Men's Basketball Release #16

Feb. 18, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

Horizon League Player of the Week

Mike Green, Butler
Senior * Guard * Philadelphia, Pa. (Franklin Learning Center / Towson University)
Green won his second Player-of-the-Week award of the year after helping Butler to three consecutive victories last week. He matched his career-high with 24 points---ten in overtime---while grabbing 13 rebounds and handing out eight assists in Tuesday's victory over Milwaukee in front of a national (ESPNU) audience. Green posted 17 points, six assists and five rebounds in just 23 minutes versus Youngstown State on Thursday, and led the Bulldogs past Cleveland State with six points, six rebounds and three assists on Saturday.

Previous Players of the Week:
Josh Mayo, UIC (Nov. 12); Cedric Jackson, CSU (Nov. 19); Mike Green, BU (Nov. 26); Matt Howard, BU (Dec. 3); Josh Mayo, UIC (Dec. 10); Samuel Haanpää, Valpo (Dec. 17); Ryan Tillema, GB (Dec. 24), Todd Brown, WSU (Dec. 31); John Barber, YSU (Jan. 7); Matt Howard, BU (Jan. 14); Jon Goode, UDM (Jan. 21); Marcus Skinner, UWM (Jan. 28); Tracy Robinson, LU (Feb. 4); A.J. Graves, BU (Feb. 11).

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending February 17

J'Nathan Bullock, Cleveland State
Jr. * F * Flint, Mich.
Bullock averaged 23 points in three games, including a 39-point outburst versus Green Bay on Monday. He finished 13-of-14 from the field and 11-of-14 at the line in that game, and added 19 points in Thursday's victory at Valparaiso.

Cedric Jackson, Cleveland State
Jr. * G * Columbus, N.J.
Jackson posted nine points, seven boards and eight set-ups versus Green Bay on Monday and added 15 points and seven assists at Valparaiso on Thursday before a 20-point, five-assist effort at Butler on Saturday.

Jon Goode, Detroit
Sr. * G * Detroit, Mich.
Goode led the Titans to two victories, averaging 22.5 points and six rebounds. He had a game-high 22 points, all in the second half, against UIC on Thursday and added 23 points in Saturday's victory over Loyola.

Rahmon Fletcher, Green Bay
Fr. * G * Kansas City, Mo.
Fletcher led the Phoenix with a rate of 13.5 points per game last week, shooting 13-of-18 from the field. He has scored in double figures in four consecutive games, including a 15-point effort at Milwaukee on Saturday.

Leon Young, Loyola
Jr. * F * Long Beach, Calif.
Young averged 12 points and 3.5 rebounds off the bench in two games. He hit seven of eight shots from the field and 10 of 11 free-throw attempts, posting a team-high 13 points Saturday versus Wright State.

Marcus Skinner, Milwaukee
Sr. * F * Flint, Mich.
Skinner scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed ten rebounds Tuesday against Butler. He added nine points and a season-high 17 rebounds (ten offensive) as well as three blocked shots in Saturday's victory over Green Bay.

Josh Mayo, UIC
Jr. * G * Merrillville, Ind.
Mayo averaged 15 points in three games, including an 18-point effort in the Flames' victory over Valparaiso on Monday. He led all scorers with 16 points---14 in the second half---on Saturday at Wright State.

Jake Diebler, Valparaiso
Jr. * G * Upper Sandusky, Ohio
Diebler scored a season-high 14 points in Saturday's victory over Youngstown State, hitting five of eight shots from the field including four three-pointers. He had three treys and three assists versus Cleveland State on Thursday.

Vaughn Duggins, Wright State
So. * G * Pendleton, Ind.
Duggins scored 20 points in Thursday's victory over Loyola, leading the Raiders back from an 11-point deficit for their ninth consecutive victory. He added 11 points and three assists Saturday as WSU defeated UIC to push the streak to ten.

Byron Davis, Youngstown State
Sr. * G * Detroit, Mich.
Davis scored 38 points in YSU's two games, shooting 61 percent (17-of-28) from the field while grabbing ten rebounds. He scored 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting against Butler on Thursday and had 18 points versus Valparaiso on Saturday.

