#HLMBB Semifinal Preview
By Zo Tyson
Sports Capital Journalism Program, IUPUI
For the second straight season and the third in the last five years, the four top seeds in the Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship reached the semifinal round. Wright State and Northern Kentucky received double byes straight into Monday’s games, while Green Bay earned a home win over Oakland and UIC hosted and won two contests to move onto the semifinals with the top two seeds.
The four teams have different ways of scoring to find a way to win games. Throughout the 2019-2020 season, all four teams have proven that they are qualified to become a Horizon League champion.
No. 1 Wright State (25-6)
The Raiders will meet UIC at 7 p.m. ET on Monday. Wright State had a League record of 15-3, two games ahead of second-place Northern Kentucky.
Scott Nagy, who shared Coach of the Year honors with Dennis Gates of Cleveland State, has recruited a team that plays together with pace and balance. That balance can be found on the list of league-leading scorers, where four Raiders are among the top 19 scorers in the league. Junior center Loudon Love, the Horizon League Player of the Year, averages 16.3 points, seventh best, and 9.7 rebounds, second-highest. Love is tied for the League lead with an average of 1.42 blocked shots. Senior forward Bill Wampler averages 15.7 points, ninth-best, and made 78.1% of his free throws. Freshman guard Tanner Holden is 16th with an average 12.1 points and 6.5 rebounds. Senior guard Cole Gentry ranks 19th with an average of 11.0 points.
No. 2 Northern Kentucky (21-9)
The Norse will face Green Bay at 9:30 p.m. ET on Monday. Northern Kentucky had a League record of 13-5, including two losses to Wright State –including a 64-62 loss at home to close out the regular season. After losing three of four games in late December and early January, the Norse have won 12 of their last 15 including victories at UIC and Green Bay.
Senior guard Tyler Sharpe averages 14.9 points and leads the team in 3-pointers made with 74. Senior forward Dantez Walton averages 16.3 points and 7.0 rebounds and made 47 3-point baskets, shooting at a 37 percent rate beyond the arc. Junior guard Jalen Tate averages 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds. Sophomore guard Trevon Faulkner averages services 12.1 points and made 33 3-point shots, third-best on the team.
No. 3 Green Bay (17-15)
The Phoenix will meet Northern Kentucky in Monday’s last contest. Green Bay lost four of its last 10 regular-season games, but three of those losses were against teams with winning conference records. Coach Linc Darner led Green Bay to a top-four finish for the fourth time in his five seasons.
Fifth-year senior JayQuan McCloud, the third-leading scorer in the league, averages 17.3 points and 5.1 rebounds. Freshman guard Amari David averages 15.9 points. David has made 51.5% of his shots and 70.2% of his free throws in his rookie season. Senior guard Kameron Hankerson averages 11.2 points and shot 79.3% from the free-throw line.
No. 4 UIC (17-16)
The Flames will meet Wright State in the first semifinal on Monday. Coach Steve McClain guided UIC to at least 16 victories for a fourth consecutive season and reached a semifinal game for the second time. UIC is shooting for its first Horizon League tournament championship and NCAA tournament spot since 2004.
This is a team that stands out because it has seniors stepping up to help organize the team on the court. Guard Tarkus Ferguson leads the Flames in scoring (14.1 points), rebounding (5.9) and assists (4.9) and plays a team-high 35.6 minutes per game. Guard Marcus Ottey averages 11.6 points and has made 44.2% of his 3-point shots and 79.4% of his free throws. Guard Godwin Boahen averages 10.4 points and shot 76.4% from the foul line.