#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – January 5
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INDIANAPOLIS – Horizon League play continues into 2022 with three teams looking to stay undefeated in Oakland, Cleveland State and Detroit Mercy. This week’s games are highlighted by Friday’s #HLMBBonESPN action as Detroit Mercy welcomes Milwaukee on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET.
#HLMBB NEWS & NOTES
• This Friday features the second #HLMBBonESPN game of the season with Milwaukee traveling to Detroit Mercy on ESPN2. The game is set to feature two of the best mid-major players in the country between Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis and Milwaukee’s Patrick Baldwin Jr. Davis is third in the country in scoring at 22.2 points per game and first in the NCAA in 3-pointers per game with 4.5. Baldwin looks to return after missing the last three games as he is averaging 15.0 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Panthers including a 26-point effort in the first #HLMBBonESPN game this season on Dec. 4.
• Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis set the Horizon League record for career 3-pointers earlier this season and now has 365 triples for his career. He currently leads the Horizon League in scoring and is third in the country with 22.2 points per game, while also leading the country in 3-pointers per game with 4.5. The two-time Preseason Player of the Year ranks sixth on the Horizon League’s all-time scoring list with 2,284 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 (24.6), 3-pointers per game (3.92) and total points, while also second in total 3-pointers and fourth in free-throw percentage (89.2).
• Jamal Cain is leading the charge for the Golden Grizzlies as he is averaging 21.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game and is only one of two players in the country to rank top-10 nationally in both points per game and rebounds per game. In addition, Cain is also 11th in country double-doubles with seven and ranks second in the HL in field-goal percentage at 52.2 percent and third in steals with 1.9.
• Three #HLMBB teams are ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll with Oakland coming in at No. 15, while Cleveland State and Youngstown State are receiving votes in the poll.
• Two #HLMBB players find themselves top-15 in the country in assists per game led by Oakland’s Jalen Moore ranking tops in all of Division I with 7.9 assists per game, while UIC’s Kevin Johnson is close behind him ranking 15th in the country with 6.0.
• 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.
• Milwaukee’s Baldwin has missed the last three games due to injury but has impressed when on the court during his freshman campaign as he is averaging 15.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game including a 26-point performance in his first Horizon League game of his career. 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.
• The Horizon League boasts some of the best free-throw shooting teams in the country with four tanked inside the top-30 nationally. Purdue Fort Wayne leads the way at No. 9 at 78.9 percent, followed by Wright State at No. 9 at 78.8 percent, Detroit Mercy No. 14 at 78.1 percent and Oakland at No. 29 at 77.0 percent.
• Wright State features one of the best scoring duos in the HL with two players ranked in the top-5 in points per game with Tanner Holden scoring 19.5 per game and Grant Basile averaging 17.5. In addition, Basile is second in the Horizon League with 9.2 boards per game and Holden is fourth in field-goal percentage shooting 51.2 percent from the floor.
• Green Bay’s Emmanuel leads the Horizon League shooting 56.7 percent from the floor and Lucas Stieber is first in the HL in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.92.
• Milwaukee holds the best defensive field-goal percentage of all #HLMBB teams at 38.9 percent thanks to defending the paint as the Panthers also lead the HL in blocks at 4.15 per game with Joey St. Pierre leading the block party at over two a game.
• Cleveland State remains one of three teams that are undefeated in Horizon League play having won seven out of its last eight games with its only loss coming in overtime on the road at Oklahoma State on Dec. 13. The Vikings continue to play well defensively as they rank in the top-3 in the HL in defensive field-goal percentage, steals and blocks. However, don’t sleep on the CSU offense as it is the No. 1 scoring offense in the League (76.4) with five 80-point games this season, while leading the HL in field-goal percentage (48.0) and assists (17.3). D’Moi Hodge leads the offensive charge for the Vikings with 15.3 points per game on 47.5 percent shooting from the floor to go along with 2.1 steals per game.
• Oakland is the only team right now to have won all four of its HL contests and has won seven out of its last nine games. Oakland is the top Horizon League team in the NCAA’s NET rankings, currently sitting at No. 69, after an impressive start to the season that has included a road victory at Oklahoma State and three victories over teams ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll.
• Wright State has won four-straight games after winning both of its League games last week at home and is now 3-1 in HL play. Holden led the charge with a pair of 22-point performances and ended the weekend with going 20-for-25 from the free-throw line.
RECENT RESULTS
| DATE |
GAME |
RECAP |
| Thursday, Dec. 30 |
Cleveland State 90, Purdue Fort Wayne 81 |
Box Score |
|
Northern Kentucky 79, Green Bay 74 |
Box Score |
|
Wright State 80, Milwaukee 75 |
Box Score |
|
Oakland 79, RMU 61 |
Box Score |
| Saturday, Jan. 1 |
Wright State 72, Green Bay 69 |
Box Score |
|
Milwaukee 61, Northern Kentucky 55 |
Box Score |
|
Oakland 87, Youngstown State 72 |
Box Score |
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
UPCOMING SCHEDULE (All times ET)
Wednesday, Jan. 5
Youngstown State at RMU, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Purdue Fort Wayne at Cleveland State, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Milwaukee at Green Bay, 8:00 PM (ESPN+)
Thursday, Jan. 6
UIC at Wright State, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Friday, Jan. 7
Milwaukee at Detroit Mercy, 7:00 PM (ESPN2)
Purdue Fort Wayne at Youngstown State, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Green Bay at Oakland, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Cleveland State at RMU, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Saturday, Jan. 8
UIC at Northern Kentucky, 2:00 PM (ESPN+)
IUPUI at Wright State, 2:00 PM (ESPN+)
Sunday, Jan. 9
Purdue Fort Wayne at RMU, 1:00 PM (ESPN+)
Green Bay at Detroit Mercy, 1:00 PM (ESPN+)
Cleveland State at Youngstown State, 2:00 PM (ESPN+)
Milwaukee at Oakland, 4:00 PM (ESPN+)
Monday, Jan. 10
Wright State at Northern Kentucky, 6:00 PM (ESPN+)
UIC at IUPUI, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)