Horizon League Preseason Awards

[zvillehaze]

The HL preseason awards come out next week.  Paul Oren shares his thoughts and ballot here ... http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/

[wh]

Would someone kindly copy and post the article.  All I have access to this weekend is my I-phone.  The Times mobile sight does not give access to their blogs.  Thanks in advance...

[Valpo2010]

Revealing my Horizon League Preseason Men's Basketball Ballot


  By Paul Oren pgmado@gmail.com

Believe it or not, the Valparaiso men's basketball team begins exhibition play three weeks from Saturday. It seems it was only yesterday when Ray McCallum was dunking with time running out and then dancing on the court at the Athletics-Recreation Center as Detroit blew out Valparaiso in the Horizon League title game. Much has happened since then for the Crusaders and the league and it's time to sort everything out as we look towards the 2012-13 season.

Who's In -- The Crusaders weren't supposed to lose anybody from last season's team and while the departures of Richie Edwards, Jay Harris and Hrvoje Vucic might not move the needle, the additions of Bobby Capobianco, Vashil Fernandez, Lavonte Dority, Jordan Coleman and Alex Rossi certainly might. It's hard to gather which of the new players will make an immediate impact. Capobianco could become an immediate starter, though who does he replace? Rossi is one of the best shooters I've ever seen in the ARC. If Dority is as good as advertised, then expect the Crusaders to run a full-court up-tempo game every moment of the second half of the year. Not sure what to think about Vashil, but if he is anything like Kikas Gomes, he'll be pushing for playing time. Coleman is an x-factor, but he has the size to get into the lane unlike Harris.

Who's Out -- The biggest departure from the Horizon League this off-season had little to do with a player, but with an entire team. Butler bolted the conference a year early for the A-10, but I still don't think that changes the favorites at the top of the conference. Yes, Butler should be improved this season, but I'm not buying them as better than Valparaiso or possibly Detroit. The biggest non-senior player departure in the league this season is Wright State's Julius Mays. After infamously tweeting his disdain for Valparaiso nightlife last year, Mays will take his talents to Lexington and play for the Wildcats. I wonder if that move will work out for him like it did for Brandon Wood (get to play on an aircraft carrier, see scoring cut in half, rarely getting NBA workouts).

The official preseason "awards" get released on Tuesday afternoon and as a voting member, I'll share my preseason ballot.

Projected order of finish

1. Valparaiso -- I see no scenario that the Crusaders don't win the league going away. They are just too talented and too experienced. I suspect Valparaiso will finish either 13-3 or 12-4, but would not be surprised at a 15-1 finish. Anything more than four conference losses would be a massive disappointment for a team that has high postseason hopes.

2. Detroit -- As much as I think Detroit is clearly in the upper-tier with Valparaiso, I still struggle with thinking the Titans can maintain success for an entire season. They've long been one of the most talented teams in the league, but in-fighting and fraternity fighting has often derailed the overall vision for the team. Ray McCallum Jr. got a taste of the national spotlight last season and the Titans became media darlings. They are good, but can they sustain success when the bright lights aren't on?

3. Green Bay -- Alec Brown is the best player in the league not named Broekhoff or McCallum, and he could become even better than those two this season. The Phoenix aren't quite at the level of Valpo or Detroit, but I don't see either one of those teams going up to the Resch Center and coming away with a victory. Brennan Cougill and Kiefer Sykes are two of my favorite players in the league and this could be the year that Green Bay breaks through to the next level.

4. Cleveland State -- I'm not sure there is a team that lost more from graduation than the Vikings. D'Aundray Brown, Jeremy Montgomery and Trevon Harmon were three very good HL players and injuries down the stretch led to a late-season collapse. The advantage for Gary Waters is the longtime coach was able to get some playing time for freshmen Anton Grady, Marlin Mason and Charlie Lee. Grady is the future of the league in my eyes and I'd be shocked if he's not in Player of the Year conversation next season.

5. Milwaukee -- Rob Jeter lost a lot from his team, but the Panthers always seem to reload. Interesting this season is a move back to the on-campus Klotsche Center. Being a Milwaukee native, I'll be curious to see the kind of community support the Panthers can get playing in a different part of the city. The Panthers still have some talent and Jeter is a solid coach who won't accept losing.

