Men's Basketball Weekly Release #8

Dec. 26, 2005

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Horizon League Player of the Week

Boo Davis, UW-Milwaukee
Senior * Guard * Chicago, Ill.
Davis scored 20 points to lead the Panthers to an 83-60 victory over Oakland in the team's only action of the week. The senior guard hit five of ten shots from three-point range to post his fifth 20-point performance of the season, and also collected three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot. He leads the team in scoring (15.7 points per game) and tops the League charts with an average of 3.44 three-pointers per game on 45 percent shooting behind the arc.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending December 25

Brandon Polk, Butler
Senior * Forward * Wichita, Kan.
Polk averaged 17.0 points per game in two contests last week, including a 23-point performance versus 18th-ranked Indiana on Friday. Polk also had 11 points, four rebounds and four assists in a victory over Elon and leads the team at 15.5 points per contest this season.

J'Nathan Bullock, Cleveland State
Freshman * Forward * Flint, Mich.
Bullock posted his first collegiate double-double with ten points and ten boards versus Utah Valley State and came back with 17 points in the Vikings' rout of John Carroll. Including his 13.5 points-per-game pace last week, he is averaging a team-best 11.0 per contest for the season.

Brandon Cotton, Detroit
Junior * Guard * Detroit, Mich.
Cotton led the Titans in scoring in all three games last week, averaging 19.7 points per outing including a season-high 24 at Ohio plus 17 versus No. 11 Louisville on Saturday. He shot 50 percent (21-of-42) from the field last week and now averages 17.0 points per game this season (third in the League).

Justin Bowen, UIC
Senior * Forward * Chicago, Ill.
Bowen posted his League-leading fifth double-double of the year with a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds in a 75-61 loss at Syracuse, the Flames' only action of the week. The Chicago native made eight of 16 shots from the field and added two steals.

Blake Schilb, Loyola
Junior * Guard * Rantoul, Ill.
Schilb recorded a season-high 26 points and hit the game-winning basket with 3.6 seconds left in a 74-72 decision at UC Irvine on Thursday. He also added five boards, three assists plus a pair of steals, and now needs only 52 points to reach 1,000 for his career.

Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay
Junior * Guard * Beaver Falls, Pa.
Evanochko scored a team-high 18 points and handed out seven assists in the Phoenix's loss to Michigan State. He hit seven of 15 shots from the field in 34 minutes of action and raised his season scoring average to 15.8 points per game. Evanochko also averages 4.6 assists an outing.

Tyrone Scott, Wright State
Junior * Guard * Detroit, Mich.
Scott scored 16 points with three rebounds and two assists in a team-high 33 minutes, helping the Raiders to a 63-53 victory over Texas-Pan American, the team's second win in a row. The junior is averaging 12.3 points per game in four appearances this season.

Domonique Crawford, Youngstown State
Senior * Guard * River Rouge, Mich.
Crawford scored all 20 of his points in the second half, leading the Penguins to a come-from-behind 72-65 victory over James Madison. His effort helped YSU erase an 18-point deficit---putting the Penguins ahead to stay---and raised his season average from 8.1 points per game to 9.4.

Horizon League Players of the Week

Nov. 21 -- Justin Bowen, UIC
Nov. 28-- Brandon Crone, Butler
Dec. 5-- Leon Young, Loyola
Dec. 12-- Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay
Dec. 19-- Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State
Dec. 26-- Boo Davis, UW-Milwaukee

The Week Ahead in the Horizon League

The 2005 portion of the schedule concludes with a dozen games over a five-day span this week. including the third and fourth of 72 League contests.

Wright State and UW-Milwaukee open the week in non-conference action Tuesday, as Wright State hosts Northeastern and UW-Milwaukee travels to Laramie, Wyo., to face Wyoming. UWM is the second League team to visit Laramie this year, after Butler competed in the BCA Invitational there to open the season.

