Men's Basketball Release #18 - Horizon League Championship Preview

March 3, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

Horizon League Player of the Week

Shawn Huff, Valparaiso
Senior * Guard-Forward * Helsinki, Finland (Makelanrinne)
Huff averaged 14 points in three victories last week, helping the Crusaders secure a first-round home game as the sixth seed in Horizon League Championship. He made 14 of 22 shots from the field (63.6 percent), including 10-of-15 from three-point range. Huff had 17 points in Saturday's victory over Wright State, capping the day with the game-winning three-point play with 1.6 seconds remaining in the extra session. Huff has scored in double figures in eight of his last nine games.

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); Mike Green, BU (Feb. 18); Cedric Jackson, CSU (Feb. 25).

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending March 1

Mike Green, Butler
Sr. * G * Philadelphia, Pa.
Green had 11 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in Saturday's victory over Detroit after a 15-point, eight-assist effort to lift Butler past Wright State and clinch the regular-season League championship on Thursday.

J'Nathan Bullock, Cleveland State
Jr. * F * Flint, Mich.
Bullock posted his fifth double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds at Youngstown State on Saturday, pacing CSU to a 65-58 victory and the second seed for this week's Horizon League Championship.

Eulis Stephens, Detroit
So. * G * Detroit, Mich.
Stephens led the Titans in scoring last week, posting 14 points in Thursday's loss at Valparaiso and eight against Butler on Saturday. Stephens was five-of-ten from the field against the Crusaders.

Ryan Tillema, Green Bay
Jr. * G * Randolph, Wis.
Tillema averaged 23 points in two Phoenix victories, including a 32-point performance versus UIC on Thursday. He hit eight three-pointers in that game and finished 16-for-24 from the field for the week.

Ross Forman, Loyola
So. * F * Minneapolis, Minn.
Forman scored 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in Saturday's loss at Green Bay. He made 12 of 19 shots from the field against the Phoenix in posting the highest single-game scoring total by a Loyola player this season.

Jason Averkamp, Milwaukee
So. * F * New Berlin, Wis.
Averkamp scored 21 points off the bench against Valparaiso on Monday. He added nine points and nine rebounds in his first collegiate start Thursday versus Loyola and posted 11 points with eight boards versus UIC on Saturday.

Jordan Pleiman, Wright State
Sr. * F * For Loramie, Ohio
Pleiman registered a double-double with 12 points and ten rebounds Saturday, hitting five of eight shots from the field to pace WSU's second-half comeback bid. Pleiman also had six points in Thursday's loss at Butler.

John Barber, Youngstown State
Sr. * F * Detroit, Mich.
Barber posted his sixth double-double of the year with 12 points and 10 rebounds versus Cleveland State on Saturday. In the process, he also surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career.

News From Around the League

Bulldogs win title, continue to set records
Butler finished the regular season at 27-3 overall and 16-2 in the League, setting a Horizon League regular-season record with those 27 victories. The Bulldogs secured the top seed for the Horizon League Championship by defeating Wright State 66-61 on Thursday and posted a 65-31 victory over Detroit on Saturday.

Senior guard Mike Green finished one assist short of a triple-double Saturday, logging 11 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in only 28 minutes. Green remains one of ten players in the nation to lead his team in scoring, rebounding and assists.

Senior forward Julian Betko sparked BU on Thursday with a career-high 17 points---all in the first half. He hit his first five shots behind the arc.

Freshman Matt Howard finished the regular season atop the League charts with a .606 field-goal percentage.

Senior forward Pete Campbell had eight treys himself Saturday, finishing with 24 points to tie his career high. He has 85 triples this season.

Senior guard A.J. Graves has moved into fourth place on the Butler all-time scoring list with 1,749 points after an 11-point night versus Wright State.

The 31 points allowed Saturday were the fewest by a Butler team since a 52-30 triumph over Canterbury early in the 1947-48 season.

