Looking ahead to next November

[talksalot]

Thought it might be fun to look at the top returnees from this year's rosters for next year's "Pre-Season All Conference" picks...and overall strength of the teams in the HL...

(Current Class Years):
Cleveland State:   Forbes (SO), Lewis (SO), Grady (SO), Lee (JR)
Detroit:  Howard, Jr (JR), Williams (FR)
Green Bay:  Sykes (JR), Fouse (SO) Love (SO)
Illinois-Chicago:  Bird (FR) Parker (JR) Brown (JR)
Milwaukee:  Tiby (SO) McWorter (JR)  Arians (SO)
Oakland:  Felder (FR) Petros (JR)
Wright:  Arceneaux (JR) Sledge (JR) Hopkins (JR)
Youngstown:  Amiker (JR)  Hain (SO)
... and us.
Peters, Williams, Adekoya, Yeo, Fernandez, Carter...+E.Victor

Preseason All Conference ...
Peters
Sykes - POY
Felder
Howard,Jr
Arceneaux  (but Petros, Forbes, Hopkins and Tiby will get some votes

[Kyle321n]

Thought it might be fun to look at the top returnees from this year's rosters for next year's "Pre-Season All Conference" picks...and overall strength of the teams in the HL...

(Current Class Years):
Cleveland State:   Forbes (SO), Lewis (SO), Grady (SO), Lee (JR)
Detroit:  Howard, Jr (JR), Williams (FR)
Green Bay:  Sykes (JR), Fouse (SO) Love (SO)
Illinois-Chicago:  Bird (FR) Parker (JR) Brown (JR)
Milwaukee:  Tiby (SO) McWorter (JR)  Arians (SO)
Oakland:  Felder (FR) Petros (JR)
Wright:  Arceneaux (JR) Sledge (JR) Hopkins (JR)
Youngstown:  Amiker (JR)  Hain (SO)
... and us.
Peters, Williams, Adekoya, Yeo, Fernandez, Carter...+E.Victor

Preseason All Conference ...
Peters
Sykes - POY
Felder
Howard,Jr
Arceneaux  (but Petros, Forbes, Hopkins and Tiby will get some votes

Don't forget about Matthew Grant (DET), Greg Mays (GB), and Ryan Weber (YSU)

I would say this is my preseason all conference, I don't think Peters and Felder makes it personally.

Sykes - POY
Howard, Jr
Tiby
Grady
Forbes

We've got some really deep talent in the league coming back next season.  Cleveland State is returning 4 people who averaged over 9+ ppg

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Ryan Weber (YSU)

That dude is a LOAD.  You think, skinny white dude in a facemask?  and then BOOM

[valpopal]

Thought it might be fun to look at the top returnees from this year's rosters for next year's "Pre-Season All Conference" picks...and overall strength of the teams in the HL...

(Current Class Years):
Cleveland State:   Forbes (SO), Lewis (SO), Grady (SO), Lee (JR)
Detroit:  Howard, Jr (JR), Williams (FR)
Green Bay:  Sykes (JR), Fouse (SO) Love (SO)
Illinois-Chicago:  Bird (FR) Parker (JR) Brown (JR)
Milwaukee:  Tiby (SO) McWorter (JR)  Arians (SO)
Oakland:  Felder (FR) Petros (JR)
Wright:  Arceneaux (JR) Sledge (JR) Hopkins (JR)
Youngstown:  Amiker (JR)  Hain (SO)
... and us.
Peters, Williams, Adekoya, Yeo, Fernandez, Carter...+E.Victor

Preseason All Conference ...
Peters
Sykes - POY
Felder
Howard,Jr
Arceneaux  (but Petros, Forbes, Hopkins and Tiby will get some votes

Don't forget about Matthew Grant (DET), Greg Mays (GB), and Ryan Weber (YSU)

I would say this is my preseason all conference, I don't think Peters and Felder makes it personally.

Sykes - POY
Howard, Jr
Tiby
Grady
Forbes

We've got some really deep talent in the league coming back next season.  Cleveland State is returning 4 people who averaged over 9+ ppg

I agree that voters for the preseason all conference team will likely skip Peters because they tend to vote for upperclassmen rather than someone who has just had a freshman year. However, by the end of next season Peters should make the all-conference team just as Dority did this year. With Dority gone, his scoring will need to be picked up elsewhere, and I see Alec's offensive numbers increasing as a result, especially if he develops even further over the summer with the kind of work ethic and maturity Dority displayed this past summer.

[wh]

I would think Alec is a lock to at least be named to the preseason all conference 2nd team.

[Kyle321n]

I would think Alec is a lock to at least be named to the preseason all conference 2nd team.

Unfortunately they don't do it past 1st team. But I think he is for sure a lock on the top 2 teams at the end of the season.

[zvillehaze]

I would think Alec is a lock to at least be named to the preseason all conference 2nd team.

