Men's Basketball Weekly Release #11

Jan. 16, 2006

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Horizon League Player of the Week

Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay
Junior Guard * Beaver Falls, Pa.
Evanochko averaged 29.5 points per game in two victories last week. He scored a career-high 30 on 10-of-16 shooting to lift UW-Green Bay past UIC 90-84 in overtime on Wednesday to become the first Phoenix player in nearly ten years to hit the 30-point barrier. He nearly matched that performance with an 11-for-19 shooting performance to tally 29 points as the Phoenix defeated UW-Milwaukee 84-77 on Saturday, ending the Panthers' eight-game winning streak.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending January 15

Brandon Polk, Butler
Senior Forward * Wichita, Kan.
Polk led the Bulldogs with 23 points in a 64-52 victory over Detroit on Saturday, adding three rebounds, two assists and three blocked shots. Polk hit a career-best nine free throws in 11 attempts and matched his collegiate-best with the three blocks.

Patrick Tatham, Cleveland State
Junior Forward * Brampton, Ontario
Tatham led the Vikings with 16 points in a victory at Youngstown State, adding a season-high five steals plus five rebounds and three assists. For the week, he hit seven of 14 field-goal attempts while also keeping two of the League's top scorers in check defensively.

Chuck Bailey, Detroit
Senior Forward * Detroit, Mich.
Bailey scored in double figures in both of the Titans' games last week, averaging 11.0 points per game. He shot 71.4 percent (10-of-14) from the field including a perfect five-of-five effort at Cleveland State. Bailey also grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots last week.

Othyus Jeffers, UIC
Sophomore Forward * Chicago, Ill.
Jeffers averaged 11.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in two games last week. He had his fourth double-double of the year with 12 points, ten boards and a career-best seven assists at Green Bay, and added 11 points plus eight caroms in the loss at Loyola.

Blake Schilb, Loyola
Junior Guard * Rantoul, Ill.
Schilb averaged 25.5 points per game, shooting 54 percent (19-of-35) from the field in two outings last week. His season-best 27-point effort versus UIC on Sunday also featured six assists and two blocked shots. Schilb also tallied 24 points versus UW-Milwaukee on Wednesday.

DaShaun Wood, Wright State
Junior Guard * Detroit, Mich.
Wood scored 21 points in just 21 minutes in the Raiders' victory over Kenyon College and added 12 points to help Wright State past Youngstown State on Saturday. He was 12-of-25 from the field and seven-of-eight at the line with nine assists for the week.

Keston Roberts, Youngstown State
Junior Guard * Brooklyn, N.Y.
Roberts led the Penguins in scoring in both games last week, netting a career-high 28 points versus Wright State and adding 13 points plus six rebounds against Cleveland State. He hit five three-pointers against the Raiders and now averages 15.6 points per game for the season.

Horizon League Players of the Week

Nov. 21-- Justin Bowen, UIC -- 14.3 pts., 7.3 rebs per game in Flames' 2-1 start
Nov. 28-- Brandon Crone, Butler -- 19.0 ppg., 68% FG at Ohio State, Michigan
Dec. 5-- Leon Young, Loyola -- Back-to-back double-doubles--15.0 ppg.,10.5 rpg.
Dec. 12-- Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay -- 25.0 ppg., 61% FG vs. Wisconsin, Montana State
Dec. 19-- Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State -- 20 pts. (6-9 FG, 6-9 FT), 11 rebs. vs. Duquesne
Dec. 26-- Boo Davis, UW-Milwaukee -- 20 pts. (5 treys), 3 reb., 2 asst., 2 stl. vs. Oakland
Jan. 2-- Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee -- 18.0 ppg., 9.0 rpg., in wins at Wyoming, Montana
Jan. 9-- Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State -- 27.0 ppg., 10-14 3FG, .682 FG% in three games
Jan. 16-- Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay -- 29.5 ppg., 4.0 apg. in wins over UIC, UWM

Around the Horizon League

Raiders move to front of League line
Wright State has now won four consecutive games and sits atop the League standings at 4-0 (8-6 overall) after a 64-60 victory at Youngstown State on Saturday. The Raiders---picked fourth in the preseason League poll---have won eight of ten overall after an 0-4 start to the season.

