INDIANAPOLIS -- In its 31 previous seasons of men's basketball, the Horizon League has never had a three-way tie for the conference regular season crown. With one set of games remaining, the League is on the brink of history, with Milwaukee, Butler and Cleveland State all atop the League with 12-5 records. In a topsy-turvy regular season, however, anything can happen in those finals contests. With that in mind, the following scenarios are listed to help fans and media determine exactly what could happen as the result of games on Friday and Saturday.
Scenarios:
Milwaukee
-- Clinches No. 1 seed with win
-- Clinches No. 1 seed with loss AND Butler loss AND Cleveland State loss (Valpo win/loss does not factor)
-- Clinches No. 2 seed with loss AND Cleveland State loss AND Butler win
-- Clinches No. 2 seed with loss AND Butler loss AND Cleveland State win
Butler
-- Clinches no worse than No. 2 seed with win
-- Clinches No. 1 seed with win AND Milwaukee loss (wins tiebreaker over Cleveland State)
-- Clinches No. 2 seed with loss AND Valparaiso win AND Cleveland State loss (3-1 record against the two)
Cleveland State
-- Clinches no worse than No. 3 seed with win
-- Clinches No. 1 seed with win AND Butler loss AND Milwaukee loss
-- Clinches No. 2 seed with win AND Butler win AND Milwaukee loss
-- Clinches No. 2 seed with win AND Butler loss AND Milwaukee win
Valparaiso
-- Has Clinched no worse than No. 4 seed (swept Wright State)
-- Clinches No. 2 seed with win AND Cleveland State loss AND Butler loss AND Milwaukee loss (four-way tie)
-- Clinches No. 3 seed with win AND Cleveland State loss AND Butler loss (2-2 combined record)
-- Clinches No. 3 seed with win AND Cleveland State loss AND Butler win (wins tiebreaker over CSU with Butler win)
-- Clinches No. 3 seed with win AND Cleveland State loss AND Milwaukee loss (wins tiebreaker over CSU with Butler win)
-- Clinches No. 3 seed with win AND Cleveland State win AND Butler loss (wins tiebreaker over Butler with UWM win)
Detroit
-- Has clinched No. 5 seed (swept Wright State)
Wright State
-- Has secured No. 6 seed
Green Bay
-- Clinches No. 7 seed with win
-- Clinches No. 7 seed with loss AND Loyola loss
-- Clinches No. 7 seed with loss AND Loyola loss AND Valparaiso win (must have Valparaiso finish ahead of Butler)
Loyola
-- Clinches No. 7 seed with win AND Green Bay loss AND Valparaiso loss (must have Butler finish ahead of Valparaiso)
Youngstown State
-- Clinches No. 9 seed with win AND/OR UIC loss
UIC
-- Clinches No. 9 seed with win AND Youngstown State loss
