One of the best things about covering live sporting events is you never know what you're gonna get. This weekend was no exception. In a matter of minutes we saw what I'm calling the Debacle at Hinkle and West Virginia need a last-second layup to beat Cleveland State. Two of the best games in the country ended on Horizon League courts.
(Little did I know that Saturday at 1:00 pm THIS video would best describe a 7-1 out-of-conference Horizon League weekend)
Let's start with the most surprising result in the league this weekend, the 80-78 contest played in Cleveland.
Final two minutes of the West Virginia – Cleveland State game (12/19/09)
West Virginia shot better from the field (56%), out-rebounded the Vikings (27-20), and had EIGHT blocks, but could never put Gary Waters' squad away. About halfway though the second half it was apparent that WVU's lead wasn't going to get much bigger and they were waiting for Cleveland State to roll over and die. What ended up happening was CSU finally hit a few shots, drew some fouls, scrapped and clawed on defense, and kept feeding Norris Cole.
I really think this is a stepping stone game for the young Vikings. They know that their press can confuse any team in the country. West Virginia entered Saturday's game in the top 30 in the country in every important ball control statistic. They'll need all the confidence they can get when they travel to Ohio State and Kansas State for their next two games.
On to the Debacle at Hinkle. The last minute of the game has been beat to death but I'll throw in my two cents (pun intended).
- I don't like that they retroactively changed the circumstances of the final play. They may have gotten the call correct but that last 14.7 seconds COULD have played out differently with the extra 1.8 seconds on the clock.
- Butler needs to improve defensively. They currently sit at 259th in the country in FG% defense (46%).
- During the People's Choice interview last week, coach Stevens told me "you never want to take away basketball sense from a player." That proved true again on Saturday when Gordon Hayward got up off the floor and found himself in the perfect spot to hit the eventual game-winning layup.
- Butler's schedule doesn't get ANY easier with a trip to UAB on Tuesday. The Blazers haven't lost since November 14th.
In the only conference game of the weekend Green Bay took care of Youngstown State. The return of Rahmon Fletcher was the biggest story from the Resch. Fletcher had 28 points in 28 minutes for the Phoenix, committing exactly ZERO turnovers and only taking eleven shots. If the season ended today, Horizon League Player of the Year would be a close vote between Fletcher and Hayward
Milwaukee had the most underrated victory of the weekend. The Panthers beat Miami (OH) 68-61. The Panthers only turned it over seven times and got 29 points from their bench. While James Eayrs has struggled from the field in December, freshmen Ja'Rob McCallum and Lonnie Boga have stepped up for coach Jeter. McCallum, touted as one of the best freshman shooters coming into the league, is 12/24 from the 3-point line on the season.
From the ‘you read it here first' department: The Green Bay women destroyed Marquette on Saturday and now stand at 10-0. The Phoenix have a game next monday against Southern Illinois before they enter league play. Have you figured out where I'm going with this yet? Green Bay went a perfect 18-0 in the HL regular season and are an astounding 80-4 in regular season league play in the last five seasons. The question begs to be asked...Can The Phoenix enter the HL Tournament undefeated?