6. Youngstown State -- The Penguins have some good players, there is no doubt of that this season. Blake Allen, Kendrick Perry and Damian Eargle represent a very solid trio, but is there anything else beyond them?

7. UIC -- Howard Moore has spent the last year rearranging his roster and getting after Chicago players. This will be the first year where we'll see how it all comes together. I think Gary Talton is underrated in the league and I'm looking forward to seeing what the point guard does in his second year running the show.

8. Loyola -- Obviously I'm looking at the Valparaiso newcomers as impact players this season, but the one transfer who I think will turn some heads is Loyola point guard Cully Payne. The former Iowa floor general should bridge the transition as the Ramblers, like UIC, are doing a better job getting local talent onto the roster. Both Loyola and UIC are on the way up.

9. Wright State -- Oh how the mighty have fallen. The Raiders are a wildcard this year because I honestly know very little about their roster. Losing Mays could be a crushing blow or it could allow Billy Donlon to circle the wagons a bit. I'll reevaluate my projected order after the non-conference schedule and the Raiders will be one team I have my eye on.

Preseason First Team

Player of the Year -- Ryan Broekhoff, Valparaiso.

* Yes, Ray McCallum is a very good basketball player, but if I'm starting a team in the Horizon League, give me the best player on the best team. There is nothing on a basketball court that Broekhoff can't do and his experience with the Australian national team (coupled with the disappointment of last season) will put the senior into another gear. This could be a special year at the ARC as far as Broekhoff is concerned.

Ray McCallum, Detroit

* When the preseason awards get revealed on Tuesday, I won't be surprised if McCallum is the Preseason Player of the Year. Like I said earlier, he's very good, but I just have problems with Detroit's on-again, off-again playing style. If McCallum is going to be great, he needs to lead Detroit to sustained success throughout the year. That's the biggest question.

Alec Brown, Green Bay

* Brown has had some injury concerns during the fall, but I've also heard that he's added some more muscle (he could use it). Brown is the best defensive big man the conference has seen in quite a while. If he can refine his offensive skills and become the total package, he could usurp Broekhoff/McCallum.

Kevin Van Wijk, Valparaiso

* Van Wijk is often the forgotten man in conversations about Valparaiso basketball. Broekhoff gets a lot of accolades and the buzz around the team right now is centering around the newcomers. Van Wijk revitalized his career last season and if he can stay healthy and recover from off-season knee surgery, Van Wijk can continue to be a game-changer for the Crusaders.

Kendrick Perry, Youngstown State

* Perry was exceptional last season and he'll only get better this year. The Penguins really could surprise some people this season and Perry is a big reason why.

Preseason Second Team

Anton Grady, Cleveland State

Ben Averkamp, Loyola

Nick Minnerath, Detroit

Damian Eargle, Youngstown State

Keifer Sykes, Green Bay

* It's hard to crack the first team when all five members from last season's All-League team return. Grady and Minnerath are the two players that stand out to me as the ones who could break through the ceiling. Grady was a force by the end of last season and Minnerath is viewed by a lot of people in the league as the best player on Detroit's roster.

In closing, this is going to be an awful fun year in the Horizon League. Sure, Butler will be missed, but the changing of the guard at the top of the league was going to happen with or without the Bulldogs in the conference. Valparaiso and Detroit should have two great battles with each other this season while Green Bay and to a lesser extent, Cleveland State, will be in the mix as well. If a team other than Valparaiso or Detroit cuts down the nets in March, I'll be shocked. Actually, let me rephrase that. If a team other than Valparaiso is cutting down the nets in March, I'll be shocked and the team will view the year as a total disappointment. It's the NCAA tournament or bust for this squad in 2012-13. Time to enjoy the ride.

[vu72]

I'll go out on a limb and predict one of our newcomers makes the second team all conference. It could also be sixth man of the year.  I'll say Capo or Rossi.

[historyman]

It's all good and exactly what Paul Oren should be doing in predicting Valpo to win the HL NCAA spot (there will not be any at large bids from the HL) but if the team doesn't believe and find some way to an underdog mentality they will not be in the NCAA tourney. Mark those words for early March! (Some might even say BOOK IT!)   8)

[EddieCabot]

Agree with most of Oren's thoughts, but I'm surprised he didn't mention the possibility of Valpo running the table in the Horizon League this year.  Other than games at Detroit (and maybe Green Bay), I would expect them to be favored in every game.  That would certainly be something that would grab national attention and improve tournament seeding.

