Rough year continues: No Flames honored

BUTLER’S HAYWARD HL’S TOP PLAYER

March 2, 2010

Whoosh! photo Junior guard Robo Kreps averaged 15.0 points per game, but he nor any other UIC player received any Horizon League postseason honors.

If UIC needed a little extra motivation for the Horizon League tournament, maybe their exclusion from the list of the Horizon League postseason honors could serve as a swift kick.

It is the first time since joining a Division I conference in the 1982-83 season that the Flames were completely shutout of a league’s postseason awards.

Junior guard Robo Kreps and sophomore guard Zavion Neely were probably the team’s top contenders for honors.

Kreps was the Flames’ leading scorer at 15.0 points and likely was a candidate for Second-Team All-Horizon League honors, but his sub-par shooting percentage (35 percent) and UIC’s 8-21 record did not help his cause.

Neely could have landed a spot the conference’s All-Defensive Team with his 1.7 steals per game average and disruptive quickness, but the league coaches weren’t kind to the Flames either.

Whoosh! photo Butler sophomore Gordon Hayward was the Horizon League Player of the Year.

As expected, Butler sophomore forward Gordon Hayward won Horizon League Player of the Year honors. He averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Bulldogs.

Valparaiso sophomore guard Brandon Wood was the league’s Newcomer of the Year after finishing the regular season with a league-leading 17.5 points per game.

Butler’s Brad Stevens was awarded Coach of the Year honors for guiding the Bulldogs to an 18-0 mark in the Horizon League and keeping the team in the Top 25 for most of the season.

Butler sophomore guard and Detroit senior guard Woody Payne shared the conference Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Loyola sophomore forward Walt Gibler was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 11.0 points and 5.1 rebounds.

Joining Hayward on the conference’s First Team were Green Bay junior guard Rahmon Fletcher, Cleveland State junior guard Norris Cole, Butler sophomore guard Shelvin Mack and Butler junior forward Matt Howard.

Second-Team honorees included Wood, Wright State junior guard Vaughn Duggins, Milwaukee senior guard Ricky Franklin, Detroit sophomore guard Chase Simon and Valparaiso junior forward Cory Johnson.

Following is a complete list with Horizon League honorees, along with Whoosh!’s official vote:

2010 HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

TUESDAY, MARCH 2 OPENING ROUND (at campus sites)

#10 Youngstown State (8-21) at #3 Green Bay (20-11), 7

#7 Detroit (18-13) at #6 Valparaiso (15-16), 7

#9 UIC (8-21) at #4 Milwaukee (18-13), 7

#8 Loyola (14-15) at #5 Cleveland State (15-16), 6

FRIDAY, MARCH 5 SECOND ROUND (at Butler)

YSU/Green Bay winner vs. Detroit/Valparaiso winner, 5

UIC/Milwaukee vs. Loyola/Cleveland State, 7

SATURDAY, MARCH 6 SEMIFINALS (at Butler)

YSU/Green Bay/Detroit/Valparaiso winner vs. #2 Wright State (19-11), 4:15

UIC/Milwaukee/Loyola/Cleveland State winner at #1 Butler (26-4), 7

TUESDAY, MARCH 9 CHAMPIONSHIP (at highest remaining seed)

Semifinal winners, 8