KCOU
☰ Navigation

KCOU

Mizzou's student radio for 40 years

KCOU Stream

Your browser does not support the AUDIO tag
KCOU 88.1 FM

KCOU Sports Stream

Your browser does not support the AUDIO tag
  • Music
  • News
    • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Specialty Shows
  • Recording Studio
    • Equipment List
  • Schedule
  • About
    • Contact
    • Join Us
    • Public Inspection File
  • Donate
  • What Was That?

Horizon League Tournament Preview: Valpo On A Roll

  • Posted on March 5, 2016
  • by Taylor Wilson
  • in Sports

By: Chris Olszewski

The Horizon League has been relatively successful in the NCAA tournament as of late. While a member of the conference, Butler reached the Final Four twice; the Bulldogs never won the tournament, but gave Duke a run for their money in 2010 and UConn in 2011. Since Butler’s departure from the conference in 2013, the Horizon League has largely been dominated by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Valparaiso University. This year is no different.

The favorites this year are once again the #1 seed Valparaiso Crusaders (26-5, 16-2). Coached by Coach of the Year finalist Bryce Drew and led on the court by All-League First Team Alec Peters and Defensive Player of the Year Vashil Fernandez, the Crusaders went 26-5 over the course of the regular season. The team led all Division I squads in points allowed per possession (0.87), and have been hailed by some (including Reid Forgrave) as the best mid-major team in the country.

The biggest challenge to Valparaiso’s supremacy is likely the Wright State Raiders (19-12, 13-5). The Raiders handed Valparaiso both of their in-conference losses, and currently sit at the #3 seed. While the two can’t meet until the championship, it’s not a stretch to say Wright State could steam roll their competition on the way. Despite not having a player average more than 12.6 points a game, the Raiders have relied on a shooting percentage of 44.8 percent to maintain their status as one of Horizon’s heavyweights.

One shouldn’t sleep on the other perennial contender in the Horizon League, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers (19-12, 10-8). The Panthers had an off year, only doing well enough to garner a #5 seed. That statistic could be misleading, as Wright State, UW-Milwaukee, and the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay (19-12, 11-7) all ended the season with the same overall record. Of the three, the Panthers obviously had the toughest time in the conference; the Panthers only won one game against the conference’s top three seeds. However, they kept up with Wright State and proved that they can beat Oakland University (21-10, 13-5). One shouldn’t expect Milwaukee to run away with the tournament, but if there’s a “sleeper pick”, it’s the Panthers.

If there is a team that is overrated in the tournament, it is the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. The Grizzlies ended up with the same record as Wright State, but was given the #2 seed by dint of the head-to-head record. On the other hand, their losses are rather major. A pair of losses to Valparaiso aren’t unexpected, but losses to Youngstown State (11-20, 6-12) and Northern Kentucky (9-20, 5-13) are…unimpressive to say the least. Oakland’s saving grace is its large scoring margin: the Grizzlies are scoring 7.8 more points per game than their opponents. It’s unlikely, though, that Oakland makes it past the semifinals.

Try as they might, there really aren’t any teams that can touch Valparaiso other than Wright State. Expect those two to make the championship.

Prediction: Valparaiso over Wright State.

Very Specific Prediction: Valparaiso beats Milwaukee with double-doubles from both Peters and Fernandez.

Tags: CBB, College Basketball, Horizon League, Sports

About Taylor Wilson

View all posts by Taylor Wilson →
← West Coast Conference Tournament Preview: Zags Could Be Dethroned
Southern Conference Tournament Preview: SoCon Looks For Repeat Of Last Year’s Tournament Magic →

Recent Posts

  • Mizzou volleyball claims first round win over South Dakota
  • Review of Replay
  • Injuries and trades cause chaos in Western Conference playoff picture
  • Underdogs poised to make moves in NBA Eastern Conference
  • Mizzou loses home series to No. 15 LSU
Follow @kcou

Follow @kcounews

Follow @kcousports

Published by the Division of Student Affairs. 2500 MU Student Center  Columbia, MO 65211

© 2017 Curators of the University of Missouri. All rights reserved. DMCA and other copyright information. An equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer