Men's Basketball Release #5
Dec. 3, 2007 News From Around the League
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Horizon League Player of the Week
Matt Howard, Butler
Freshman * Forward * Connersville, Ind. (Connersville)
Matt Howard came off the bench to score a game-high 23 points with seven rebounds to power Butler past Ohio State 65-46 on Saturday. Howard hit nine of 13 shots from the field and all five of his free-throw attempts. He scored 11 of Butler's first 13 points and played strong defense against seven-foot center Kosta Koufos as the Bulldogs outscored Ohio State 45-16 after intermission. Howard also posted two assists and a steal in 29 minutes of action.
Other Top Performances for the Week Ending December 2
Cedric Jackson, Cleveland State
Jr. * G * Columbus, N.J.
Jackson averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and four steals as the Vikings split a pair of games last week. He scored a game-high 24 points in Wednesday's loss to Cal State Northridge and added 13 points and five assists in just 17 minutes versus Geneva on Saturday.
Jon Goode, Detroit
Sr. * G * Flint, Mich.
Goode posted a game-high 24 points---17 in the second half---versus Central Michigan on Saturday for his third game of 20 or more this season. He also had five rebounds, one game after scoring a season-low four points at Eastern Michigan on Wednesday.
Rahmon Fletcher, Green Bay
Fr. * G * Kansas City, Mo.
Fletcher scored a career-high 29 points versus South Dakota State on Saturday, hitting 12 of 14 shots from the field with four three-pointers in an 88-81 victory. He also registered seven points to help the Phoenix past Eastern Illinois on Tuesday.
J.R. Blount, Loyola
Jr. * G * Milwaukee, Wis.
Blount hit double figures for the seventh consecutive game (dating to last season) with 18 points on eight-of-15 shooting against Bradley on Wednesday and 13 points plus nine rebounds in Saturday's loss at Northern Iowa. For the week, he averaged 15.5 points and seven rebounds.
Scott VanderMeer, UIC
Jr. * C * Dyer, Ind.
VanderMeer notched his first double-double of the season with 16 points and ten rebounds to lead the Flames to victory at Central Michigan on Wednesday. He was six-of-nine from the floor in that game, and later collected a team-best seven rebounds at Illinois State on Saturday.
Shawn Huff, Valparaiso
Sr. * F * Helsinki, Finland
Huff led all players in both of Valpo's games last week, scoring a game-high 19 points in Wednesday's victory over Western Michigan and 17 versus Ball State on Saturday. He canned 12 of 16 shots from the field in the two games, including eight-of-11 from three-point range.
Todd Brown, Wright State
So. * F * Canton, Ohio
Brown scored a game-high 23 points and pulled down six rebounds to power the Raiders past Marshall on Wednesday and scored a team-best 12 points with six caroms at Marist on Saturday. Brown's total against Marshall included ten-of-13 shooting at the free-throw line.
Byron Davis, Youngstown State
Sr. * G * Detroit, Mich.
Davis scored 29 points and handed out ten assists in two games last week, including a career-high 21 markers on seven-of-12 shooting from the field in Wednesday's victory over Saint Francis (Pa.). He had eight points and six assists at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday.
Bulldogs rally to remain unbeaten
Butler pushed its season-opening winning streak to seven games, rallying from a 14-point deficit to defeat Ohio State 65-46 on Saturday. BU missed its first 15 three-point attempts but outscored the Buckeyes 45-16 after intermission to move to 7-0 on the season despite playing five of those games away from home.
Freshman forward Matt Howard sparked the Bulldogs with 23 points and seven rebounds off the bench, hitting nine of 13 shots from the field while battling the taller front line of OSU. Senior guard Mike Green scored all 15 of his points in the second half and added a game-high eight assists.
Butler hit nine of 14 shots behind the arc in the second half Saturday, shooting 60 percent from the field during the final 20 minutes to defeat former head coach Thad Matta. Butler also forced 24 turnovers to post its first victory over OSU since 1978.
Senior guard A.J. Graves didn't make a field goal until his first-half buzzer-beater, but finished with 14 points to move into the school's all-time top-ten scoring list with 1,469 career markers. He hit double figures for the 15th consecutive game and 82nd time in 102 career outings.
