Season in review: Transition could be on the Horizon

LOYOLA LOOKS GOOD, UWM DONE FOR NOW, UIC IN RUNNING

(6/14/06)

This is the third and final part of a three-part series, looking back at the season and peeking ahead to next season. This installment looks at each Horizon League, what went right, what went wrong and a quick look at the future.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee once again won the Horizon League championship and won another game in the NCAA tournament, but there is definitely change in the air when it comes to the top of the conference

This could be the year of the Rambler in the Horizon League. With two-time defending conference tournament champion UWM and solid runner-up Butler losing several key players apiece, the landscape of the conference is definitely in transition.

On paper, Loyola, with stud guard Blake Schilb, is the favorite to walk away with the conference title. Schilb officially withdrew from the NBA Draft on Wednesday, so Rambler fans should be breathing easier.

A young, but talented group at Wisconsin-Green Bay gained valuable experience last year, could be the Ramblers’ top challengers. UIC, Detroit and Wright State return solid veteran cores that could easily throw a wrench into the race for the crown.

UIC (16-15 overall, 8-8 Horizon League)

Photo credit: Rob Freeman/ Chicago Flame UIC’s Othyus Jeffers, coming off a terrific sophomore year with the Flames, could be a serious contender for the Horizon League’s best player.

The good: Senior forward Justin Bowen blossomed into a leader, while sophomore swingman Othyus Jeffers and freshman guard Josh Mayo were terrific newcomers. The Flames earned road wins over Georgia Tech and Northwestern. Turning to a trapping zone defense late in the season, they won eight of their final 12 games and found a solid rotation of players in doing so.

The bad: UIC started 1-6 in conference, which included a six-game losing streak. The Flames were humbled at home by St. Xavier and Chicago State and were embarrassed twice by Butler and once by Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Sophomore guard Karl White and junior point D.J. Smedley failed to live up to expectations.

The future: The Flames return a solid core of players along with some quality newcomers. Jeffers is already Player of the Year material, and with his summer work ethic, may be the best junior in the Horizon League. Senior post men Danijel Zoric and Jovan Stefanov should receive immediate help from transfer center Scott VanderMeer. Mayo should continue his improvement and become UIC’s deep threat. The team also should have a solid backcourt with interchangeable parts, including White, Kevin Bond, Robert Bush, junior college import T.J. Gray, and freshman Spencer Stewart.

Butler (20-13 overall, 11-5 Horizon League)

The good: The Bulldogs were much better than most expected as experts forecast a middle-of-the-pack finish for Butler. The team was bolstered by its seniors, including conference Player of the Year Brandon Polk. They also had the usual dead-eye three-point shooting from Bruce Horan, Avery Sheets and A.J. Graves. Second-place Butler lost to Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the league title game, but did edge Miami (Ohio) in the NIT before losing a nailbiter to Florida State.

The bad: While the Bulldogs didn’t possess stellar post play, they at least had a small presence with Polk and Brandon Crone. Opponents out-rebounded Butler by nearly eight per game. Butler loses Polk, Sheets and Horan to graduation, but at least, there won’t be the defections they suffered through the year before.

The future: It shouldn’t be too bad, although they’ll miss the three seniors that departed. Crone is a hard-worker, and should be a veteran leader along with Graves. The Bulldogs bring in six newcomers, including two 6-foot-7 players (transfer Pete Campbell from IPFW and freshman Elliot Engelmann from Downers Grove South). At worst, they’ll be in the middle-of-the-pack team, but could contend if coach Todd Lickliter works his magic.

Cleveland State (10-18 overall, 5-11 Horizon League)

The good: The emergence of new post players, Ije Nwankwo and J’Nathan Bullock, along with veteran Patrick Tatham, provided the Vikings with a formidable frontline. CSU actually stayed healthy for much of the season – Mike Garland-coached teams haven’t had that luxury. Raheem Moss was one of the league’s top outside shooters in the league. The Vikings actually had a three-game conference road winning streak (Youngstown State, UIC, Wisconsin-Green Bay).

The bad: Plenty of bad once again for the Vikings, which resulted in the resignation of Garland at season’s end. CSU went just 1-7 at home in league play. Nwankwo and guard Steve Gansey have left the program, in addition to the graduation of Frashon McGee and Justin Henderson. For the second straight season after a decent start in the Horizon, the Vikings fizzled badly down the stretch.

The future: New coach Gary Waters will have to roundup the troops for the Vikings to have any shot at finishing out of the bottom third of the conference. Bullock, Tatham and Moss are the key building blocks. Can Waters provide a spark to a program that hasn’t tasted a winning record in five years?

Detroit (16-16 overall, 8-8 Horizon League)

Photo credit: Rob Freeman/ Chicago Flame Detroit guard Brandon Cotton can fill up a scorebook in a hurry. This upcoming season, he could have some help.

The good: Despite a hand injury, guard Brandon Cotton was one of the top players in the league. Sophomore guard Jon Goode emerged as the season wore on. He hit the game-winning shot in the regular-season finale against Butler and provided some help for Cotton. Coach Perry Watson still fielded a competitive squad despite injuries. As usual, the Titans dominated at Calihan Hall, finishing with a 13-1 record at home.

The bad: Watson had two key components out with injuries for the entire season in forward Ryvon Covile and guard Brandon Bell. The Titans struggled mightily away from home, going 3-15. Senior forwards Chuck Bailey and Torvoris Baker were inconsistent and could have been bigger forces. The team loses three post men, including Bailey, Baker and Ethan Shaw.

