#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – December 26
#HLMBB Standings | #HLMBB Statistics | #HLMBB Weekly Release
INDIANAPOLIS – We’ve finally reached #HLMBB play as eight teams open up League play on Friday highlighted by Wright State hosting UIC on ESPN2.
#HLMBB NEWS & NOTES
• #HLMBB play begins this week with a marquee matchup on national television as UIC travels to Wright State on Friday on ESPN2. WSU was voted the preseason favorite and holds the second-best scoring defense in the HL at 68.3 and will take on the Flames that rank first in the HL in field goal percentage and average just under 10 triples a game.
• Northern Kentucky ended the non-conference season with a perfect 8-0 mark at home after a 65-62 win over Northern Illinois last week. The Norse are tops in the HL in scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense and 3-point field-goal percentage defense, while also scoring 78 points per game, the third-most in the League. They open League play hosting IUPUI who is off to one of their best starts in recent memory at 8-5 and are scoring almost 80 points a game.
• Milwaukee may be the hottest team entering #HLMBB play as they have won three in a row after a thrilling comeback win at Western Michigan to close out non-conference play. The Panthers held the Broncos scoreless over the final 2:25 minutes of the contest as Vance Johnson capped off a 6-0 run at the end of the game to earn the 67-66 victory.
• NKU and IUPUI are both receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major top-25 poll.
• Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis is third in the country in scoring at 26.0 points per game as he leads all of Division I with 60 total 3-pointers. Oakland’s Xavier Hill-Mais is also top-20 in the country in scoring at 22.3 points, while IUPUI’s Camron Justice is the only other #HLMBB player to average 20 points a game at 21.0 for the Jags.
• NKU’s Drew McDonald heads into League play leading the HL in rebounds with 9.5 per game, followed by Youngstown State’s Naz Bohannon as he has grabbed 9.2 boards per game, including ranking third in the NCAA in offensive rebounds with 4.08.
• UIC’s Tarkus Ferguson and Green Bay’s Sandy Cohen III are the only two players in the Horizon League that rank in the top-10 in points, rebounds and assists. Ferguson leads the League in assists at 5.4, while Cohen also leads the HL with 2.2.
• Wright State’s Loudon Love and Northern Kentucky’s Drew McDonald were selected to the 2018-19 Lou Henson Award Watch List, presented annually to the nation’s top mid-major player in Division I College Basketball. Love and McDonald are tied atop the HL with six double-doubles.
• McDonald has also been selected to the Naismith Hall of Fame’s Karl Malone Award Watch List, presented to the nation’s top power-forward and one of 30 of candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. McDonald is one of only 10 active players to record 1,500 points and 600 rebounds and among active Division I players ranks seventh in double-doubles, 10th in rebounds and 20th in points.
• #HLMBB have been prolific from long range this season as eight out of 10 teams are ranked in the top-100 in total 3-point field goals made per game with Oakland pacing the HL with 11.1, good for eighth in the NCAA. In addition, the Golden Grizzlies are fifth in the country in 3-point field-goal percentage at 42.9 percent as the League has the sixth-best conference 3-point shooting percentage at 36.0.
• Oakland has proved to be early on one of the best in the nation at holding on to the ball and also sharing it. The Golden Grizzlies are 11th in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.61, 13th in assists per game (18.2).
RESULTS
| DATE |
GAME |
RECAP |
| Tuesday, Dec. 18 |
Wright State 78, Morehead State 67 |
Box Score |
|
Georgia 81, Oakland 69 |
Box Score |
|
Ohio State 75, Youngstown State 56 |
Box Score |
|
Purdue Fort Wayne 87, IUPUI 77 |
Box Score |
| Wednesday, Dec. 19 |
Cleveland State 82, Niagara 60 |
Box Score |
| Thursday, Dec. 20 |
Northern Kentucky 65, Northern Illinois 62 |
Box Score |
| Friday, Dec. 21 |
Morehead State 74, IUPUI 70 |
Box Score |
|
Xavier 69, Detroit Mercy 55 |
Box Score |
|
Michigan State 99, Oakland 69 |
Box Score |
|
UIC 76, St. Francis (Ill.) 55 |
Box Score |
| Saturday, Dec. 22 |
Milwaukee 67, Western Michigan 66 |
Box Score |
|
Evansville 80, Green Bay 75 |
Box Score |
|
Mississippi State 67, Wright State 63 |
Box Score |
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
GAME OF THE WEEK
UIC at Wright State, Friday, Dec. 28, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Two of the top teams in the HL will face off on national television to open up #HLMBB play as the Raiders host the Flames on ESPN2. WSU is led by reigning Freshman of the Year Loudon Love who averages 14.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and is tied for the League lead with six double-doubles. The Flames boast one of the best backcourts in the League led by Marcus Ottey and Tarkus Ferguson who both rank inside the top-10 in the League in scoring with 15.8 and 15.7 points per game, respectively.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
| DATE |
GAME |
Time (ET) |
TV/Live Stream |
| Friday, Dec. 28 |
Detroit Mercy at Youngstown State |
2 p.m. |
ESPN+ |
|
IUPUI at Northern Kentucky |
7 p.m. |
ESPN+ |
|
Oakland at Cleveland State |
7 p.m. |
ESPN+ |
|
UIC at Wright State |
7 p.m. |
ESPN2 |
| Saturday, Dec. 29 |
Green Bay at Milwaukee |
8 p.m. |
ESPN+ |
| Sunday, Dec. 30 |
Oakland at Youngstown State |
2 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
|
IUPUI at Wright State |
3 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
|
UIC at Northern Kentucky |
6 p.m. |
ESPN+ |
|
Detroit Mercy at Cleveland State |
7 p.m. |
ESPN+ |