Butler opens League play with a two-game road swing, visiting Detroit on Thursday before facing Wright State in a rematch of last year's League championship showdown on Saturday.
Crusaders continue strong start
Valparaiso improved to 6-1 with two victories over Mid-American Conference foes last week. The Crusaders raced past Western Michigan 77-65 on Wednesday and defeated Ball State 71-58 on Saturday to get to 6-1 for the third time in veteran coach Homer Drew's 19-year tenure.
All six victories have come by double-digit margins. Valpo has won ten games in a row at home and is 152-27 at the ARC in the last 15 seasons.
Senior guard Shawn Huff led the way with 36 points in the two games, hitting 12 of 16 shots from the field and eight-of-11 from behind the arc. He leads the team at 12.4 points per game for the season.
Junior forward Urule Igbavboa averaged 14 points and eight rebounds in the two games and stands second in the League at 7.9 caroms per contet for the year. He also owns an 11.0 points-per-game scoring pace, with senior guard Jarryd Loyd at 10.1 points per outing.
The Crusaders held Ball State scoreless from three-point range, as the Cardinals missed all 16 shots behind the arc. Valpo's opponents are a combined 22.5 percent from long range this year.
Valparaiso officially begins Horizon League play Thursday at defending loop champion Wright State before traveling to Detroit on Saturday.
Phoenix shoots to three-game streak
Green Bay stands at 5-2 following victories over Eastern Illinois (63-47 on Tuesday) and South Dakota State (88-81 on Saturday) last week. The Phoenix shot 59 percent (31-of-53) from the floor at SDSU to post its third victory in a row.
Freshman guard Rahmon Fletcher scored a collegiate-best 29 points against the Jackrabbits, hitting 12 of 14 shots from the floor with four three-ponters. Junior forward Mike Schachtner added 19 points in that victory.
Schachtner leads the League in scoring at 19.7 points per contest this season, shooting 57.8 percent from the field to rank sixth in the circuit in that category. He has hit the 20-point mark three times this year and had led the Phoenix in scoring in each of the first six games in 2007-08.
Junior forward Terry Evans tops the Phoenix charts with 25 assists (3.57 per game, the eighth-best rate in the League) compared to only 11 turnovers this season. Evans also ranks third in the League with a rate of 7.6 rebounds per contest.
Green Bay travels south of the state line for its first two League contests, visiting Loyola on Thursday and facing UIC at the Pavilion on Saturday. A victory at LU would give Green Bay its longest winning streak since a six-game run early in the 2004-05 campaign.
Raiders split, put home streak on the line
Defending League champion Wright State starts the week at 2-1 after a 79-64 loss at Marist on Saturday. The Raiders previously knocked Marshall from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 77-70 victory on Wednesday.
Sophomore guard Todd Brown has led Wright State in scoring in all three of its games this year, including a 23-point effort Saturday. He ranks third in the League at 18.3 points per game.
Sophomore guard Vaughn Duggins chipped in with 21 points Wednesday and boasts a season rate of 14.7 points per outing. Senior forward Scottie Wilson adds 11.3 points per contest as WSU's third double-figure scorer.
Senior forward Jordan Pleiman ranks sixth on the loop charts at 6.3 rebounds per game and leads the circuit as a 75 percent shooter from the field.
As a team, the Raiders lead the League in free-throw accuracy (.805).
Wright State puts a 14-game homecourt winning streak on the line in two spotlight games this week. WSU hosts Valparaiso in the Crusaders' first Horizon League contest on Thursday and challenges early-season front-runner Butler on Saturday. BU and the Raiders shared the regular-season League title last year, with Wright State defeating Butler 60-55 in the League Championship final to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993.
Vikings hit century mark
Cleveland State owns a 5-3 record following a 107-51 rout of Geneva on Saturday. The 107 points were CSU's first triple-digit total since a 109-105 victory over Milwaukee on Jan. 29, 2000---a span of 222 games. Five players scored in double figures, led by sophomore guard Joe Davis with 20 points. CSU shot a season-high 56 percent from the floor.
The Vikings began the week with a 78-68 loss to Cal State Northridge.