He also mentions the importance of Valpo "cutting down the nets" in March, but with their loaded up non-conference schedule, Valpo has a great shot at an at-large bid even if they stumble in the Horizon tournament.

As for his team predictions, I wouldn't be surprised to see YSU and Loyola finishing ahead of CSU and Milwaukee this year.  Quite frankly, nothing that happens in the bottom 6 (after Valpo, Detroit and GB) would surprise me.

[wh]

Agree with most of Oren's thoughts, but I'm surprised he didn't mention the possibility of Valpo running the table in the Horizon League this year.  Other than games at Detroit (and maybe Green Bay), I would expect them to be favored in every game.  That would certainly be something that would grab national attention and improve tournament seeding.

He also mentions the importance of Valpo "cutting down the nets" in March, but with their loaded up non-conference schedule, Valpo has a great shot at an at-large bid even if they stumble in the Horizon tournament.

As for his team predictions, I wouldn't be surprised to see YSU and Loyola finishing ahead of CSU and Milwaukee this year.  Quite frankly, nothing that happens in the bottom 6 (after Valpo, Detroit and GB) would surprise me.

There's nothing I would like better than to run the table, but I don't allow myself to think about that.  I know Butler did it 3 years ago, but that was a team for the ages.  Personally, I'll be more than happy if they can just win the league again and then win their first HL tournament.

[FWalum]

Kevin Van Wijk, Valparaiso

* Van Wijk is often the forgotten man in conversations about Valparaiso basketball. Broekhoff gets a lot of accolades and the buzz around the team right now is centering around the newcomers. Van Wijk revitalized his career last season and if he can stay healthy and recover from off-season knee surgery, Van Wijk can continue to be a game-changer for the Crusaders.

Had it been mentioned anywhere on the board that Kevin had knee surgery?  If it was I must have missed it.  Any further info on this?

[vuweathernerd]

Kevin Van Wijk, Valparaiso

* Van Wijk is often the forgotten man in conversations about Valparaiso basketball. Broekhoff gets a lot of accolades and the buzz around the team right now is centering around the newcomers. Van Wijk revitalized his career last season and if he can stay healthy and recover from off-season knee surgery, Van Wijk can continue to be a game-changer for the Crusaders.

Had it been mentioned anywhere on the board that Kevin had knee surgery?  If it was I must have missed it.  Any further info on this?

he's been medically cleared to resume basketball activity

[historyman]

Quote from: FWalum on Today at 10:22:37 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Had it been mentioned anywhere on the board that Kevin had knee surgery?  If it was I must have missed it.  Any further info on this?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is uncanny how well Valpo MBB keeps quiet the injuries their student athletes suffer. How many times have we gone to a game or sat down to watch an HLN broadcast and find out someone has an injury or get a report that a player is recovering from an injury we didn't know they had. More people know about my sore toe than about Valpo injuries. By the way it's coming along rather nicely. I'm only limping slightly now. 

[vu72]

Quote from: FWalum on Today at 10:22:37 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Had it been mentioned anywhere on the board that Kevin had knee surgery?  If it was I must have missed it.  Any further info on this?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is uncanny how well Valpo MBB keeps quiet the injuries their student athletes suffer. How many times have we gone to a game or sat down to watch an HLN broadcast and find out someone has an injury or get a report that a player is recovering from an injury we didn't know they had. More people know about my sore toe than about Valpo injuries. By the way it's coming along rather nicely. I'm only limping slightly now. 

[/b]

So, will you be at full strength for the start of the season?? 

[milanmiracle]

Agree with most of Oren's thoughts, but I'm surprised he didn't mention the possibility of Valpo running the table in the Horizon League this year.  Other than games at Detroit (and maybe Green Bay), I would expect them to be favored in every game.  That would certainly be something that would grab national attention and improve tournament seeding.

He also mentions the importance of Valpo "cutting down the nets" in March, but with their loaded up non-conference schedule, Valpo has a great shot at an at-large bid even if they stumble in the Horizon tournament.

As for his team predictions, I wouldn't be surprised to see YSU and Loyola finishing ahead of CSU and Milwaukee this year.  Quite frankly, nothing that happens in the bottom 6 (after Valpo, Detroit and GB) would surprise me.