Wednesday includes a pair of games with League members Butler and Youngstown State on the road. Butler is at South Dakota State with YSU putting a modest two-game winning streak on the line against Siena.

On Thursday, Loyola takes on Cleveland State in the League-opener for both schools. Loyola swept the season series last year and has won the last seven meetings between the schools. UIC hosts Davidson in non-conference competition. UW-Green Bay opens its annual Oneida Casino Holiday Classic opposite Northern Michigan.

Both Wisconsin schools are in action on Friday, with UW-Green Bay hosting UC Irvine to close out its tournament, and UW-Milwaukee traveling to Montana.

Saturday's three-game schedule features UIC hosting Youngstown State in a Horizon League showdown, having won all nine previous meetings between the schools. Detroit visits South Carolina and Wright State goes across the state to battle Akron in other action.

Around the Horizon League

Panthers shoot to share of League lead
UW-Milwaukee has now won five of its last six games, climbing to 6-3 with an 83-60 victory over Oakland last Wednesday. The Panthers have scored 80 or more points four times in nine games.

Senior forward Adrian Tigert should make his 100th career appearance when the Panthers face Wyoming on Tuesday. The fifth-year senior is also on pace to make his 100th start Friday night at Montana. Tigert came off the bench in the first game of his college career, scoring six points and grabbing five rebounds in that debut. He missed all of 2002-03 due to a knee injury but since his return to action for the 2003-04 campaign, Tigert has started 72 consecutive contests and averages 11.6 points plus 7.6 rebounds per game this year. The carom count is fifth-best in the League.

Senior guard Boo Davis rates seventh in the League at 15.7 points per game while senior forward Joah Tucker is tenth at 14.8 per contest. Tucker entered 2005-06 as the Preseason Horizon League Player of the Year but Davis has led the team in scoring in six of the Panthers' nine games this year.

Raiders getting used to winning ways
After starting the season at 0-4, Wright State has now won three of its last four games including a 63-53 victory over Texas-Pan American to improve to 3-5 overall (1-0 in the League).

Junior guard Tyrone Scott paced the Raiders with 16 points while junior guard DaShaun Wood added 11 and junior forward Drew Burleson tallied ten. Sophomore forward Jordan Pleiman pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds in the contest. Wood tops the WSU charts at 16.9 points per game (fourth-best in the League) with three nights of 20 or more. Burleson chips in with 12.1 points per night with Pleiman moving to the top of the team charts at 6.4 caroms per contest.

Wright State's turnaround can be traced to a more efficient offense as the Raiders have averaged more than 76 points per game in three victories compared to just over 54 per contest in five losses. Wright State is shooting 45.8 percent (94-of-210) from the field in its last four contests compared to a 35.3 percent clip (72-of-204) in its first four outings of the season.

Ramblers rally for split on California trip
Loyola had a three-game winning streak snapped at San Diego---losing 90-57---but salvaged a split on its West Coast road trip as junior guard dBlake Schilb buried a jumper with three seconds left to lift the Ramblers to a 74-72 victory at UC Irvine on Thursday, raising the team's record to 7-2 heading into this Thursday's League opener versus Cleveland State.

Schilb had his string of consecutive games in double-figure scoring snapped at San Diego as he was held without a field goal for the first time in his career, while finishing with three points. He bounced back against UC Irvine by tossing in a season-high 26 points, including the game-winning basket. He ranks second in the League with a 17.1 points-per-game scoring pace and tops the loop charts with a .863 free-throw percentage.

Two teammates also lead League stat charts with freshman Leon Young averaging 9.3 rebounds per game and junior guard Majak Kou posting 1.40 blocked shots per game.

Rambler coach Jim Whitesell needs one more victory to reach 300 for his career while Schilb is 52 points short of 1,000 in a Loyola uniform.

Bulldogs win one, lose one
Butler split two games last week, moving to 6-5 following an 86-40 victory over Elon and a 73-55 loss to Indiana. Three of BU's five losses have come to Big Ten Conference representatives, including a 79-69 loss at Ohio State (Nov. 22) and a 78-74 defeat at Michigan (Nov. 26).

