#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – December 8
#HLMBB Standings | #HLMBB Statistics | #HLMBB Weekly Notebook
INDIANAPOLIS – After the first week of Horizon League action, four teams sit atop the standings with Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Oakland and Youngstown State each going 2-0. The calendar moves back to non-conference play before returning back to #HLMBB action on Dec. 30.
#HLMBB NEWS & NOTES
• In the first #HLMBBonESPN game of the season, Milwaukee defeated RMU, 77-69 on ESPNU. MKE freshman Patrick Baldwin Jr. put on a show as he finished with 26 points on 6-of-6 shooting from long range, including scoring 19 in the first half. His 6-for-6 night tied a Panthers record set 30 years prior. The 26 points were the second-most points scored in a game during the opening HL weekend. RMU battled all game led by Rasheem Dunn with 21 points and Kam Farris with 14. The Panthers pulled away late in the game thanks to a 12-2 run to pick up its first HL win of the season.
• Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis set the Horizon League record for career 3-pointers on Saturday at UIC and now has 350 triples for his career. He currently leads the Horizon League in scoring and is fourth in the country with 22.5 points per game. The two-time Preseason Player of the Year ranks sixth on the Horizon League’s all-time scoring list with 2,220 points and is 189 points away from breaking the HL’s all-time scoring record in League play of 1,481 set by Alfredrick Hughes at Loyola. The senior is the nation’s active career leader in scoring average (24.7), 3-pointers per game (3.89) and free throw percentage (89.4), while also second in total points. He is one of only 16 current players in Division I to have amassed over 1,500 points and 350 assists.
• Two #HLMBB players find themselves top-10 in the country in assists per game led by Oakland’s Jalen Moore ranking fourth with 6.9 assists per game, while UIC’s Kevin Johnson is right behind him ranking eighth in the country with 6.6.
• The defending Horizon League champion Cleveland State Vikings extended its winning streak to six games after going 2-0 in the opening weekend of Horizon League action with wins at home over preseason No. 2 and 3, Wright State and Northern Kentucky, respectively. Against NKU, it was defense that won the day as the Vikings held the Norse to just over 30 percent from the floor including just 9-of-39 from 3-point range. On Saturday versus WSU, the offense took over with five players in double figures including Jayson Woodrich with 17 of the bench, while D’Moi Hodge scored 14 and Torrey Patton handed out 10 assists.
• Oakland has won five out of its last six games including both of its Horizon League games over the opening weekend. The Golden Grizzlies defeated UIC, 81-77, thanks to Trey Townsend scoring 22 with Jamal Cain and Jalen Moore posting double-doubles before earning a 78-45 win over IUPUI led by Moore with 15 and a trio of Oakland players scoring 14. The Golden Grizzlies were the champions of the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. and have picked up three wins over teams ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll, Toledo, Vermont and Delaware, and a road victory at Oklahoma State.
• Youngstown State made history last week after claiming a pair of road wins at Milwaukee and Green Bay during the first HL weekend as it marked the first time in school history the Penguins beat both the Panthers and Phoenix on the same Wisconsin two-game trip. Tevin Olison led the charge for the ‘Guins as he averaged 19.0 points over the two games with six 3-pointers and grabbed 5.5 boards. Michael Akuchie also had a nice weekend with 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds over the two games in Wisconsin.
• Detroit Mercy was one of four teams to begin Horizon League play a perfect 2-0 after earning victories over IUPUI and UIC. Davis posted his first career double-double against the Jags with 19 points and 10 assists, while Madut Akec registered a career-best 20 points. Against the Flames, the Titans trailed at the half but came out firing in the second period outscoring the Flames 43-29 in the second half as they shot 59.1 from the floor including 14-for-16 from the free throw line.
• Jamal Cain is leading the charge for the Golden Grizzlies as he is averaging 21.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game and is only one of two players in the country averaging more than 21 points and 10 rebounds. In addition, Cain has scored the most points in the nation with 212 and is tied for eighth in double-doubles with six.
• Milwaukee’s Baldwin continues to impress during his freshman campaign as he is averaging 17.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. In addition to being named to the Lou Henson Award Watch List, Baldwin was named to the 2022 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Watch List and national watch lists for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award and the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award. The Preseason All-Horizon League First Team selection is the highest-ranked high school recruit to ever sign with a Horizon League program, was a consensus five-star recruit and was considered the No. 4 player nationally in the class of 2021.
• Two #HLMBB teams are ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll with Oakland jumping up to No. 10 and Cleveland State receiving votes in the poll.
• A total of four Horizon League men’s basketball players were tabbed to the Lou Henson Award Watch List. The award is presented annually to the top mid-major player in division I college basketball. The list included Milwaukee’s Patrick Baldwin Jr., Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis, Wright State’s Tanner Holden and Oakland’s Jalen Moore.
RECENT RESULTS
| DATE |
GAME |
RECAP |
| Thursday, Dec. 2 |
Detroit Mercy 69, IUPUI 45 |
Box Score |
|
Wright State 86, Purdue Fort Wayne 73 |
Box Score |
|
Cleveland State 72, Northern Kentucky 58 |
Box Score |
|
Oakland 81, UIC 77 |
Box Score |
|
Green Bay 70, RMU 58 |
Box Score |
|
Youngstown State 70, Milwaukee 68 |
Box Score |
| Saturday, Dec. 4 |
Milwaukee 77, RMU 69 |
Box Score |
|
Oakland 78, IUPUI 45 |
Box Score |
|
Purdue Fort Wayne 71, Northern Kentucky 57 |
Box Score |
|
Cleveland State 85, Wright State 75 |
Box Score |
|
Youngstown State 82, Green Bay 58 |
Box Score |
| Sunday, Dec. 5 |
Detroit Mercy 64, UIC 56 |
Box Score |
| Tuesday Dec. 7 |
Bowling Green 73, Oakland 72 |
Box Score |
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
UPCOMING SCHEDULE (All times ET)
Wednesday, Dec. 8
RMU vs. Lancaster Bible, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Northern Kentucky vs. Canisius, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Youngstown State vs. Central Michigan, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Purdue Fort Wayne at SIUE, 8:00 PM (ESPN+)
Thursday, Dec. 9
Detroit Mercy at Kent State, 7:00 PM
Friday, Dec. 10
IUPUI at Tennessee State, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Green Bay at Kansas City, 8:00 PM (KCRoos.com)
Milwaukee at Colorado, 9:30 PM (Pac-12 Networks)
Saturday, Dec. 11
Detroit Mercy vs. Western Michigan, 1:00 PM (ESPN+)
Purdue Fort Wayne vs. SEMO, 1:00 PM (ESPN+)
Youngstown State vs. Canisius, 2:00 PM (ESPN+)
UIC at Central Michigan, 4:30 PM
RMU Florida Gulf Coast, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Sunday, Dec. 12
Northern Kentucky vs. Alice Lloyd, 2:00 PM (ESPN+)
Green Bay at Kansas State, 5:00 PM (ESPN+)
Monday, Dec. 13
Milwaukee vs. Rhode Island, 8:00 PM (ESPN+)
Cleveland State at Oklahoma State, 8:00 PM
Tuesday, Dec. 14
UIC vs. DePaul, 8:00 PM (ESPN+)