WSU's 88-47 non-League victory over Kenyon College on Monday marked the largest margin of victory in coach Paul Biancardi's tenure at the school, with junior guard DaShaun Wood's 21 points leading the way. The current four-game streak is also the longest in Biancardi's time as Raider mentor.

Balance was the key against Youngstown State as five Raiders hit double figures in scoring, paced by junior forward Drew Burleson with 15 points.

Wright State's turnaround after the slow start can be traced to efficient shooting from the field. WSU managed only 35.3 percent (72-of-204) accuracy in the first four games of the year but is at 46.8 percent (239-of-511) during its current 8-2 run. In four League contests, the Raiders are at 48.2 percent (93-of-193) from the floor, the best mark in the circuit.

Wright State has also posted single-digit turnover counts in each of its last three games.

Wood's 33 points last week put him 69 away from becoming the 25th Raider to reach the 1,000 mark for his career. His 16.6 points-per-game average this season is third-best in the League, and the junior also leads the League at 1.93 steals per game while ranking fourth in both assists per outing (4.50) and free-throw percentage (.810). The 21-point outing versus Kenyon marked the sixth time this season Wood has reached the 20-point mark.

Burleson ranks 14th on the loop charts at 12.4 points per game this season, while sophomore forward Jordan Pleiman's 6.3 rebounds-per-game pace is seventh-best in the League. Pleiman also stands third with a .540 field-goal percentage.

Panthers' streak comes to an end
UW-Milwaukee had an eight-game winning streak snapped Saturday when UW-Green Bay defeated the Panthers 84-77. UWM registered a 78-75 victory over Loyola on Wednesday and starts this week at 12-4 overall, 5-1 in League play. UW-Milwaukee puts a 17-game homecourt winning streak on the line Saturday versus current loop front-runner Wright State.

The loss also ended an impressive run of success for the Panthers, who had won 32 consecutive games when leading at halftime. UWM outscored the Phoenix 46-38 in the opening 20 minutes but could not overcome a 46-31 margin after the break.

Senior forward Joah Tucker tallied 21 points in the loss following a 20-point performance against the Ramblers and has now scored 20 or more in each of his last four games. The League's Preseason Player of the Year currently stands fourth on the loop scoring charts at 16.6 points per outing for the season.

Senior guard Boo Davis is one of the League's most prolific three-point shooters, averaging 3.00 triples per game on 41 percent shooting as part of his 15.6 points-per-contest scoring pace which is eighth-best in the League. Senior forward Adrian Tigert chipped in with 20 points against the Phoenix and is 13th in the League at 12.5 points per appearance. Tigert also ranks fourth in rebounding at 7.5 per game, while his .521 field-goal touch is eighth-best in the loop.

Senior guard Chris Hill made his 100th career appearance in a Panther uniform versus Loyola. Hill, who became the 17th player to reach triple figures in UWM history, averages a team-best 2.88 assists per game.

As a team, UW-Milwaukee leads the League in rebounding margin (plus-5.3 per contest). UWM also stands second in the League in scoring offense (73.9 points per game) and scoring margin (plus-7.9 per outing).

Bulldogs split first two League meetings
Butler improved to 9-6 overall and 2-1 in League play with a 64-52 triumph over Detroit on Saturday. That contest was the only action of the week for BU which now play its final 13 League games (plus BracketBusters action on Feb. 18) in 37 days beginning Thursday at Loyola.

The Bulldogs were outrebounded 38-23 by UDM but committed only seven turnovers against the Titans' pressure defense. Butler ranks third in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (9.9, including a pace of 7.0 in the last three outings).

A 23-point performance by senior forward Brandon Polk paced the Bulldogs. Polk hit the 20-point mark for the sixth time in 2005-06 and is sixth on the League scoring charts at 15.9 points per game. His .537 field-goal percentage is fourth-best in the loop.

Senior guard Bruce Horan hit a trio of three-point field goals last week, boosting his career total to 246 and moving him into fifth place on the Horizon League all-time list for three-point field goals (see the list on page 4). He has now made at least one trey in 62 consecutive games and 72 of 73 in his career. Horan is tied for the League lead with a rate of 3.00 triples per game and his 44.1 percent touch behind the arc is good for third place on that League list.

