Men's Basketball Weekly Release #9

Jan. 2, 2006

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Horizon League Player of the Week

Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee
Senior * Forward * Oshkosh, Wis.
Tigert averaged 18.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game as the Panthers claimed impressive road wins. Tigert recorded a career-high 21 points to go with 11 rebounds at Wyoming. It marked his fourth double-double of the season and helped UWM become just the eighth non-league team to win in Laramie in the last eight years. At Montana, Tigert tallied 15 points and seven rebounds in snapping the Grizzlies 10-game winning streak. For the week, Tigert shot 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from the field.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending January 1

Brandon Polk, Butler
Senior * Forward * Wichita, Kan.
Polk helped lead Butler to a victory at South Dakota State, 85-48, in the Bulldogs' only game last week. He hit nine of 12 shots in the game and shared the team scoring lead with 18 points. He also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, with one assist, one steal and a blocked shot. For the season, Polk ranks sixth in the League with his scoring pace of 15.8 points per game.

Torvoris Baker, Detroit
Senior * Forward * Detroit, Mich.
Baker narrowly missed a double-double during the Titans' loss at South Carolina on Saturday. The senior forward had nine points and a game-high nine rebounds against the 2005 NIT Champion Gamecocks. Five of Baker's boards came on the offensive glass.

Justin Bowen, UIC
Senior * Forward * Chicago, Ill.
Bowen led UIC to a pair of victories, averaging 21.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent from the field. He scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half in a 76-67 victory over Davidson and added a team-high 19 points in the Flames' overtime victory over Youngstown State. Bowen now ranks second in the League in scoring (17.1 ppg) and third in rebounding (7.8 rpg) while he is first in field-goal percentage (56.1 percent).

Leon Young, Loyola
Freshman * Forward * Long Beach, Calif.
Young recorded team highs of 17 points and eight rebounds, while also dishing out a pair of assists, in Loyola's 77-60 victory at Cleveland State. Young has scored in double figures in four of his last five appearances and currently leads the League in rebounding at 9.2 caroms per contest. He has converted 30 of his last 31 (.967) free-throw attempts, and Loyola is 7-0 this season when he scores in double digits.

Josh Lawrence, UW-Green Bay
Senior * Forward * Ashton, Ill.
Lawrence was named the MVP of the Oneida Casino Holiday Classic after averaging 24.5 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 72.0 percent (18 of 25) from the field. He scored a career-high 28 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including going 5-for-5 from three-point range in the second half as UW-Green Bay downed UC Irvine 77-65. The previous night in a 106-58 win over Northern Michigan, Lawrence scored 21 points while grabbing eight rebounds.

DaShaun Wood, Wright State
Junior * Guard * Detroit, Mich.
Wood collected 23 points and handed out nine assists in the Raiders' 72-65 victory over Northeastern on Tuesday. Wood hit eight of 13 shots from the floor and six of eight free-throw attempts while also grabbing seven rebounds in 35 minutes of action. For the season, he rates among the League's top five in scoring, assists and free-throw accuracy.

Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State
Junior * Guard * Ellenwood, Ga.
Humphrey scored a career and league season-high 33 points in an 85-84 loss at UIC on Saturday and tallied 16 in the Penguins' 75-67 loss at Siena. Against UIC, Humphrey became the first Penguin since January 2001 to eclipse the 30-point mark. He also had a team-high eight rebounds to go along with four assists and two steals. For the week, he averaged 24.5 points and eight rebounds. He was 18-of-34 from the field and 10-of-11 from the line.

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

Around the Horizon League

Ramblers shoot to top of League standings
Loyola brings a 9-2 mark into the New Year, and shares first place in the League standings at 1-0 with Thursday's 77-60 victory at Cleveland State. The Ramblers have now won five of their last six outings.

The triumph at Cleveland State gave second-year Rambler coach Jim Whitesell his 300th career victory. Whitesell is 300-213 (.585) in his 19th year as a head coach.

Loyola posted a 20-10 record in the calendar year just completed. Dating back to last season, the Ramblers are 15-3 in their last 18 games. Any victories this week would put the Ramblers more than a month ahead of last year's pace; LU did not win its ninth game in 2004-05 until Feb. 17, with subsequent victories on Feb. 19 and Feb. 23.

The Ramblers' .762 free-throw percentage is the best in the League, but even more impressive is the team's 80.5 percent (149-of-185) mark in the last nine games. LU has hit better than 80 percent in each of its last five outings.

Junior guard Blake Schilb needs 39 points to reach 1,000 for his career. Schilb has scored in double figures in 34 of the last 35 games and has hit 25 of his last 26 (.962) tries from the charity stripe. For the season, he leads the Horizon League with a .875 clip as part of his 16.7 points-per-game scoring average which is third-best in the League. He is also fifth with a rate of 3.64 assists per game.

