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From today's National Prayer Breakfast:

But Mr. Obama said Christians shouldn't claim any historical high ground about religious-inspired violence, and said the U.S. has not been immune from such examples.

"Unless we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ," Mr. Obama said. "In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ. It is not unique to one group or one religion. There is a tendency in us, a sinful tendency, that can pervert and distort our faith."

Catholic League President Bill Donohue said Mr. Obama should apologize for "an attempt to deflect guilt from Muslim madmen." He said the president's comparisons to the Crusades and the Inquisition were "insulting" to Christians.

"Obama's ignorance is astounding, and his comparison is pernicious," Mr. Donohue said. "The Crusades were a defensive Christian reaction against Muslim madmen of the Middle Ages."



Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/5/obama-people-faith-must-confront-insults-religion/#ixzz3QtnF0l4R
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

I can't believe what I just saw. I'm sure that play call will be questioned for a very long time. Fans of both teams must be emotionally drained right now.  Very entertaining.

We are currently 6-2 half way through conference play.  Rather than predict our record for the upcoming month, let's get to the all-important bottom line - what will our final conference record be?

Remaining games:

Jan 31 at UIC
Feb 4 Detroit
Feb 8 Oakland
Feb 13 Green Bay
Feb 15 at Milwaukee
Feb 21 Wright State
Feb 25 at Detroit
Feb 27 at Cleveland State

The Horizon League is now ranked 16th in conference RPI. I believe that is the lowest conference ranking since we have been in the league.  A special thanks goes out to UIC (291), Milwaukee (281), and YSU (275). 

[Waters speaks out about HL expansion and and the possibility of a "conference challenge" in the future:]

Picked this up from the WSU board -

Waters speaks out about HL expansion and and the possibility of a "conference challenge" in the future:

HL expansion:  As for HL expansion, Waters said the league will likely add another school after this season. The HL currently stands at nine teams.

"They are going to do it this year," Waters said about Horizon League expansion. "Definitely one."

The HL could add up to three schools in the future.

Schools that have been rumored as possibilities include: Belmont, Murray State, Northern Kentucky, IUPUI, IPFW and Lipscomb.

HL-WCC Challenge?: Waters said HL coaches have discussed the possibility about taking part in a "conference challenge" as early as next season. Possibilities could be with the West Coast Conference or the Colonial.

"We really want to do that,"Waters said about the HL taking part in a conference challenge. "We got to find a way to play the WCC next year. I will promote this [at our next coaches meetings]. That is something that can help our league."

http://clevelandstatehoops.blogspot.com/2015/01/csu-basketball-notebook-cleveland-state.html

Following a highly successful November (7-1) and an equally impressive December (6-1), it's time to see how we stack up against the rest of the Horizon League.  Following is January's 9-game conference schedule:

Jan   2     at Oakland
Jan   4     Youngstown State
Jan   8     UIC
Jan 10     Cleveland State
Jan 17     at Wright State
Jan 20     at Youngstown State
Jan 23     at Green Bay
Jan 26     Milwaukee
Jan 31     at UIC

[VU students go prime time with valet parking plan]

VU students go prime time with valet parking plan

http://posttrib.chicagotribune.com/news/porter/31636363-418/vu-students-go-prime-time-with-valet-parking-plan.html#.VJENub5FMZY

With all the new upscale dining downtown, finding a parking spot anywhere close to where you're going can be a problem.  A well run valet service would be a real asset.  I hope they're successful.

[Protest group calls Valparaiso University sculptures 'polarizing']

Protest group calls Valparaiso University sculptures 'polarizing'

http://posttrib.chicagotribune.com/news/porter/31563051-418/protest-group-calls-valparaiso-university-sculptures-polarizing.html#.VIkzD75FMZY

Ah, to be young again...

EKU comes into Wednesday's contest with a 4-1 record (2-1 vs. D-1 teams).  They defeated both Murray State and Belmont to win last year's OVC tournament, and are picked to finish 3rd in the OVC East this year behind Belmont and Morehead State. We are going to have to bring our A-game to prevail in this one.   

