#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – February 1

#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – February 1

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#HLMBB Standings | #HLMBB Statistics | #HLMBB Weekly Notebook
INDIANAPOLIS – The calendar flips to February with just four weeks left in the #HLMBB regular season and there is a four-way tie atop the standings as Cleveland State, Milwaukee, Northern Kentucky and Youngstown State are all in first place at 9-3.

#HLMBB NEWS & NOTES

  • Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis has become 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 second all-time with 3,332 points, 335 away from Pete Maravich’s NCAA record of 3,667. He is the NCAA record holder with 134 consecutive games in double figures and on Jan. 14 broke the NCAA’s all-time 3-point record with a school-record 11 triples and sits at 534 3-pointers in his career. He is also just the second player in NCAA history to amass 3,000 points and 500 assists.

  • Davis currently leads the nation in scoring (26.0), total points (598), field goals (199), 3-pointers (105), 3-pointers per game (4.6). He has been named to seven national awards including most recently being tabbed to the John R. Wooden Award® Late Season Watch List comprised of 20 student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport's most prestigious honor. Other lists this season include: John R. Wooden Award Midseason and Preseason Top 50 Watch List, Naismith Award for the Player of the Year, Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason, the Bob Cousy Award for the nation’s top point guard and the Lou Henson National Player of the Year.

  • Youngstown State is the Horizon League’s highest ranked team in the NET with a 17-6 record including a victory on Friday in front of a packed crowd in the first nationally televised game at home in over 10 years. The Penguins have one of the top offenses in the country ranking top-10 in the nation in points per possession (2nd - 1.142), 3-point percentage (4th - 40.0), points per game (6th - 83.7), field goal percentage (7th - 49.6), free throw percentage (7th - 78.8) and effective field goal percentage (8th - 56.7).

  • The ‘Guins are one of the most balanced scoring attacks in the HL as four players are ranked inside the top-20 in scoring led by Dwayne Cohill with 17.6, followed by with Brandon Rush with 14.1, Malek Green at 13.9 and Adrian Nelson at 12.1. Cohill, Green and Rush are also ranked inside the top-10 in field goal percentage and Nelson is second in the League with 9.2 rebounds per game and tops with nine double-doubles.

  • On Saturday, Milwaukee completed an improbable 23-point comeback at Northern Kentucky to remain unbeaten against the other three teams tied for first. MKE is third in the League in scoring at 78.2 points per game as it is fourth in the country in bench points per game at with 34.1. The Panthers are also tops in the HL in defensive field goal percentage as they rank sixth in the nation in blocks per game with 5.9 led by Ahmad Rand who is 19th in blocks per game with 2.2.

  • The Panthers are 6-2 since the calendar turned to 2023 in large part to the rise of BJ Freeman. Over his last eight games, the Selma, N.C. native is averaging 24.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game including a 30-point, 11-assist performance against Youngstown State. In addition, the sophomore has won two out of the last four Nike #HLMBB Player of the week honors.

  • NKU is the No. 1 scoring defense through the first half of HL play at 61.9 points per game. The Norse are also tops during League play in steals (10.0) and turnover margin (+6.5). Northern Kentucky is fifth in the country with under 10 steals per contest led by the reigning Freshman of the Year Sam Vinson who is eighth in the nation with 2.5 swipes per game.

  • Northern Kentucky’s Marques Warrick is the third-leading scorer in the Horizon League with 18.7 points per game and is top-10 during HL play at 18.1 points per game hitting over 2.4 3-pointers per game. Chris Brandon is grabbing 9.9 boards per game against HL opponents including six double-digit rebound efforts and three double-doubles.

  • Cleveland State is riding a three-game win streak heading into Week 7 of #HLMBB play. The Vikings are one of the top defenses during Horizon League play ranking top-4 in scoring (68.3), defensive field-goal percentage (43.2) and defensive 3-point field goal percentage (32.8). Tristan Enaruna leads an offense that is shooting 48.0 percent from the floor during League play with 16.9 points per game followed closely by Tae Williams with 12.7 and Drew Lowder at 12.0.