Junior guard Cedric Jackson added 13 points in 17 minutes Saturday, after a game-high 24 against CSU Northridge. Jackson already has hit the 20-point mark four times this season and ranks second in the League at 19 points per outing. He also tops the charts with 3.25 steals per game while shooting 51 percent from the field.
Junior forward J'Nathan Bullock stands fourth on the League rebounding charts at 6.9 per game and tenth with his scoring pace of 15.3 points per contest. Davis is just short of double figures, averaging 9.9 points per game.
As a team, Cleveland State leads the League in rebounding margin, out-working its opponents by an average of 5.9 caroms per contest. CSU has not finished a season with a positive margin in six years.
CSU visits Chicago State on Tuesday before opening League play at home against Youngstown State on Saturday.
Titans applying fundamentals
Detroit split two games last week, moving to 4-3 on the season. UDM rallied from a 12-point, second-half deficit to defeat Eastern Michigan 72-68 on Monday but fell 70-66 at home to Central Michigan on Saturday.
Senior guard Jon Goode scored 17 of his game-high 24 points in the second half against CMU. It marked Goode's third 20-point effort of the year and sixth of his career, lifting his season scoring pace to 15.1 points per game.
Junior forward Michael Harrington had a carer-high 12 points against EMU. Harrington, who had scored a total of nine points in the Titans' first five games, was three-of-six from the field and six-of-six at the line while also grabbing five rebounds.
Senior guard Zach Everingham has dished out 27 assists (3.86 per game, fourth-best in the League) while committing only four turnovers. Junior forward Chris Hayes is eighth in the League in rebounding at six caroms per contest while shooting 62.7 percent from the field.
As a team, Detroit leads the League in three-point accuracy, hitting 45.6 percent of its shots behind the arc.
UDM opens the 18-game League schedule Thursday at home against Butler and hosts Valparaiso on Saturday. The Titans will have played eight of their first nine games in the state of Michigan after the two contests this week.
Penguins remain at break-even
Youngstown State remains at .500 (3-3) overall after splitting two games last week. The Penguins defeated Saint Francis (Pa.) 70-65 on Wednesday before dropping a 61-50 decision at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday.
Senior guard Byron Davis scored a career-high 21 points in Wednesday's victory, hitting seven of 12 shots from the field. He played the role of set-up artist Saturday with a season-best six assists to go with eight points at EKU. For the season, Davis is ninth on the League scoring charts at 15.3 points per game.
Junior forward Jack Liles logged a double-double Saturday, matching his career high with 18 points (equalling his total against EKU last season) and grabbing a game-high ten rebounds. All 18 of his points came in the second half. Liles was nine-of-13 from the field against the Colonels and ranks seventh in the League with his .547 field-goal percentage for the year.
He averages 11.5 points per game.
Senior forward John Barber scored 17 points and collected five boards versus Saint Francis. For the season, he is averaging 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Vance Cooksey is second in the League at 4.67 assists per contest.
YSU hosts local rival Kent State on Wednesday and makes its 2007-08 Horizon League debut Saturday at Cleveland State.
Panthers' slide hits three
Milwaukee dropped to 3-4 on the year after two losses last week. The Panthers suffered an 81-77 homecourt loss to Sam Houston State on Tuesday before falling 100-65 to crosstown rival Marquette on Saturday.
The four teams owning victories over the Panthers (Northern Iowa, Drake, Sam Houston State and Marquette) are a combined 22-3 this year.
Senior forward Paige Paulsen registered a double-double with 25 points and ten rebounds against SHSU, connecting on seven of 13 shots from the field with five-of-eight accuracy from behind the arc. Paulsen is averaging 14.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for the season.
Senior forward Torre Johnson added 17 points and 11 rebounds Tuesday, adding to his early-season laurels. Johnson leads the League with a rate of 8.6 caroms per contest and ranks sixth in scoring at 17 points per outing.
Junior guard Ricky Franklin scored a season-high 14 points against Marquette, with junior guard Deion James adding ten for his best output as a Panther. James' performance marked the foruth time this year a Panther reserve has posted a double-digit point total.
