Men's Basketball Weekend Preview: League Teams Looking to Provide Early Gifts

Horizon League Men's Basketball Weekly Release (Dec. 21)

Men's Basketball Weekend Schedule [All times Eastern]
Friday, Dec. 21
Youngstown State and Bethune-Cookman, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 22
UIC at Miami (Ohio), 1:30 p.m.
Loyola at St. Peter's, 2 p.m.
Purdue-Calumet at Valparaiso, 2:35 p.m. -- HLN
Wright State at #11/11 Cincinnati, 4 p.m. -- FS Ohio
South Dakota at Green Bay, 8 p.m. -- Phoenix Flix
Milwaukee at Wisconsin, 9:15 p.m. -- BTN
Sunday, Dec. 23
Cleveland State at Akron, 2 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- With just a few days left before Christmas, the Horizon League sends eight men's basketball teams to action this weekend in search of some early gifts.

Youngstown State kicks off the festivities with the lone Friday night game, traveling to Bethune-Cookman for a primetime matchup to wrap up a week-long Florida swing. So far on the trip the Penguins fell to South Florida, but point guard Kendrick Perry was one of three Horizon League players named to the 2013 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year award watch list along with Loyola's Culley Payne and Detroit's Ray McCallum.

Saturday holds seven games for the Horizon League, starting at 1:30 p.m. when UIC travels to the Buckeye State to face Miami. The Flames are coming just their second loss of the season and will look to get the defensive presence back on track against the Redhawks. At a surprising 9-2, UIC still sits atop the Horizon League standings.

UIC's cross-town rival hits the hardcourt next on Saturday as Loyola visits St. Peter's at 2 p.m. The Ramblers have also gotten off the a surprising start this season -- third in the League at 7-3, having tied their win total from last season -- and are coming off a big win against Mississippi State in the "Game of Change" rematch.

At 2:35 p.m., Valparaiso hosts Purdue-Calumet in the only Horizon League Network game this weekend. The Crusaders -- who have been an enigma on the road this year, slightly less confusing than Detroit's road-weary start -- remained perfect at home with a 20-point win over IUPUI on Thursday night.

Wright State faces the Horizon League's lone ranked opponent this weekend, traveling to #11/11 Cincinnati at 4 p.m., a game that can been seen locally on the FOX Sports Network. The Raiders made 30-of-38 free throws in Wednesday's win over Miami -- a win that bodes well for UIC. It was the third-straight win for Wright State, which has quietly gotten off to an 8-3 start and sits in second place in the Horizon League standings.

In primetime, Green Bay hosts South Dakota in a Horizon League-Summit League matchup. The Phoenix are coming off a big win against Marquette, grinding out a win in the Golden Eagles' first-ever visit to Green Bay.

And finally, in Saturday's nightcap, Milwaukee visits Wisconsin at 9:15 p.m. in a game broadcast on the Big Ten Network. The Horizon League has played well against the B1G this season, including UIC's win at Northwestern and Loyola putting up a fight on the road against then-#19/17 Michigan State.

Sunday's lone game features Cleveland State traveling to Akron at 2 p.m. Vikings head coach Gary Waters earned his 300th career victory on Wednesday night when CSU took down Notre Dame College. He and Akron head coach ?? have some history, their stories interceding in the late 1980s before both became successful mid-major leaders at the Division I level.