Packed ARC to Play Host to Semifinal Matchups

Men's Basketball Bracket | Updated Notes

Men’s Basketball Schedule:
(3) Detroit vs. (2) Cleveland State, 6pm ET – ESPNU (live on ESPN3; tape-delay on ESPNU at 10:30)
(5) Butler at (1) Valparaiso, 8:30pm ET – ESPNU

An expected sellout at the ARC is expected to greet the semifinals of the Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship, with rematches from last week on tap.

After earning the double-bye as the No. 2 seed, Cleveland State (23-9) takes on Detroit (20-13), looking to record its third win of the year over the Titans.

The Vikings will be out to slow a Titans offense that posted 93 points on Friday night in racing past Youngstown State by 17 points to reach the semifinals. Cleveland State has been one of the top defensive teams in the country, holding teams to 59.5 points per game and coming away with 8.5 steals per game.

That defensive prowess was recognized by the League’s head coaches, who voted both D’Aundray Brown and Trey Harmon to the All-Defensive Team. Harmon was also recognized as a Second Team All-League honoree.

The Vikings have been proving their mettle away from home this season, posting a 12-5 record in those contests. Cleveland State is 11-4 in "true" road games and 1-1 in neutral site contests. The 11 "true" road wins are tied for the second most in the nation (Murray State and Wagner have 12), while CSU's 12 wins away from home are the fourth most in the country.

Meanwhile, Detroit owns the confidence of having shot 60 percent just 24 hours ago, as A strong first half led to a 93-76 victory for the Titans over Youngstown State in the second round of the Horizon League Championship. Five Titans finished in double figures as Ray McCallum led the way with a team-high 22 points along with seven assists. Eli Holman added his fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  Detroit shot a season-high 60 percent from the floor in the win.

In what is sure to be a charged atmosphere, Valparaiso (21-10) will host its first game as the No. 1 seed in the League Tournament against the team that has occupied the top spot in the conference over the last several years, Butler (20-13).

The Bulldogs bludgeoned Milwaukee, 71-49, with their physicality, finishing with 52 points in the paint in extending their run of not losing in March to 1,080 days. Utilizing its athleticism, Butler used alley-oops to Khyle Marshall throughout the game, seizing momentum early and never letting go.

Valparaiso, meanwhile, boasts its own gaudy note: over the last 20 years, the Crusaders are 16-2 when trying to beat an opponent for the third time in a season. Valpo has that exact chance against Butler, having swept the Bulldogs in the regular season.

Just like the first game of the day, the matchup figures to see one of the top defensive teams in the League trying to bottle one of the conference’s most explosive offenses. Meanwhile, the Crusaders will turn to Ryan Broekhoff and Kevin Van Wijk to match the rough-and-tumble Bulldogs.

The winners will meet in Tuesday’s Horizon League Championship, at the site of the highest remaining seed.