Vikings snare second seed
Cleveland State earned a bye to the semifinals of the Horizon League Championship with a 65-58 victory at Youngstown State on Saturday, finishing the regular season at 12-6 in League play and 20-11 overall.

The Vikings (10-21 last season) became only the second team in MCC/Horizon League history to win 20 games one year after a 20-loss campaign. Xavier went from 8-20 in 1981-82 to 22-8 the next season. CSU reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 1992-93, twoyears before the Vikings joined the Horizon League.

Junior forward and junior guard Cedric Jackson each logged double-doubles in the victory. Bullock posted his fifth double-double of the year with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Jackson's line included ten points and 11 assists. Bullock is averaging 19.9 points in his last seven games.

Senior guard Breyohn Watson added a season-best 13 points Saturday. As a team, the Vikings shot 51 percent from the field.

Cleveland State will play in the Horizon League Championship semifinals for the first time since 2001 and finished seven spots ahead of where voters picked the Vikings in the preseason poll (ninth). Only one of the 46 voters in the preseason Horizon League poll picked CSU to finish higher than sixth.

Raiders drop to third seed
Wright State fell to 20-9 overall and 12-6 in League play with a 66-61 loss at Butler on Thursday and a 75-73 overtime setback at Valparaiso on Saturday.

The two losses by a total of seven points reversed a trend for the Raiders, who had won their previous ten League contests by a combined 32 points. WSU closed the regular season on a three-game losing streak.

Wright State never led in regulation on Saturday and took its first lead on Scottie Wilson's three-pointer with 1:04 left in the extra session. The Raiders shot only 32 percent from the floor in the first half and trailed 39-26 at intermission but connected on 13 of 20 shots (65 percent) in the second stanza to force overtime.

Senior forward Jordan Pleiman posted a double-double with 12 points and ten rebounds while tying WSU's record with his 119th career appearance. He should set the mark Tuesday when the Raiders open defense of their 2007 Horizon League title by hosting Detroit in the first round of the 2008 Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship.

Sophomore guard Vaughn Duggins led Wright State with 17 points in Thursday's contest but was held to six on Saturday. Duggins has reached double figures 23 times in 29 games this season, including 19 of the Raiders' last 22 outings.

Flames secure home court
UIC holds the fourth seed after winning a four-way tie-breaker, standing at 9-9 in League play and 16-14 overall following a 63-55 victory at Milwaukee on Saturday. The Flames opened the week with a 76-73 loss at Green Bay on Thursday.

UIC hosts ninth seed Youngstown State in first-round action on Tuesday. The home court has been a key to success for the Flames, who are 11-2 at the Pavilion but only 5-12 away from home. UIC is shooting 50.1 percent from the floor and averaging 77.4 points per game in its own building, compared to 40.7 percent and 62.4 points per contest in other gyms.

Junior forward Scott VanderMeer powered the Flames past UWM with 17 points and 13 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the year. The seven-footer was seven-for-eight from the field at Milwaukee.

Senior guard Karl White Jr. scored all 14 of his points in the second half Saturday, including eight free throws. He also scored 13 points---11 in the final five minutes and five in the last 18 seconds---at Green Bay. His 12 double-digit scoring nights this season match his career total entering the 2007-08 campaign.

UIC has allowed 70 or more points only once in its last eight games, allowing only 58.5 per contest during that span. The Flames had yielded 68.2 per outing prior to Feb. 9.

Panthers drop two of three
Milwaukee brins a 14-15 record into the Horizon League Championship, holding the fifth seed as one of four teams tied at 9-9 in loop play. The Panthers lost two of three home games last week, falling 66-57 to Valparaiso on Monday and 63-55 to UIC on Saturday while posting a 68-53 victory over Loyola on Thursday. UWM's first-round matchup Tuesday is a near-instant replay as Loyola returns to the U.S. Cellular Arena.

