country.
• On the other side of the ball, Milwaukee’s issues with turnovers have limited its offense. The Panthers’ 24.4 turnover rate is 293rd in the country.
• Despite its struggles defensively, Milwaukee has been among the stingiest teams in the country on the perimeter, holding its opponents to an 18-for-85 mark from three-point range. The 23.4-percent mark is 13th nationally. Last year, the Panthers were eighth (29.1 percent).
• After scoring 70 points in all three of its games to start the year, Milwaukee has not scored better than 70 points in any of its last three games, all losses.
• Milwaukee has been without senior guard Paris Gulley (hand) for the first six games of the year.
• The Panthers have won 20 of their last 21 games at the Klotsche Center.

• UIC’s 4-1 start is the program’s best since the 2003-04 season, when the Flames started 6-1.
• UIC’s stingy defensive effort has certainly been notable early this season. The Flames are holding their opponents to just a 41.8 effective field-goal percentage, the 32nd-best mark, nationally. percent effort from the field, and a 25.6 percent output from three-point range. The Flames are keeping opponents off the offensive glass (28.0 percent Def. OReb % - 70th), while limiting opponents to just a 27.9 FGA/FTA rate, ranking 54th nationally.
• Senior point guard Gary Talton has dished out 23 assists against just five turnovers through UIC’s first five games of the season, an assist/turnover ratio of 4.6. During the Paradise Jam, Talton averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
• UIC’s 86-81 comeback win at Iona was noteworthy not just because the Flames knocked off a 2012 NCAA Tournament Team, but because the Flames trailed, 70-58, with 6:00 to play. The Flames’ win expectancy was under three percent at the time.
• A year after bringing in nine newcomers to the roster, UIC adds eight newcomers to its ranks.   Overall, UIC returns 65 percent of its scoring from the 2011-12 campaign.
• In all three of its games, UIC has seen at least three players score in double figures. The staples have been senior point guard Talton and Humes, who have posted double-digit scoring outputs in each of the Flames’ contests. Entering Monday’s game against Iona, seven players are averaging at least 3.3 points per game, including four players that are scoring 9.0 points per game or more.

• Over its two wins last week, Valpo owned a 77-49 edge on the boards over the two games and are +6.2 on the boards this season.
• Valparaiso’s 55.8 effective field-goal percentage ranks 28th in the country.  The Crusaders have been one of the best teams in the nation at getting to the free-throw line, holding a 46.6 FGA/FTA rate. The mark is 38th in the country.
• Ryan Broekhoff’s 125.0 offensive rating ranks 29th among players used on at least 24 percent of the team’s possessions. Broekhoff ranks immediately ahead of Duke’s Mason Plumlee.
• Broekhoff spent part of the summer playing with the Australia Boomers, participating in national team camp ahead of the Olympics and becoming one of the team’s last cuts ahead of the 30th Olympiad.
• After missing the first four games of the year, junior Bobby Capobianco (hernia) returned to Valpo’s lineup, averaging 7.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg in the weekend’s games. Capobianco had a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) in his debut.

• Wright State opened the year playing five of six games on the road. With separate trips to Idaho and Salt Lake City, the Raiders have traveled over 5,000 miles this year.
• The Raiders’ 17.1 turnover percentage ranks 42nd nationally, while Wright State is allowing offensive rebounds on just 25.7 percent of its defensive possessions, ranking 32nd. Both are key reasons why WSU is off to a 4-2 start.
• In his two years as Wright State’s head coach, Donlon has hung his hat on defense. Last year, the Raiders were fourth in the country at defensive turnover rate, turning opponents over 25.6-percent of the time. In 2010-11, the team ranked 12th at 24.3-percent, per KenPom.com. Wright State has not been outside the top 20 in the category in each of the last four seasons.
• This season, the Raiders hold a 24.3 defensive turnover percentage, 61st in the country.
• A season after opening the year as the sixth-youngest team in the country, the Raiders are once again the sixth-youngest team in the nation. Wright State has 15 players with a total of 14 years of collegiate experience. The Raiders are one of a handful of teams to open the year without a senior on their roster.
• Wright State returns just 36.9 percent of its scoring from a year ago; the Raiders return six letterwinners from last year, led by point guard Reggie Arceneaux.

• Youngstown State has started 3-0 for the second straight year, rolling past St. Francis (Pa.), 75-60, in the Penguins’ home opener.
• Senior Damian Eargle scored the 1,000th point in his college career and became YSU’s all-time blocks leader after scoring 17 points with six blocks against James Madison. Eargle has 226 blocks in his career, tying the Horizon League career record.
• Junior Kendrick Perry’s 34-point effort on Monday was the second 30-point performance of his career and the most points scored by a YSU player since Quin Humphry’s 35 against Wright State on Feb. 22, 2007.
• Senior Blake Allen needs 43 more 3-pointers to become the YSU all-time leader. He has 156 and the record is 198, set by Craig Haese from 1997-2001. Allen is currently fifth all-time.
• Last year, Youngstown State was among the nation’s most reliant teams on the three-pointer. 38.1 percent of YSU’s total points came via the three, the eighth-highest mark in the nation. 40.8 percent of the Penguins’ attempts were three-pointers, ranking 28th nationally. To this point in the year, the Penguins are displaying more balance, getting just 29.0 percent of its points from long range and holding a 32.9 percent 3PA/FGA rate.