  • Oakland’s Jalen Moore is the second-leading scorer during Horizon League play at 20.7 points per game with a League-best 89 made free throws and is also the top assist man with over 5.5 per contest. Moore has seven 20-point games against HL opponents including a 32-point performance. Trey Townsend continues to fill up the stat sheet for the Golden Grizzlies as he is top-10 in the League in points (15.9), field goal percentage (50.9), rebounds (7.4) and blocks (1.0).

  • Earlier this season, Oakland head coach Greg Kampe 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 671 career wins ranks 13th among active Division I coaches.

  • Purdue Fort Wayne’s Jarred Godfrey continues to do a little bit of everything for the ‘Dons as he is averaging 16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 0.6 blocks per game in League play, all top-15 in the Horizon League, while shooting over 94 percent from the foul line. He is the only active player in Division I with 1,900 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 3-pointers. He is also the program’s all-time leader in games played with 144.

  • Wright State won a pair of games at home last week to pull to .500 in HL play at 6-6 including earning the series sweep of Milwaukee with a 96-86 victory. The Raiders are the No. 2 scoring offense in the Horizon League at 80.0 points per game led by Trey Calvin who is the No. 2 scorer in the HL at 19.1 points per game, including averaging 19.3 against HL opponents.

  • WSU is one of the most efficient offenses in the country as it is one of only five teams to shoot over 50 percent from the floor this season led by three-time Freshman of the Week honoree Brandon Noel who is tops in the League at 60.6 percent shooting and also grabbing a League-best 10.2 rebounds during League play.

  • RMU is riding a three-game winning streak and is now 6-6 in the League and in a share for sixth place. Over the three-game winning streak, Kahliel Spear is averaging 24.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. During League play, Spear top-7 in scoring (19.0), field-goal percentage (58.9), rebounding (7.8) and steals (1.6). Enoch Cheeks is also top-10 in scoring (14.9) and assists (3.9) against HL opponents.

  • There have been 22 40-point performances in Division I this season and the Horizon League boasts four of them, the most of any conference. Detroit Mercy’s Davis leads the way with two in back-to-back games vs. RMU and IUPUI, while NKU’s Warrick is tied for the third-highest scoring mark this season with 45 against Tennessee Tech and YSU’s Cohill registered 41 on the road at Wright State.
RESULTS
DATE GAME RECAP
Wednesday, Jan. 25 Purdue Fort Wayne 81, IUPUI 75 Box Score
Thursday, Jan. 26 Northern Kentucky 68, Green Bay 50 Box Score
Wright State 93, Milwaukee 86 Box Score
Friday, Jan. 27 RMU 85, Detroit Mercy 77 Box Score
Cleveland State 79, Purdue Fort Wayne 74 Box Score
Youngstown State 77, Oakland 73 Box Score
Saturday, Jan. 28 Milwaukee 75, Northern Kentucky 74 Box Score
Wright State 77, Green Bay 46 Box Score
Sunday, Jan. 29 RMU 68, Oakland 63 Box Score
Youngstown State 73, Detroit Mercy 63 Box Score
Cleveland State 78, IUPUI 72 Box Score

NIKE #HLMBB PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (all times ET)
Thursday, Feb. 2
Milwaukee at IUPUI, 11:00 A.M. (ESPN+)
Wright State at Youngstown State, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Northern Kentucky at RMU, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Purdue Fort Wayne at Oakland, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Cleveland State at Detroit Mercy, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)

Saturday, Feb. 4
Green Bay at IUPUI, Noon (ESPN+)
Cleveland State at Oakland, 1:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Purdue Fort Wayne at Detroit Mercy, 1:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Wright State at RMU, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Northern Kentucky at Youngstown State, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)

Monday, Feb. 6
Green Bay at Milwaukee, 8:00 P.M. (ESPN+)