News From Around the League

Bulldogs hope eight (wins) isn't enough
Butler starts the week at 24-2 overall, including a 13-2 mark in League play, after three victories last week. The Bulldogs have won eight games in a row after defeating Milwaukee 83-75 in overtime on Tuesday, running past Youngstown State 89-73 on Thursday and slipping past Cleveland State 51-46 on Saturday.

Butler has won 53 games in the last two seasons, matching their own (2001-03) record for the best two-year run in League history. Butler's current No. 8 standing in both the AP national poll and the ESPN/USA Today canvass is also the highest ever for a Horizon League team.BU shot a season-high 62.3 percent (33-of-53) from the floor against the Penguins, scoring a season-best 89 points.

Senior guard A.J. Graves surpassed the 1,700-point mark for his career, becoming the sixth player in Butler history to reach that milestone. Fellow senior Pete Campbell moved into 12th place on the Butler charts with 150 career treys, needing two more to reach the top ten.

Senior guard Mike Green is the only player in the League to rank among the circuit's top ten in scoring (fourth at 15.1 points per game), rebounding (10th at 6.3 per outing) and assists (a League-best 4.92 per game).

Butler visits UIC on Wednesday before hosting Drake in a battle of top-25 teams as part of O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters on Saturday.

Raider streak hits double digits
Wright State pushed its winning streak to ten games---the longest since WSU moved to Division I in 1987---and climbed to 19-6 overall with two victories last week. The Raiders are 10-4 in League play after defeating Loyola 55-51 on Thursday and edging UIC 52-51 on Saturday.

Nine of the ten victories have come in League play, with Wright State outscoring its foes by a combined 31 points. The Raiders are 12-3 in games decided by five points or fewer this season.

Two free throws by freshman forward Cooper Land with six seconds left were the difference Saturday as WSU notched its fifth one-point victory of the year. The Raiders shot only 33 percent from the field.

Wright State overcame an 11-point first-half deficit against the Ramblers, with sophomore guard Vaughn Duggins scoring a team-high 20 points and junior guard Will Graham adding a career-high 17.

WSU needs one more victory to post back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time as a Division I entry. Wright State reached the 20-win mark three consecutive years in the mid-1980s.

The Raiders' quest for the top seed continues Wednesday when Wright State hosts Detroit. Wright State steps outside the League on Sunday night for an O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters contest at Illinois State.

Vikings secure first-round home game
Cleveland State owns a 17-11 overall record, moving to 10-6 in the League with two victories in three games last week. The Vikings defeated Green Bay 81-64 on Tuesday and got past Valparaiso 71-58 on Thursday before falling 51-46 at Butler on Saturday.

The Vikings have clinched at least a first-round home game for the Horizon League Championship. That would mark the first time CSU has hosted a League tournament game since 2002, but Cleveland State can still catch Wright State for second place and a bye into the semifinals.

Junior forward J'Nathan Bullock scored 39 points against the Phoenix, hitting 13 of 14 shots from the field and 11 of 14 free-throw attempts. His point total was the highest in the Horizon League since Blake Schilb scored 39 versus UIC on March 4, 2005. Bullock also had 19 points at Valparaiso and ranks seventh in the League at 14.5 points per game for the season.

Senior guard Cedric Jackson added 44 points, 16 rebounds and 20 assists in the three games. He leads the circuit with a pace of 2.64 steals per game.

Cleveland State closes the home portion of the regular-season schedule this week, hosting Milwaukee on Wednesday and facing Marist on Saturday at the Wolstein Center. Saturday's contest airs on ESPNU as part of the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters event.

Panthers complete sweep of state rival
Milwaukee split a pair of home games last week, moving to 13-11 overall and 8-6 in the League. The Panthers fell 83-75 in overtime to Butler on Tuesday but bounced back to defeat Green Bay 66-56 on Saturday and claim a sweep of the season series with the Phoenix.

Milwaukee has now won 13 of the last 18 meetings between the League's two Wisconsin teams, including nine of ten in Milwaukee.

UWM led Butler 32-29 at intermission but let the lead get away. It was the third consecutive time that Milwaukee had taken a lead to the locker room, only to lose. UWM has owned a halftime advantage in seven consecutive games.

The Panthers used a 39-27 rebounding advantage against the Phoenix, including 20 offensive rebounds leading to 27 second-chance points. Both of those totals are season-highs.

