Commissioner's 2014-15 Team Previews

[wh]

Youngstown State
2014 Record: Horizon: 6-10 (T 7th); Overall 15-17
Returns 40.7% of scoring (8th); 54.4% or rebounding (7th)

I have a confession to make. The kind of deep, dark secret normally saved for, well, the confessional: I feel sorry for Jerry Slocum, and I kinda like the guy. There, I've said it.




OK, back from the "Hail Marys." I know the criticisms of Slocum as a game coach (such as losing to Oakland in last year's Horizon tournament on an inexcusable coaching blunder); as a team coach (such as when Marcus Keene broke Ryan Weber's nose last year with a punch in practice); and as a grouch (I've never seen a shot of him smiling and yes, I recall his churlish response when little-used freshman Gabriel Dos Santos scored in the final seconds of a rout in Youngstown two seasons ago). Well, hey, I recall Eli Holman punching out some fellow students in a bar. Who wouldn't be a bit grouchy when you're losing by 40, even if it is a bit unfair to be angry at an 18 year old getting a rare chance to play for, well, playing? What coach doesn't make game mistakes now and then? At least he's not having to visit the county lockup regularly, like the coach at one Horizon school in Ohio.

Let's be honest - Slocum has a nearly impossible task at YSU; certainly the toughest job in the league. He's got to recruit kids to a small city that probably has a worse reputation, and less scenery, than Detroit. The University has no particular academic reputation, no standout programs to attract bright young kids. His is the only Horizon school where basketball is not the primary sport, and indeed football dominates the entire Mahoning Valley community. The school has no basketball tradition to draw on at all, at least not since being a small college power in the 1960s. In the four years immediately proceeding Slocum's arrival, YSU had won a total of 27 games, losing 86 (and at least 20 all four seasons). And Slocum himself is 62 years old—the odds of him getting a better coaching job, even if he were to rip off back-to-back Horizon titles, are virtually nil. In fact, no one who has been head coach of the Penguins has ever gotten another D-I head coaching job, and this is a program that started in 1927. So this is it for the renaissance man from tiny King's College, who dutifully toiled away at the small college level for three decades before getting a chance at DI. Even the school's official web bio admits that what marks Slocum's tenure is "patience, determination and resiliency," which is another way of saying, "don't blame this guy, our program sucks."

And in fact, with patience, determination, and resiliency, Slocum has slowly, slowly made progress. The back-to-back winning seasons in 2012 and 2013 were YSU's first since the 1983-1985 seasons. It's 2013 CIT bid was it's first since joining D-I in 1981. And he has slowly but steadily improved the caliber of recruit going to YSU, opening pipelines to Florida and the Detroit area.

And with that background we come to the first season in the post-Kendrick Perry era. Perry is the greatest player in Penguin history, and that's not a loss this program can take lightly. YSU also lost forward Kamren Belin (11.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg) to graduation. But at least those losses were expected. The unexpected was the loss of guard Ryan Weber, who understandably decided to transfer after his teamnonmate Keene broke his nose. Weber was coming into his own at the time of the incident – in the previous three games he had scored 59 points on 19 of 36 shooting. He missed a few games and had a couple rough games when he first came back, but closed the season by averaging 19 ppg in his last 4 games. But after the season ended, he wasted little time in transferring to Ball State, a big blow to YSU's future.

And yet, strangely, I'm a bit bullish on Youngstown State this year. Let me add a quick qualifier – "bullish" in a relative sense. I'd still have to pick YSU to finish 8th (which seems to be the consensus of the professional prognosticators), just because I'm not sure who'll they'll beat out other than UIC. But I'm pretty sure they will beat out someone to finish higher than 8th,, and I may be alone in not being shocked by the idea of a top 5 finish. I just think they are likely to be better than most seem to think. First, they have some real good recruits who could help out right away. But mainly, the Penguins have two veteran players I really like.