Senior forward Brandon Polk scored a team-high 23 points against the Hoosiers, crossing the 20-point mark for the fourth time this season. He hit eight of 16 shots from the field and all seven free throws while also rejecting three shots. Polk stands eighth in the League at 15.5 points per game this season, but could not prevent Butler from being outrebounded 35-17 by IU.

Senior guard Bruce Horan has hit at least one three-pointer in 58 consecutive games, and moved into ninth place on the Hotrizon League's all-time list with 230 career triples. He had five of BU's 15 treys against Elon; the team's total was the most by a League team this season.

Butler committed only eight turnovers versus Indiana, the team's fourth single-digit total of the season. The Bulldogs average a League-low 10.2 miscues per game (BU ranked third in the nation through games of Dec. 19) and top the loop charts with a plus-5.1 turnovers-per-game margin. The next national rankings will be released on Jan. 3.

Flames come up short against Big East
UIC dropped its only game of the week, falling 75-61 at Syracuse to slip to 6-5 on the season. The loss ended a three-game winning streak that included victories over the Big Ten (Northwestern) and Southeastern (Mississippi) conferences.

The Flames had a pair of players record double-doubles at Syracuse as senior forward Justin Bowen tallied 21 points and 11 rebounds while sophomore forward Othyus Jeffers tabbed 16 points and 10 boards. Bowen raised his season scoring pace to 16.4 points per game (fifth-best in the League), with Jeffers at 13.0 per contest. The teammates rank third and fourth on the League rebound charts at 8.5 and 8.1 per game, with Bowen's five double-doubles leading the League in that category as well. His .561 field-goal mark is second only to Detroit's Torvoris Baker.

The Flames have out-rebounded their opponent in every game this season and own the loop's best rebound margin (plus-8.5 per game). UIC was 17th in the nation last week.

Vikings enter League action on win streak
Cleveland State begins the week on a modest two-game winning streak, climbing to 3-5 (ahead of Thursday's League-opener at Loyola) by outlasting Utah Valley State 70-69 in overtime and routing intra-city foe John Carroll.

Junior guard Raheem Moss led all scorers with 18 points versus Utah Valley State, forcing overtime with his three-pointer with 4.7 seconds left in regulation. Freshman forward J'Nathan Bullock had his first collegiate double-double with ten points and ten rebounds.

The victory over John Carroll saw CSU shoot a season-high 49.2 percent from the field while limiting JHC to 27.7 percent accuracy. Junior guard Carlos English had a career-high 19 points with Bullock adding 17 and sophomore forward Luke Murphy establishing a League single-game-high with six blocked shots.

Junior guard Carlos English is atop the League steals list with 2.22 thefts per game and ranks second at 5.33 assists per contest. Moss is currently the League's top three-point sniper by percentage with his .500 (18-of-36) pace, part of an 11.0 points-per-game average which ties him with Bullock for team-high honors.

Penguins coming in out of the cold
Youngstown State has won its last two contests, improving to 3-6 with a 72-65 victory over James Madison last Wednesday. The Penguins rallied from an 18-point deficit behind 20 second-half points from senior guard Domonique Crawford and a team-high 24 markers from junior guard Quin Humphrey.

The comeback was YSU's biggest margin overcome since a 22-point rally to beat Air Force on Dec. 3, 1992. YSU trailed the Dukes 47-29 with 15:24 left in the game before coming back for the victory. Youngstown State outscored the Dukes 25-4 over a ten-minute span in the second half.

YSU travels to Siena on Wednesday night in rematch from last year's four-overtime thriller (Siena won 79-78 on Dec. 14 at the Beeghly Center). The Penguins' contest against the Saints was the second longest in school history behind a six-overtime contest against Gannon on Feb. 28, 1966. YSU's Derrick Harris logged 57 minutes played out of a possible 60 in the game. Harris finished with 22 points in the contest.