Seniors Marcus Skinner and Allan Hanson combined for 43 points against Butler, with Skinner posting a career-high 25 points and ten rebounds for his League-leading sixth double-double of the season. Underclassmen took the spotlight Saturday, led by freshman guard Deonte Roberts' 17 points.

Milwaukee plays its final two road games of the regular season, visiting Cleveland State on Wednesday before traveling to Bradley on Saturday, a game available on ESPN360.com as part of O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters.

Flames relying on defense
UIC dropped two of three games last week, slipping to 14-12 overall and 8-7 in the League. The Flames defeated Valparaiso 77-53 on Monday but lost both ends of their road trip, falling 68-60 at Detroit on Thursday and 52-51 at Wright State on Saturday.

Junior guard Josh Mayo needs seven points to move into the Horizon League's all-time top 100 list, entering the week with 1,114. He averaged 15 points in the three outings last week, including 18 versus Valpo and 16 against the Raiders. He ranks second in the League at 18.1 points per game for the season.

Junior center Scott VanderMeer leads the circuit in rebounding at 7.5 caroms per contest. He also ranks among the national leaders in blocked shots, adding to that total with five rejections Monday.

UIC has allowed only 57 points and 37.9 percent shooting from the field in its last four games, compared to 68.2 points and 43 percent shooting before the current run.

Sophomore guard Spencer Stewart is averaging 5.8 assists in his last five games, including six in each of the last three games. For the season, he ranks third in the League at 4.40 set-ups per game.

UIC hosts League-leader Butler on Wednesday before traveling to Northern Iowa for a non-League meeting on Saturday.

Phoenix road woes continue
Green Bay starts the week at 13-12 overall and 7-8 in League play, carrying a three-game losing streak that includes Monday's 81-64 defeat at Cleveland State and a 66-56 setback at Milwaukee on Saturday. Green Bay has lost eight of its last nine games on the road.

The Phoenix and Milwaukee each endured scoreless stretches of at least nine minutes Saturday, with Green Bay's dry spell allowing the Panthers to turn an 11-point deficit into a 55-48 advantage with four minutes to play. Freshman guard Rahmon Fletcher led the Phoenix with 15 points, his fourth consecutive game in double figures. He has reached twin digits in seven of Green Bay's last eight contests.

The double-digit margins in last week's two games ended a run of ten consecutive contests decided by nine points or fewer for the Phoenix.

Cleveland State outscored Green Bay 22-11 at the free-throw line Thursday, attempting 28 charity tosses to their own 17.

The Phoenix plays its final road game of the regular season at Youngstown State on Saturday before closing the schedule with a three-game homestand, matching the longest run of the season. That run begins Saturday against Western Michigan in non-League action, with Green Bay needing one more home-court victory to reach double digits in that department for the fifth year in a row.

Crusaders stop slide
Valparaiso carries a 15-11 overall record after a 77-58 victory over Youngstown State on Saturday to end a five-game losing streak. The Crusaders' 6-8 League ledger also includes a 77-53 loss at UIC on Monday and a 71-58 setback versus Cleveland State on Thursday.

Valpo coach Homer Drew mixed up the starting lineup last week, trying to stop his team's slide. Drew had used the same starting five for the first 23 games of the year but had different groups on the floor for the opening tip in each game last week. Freshman forward Bryan Bouchie made his first career start versus YSU.

Another freshman, guard Michael Rogers, played a career-high 23 minutes against the Penguins, posting season-bests of eight points and six rebounds.

The Crusaders shot 54.2 percent from the floor Saturday, including 11-of-24 behind the arc. Valpo had shot only 41.8 percent and averaged 62.6 points during its skid. Senior guard Jarryd Loyd led Valpo with 18 points in the victory, with junior guard Jake Diebler adding 14.

Valpo visits Loyola on Wednesday before hosting Miami (Ohio) on Saturday as part of the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters event. Saturday's game, airing on ESPN Classic, marks Valpo's second home-court appearance on an ESPN network in 19 days after going more than ten years without such exposure at the ARC.

Ramblers drop two on the road
Loyola stands at 9-16 overall and 5-10 in the League after two close losses last week. The Ramblers suffered a 55-51 defeat at Wright State on Thursday before a 56-53 setback at Detroit on Saturday. Loyola has lost three games in a row by a combined 12 points.

