Horizon League 2015-2016

[vu72]

Thought I'd start this one.  If we are hoping to schedule better teams, we certainly could be helped by our own conference scheduling stronger competition and winning some of those game.

I took a look at the rosters of the Horizon League teams and found the following teams and their senior losses:

Green Bay

Greg Mays
Keifer Sykes
Alfonso McKennie

Cleveland State

Charlie Lee
Marlon Mason

Oakland

Dante Williams
Corey Petros

Wright State

Reggie Arceneaux
Chrichawn Hopkins
Kendall Griffin

Detroit

Juwan Howard Jr.
Brandan Kearney

Milwaukee

Steve McWhorter

UIC

Jay Harris
Marc Brown
Ahman Fells

YSU

Shawn Amiker
DJ Cole
Keene
Vaughn

Valpo

Vashil

I obviously only included players who made a significant impact this last year.  Would love to hear from fans from other teams as to who they think will have a significant impact either from new freshman or transfers.  At the moment I don't see anyone other than Valpo who won't be hit hard by departures.  I think overall that the Horizon will be a weaker conference next year.

Thoughts?

[agibson]

It was a pretty horrible year for the HL this year - I hope it can't get any worse!

[talksalot]

Oakland will be vastly improved... two folks with Walker in their names... just to annoy Chef in the game-calling... I see Valpo #1, Oakland #2 and probably CSU with #3 Trey Lewis at #3  .... Youngstown somewhere between #14 and #15... 

[SanityLost17]

You are wrong.  Conference as a whole will be much stronger next year, IF the coaches dont screw it up. 

[vu72]

You are wrong.  Conference as a whole will be much stronger next year, IF the coaches dont screw it up. 

Strong statement.  And your reasons are??   

[LaPorteAveApostle]

IF the coaches dont screw it up

obligatory.  saw this live...even more amazing in the moment.
John L. Smith's meltdown against Ohio State in 2005
take that mark turgeon that's how you do a halftime blurb

[valpospartan]

IF the coaches dont screw it up

obligatory.  saw this live...even more amazing in the moment.
John L. Smith's meltdown against Ohio State in 2005
take that mark turgeon that's how you do a halftime blurb

Hey, LPAP, you seem to have quite a fascination with Michigan State coaches, as you keep posting about them.
I must admit, though,  that I think that John L. Smith was a real knob.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I just like to remember the good old days, when Little Brother knew his place, ok?

[vu72]

back on topic boys...

[SanityLost17]

How good the league is all depends on the RPI each team can bring in to the start of the conference season.   

1. Valpo -  Potential RPI in the 20-40 range if they schedule appropriately 
2. Oakland - Excellent transfers, talented youth, good recruits - Potentially could be just as good or better than Valpo next year.  The question is, do they schedule appropriately and bring in an RPI in the 50-70 range, or schedule poorly and bring in an RPI in the 180-220 range.   
3. CSU - Grady and Lewis are back and that is all that matters.  They have the potential to be a top 100 RPI team coming into confernece. 
4. Detroit - Losing JHJR will be a blessing for that team.  He took a bunch of bad shots.  If Ray McCallum can use this opportunity to teach his team how to run a real offense, they have all the tools they need to be a surprise team in the league, just like we were this year.  I watched six games of theirs and that team does have real talent returning.  With just an average coaching job, they could have an RPI in the 120's range to start the season.   
5. Milwaukee - They get their 3 point ace back and have Tiby.  Jordan imporved a lot this year and Akem? has tremendous athleticism.  They have some good size.  They will be a lot better than you think, especially since they will be tournament eligible again this year.  Extra motivation.  With proper scheduling, I think they have enough talent to have an RPI in the 150-170 range.   
6. Green Bay - They lose a lot, but they have some really talented freshman coming in.  Fouse and Love are both really good.  Obviously they are going to take a step back, but I would be shocked if their RPI is any lower than 170 coming into the conference season. 
7. Wright State -  Injuries ruined their season.  Their youth received a lot of PT.  That will help them next year.  I saw a lot of potential in their freshman and sophomore classes.  Plus, they had some height red shirting, which was their big issue this year aside from injuries.  I bet they can get an RPI in the 190's.     
8. UIC - Will be really bad
9. YSU - Will be really bad 

As long as UIC and YSU are not historically bad, the league should be much better next year.  They top 7 teams all SHOULD come into the season with a top 200 RPI.  Only 4 schools did that last year.       

[classof2014]

YSU will be historically bad. Keene and Vaughn are leaving, two guys that saw the court regularly and Hain took a step backwards last season. YSU will be in the 300s.

They aren't just bad. They'll be historically bad.

[valporun]

And Jerry Slocum will still be Youngstown St.'s coach because basketball isn't their sport.

[Commissioner]

The Conference should be better next year. Assuming CSU doesn't lose Anton Grady and Trey Lewis (both of whom could transfer to a high major and be eligible immediately) 4 of 5 first team all-conference players return, and arguably all 4 were better than the guy who won conference POY. 6 of the top 10 scorers, 7 of the top 10 rebounders (including 5 of the top 6), 5 of the top 10 in assists, 6 of the top 10 in steals and blocks, return. If the league named a second team all-frosh, it would have been as good as you would have seen in several years, with players like Skara, Detroit's Jaleel Hogan, Milwaukee's Justin Jordan, UIC's Tai Odiase, YSU's Cameron Morse, maybe your guy Joseph.