Unfortunately they don't do it past 1st team. But I think he is for sure a lock on the top 2 teams at the end of the season.

Have named two teams for as long as I can remember.  http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/green-bay-tabbed-horizon-league-favorite-ysus-perry-voted-preseason-player-of-the-year?page=14&sport_id=2&types%5B%5D=2

[Kyle321n]

I would think Alec is a lock to at least be named to the preseason all conference 2nd team.

Unfortunately they don't do it past 1st team. But I think he is for sure a lock on the top 2 teams at the end of the season.

Have named two teams for as long as I can remember.  http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/green-bay-tabbed-horizon-league-favorite-ysus-perry-voted-preseason-player-of-the-year?page=14&sport_id=2&types%5B%5D=2

Gees, I was at the freaking announcement and still have the press release on my desk at home.  I guess I either missed or completely forgot about the second team.  Then yes, Alec will definitely be on the second team along with Felder. I think Hain, Petros and Lee will round out that second team.

[chef]

Kyle...No Trey Lewis in the top 10? The CSU people say he was the team's MVP and most complete player this year. I think when you consider what he does offensively and defensively, he's the most underrated player in the HL.

[Kyle321n]

Kyle...No Trey Lewis in the top 10? The CSU people say he was the team's MVP and most complete player this year. I think when you consider what he does offensively and defensively, he's the most underrated player in the HL.

It's really tough to pick people from CSU since any given night one of them can go off for 20 points or they could have a 3-20 shooting night. I forget about Lewis quite a bit, and looking at his number this year he's a quiet 13-3-3.  He's certainly underrated in my mind.

[VULB#62]

Thought it might be fun to look at the top returnees from this year's rosters for next year's "Pre-Season All Conference" picks...and overall strength of the teams in the HL...

(Current Class Years):
Cleveland State:   Forbes (SO), Lewis (SO), Grady (SO), Lee (JR)
Detroit:  Howard, Jr (JR), Williams (FR)
Green Bay:  Sykes (JR), Fouse (SO) Love (SO)
Illinois-Chicago:  Bird (FR) Parker (JR) Brown (JR)
Milwaukee:  Tiby (SO) McWorter (JR)  Arians (SO)
Oakland:  Felder (FR) Petros (JR)
Wright:  Arceneaux (JR) Sledge (JR) Hopkins (JR)
Youngstown:  Amiker (JR)  Hain (SO)
... and us.
Peters, Williams, Adekoya, Yeo, Fernandez, Carter...+E.Victor

Tiby and Arians from UWM have certainly established their creds  this post season and they are around for two more seasons.  CSU with so many back and Valpo with so many back -- these three look to be the front runners right now, eh?  From everyone else's comments, we are one talented big away from being dominant, yes?

[talksalot]

I was looking through a few of the rosters and did not see any... we have EVic... are there other red-shirt-this-year players that become eligible next year?

[historyman]

I was looking through a few of the rosters and did not see any... we have EVic... are there other red-shirt-this-year players that become eligible next year?

I remember reading that Oakland had picked up some guy named Cleveland that was sitting out a red-shirt this season but I'm not sure if he will actually make an impact on that team or not.

http://opgrizzden.blogspot.com/2014/02/oakland-freshmen-jalen-hayes-artis.html

From this article Oakland has 2 red-shirts and both "could" have an impact on their team next year.

Artis Cleveland and Jalen Hayes

[wh]

Tiby and Arians from UWM have certainly established their creds  this post season and they are around for two more seasons.  CSU with so many back and Valpo with so many back -- these three look to be the front runners right now, eh?  From everyone else's comments, we are one talented big away from being dominant, yes?

Finding one could be a tall order. 

[talksalot]

Thanks... found him on the OU Grizz roster...

12   Artis Cleveland   Center   6-10/215   FR   Undecided   Birmingham, Ala./Wenonah/Mississippi Valley State

ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Oakland men's basketball team has added Artis Cleveland to the roster, announced head coach Greg Kampe on Wednesday. Cleveland (6-10, 207) attended Mississippi Valley State for the summer term, but decided to transfer to OU in late August.

"We are happy to have Artis (Cleveland) join the program," said Kampe. "We have watched him develop over the years and at 6-foot-10, his best days are ahead of him. He's a good student and a great kid."  Cleveland grew up in Detroit before moving to Birmingham, Ala. his sophomore season. He attended Wenonah High School where he helped lead the Dragons to back-to-back Class 5A state championships. Cleveland averaged 6.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots per game during his senior season.

After receiving offers from Alabama A&M, Buffalo, Seattle, Tennessee-Martin, Western Carolina and Youngstown State, Cleveland decided on Mississippi Valley State. After a summer term and a coaching change, Cleveland made a decision to attend Oakland.

Due to the NCAA transfer rule, Cleveland will have to sit out the 2013-14 season.