Junior forward Leon Young continued his strong play off the bench with 13 points in Dayton and 11 points on perfect shooting (2-of-2 from the field, 7-of-7 at the line) against Detroit. He has reached double digits as a reserve in three consecutive outings.

Sophomore forward Andy Polka recorded his fourth career double-double with 11 points and 11 boards against the Titans. Sophomore guard Aric Van Weelden made the most of his first career start at Detroit with a collegiate-best nine points.

Loyola has held each of its last four opponents to 60 points or less, but is just 1-3 in those games as the Ramblers have averaged 56 points on 38.1 percent shooting from the field during that time.

Junior guard J.R. Blount has moved into 30th place on Loyola's all-time scoring chart with 1,052 points in his career.

The Ramblers make their final appearance at the Gentile Center on Wednesday against Valparaiso before traveling east for Saturday's game at William & Mary.

Penguins lose twice in Indiana
Youngstown State fell to 8-18 overall with two losses on the road last week. Thursday's 89-73 defeat at Butler and Saturday's 77-58 loss at Valparaiso dropped the Penguins to 4-12 in the League.

Senior guard Byron Davis hit the 20-point mark for the fifth time with his 20-point effort at Butler. Davis, who had only nine double-figure scoring games last year, has finished in twin digits 21 times this year while averaging a team-best 14.7 points per game (sixth-best in the League).

Including two seasons at New Mexico State, Davis has 972 points and 286 assists in his collegiate career.

Youngstown State shot a season-best 58.3 percent (28-of-48) from the field and committed only seven turnovers at Butler but could not overcome Butler's 13 three-pointers and 62 percent shooting. Thursday marked the fifth time this season that YSU has finished above 50 percent, but the Penguins are only 2-3 in those games.

Senior forward John Barber needs 50 points to reach the 1,000 mark for his career. He also ranks third on the League rebounding charts at seven per game.

Youngstown State hosts Green Bay on Wednesday before traveling to Buffalo for a non-League tilt on Saturday.

Titans sweep week against Chicago schools
Detroit improved to 7-18 overall and 3-12 in the League with two victories last week. The Titans defeated ended UIC's four-game winning streak with a 68-60 decision on Thursday and edged Loyola 56-53 on Saturday.

UDM has won back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game streak from Nov. 21-28.

The Titans have limited opponents to 60 points or less in four consecutive games. Detroit has held the opposition to 23 percent (17-of-73) shooting from three-point range during that span, including UIC's 6-of-25 showing. At the same time, Detroit has shot 39 percent from behind the arc and ranks among the nation's top 50 teams in that category.

Senior guard Jon Goode hit the 20-point mark in each game last week and leads the League with 15 games of 20 or more this season. He tops the circuit in scoring at 19.6 points per game with 19 consecutive double-figure games.

Senior guard Zach Everingham added 15 points and seven rebounds against Loyola for his second double-figure game of the season.

Detroit attempts to continue its run Wednesday at Wright State. UDM has lost ten consecutive Horizon League road games, since defeating UIC 66-64 at the Pavilion on Jan. 20, 2007. The Titans step outside the League on Saturday to host Bowling Green.

Countdown to Horizon League Championship begins
Only two weeks remain in the regular season with several teams still jockeying for position in the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship. The tournament begins Tuesday, March 4, at campus sites with seeds 3-6 hosting first-round action. The winners of those four games square off Friday, March 7, at the home of the top seed. The top two seeds earn byes to the semifinals on Saturday, March 8, with the higher-seeded remaining team hosting the championship on Tuesday, March 11.

Butler could secure the top seed this week, holding a magic number of two (any combination of Butler victories and Wright State losses) to claim that honor. The top seed has won each of the last three League Championships.

Butler is at UIC on Wednesday, with Wright State hosting Detroit. Other action has Milwaukee at Cleveland State, Green Bay at Youngstown State and Valparaiso at Loyola.

All ten teams step outside the League over the weekend to take part in the sixth annual O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters event. Five of those games air nationally on the ESPN family of networks, led by Butler's top-25 showdown against Drake on ESPN2 on Saturday afternoon. Cleveland State hosts Marist on ESPNU with Valparaiso hosting Miami (Ohio) on ESPN Classic that evening and Milwaukee's contest at Bradley available on ESPN360.com. Wright State wraps up the schedule Sunday night at Illinois State on ESPNU.