The Panthers lost senior forward Marcus Skinner to a high ankle sprain in the opening minutes Monday, and his return is doubtful for this week. Skinner shares the League lead with six double-doubles this season.

Sophomore Jason Averkamp filled in admirably for Skinner, averaging 13.3 points and seven rebounds in the three games. Averkamp, who had played only 113 minutes this year---logging 26 points and 27 rebounds---before Monday.

Senior forward Paige Paulsen also missed time Monday after being poked in the eye early in the first half. He returned to action later in the game and started the final two games of the regular season.

Milwakee shot just 32.6 percent from the floor in the three games, including a season-worst 26.8 percent against the Crusaders. The Panthers finished at just 39.7 percent Thursday but hit 11 three-pointers and limited Loyola to 34.5 percent accuracy from the floor.

Crusaders earn first-round home date
Valparaiso opens the Horizon League Championship at home as the sixth seed, winning three games last week to finish the regular season at 19-12 overall and 9-9 in League play. The Crusaders defeated Milwaukee 66-57 on Monday and edged Detroit 59-56 on Thursday before securing a first-round home game by slipping past Wright State 75-73 in overtime on Saturday.

Senior forward Shawn Huff had 17 points against the Raiders and currently ranks fourth in the nation in three-point field-goal percentage (.488) after a 4-for-7 effort behind the arc Saturday.

Freshman guard Michael Rogers did not play in the first meeting with Wright State but made up for lost time on Saturday with career-high totals of 21 points and 12 rebounds. Rogers, who entered the game averaging 2.3 points per game for the season, finished eight-of-12 from the floor including five-of-eight from three-point range.

Valpo hit 13 of 36 three-point attempts Saturday, marking the 15th time this season that the Crusaders have had at least ten triples in a game.

Valparaiso hosts Green Bay in the first round of the Horizon League Championship on Tuesday. A victory would give Valpo its first 20-win season since 2002-03.

Phoenix closes home schedule strong
Green Bay swept the Chicago schools last week, finishing the regular season at 15-14 overall and 9-9 in League play. The Phoenix snapped a five-game losing streak by edging UIC 76-73 on Thursday and outlasted Loyola 71-66 in overtime on Saturday to end the year 11-3 at home.

All but one of Green Bay's last 15 games have been decided by ten points or less. The lone exception to that rule was an 81-64 loss at Cleveland State on Feb. 11.

Junior forward Mike Schachtner moved into the school's all-time top ten scorers list with his 27-point performance against Loyola. He has 1,271 points in a Green Bay uniform.

Schachtner leads the Horizon League and ranks sixth in the nation with a .901 free-throw percentage.

The Phoenix canned a season-high 14 three-pointers against UIC, with junior forward Ryan Tillema leading the way. Tillema finished eight-of-12 from behind the arc for 32 points, the second time he has reached the 30-point plateau this season. Freshman guard Rahmon Fletcher handed out nine assists.

Green Bay opens Horizon League Championship play on the road for the first time since the current format was adopted in 2003. The Phoenix travels to Valparaiso for first-round action Tuesday night.

Ramblers drop a pair on the road
Loyola fell to 11-18 overall and 6-12 in League play following two defeats last week. The Ramblers suffered a 68-53 setback at Milwaukee on Thursday prior to a 71-66, overtime loss at Green Bay on Saturday.

Sophomore forward Ross Forman posted his first double-double with personal-highs of 28 points and 15 rebounds Saturday. Forman had tallied totals of 28 points and 20 rebounds in his nine previous outings before a 12-for-19 showing from the floor against the Phoenix. The 15 boards were the most by a Rambler since Paul McMillan had 15 at Milwaukee on Feb. 12, 2004.

Junior guard and Milwaukee native J.R. Blount added a season-high 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a losing effort Saturday. It was his sixth game with 20 or more points this season. Blount has started 65 consecutive games in a Loyola uniform and ranks fifth in the League in scoring at 15.1 points per game.

