Men'sBasketball Weekly Release #7
Dec. 19, 2005
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Horizon League Player of the Week
Quin Humphrey, Youngstown StateJunior * Guard * Ellenwood, Ga.Humphrey posted his League-high fourth double-double of the year with 20 points and 11 rebounds versus Duquesne. He hit six of nine shots from the field and matched that mark at the free-throw line while logging three assists in 34 minutes. For the season, Humphrey leads the League in scoring at 17.9 points per contest and ranks second on the League charts with his rate of 8.8 rebounds per contest.
Other Top Performances for the Week Ending December 18
Carlos English, Cleveland StateJunior * Guard * Detroit, Mich.English posted the League's first point-assist double-double of the season with ten points and a dozen helpers (with only one turnover) at Michigan State on Friday. English improved his assist-to-turnover ratio to 2.50 and leads the League in both assists (5.7 per game) and steals (2.3 per contest).
Brandon Cotton, DetroitJunior * Guard * Detroit, Mich.Cotton capped a 24-point effort by hitting two free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining to give Detroit a 69-68 victory over Canisius on Saturday. Cotton hit eight of 14 shots from the field to match his season-high point total and added two assists as UDM snapped a two-game skid.
Justin Bowen, UICSenior * Forward * Chicago, Ill.Bowen averaged 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in two contests last week, scoring 32 of his 34 points in the second half to lead the Flames to come-from-behind victories over Northwestern and Northern Illinois. He shot 54 percent from the field for the week and leads the League at .569 overall.
Blake Schilb, LoyolaJunior * Guard * Rantoul, Ill.Schilb scored 23 points on eight-of-17 shooting---including five-of-nine from three-point range---in the Ramblers' victory over Lake Forest on Saturday. Schilb reached double figures for the 32nd game in a row and surpassed the 900-point mark for his career. Schilb also handed out four assists.
Adrian Tigert, UW-MilwaukeeSenior * Forward * Oshkosh, Wis.Tigert averaged 14.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in two outings. The 6-7 senior posted his third double-double of the year with 14 points and 12 rebounds at Wisconsin, and added 15 points, six caroms and four assists in the Panthers' victory over UW-Green Bay on Saturday.
DaShaun Wood, Wright StateJunior * Guard * Detroit, Mich.Wood scored a game-high 26 points in the Raiders' victory over Belmont on Saturday, canning all ten of his shots at the free-throw line and going eight-of-18 from the floor in 36 minutes of action. The junior also handed out nine assists with only two turnovers in that contest.
Horizon League Players of the Week
Nov. 21 -- Justin Bowen, UIC (14.3 points, 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)
The Week Ahead in the Horizon League
Horizon League teams don't take much time off for the holidays, with games scheduled every day except Sunday this week. In fact, Christmas and next Monday (Dec. 26) are the League's only idle days remaning in 2005.
Detroit and Butler tip off this week's schedule on Monday night as the Titans host Chicago State while Butler entertains Elon College. Detroit puts a 3-0 home-court record on the line in its final Calihan Hall appearance of 2005.
Cleveland State hosts Utah Valley State as one of two games on Tuesday's docket, with Loyola traveling to California for a two-game swing which starts at San Diego.
UIC and UW-Green Bay headline a list of four Wednesday games, with the Flames visiting the Carrier Dome to face Big East Conference member Syracuse. The Flames already boasts wins over three "power conferences" in the Big Ten, ACC and SEC, attempting to add the Big East to that list. UW-Green Bay hosts Michigan State before a national audience on ESPNU.
Thursday also includes a quartet of games with Detroit visiting Mid-American Conference preseason favorite Ohio University and Loyola at UC Irvine. Cleveland State hosts local foe John Carroll while Wright State hosts Texas-Pan American.
Two schools face storied programs to close the week as Butler challenges Indiana at Conseco Fieldhouse on Friday night while Detroit visits Louisville's Freedom Hall for a Christmas Eve matinee Saturday.
Around the Horizon League
Panthers shoot to share of League leadUW-Milwaukee carries a 5-3 overall record into the week after splitting two games last week. The Panthers' 80-60 triumph over UW-Green Bay on Saturday puts the Panthers at 1-0 in the League standings and extended the Panthers' home-court winning streak to 13 games.
UW-Milwaukee shot a season-high 52.8 percent (28-of-53) from the floor against the Phoenix, two days after a long-range assault against 24th-ranked Wisconsin. The Panthers hit 12 three-pointers in that (74-68) loss, with senior guard Boo Davis canning on a Kohl Center-record seven triples during a 23-point performance. Davis leads the Panthers in scoring at 15.1 points per game, ranking eighth in the League. The 6-3 guard also tops the loop charts with a norm of 3.25 treys per game.