Unless Valpo goes something and 2, or possibly 3, there's no at large bid coming. The schedule is better, but it's not at large bid good. There is 1 BCS conferernce team on the schedule, and unless you're beating Butler or Gonzaga winning agaist other mid majors doesn't help as much as finishing .500 in the Big East (or ACC, or Big 10, ect). Yes, beating Missouri State or New Mexico would help the resume, but it's unlikely to garner at large attention.

This season boils down to 2 games (hopefully not 3). ALL of the eggs are in that basket. NCAA or Bust! Winning the Horizon League title is good for seeding in the tournament, but outside of that it doesn't really matter.

March 7th, 8th and 11th...the most important days of this basketball season.

[historyman]

Quote from: vu72 on October 06, 2012, 08:41:04 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, will you be at full strength for the start of the season??
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only Doc Rod knows for sure. No, really, he checked it out for me. Said it was progressing nicely but there was a lot of infection in it when he saw it when I was changing footware & socks to run (well mostly walk) on the ARC track (okay, the thing that goes around the top section) and felt maybe I should keep taking some antibiotics or at least not "encourage" anymore infection. 

[dylanrocks]

Agree with most of Oren's thoughts, but I'm surprised he didn't mention the possibility of Valpo running the table in the Horizon League this year.  Other than games at Detroit (and maybe Green Bay), I would expect them to be favored in every game.  That would certainly be something that would grab national attention and improve tournament seeding.

He also mentions the importance of Valpo "cutting down the nets" in March, but with their loaded up non-conference schedule, Valpo has a great shot at an at-large bid even if they stumble in the Horizon tournament.

As for his team predictions, I wouldn't be surprised to see YSU and Loyola finishing ahead of CSU and Milwaukee this year.  Quite frankly, nothing that happens in the bottom 6 (after Valpo, Detroit and GB) would surprise me.

This season boils down to 2 games (hopefully not 3). ALL of the eggs are in that basket.

Gotta shake this mentality, milan.

The Crusaders can garner an at-large berth with their schedule.

[motowntitan]

Agree with most of Oren's thoughts, but I'm surprised he didn't mention the possibility of Valpo running the table in the Horizon League this year.  Other than games at Detroit (and maybe Green Bay), I would expect them to be favored in every game.  That would certainly be something that would grab national attention and improve tournament seeding.

He also mentions the importance of Valpo "cutting down the nets" in March, but with their loaded up non-conference schedule, Valpo has a great shot at an at-large bid even if they stumble in the Horizon tournament.

As for his team predictions, I wouldn't be surprised to see YSU and Loyola finishing ahead of CSU and Milwaukee this year.  Quite frankly, nothing that happens in the bottom 6 (after Valpo, Detroit and GB) would surprise me.

Sadly, Green Bay didn't follow a similar path as Detroit and Valpo for a non- con schedule.  If they could beat Wisc. or Marq., it would be huge.

Barring injuries to key players, I would be shocked if the top 3 were not Detroit, GB, or Valpo in some order.

[zvillehaze]

Official release:

http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/valparaiso-chosen-horizon-league-favorite-detroits-mccallum-repeats-as-preseason-player-of-the-year.html

[historyman]

Quote from: zvillehaze on October 09, 2012, 01:00:15 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Official release:

http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/valparaiso-chosen-horizon-league-favorite-detroits-mccallum-repeats-as-preseason-player-of-the-year.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Again, I repeat, without an underdog mentality Valpo does not go to the NCAA tourney. Of course, I'm sure the coaching staff knows this. I just think the fans should adopt this attitude too. You don't want to be like that board in Indianapolis or a player from UDM, do you?

[wh]

Horizon League ready to move past Butler
3 hours ago  •  Paul Oren Times Correspondent

ROSEMONT | Billy Donlon had something to get off his chest and the Wright State men's basketball coach used his time at the podium during the Horizon League Media Day to do so.

Donlon railed against local media in Dayton, national media, the coaches in the conference and even the Horizon League overall in not doing a better job of promoting the conference in the wake of Butler's departure last spring.

"We haven't been as outspoken as we need to be about how great this league is," Donlon said. "What happened was that Butler went to two national championship games, but we haven't done our job selling the overall league."

Donlon ranted for several minutes, albeit with a smile on his face the entire time, and talked about the current strength of the league, even with Butler now in the Atlantic-10.