After playing 3 games in 3 days, traveling home, and now making a quick turnaround road trip, I'm more than a little concerned that our guys could come out flat on Wednesday.  We're about to find out how mentally tough this young group is at this early stage.

EKU message board:

http://www.maroon-nation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1798

Following is the 7-game schedule for DEC:

DEC 3 at Eastern Kentucky
DEC 6 New Mexico
DEC 10 Trinity International
DEC 13 Ball State
DEC 20 at IPFW
DEC 21 Goshen
DEC 29 at James Madison

What will our DEC record be?

Completely different match-up challenges with Portland, with 2 starters 6-11 and 6-10 and a 6-10 reserve who gets quality minutes.  Highlights from their win over Drake:

Portland Men's Basketball vs Drake Highlights 11-29-14

Valpo Basketball Preview 11|11|14

Following is the 8-game schedule for NOV: 
(In parentheses - opponents predicted finish in conf.)

NOV14 East Tennessee State (3rd of 10 teams Southern)
NOV16 at Missouri (12th of 14 teams SEC)
NOV19 IU South Bend   
NOV21 Central Michigan Tournament vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff (4th of 10 SWAC)
NOV23 Central Michigan Tournament vs Maine (8th of 9 America East)
NOV28 Challenge in Music City vs Drake (10th of 10 MVC)
NOV29 Challenge in Music City vs Murray State (1st of 12 OVC)
NOV30 Challenge in Music City vs Portland (6th of 10 West Coast)

What will our NOV record be?

Funny stuff and so true...

Stereotypes: Gym

I would rather have the worst program in college basketball than stoop to this level:

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/2014/10/11/prep-school-aau-coaches-making-easier-jump-college-assistant-jobs/17138445/

A few thoughts after listening to the Goodell press conference:

--- The owners and players' union are as much at fault for the failure to establish proper accountability standards for domestic abuse as is Goodell, yet they remained silent while Goodell accepted all the blame and took all the heat. I'm not that surprised.  Today's society is woefully short on people of true character.  Why should the NFL be any different.

--- I find it amusing that sports talking heads and reporters feel they're qualified to tell the world how Goodell should have handled this situation, what they would have done if they were in charge, and of course being careful to follow the PC script.  Most of these people have never managed anything more complicated than a household budget nor supervised anyone other than their kids, yet they're all experts when it comes to this very complicated issue. Even funnier is how these sports people, who maybe took Psy 101, are experts about domestic violence.

The quality of Green Bay's web page promoting the upcoming season for its men's basketball team is far superior to anything like it in the HL.  I'm not talking about "pretty" (which it isn't), but rather message.  Included on the same page:

*5 min. video of Coach Wardle discussing this year's schedule.  Unquestionably, GB put together a first class OOC schedule, and Wardle does a great job of bragging it up and explaining the benefits. He talks about getting fans in the seats and promotes their $98 season ticket package.  Also, notice that the video is sponsored.
*second video promoting season ticket sales with video clips featuring their 4 top players (also sponsored)
*banner across the top promoting their $98 season ticket special - clickable - gives you all the details

Someone up there knows the nuts and bolts of product marketing.

http://www.greenbayphoenix.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=22500&ATCLID=209641288

* 8-team tournament
* 1 and 2 seeds receive double byes
* 3 and 4 seeds receive single byes

http://hln.s3.amazonaws.com/medias/files/516/original.pdf?1410292114

[Like last year, over the next 8 weeks I'll be doing previews of the Horizon League teams as time and inclination allow. Here's the first one, for Cleveland State:]

Horizon League Team Previews
Postby Commissioner » Fri Sep 05, 2014 11:35 am

Like last year, over the next 8 weeks I'll be doing previews of the Horizon League teams as time and inclination allow. Here's the first one, for Cleveland State:


Cleveland State:
2014: 12-4 Horizon (2nd); 21-12 overall (CIT)

After a sluggish start, CSU won 10 of its last 11 regular season games last year before being upset by Wright State in the conference tournament and then losing to Ohio U. by two points in the CIT. That was a good season, but the Vikings were closer to a truly big year than most noticed, as they lost several close games. (The Vikes were 1-4 in games decided by 3 points or less, and 3-6 in games decided by two possessions or less). With only senior Jon Harris (10.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 53% FG) being lost to graduation, CSU looked like a pretty easy pick to win the Horizon in 2015—at least back in April.

