Men's Basketball Weekly Release #16
Feb. 20, 2006
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Horizon League Player of the Week
Brandon Cotton, DetroitJunior Guard * Detroit, Mich.Cotton averaged 23 points in two victories last week, shooting 50 percent (18-of-36) from the field. The junior guard capped a 24-point performance by hitting two decisive free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining to lift UDM past Toledo 65-63 on Saturday. He also posted three assists, three steals and two rebounds against the Rockets, while his 22-point line at Youngstown State also included nine-of-19 shooting as Detroit posted its first road victory since November 29.
Other Top Performances for the Week Ending February 19
Brandon Polk, ButlerSenior Forward * Wichita, Kan.Polk led all scorers with 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting in BU's victory at UW-Green Bay on Monday, adding six rebounds and four blocked shots. He had 21 points against Loyola on Wednesday and finished the week with a team-high 21 points and six boards at Kent State.
Carlos English, Cleveland StateJunior Guard * Detroit, Mich.English scored 18 points with three assists at Wright State to help snap a six-game losing streak on Wednesday. He came back with eight points plus four assists in Saturday's 52-40 triumph over Delaware. He shot 61.5 percent (eight-of-13) from the field with a pair of three-pointers.
Josh Mayo, UICFreshman Guard * Merrillville, Ind.Mayo scored a team-high 21 points to lead UIC past UW-Milwaukee 94-86 in overtime, and had a career-best 23 Saturday in a loss at Murray State. For the week, he averaged 22 points and shot 70 percent (14-of-20) from the field, including eight-of-nine from three-point range.
Blake Schilb, LoyolaJunior Guard * Rantoul, Ill.Schilb matched his season-high with 27 points plus eight rebounds and five assists in the Ramblers' victory over Fairfield on Saturday, his 13th 20-point game of the season. He also had a team-high 11 markers versus Butler on Thursday.
Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green BayJunior Guard * Beaver Falls, Pa.Evanochko scored a game-high 24 points (including 10-of-11 at the free-throw line) against Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, and hit a trio of three-pointers as part of a 15-point performance against Butler on Monday. He also handed out six assists versus the Bulldogs.
DaShaun Wood, Wright StateSenior Guard * Detroit, Mich.Wood averaged 19 points and 6.5 assists in two games last week, including a 13-point, 12-assist double-double against Bowling Green on Saturday. He also scored a game-high 25 points on 11-of-24 shooting from the field versus Cleveland State on Wednesday.
Derrick Harris, Youngstown StateSenior Guard * Cambridge, Mass.Harris posted rates of 12 points, eight assists and five rebounds in two games last week. He had 10 points and dished out 12 assists at Canisius following a 14-point, four-assist showing against Detroit earlier in the week. He played all 40 minutes versus UDM in his 100th career game.
Horizon League Players of the Week
Nov. 21- Justin Bowen, UIC Nov. 28- Brandon Crone, ButlerDec. 5- Leon Young, LoyolaDec. 12- Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green BayDec. 19- Quin Humphrey, Youngstown StateDec. 26- Boo Davis, UW-MilwaukeeJan. 2- Adrian Tigert, UW-MilwaukeeJan. 9- Quin Humphrey, Youngstown StateJan. 16- Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green BayJan. 23- Ije Nwankwo, Cleveland StateJan. 30- Brandon Polk, ButlerFeb. 6- DaShaun Wood, Wright StateFeb. 13- Adrian Tigert, UW-MilwaukeeFeb. 20- Brandon Cotton, Detroit
Around the Horizon League
Panthers see homecourt streak endUW-Milwaukee has only one game left in the regular season, carrying an 18-8 overall ledger into Tuesday night's game versus Detroit. The Panthers are 11-4 in League play and can clinch at least a share of their third consecutive regular-season League title with a victory.
UWM saw its 19-game homecourt win streak come to an end Wednesday when UIC posted a 94-86 overtime victory. Missouri State added to the slide with a 72-63 triumph at U.S. Cellular Arena on Saturday. UW-MIlwaukee has now dropped back-to-back home games for the first time since 1998 but still boasts a 33-6 record at "the Cell" since 2003.
