Men's Basketball Weekly Release #14

Feb. 5, 2007

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Horizon League Player of the Week

Blake Schilb, Loyola
Senior * Guard * Rantoul, Ill. (Rantoul)
Schilb shot 56 percent (12-of-27) from the floor, averaging 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in two Rambler victories last week, moving Loyola into third place in the League standings. He scored a season-high 32 points versus Youngstown State, hitting 10 of 15 shots from the floor and all ten free-throw attempts with seven rebounds and six assists. He added 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks to help Loyola past Cleveland State on Wednesday.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending February 4

Mike Green, Butler
Jr. * G * Philadelphia, Pa.
Green tallied 16 points with eight rebounds and six assists versus UIC, and then came back with a career-high 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists at Youngstown State. He hit 16 of 31 shots (.516) from the field and 17 of 24 (.708) free throws.

Renard Fields, Cleveland State
So. * F * Hyattsville, Md.
Fields came off the bench to post a double-double with 12 points (on five-of-eight shooting) with a League-season-high 16 rebounds plus five blocked shots in 25 minutes versus Loyola on Thursday. He also had four caroms and three rejections at UW-Milwaukee on Monday.

Brandon Cotton, Detroit
Jr. * G * Detroit, Mich.
Cotton led the Titans in scoring twice in three games, including a career-high 31 points versus UW-Green Bay. It was Cotton's 11th game this season with 20 or more. He shot 52 percent (22-of-42) from the floor to average 20 points per game.

Othyus Jeffers, UIC
Jr. * F * Chicago, Ill.
Jeffers averaged 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in two games last week. His logged his ninth double-double of the year wtih 17 points and 11 boards at Butler on Wednesday, and added 18 points, six rebounds plus three assists at Youngstown State on Saturday.

Mike Schachtner, UW-Green Bay
So. * F * Somerset, Wis.
Schachtner led the Phoenix in scoring in all three games, averaging 20.3 points per contest. He was 10-for-16 from three-point range, and scored a game-high 26 points in Saturday's victory at Cleveland State plus 21 at Detroit on Thursday.

DaShaun Wood, Wright State
Sr. * G * Detroit, Mich.
Wood paced the Raiders to a pair of road victories, averaging 22 points, four rebounds and four assists. He scored 21 in a homecoming at Detroit, and is now the Raiders' all-time leader in minutes played and leads the League in scoring at 19.2 points per game this season.

Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State
Sr. * G * Ellenwood, Ga.
Humphrey averaged 25.7 points in three games last week, including a career-high 37 points on 13-of-15 shooting with ten rebounds and seven assists against UIC. He also had 17 points and 12 boards versus Butler and added 23 points at Loyola.

Butler Barks Its Way to No. 9 spot in ESPN/USA Today national poll, 10th in AP

Indianapolis, Ind. -- Butler University's men's basketball team has already etched its place in history during the memorable 2006-07 season. The Bulldogs added another chapter to their legacy Monday (Feb. 5) when voters in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll elevated Butler to the No. 9 position in this week's canvass. The Associated Press installed Butler tenth in its poll of media representatives.

The Bulldogs (22-2 overall, 10-1 in League play) received 510 points from ESPN/USA Today voters and 1,107 points in the AP poll, becoming the first team in Horizon League history to reach the top ten and remaining in the top 25 for a loop-record tenth consecutive week. The historic run began Nov. 27 when Butler debuted at No. 19 in the Associated Press poll and 18th in the ESPN/USAT rankings after capturing the NIT Season Tip-Off championship. Coach Todd Lickliter's Bulldogs won their first ten games of the season and start the week riding another eight-game streak.

"It's nice to see Butler recognized for their accomplishments this season," League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone said. "They have been on a remarkable run throughout the season, and their success has reflected positively on the Horizon League."

The focus of numerous national profiles since early December, the Bulldogs are led by the backcourt tandem of junior guards A.J. Graves and Mike Green. Graves, an All-America candidate and a member of the Wooden Award mid-season watch list, ranks fourth in the League in both scoring (18.0 points per game) and steals (1.43 per contest), while he is on pace to set an NCAA single-season record for free-throw percentage. Graves has missed only three of 105 attempts this year for a nation-leading .971 rating. Green adds 13.8 points per game and stands among the League leaders in rebounding (5.6 per outing) and assists (second at 3.92 per game).