The Ramblers enter the Horizon League Championship as the eighth seed, the program's lowest mark since 2004. That year, eighth seed Loyola defeated Wright State---one of only two first-round victories by road teams under the tournament's current format.

This year's squad returns to Milwaukee on Tuesday night to face the Panthers for the second time in less than a week.

Penguins lose home finale, head to Chicago
Youngstown State carries a 9-20 overall record into the Horizon League Championship, slipping to 5-13 in the League with a 65-58 loss to Cleveland State on Saturday. YSU has lost 11 of its last 13 games.

Senior forward John Barber became the 31st player in school history to reach the 1,000-point mark, scoring 12 points against the Vikings to give him 1,004 in a Penguin uniform. Barber, who holds the YSU record with 119 career appearances, ranks tenth in the League in scoring at 13.6 points per game and fourth with a rate of seven rebounds per contest.

Senior guard Byron Davis reached double figures for the 24th time this season with ten points against the Vikings. Davis, who had only nine twin-digit outings last season, stands fourth on the League scoring charts at 15.3 points per game.

Freshman guard Vytas Sulskis has scored 263 points, the most by a YSU freshman since Doug Underwood posted 290 in 2001-02. Sul-skis already owns the YSU frosh record with 45 three-pointers.

Youngstown State opens the League tournament at UIC on Tuesday night. YSU is one of only two teams to post first-round victories on the road since the current tournament format was adopted in 2003, eliminating Green Bay that year.Titans lose two games, top scorer
Detroit stands at 7-22 overall and 3-15 in League play following a pair of losses last week. The Titans came up short in a 59-56 loss at Valparaiso on Thursday before a 65-31 setback at Butler on Saturday.

Detroit made only five of 22 shots in the second half and finished at 28.3 percent (13-of-46) at Butler. The 34-point margin against the Bulldogs marked UDM's worst League loss ever, surpassing an 80-50 defeat at Saint Louis during the 1988-89 campaign.

Detroit both games played without the Horizon League's leading scorer in Jon Goode, who will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury. Goode averaged 19.3 points per game this season.

Sophomore guard Eulis Stephens had 14 points at Valpo for his eighth double-digit total of the season. Three of those have come in Detroit's last six games.

Detroit's next loss will match the school's single-season record. UDM finished with a 5-23 record in 1987-88, although that season included victories over third-seeded Saint Louis and second-seed Evansville in the MCC Championship that year.

The Titans hope for similar magic Tuesday as they open the 2008 Horizon League Championship at Wright State. Detroit lost 59-58 at the Nutter Center on Feb. 20.

Butler holds top seed, home-court advantage for Horizon League Championship
Ten teams begin their quest for the Horizon League title and an automatic entry into the NCAA Tournament as the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship begins with four games Tuesday night. Third seed Wright State hosts tenth-seeded Detroit, with fourth-seed UIC hosting ninth-seed Youngstown State, eighth-seed Loyola at No. 5 seed Milwaukee and seventh-seeded Green Bay at sixth-seed Valparaiso.

The winners of those four games meet Friday at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for spots in Saturday's semifinals, with second-seeded Cleveland State and top-seed Butler waiting in the wings. The League's NCAA Tournament berth goes to the winner of Tuesday's title game (0 p.m. Eastern time, ESPN).

The top seed has won each of the last three League summits, with Milwaukee protecting its home court in 2005 and 2006 before Wright State won its first Horizon League crown last season.

Butler has won four League championships, but none since 2001. Only Xavier (six) has more loop title than the Bulldogs. Cleveland State, meanwhile, hopes to follow Wright State's example from last season and win its first Horizon League crown. CSU's game Saturday will mark the Vikings' first semfinal-round appearance since 2001.

Note: The PDF version of this release includes several additional items, including:
-- Capsule summaries of the four first-round match-ups
-- Regular-season statistics for all ten teams
-- A review of the postseason awards announced earlier Monday
-- A copy of the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship bracket