Then came the surprising mid-summer news that junior guard Bryn Forbes, the team's leading scorer (15.6 ppg, .424 3P%) and a second team all-conference selection, was transferring to Michigan State. Less noticed is the loss of 6-4 senior guard Sebastian Douglas (8.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, .614 FG%), whose career was ended prematurely this spring by his third knee surgery. With the loss of Forbes and Douglas, Cleveland State is no longer the obvious choice to win the Horizon, but still has to be considered one of the early favorites.

Despite the loss of Forbes and Douglas, the Vikings still have plenty of talent in the backcourt. Senior Charlie Lee, was a 43% three point shooter last year (49% in conference play) and the Horizon's assist leader in 2013. He's joined by Junior Trey Lewis, the team's top returning scorer with Forbes gone, and Creighton transfer Andre Yates. With Forbes and Douglas, I would have expected CSU to play a lot of 3 guard line-ups with those two filling the #3 slot. Without them, that will be tough, both because none of Lee, Lewis or Yates is really a suitable #3, and because the next guard off the bench will be one of a couple Detroit area freshmen, Terrell Hales or Kenny Carpenter. Hales has a reputation as a defensive specialist and Carpenter is a good athlete but it is still the unusual freshman who is ready for major playing time in this league. Thus it's more likely we'll see a Lee/Lewis backcourt with Yates off the bench, which leads us to the question of who will play in the front line.

Even with Forbes' departure, the biggest loss for CSU will probably be Harris, who graduated. Harris was perhaps the key man on the Vikings last year after transferring from Miami, Ohio. He was certainly the steadiest man in the starting lineup. They also lose Devon Long, a competent, 6-7 backup center.

That's not to say the Vikes are void of talent up front. In fact, they've got Anton Grady, who took a while to get in the groove last year after missing the 2013 season with injury. Grady averaged 10.4 points and 6.8 rebounds for the year, but boosted those numbers to 11.8 and 8.5 in conference play. Grady was a member of the Horizon's All-Newcomer team in 2012 and could be ready for a breakout season this year. Joining him will be Marlin Mason, a tough-nosed forward from Detroit whose numbers were down a bit last year. Mason doesn't score a lot but is a good rebounder and defensive player. After those two, CSU has several reasonable possibilities, but none of which are proven. The most likely starter may be Vinny Zollo, whose meandering career has taken him from Western Kentucky (where he started 14 games as a freshman on WKU's 2012 NCAA team) to Furman (where he never actually played) to juco power NW Florida, and now to Cleveland. Zollo only averaged 3.3 points and 11 minutes per game last year with NW Florida, but he was on a team that had five other front court players sign with D-I schools, including Michael Chandler (Oregon) and Tevin Glass (Wichita State). Though Zollo may be the most likely starter, my guess is that coach Gary Waters is hoping it will be 6-9 redshirt soph Aaron Scales, not only because Scales is more of a true center, but also because if he is starting, that means he's getting better. Another possibility is Demonte Flanigan, who saw limited action last year as a freshman. Flanigan had high-major offers (Penn State, Miami of Florida, Wisconsin, DePaul) out of high school, but didn't contribute much in 2013-14. Derek Sloan, a lightly recruited 6-6 redshirt freshman, could see action at the small forward position. It appears that 6-9 Australian forward Jono Janssen will have to sit on the bench this year for academic reasons. If he were to get eligible, he would be an intriguing factor for CSU.

Despite the unexpected loss of Forbes and Douglas, CSU has to be considered a leading contender to take the Horizon title. Waters' teams are always well-coached, and the Vikings shoot well, even with the loss of Forbes. Lee and Lewis give them good scoring punch in the backcourt - even without Forbes the Vikes should be among the top of the league in 3 pointers. Lee has become a much steadier player than he was his first two seasons, and the Vikes won't turn the ball over much. Grady is likely to end the season somewhere between second team all-conference at the low end and conference Player of the Year at the high end. The Vikings need someone else to come through in the front court from the trio of Zollo, Scales and Flanigan, and we'll have to see what Yates can offer. The bench could be a bit thin unless some of the "ifs" come through. But the Vikings will be good and should reach one of the lesser post-season tournaments if they fall short in the Horizon.

