#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – January 11

#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – January 11

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INDIANAPOLIS – Week 4 of Horizon League play features some exciting matchups as Milwaukee and Northern Kentucky face off on Thursday for sole possession of first place followed by Youngstown State traveling to Oakland on Saturday for a matchup between two 4-2 teams. The week closes on Monday with a game between the two teams that shared the regular season title last season as Purdue Fort Wayne hosts Cleveland State.

#HLMBB NEWS & NOTES

  • Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis is on the brink of being one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA history. On Dec. 1 he became the Horizon League’s all-time leading scoring, surpassing the previous record of 2,914 points set by Loyola’s Alfredrick Hughes (1981-85) and then on Dec. 10 became the 11th player in NCAA history to surpass 3,000 career points. The Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year sits sixth all-time with 3,159 points, 508 away from Pete Maravich’s NCAA record of 3,667. He is the NCAA record holder with 128 consecutive games in double figures and his 499 3-pointers are first in Horizon League history and third in NCAA history, 10 away from Fletcher Magee's NCAA-record 509 and five away from fellow Horizon League alum Travis Bader of Oakland.

  • Davis currently leads the nation in scoring at 25.0 points per game and total points 425, while ranking second in total 3-pointers (70), third in 3-pointers per game (4.1), fourth in total field goals (139).

  • Davis has been named to five national awards list this season: John R. Wooden Award Midseason and Preseason Top 50 Watch List, Naismith Award for the Player of the Year, the Bob Cousy Award for the nation’s top point guard and the Lou Henson National Player of the Year.

  • Oakland head coach Greg Kampe over the weekend became the fourth coach in League history to earn 100 Horizon League victories. He is in his 39th season at the helm of the Oakland men’s basketball program. Kampe is the second-longest tenured active coach in Division I, only behind Jim Boeheim (Syracuse, 45 seasons) who faced one another on Dec. 6. Kampe’s 668 career wins ranks 13th among active Division I coaches.

  • Milwaukee completed a weekend road sweep of the two teams that shared the Horizon League regular-season title a year ago in Purdue Fort Wayne and Cleveland State. The Panthers sit at 5-1 in League play – its best conference start since 2011-12 – and at one point over the weekend moved into sole possession of first place in the HL standings for the first time since January of 2012.

  • MKE is third in the League in scoring at 77.5 points per game as it is also third in the country with 35.9 points off the bench per game. The Panthers are also tops in the HL in defensive field goal percentage thanks to ranking 11th in the nation in blocks per game with 5.8 led by Ahmad Rand who is 13th in blocks per game with 2.6.

  • Northern Kentucky is tied on top of the Horizon League standings at 5-1 thanks to its efforts on the defensive end as NKU is the No. 1 scoring defense through the first three weeks of HL play at 62.5 points per game. The Norse are also tops in the HL in steals (9.0) and turnover margin (+5.7).

  • Northern Kentucky is 23rd in the country with over nine steals per contest led by the reigning Freshman of the Year Sam Vinson who is ninth in the nation with 2.6 swipes per game.

  • Youngstown State is the Horizon League’s highest ranked team in the NET with a 12-5 record. Four of its five losses this year have been by single-digits. The Penguins are also the No. 1 scoring offense in the HL and No. 7 nationally at 84.9 points per game thanks to ranking top-10 in field goal percentage (49.9) and 3-point percentage (39.5). YSU posted the most points in a HL game so far this season 105 on Saturday vs. IUPUI with 33 assists, the most helpers in a game by a Horizon League team this season.

  • The ‘Guins are one of the most balanced scoring attacks in the HL as three players are ranked inside the top-12 in scoring led by Cohill with 18.1, followed by Malek Green with 14.1, and Brandon Rush at 13.2. Cohill and Green are also ranked inside the top-3 in field goal percentage with Cohill shooting just under 60 percent and Green at 55.7 percent. In addition, Bryce McBride leads the country in free-throw percentage at 97.9 percent (46-47).

  • Youngstown State’s Adrian Nelson sits 34th in the nation in rebounds as he is grabbing 9.2 per game. Not far behind is Northern Kentucky’s Chris Brandon who is 40th in the nation with 9.1. Nelson is also second in the HL in double-doubles and 28th in the country with six.