It's also been a good recruiting year for many teams. You guys got Smits, a huge get for you and the the league. In most years he'd be rated the best recruit in the conference, easily, but he may not be the best recruit signed in the Horizon this year - Detroit signee Josh McFolley was ranked in the top 100 nationally by Lindy's and is generally considered the best senior point guard in the state of Michigan. Oakland also got a really good center, Brad Brechting, though he probably won't have a big impact as a frosh. Green Bay and Cleveland State had good recruiting years -  CSU signed a forward named Jeron Rogers who is really good and had high major offers. In many years *he* would be the best signee in the league. The league will also see an influx of talent that sat out this year -- red-shirted freshmen (Wright State has a couple redshirted big guys who might come through; Detroit will see Aaron Foster-Smith, a first team all-state forward in Michigan a year ago who many compare to Nick Minnerath, become eligible; there are a lot of other good redshirt frosh, such as CSU's Jon Janssen, "coming on line" next year), transfers (especially Oakland, which has Percy Gibson, a rotation player from Iowa State to plug in for Corey Petros; plus Sherron Dorsey-Walker also from Iowa State, who can give Felder some relief at the point as well play the #2; and Martez Walker, a first-team all-stater in Michigan who was a rotation player as a freshman at Texas, but left after an ugly incident of girl friend abuse; and also guys like your Hammink), and injuries (mainly your guy Williams, also Austin Arians from Milwaukee). Obviously transfers out could hurt -- YSU, as noted in this thread, has already gone from so-so to so, so bad with the loss of two of its three best returning playing - but overall, the new talent looks strong, and we still have spring signings to come.

I think the league overall improves, quite possibly by a lot.

Congratulations on your season, btw. I believe I wrote somewhere back in October that if the other Horizon teams didn't stop Valpo this year, it was going to be awfully hard to stop you guys the next couple seasons. I think you can have legit hopes for an at-large berth (if needed) and even a possible top 25 ranking next year, if your kids play to their full potential. Personally, as a Detroit fan, I see Valpo as a bigger rival than Oakland, although we need to get competitive again fast to really stoke this rivalry. But delaying your clinching the league title was at least something for Titan fans to enjoy in a disappointing year.

And I appreciate WH sharing my conference previews and such over here.

[wh]

Excellent preview - very informative - much appreciated!

[FWalum]

If the league named a second team all-frosh, it would have been as good as you would have seen in several years, with players like Skara, Detroit's Jaleel Hogan, Milwaukee's Justin Jordan, UIC's Tai Odiase, YSU's Cameron Morse, maybe your guy Joseph.

Speaking of freshman, I know you caught a lot of flak about Walker and Joseph

Finally, what's with all the stuff on the Canadians? I write like 40,000 words or something on your team, and that's what you all seem focused on?

Some of us knew that Tevonn was thought of very highly by the staff, but most I think were surprised by his impact on the team. Any additional thoughts on him and some of the other top freshman in the league?

[motowntitan]

• I think we have to wait until the semesters end to find out about all the transfers.
• Sanity, I think we need to see schedules before even guessing on RPI
• You might have thought JH2 took alot of bad shots, but he still hit at a 43% rate and 40% from 3 pt.  The problem was the mis-utilization from coaching.
• In order for the league to truly improve, we need to have our top schools (at least two-three) actually post some good upsets in Nov/Dec

As it is now, CSU will drop without Lewis, even lower if Grady leaves too.
I think Milw and WSU (without injuries) will finish higher than Dtroit.  Can't argue with Valpo/Oakland at 1-2 now.

[a3uge]

Guess we'll have to play on this monstrosity:

[valpotx]

Trying to differentiate themselves in recruiting

[valpo64]

What and where is this court???

[vu72]

What and where is this court???

That is the O'rena at Oakland

[StlVUFan]

Shrug.  It's a regulation floor, isn't it?

Monstrosity?

I must be out of touch when it comes to aesthetics these days.  Sunday night my whole twitter timeline was blowing up over ESPN's new K-Zone graphic that I barely noticed like it was completely distracting them from the game.  Half the teams in College basketball apparently wear utter abominations for uniforms, provoking a violent revolution of some sort.

Is this what it's like to become an old fart?

[historyman]

I must be out of touch when it comes to aesthetics these days.

Yes, you are.

Is this what it's like to become an old fart?

Yes, it is.

Take it from another old fart.

I watched a video today of Valpo history through the years and remembered being at many of the events that were over 35 to 40 years old.

[valpo64]

Now with his black court maybe the "king" will be invisible in his black garb while patrolling the sidelines.

[StlVUFan]

OK.  Educate me.

What in the world is so bad about their new floor?

[bbtds]

OK.  Educate me.

What in the world is so bad about their new floor?

Someone might trip over that floor broom.