Probable Starters:
G - 5-11 Sr. Charlie Lee (9.8 points, 4.1 assists, .433 3P%, .904 FT%, 1.5 steals pg, )
G - 6-2 Jr. Trey Lewis (13.1 points, 3.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds, .369 3P%)
F - 6-6 Sr. Marlin Mason (5.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, .550 FG%)
F - 6-8 Jr. Anton Grady (10.4 points, 6.8 rebounds)
F – 6-8 Jr. Vinny Zollo (transfer; 3.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg for Western Kentucky in 2012)

Other Key Players:
G – 6-0 So. Andre Yates (transfer; 1.1 ppg for Creighton in 2013)
F – 6-7 So. Demonte Flanigan (1.0 ppg; 0.7 rpg)
C – 6-9 So. Aaron Scales (redshirt; 1.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg in 2013)

Valpo announced plans to recondition the parking ramp, improve lighting, and install security cameras between now and November. The site will provide additional parking for student and athletic events, including home basketball games. A walkway will be constructed to connect the ramp and the Athletics-Recreation Center, and new lighting will be installed to enhance the path.

http://www.noodls.com/view/D04847FDE247A1AAFDF930D44B844D92445E4610?723xxx1409703464

Following is a chronology of home attendance for the past 20 years, followed by a few random personal thoughts:

Year/Avg/Rank

2014  2833 19
2013  3173 17
2012  3383 14   Worst 5-years
2011  3362 15
2010  2739 20

2009  2973 18
2008  3666 10
2007  3520 12    2nd worst 5-years
2006  3353 16
2005  4174   5

2004  3945   7
2003  4376   2
2002  4530   1     Best 5-years
2001  4327   3
2000  4039   6

1999  4327   3
1998  3861   9
1997  3625  11     2nd best 5-years
1996  3886   8
1995  3446 13

Thoughts:
* Being honest, our move to the HL has been a complete bust in terms of impact on attendance (even with some big Butler games thrown in)
* Our attendance swan dive over the past 5 years has come at the same time we won 2 conf. championships and a conf. tournament championship and have been in the Top Tier throughout.
* I believe this is a completely accurate statement that the cost of season tickets has MORE than doubled since 2000. I know this has chased a lot of people away.

I am VERY interested in what others have to say about this...

Two proposals would make college free nationwide

http://time.com/money/2974143/proposals-college-free-moneys-best-colleges/

As I'm sure most everyone recalls, Alec began his Freshman year with some strong OOC performances, struggled in the 1st half of conference play, then found his sea legs and finished the season strong.  Here's his stats over the final 7 games:

34.0 MPG
16.3 PPG
42-68 FG (62%)
16-21 FT (76%)
14-30 3PT (47%)
5.0 RPG
1.3 TOPG
2.0 FPG

There's every reason to think he's only going to get better from here.  I'm thinking 18-20 PPG with even better FT and rebounding numbers, as well. And remember - he didn't turn 19 until April (after the season was over).  With a little more age and a little more experience - look out. 

Thoughts?

[VU enrollment hits 34-year high]

VU enrollment hits 34-year high

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/porter/29519380-418/vu-enrollment-hits-34-year-high.html#.U_6MuFYtlfM

Don't miss the photo gallery!

[Freshmen descend on VU, mark start of new school year]

Freshmen descend on VU, mark start of new school year

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/29438498-537/freshmen-descend-on-vu-mark-start-of-new-school-year.html#.U_mtClYtlfM

[Eureka also is a cheap date. Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but you can be sure the Red Devils will receive a tiny fraction of the $80,000-plus it can take to buy a low-Division I opponent.]

From the Wessler article I referenced in the HL OOC thread:

After road games at Memphis and Kansas State, the Braves break eight days for semester final exams. Eureka provides a shake-off-the-rust contest before heading to Las Vegas for a holiday tournament. Eureka also is a cheap date. Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but you can be sure the Red Devils will receive a tiny fraction of the $80,000-plus it can take to buy a low-Division I opponent.