The first is junior forward Bobby Hain, one of the Florida boys that Slocum has been getting with some regularity. Last year Hain averaged 11.1 points and 7.7 rebounds on the season, but his numbers in conference play were even better, at 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds. He shot 50.9% for the year and 53% in conference play. He is remarkably sure-handed, with the fewest turnovers per minute played of any big man (by which I mean center or power forward) in the league. With Oakland's Corey Petros and Green Bay's Jordan Fouse, he was one of three big men in the league with more assists than turnovers. As a freshman, Hain showed talent but was inconsistent, as summed up in the season's first two games, in which he had 19 points and 11 rebounds against George Washington, followed by 0 and 0 against Georgia; and in the season's last two games, in which he had 11 points in the first round of the CIT, and 0 in the second round. Last year, however, he found that consistency, scoring between 10 and 18 points in 17 of YSU's final 20 games, and also grabbing at least 5 rebounds in 17 of those 20 contests. He averaged 10.9 rebounds in the season's final 10 games, and turned seven "double-doubles," more than any Horizon player except Petros. With the team's top three scorers gone, Hain will carry the offensive load, and could be poised for a monster season.

The other player I like is senior point guard DJ Cole. How good is Cole? He's the guy who pushed Kendrick Perry out of the point guard slot (or, more pessimistically but perhaps more realistically, the guy whose development allowed Kendrick Perry to move to the wing). Last season Cole built on a solid sophomore campaign by improving his numbers in pretty much every category—points, assists, rebounds, steals, turnovers, and mostly shooting percentage, from inside the arc, from three points, and from the stripe. In conference play, Cole hit a blistering 47% of his three point attempts, was second in assists (to Kahlil Felder) at 5.3 per game, and tied with Felder and Charlie Lee for the best assist/turnover ratio in the conference. Last year, with Perry, Belin, and Weber to handle the scoring, Cole still averaged 8.3 ppg. I think he's capable of putting quite a few more points on the board this year.

The rest of the lineup isn't nearly so impressive, but it's not so empty as some seem to think. For the #2 guard, Slocum can choose from Marcus "floats like a butterfly, stings at the Beeghly" Keene, or juco additions Osandai Vaughn and Shaun Stewart. Keene was a nice recruit for YSU out of Warren, Texas, a suburb of San Antonio, where he averaged 25 points as a senior, with his repeated late game heroics causing local papers to coin the phrase "Keenesanity!" His diminutive size (5'8" as a junior) made him available, and the fact that he grew a couple inches as a senior was icing on the cake. Keene started well, averaging over 10 points per game through November, including 20 against Massachusetts. But Keene's playing time was already dropping fast by the time he had his last big game, a 14 point effort at St. John's in late December. By late January, in the 5 games prior to punching out Weber, he had played just 33 minutes total, scoring 11 points. After the Weber incident, he was suspended for the season.

Given Keene's falling stock last season, I have to give the edge to one of the jucos, probably Stewart. Stewart signed with North Carolina A&T out of high school, and played in 12 games, averaging 1.9 points, as a freshman. That doesn't scream "Horizon League starter," but Stewart moved last season to Cloud (Ks.) CC, where he had a huge year, averaging 21.7 points and nearly 6 rebounds. Granted juco ain't D-I, but Stewart can score. Vaughn, however, is an option, too – he averaged over 19 ppg at Cape Fear CC last season. Jalon Plummer, a 6-5 sophomore from Romulus, is a deep option on the bench.

Meanwhile, look for Ferndale's Shawn Amiker, another one of Slocum's Michigan recruits, to start at the wing. Amiker is a slasher, a deadly finisher when he gets to the rim. He's not a three point shooter (just 8 attempts last season) and not an especially good ball handler. Amiker averaged under 6 points last season, but has shown the ability to score on occasion, with 20 and 25 point games last season.

At the other forward, Slocum is likely to go with one of two talented freshmen from Florida, 6-8, 200 lb. Bryce Nickels, or 6-7, 205 lb. Sidney Umude. Both players were recruiting coups for Slocum, and they would both see plenty of action even if Slocum had other options. Nickels chose YSU over offers from Georgia Tech and George Mason; Umude picked the Penguins over Murray State, Louisiana Tech, and a host of other mid-majors. ESPN rated them both as 3-star recruits. Nickels is a bit more polished and I think will get the starting role, but that will be decided in practice in the next few weeks. It wouldn't surprise me to see either perform at the level that Valpo's Alec Peters did last year, and that was quite good. (They are both more inside players than Peters, though). For bench help (or if it turns out both freshman flop), Slocum can call on senior Fletcher Larson, who averaged 12 minutes a game last season.

It's interesting to me how much this year's YSU and Oakland teams are alike. Each features a strong point guard (the league's top two last year in assists) and post player (#1 & 3 last year in rebounds, averaging 11 to 13 points). Each has an adequate veteran to put into the #3 slot. OU hopes St. John's transfer Matt Hooper will score from the shooting guard position; YSU has a couple of high scoring jucos it will try there. OU hopes at least one of the upperclassman forwards, McCune or Hill, will deliver, while YSU relies on a couple of well-regarded freshmen to fill that slot. Overall YSU is a bit weaker among the starters, but has a touch more depth.