Freshmen Leon Young and J.R. Blount share 14th spot on the scoring list at 12.5 points per game apiece, with Young pacing the League at 9.2 rebounds per game. Junior guard Majak Kou tops the League charts at 1.55 blocks per game, while senior guard Chris Logan's .500 mark behind the arc is the best in the League.

Panthers overcome winter temperatures with hot shooting
UW-Milwaukee boasts a four-game winning streak, climbing to 8-3 with victories at Wyoming (84-69 on Tuesday) and at Montana (78-74 on Friday) last week. The Panthers finished the month of December with a 7-1 mark and went 27-6 in 2005.

Senior forward Adrian Tigert made his 100th career start at Montana and scored 36 points in the two-game trip, hitting 15 of 22 shots from the field. Senior guard Boo Davis led all scorers with 20 points at Montana, the League-best sixth time he has reached the 20-point mark this season.

During the Panthers' winning streak, UW-Milwaukee has outrebounded its opponents by an average of 8.8 per game and shot 49.8 percent (118-of-237) fron the field to average 81.3 points per contest. In the first seven games of the year, UWM shot just 38.9 percent (161-of-414) from the floor for a pace of 70.9 points per game.

Tigert is a key reason for the Panthers' recent success, averaging 15.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per outing during the four-game run. He is shooting 69 percent (25-of-36) during that span to complement Davis' 14-of-29 shooting from three-point range. Davis owns a 16.5 points-per-game pace in his last four appearances, and stands seventh in the League at 15.6 for the season---one spot ahead of teammate Joah Tucker (15.3 per game).

Tigert is fourth on the League rebounding charts at 7.8 caroms per contest and also sits seventh as a 53 percent shooter from the field. Davis' 46 percent touch behind the arc is third-best in the League but he stands above the rest of the field with a norm of 3.36 tri-lighters per outing.

Despite an 8-3 overall mark, the Panthers lead the League in only one statistical category---limiting opponents to .289 shooting from three-point range. Instead, UWM relies on balance as the Panthers are second (to Loyola) in scoring at 74.6 points per game, trail only Butler in defense with a 66.0 points-per-game yield and in scoring margin at plus-8.6 per contest, and rank behind only UIC with a plus-6.3 rebounding margin.

Flames keep working overtime
UIC begins 2006 at 8-5 overall after winning its League-opener. The Flames defeated Youngstown State 85-84 in overtime Saturday following a 76-67 victory over Southern Conference favorite Davidson on Thursday Senior forward Justin Bowen totaled 42 points in the two contests, with sophomore forward Othyus Jeffers hitting the game-winning basket in extra time versus YSU.

Freshman guard Josh Mayo is averaging 5.0 assists per game in his last four outings, committing a total of four turnovers during the same span since settling into his role as the team's starting point guard.

The Flames have now played three overtime games this season---matching the combined total for the League's other eight teams (Butler took Ohio State to extra time and Cleveland State needed an extra stanza to edge Utah Valley State, in addition to Saturday's game on YSU's ledger). Five other Flames games have been decided by five points or less.

Bowen leads the Horizon League with his .561 field-goal mark, part of a stat line which also features 17.1 points per game (second in the League) and 7.8 rebounds per outing (fifth on the loop charts). Jeffers' 7.4 caroms-per-contest rate is fifth best and supplements his 12.7 per-game scoring norm. Mayo stands second on the free-throw shooting charts with a .870 clip.

As a team, UIC tops the League charts in rebound margin (plus-6.5 per game) thanks in part to a circuit-best 15.77 offensive caroms per night. After out-rebounding each of its first 11 foes, UIC lost the battle of the boards to Davidson (35-34) and to Youngstown State (48-39) last week. The Flames made up for that shortfall with an average of just 12.5 turnovers per game. UIC's 12 miscues versus YSU was the team's lowest total since a season-low 11 versus Mississippi on Dec. 10.

Raiders' streak hits three, comes to an end
Wright State split a pair of contests last week to finish 2005 at 4-6 overall. The Raiders extended a winning streak to three games with Tuesday's 72-65 victory over Northeastern but that run was halted with a 72-44 loss at Akron on Saturday.

Junior guard DaShaun Wood posted 23 points and nine assists for the Raiders in Tuesday night's victory---his fourth 20-plus performance of the year ---while sophomore forward Jordan Pleiman posted his first double-double of the year with 13 points plus ten boards. Wood currently stands fourth in the League in both scoring (16.5 points per game) and assists (4.60 per outing) and fifth with a .794 free-throw rating. Pleiman's rate of 6.9 caroms per contest is good for seventh place on the loop charts.