[VULB#62]

Tiby and Arians from UWM have certainly established their creds  this post season and they are around for two more seasons.  CSU with so many back and Valpo with so many back -- these three look to be the front runners right now, eh?  From everyone else's comments, we are one talented big away from being dominant, yes?

Finding one could be a tall order. 

     Yeah, aren't those guys automatically shunted to BCS programs.  Some sort of  NCAA rule or something.

[vu72]

Well at least we can take comfort from losing to the ultimate champion.  Congrats to Milwaukee, they played their as--s off and deserve the spot.  We need to learn from them--it is not OK to play as if nothing matters.  Play like it is the last game of your life.  We will learn...

[historyman]

Tiby and Arians from UWM have certainly established their creds  this post season and they are around for two more seasons.  CSU with so many back and Valpo with so many back -- these three look to be the front runners right now, eh?  From everyone else's comments, we are one talented big away from being dominant, yes?

Finding one could be a tall order. 

     Yeah, aren't those guys automatically shunted to BCS programs.  Some sort of  NCAA rule or something.

Did you mean that talented bigs are "automatically shunted to BCS programs," '62?

Ever since Mo Kone used that word "dominant/dominate" I shy away from using it and it sets us up to be unrealistic. I would say that having 15 more points a game coming from our big men would make a very big difference in the kind of season Valpo could have had this year and could have next year. So finding a talented big man would be a huge difference maker. I'm not saying that Valpo will never finish in first and win the conference tournament or get an NCAA bid based on their season record after not winning the HL tourney but I do think that Valpo will probably find the HL to have some very competitive opponents and will not match Butler's 18-0 conference record that showed Butler truly was a dominant team that season.

[bbtds]

Thanks... found him on the OU Grizz roster...

12   Artis Cleveland   Center   6-10/215   FR   Undecided   Birmingham, Ala./Wenonah/Mississippi Valley State

ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Oakland men's basketball team has added Artis Cleveland to the roster, announced head coach Greg Kampe on Wednesday. Cleveland (6-10, 207) attended Mississippi Valley State for the summer term, but decided to transfer to OU in late August.

"We are happy to have Artis (Cleveland) join the program," said Kampe. "We have watched him develop over the years and at 6-foot-10, his best days are ahead of him. He's a good student and a great kid."  Cleveland grew up in Detroit before moving to Birmingham, Ala. his sophomore season. He attended Wenonah High School where he helped lead the Dragons to back-to-back Class 5A state championships. Cleveland averaged 6.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots per game during his senior season.

After receiving offers from Alabama A&M, Buffalo, Seattle, Tennessee-Martin, Western Carolina and Youngstown State, Cleveland decided on Mississippi Valley State. After a summer term and a coaching change, Cleveland made a decision to attend Oakland.

Due to the NCAA transfer rule, Cleveland will have to sit out the 2013-14 season.

So Cleveland who will be playing for Oakland grew up in Detroit and lived in Birmingham had offers from Buffalo and Seattle. He must be a real "big city" guy. 

[LaPorteAveApostle]

"Artis Cleveland" has gotta be a stage name.  It sounds like something made up by Will Ferrell for "Semi-Pro".

Although, generally, football names are way ahead of basketball names these days.  Thinking of the spectacularly-named "Equanimeous St. Brown".

Even I can't make that up.

[valpotx]

Arians definitely picked it up for Milwaukee in the championship game.  He was absolutely piss poor during all 3 games against us: 10/37 overall, 5/26 from 3, 4/5 from FT, 29 total points, etc.

[Pathfinder]

Sykes POY
Howard
Felder
Forbes
Lewis

Grady
Tiby
Fouse
Petros
Lee

Don't see Peters in the top 10 pre-season, or even that close - McWhorter, Hain, maybe others will also be ahead of him. It's not an insult - Bryce's system doesn't really build stars, Rowdy notwithstanding.

Don't forget Green Bay - everyone of consequence back except Brown. I'd guess an order something like this: Green Bay, CSU, Valpo, Detroit, Milwaukee, YSU, Oakland, WSU, UIC.

[crusadermoe]

If Artis from Oakland makes it big....as a big man..., he will bring the "Cleveland Show" to the Horizon.   

Must see TV.

[atkins]

I don't think we have anyone close to second-team at this point.  Alec didn't show the consistency that would make him a second-team selection.  However, he'll be on one of those teams as a junior and senior because he got the sophomore slump out of the way his freshman year. 

I also believe that we need an athletic Big (at least a PF) to do anything outside of the Horizon.  I've watched a ton of NCAA tournament games so far, and we'd be blown out by most of those teams -- Too much strength and agility in the paint.  We'd be stuck shooting (and missing) 3's.  Another guy like Jubril would be fine, but our guards would be helpless against many of these teams.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Felder

I lol'd.

I suppose we'll see how good he is with no one to pass it to.