Read more: http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140707/Sports/140709371#ixzz39M16h0nF

Maybe I'm the only one, but I did not know mid-major teams had to "buy" low major teams @ up to $80,000+... 

...and, now knowing that...

...is that the reason teams (including ours) are opting to fill out home schedules with non-D-1's? 

Is it all about money?

[Ex-Butler big man Smith in ICU battling cancer]

Ex-Butler big man Smith in ICU battling cancer

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2014-08-01/andrew-smith-cancer-icu-non-hodgkins-lymphoma-butler-lithuania-update

Massachusetts teen sentenced to prison for texting while driving

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/20u12/06/06/12090348-massachusetts-teen-sentenced-to-prison-for-texting-while-driving?lite

Yesterday I was behind a panel van on Rt. 49 between Valpo and Kouts. The guy was doing between 40 and 45 in a 55 zone. All of sudden he started to drift across the enter line and went way into the other lane. Fortunately, no one was coming. Finally, I was able to get around him. As I pulled up along side there he was holding his phone against the steering wheel texting away. He never looked up.  I doubt he even knew someone was passing him. So dangerous. I've also recently encountered drivers that text while at a red light and continuing to sit there long after the light changes.

I don't know if texting while driving is on the rise, but it does seem like I'm encountering it with more frequency. Anyone have any thoughts about the whole texting while driving issue?

[Scholarships for life]

Scholarships for life

http://www.vuhoops.com/villanova-basketball/2014/7/28/5946643/scholarship-for-life-complete-carolina-is-an-education-positive-move

I've never been a big LeBron fan, but I find his reason for wanting to return to Cleveland kind of heartwarming:

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2014/07/11/lebron-james-says-returning-to-cleveland/

A tragic reminder of what can happen when just 1 person loses control playing a sport.  A single punch leaves an innocent victim dead and his family forever changed.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/07/01/michigan-ref-brutally-punched-during-game-in-critical-condition/

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20140531/GPG020101/305310320/From-UWGB-NBA-Brown-works-hard-improve-draft-hopes?gcheck=1&nclick_check=1

What a surprise to find out that the VA is full of overpaid, underworked union  "workers."

http://www.fedsmith.com/2013/06/05/are-va-employees-working-full-time-for-unions-hurting-patient-care/

Nurses making 100-200K - are you kidding?

Doing union business on the taxpayers' dime so the union hierarchy can spend its bloated coffers bribing their boss in the sleazy world of politics. Just another day in a country falling apart before our eyes.

[Cleveland State Basketball's Leading Scorer Bryn Forbes May Be Eyeing Transfer]

Cleveland State Basketball's Leading Scorer Bryn Forbes May Be Eyeing Transfer

http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/22656

This would be a big blow to CSU's title hopes for next season.

[Video shows Winston leaving store without paying]

Video shows Winston leaving store without paying

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/video-shows-winston-leaving-store-without-paying/article_1af3c04a-164b-5f13-b178-6dabaa1aff25.html

While the university system is making money hand-over-fist on college football, highly talented, unpaid student athletes they are exploiting like Heisman Trophy Jameis Winston are forced to steal food to keep from going to bed hungry.  I only wish Winston had redistributed wealth from the evil corporate giant Walmart instead of Publix; then again, they probably both have more money than they know what to do with.

Hopefully, the real perpetrators here - the university system and corporate America - will use this as a teachable moment and begin to serve the greater good over a select few born into privilege.   