In the end, I kinda like this YSU team, at least relative to most other observers. It's got lots of question marks, but pretty much every Horizon team does this year. I don't know if Slocum can get the offensive production he wants out of the jucos or Keene. I don't know if Umude or Nickels are ready to produce as freshmen. But at least Slocum has options. And if he's a bit thin up front, well, Slocum never goes deep into the bench anyway.

Wish Slocum luck and remember, somebody has to be the head basketball coach at Youngstown State: there but for the grace of God go you. Besides, if you can't wish good luck to a program that has never threatened anybody in the Horizon, who can you send off with well wishes?

Probable Starters
PG – 5-11 senior DJ Cole (8.3 ppg, 4.6 apg; .377 3P%)
SG – 6-0 junior Shaun Stewart (21.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.1 apg at Cloud CC)
SF – 6-5 senior Shawn Amiker (5.6 ppg, .611 FG%)
PF – 6-10 junior Bobby Hain (11.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, .509 FG%)
PF - 6-8 freshman Bryce Nickels

Other Key Players
G – 5-11 sophomore Marcus Keene (6.5 ppg, 2.2 apg)
G – 6-4 sophomore Osandai Vaughn (19.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg at Cape Fear CC)
PF – 6-7 freshman Sidney Umude
PF/C – 6-8 senior Fletcher Larson (1.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg)

[FWalum]

Does anyone have any further news or insight to Shane Hammink's situation? As noted in Commissioner's 2014-15 Team Previews:

Still up in the air is the fate of LSU transfer Shane Hammink, another tall (6-7) wing. Hammink, a junior from the Netherlands, averaged 11 minutes and started two games as a freshman but saw his time cut last year to just 120 minutes on the season. He is said to be seeking a waiver to play immediately but there is no word on that as we "go to press."

LSU spokesman Kent Lowe said they've been granted full releases, meaning they may transfer to the schools of their choice and in certain cases play as early as next season.  The 6-foot-7 Hammink, who is entering his junior year, has played in 47 games in his two years at LSU, averaging 1.6 points and 1.4 rebounds.

Is there any "word" on what is happening with this waiver request? 

It seems that Anthony Hickey was granted a waiver back in June to play at Oklahoma State.... was that because he was the higher profile player?  Or was it because his Dad cried foul in the Media?  Welcome to Stillwater, Anthony Hickey What riles me a little about this situation is that Hickey was most likely "run off" because of questionable behavior, having been suspended part of his sophomore year and also benched at the start of his Junior year.  So the "bad boy" high profile player gets the waiver and the two guys who just got "run off" because the coach wanted room on his roster have to, most likely, sit a year.  Speculation I know, but also based on perceived NCAA rulings history.

[wh]

Detroit
2014: 6-10 (7th place) Horizon; 13-19 overall
Returns 74.1% of scoring (1st); 60.1% of rebounding (4th)

The Titans preview is always the hardest, because most readers are already pretty familiar with the Titans. I try to think of something to say that might be new to Titan fans. So I'll start this year with a little general talk about how much one should reasonable expect a team to improve. The Titans were, after all, just 13-19 last year, 6-10 in conference. While hopes are high this season, the Titans need to improve a lot just to contend. Leaving aside the particulars of this team, how likely is that?

These are the 25 biggest improvements in overall record, and then in conference play, in the Horizon since 2000:

Overall Improvement
1. Milwaukee 2014: 8-24 to 21-14: +11.5
2. Detroit 2010: 7-23 to 20-14: + 11
3. Cleveland State 2008: 10-21 to 21-13: + 9.5
3. Cleveland State 2011: 16-17 to 27-9: + 9.5
5. Loyola 2002: 7-21 to 17-13: + 9
6. Green Bay 2004: 10-20 to 17-11: + 8
6. UIC 2013: 8-22 to 17-15: + 8
8. Wright State 2007: 13-15 to 23-10: +7.5
8. Butler 2007: 20-13 to 29-7: +7.5
8. Wright State 2013: 13-19 to 21-12: + 7.5
8. Loyola 2013: 7-23 to 15-16: + 7.5
12. Green Bay 2014: 18-15 to 24-7: + 7
13. Wright State 2001: 11-17 to 18-11: +6.5
13. Milwaukee 2003: 16-13 to 24-8: + 6.5
13. Cleveland State 2005: 4-25 to 9-17: +6.5
13. Valparaiso 2011: 15-17 to 23-12: +6.5
13. Youngstown State 2012: 9-21 to 16-15: +6.5
13. Cleveland State 2014: 14-18 to 21-12: + 6.5
19. Milwaukee 2000: 8-19 to 15-14: +6
19. UIC 2002: 11-17 to 20-14: + 6
19. Loyola 2006: 13-17 to 19-11: +6
22. Milwaukee 2005: 20-11 to 26-6:+5.5
22. Youngstown State 2007: 7-21 to 14-17: + 5.5
22. Milwaukee 2008: 9-22 to 14-16: +5.5
22. Green Bay 2009: 15-15 to 22-11: +5.5
22. Valparaiso 2010: 9-22 to 15-17: +5.5

Improvement in Conference Play
1. Cleveland State 2008: 3-13 to 12-6: +8
1. Youngstown State 2012: 2-16 to 10-8: +8
3. Green Bay 2004: 4-12 to 11-5: +7
3. Detroit 2010: 2-16 to 9-9: +7
3. Cleveland State 2014: 5-11 to 12-4: + 7
6. Loyola 2002: 2-12 to 9-7: + 6
6. Wright State 2004: 4-12 to 10-6: +6
6. Cleveland State 2005: 0-16 to 6-10: +6
9. Wright State 2007: 8-8 to 13-3: +5
9. Valparaiso 2010: 5-13 to 10-8: +5
9. UIC 2013: 3-15 to 7-9: + 5
9. Loyola 2013: 1-17 to 5-11: + 5
13. Loyola 2005: 4-12 to 8-8: +4
13. Butler 2006: 7-9 to 11-5: +4
13. Green Bay 2009: 9-9 to 13-5: +4
13. Wright State 2013: 7-11 to 10-6: + 4
13. Green Bay 2014: 10-6 to 14-2: + 4
13. Milwaukee 2014: 3-13 to 7-9: + 4
19. Cleveland State 2000: 6-8 to 9-5: +3
19. UIC 2000: 2-12 to 5-9: +3
19. Milwaukee 2002: 7-7 to 11-5: +3
19. Youngstown State 2007: 4-12 to 7-9: +3
19. Butler 2010: 15-3 to 18-0: +3
19. Milwaukee 2011: 10-8 to 13-5: +3
19. Cleveland State 2011: 10-8 to 13-5: +3

Some observations:
•   Combining the two lists, there are 34 teams total, or about 2 teams a year that improve by at least 5.5 games overall or 3 games in conference play. About half those teams had records better than last year's Titans in the year before their improvement.
•   That means that there are 17 teams - just over one per season - that improved by both 5.5 games overall and 3 games in conference in one year.
•   A three game improvement in conference would put the Titans at just 9-9. A five and a half game overall improvement would leave the Titans at 19-14 on the season. While obviously the Titans could be better, that latter number strikes me as a pretty realistic top assessment. I do think the Titans could be 4-5 games better in conference play.
•   No team appears on a list in consecutive years, except for Valpo, which went from 9-22 overall in 2009 to 15-17 in 2010 and to 23-12 in 2011. That bodes poorly for those hoping for better records from Milwaukee, Cleveland State, and Green Bay, which each appeared on both lists last season. Of course, Green Bay doesn't need to get better to win it all.
•   Of 23 teams that improved by more than 5 games overall between 2000 and 2013, only 8 improved at all the following season. The biggest such improvement was 6.5 games by Valpo in 2011. Cleveland State improved by 3.5 games in 2009; UIC by 3 games in 2003; Milwaukee by 2.5 games in 2009; Butler by 2 games in 2008; Loyola by 1 game in 2007; YSU in 2013 and Milwaukee in 2001 by just half a game.
•   Of 22 teams that improved by 3 or more games in conference play, only four -Valpo in 2011, Butler in 2007, Milwaukee in 2003 (all two games better), and Detroit in 2010 (+1) improved again the next season. Recognizing that each team is different, these last three bullets are more reasons I am not high on Milwaukee this year. Teams that improve as Milwaukee did last year rarely improve their record again the next season.
•   Improvement of 5 or more games in conference, the minimum I think the Titans would need to have a shot at the regular season title, has occurred on average two to three times every 3 years (12 times in 15 years total). It happened once last year, twice in 2013, and once in 2012.
•   In the 8 seasons included in which the league has had 9 teams playing 16 conference games, the league champ has averaged 13 wins. Reaching 13 conference wins would require a 7 game improvement, which has occurred just 5 times in the 15 years – but three times in the last five seasons.
•   The Titans would need to improve by 7 wins overall, or a minimum of 6.5 games, to get to 20 wins. That has happened 18 times in the 15 seasons, but 5 times in the last two seasons.

