INDIANAPOLIS -- If there is a singular lesson to be taken from non-conference play during the 2012-13 men's basketball season, it's one that has been written already and will be written again but still bears repeating: the demise of the Horizon League is, in fact, a greatly exaggerated falacy.
On the first night of Horizon League action, four of the circuit's top six teams face off. Combined, those four squads have beaten the likes of Georgia, Mercer, Iona, Northwestern, Colorado State, Mississippi State, DePaul and Murray State. Georgia and Colorado State had both received votes in the national polls before being defeated by Youngstown State and UIC, respectively.
Once again, the Horizon League has proven itself on a national level. Now, the four teams in action tonight -- Valparaiso, Loyola, UIC and Youngstown State -- must prove themselves to each other.
Valparaiso has to prove that it can be the team it was projected to be when the Crusaders were the preseason pick to finish first in the Horizon League. Led by defending Player of the Year Ryan Broekhoff and his First-Team All-League counterpart Kevin Van Wijk, Valparaiso's 10 wins are the most in the Horizon League thus far.
But their four losses leave a bad taste that overshadows their early-season success. The Crusaders suffered road losses to Nebraska, Saint Louis, New Mexico and Oakland before finally finding a signature road win with a two-point victory over Murray State on Saturday.
“We had three really good days of practice, and Murray’s one of the better teams in the country. They’re going to be an NCAA Tournament team,” second-year head coach Bryce Drew said after the win, arguably the best of his short tenure. “For our guys to win in that type of environment, against that quality of a team, it’s a great blessing.”
And while Broekhoff and Van Wijk garner most of the attention for Valpo -- and deservedly so -- it was senior guard Ben Boggs who sealed the win for the Crusaders, scoring the last half of a late 10-0 run with a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer. That win over the Racers could provide just the push Valparaiso needs heading into Horizon League play.
Meanwhile, the two Chicago teams have to prove that they have staying power. Projected to finish seventh and eighth, respectively, Loyola currently sits atop the Horizon League at 9-3 while UIC -- which started 9-1 -- is ranked fourth after losing each of its last three games.
The Ramblers on Saturday defeated inter-city rival DePaul for the first time since 1989, led by a game-high 24 points from Cully Payne, his highest output this season. And that might only be Loyola's second-best win of the year. In the Game of Change reunion on Dec. 15, the Ramblers defeated Mississippi State as Devon Turk poured in a game- and career-high 21 points.
Loyola also put up a fight on the road against nationally-ranked Michigan State before falling late. With consistent leadership from senior Ben Averkamp, a Second-Team All-League honoree, and second-year head coach Porter Moser, Loyola could be the Cinderella story at the Horizon League ball.
Could be, of course, being the operative phrase. Cross-town rival UIC is also in contention for that title, assuming momentum has not already alienated the Flames.
UIC has provided more than its fair share of signature wins to the Horizon League early this season, beating Mercer and Iona in the Paradise Jam Tournament before beating Northwestern in Evanston and then beating Colorado State at home.
The past two weeks have been unkind to the Flames, however, as second-year head coach Howard Moore has seen his defensive-minded squad fall by double-digits each of the last three times out. Returning home could be a major boon for UIC: the Flames are 6-0 at the Pavilion this season.
And finally, the Penguins are just trying to prove that they belong. Youngstown State gave the Horizon League its first signature win of the season with a 12-point road victory over the Georgia Bulldogs, but it has been on somewhat of a roller coaster ride ever since, dropping overtime games to North Dakota State and Kent State along with a last-second defeat against James Madison. At 8-5, the Penguins enter Horizon League play tied with Cleveland State and Detroit for fifth-place.
Never one to hide his feelings, eighth-year head coach Jerry Slocum knows his team needs to improve if the Penguins want to contend. He says his team needs to shoot better, play physical and rebound.
"If you rebound the basketball, you'll have a chance to win every night," Slocum said of Horizon League play. "It's so physical. It's about manning up and getting rebounds. Those are two things in which we have to do a better job."
That said, Youngstown State boasts two of the top players in the Horizon League and can play with just about anyone on a given night. First-Team All-League guard Kendrick Perry is averaging better than 16 points and nearly five assists per game while Second-Team All-League center Damian Eargle was a member of the 2012 All-Defensive Team and averages 3.5 blocks per game to go with 12.3 points and 7.4 rebounds.
Overshadowed by the kickoff of Horizon League action but not to be overlooked, Cleveland State takes on Kent State in a late non-conference matchup. The Golden Flashes are 1-1 against Horizon League teams this season, having lost to Valparaiso and beaten Youngstown State.
The Vikings, meanwhile, are 5-0 at home this year and have won three straight games against Kent State.
Want a chance to win a trip to the Horizon League men's basketball tournament? Visit HorizonLeagueSocialRewards.com and sign up today!