[Jim Tressel spends today at Youngstown State University interviewing for president]

Jim Tressel spends today at Youngstown State University interviewing for president

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/05/jim_tressel_spends_day_at_youn.html

What the article conveniently fails to mention is that this is the same Jim Tressel who resigned under pressure as OSU's football coach after being found guilty of multiple serious violations of NCAA rules.  The following article details Tressel's indiscretions, including inferences of cheating from his YSU years:

Jim Tressel: The Ultimate Fraud Should Receive Lifetime Coaching Ban

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jordan-schultz/jim-tressel-ultimate-fraud-lifetime-coaching-ban_b_869836.html

Making this guy a serious candidate for their president demonstrates a complete failure of principled leadership on the part of Youngstown State University. Just add it to the growing list of embarrassing situations around the league, including the academic compliance and accountability failures at Milwaukee and UIC, the Man of the Year bullying dichotomy, the athletic department/men basketball sex scandal at Detroit, the revolving door of failed AD's at Milwaukee, and the "religious" women's basketball coach run off by Oakland.   

Valpo is No. 2

http://www.citiesjournal.com/top-15-small-cities-in-indiana/15/

I came across kind of an interesting Gallup poll.  People in all 50 states were asked the question: "Regardless of whether you WILL move, if you had the opportunity, would you LIKE to move to another state, or would you rather remain in your state?

http://www.gallup.com/poll/168770/half-illinois-connecticut-move-elsewhere.aspx#2

38% of respondents in my home state of Indiana said they would rather live somewhere else.  That's 11th highest among all states. Honestly, I'm not all that surprised. There's not a lot of glamour to Indiana.  Even worse was neighboring Illinois where half the population wished they lived somewhere else.  Ouch!  Tex and '72 should be smiling.  The vast majority of Texans like life right where they are.       

[Valparaiso University accused in lawsuit of civil rights violation]

Valparaiso University accused in lawsuit of civil rights violation

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/valparaiso-university-accused-in-lawsuit-of-civil-rights-violation/article_edec2db8-4780-52ad-b0d7-75694af44bf4.html

If these accusations are true, the university needs to act quickly to right the wrong by whatever means necessary.  If, on the other hand, the accusations are false and the university can prove they're false, the university needs to come down on this individual with full force. NOTHING is more damaging to an organization's reputation and standing than accusations of racial discrimination.   

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/27037724-419/valparaiso-ad-views-unionization-as-flawed-approach.html

In the interest of sportsmanship, I want to congratulate our Brew Town brothers.  Your team had a great run through the tournament and represented the Horizon League well last night against a very good opponent. I also want to commend Rob Jeter for returning your program to prominence far sooner than I'm sure any of us expected. Best wishes for continued success!   

Just noticed this tweet on Paul Oren's twitter page:

Tom Mieskoski ‏@CSUVikingsHoops  37m
Gary Waters said that the Horizon League Tournament could be moved to a neutral site as early as next year.

https://twitter.com/NWIOren

Paul suggests Indy as a possible site.  Any thoughts?

[Horizon TransfersPostby Commissioner » Mon Feb 24, 2014 12:59 pm]

Commissioner from the Detroit board has conducted a very interesting mini-analysis as to whether current HL players (including ours) who transferred from major conferences have lived up to original expectations that we the fans had for them.  His conclusion is that many/most have not.  Here it is:

Horizon Transfers
Postby Commissioner » Mon Feb 24, 2014 12:59 pm

Picking up on a discussion that's currently in the scoreboard thread, and that comes up more or less whenever someone riding the pine at a Big 10 school looks to transfer, I thought I'd look at Horizon transfers in.

Sometimes, I think, we are all too quick to assume that if a guy transfers "down" from a major conference, he'll have impact in the Horizon. Not always so. Here are current Horizon players who transferred "down" from top 10 conferences:

Carlton Brundidge, Soph. Detroit: After riding the pine as a freshman at Michigan, Brundidge has been an important part of a very average team at Detroit. Playing well in spots, he has hardly dominated and lost his starting spot. Key stats: 22.2 mpg; 7.6 ppg, 1.6 apg.

Trey Lewis, Soph. Cleveland State: Lewis was a regular part of the Penn State rotation as a freshman, averaging 19 minutes and 5.6 points per game. At CSU, Lewis has emerged as a key player and a possible second-team all conference selection this year. Key Stats: 31 mpg, 13.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.4 apg.