Senior forward Adrian Tigert logged his third double-double of the season versus the Badgers and took over the top spot on the school's Division I rebound list. He now boasts 608 career caroms. His team-high pace of 7.5 per game this season is fifth-best in the League.
Ramblers studying school historyLoyola is off to its best start in four decades, with an 87-72 victory over Lake Forest pushing the Ramblers to 7-1 on the season. Loyola began the 1965-66 campaign at 16-1 and reached the NCAA Championships under long-time coach George Ireland. Going back to last season, the Ramblers have won 13 of their last 15 games.
Loyola is 6-0 at the Gentile Center, but now takes its act on the road with six of the next seven games away from home. The stretch begins with a two-game swing through San Diego and UC Irvine this week.
Junior guard Blake Schilb has now scored in double figures in each of his last 32 games, including a 23-point effort against Lake Forest. The last time he failed to hit twin digits was Dec. 4, 2004, in an eight-point performance versus Northern Iowa. Schilb ranks second in the League with his 17.8 points-per-game scoring pace.
Freshman forward Leon Young recorded his fourth double-double of the year with 17 points and 11 boards against Lake Forest. He tops the League charts with his average of 9.5 boards per game.
Loyola committed only four turnovers (none in the second half) versus Lake Forest after averaging 14.3 per game in its first eight games of the year.
Raiders break through versus BelmontWright State split its two games last week, moving to 2-5 overall with an 87-79 victory over Belmont on Saturday. The Raiders, 1-0 in the Horizon League, opened a three-game homestand by shooting a season-high 51 percent (33-of-65) from the field with junior guard DaShaun Wood scoring a game-high 26 points with nine assists. Junior guard Tyrone Scott and senior guard Jaron Taylor each added 16 points, with Taylor's total marking a career-high.
Wood ranks third in the League at 17.7 points per game and holds the same ranking with his 4.57 assists-per-contest norm. Junior forward Drew Burleson tops the Raider charts at 5.7 rebounds per outing.
The Raiders avenged a season-opening 86-80 loss to Belmont and overcame the Bruins' 59.6 percent shooting from the field by forcing 22 Belmont turnovers. Wright State opponents averaged 12.7 miscues per game prior to Saturday.
Flames douse the competitionUIC posted a pair of victories over local rivals last week, defeating Northwestern (71-62) and Northern Illinois (55-54) to improve to 6-4 overall. Senior forward Elliott Pool's rebound putback with three seconds left was the difference versus the Huskies.
Poole's late heroics continue a trend for the Flames, who have had all four of their home games come down to the last shot of regulation. UIC misfired on two of those tries in one-point losses to St. Xavier and Chicago State but converted against NIU and went to overtime when Mississippi missed a three-point attempt at the horn.
UIC travels to Syracuse this week, attempting to add the Orange and the Big East Conference to its list of conquests in 2005-06. Through Sunday's action, UIC and Maryland are the only schools to post victories over the Big Ten, Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences, with the Flames' resume featuring the wins over Northwestern (last Saturday), Georgia Tech (73-51 on Nov. 25) and Mississippi (87-75 on Dec. 10).
Senior forward Justin Bowen leads the League in field-goal percentage at 56.9 percent, anchoring his 15.9 points-per-game pace which is fifth-best on the loop charts. He also shares the League lead with four four double-doubles and stands third in the League at 8.2 rebounds per game, one spot ahead of sophomore teammate Othyus Jeffers (7.9).
Bulldogs feel the bite of buzzer-beaterButler slipped to 5-4 on the season when Indiana State used a 25-footer at the horn to beat the Bulldogs 59-58. It was the first non-conference loss at Hinkle Fieldhouse for fifth-year coach Todd Lickliter, who had been 22-0 at home versus non-League foes. BU took a two-point lead on Brandon Crone's tip in with 0:01.6 left on the clock before ISU's late heroics.
The game followed an 11-day layoff for the Bulldogs, who shot a season-low 25.3 percent from the field. Butler committed only nine turnovers, lowering its League-best rate to 10.2 per game for the season.
Senior forward Brandon Polk ranks seventh on the loop scoring charts at 15.2 points per game despite a seven-point total Saturday. He stands fourth in the League as a 53.3 percent shooter from the field.
Senior forward Bruce Horan added his 223rd career three-pointer, extending his own school record. He needs two more to pass Detroit's Dwayne Kelly (224 from 1989-93) for ninth place in League history.
Titans feast on home cookingDetroit snapped a two-game skid with Saturday's 69-68 victory over Canisius, leveling its overall record at 5-5. The Titans are now 3-0 at home but just 2-5 away from Calihan Hall.