Sum that all up, it seems likely but by no means certain that one Horizon team will probably put up that type of 3 game improvement in conference, and 7 games overall, in 2015. If I were to name the Horizon team most likely to show that type of improvement, it would have to be Detroit, probably followed by Valpo. So that's good. But for the Titans to be that team, several players will have to step up.

Detroit loses 4 seniors from last year's 7th place team, including its top two rebounders. The most important loss is forward Evan Bruinsma (12.5 points, 7.7 rebounds). Center Ugochukwu Njoku was also a contributor this year, averaging just 4.1 points but 5.8 rebounds. Jermaine Lippert started a few games but averaged just 9 minutes and 1.8 points per game, and Olumide Solanke rarely played. You can see from Bruinsma's and Njoku's numbers that the Titans have a lot of rebounding to replace, and Bruinsma was the team's only reliable scorer after Juwan Howard. But I was a bit surprised to see, when I calculated the figures, that the Titans actually have a higher percentage of scoring returning than any other Horizon team (and a lot more than any team except Green Bay), and a higher combined scoring/rebounding percentage than any team except for Green Bay. And the Titans have as much incoming talent as any team in the league. This explains why most preseason publications are slating the Titans for the top 4 in the league (six of eight so far have placed the Titans 3rd or 4th).

But the Titans' talent does not configure neatly. Detroit has a slew of combo guards, guard/forwards, and forward/guards, but no classic point guard and not much bulk in the front line. Both a look at the roster, and the word filtering out of Titans practices suggest that Detroit is aiming to play a fast, run and gun style that takes advantage of their raw talent and the squad's depth. But such small teams typically rely on high shooting percentages to make it work, and Detroit was not a good shooting team last year, finishing dead last in the Horizon in three point shooting and overall shooting percentage, and ahead only of last place UIC in 2 point shooting percentage. Furthermore, UD's highest percentage shooters were the graduates Lippert, Njoku, and Bruinsma. And Coach Ray McCallum has tended to favor teams with a more classic lineup, including a big, true center when possible- I don't know if he's ever really had the small, run and shoot team. In the end, the Titans probably have the least predictable lineup in the Horizon, and it will be a challenge for the coaches to find the right mix from a talented bunch.

The Titans got a little head start on finding the right mix with a 4-game trip to Canada this summer, where the Titans won all 4 games, if not with ease, then without a great deal of drama. The Titans experimented with numerous lineups on the trip so it didn't give us a huge idea of what the coaches might be thinking, beyond our own observations of who did what.

The one given for the Titans is Juwan Howard, who averaged 18.3 points last season. Howard is the only player who is among the top 10 returning conference players in points, rebounds, and assists per game. He and Green Bay's Jordan Fouse are the only two among the top 10 returning players in both blocks and steals. After Kiefer Sykes, Howard is the leading preseason contender for Player of the Year. He's the rock, and a good one to build around.

The Titans' other returning starters are sophomore guards Jarod Williams and Matthew Grant. Entering the season, I rank Williams as the surest things on the Titans after Howard. Williams cracked the starting lineup 4 games in to last season, and went on to be selected to the Horizon All-Freshman team. Watching the Titans' Canada games on TV, I thought Williams looked especially good. He seemed confident that he could do what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it, and asserted himself as the team's floor general. Williams averaged 12.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on the trip, while shooting 57% from the floor. His running mate Grant moved into the starting lineup midway through last season, giving the Titans a starting backcourt of true freshmen for the first time in over 30 years. He is the Titans top returning scorer (7.9 ppg) after Howard.