Bobby Capobianco, Senior, Valparaiso: Capobianco was a role player at Indiana, averaging 2.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12 minutes as a freshman, but seeing his playing time cut in half as a soph. At Valpo, he has been an important part of the team's rotation, but has not been able to crack the starting lineup (he's started 5 times this year) or get 20 minutes per game. Last year he averaged 5.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in 16 minutes per game. With Valpo's top 6 players graduating, he might have expected to be a key player this year. However, he's averaged just 18 minutes per game, with 6.4 points and 3.9 rebounds.

Moussa Gueye, Senior, Valparaiso: A post graduate transfer from Alabama, Gueye was a starter last year on the Tide. A lot of Valpo fans assumed a starting 7' center from Alabama would be dominant in the Horizon. But he was probably the worst starter in the SEC, or close to it. He actually averaged just 15 minutes per game, with 1.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. At Valpo, he began the season as the starting center but lost that job by the end of December to junior Vashil Fernandez. He is among the league leaders in blocks and gives Valpo a presence, but his numbers aren't really much different than those of Detroit's Ugochukwu Njoku. Key Stats: 16 mpg; 4.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.1 blocks per game.

Keith Carter, Soph., Valparaiso: Carter transferred from St. Louis and joined Valpo in December. Valpo was weak at the point so Carter's arrival was much anticipated. He started just 3 games, however, with those three among Valpo's worst of the season. Freshman Lexus Williams finally emerging as Valpo's point man, with Carter coming off the bench. Key Stats: 18 mpg, 5.7 ppg, 2.0 apg.

LaVonte Dority, Senior, Valparaiso: A mid-season transfer from South Florida who joined Valpo last December. Dority had averaged just 6 minutes as a freshman as USF. As a soph he was averaging 15 minutes, 3 points, and 1.8 assists before transferring. After joining the Crusaders in December 2012, Dority averaged 21 minutes and 8.6 points last year. But he had more turnovers than assists and shot just 37% overall and 31% from three. This year, however, he has emerged as the team's leading scorer and a probable first or second team all-conference player. Key Stats: 31 mpg, 16.6 ppg, 2.6 apg, .435 3p%.

Chrishawn Hopkins, Junior, Wright State: I don't quite know if Hopkins counts - he was already a Horizon League player when he transferred from Butler. But at least a few pre-season publications predicted him for all-conference, almost certainly on the simply theory that "hey, he played at Butler, of course he'll dominate the Horizon now." Hopkins indeed played on Butler's 2011 Final Four squad and its 2012 team. As a freshman in 2011, he saw limited action, appearing in 21 games and averaging 6 minutes per game. As a sophomore shooting guard in 2012 he averaged 9.1 ppg in 23 minutes per game. He joined Wright State this past December and, though a regular in the rotation, has started just 2 of 18 games. Key Stats: 21 mpg, 5.7 ppg, 2.2 apg.

Duke Mondy, Senior, Oakland: The Duke was a starter at Providence in the 2011 season. At OU, he has been a very valuable player, though second fiddle to Travis Bader. Key Stats: 2013: 12 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.4 rpg, 3.0 steals per game. 2014: 11.8 ppg, 4.5 apg, 5.3 rpg, 3.1 spg.

Tommie McCune, Junior, Oakland: Played sparingly at West Virginia before being forced out of the program. Has had disciplinary problems at OU, but began this season as a starter. Was disappointing however, and eventually lost the starting job. Key Stats: 17 mpg, 6.1 ppg, 3 rpg.

Ralph Hill, Junior, Oakland: A Dayton transfer coming off injuries, HIll was a non-factor at Dayton and was even more of a non-factor for most of this season for OU. However, he has started the last 3 games, averaging 13 points and 3.3 rebounds, and now looks like a key part of OU's lineup. On the season he has averaged just 6 minutes and 2.2 ppg.

Steve McWhorter, Junior, Milwaukee: I'm not sure if McWhorter quite fits this list, as he is a transfer from the MVC's Indiana State, only a marginal step "down." At ISU he was a starting guard. He's started for Milwaukee all year and done a solid if unspectacular job. Key Stats: 34 mpg, 8.3 ppg, 3.8 apg.. 1.6 spg.