"All people see is that Butler left and what that will do to the Horizon League," Donlon said. "Everybody is talking about Butler leaving, they finished fifth. They finished fifth!"

Butler leaving has no doubt changed the culture of the league. Instead of the Bulldogs being the media darlings, Valparaiso and Detroit were at the forefront of most conversations. Despite Valparaiso's overwhelming first-place projection in the preseason poll, there was a sense among every team that a place in the national spotlight is up for grabs as far as the Horizon League is concerned.

"There isn't a coach in this room that doesn't think they can't be the next national program (for the Horizon League)," Commissioner Jon LeCrone said while addressing the entire audience. "I don't think anything happens overnight. If you consider the evolution, we have a number of programs in the room that are close to breaking through."

One manner in which Butler's departure has affected the league has been scheduling. Gone are the traditions of travel partners and Thursday-Saturday conference games. With nine teams, conference games will be spread throughout the week and travel has been changed considerably.

"Change is good, but I don't know because we've never done it," Green Bay coach Brian Wardle said. "The one thing we'll have is a little more preparation time in between games."

Crisman important to Ramblers: Loyola coach Porter Moser will lean heavily on newcomers this season, which makes the role of sophomore Joe Crisman all the more important.

The Munster product is one of just four returners for Loyola this season and Moser is expecting a lot out of his now-healthy guard.

"Joe should've probably gotten our trainer a raise with all the work he did last season," Moser said. "I think Joe had eight different injuries, but he's healthy now and he's what I call a 'culture guy.' He's going to run through a wall for you and he's a guy you love having on your roster because he's all-in."

[wh]

VU men's basketball team overwhelming favorite to win Horizon League


http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/valparaiso-university/vu-men-s-basketball-team-overwhelming-favorite-to-win-horizon/article_59fff2c8-5283-5e64-a2f4-f2ead1ef848b.html

[wh]

Crusaders picked to win Horizon League


http://posttrib.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/15663663-419/crusaders-picked-to-win-horizon-league.html

[valpopal]

I hate to see McCallum selected over Ryan as pre-season pick for player of the year, especially since Ryan deserved the respect by winning the award last year. However, I also understand the greater strength and depth of this year's team might make it less likely Ryan will need to score or rebound as much as he did last year; therefore, his numbers might be overshadowed by those put up by McCallum, who will need to be his team's go to guy. Still, I hope Ryan and his teammates see this as further motivation for this year.

[motowntitan]

I hate to see McCallum selected over Ryan as pre-season pick for player of the year, especially since Ryan deserved the respect by winning the award last year. However, I also understand the greater strength and depth of this year's team might make it less likely Ryan will need to score or rebound as much as he did last year; therefore, his numbers might be overshadowed by those put up by McCallum, who will need to be his team's go to guy. Still, I hope Ryan and his teammates see this as further motivation for this year.

Ironically, when I first saw the article and post on the Titans Athletic site, McCallum looked not happy.  My speculation is that he was more upset that his team only garnered 4 first place votes (vs. 40).  It should be a great season for both our teams.  At this point, I just hope that the League can pull off a few early upsets to show that we are still relevant.

[zvillehaze]

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/15663868-419/lazerus-horizon-league-needs-to-find-next-butler.html

[wh]

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/15663868-419/lazerus-horizon-league-needs-to-find-next-butler.html

From the article:

The Horizon League's first Media Day in recent memory was a hit, even if Northwest Indiana and Chicago were the only league markets to send reporters.

So, 6 out of 9 teams can't get their local media to show up for a major conference event.  What, Milwaukee and Green Bay are too far now?  Or how about Detroit?  Simply pathetic and just another example of a bunch of programs waiting for someone else to make it happen for them.  The HL will never reach its potential until everyone does their part - recruiting at a higher level, putting together a respectable OOC schedule, increasing attendance, getting some respectable media coverage, etc., etc.  This conference needs more makers and fewer takers.

[dylanrocks]

Tell you what, call the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and ask it to send a reporter to an Horizon League men's basketball media day outside of the city and see how it's received.

I'm not sure that the paper will send anyone to any of our league road games or that we even have a beat reporter for our home games.

Frankly, I would love to have David Woods, Rob Demovsky or Mark Lazerus cover us. Problem is, none of them would be allowed to do what he saw fit.