Wright State's recent success could be attributed at least in part to efficiency on offense. The Raiders committed just 36 turnovers in those three victories but had 21 miscues at Akron, continuing a trend for the season. WSU averages 16.3 errors in its six losses, five more than in its four wins.

That care translates into one other area for Wright State, which averages 68.2 points per game in wins. In six setbacks, the scoring pace drops to 53.0 points per outing.

Bulldogs finally begin League play
Butler stands at 7-5 overall and Monday afternoon's game marks not only the first game of the new (calendar) year but the start of the Horizon League slate as Butler is the last team to make its League season debut.

Butler shot a season-best .620 in an 85-48 victory at South Dakota State on Wednesday, posting the best shooting performance by a Horizon League team this season. It was the first time the Bulldogs shot better than 60 percent for a game since March, 2000, when they turned the trick against Detroit in the championship game of the Horizon League Tournament. Butler hit 31 of 50 shots at South Dakota State, including a season-best 12 of 21 from beyond the three-point arc.

Senior guard Bruce Horan hit five three-point field goals at South Dakota State, boosting his career total to 235. He has moved into a tie for seventh place with Desmond Ferguson of Detroit (1997-2000) on the Horizon League all-time list for three-point field goals and needs ten more to enter the League's top five.

Butler had all five starters score in double-figures at South Dakota State. It was the first time in four years that all five Butler starters tallied in twin-digits in the same game. Senior forward Brandon Polk and Horan led the Bulldogs with 18 points apiece, junior forward Brandon Crone had 11 and senior guard Avery Sheets and sophomore backliner A.J. Graves each added 10.

Butler is now 7-1 when holding opponents to 65 points or less, but 0-4 when Bulldog foes reach that mark (UNC Wilmington scored 75 on Nov. 13, Ohio State tallied 79 on Nov. 22, Michigan had 78 on Nov. 26 and Indiana posted 73 on Dec. 23). In Butler'seven victories, the Bulldogs are limiting opponents to 40.8 percent shooting (135-of-331) from the field; in BU's five losses, opponents are shooting a composite 53.9 percent (132-of-245).

Butler leads the League in scoring margin (plus-9.2 points per game), scoring defense (60.7 points per contest), field goal percentage (.468), assists (14.25 per game) and turnover margin (plus-5.42 per game, highlighted by a League-low 10.7 miscues per outing). BU is second on the loop charts with a .386 field goal percentage.

Individually, Polk stands sixth in the League at 15.8 points per game, five spots ahead of Graves and his 13.3 per-game pace. Polk also ranks third in field-goal touch (.551). Crone is ninth on that list at .522, while Horan ranks fifth in three-point shooting at 43.6 percent.

Phoenix rises to post pair of victories
UW-Green Bay improved to 6-7 overall with a pair of victories in its own Oneida Casino Holiday Classic. The Phoenix routed Northern Michigan 106-58 on Thursday and came back for a 77-65 triumph over UC Irvine the following night for the tourney title. UW-Green Bay committed a season-low seven turnovers versus UC Irvine.

The Phoenix set or matched three records in its win over Northern Michigan. The team's 106 points ---the most by a League team this season---tied a school Division I record set on Dec. 11, 2001, in a 106-76 win over Eastern Michigan. The 48-point margin of victory was the program's largest as a Division I entry and largest since a 49-point win (103-54) over Northland Feb. 23, 1980. UW-Green Bay's 57 first-half points surpassed previous D-I mark of 55 set on multiple occasions.

The Phoenix also set team season highs for field goals made (34), free throws made (28), free throws attempted (34) and assists (22) in Thursday's win. The 34 field goals made marked UW-Green Bay's highest total in a game since making 34 field goals vs. Hawai'i-Hilo Nov. 29, 1998. The free-throw totals were the highest since going 31-for-41 from the charity stripe against Hartford in last year's Classic on Dec. 30, 2004. The rebound total was the highest since grabbing 51 in last year's season-opener against IUPUI.

Junior forward Josh Lawrence was named the MVP of the Oneida Casino Holiday Classic after averaging 24.5 points per game in UWGB's two contests. Junior point guard Ryan Evanochko and freshman forward Mike Schachtner were also named to the all-Classic team for the Phoenix. Evanochko set a career high with nine assists in the win over UC Irvine, while Schachtner averaged 11.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

UW-Green Bay is 5-1 this season when shooting 50 percent or better from the field (including marks of .531 and .510 last week), but just 1-6 when failing to hit half of its shots. In addition, UWGB is shooting 49.6 from the floor in its six victories but only 38.6 percent in its seven defeats.