Milwaukee visits both Chicago schools to open Horizon League play this week. UWM is at UIC on Thursday before facing Loyola on Saturday.
Flames finally back at home
UIC starts the week at 3-4 after splitting two games on the road last week. The Flames posted a 65-52 victory at Central Michigan on Wednesday but were defeated 73-47 at Illinois State on Saturday.
The Flames have played five consecutive games away from home and have not competed at the UIC Pavilion since Nov. 13. That changes this week as UIC opens Horizon League play
at home against Milwaukee on Thursday and hosts Green Bay on Saturday afternoon. The Flames are 2-0 at home this year, winning by an average of 17.5 points.
Junior guard Josh Mayo scored 13 points at CMU before a ten-point showing against Illinois State. He has scored in double figures in six of the team's seven games this year, ranknig seventh in the League with a rate of 15.6 points per game. He is shooting 56.7 percent (17-of-30) from three-point range.
Junior center Scott VanderMeer collected 17 rebounds in the two games, including a 16-point, ten-rebound effort at Central Michigan. His 6.6 rebounds-per-game average is fifth-best in the League, while his 26 blocked shots (3.71 per game) are more than seven other teams in the League.
VanderMeer also averages 10.6 points per game, more than double his (5.1) rate from last season.
Ramblers try to stop four-game skid
Loyola opens the week on a four-game losing streak, slipping to 2-4 after a 64-47 loss to Bradley on Wednesday and a 61-50 setback at Northern Iowa on Saturday. The Ramblers have averaged just 52.8 points per game during the losing streak after scoring 73 and 72 in their two victories.
The streak is Loyola's longest since a similar four-game run from Jan. 2-11, 2006.
Junior guard J.R. Blount scored 18 points against Bradley and finished with 13 points and nine rebounds versus UNI, giving him a streak of seven consecutive games in double figures. Blount ranks fifth in the League in scoring (17.5 points per game) and second in steals (2.00 per contest). He has started 42 consecutive games for the Ramblers, dating back to the final month of the 2005-06 campaign.
Junior forward Leon Young posted 16 points and eight caroms Saturday, following a ten-point, eight-rebound effort against Bradley. Young stands eighth on the League charts at six rebounds per contest while also averaging 10.3 points per appearance. Sophomore forward Andy Polka adds 5.8 rebounds per game.
Loyola opens the League schedule at home versus two teams it swept in the regular season against last year. LU hosts Green Bay on Thursday prior to a Saturday showdown against Milwaukee.
It's early, but League schedule begins now
The season is less than a month old, but the ten Horizon League teams can get an early jump on the competition as League play begins this week.
Nine loop contests are on the docket, beginning Thursday when Butler visits Detroit and Green Bay is at Loyola while Milwaukee is at UIC in a re-match of their first-round meeting from last year's Horizon League Championship. The fourth match-up that day marks Valparaiso's first official foray into League competition as the Crusaders visit defending League champion Wright State.
Saturday features a full, five-game slate, including a re-match of last year's Horizon League Championship game as Butler travels to Wright State. The Bulldogs and Raiders shared the regular-season title in 2006-07 before WSU posted a 60-55 triumph in the League tournament to earn its first-ever League title and the school's first NCAA Tournament berth since 1993.
The rest of Saturday's schedule includes Green Bay at UIC and Valparaiso at Detroit in afternoon action, with Cleveland State hosting Youngstown State and Loyola entertaining Milwaukee that evening.
The teams return to non-conference action until Jan. 3, with only one game (Presbyterian at Wright State on Feb. 4) scheduled outside the circuit from that point until the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters event on Feb. 23.
Cleveland State and Youngstown State have only the one League contest this week, but both teams have tune-ups prior to their meeting on Saturday. CSU visits Chicago State on Tuesday, with Youngstown State hosting Kent State the following night.
Next week's schedule is relatively light, with most schools taking time off the court to concentrate on final exams. Only nine games are slated for the week of Dec. 9-16, although that list includes Butler's match-up with Florida State in the Wooden Tradition at Conseco Fieldhouse on Dec. 15. In addition, Milwaukee hosts Wisconsin on Wednesday, Dec. 12, three days before Green Bay travels to Madison to face the Badgers.