  • Oakland is riding a four-game winning streak after earning a weekend sweep on the road at Northern Kentucky and Wright State. Over the four-game winning streak, the Golden Grizzlies are averaging 75.8 points and have shot over 50 percent three times, while holding opponents to just 65.5 points. Jalen Moore has been the catalyst for Oakland as he is averaging 19.8 points over the four games, shooting 85.0 percent from the foul line (34-40) and holds a 4.4 assist-to-turnover ratio.

  • Cleveland State is also 4-2 at in a tie for second place in the standings after the first three weeks of HL play. The Vikings rank top-3 in the League in three major defensive categories as they allow 65.9 points per game, while opponents are shooting 41.5 percent from the floor and just 31.2 percent from distance.

  • Purdue Fort Wayne is one of the most prolific 3-point shooting teams as the Mastodons are ninth in the country in 3-pointers made per game (10.1) and sixth in 3-point field goal attempts (28.6). Purdue Fort Wayne is also strong defensively as the No. 2 scoring defense in the HL at 65.5 points per game and are holding opponents to a 28.5 shooting percentage from long range. 

  • Jarred Godfrey continues to do a little bit of everything for the ‘Dons as he is averaging 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game in League play, all top-15 in the Horizon League, while shooting a perfect 36-for-36 from the free-throw line.

  • Despite missing last weekend, Detroit Mercy’s Gerald Liddell has made a big impact for the Titans since transferring from Alabama State and becoming eligible on Dec. 1. In eight games, Liddell is averaging 16.8 points and 12.8 rebounds per game and has tallied a double-double in seven games played, the most in the HL this season.

  • Two of the highest individual scoring games in the country this year have been by Horizon League players. Warrick scoring the most points in a single game in Division I this season with 45 in a double overtime win on 18-made field goals, while Youngstown State’s Dwayne Cohill posted 43 points in a road win against Wright State on 16-of-19 shooting.

  • RMU’s Josh Corbin is second in the HL in 3-point shooting percentage at 42.0 percent and 16th nationally with 3.2 3-pointers per game, trailing just Detroit Mercy’s Davis. Enoch Cheeks is also playing well for the Colonials as he is top-20 in the League in scoring (17.3), field-goal percentage (49.3), assists (3.0), steals (1.7) and blocks (1.3).

  • Wright State has one of the most efficient offenses in the country as it ranks 10th in field goal percentage at 49.7 percent led by underclassmen AJ Braun and Brandon Noel both shooting over 60 percent from the floor.

  • Oakland’s Trey Townsend continues to lead the Golden Grizzlies as he is top-10 in the League in points (16.2), fourth in field goal percentage (52.0), seventh in rebounds (7.0) and fourth in blocks (1.1).
RESULTS
DATE GAME RECAP
Thursday, Jan. 5 Purdue Fort Wayne 79, Green Bay 69 Box Score
Youngstown State 78, RMU 56 Box Score
Milwaukee 68, Cleveland State 64 (OT) Box Score
Friday, Jan. 6 Wright State 90, Detroit Mercy 85 Box Score
Oakland 64, Northern Kentucky 63 Box Score
Saturday, Jan. 7 Milwaukee 74, Purdue Fort Wayne 70 Box Score
Youngstown State 105, IUPUI 74 Box Score
Cleveland State 82, Green Bay 77 Box Score
Sunday, Jan. 8 Oakland 75, Wright State 73 Box Score
Northern Kentucky 78, Detroit Mercy 76 (OT) Box Score
Monday, Jan. 9 RMU 77, IUPUI 70 Box Score

NIKE #HLMBB PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (all times ET)
Thursday, Jan. 12
Youngstown State at Detroit Mercy, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Purdue Fort Wayne at IUPUI, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
RMU at Oakland, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Wright State at Green Bay, 8:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Northern Kentucky at Milwaukee, 8:00 P.M. (ESPN+)

Saturday, Jan. 14
Cleveland State at IUPUI, 12:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
RMU at Detroit Mercy, 1:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Youngstown State at Oakland, 3:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Northern Kentucky at Green Bay, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Wright State at Milwaukee, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)

Monday, Jan. 16
Cleveland State at Purdue Fort Wayne, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)