The Panthers were without senior forward Adrian Tigert against the Bears. The veteran sat out that contest, ending a streak of 88 consecutive starts, due to an injury suffered against Cleveland State last week. That ailment also limited him to 17 minutes against the Flames.
UW-Milwaukee committed a total of 41 turnovers in the two games. Five Panthers scored in double figures against the Bears but that was not enough to overcome 22 turnovers Saturday.
Senior forward Joah Tucker recorded his fourth double-double of the year against UIC, and his 19 points in that game helped move his season average to 16.1 points per game, good for sixth on the League charts. Tucker also stands eighth in rebounding at 6.0 boards per contest, three spots behind Tigert's 7.4 per-game rate. That combination inside has paced UW-Milwaukee to the top of the team charts, out-rebounding opponents by an average of six boards per outing.
Senior guard Boo David scored a season-high 31 points against the Flames, canning nine of 19 shots including five three-pointers. He is now eighth in the League at 15.1 points per game, while his rate of 2.92 triples per game trails only Butler's Bruce Horan (3.44) on that chart.
Bulldogs looking for time-and-a-half?Butler won two of three games last week, defeating League foes UW-Green Bay (63-57 on Monday) and Loyola (62-50 on Wednesday) before falling 80-76 at Kent State on Saturday as part of BracketBusters presented by eBay. BU enters the final week of the regular season at 17-10 overall and 10-4 in League play.
With perhaps the shortest roster in the League (only seven Bulldogs average more than ten minutes per game), Butler has now gone to overtime in four of its last seven games. In fact, BU has not lost in regulation since a 64-62 defeat at Youngstown State on Jan. 21.
Senior guard Bruce Horan hit ten three-pointers in the three games last week, extending his streak to 74 games in a row with at least one triple---the second-longest run in NCAA history. He is also at 294 treys in his career, second in Horizon League history in that category. Horan currently leads the League at 3.44 tri-lighters per game this year and is second to UW-Green Bay's Josh Lawrence with his 44.3 percent efficiency behind the arc.
Senior guard Avery Sheets surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career with 13 markers at Kent State. He became the 29th player in Bulldog annals to reach four figures, standing at 1,006 in his BU tenure. Horan is 42 points away from joining him on that list. Sheets also tops the loop charts with a 2.50 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Senior forward Brandon Polk leads the League with his 13 games of 20 or more points, and has scored in double figures in each of his last 13 appearances. Polk is fourth in the League at 17.8 points per game, enhanced by 57.4 percent shooting from the field (third on that list).
Butler coach Todd Lickliter has moved into fourth place in school history with 99 career victories. He is bidding to reach the 100 mark faster than any other coach in program history.
Butler continues to lead the League in field-goal percentage (.464), three-point shooting (.382), and scoring defense (60.7 points per game). BU has also hit more tri-lighters (232, a rate of 8.59 per game) than any other team in the League.
Raiders shooting to lock up third placeWright State owns a 13-12 overall mark, including an 8-6 League ledger. The Raiders can secure at least a first-round bye with victories at Loyola and at UIC this week.
WSU was the only League school to win on the road Saturday, running out to a 28-4 lead on the way to a 70-51 victory at Bowling Green. That followed a 63-56 homecourt loss to Cleveland State on Wednesday.
Saturday's action saw Wright State shoot 59 percent (26-of-44) from the field, the team's best showing against a Division I team this season. The Raiders also outrebounded BGSU 32-20, as sophomore forward Jordan Pleiman paced the team with a season-high 19 points on eight-of-10 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds. Junior guard DaShaun Wood dished out a season-high 12 assists while scoring 13 points.
The rebound differential (minus-4 versus CSU, plus-12 at Bowling Green) wasn't the only difference, as the Raiders hit nine of 16 three-point attempts on Saturday compared to one-of-10 accuracy versus the Vikings.
Wood logged 25 points in Wednesday's loss, crossing the 20-point mark for the 11th time this season. Wood stands third in the League at 18.1 points per game, but also ranks among the loop's elite in other areas. He has moved into a tie (with Cleveland State's Carlos English) for the top spot at 1.84 steals per game and is fourth at 4.44 assists per outing.
Pleiman is seventh in the League off the glass at 6.7 rebounds per game, while junior forward Drew Burleson ranks 13th with a 12.7 points-per-game pace. Burleson had 12 points against Cleveland State and added 12 points plus nine rebounds at Bowling Green.