Senior guard Avery Sheets hit all five of his shots from the floor (two behind the arc) for 14 points along with four assists Saturday. The latter number put him into a tie for tenth place in school history with 260 career helpers, and his 147 career tri-lighters are also tied for tenth in Bulldog annals.

As a team, Butler leads the League in both field-goal accuracy (.468) and three-point shooting (.391). BU averages 8.60 triples per game and takes 22 shots from 19-9 and beyond, which is 43.1 percent of the team's total attempts.

Titans' road struggles continue
Detroit dropped two road contests last week, falling to 9-10 overall and 3-3 in League action with a 59-53 overtime defeat at Cleveland State on Thursday and a 64-52 loss at Butler on Saturday.

The Titans boast a perfect 7-0 ledger at Calihan Hall this season, but are just 1-9 on the road including seven consecutive setbacks. The Calihan Hall mystique faces a key test this week with UW-Milwaukee visiting Detroit on Wednesday.

Detroit has played its last three games without the services of junior guard Brandon Cotton due to a hand injury but sophomore guard Jon Goode has picked up part of the slack, averging 17.7 points and 2.3 assists per game during that span. Goode, who played 116 of 125 minutes in the three contests, has reached double figures in nine outings this year after hitting twin digits just three times all of last season. He is shooting 43 percent (36-of-83) from three-point range.

Senior guard Ben Green added a season-best five assists at Cleveland State and is shooting 50 percent from the field in his last three games for a 7.7 points-per-game rate in that period.

UDM is eagerly anticipating Cotton's return as the junior ranks seventh in the League at 15.8 points per game. Goode's recent outburst has lifted his season pace to 10.9 per contest---more than triple his 3.4 pace of a year ago---while senior forward Torvoris Baker is third in the League with a 7.9 rebounds-per-game norm which included a career-best 12 at Cleveland State.

Senior forward Chuck Bailey is eighth off the glass at 5.7 caroms per contest and also tops the loop charts with his .581 field-goal percentage leading to a 10.1 points-per-game rate. Bailey's 1.47 blocks-per-game average is second on the circuit.

Phoenix take advantage of home cooking
UW-Green Bay made the most of its return to the Resch Center, defeating UIC (80-74 in overtime Wednesday) and UW-Milwaukee (84-77 Saturday) to improve to 8-9 overall and 2-3 in the League. Saturday's victory avenged an 80-60 loss to the Panthers in Milwaukee on Dec. 17 and raised the team's home-court record to 7-1 this season.

Much of the difference between the two UWM games can be found in the rebounding totals as the Phoenix claimed a 36-31 advantage off the glass. UWGB had outrebounded only one of its previous seven opponents, including a 33-25 shortfall to the Panthers in the first meeting. In addition, the Phoenix held UW-Milwaukee to 44 percent shooting from the field compared to a 53 percent clip in the first encounter.

Junior guard Ryan Evanochko scored 29 points Saturday, hitting 11 of 19 shots from the field while also handing out five assists and grabbing five rebounds in 39 minutes. Evanochko completed a stellar week which also featured a 30-point performance against the Flames, when he was 10-of-16 from the field. A missed free throw in the closing seconds Saturday kept Evanochko from becoming the first player in UW-Green Bay's 25-year Division I history to post back-to-back 30-point games. His 30-point effort against the Flames was the first by a UW-Green Bay player since Jeff Nordgaard had 37 versus UIC on Feb. 22, 1996.

Evanochko's two-game production has increased his season scoring rate from 14.3 points per game to the current 16.1 mark which is fifth-best in the League. He is also third on the loop assist chart at 4.65 helpers per outing.

Junior forward Josh Lawrence contributed 15 points and six boards on Saturday following an 11-point showing against UIC. Lawrence currently leads the League as a 45 percent shooter from three-point range. Redshirt freshman Terry Evans paces the Phoenix with 5.7 rebounds per game (ninth-best in the League). Evans had eight caroms along with 14 points in the victory over UW-Milwaukee.