Kelsey Barlow, Senior, UIC: A former Big 10 All-Freshman player, Barlow was a regular part of Purdue's rotation, averaging 8.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 24 minutes per game in 2012. He has been UIC's key player this year, a very good Horizon player, but no more than that. Key Stats: 14.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.1 apg.

Looking at this list, It seems to me that for the most part, players who are not seeing much action at a "big time" school don't come in and dominate the Horizon. Of course, maybe this year's crop is an anomaly. But guys who didn't do much in the high majors may tend not to do much after transferring. Guys who were rotation players, however - Barlow, Mondy, Lewis - seem much more likely to do well in the Horizon. But it's likely that none of the League's 10 all-conference players this year will be transfers, though Lewis, Barlow, or Mondy all could gain 2nd team honors. Guys who had a rep for trouble, such as Mondy and McCune, seem to continue having some difficulties (though I'm not aware of any issues with Barlow at UIC).

Anyway, it's just one season, a small sample, so I wouldn't put too much stock in this review. But it does suggest that merely having been recruited by a high major conference out of high school doesn't mean you can dominate a mid-major. And the caliber of play in the Horizon is pretty good.

Let's hope that Brundidge can step it up in the next two years, and that Pat Ack proves the facile shallowness of this review.

[1st Half - 8 games]

After struggling in the 1st half of conference play, Alec has definitely found his stride in the 2nd half.  Note the stark contrast in numbers:

1st Half - 8 games
7.6 PPG
39% FG
20% 3PT FG
4.3 RPG
2.1 TOPG

2nd Half - 6 games
12.7 PPG (15 PPG in most recent 5 games)
53% FG
36% 3PT FG
4.5 RPG
1.2 TOPG

I would attribute most of Alec's improvement to 2 factors - adjusting to the physicality of the HL and better overall decision making. By the way, he should be a shoe in to win his 4th FOW award.  No one else's numbers are close.

Nice article and video about Travis Bader breaking J.J. Reddick's career 3-point scoring record:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/once-lightly-recruited-travis-bader-breaks-j-j-151137595--ncaab.html

Not bad for a guy who only received one D-1 scholarship offer! 

No one in the HL has conference-only numbers comparable to LaVonte right now:

- 20.3 PPG (2nd)
- 25.2 PP40 (1st)
- 72.0 true shooting pct. (2nd)
- 66.3 effective FG pct. (3rd)
- 54.1 FG pct. (5th) (1st among guards)
- 58.5 3pt FG pct. (1st) (next highest is 50%)
- 53 FT made (2nd)
- 61 FT attempted (3rd)
- 86.9 FT pct. (4th)
- 132.8 offensive rating (3rd) (1st among guards)

A lot can change between now and the end of conference play, but if LaVonte were to continue at this blistering pace and if we were to finish near the top of the league standings, he would have to be deserving of MVP over anyone else in the league.  That said, I recognize that those who voted for Sykes for pre-season MVP naturally will be ego invested to stay with their vote to show they had it right all along, and thus be tough to persuade that LVD is the more worthy choice. Now, if by some chance we would happen to win the league, he would probably win MVP in a landslide.  Regardless, I hope voters would give careful consideration to the fact that LVD led a team that lost its entire starting 5 from a year ago vs. a veteran team in GB with 2 veteran all-leaguers to rely on.

Oh, and for those from the "let's not get too far ahead of ourselves" camp, thanks in advance for your concern.   

Following is the Crusaders schedule for our remaining 8 regular season conference games:

Feb 1   at UIC
Feb 7   Detroit
Feb 9   Oakland
Feb 15 at Milwaukee
Feb 20 at Green Bay
Feb 22 Youngstown State
Feb 25 at Wright State
Mar 1 Cleveland State

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college-athletes-take-step-toward-forming-union/article_71b944ab-97b3-52c1-b83d-b84c0a52a567.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eg_V5-joYk#t=12

[Oakland's Kampe eager to reestablish rivalry with Crusaders]

Oakland's Kampe eager to reestablish rivalry with Crusaders

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/basketball/college/oakland-s-kampe-eager-to-reestablish-rivalry-with-crusaders/article_6d8e8f5e-7ef6-5a94-9097-1f0c019ec466.html