Senior forward Brandon Crone is the third Bulldog in double figures at an even 10 points per game, while junior forward Pete Campbell has made a significant impact in League play. Campbell, who averaged less than three points per game through the end of December, has posted a rate of 13.6 per contest in 2007 after hitting 59 percent (36 of 61) attempts from three-point range.

As a team, Butler tops the League charts in nine different statistical categories. The Bulldogs allow only 55.5 points per game---the fifth-lowest yield in Division I---and have held ten opponents under 50 points this season. Butler also holds loop-leading marks in scoring margin (+12.9 per game), field-goal percentage defense (.393), three-point percentage defense (.322), free-throw percentage (.754), and three-point field-goals per game (8.8). In addition, Butler leads the nation with an average of only 9.6 turnovers per game, part of the team's League-best figures for turnover margin (+4.17 per game) and assist/turnover ratio (1.26 set-ups per miscue).

Defending national champion University of Florida remains atop both of the national polls, with all 72 first-place votes in the AP listing and 30 of 31 first-place picks in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The top five in each canvass include UCLA second, followed by Ohio State University, the University of Wisconsin and the University of North Carolina.

Butler hits the road for two games this week, beginning Thursday (Feb. 8) with a 7 p.m. (EST) contest at Cleveland State University. The Bulldogs then travel to Wright State University (16-8, 9-2) for Saturday's (Feb. 10) showdown between the top two teams in the League standings. That game is set for 7 p.m. at WSU's Nutter Center.

The complete polls and Butler's week-by-week results can be found on page 19 of this week's release.

Butler, Wright State prepare for League showdown

The League spotlight shines on Dayton, Ohio, this Saturday as the top two teams in the League standings square off. First place is on the line when Butler (22-2, 10-1 in the League) visits Wright State (16-8, 9-2), trying to take full command of the regular-season championship chase.

Butler won the first meeting between the teams, scoring a 73-42 victory in Hinkle Fieldhouse on Jan. 6. Wright State has won seven of eight games since then, with Butler victorious in eight of its last nine.

Both teams have road tests prior to that match-up, however, as Butler travels to Cleveland State on Thursday. WSU has a pair of games before Saturday, as the Raiders host UW-Milwaukee on Monday---looking to avenge one of Wright State's two League losses this season---before a Wednesday trip to UIC.

Several other games could shuffle the loop standings this week. Detroit travels to Loyola on Wednesday, with the Ramblers trying to move closer to securing the third seed for the (Feb. 27-Mar. 6) League Championship. Loyola (6-5) enters the week one game ahead of Detroit and UW-Green Bay (both 5-6) in the standings.

Thursday's other contest features Youngstown State traveling to UW-Green Bay. The Penguins (5-7) are tied for sixth place with UW-Milwaukee for sixth place on the League ladder, one-half game ahead of UIC (4-7). The Penguins have already posted their best League showing in their seven-year tenure.

The week's schedule concludes Saturday when UIC travels to Detroit and Loyola visits UW-Green Bay. The Phoenix close the League schedule with four of their last five games at the Resch Center.

All nine League teams will have played at least 13 of their 16 loop contests by the end of this week, with Wright State having only two League games left on the docket after Saturday.

News From Around the League

Bulldogs share nation's best record
Butler extended its winning streak to eight games with a trio of victories last week. The Bulldogs defeated UIC (71-45), Youngstown State (71-58) and UW-Milwaukee (66-47) to improve to 22-2 on the season. BU's 10-1 League mark tops the circuit, while the overall ledger matches second-ranked Wisconsin for the best record in Division I.

The victory over UWM was Butler's 21st in a row at Hinkle Fieldhouse, giving BU the eighth-longest active streak in the nation. Butler's six homecourt League victories have come by an average of 23.3 points.

With the triumph over UIC, Butler became the first team in League history to reach the 20-win mark before February 1. BU has already avenged all four of its loop losses last year (at UWM, at Detroit, at YSU, at Loyola).

Junior guard A.J. Graves moved into 22nd place in school history with 1,166 career points, four behind Chris Miskel (1,170 from 1992-96). Graves ranks fourth on the League scoring charts at 18 points per game and leads the nation with his .971 free-throw mark, missing only three of 105 attempts.

Graves was named to the Wooden Award Mid-Season All-America Team. The 30 players on that list are candidates for the John R. Wooden Award, presented to the nation's top player.Junior forward Pete Campbell has come off the bench to hit 36 of 60 (60 percent) three-point field-goal attempts in the team's last ten games, averaging 13.6 points during that span. He scored a season-high 20 points versus YSU, his ninth double-figure outing since the start of the new year. Campbell averaged only 2.8 points on 31 percent shooting in 13 appearances prior to January 1.

