With March on the horizon, we are set to see another thrilling conference tournament. There are some new faces at the top of the standings this time around, including a rejuvenated Robert Morris squad that is looking to win their first Horizon league tournament championship. Cleveland State and Milwaukee look to shut the party down as they seek another March Madness appearance. Last season, we saw Milwaukee fall short of their tournament dreams to Jack Gohlke and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in a thrilling championship game. Will we get to see the same exciting tournament that we saw last year?
All odds courtesy of VSiN.
Favorites
Robert Morris (+240) Ovr. (23-8) Conf. (15-5)
After a shocking turnaround, the Robert Morris Colonials sit atop the Horizon League standings with a 15-5 conference record. Thanks to their late season push, the Colonials jumped the standings into first place with a seven game win streak including key wins on the road against Cleveland State and a massive win at home against Milwaukee. RMU has a starting five that can bring them to a conference championship including sophomore forward Alvaro Folgueiras. He’s averaged 20 points a game and has been key to their late season surge. Everything is clicking for the Colonials and there’s no sign of it stopping. RMU is seeking their first March Madness appearance since 2015 when it lost to Duke in the round of 64. Head coach Andrew Toole has given RMU its best years of basketball and looks to continue the success.
Cleveland State (+310) Ovr. (20-11) Conf. (14-6)
After a rough end to the regular season, Cleveland State sits as the No. 2 seed in the Horizon tournament. The Vikings are 3-5 in their last 8 games as momentum isn’t swinging their way. With senior guard Tevin Smith leading the team in points per game, it can easily pick up steam. Junior guard Tahj Staveskie is excellent from the 3-point line, shooting 35.9% from deep. Dylan Arnett has been excellent under the rim as a defensive staple, and with Je’Shawn Stevenson and Chase Robinson rounding out the starting five, the Vikings have shown they can beat the top dogs in the Horizon, including an 80-69 win over Robert Morris back on Jan. 8. Third year head coach Daniyal Robinson has kept the winning tradition at Cleveland State after taking over for now-Missouri coach Dennis Gates and can take them to a conference championship.
Milwaukee (+280) Ovr. (21-10) Conf. (14-6)
After falling short in the Horizon conference championship last year, the Panthers look to find themselves on the side of glory. Milwaukee has one of the most well-rounded teams in the conference; its starting five all averages over 10 points per game. Senior guard Themus Fulks leads the Panthers in FG% with 46.8%, while junior forward Jamichael Stillwell and senior guard Kentrell Pullian follow right behind him, both averaging over 45%. Milwaukee does lack bench depth, though. John Lovelace Jr. picked up the minutes during Erik Pratt’s injury but didn’t produce as well. Because of their strong starting five, the Panthers were tied with Cleveland State for the best average margin of victory in the Horizon. As long as Kentrell Pullian and Erik Pratt stay sharp at the 3-point line, we shouldn’t see head coach Bart Lundy go to his bench early. Milwaukee has a chance to finish what they started last year.
Dark Horse: Purdue Fort Wayne (+650) Ovr. (19-12) Conf. (12-8)
Purdue Fort Wayne was looking like the favorite to win the Horizon until its late season collapse. The Mastodons finished 1-4 in their final 5 games including losses against Robert Morris and Cleveland State. With a high flying offense, junior guard Jalen Jackson and senior guard Rasheed Bello look to bring the team back to its winning ways from earlier in the season. Bello has arguably been the Horizon’s hottest player as of late, and has led the Mastodons in scoring over the last eight games where he averaged 21.9 points. Fort Wayne matches up well with Youngstown State in the first round as Penguins guard E.J. Farmer will be limited due to injury. With a solid supporting cast including Corey Hadnot II, Eric Mulder and Quinton Morton-Robertson, the Mastodons can make a run in the Horizon tournament and into March Madness for the first time in school history.
Potential Cinderella: Northern Kentucky (30-1) Ovr. (16-15) Conf. (11-9)
The Norse are matched up to play Detroit Mercy in the first round at home. They won’t have an easy path to the conference championship after that. Head coach Darrin Horn has been coaching Northern Kentucky with a defensive mindset in his six-year tenure including a March Madness birth in 2023. Overall, Northern Kentucky is tied for fifth in the conference in defensive metrics, giving up an average of 72.1 point a game. The Norse have a couple of sneaky offensive weapons. Senior guard Trey Robinson leads the Norse with 15.7 points a game which is tied for sixth in the Horizon. Senior guard Josh Dilling can be one of the most dangerous 3-point weapons in the Horizon if he stays consistent. Alongside guard Sam Vinson, the big three for Northern Kentucky look to go far in their senior seasons.
Long Shot: IU Indianapolis (200-1) Ovr. (10-21) Conf. (6-14)
IU Indianapolis doesn’t have the most impressive conference resume. Its best win was on the road against Youngstown State 84-79 back on Feb. 1. One player who can shock the college basketball world is senior guard Paul Zilinskas. He’s been a monster since the beginning of February, averaging 21.1 points a game on 45.2% shooting for the Jaguars. Indianapolis is up against Wright State in the first round after coming off a win against them on Mar. 1. Zilinskas dropped 31 while senior guard Jarvis Walker put up 25 as well. Junior Sean Craig has heated up recently, scoring 22, 17, and 17 in his last three games. WIth this type of energy and maybe some March magic sprinkled in, you never know with a team like this.
Tournament Prediction
This has been one of the most competitive Horizon Leagues we’ve seen in a while, and I’ll say Milwaukee will take the crown over RMU in the championship to punch its ticket to the dance. Bart Lundy, who took over at Milwaukee before the 2022 season, gets his first NCAA Tournament appearance and the school’s first since 2014.