I won't be at all surprised, however, if junior Carlton Brundidge gets the nod to start with Williams. A top 100 recruit in high school, "CB" fell behind Trey Burke at Michigan, and then transferred to Detroit after his freshman year. Last year CB's season went through three stages. Through the Titans first 8 games, CB averaged 10.9 ppg, but he took over 10 shots a game to do it, hitting just 35% from the floor. I'm not a big fan of pop psychiatry, but during this period, my impression was that CB was pressing, putting too much pressure on himself to pick of the slack for the semi-expected early departure of Ray McCallum and the unexpected early departure of Jason Calliste, and perhaps to prove himself as that "top 100" recruit who had signed with Michigan. After that, although CB stayed in the starting lineup a few more games, his minutes were cut and he entered phase two of the season. Over the next 15 games, he seemed totally out of sorts, uncertain and tentative. He shot a lot less, and averaged just 5.6 points per game, shooting under 33% and having his four highest turnover games of the season. During the last 5 games of this phase, he scored a total of just 15 points on 6 of 24 shooting. This phase ended against UIC, when he scored 2 points in a season low 11 minutes of action. Two nights later CB scored 15 points in an 86-78 loss to Cleveland State, launching the final segment of his season. Over the final 9 games, CB averaged 9 points on fewer than 6 shots per game, hitting 52% from the field. He also knocked down his last 18 free throw attempts of the season. This strong finish, and his new slimmed down look, gives me hope Carlton has his groove back. Brundidge does most of his damage driving through traffic in the lane, but to do that effectively he needs to connect on a higher percentage of three pointers (.286 last year). Otherwise defenders back a half step off him and Brundidge's first step is not quick enough to pass that first man. He also needs to hit free throws – he gets to the line far more than the other Titan guards, but until his late spurt, his free throw percentage last season was hovering below 60 percent. Whoever starts at the 2-guard, both Grant and Brundidge will get major minutes.

To go with the three combo guards, the Titans have a slew of #2/#3 players. Senior Brandan Kearney was a national top-150 recruit out of high school. His defense helped him break into Michigan State's rotation late in his freshman season. As a sophomore, he was averaging 17 minutes a game, but was apparently dissatisfied with his lack of an offensive role and decided to transfer mid-season. But as I've noted elsewhere, the mid-season transfer is a tough move – you come in when everybody else has been playing in games for 6 weeks, putting you a step behind, and by the time the rust is off the season is almost over. Kearney joined Arizona State last December but averaged just 6 minutes a game, in part due to the surprisingly strong play of freshman Egor Koulechov and juco transfer (and brief Titan verbal commit) Shaq McKissic. Disillusioned, Kearney returned to Detroit. At 6-6, with a good three point shot and enough ball-handling ability to play the point in a pinch, Kearney could be a match-up nightmare in the Horizon. But mainly, expect Kearney to be called on to shut down the other big shooting guards/wings in the league, such as OU's Max Hooper, Wright State's Joe Thomasson, and Milwaukee's Austin Arians.

Red shirt freshman Paris Bass is a 6-7 G/F with a 7 foot wingspan, who handles the ball well enough there's been some talk of him playing the point (though that is unlikely). Bass was considered a run-of-the-mill mid-major prospect as his senior year began, but he just kept growing as a senior and began dominating play in the spring semester. Still, it was thought that Bass, who was young for the Class of '13, would likely go prep for a year to fill out his gangly frame and make sure his academics were in order. A big summer on the AAU circuit brought him a bunch of offers, including high mid-majors such as Rhode Island and Illinois State, and had high majors including UConn and Memphis eyeing him for their class of 2014. The word among mid-majors was to get him in 2013, because if he went prep for a year, he'd have high majors all over him for 2014. Detroit got him, but he ended up redshirting anyway. He'll be good. The Sporting News has predicted him as Horizon Freshman of the Year. Of course TSN has also predicted the Titans to finish 8th, far and away the worst of any publication so far – so take the bitter with the sweet.

Also available is 6-5 junior Anton Wilson, who averaged 7 points per game last season while hitting 40% of his three-point attempts. Wilson was at one time a Rivals 150 recruit in high school, though his stock dropped as a senior. He's a streak shooter, and how much he plays this year will depend on him knocking down the shots. When he's on, he's got a beautiful stroke. In December 6-7 Colorado transfer Chris Jenkins joins the Titans. Jenkins was red-shirted as a freshman, and then enrolled in school for a few days last fall before deciding to transfer. The result of those few fall classes in Boulder was to cost Jenkins a semester of eligibility – his transfer sit out year didn't begin until spring semester. Jenkins was a first team All-Stater and a three star recruit at UD Jesuit high, but by the time he's eligible in December it will be two and a half years without playing in regular season games. The staff is said to be very high on Jenkins, but we'll say it again – that mid-season transfer is tough, and it will likely take Jenkins a while to reach his stride.