Junior guard Mike Green leads the team in both rebounding (5.6 per contest) and assists (3.92 per game) while averaging 13.8 points per outing.

Raiders rolling on the road
Wright State is on a roll of its own, winning 13 of the last 16 games to climb to 16-8 overall and 9-2 in the League following victories at UW-Green Bay (65-54) and at Detroit (66-59). The 16 victories are the most by a Raider squad since the 2001-02 campaign.

First-year WSU coach Brad Brownell's next victory will be the 100th of his career. Brownell posted an 83-40 ledger in four seasons at UNC Wilmington before taking the reins in Dayton last summer.

Wright State's victory Saturday on ESPN2 provided several markers of the team's progress. The Raiders are assured of a winning record for the first time since 2001-02, and completed a sweep of the Titans for the first time since 1996. WSU's next League victory would match the most (ten) since the school joined the League in 1994.

Senior guard DaShaun Wood led the way with 21 points in his homecoming at Detroit, hitting 10 of 19 shots from the field for his 12th 20-point game of the season. Wood leads the circuit in scoring (19.2 points per game) and steals (1.92 per outing) while ranking fifth with a rate of 3.63 assists per contest.

Junior forward Jordan Pleiman stands second in the League with his 54.1 percent shooting from the field, and his 5.9 rebounds-per-game pace is tenth on that loop list.

Wright State boasts the League's second best scoring defense, allowing only 62.4 points per game. WSU's last four opponents have averaged only 53 points.

Freshman guards Todd Brown and Vaughn Duggins continue to make a significant impact for the Raiders. The pair have combined to average 18 points per game, with Duggins playing 32.5 minutes per game to lead all League freshmen. Brown is shooting 40 percent from three-point range as part of his 9.2 points-per-game scoring average.

Ramblers moves up with road victories
Loyola starts the week at 6-5 in the League (15-9 overall) and in third place after a successful swing through northeast Ohio. The Ramblers defeated Youngstown State 80-68 on Monday and held off Cleveland State for a 61-57 victory on Thursday.

The Ramblers need one more victory to secure their second consecutive winning season. LU hasn't had back-to-back campaigns over .500 since 1983-84 and 1984-85.

Senior guard Blake Schilb scored a season-high 32 points at YSU, the third time in his career he has posted 30 or more in a game. He is averaging 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in his last four games, and ranks sixth at 16.2 points per game for the season. His 3.91 assists per game put him third on that League chart.

Sophomore forward Leon Young leads the League with a .543 field-goal percentage and is sixth at 6.2 rebounds per game. He is also one of four Ramblers averaging in double figures at 10.0 points per outing, joining Blake Schilb, sophomore guard J.R. Blount (13.5) and senior guard Majak Kou (13.0). Blount posted a career-high 27 points against Cleveland State.

Freshman forward Andy Polka stands third in the League at 7.0 rebounds per game. He has grabbed at least five caroms in each of his last 17 appearances.

Loyola carries the League's highest-scoring offense, averaging 71.1 points per game on 45.3 percent shooting from the field.

Phoenix ready for homecourt stretch run
UW-Green Bay split a pair of games last week, rebounding from Thursday's 76-72 loss at Detroit to defeat Cleveland State 79-66 on Saturday. The Phoenix carry a 5-6 League ledger into the week, part of the team's 13-11 overall mark.

The Phoenix plays four of its final five League games at home, beginning with contests versus Youngstown State and Loyola this week.

Sophomore forward Mike Schachtner averaged 20.3 points per game for the week, making 10 of his 16 three-point attempts. He had 26 points at CSU after a 21-point showing at Detroit. Schachnter had a string of 26 consecutive free throws snapped in Calihan Hall. Schachtner, who had been perfect in 25 attempts in the month of January, now ranks tenth in the League in scoring at 14.7 points per game for the season.

Senior guard Ryan Evanochko posted his second point-assist double-double of the season Saturday, dishing out ten helpers without a turnover and scoring 19 points. The veteran point guard owns a League-best 2.38 assist-to-turnover ratio (131-55), and leads the circuit with a rate of 5.46 assists per game. His 15.4 points-per-outing scoring pace is ninth-best on that list, as well.

Sophomore Terry Evans stands eighth in the League at 6.1 rebounds per game and is second with a norm of 1.88 steals per appearance.

The Phoenix shot 52 percent from the field at Cleveland, posting the team's highest scoring output since a 90-67 victory over Jacksonville State on Dec. 27.