Titans look for new start in New Year
Detroit dropped its third game in a row Saturday, falling 65-35 at South Carolina. The 35 points scored against USC was Detroit's lowest output since a 45-31 loss to Michigan State early in the 1950-51 season. UDM shot 27.1 percent from the field at South Carolina.

After winning just two of their first 10 games away from home this season, the Titans will be glad to see Calihan Hall, where they play their next three games. Detorit is 4-0 at home this year, shooting 52 percent (104-of-200) from the field compared to a .412 mark on the road.

Detroit has averaged just 45.3 points per game during its three-game skid, and established League season-lows with its 35 points and a 15-point first half.

Junior guard Brandon Cotton failed to reach double figures for just the second time in his Titan career when he had just two points at South Carolina. Cotton shot one-for-12 from the field. His two points matched a career-low, set earlier this season against Shawnee State.

Senior forward Torvoris Baker was the game's leading rebounder for the sixth straight time when he snatched nine missed shots at South Carolina on Saturday. Baker has averaged 9.5 rebounds in the last six games.

Senior guard Ben Green shared the team lead with nine points at South Carolina. It was his highest output in 10 games and just one shy of his season-high (10 against Rochester). It was also two more points than Green had managed in the previous five games combined.

Vikings looking for consistency
Cleveland State carries a 4-6 mark into the New Year, following a 77-60 loss to Loyola in its League opener.

Freshman forward J'Nathan Bullock has made an immediate impact inside for CSU, leading the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game and starting the last eight games.

The Vikings have received a big boost from the addition of junior transfer Ije Nwankwo, who became eligible to play for CSU after sitting out the NCAA-required two semesters following his transfer last January from Purdue University. Nwankwo, a 6-7 center, scored a team-high 15 points against Loyola on Dec. 29, going seven-for-13 from the field. He is averaging 9.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in his initial two games at CSU.

Junior guard Carlos English begins the week leading the Horizon League in both assists (5.5) and steals (2.1), a feat that has been done just four times in Horizon League history. Loyola's Earl Brown (1997-98) was the most recent to accomplish it. The rest of the list includes Loyola's Darius Clemons (1980-81), Roy Simms of Detroit (1982-83) and LaSalle's Paul Burke (1993-94).

Junior center Patrick Tatham has found himself with a new role this year, playing a little farther away from the basket offensively. The move has paid off as Tatham, a .393 shooter during his first two seasons at CSU, is shooting .507 this year (37-of-73). Over the last seven games, Tatham is 29-of-52 (55.8 percent).

Freshman forward J'Nathan Bullock is living up to the expectations that made him one of the top newcomers on the team this year. Bullock leads the team in scoring (11.1), posting double figure scoring efforts six times this year. He came off the bench to lead CSU with 15 points, six rebounds and three steals at North Carolina on Nov. 22. He set a career high with 21 points at Kent State on Dec. 3 and posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Utah Valley State.

Cleveland State committed 16 turnovers in its loss, continuing one trend. The Vikings are 3-1 in games when winning the turnover margin, but 1-5 when making more errors than their opponents. Ironically, the one loss in the former record came in an 83-75 defeat at Michigan State (Dec. 16).

Penguins coming in out of the cold
Youngstown State dropped to 3-8 on the season and 0-1 in League play following a pair of close calls on the road last week. YSU fell 75-67 at Siena on Wednesday and took UIC to overtime before losing 85-84 on Saturday.

The loss to UIC featured a career-high 33 points by junior guard Quin Humphrey, who forced the extra period with a fallaway three-pointer with three seconds left in regulation. His 33 points were the most scored in a game by a Youngstown State player since Reggie Kemp had 46 against Wright State on Feb. 6, 1993.

Humphrey's 33-point effort ranks as the seventh-best performance in school history since Youngstown State joined the Division I ranks in 1981-82. Humphrey currently leads the Horizon League in scoring at 19.6 points per game and stands second at 8.6 rebounds per contest. Junior guard Keston Roberts joins Humphrey on the scoring list, ranking tenth at 14.7 markers per appearance.

Senior guard Domonique Crawford has made his presence felt this season. Crawford scored 30 points in 26 games played last year. In two games this week, he scored 28 points with 16 at Siena and 12 at UIC. For the year he has 113 points, averaging 10.3 yards a contest.

Senior guard Derrick Harris has been protecting the ball well. He has just six turnovers the past five games playing a total of 193 minutes. Playing all 40 minutes against Siena he did not have a turnover while playing 45 minutes at UIC he had one giveaway. His 2.81 assist-to-turnover ratio is the best in the League this season, and is enhanced by a 5.36 assists-per-game pace which is second-best in the League.

In 11 games, Youngstown State has won the rebounding margin on eight occasions. Last year, the Penguins ranked eighth in the Horizon League in rebound margin and won the rebounding margin just eight times in 28 games.