For classic forwards, besides Howard, the Titans have 6-6, 223 lb. senior Patick Onwenu, who averaged 4.3 points and 4 rebounds last season. Onwenu was very impressive in Canada, averaging 15.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in under 20 minutes per game, while shooting 57%. The Titans also landed both of Michigan's 2014 first team Class A All-State forwards this year in 6-6, 231 lb. Aaron Foster Smith (23 points and 12 rebounds at Taylor Truman) and 6-6 242 lb. Jaleel Hogan (16.8 points, 13.6 rebounds at Mt. Pleasant). Both will have a chance to earn minutes right away. Foster-Smith has generally been a slightly higher rated prospect, but Hogan's bulk may get him more playing time as a frosh. If Hogan played more above the rim, he'd be at Michigan State. Foster-Smith has a complete game.

Finally, the Titans have two skinny centers who should both get playing time. Patrick Ackerman is a 6-10 transfer from Penn State. Ackerman is tall but thin - he'll not provide a strong low post presence. 6-9 Youssoupha Kane joins the Titans from Western Nebraska CC, where he averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds. While both should get minutes, the Titans will often not have a center on the floor.

On paper, the talent is there, but most of these guys have not yet lived up to the scouting reports. Kearney, Wilson, and Brundidge were all Rivals 150 players in high school, but have yet to establish themselves as more than adequate bench players. Ackerman played just 83 minutes in two seasons at Penn State; Jenkins not at all in one at Colorado. I wouldn't be surprised if the freshmen forwards get 10 or minutes a game this year, but I wouldn't expect it. The redshirt frosh Bass will get PT, but we'll have to see what he does with it. Onwenu probably won a starting spot with his performance in Canada, but he's going to be asked to do quite a bit more than he's done in the past.

For the Titans to make major improvement, the guards need to shoot better, especially from behind the arc. Brundidge actually has the 7th highest shooting percentage in conference play of returning Horizon players, but he shot just 28.6% from behind the line on the season. Grant, whose three point shot was supposed to be a strength, hit just 30.8% of the three-point attempts, and Williams was a dismal 24.5%. All three shot even worse on threes in conference play.

The Titans have players who will cause a lot of match up problems; they shoot free throws well; they have depth; they have Juwan Howard. Whether that's enough to contend we will have to see. For now, put them in that mosh of teams (with Valpo, Oakland, Milwaukee, and Wright State) who will contend for spots 3-7 in the conference standings, with the Titans more likely near the top of that group.

Likely Starters:
G - 6-2 soph Jarod Williams (7.7 points, 2.0 assists)
G - 6-2 junior Carlton Brundidge (7.5 ppg).
F - 6-6 senior Juwan Howard (18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, .344 3P%; 83.9% FT)
F – 6-6 senior Patrick Onwenu (4.3 ppg, 4 rpg)
C - 6-10 junior Patrick Ackerman (transfer, Penn State)

Other Key Players
G – 6-1 soph Matthew Grant (7.9 points)
G/F – 6-7 RS freshman Paris Bass
G – 6-6 senior Brandan Kearney (1.2 ppg at Arizona State)
G/F – 6-7 RS sophomore Chris Jenkins (transfer, Colorado)
G/F – 6-5 junior Anton Wilson (7.0 ppg; 40.2% 3P%)

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Man, their roster is a beautiful mess.

Excellent point about expected improvement, year over year.  It's simply not realistic to peg your team to win 10-12 more games, almost no matter who you are. 

It'd be interesting to see the flip side...how much worse were people able to get? :/

[Kyle321n]

Some schlub finally finished his preview: http://www.midmajormadness.com/horizon-league/2014/11/5/6998415/2014-2015-horizon-league-preview

[bbtds]

Some schlub finally finished his preview: http://www.midmajormadness.com/horizon-league/2014/11/5/6998415/2014-2015-horizon-league-preview

You Rock!

[bbtds]

Some schlub finally finished his preview: http://www.midmajormadness.com/horizon-league/2014/11/5/6998415/2014-2015-horizon-league-preview

It will be interesting to see which hairstyle Matt Tiby starts the season and which hairstyle he ends it with.



   

[LaPorteAveApostle]

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2014/11/11/oakland-prove-naysayers-wrong-tougher-horizon/18864987/

"This schedule is like none we've ever had," Kampe said. "We play six consecutive games at home (Nov. 19-Dec. 3) early and then we go on the road.