Vikings string victories together
Cleveland State won both of its games last week, moving to 7-8 overall and 2-3 in the League by outlasting Detroit (59-53 in overtime Thursday) and defeating Youngstown State (63-50 Saturday). CSU is one victory away from matching its total for all of last season.

The Vikings have relied on their defense this season with coach Mike Garland's squad topping the loop charts in several areas. CSU limits opponents to 41.2 percent field-goal shooting and 30.1 percent accuracy from three-point range while collecting 9.6 steals per game. The field-goal defense puts CSU on track to eclipse the current school standard of .415 (set during the 2001-02 campaign). Additionally, the Vikings are second only to Loyola with an average of 3.6 blocked shots per outing.

Cleveland State forced 20 Penguin turnovers Saturday, the fourth consecutive time a Viking foe has made 20 or more miscues. For the season, CSU's 17 opponents are averaging a (League-high) 18.4 errors per game.

Junior forward Patrick Tatham has emerged as the defensive stopper for Cleveland State, collecting five steals at Youngstown while playing a key role in the Viking defense which limited YSU's Quin Humphrey to a season-low nine points on two-of-nine shooting. He also had a game-high 16 points in Cleveland State's victory.

Freshman forward J'Nathan Bullock added 14 points at YSU and has taken over the team scoring lead at 10.9 points per game (20th on the League charts) for the season. Senior forward Frashon McGee is tenth in the circuit with 5.7 rebounds per outing, one spot ahead of Tatham's 5.5 pace, while junior guard Carlos English is second in both assists (4.93 per game) and steals (1.86 per contest).

Penguins stumble but Roberts emerging
Youngstown State dropped a pair of games last week, slipping to 5-11 overall (2-4 in the League) with a 64-60 loss to Wright State on Thursday and a 63-50 defeat to Cleveland State on Saturday.

Junior guard Keston Roberts posted a season-high 28 points in Thursday's loss, hitting five of eight three-point attempts to go with four rebounds. He came back with 13 points and six boards versus Cleveland State and moved to eighth on the League's scoring chart with a pace of 15.6 points per game. He has scored in double figures in 14 of the Penguins' 16 games this season, including four 20-point performances.

Junior guard Quin Humphrey had a double-figure scoring streak snapped at 18 games when Cleveland State limited him to nine points on two-of-nine shooting Saturday. Humphrey had reached twin digits in each of the first 15 games this year and the final three contests last winter, with Saturday marking only the fifth single-digit finish in his last 45 appearances. He did post his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and ten caroms versus WSU. The six double-doubles are the most by a Penguin since Marcus Culbreth collected eight in 1996-97.

Humphrey and Roberts have combined to score 569 points this season, including 239 of the team's 436 points in Horizon League play (54.8 percent). Humphrey needs 95 points to become the 30th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. At his current League-best 20.0 points-per-game pace, he would hit four figures at home versus UIC on Feb. 2.

In addition to his status as the League's top scorer, Humphrey also tops the loop charts with a rate of 8.6 rebounds per game and is ninth with a .516 field-goal percentage.

Senior guard Domonique Crawford is second in the League in field-goal accuracy at 55.4 percent and ranks sixth behind the arc at 41.2 percent. Fellow senior Derrick Harris has reclaimed the loop assist lead with 5.25 set-ups per game and is tied with Humphrey for sixth place on the steals list at 1.44 per contest.

Ramblers stop skid
Loyola ended a four-game losing streak Sunday, defeating cross-town rival UIC 75-61 to climb to 10-6 overall and 2-4 in the League. Both ledgers also include a 78-75 loss at UW-Milwaukee on Wednesday.

The Gentile Center was the perfect setting to end LU's streak as the Ramblers are now 7-1 at home this season, losing only to Youngstown State (84-76 on Jan. 2). Junior guard Blake Schilb and Majak Kou combined for 48 points in the victory, with Schilb netting a season-high 27. The victory was Loyola's first of 2006.

Schilb has now scored in double figures in 22 consecutive regular-season League games and is on a run of seven straight twin-digit totals overall. He ranks second in the League at 18.2 points per game while also standing fifth with 3.69 assists per contest and second in free-throw shooting (.841). In his last two games versus UIC, he has scored a total of 66 points.