Titans hold key to tournament scheduleDetroit is fourth in the standings at 7-7 in the League (14-14 overall), but all eyes will be on the Titans this week as UDM will play a large role in determining who wins the regular-season title and hosts the (Feb. 28-Mar. 7) League Championship. Detroit visits first-place UW-Milwaukee on Tuesday and hosts second-place Butler on Saturday.
The Titans have won three in a row and four of their last five, following a 65-54 triumph at Youngstown State on Wednesday and a 65-63 win over Toledo on Saturday. Junior guard Brandon Cotton scored a game-high 24 points versus UT, including the deciding free throws with six-tenths of a second remaining. He also had three assists and three steals.
Cotton has now scored 20 or more points in each of his last five games, averaging 23.8 per outing during that span. He stands fifth in the League at 17.7 points per game for the season, with that rate increasing to 18.9 in loop action.
Senior forward Torvoris Baker logged his fifth double-double of the year with 12 points and ten rebounds against Toledo, hitting twin digits off the glass for the tenth time this season. He is third in the circuit at 7.8 caroms per contest, while fellow senior Chuck Bailey is tenth at 5.9.
Sophomore guard Jon Goode filled the stat sheet at YSU with eight points, eight rebounds and a career-high eight assists. He now ranks sixth in the League at 3.29 assists per game, needing eight more helpers to reach 100 for the season. In his last five games, he has 26 helpers and only 11 turnovers.
Detroit limited Youngstown State to 32 percent shooting in Wednesday's victory. Four of UDM's last seven opponents have finished under 40 percent from the field, as the Titans lead the League in opponents' field-goal percentage (.430).
Associate coach Kevin Mondro directed the Titans at YSU while head coach Perry Watson attended the funeral of his mother.
Phoenix come up short at the endUW-Green Bay dropped both games at home last week, falling 63-57 to Butler on Monday and 68-64 against Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday. The Phoenix stands at 13-15 overall and 7-8 in the League entering Saturday's regular-season finale at Cleveland State.
Junior guard Ryan Evanochko canned ten free throws against FDU, the most by a Phoenix player since Javier Mendiburu connected on 12 against Youngstown State on Feb. 7, 2004. He finished with a game-high 24 points, raising his season scoring pace to 16.1 per game which is good for seventh place in the League. Evanochko also ranks second (to Youngstown State's Derrick Harris) at 5.07 assists per outing.
Saturday's game was tied with eight seconds remaining before two steals proved to be the difference. UW-Green Bay also made just one of 14 three-point attempts, a dramatic fall-off for a team which is second in the League at 37.4 percent behind the arc. Individually, junior forward Josh Lawrence tops the circuit at 45.2 percent.
Freshman forward Terry Evans leads the team with 46 steals (fourth in the League at 1.64 per game), putting him three short of the school's frosh record of 49 set by Tony Bennett in 1989. His 28 blocked shots are already a UWGB freshman record (and put him fourth in the League at 1.00 per game), while his 156 rebounds are fourth among all UW-Green Bay freshmen. He is 11th in the League at 5.6 caroms per contest.
Freshman forward Mike Schactner scored 12 points and grabbed a season-high nine rebounds Monday. He averages 10.3 points per game in his collegiate debut campaign.
UW-Green Bay matched a season-low with seven turnovers against Butler, equaling the mark established versus UC Irvine on Dec. 30. The Phoenix had eight in the first 39:52 before the two decisive miscues Saturday night.
Ramblers fighting for positionLoyola is part of a crowded pack in the middle of the League standings, holding a 6-8 loop ledger as part of its 15-10 overall record. The Ramblers fell to Butler 62-50 on Monday before rallying from an 18-point, second-half deficit to defeat Fairfield 73-70 on Saturday.
That victory secured Loyola's first winning season since 2001-02 and only its second since 1986-87. Junior guard Blake Schilb matched his season-high ith 27 points plus eight rebounds and five assists. He has now scored 20 or more in eight of his last nine games at the Gentile Center.
Schilb has moved into a tie atop the League scoring charts, averaging 18.6 points per game for the season. The junior also is third as an 82.2 percent shooter at the charity stripe, while his 3.80 assists per game put him fifth on that list. He has scored in double figures in each of his last 16 games, and needs five assists to reach 400 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists for the second year in a row.