...whose fault is that?...I wonder...

This season Kampe expects Felder to average 18 to 20 points along with 6-7 assists and Petros to average a double double.

We'll ask VU fans about the over/under on that.

Kampe said he wants Hooper to attempt about 10 3s a game.

Good luck with that.

Although "Max Hooper" has got to be one of the all-time best b-ball names.  (Sorry, Artis Cleveland.)

[LaPorteAveApostle]

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2014/11/11/detroit-mercy-preview-howard-jr-makes-titans-tick/18872145/

nothing really interesting here.  was going to say "kind of like the team itself!" but, hey, JHJr last year.  still ouch.

[bbtds]

I didn't think this deserved it own thread so I put it here with other previews. From the Indy Star. The Star recently laid off about 1/3 of their staff so the coverage will not be getting better for sure.

Valparaiso

Last year: 18-16 (9-7 in Horizon League)

Skinny: Bryce Drew's fourth season as head coach will be in pursuit of the program's fifth straight winning season, but the loss of four seniors is a big ask. One of the projected replacements, guard Lexus Williams, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the summer. Forward Alec Peters led the team in scoring 12 times last season, was Valpo's highest-scoring freshman in 15 years (12.7 points) and was named to the Horizon's All-Freshman team. In an eight-day stretch, Crusaders host New Mexico (Dec. 6) and Ball State (Dec. 13).

Follow Curt Cavin on Twitter at @curtcavin.

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2014/11/12/state-college-basketball-preview-iupui-poised-improvement/18908823/

[Kyle321n]

Oh yes, someone who's twitter profile list Auto Racing first then "other sports" second. I'm trusting his judgement 

[bbtds]

Oh yes, someone who's twitter profile list Auto Racing first then "other sports" second. I'm trusting his judgement 

Because it is publicity for the way Valpo is perceived through out the rest of the state, it is worth taking a look see. If for no other reason than to see what is not getting written about VU.

[Kyle321n]

Oh yes, someone who's twitter profile list Auto Racing first then "other sports" second. I'm trusting his judgement 

Because it is publicity for the way Valpo is perceived through out the rest of the state, it is worth taking a look see. If for no other reason than to see what is not getting written about VU.

I'm not knocking you. I'm just saying I'm going to take his word with a grain of salt. Saying that the loss of 4 seniors is a "big loss" is terrible reporting since 3 of those seniors weren't starters. Hell by the end of the season Coleman hardly played and with Nickerson coming in I think that's an upgrade. Losing Bobby and Moussa will hurt depth, but if Vashil and Jubril step up like we hope they do then the depth loss won't show as bad. Dority is the only one I'm really concerned about losing when you couple it with Lexus's injury. The way that's written makes is sound like we're in for a losing season. If we are under 20 wins this season it's a disappointment. If we're under .500 then it's pretty much a disaster of a season.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Saying that the loss of 4 seniors is a "big loss" is terrible reporting since 3 of those seniors weren't starters.

A "big loss" would have made more sense.  A "big ask" is...is not English.

That's how people make a big ask of themselves.

[valporun]

I'm almost certain that Curt Cavin was handed the assignment to write the preview, even if he doesn't know a thing about Horizon League basketball since Butler left. It's what newspapers are doing these days, even if we like it or not.

[valporun]

My local interest in UW-Milwaukee basketball has decided to red-shirt this season. Brock Stull, a 6-7 forward from Rockford, IL, decided to red-shirt this season with the Panthers because he wants to go to the postseason in his four years of eligibility, and since the Panthers can't go this season, he's holding out on being in Panther lineups until 2015-16. In some ways, I think this would be a good move for him, but then I wish the NCAA would also recruits that have signed NLIs to be able to go to another school with immediate eligibility if the original school was deemed ineligible for postseason play due to not meeting the APR.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I wish the NCAA would also recruits that have signed NLIs to be able to go to another school with immediate eligibility if the original school was deemed ineligible for postseason play due to not meeting the APR.

That's a great point, although...I wonder how Brock's teammates feel about him sitting himself out a year.

(on second thought...probably the same way the Greeks felt about Achilles in the Iliad until Patroclus' going down brought him off the DL.)

#theValpoDifference

[valporun]

Part of me thinks that Stull would have had a difficult time cracking the lineup. Redshirting is probably the best idea for him to gain some muscle mass and body for the inside. He was tall in high school, quick for his height, but had no body to him. I'm sure most of his teammates aren't worried about him.