Junior guard Brandon Cotton scored 24 points to match his season-high in the victory, including the game-winning free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining to play. Cotton has now reached the 20-point plateau in three of his last six games, averaging 18.5 points per game during that span, and now ranks fourth in the League at 16.2 per outing for the season.
Senior forward Torvoris Baker added ten points versus Canisius, the third consecutive time he has reached double figures. He is averaging 12.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per outing in that three-game stretch, and now ranks second on the loop charts with a .566 field-goal percentage. Baker's 6.3 rebounds-per-game pace is sixth-best in the League.
Detroit coach Perry Watson continues to juggle his starting lineup, with junior guard Muhammad Abdur-Rahim making his first start since Nov. 29.
Phoenix step into spotlight versus SpartansUW-Green Bay carries a 4-6 ledger after falling to UW-Milwaukee (80-60) in its League-opener on Saturday. The Phoenix host Michigan State on Wednesday, with the Spartans (ranked 12th last week) slated to become the highest-ranked team ever to face the Phoenix in Green Bay. Wisconsin currently holds that distinction, when the 17th-rated Badgers knocked off UW-Green Bay 61-53 on Dec. 6, 2000.
Junior guard Ryan Evanochko scored 25 points in a victory over Eastern Michigan earlier in the week, surpassing the 20-point mark for the third consecutive game. Evanochko, who had 22 and 28 in his previous two games, became the first Phoenix player with such a streak since Jerry Carstensen (1999-2000), and his 75 points over the span was the most since Jeff Nordgaard tallied 85 in February 1996.
Evanochko saw his streak halted with a 12-point night at Milwaukee, but stands sixth in the League in scoring at 15.6 points per night. Redshirt freshman guard Terry Evans leads the team in rebounding, ranking tenth in the League at 5.8 caroms per contest.
Vikings come close at Michigan StateCleveland State begins the week at 2-5, but found several highlights from Friday's 83-75 loss at Michigan State. The Vikings set a school-record with 14 three-pointers, two more than the previous standard. Junior guard Raheem Moss accounted for four of those triples and leads the League as a 55 percent shooter behind the arc. His scoring rate of 10.7 points per game tops the Viking charts as well.
Junior guard Carlos English registered a career-high 12 assists at East Lansing, logging his first double-double of the year with ten points against the Spartans. The assist count was the seventh-best in school history and the most since Gravelle Craig posted 14 helpers versus Akron on March 8, 1992. As a team, the Vikings had 22 assists on 26 field goals.
English currently leads the League in both assists (5.7 per game) and steals (2.3 per contest). If he maintains that pace, Engilsh would become only the fifth player in League history to accomplish the feat and the first since Loyola's Earl Brown (1997-98).
Penguins break into win columnYoungstown State improved to 2-6 on the season after beating Duquesne 72-51 on Saturday. Junior guard Quin Humphrey posted his fourth double-double of the year with 20 points and 11 rebounds, enhancing his League-best scoring rate of 17.9 points per game. The 6-4 guard is also second in the loop at 8.8 rebounds per outing.
Humphrey's four double-doubles match the totals of UIC's Justin Bowen and Loyola's Leon Young for the most in the Horizon League this season, and mark the most by a Penguin in five years. The last YSU player with four such outings in one season was Desmond Harrison (four in 2000-01).
Junior guard Keston Roberts has provided plenty of support this season, with 24 points versus Duquesne. That marked the third 20-point night of the season for a player who sat out all of the 2004-05 campaign. He adds 15.0 points per game for the year, ninth-best in the League.
The Penguins limited Duquesne to 38.5 percent (20-of-52) shooting from the field. YSU is 2-0 when holding its opponents under 40 percent this season but 0-6 when Penguin foes reach that level.
Despite its 2-6 record, Youngstown State has outscored (555-535) and outrebounded (300-252) its opponents this season.
Horizon League Spotlight Leaders
20-Point Games: Boo Davis, UW-Milwaukee- 4Brandon Cotton, Detroit- 3Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay - 3Brandon Polk, Butler - 3Keston Roberts, Youngstown State - 3Blake Schilb, Loyola - 3DaShaun Wood, Wright State - 3J.R. Blount, Loyola - 2Justin Bowen, UIC - 2A.J. Graves, Butler - 2Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State - 2Joah Tucker, UW-Milwaukee - 2Six players with 1
10-Rebound Games: Leon Young, Loyola - 5Justin Bowen, UIC - 4Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State - 4Chuck Bailey, Detroit - 3Othyus Jeffers, UIC - 3Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee - 3Seven players with1
Double-Doubles: Justin Bowen, UIC - 4Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State - 4Leon Young, Loyola - 4Chuck Bailey, Detroit - 3Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee - 3Othyus Jeffers, UIC - 2Three players with 1