Freshman forward Leon Young posted ten points and ten rebounds off the bench Saturday for his first double-double since Dec. 17 (and his fifth of the year). He ranks fourth in the League at 7.5 reobunds per game but has taken over the top spot at the free-throw line, hitting 84.4 percent at the 15-foot stripe.
Junior guard Majak Kou scored 18 points and blocked seven shots Saturday, one short of the League single-game record. The six-foot-five Kou leads the League at 1.60 rejections per game and also rates third at 1.68 steals per contest. Offensively, he stands 11th with a scoring pace of 13.5 points per outing.
As a team, Loyola boasts a circuit-leading 75.7 percent rating at the free throw line and trails only UW-Milwaukee with a scoring pace of 71.3 points per contest.
Flames search for first-round home dateUIC climbed back into contention for a first-round home game in the League Championship tournament, currently standing 6-8 in the circuit after six Flames scored in double figures during a 94-86 overtime victory at UW-Milwaukee on Wednesday. A 72-68 loss at Murray State on Saturday dropped the Flames to 13-14 overall.
Freshman guard Josh Mayo helped end the nation's second-longest homecourt winning streak with 21 points including eight in overtime at UW-Milwaukee. He then poured in a career-high 23 points at Murray State, canning all five of his three-point attempts and going seven-of-eight from the field. The recent scoring outburst pushed his season scoring rate into double figures for the first time at 10.3 points per game.
Sophomore forward Othyus Jeffers collected two more double-doubles, registering 18 points plus 10 rebounds at UW-Milwaukee plus 13 and 10 at MSU. He has reached double digits in rebounds in four consecutive games, becoming the first Flame to accomplish that feat since Maurice Brown during the 2000-01 campaign.
Jeffers now ranks second in the League at 7.8 rebounds per game for the season, supplementing his 11.7 points-per-game rate which is 15th in the circuit. Of his 211 rebounds, 103 have come at the offensive end, a 3.81 per-game rate which is the best in the League.
Senior forward Justin Bowen was held to two points Saturday but remains tenth in the League at 15.0 points per game overall. He stands fifth in field-goal percentage at 52.8 percent.
Junior forward Danijel Zoric had been averaging 5.7 points per game before last week, but scored 16 points at UW-Milwaukee and 12 versus Murray State. He was 12-of-21 from the floor in the two games.
Vikings end run, eye chance to stay at homeCleveland State improved to 10-15 overall and 5-9 in the League with a pair of victories last week, defeating Wright State 63-56 on Wednesday and downing Delaware 52-40 on Saturday. With two wins this week, the Vikings would host a first-round game in the League Championship tournament. A loss in either contest, however, relegates CSU to the road for the first round.
Cleveland State hosts UIC and UW-Green Bay, attempting to repeat its success against those two teams earlier this season. With wins at UIC (87-83 on Jan. 19) and UWGB (66-63 on Jan. 21), the Vikings posted their first League road sweep in five years.
Cleveland State smothered Delaware, holding the Blue Hens to 30 percent (16-of-53) shooting and forcing 19 turnovers. The Vikings also outrebounded Delaware 40-33 behind freshman forward J'Nathan' Bullock's 17-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Wednesday's triumph featured four Vikings in double figures, paced by Carlos English with 18 points. English was seven-of-eight at the line while Victor Morris hit six of seven attempts. As a team, Cleveland State was 25-of-32 at the line---a marked improvement from the team's League-low 62.8 percent clip entering that game.
English ranks third in the League at 4.68 assists per game and is tied for the top spot in the circuit at 1.84 steals per contest.
Junior center Ije Nwankwo remains perfect (17-of-17) at the charity stripe in the last five minutes of regulation and overtime. He will not qualify for the League stat charts but leads the team at 11.9 points per game. Freshman forward J'Nathan Bullock is next at 10.5 points a night (20th in the League), just ahead of junior guard Raheem Moss (10.3). Junior forward Patrick Tatham is tied for eighth on the League rebounding charts at 6.0 caroms an outing.
Penguins' skid continuesYoungstown State saw its season-high losing streak reach six games with a pair of setbacks last week. Detroit defeated the Penguins 65-54 on Wednesday ahead of Canisius' 75-68 triumph on Saturday.
