Horizon League Men's Basketball Weekly Release (Feb. 21)
Men's Basketball Weekend Schedule (all time EST)
Saturday, Feb. 23
Eastern Kentucky at Valparaiso -- 1 p.m., ESPNU
Evansville at Wright State -- 2 p.m., HLN
Milwaukee at IUPUI -- 3 p.m.
Kent State at Loyola -- 3 p.m., HLN
Bradley at UIC -- 4 p.m., HLN
Detroit at Wichita State -- 4 p.m., ESPN2
Central Michigan at Youngstown State -- 7:05 p.m., HLN
Cleveland State at Western Illinois -- 8 p.m.
Green Bay at Drake -- 8 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS -- It what will likely be the last iteration of ESPN's BracketBuster Series for the foreseeable future, all nine Horizon League men's basketball teams move outside the conference schedule to do late-season battle with fellow mid-majors.
The jam-packed Saturday is highlighted by a pair of games on the ESPN family of networks as Valparaiso hosts Eastern Kentucky on ESPNU at 1 p.m. EST and Detroit travels to Wichita State for a 4 p.m. tilt on ESPN2. There will also be four games carried on the Horizon League Network.
It's the fourth television appearance for the Crusaders -- who can clinch the No. 1 seed in the Horizon League tournament with a win next Tuesday against Youngstown State -- in the history of the event. Valpo is 2-1 in those games. The Colonels (22-6, 11-3 OVC) could pose a challenge, however, having won six straight and just beaten Austin Peay to tie the school record for the most wins in a season. Valpo, meanwhile, is trying to prove it is among the elites in mid-major college basketball despite a loss to Detroit last Saturday and a close call at Loyola on Monday. The Crusaders are ranked 12th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, while sitting 12th in ESPN.com's Mid-Major Poll as well.
At the moment, it appears the Horizon League will be a one-team conference when the field is drawn for the NCAA Tournament, but Detroit could make a case for a possible at-large bid (in the event the Titans do not repeat as Horizon League tournament champions) with a win over Missouri Valley-leading Wichita State (23-5, 12-4 MVC) on Saturday evening. In recent years, teams such as George Mason and VCU have used BracketBuster wins over the Shockers to springboard into the tournament bracket.
On Thursday morning, ESPN.com's Myron Medcalf named Detroit a two-point favorite over Wichita State. The Titans have a second non-conference game against a top-50 opponent next week, when they travel to Temple to make up a weather-delayed Gotham Classic matchup originally scheduled for mid-December.
Another sign that could point to the Titans being possible at-large bid entrants (again, assuming Detroit doesn't defend its Horizon League title) is that they have cracked ESPN.com's Mid-Major Power Rankings poll: Detroit ranks No. 14, two spots behind the Crusaders.
The precedent of matchups against the Missouri Valley Conference set by Detroit-Wichita State plays out throughout the day on Saturday like a late-season, mid-major version of the ACC/B1G Challenge.
The rivalry between Midwestern, basketball-centric conferences kicks off when Evansville (15-13, 8-8 MVC) travels to Wright State for a 2 p.m. EST tilt. The Purple Aces are coming off a home win over Illinois State and Wright State picked up a road win at Cleveland State on Wednesday night.
At the same time as the Titans and Shockers are tipping on ESPN2, UIC will be playing host to Bradley (15-13, 7-9 MVC). Both teams are coming off road losses, Bradley to Drake in overtime and UIC at Milwaukee on what was Senior Night for the Panthers. CSN Chicago will have live coverage of the game, as will ESPN3 and the Horizon League Network.
The final Missouri Valley-Horizon League matchup comes in the nightcap when Green Bay travels to Drake (12-15, 6-10 MVC). The Bulldogs will look to build off that overtime win against the Braves while the Phoenix looks to continue a three-game winning streak that already includes two straight road wins. Last year, the Phoenix closed the regular season with a 6-2 record in the month of February; at 4-1 this month, Green Bay is trying to prove itself the best closer in the Horizon League.
In other BracketBuster action, Milwaukee travels to the home of the Horizon League to take on Summit League foe IUPUI (6-22, 1-13 Summit) at 3 p.m. The Jaguars are mired in a 12-game losing streak and the Panthers can relate -- Milwaukee lost seven in a row at one point and has lost nine of its last 11. The win over UIC could prove to be a spark, however, and senior Paris Gulley has continued his hot play, scoring a game-high 17 against the Flames while pouring in five 3-pointers.
Also at 3 p.m., Loyola hosts Kent State (14-12, 5-7 MAC) on HLN. The Ramblers are coming off a loss to Horizon League-leading Valpo, which also beat the Golden Flashes back in November. Kent State had won two in a row before falling at Ohio last Saturday. The Ramblers have been playing tough despite the absences of Ben Averkamp and Cully Payne; with a starting lineup consisting of four underclassmen, Loyola knocked off UIC last Saturday before rallying from a 15-point halftime deficit to Valpo before falling short.
The final HLN game on Saturday tips at 7:05 p.m. at Youngstown State hosts Central Michigan (9-16, 2-10 MAC). While the Chippewas have lost eight straight, the Penguins are 2-2 in their last four, most recently falling to Green Bay. On Senior Night, the Penguins will honor Damian Eargle, who should return to the lineup after missing two games with a broken nose. YSU certainly missed Eargle's inside presence during its two losses, and the League's all-time leading shot blocker needs 11 blocks in his remaining games to reach 300 during his time with YSU.
Finally, tipping at the same time at Green Bay at Drake, Cleveland State visits Western Illinois (19-6, 11-3 SL). The Leathernecks are in second place in the Summit League and had won three straight before a loss to South Dakota State on Saturday. The Vikings, meanwhile, are coming off a tough home loss to a short-handed Wright State team on Senior Night. Cleveland State will turn to its backcourt tandem of Charlie Lee and Bryn Forbes to battle WIU; Lee holds the Vikings' record for assists by a sophomore (140), while Forbes is trying to become the first freshman to lead Cleveland State in scoring since J'Nathan Bullock.
Though the BracketBusters series has been chided for breaking up the flow of the conference schedule late in the season, it has provided numerous breath-taking moments and has introduced (or re-introduced) to the nation several mid-major teams which have gone on to make noise in the NCAA Tournament. Because of this, it will always hold a special place in the hearts of many college basketball fans, including ESPN analyst Bruce Pearl, who has fond memories of the event from his time as the head coach of the Milwaukee Panthers.
Want a chance to win a trip to the Horizon League men's basketball tournament? Visit HorizonLeagueSocialRewards.com and sign up today!