Humphrey continued his outing of impressive performances to start the season. Humphrey had 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds versus James Madison, hitting 12 of 14 free-throw attempts. His 12 made were the most by a Penguin since Jerome Sims made 15 against Northeastern Illinois on Jan. 18, 1992. He leads the League in scoring at 18.6 points per game has reached double figures in all nine games this year, while scoring at least 20 in three contests. In addition, he ranks second on the loop charts at 8.8 rebounds per outing while senior guard Harris stands atop the League at 5.44 assists per outing.

Detroit giving fans their money's worth
Close contests were the order of the week as Detroit played its last three games prior to the Christmas break. The Titans dropped a pair of road decisions, falling to 6-7 with a 56-55 loss at Ohio and a 56-48 setback to 11th-ranked Louisville. Ten of the team's 13 games have been decided by nine points or less, including eight of the last ten.

Junior guard Brandon Cotton scored 24 points against Ohio, matching the season-high totals he established against both Western Michigan and Canisius. Cotton has led the Titans in scoring in 10 of their first 13 games this season, including the last seven in a row. He has averaged 19.9 points per game over that span, boosting his season average to 17.0. Cotton has scored in double figures in nine straight games since posting a career-low two points on Nov. 25 against Shawnee State.

Senior forward Torvoris Baker continues to do the heavy lifting on the glass for Detroit. He has been the game's leading rebounder in each of the Titans' last five contests, including Saturday when he pulled in 11 caroms against Louisville. Baker has averaged 9.6 rebounds those last five games, including 12 against Missouri State on Dec. 10, matching his career-high. Baker leads the Titans with 7.0 rebounds per game and tops the League charts with a .564 field-goal percentage.

Sophomore guard Zach Everingham has stepped forward as a regular contributor to the Titan attack of late. The sophomore averaged 3.6 points per game over the first seven outings this season, but has improved to 6.0 during the last six contests.

Phoenix return home for tournament action
UW-Green Bay fell to 4-7 on the season following a 98-69 loss to Michigan State on Wednesday. The Phoenix wraps up the 2005 portion of the schedule by hosting the annual Oneida Bingo and Casino Classic, with providing the competition for this year's event.

The Phoenix looks to continue one trend of sorts: the team started the month of December with two losses, followed by two wins and now two defeats. For that run to continue, UW-Green Bay would need to defeat Northern Michigan and UC Irvine as part of this year's Oneida tourney.

Junior guard Ryan Evanochko paced UWGB with 18 points and seven assists while freshmen Terry Evans and Mike Schachtner added 15 points apiece against the Spartans. Evanochko now rates sixth in the League with a 15.8 points-per-game norm while his 4.64 assists-per-game pace is third on that list. Schachtner is seventh in the circuit as a 51.3 percent shooter from the field.

Schachtner and Evans are second and third, respectively, on the team charts at 9.4 and 9.3 points per game. Fellow freshman Ryan Tillema adds 8.3 per contest, based in part on 38 percent shooting behind the arc.

Horizon League Spotlight Leaders

20-Point Games:
Boo Davis, UW-Milwaukee5
Brandon Cotton, Detroit4
Brandon Polk, Butler4
Blake Schilb, Loyola4
Justin Bowen, UIC3
Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay3
Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State3
Keston Roberts, Youngstown State3
DaShaun Wood, Wright State3
J.R. Blount, Loyola2
A.J. Graves, Butler2
Joah Tucker, UW-Milwaukee2
Seven players with1

10-Rebound Games:
Justin Bowen, UIC5
Leon Young, Loyola 5
Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State4
Othyus Jeffers, UIC4
Chuck Bailey, Detroit3
Torvoris Baker, Detroit3
Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee3
Eight players with1

Double-Doubles:
Justin Bowen, UIC5
Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State4
Leon Young, Loyola 4
Chuck Bailey, Detroit3
Othyus Jeffers, UIC3
Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee3
Five players with 1