The future: Detroit could have a Big 3 similar to what UIC had a few years ago in Cotton, Bell and Covile. Cotton and Bell could be the best backcourt in the league outside of Loyola’s Blake Schilb and Majak Kou. The Titans’ style of play, regardless of talent, will keep them competitive in this league.

Loyola (19-11 overall, 8-8 Horizon League)

Photo credit: Rob Freeman/Chicago Flame Loyola’s Blake Schilb should be the hands-down favorite for Player of the Year in the Horizon League. He is the leader of arguably the league’s most talented team.

The good: Blake Schilb proved to be one of the premier players in the conference, as well as in the country. The Ramblers had a terrific non-conference start but stumbled early in Horizon League play. For the second straight season under coach Jim Whitesell, Loyola made the league tournament semifinals. Majak Kou was an energetic player at both of ends of the floor, while freshmen Leon Young and J.R. Blount played like juniors. The Ramblers had a convincing 86-72 win over future Sweet 16 participant Bradley.

The bad: The early stumble in conference play, which saw the Ramblers open the league schedule at 1-4, including a home loss to Youngstown State. Newcomer Kye Pattrick was expected to do a little more than average 1.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Falling one win short of 20, which would have been the first time Loyola accomplished the feat since the Sweet 16 team of 1985-86.

The future: Very bright. As long as Schilb returns to lead a talented core, this could be a special team. Loyola has five players on the roster that could erupt for 20 points in a given game, including Schilb, Kou, Blount, Young and Brandon Woods. The Ramblers’ athleticism and versatility is unmatched in the conference right now and the recruiting under Whitesell keeps getting better. Forward Andy Polka could be a leading candidate for Newcomer of the Year.

Wisconsin-Green Bay (15-16 overall, 8-8 Horizon League)

The good: The Fighting Phoenix played well down the stretch instead of fading in the clutch. Junior Ryan Evanochko emerged as the leader that the Phoenix needed with a young crop of talent arriving on campus. Mike Schachtner, Ryan Tillema and Terry Evans all had impressive freshman campaigns as Green Bay’s recruiting was as good as advertised. Coach Tod Kowalczyk, after three seasons of failure, finally won a conference tournament game as a higher seed, defeating UIC 76-66 in the quarterfinals.

The bad: Losing the Bracket Buster game at home to Fairleigh Dickinson was not pretty. They also went 0-3 against Butler, including a loss in the Horizon League semifinals. They also were 2-10 in road games, but one of those wins was a key victory at Cleveland State that clinched the No. 3 seed for Green Bay.

The future: It’s pretty bright in Green Bay as they could have their best squad since the mid-’90s teams of Dick Bennett and Mike Heideman. Evanochko is the machine that guides the Phoenix and he will be a senior. Just about everybody on the roster can shoot the three-pointer, even the bigs. Newcomer Troy Cotton provides the team with another scoring threat on the perimeter.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee (22-9 overall, 12-4 Horizon League)

The good: The transition from Bruce Pearl to Rob Jeter on the bench was nearly seamless as the Panthers won the Horizon League tournament for the third time in four seasons. However, Jeter had plenty of veteran talent, including the trio of forwards Joah Tucker and Adrian Tigert and guard Boo Davis. UWM upended Oklahoma in the NCAA tournament before losing to national champion Florida in the second round.

The bad: There wasn’t much during the season, but now this is where the party ends as UWM loses seven seniors to graduation from a great run, which included three NCAA tournament wins in the last two seasons. No returning player averaged more than 15 minutes per game.

The future: It will be rough for at least a short while with many newcomers vying for playing time along with veterans that will be thrust into more important roles. The key vets include guards Avery Smith and Allan Hanson and forward Kevin Massiah. The Panthers have an intriguing prospect in guard Ricky Franklin. Currently, the team does not have any player taller than 6-foot-7. This will be Jeter’s first true test as Milwaukee coach, but he’s known as a great recruiter so teams won’t have long to enjoy the Panthers’ fall from the top.

Wright State (13-15 overall, 8-8 Horizon League)

Photo credit: Rob Freeman/Chicago Flame Wright State’s DaShaun Wood (left) can handle the point and score in bunches. The Raiders should be formidable with Wood leading the way in his senior season.

The good: The Raiders had a great start to the conference season and hopes were high, but it came crashing down in February. The Raiders had a solid threesome leading the way in guard DaShaun Wood and forwards Drew Burleson and Jordan Pleiman. Junior guard Tyrone Scott proved to be a reliable three-point weapon down the stretch.

The bad: Wright State lost four of its last five conference games and fell to the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament. Six-foot-five swingman Everett Spencer has all the tools to be a solid player for the Raiders, but hasn’t yet shown his full potential. The storm clouds surrounding coach Paul Biancardi was not conducive to a winning environment.

The future: New head coach Brad Brownell was a terrific hire after working at UNC-Wilmington. A good nucleus, plus decent recruits in guards Todd Brown and Vaughn Duggins, should keep the Raiders in contention for a top three spot.

Youngstown State (7-21 overall, 4-12 Horizon League)

The good: The Penguins played hard at times and played well at times, but it was rare. Junior guard Quin Humphrey became one of the league’s top players and was particularly impressive in January. Coach Jerry Slocum, in his first season at YSU, definitely had his team playing more focused. A win at Loyola early in conference season, along with a home victory over Butler, were the top moments.

The bad: Playing a weak non-conference has been a detriment to the Penguins for several years. Not only does it not adequately prepare the team for conference season, it also drags down the RPI. YSU also ended the season on a nine-game losing streak.

The future: Incoming transfer Byron Davis, a point guard from New Mexico State, should make a formidable backcourt with Humphrey. YSU has several good role players but will anyone step up? Unless something unforseen happens, expect another bottom-third finish.