College basketball is back! The first round of games starts tonight, with the Champions Classic highlighting it all. College basketball has slowly become one of the premier sports to watch, due to the unpredictable upsets, the crazy fans and the lovely commentating of Jay Bilas. This article will dive into the little-known conference that is the Horizon League. Horizon League basketball sent one team to the NCAA Tournament last year, in Cleveland State. With Patrick Baldwin joining his dad at Milwaukee, the Horizon League may finally be put on the map.
If you want to read other articles about different conferences, teams or players, click here.
Horizon League Basketball Standings Predictions
- Wright State
- Milwaukee
- Northern Kentucky
- Cleveland State
- Oakland
- Detroit Mercy
- Purdue Fort Wayne
- Illinois Chicago
- Robert Morris
- Youngstown State
- Green Bay
- IUPUI
Horizon League Basketball Preview | The Favorites
Wright State
Scott Nagy may be the best mid-major coach in college basketball this year. He has the Raiders poised for a Horizon League run. Wright State should be playing with a chip on their shoulder this year, as they have won three straight Horizon League regular-season titles, but they have not made an NCAA Tournament. They return Tanner Holden, Grant Basile, Trey Calvin and Tim Finke, while also bringing in Milwaukee transfer C.J. Wilbourn. Their whole projected starting lineup consists of juniors. with both Holden and Basile averaging more than 15 points per game (ppg) last year.
Milwaukee
The big storyline for Milwaukee this offseason was bringing on highly-touted freshman and five-star recruit Patrick Baldwin Jr. Baldwin had scholarship offers from many of the big schools, but chose to attend Milwaukee where his father coaches. He alone should put Milwaukee at the top of the Horizon League this year.
Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky basically has the same team as last year. Marques Warrick, David Bohm and Trevon Faulkner combined for just under 40 ppg last year. With Trey Robinson, this team has enough experience and depth to contend for the Horizon League this year.
Horizon League Basketball Preview | The Middle
Cleveland State
Cleveland State is one of the better Horizon League basketball teams this year, so why do I have them at four? They do not rebound the ball well. They only had one player who averaged over 5.3 rebounds per game last year. The Vikings should have a starting lineup of all seniors this year. Partnered with two-time Horizon League coach of the year, Dennis Gates, Cleveland State should have the scoring and experience to finish close to the top of the conference.
Oakland
The Golden Grizzlies should be in the top-six in the Horizon League based on head coach Greg Kampe. He is exceptional at playing to his strengths with whatever team he has. Senior point guard Jalen Moore averaged just shy of 18 points last year. Partnered with Marquette transfer Jamal Cain, Oakland should be a sleeper in the Horizon League this year.
Detroit Mercy
Head coach Mike Davis found a bright spot with the Titans last season, with his son Antoine Davis averaging 24 ppg last year. He is back this season and will look to carry Detroit Mercy again. Like Baldwin at Milwaukee, if Davis can stay healthy, he can lead the Titans to a deep Horizon League tournament run.
Purdue Fort Wayne
The Mastodons have experience like no tomorrow. They have eight players on their team who are either juniors or seniors, including five seniors in their projected starting lineup. Their simple offense of read and react should provide an easy transition from the COVID-19 pandemic last season.
Illinois Chicago
Much like Purdue Fort Wayne, UIC has nine players on the roster who are upperclassmen. The Flames should treat this season as a re-do, as most of their season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic last year. While UIC may not be a Horizon League basketball contender, they should improve and set up a nice future for later seasons.
Robert Morris
Robert Morris is projected to have four transfers in their starting lineup and eight transfers on the roster in general. This could be both a good thing and a bad thing. Who knows how well the players are going to jell with each other this year, but with experience from schools all over the country, there is going to be a diverse set of skills for the Colonials.
Horizon League Basketball Preview | Bottom of the Barrel
Youngstown State
The Penguins were one of a handful of teams who beat Wright State in conference play last year. That is a building block for this year. The problem with this team is that they cannot defend very well. They are good at scoring, but given the defensive problems, look for the Penguins to come out fast but struggle to finish games.
Green Bay
The Phoenix were a force at the end of the year last year. If they could have put it together in the beginning of the year, it’s possible that Green Bay could have won the conference. Emmanuel Ansong returns for his senior year, where he is projected to be their best player and carry the Phoenix. Think of this year as a rebuilding year for Will Ryan’s squad.
IUPUI
The Jaguars are not a great basketball program. They bring in BJ Maxwell, who was an 18.6 ppg scorer last year in division two. Outside of that, the Jaguars do not have one player who averaged more than 5.7 ppg last year. IUPUI will struggle to win games this season and are almost guaranteed to be last in the Horizon League.
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