Titans still in the hunt
Detroit stands at 9-14 overall and 5-6 in the League. The Titans posted a 78-76, non-League victory over Chicago State and edged UW-Green Bay, 76-72, before falling to Wright State 66-59 on Saturday.

Rare season sweeps took place at both ends of the spectrum for Detroit. The Titans took both ends of the annual home-and-home series with UW-Green Bay for the first time since 2003, but lost both contests against Wright State for the first time since 1996.

Junior guard Brandon Cotton scored a career-high 31 points against the Phoenix, hitting 11 of 16 shots from the field including five-of-six behind the arc. Cotton, who also had 30 versus Cleveland State last year, is the only Titan to hit the 30-point mark since 2004. His season rate of 18.6 points per game is third-best in the League. Among League players, only DaShaun Wood (12) has more 20-point games than Cotton (11) this season.

Junior guard Brandon Bell added a personal-best 15 points against UWGB, while freshman forward Nemanja Jokic had UDM-highs of ten points and seven assists.

Senior forward Ryvon Covile tops the loop charts with 10.6 rebounds per game. If he maintains that rate, it would be the League's best showing since Wright State's Thad Burton grabbed 10.9 in 1997-98. Covile also is second in the circuit in blocked shots (1.65 per game), third in field-goal percentage (.540) and 14th in scoring (13.0).

Penguins get to ten, looking for more
Youngstown State reached the ten-win mark for the first time in six years, getting to 10-14 with Saturday's 92-87 victory over UIC---the school's first in 16 tries all-time against the Flames. YSU dropped previous decisions to Loyola (80-68 on Monday) and Butler (71-58 on Wednesday).

Senior guard Quin Humphrey had a League-season-high 37 points Saturday, hitting 13 of 15 shots from the field (eight triples) with ten rebounds and seven assists. Humphrey now ranks second in the League in scoring (18.7 points per game) and third in rebounding (7.0 per contest) after topping the circuit in both categories last winter.

Senior guard Keston Roberts also rates among the loop's top scorers, producing 16.4 points per outing after Saturday's 21-point showing, his 21st in double figures this year. Roberts had three of the Penguins' 14 three-pointers, a total which matched the League's season-high. Junior guard Byron Davis is fourth in the League with 3.83 assists per game.

YSU is 9-0 this season when limiting opponents to less than 40 percent shooting, but 1-14 when allowing opponents to shoot 40 percent or better. Saturday's victory over the Flames (who hit half of their 58 shots including 11 treys) finally broke that season-long trend.

Head coach Jerry Slocum is three wins shy of 600 for his career. The veteran sideline boss's 597 career victories are 13th among active coaches at all divisions.

Flames look to stop skid
UIC is riding a six-game losing streak, falling to 9-15 overall and 4-7 in League action after falling 71-45 at Butler and 92-87 at Youngstown State. The Flames have not won since defeating cross-town rival Loyola, 79-73, on Jan. 13.

Junior forward Othyus Jeffers provided a bright spot for the Flames, averaging 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the two games and logging his ninth double-double with 17 points and 11 caroms against the Bulldogs. He added 18 points, six boards and three steals at YSU, and leads the Flames in scoring (16.0 points per game, seventh in the League), rebouding (second in the circuit at 9.0 per outing) and steals (1.75 per game, third in the loop).

UIC lost at Youngstown despite shooting 50 percent (34-of-68) from the field and 55 percent (11-of-20) from three-point range and committing a season-low four turnovers.

Sophomore center Scott VanderMeer added three more rejections to his total, extending his UIC single-season record to 80. His 3.33 per-game rate is more than twice that of his nearest competitor (Detroit's Ryvon Covile, 1.65).

UIC is one of two teams to boast four double-digit scorers with Jeffers, sophomore guard T.J. Gray (11.3 per game), sophomore guard Josh Mayo (11.0) and senior forward Jovan Stefanov, whose 19 points at YSU bring him to an even 10.0 for the season. Spencer Stewart leads all League freshmen with 3.21 assists per game, the only underclassmen in the League's top eight.

Panthers working overtime
UW-Milwaukee split a pair of games last week, moving to 8-17 overall and 5-7 in League play after outlasting Cleveland State 57-56 in overtime Monday and dropping a 66-47 decision at Butler on Saturday.

The overtime game was UWM's third of the season, the team's most in six years. The Panthers split two extra-time contests with Detroit, winning 65-64 on Jan. 4 before losing 91-84 on Jan. 25. Monday's contest was the program's lowest-scoring overtime game since a 42-40 loss to UW-Whitewater in 1982.