Senior guard Derrick Harris registered his eighth 40-minute performance against the Titans. He has been on the floor for the entire game in five of the team's last eight outings and enhanced his status atop the League assist charts with 12 helpers at Canisius. He now averages 5.56 set-ups per game and his 139 assists are the most by a Penguin since Marlon Williamson had 144 in 2002-03.
Harris is averaging 36.8 minutes per game for the season, but that number has increased to 37.9 in League play.
Junior guard Quin Humphrey led the Penguins wth 17 points versus Detroit and now has 474 points this season---the most by a YSU player since Reggie Kemp scored 589 in 1990-91. Humphrey is tied for the League scoring lead at 18.6 points per game and stands atop the circuit with his rate of 8.1 rebounds per contest. Humphrey has scored in double figures 24 times in 25 games this season and 49 times in his last 53 appearances overall.
Humphrey would be the first player to lead the League in both categories since 1991-92 (Evansville's Parrish Casebier).
Junior guard Keston Roberts hit five three-pointers to finish with a team-high 19 points at Canisius. It was the third time this season the junior has canned five triples, and raised his season scoring pace to 15.1 points per game (ninth in the League).
YSU has made 168 three-pointers (fourth-most in school history) in 513 attempts this season for a .327 clip. The total marks the third time since the three-point line was established that the Penguins have attempted more than 500 shots in a season. Youngstown State made just 138 tri-lighters last season.
Spotlight Leaders
30-Point Games: Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State3DaShaun Wood, Wright State2Brandon Cotton, Detroit1Boo Davis, UW-Milwaukee1Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay1
20-Point Games: Brandon Polk, Butler13Blake Schilb, Loyola13Brandon Cotton, Detroit11DaShaun Wood, Wright State11Boo Davis, UW-Milwaukee10Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay10Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State8Joah Tucker, UW-Milwaukee7Justin Bowen, UIC6Majak Kou, Loyola6Keston Roberts, Youngstown State5A.J. Graves, Butler4Josh Mayo, UIC4J.R. Blount, Loyola3Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee3Six players with2
10-Rebound Games: Othyus Jeffers, UIC11Torvoris Baker, Detroit10Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee10Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State9Justin Bowen, UIC7Leon Young, Loyola 7Chuck Bailey, Detroit6Jordan Pleiman, Wright State4Joah Tucker, UW-Milwaukee4Jovan Stefanov, UIC3Patrick Tatham, Cleveland State3Four players with2
Double-Doubles: Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee9Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State8Justin Bowen, UIC7Othyus Jeffers, UIC7Chuck Bailey, Detroit5Torvoris Baker, Detroit5Leon Young, Loyola 5Joah Tucker, UW-Milwaukee4
Active Double-Figure Scoring StreaksJoah Tucker, UW-Milwaukee23Blake Schilb, Loyola16Brandon Polk, Butler13Brandon Cotton, Detroit11DaShaun Wood, Wright State10Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State9Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay7Majak Kou, Loyola5Josh Mayo, UIC5
Horizon League All-Time Three-Point Field-Goal Leaders Rashad Phillips, UDM (`97-'01)348Bruce Horan, BU (`02- ) 294
NCAA Streaks of Consecutive Games With a 3-Point Field GoalCory Bradford, Illinois88(Nov. 10, 1998-Feb. 10, 2001)Bruce Horan, Butler74(Jan. 8, 2004-Feb. 18, 2006)Wally Lancaster, Virginia Tech73(Dec. 30, 1986-March 4, 1989)
Horizon League Active 1,000-Point ScorersJoah Tucker, UWM (89 gms.)1,324Blake Schilb, LU (82 gms.)1,242DaShaun Wood, WSU (83 gms.)1,151Quin Humphrey, YSU (80 gms.)1,050Adrian Tigert, UWM (116 gms.)1,009Avery Sheets, BU (118 gms.)1,006
Horizon League Active 500-Rebound PlayersAdrian Tigert, UWM (116 gms.)732Torvoris Baker, UDM (88 gms.)533
Horizon League Active 300-Assist PlayersDaShaun Wood, WSU (83 gms.)310Avery Sheets, BU (118 gms.)300