Kou's 21 points included 16 in the opening half and rounded out a stat line which also included five rebounds, three assists, three blocks and four steals. Kou has regained the top spot on the loop charts with his 1.50 blocks-per-game average and owns an 11.8 points-per-game scoring rate. In addition, his 1.62 steals per game put Kou third on that list.

Freshman forward Leon Young continues to stand second in the League at 8.1 rebounds per game. He is third in the League at the charity stripe, shooting 83.5 percent to average 11.1 points per contest.

Loyola claims one scheduling quirk this season as the only Division I team to play six consecutive home conference games in 2005-06. LU opened that stretch Saturday and will not play another road game until Feb. 8 at UW-Green Bay.

Flames' slide continues
UIC has now lost four games in a row, dropping to 9-8 overall and 1-4 in the League after a 90-84 overtime loss at UW-Green Bay on Wednesday and Sunday's 75-61 defeat at the hands of crosstown rival Loyola.

The current losing streak is the longest by a UIC team since the 2000-01 campaign. The Flames look for their first victory of 2006 on Friday when UIC hosts Cleveland State. The Flames have won the last seven meetings versus CSU.

Newcomers have played large roles for the Flames this season. Sophomore forward Othyus Jeffers continued his strong play last week, averaging 11.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Jeffers currently ranks 12th on the League charts at 12.5 points per game, while his 7.4 rebounds-per-contest average and 53.0 percent field-goal accuracy put him fifth on each respective list. He is the only UIC player to start all 17 games this season and boasts four double-doubles.

Jeffers also chips in with 2.59 assists per game, just behind freshman Josh Mayo (tenth in the League at 2.65) in that department. Mayo tops the loop charts as an 88.5 percent (46-of-52) shooter at the charity stripe.

Senior forward Justin Bowen posted 18 points at Green Bay as one of five Flames in double figures in that contest, and ranks tenth in the League at 15.4 points per game. The scoring average includes 53 percent shooting from the field, putting him sixth in the League in that category. Bowen has scored 20 or more points four times and owns five double-doubles this season, one behind Quin Humphrey for the League lead in the latter category.

Mayo and sophomore guard Robert Bush each had 16 points versus the Phoenix, with junior forward Danijel Zoric (17 points off the bench) rounding out the quintet of twin-figure scorers.

Horizon League Spotlight Leaders

30-Point Games:
Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State3
Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay1

20-Point Games:
Blake Schilb, Loyola8
Boo Davis, UW-Milwaukee6
Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay6
Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State6
Brandon Polk, Butler6
DaShaun Wood, Wright State6
Joah Tucker, UW-Milwaukee5
Justin Bowen, UIC4
Brandon Cotton, Detroit4
Keston Roberts, Youngstown State4
J.R. Blount, Loyola3
A.J. Graves, Butler3
Jon Goode, Detroit2
Majak Kou, Loyola2
Josh Lawrence, UW-Green Bay2
Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee2
Seven players with1

10-Rebound Games:
Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State7
Torvoris Baker, Detroit6
Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee6
Chuck Bailey, Detroit5
Justin Bowen, UIC5
Othyus Jeffers, UIC5
Leon Young, Loyola 5
Jovan Stefanov, UIC2
Blake Schilb, Loyola2
Nine players with1

Double-Doubles:
Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State6
Justin Bowen, UIC5
Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee5
Chuck Bailey, Detroit4
Othyus Jeffers, UIC4
Leon Young, Loyola 4
Torvoris Baker, Detroit2
Eight players with 1

Active Double-Figure Scoring Streaks

Joah Tucker, UW-Milwaukee 13
Boo Davis, UW-Milwaukee10
Drew Burleson, Wright State 10
Keston Roberts, Youngstown State 9
Blake Schilb, Loyola 7
Othyus Jeffers, UIC 5
Chuck Bailey, Detroit 4
Bruce Horan, Butler 4
Jordan Pleiman, Wright State 4
DaShaun Wood, Wright State 4
Josh Lawrence, UW-Green Bay 3