Freshman guard Roman Gentry has stepped into a larger role for coach Rob Jeter. Gentry played a season-high 24 minutes against the Vikings and logged 20 more at Butler. Gentry has seen 94 minutes of action in his last three games after playing only 62 in the team's first 22. He scored six points in Monday's victory.

Junior guard Avery Smith paced the Panthers with 17 points Monday, capping a five-game run in which he averaged 20 points. Sophomore guard Ricky Franklin took team scoring honors with 17 points Saturday, one off his season-high established at Youngstown State on Jan. 13. Franklin hit seven of 11 shots at Hinkle Fielhouse, including a trio of three-pointers.

Smith is eighth in the League in scoring, averaging 15.8 points per game. Junior forward Paige Paulsen tops the UW-Milwaukee rebounding chart at 6.0 per outing (ninth in the circuit) while adding 11.2 points per contest.

Close not good enough for Vikings
Cleveland State lost all three of its games last week, slipping to 8-17 overall and 2-10 in League play. CSU suffered a 57-56, overtime setback at UW-Milwaukee on Monday before two homecourt defeats, 61-57 to Loyola on Thursday and 79-66 to UW-Green Bay on Saturday.

Thursday's loss overshadowed a dominating effort by sophomore forward Renard Fields, who set career highs for points (12), rebounds (16), blocked shots (five) and steals (two) despite playing only 25 minutes off the bench. It marked his first career double-double, and featured the most rebounds by a Viking since Pape Badiane grabbed 18 at Florida A&M on Nov. 25, 2003.

Monday's decision represented the third time this season that CSU has gone to overtime only to come up on the short end. Cleveland State lost 78-76 in extra time at Central Michigan on Dec. 17 and 82-77 to Chicago State two days later.

Sophomore guard Bahaadar Russell has logged 15 steals in his last six games, compared to nine in his previous 28 appearances. He also had averaged 15.8 points during a six-game span before being shut out by the Phoenix.

Sophomore forward J'Nathan Bullock leads the team in scoring (13.7 points per game, 12th in the League) and rebounding (fifth in the loop at 6.5 per outing), and ranks tenth in the League as a 73.9 percent (102-of-138) free-throw shooter. Bullock hit only 59.7 percent (83-of-139) at the line as a freshman.

Crusaders ride defense to two victories
Valparaiso---which officially joins the Horizon League in 2007-08---climbed back over the .500 mark (12-11) and stands at 6-3 in Mid-Continent Conference action after defeating Oral Roberts 70-67 in overtime and routing Centenary 68-50 last week. The Crusaders have now won six of their last seven contests.

Freshman guard Samuel Haanpaa led the way against Centenary with 20 points to top a quartet of double-figure scorers. Valpo held Centenary without a field goal for more than 11 minutes and limited the Gents to 27.3 percent shooting for the game---the Crusaders' best defensive effort in four years.

Valpo used a similar 11-minute defensive showing and rallied from a 60-51 deficit in the final 1:57 of regulation versus Oral Roberts, Junior guard Shawn Huff had a team-high 21 points, including a trey with five seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

The Crusaders have taken the term `balanced offense' to the extreme, as four Valpo players are within a point of each other. Haanpaa leads the pack with 11.3 points per game, while sophomore guard Brandon McPherson is just behind at 11.2 (plus a team-best 3.2 assists per outing).

Sophomore Urule Igbavboa is at 11.1 points per game (along with 7.1 rebounds per outing), while Huff is only Valpo's fourth-leading scorer despite averaging 10.5. The Crusaders are the only team in the Mid-Con who can boast four players averaging double figures.

On the Horizon This Week:
Monday, February 5
UW-Milwaukee at Wright State, 7 p.m. - *
Valparaiso at Chicago State, 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Feburary 7
Detroit at Loyola, 8 p.m. - *
Wright State at UIC, 8 p.m. - *

Thursday, February 8
#10 Butler at Cleveland State, 7 p.m. - *
Youngstown State at UW-Green Bay, 8:05 p.m. - *
Valparaiso at IUPUI, 7 p.m.

Saturday, February 10
UIC at Detroit, 4:05 p.m. - *
#10 Butler at Wright State, 7 p.m. - *
Loyola at UW-Green Bay, 8:05 p.m. - *
Valparaiso at Oakland, 1 p.m.

ALL TIMES EASTERN / rankings noted are from Feb. 5 AP poll

* - Horizon League games