#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – February 8

#HLMBB Weekly Notebook – February 8

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#HLMBB Standings | #HLMBB Statistics | #HLMBB Weekly Notebook
INDIANAPOLIS – There are just three weeks left in the #HLMBB regular season with Youngstown State sitting atop the standings at 11-3, followed closely by Milwaukee and Northern Kentucky at 10-4, with Cleveland State not far behind at 9-5. This week’s games feature the next #HLMBBonESPN matchup with two rivals colliding as Wright State hosts Northern Kentucky on Friday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU with Jordan Bernfield and Dave Padgett on the call.

#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 3,399 points, 268 away from Pete Maravich’s NCAA record of 3,667. He is the NCAA record holder with 136 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 543 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 (26.6), total points (6654), field goals (221), 3-pointers (114) and 3-pointers per game (4.6). He has been named to eight national awards including 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 19-6 record including a 2-0 week that featured a triple overtime victory over Wright State and a win over Northern Kentucky to take sole possession of first place. The Penguins have one of the top offenses in the country ranking top-15 in the nation in points per possession (5th - 1.134), points per game (7th - 83.6), free throw percentage (7th - 78.2), field goal percentage (10th - 49.3), 3-point percentage (11th - 38.8) and effective field goal percentage (12th - 56.7).

  • The ‘Guins are one of the most balanced scoring attacks in the HL as four players are ranked inside the top-15 in scoring led by Dwayne Cohill with 17.5, followed by with Brandon Rush with 14.3, Malek Green at 14.2 and Adrian Nelson at 12.9. Cohill, Green and Rush are also ranked inside the top-10 in field goal percentage and Nelson is second in the League with 9.5 rebounds per game and tops with 11 double-doubles.

  • MKE sits in second place in the standings and will complete a three-game homestand this weekend. Milwaukee is third in the League in scoring at 78.0 points per game as it is fourth in the country in bench points per game at 33.2. The Panthers are also tops in the HL in defensive field goal percentage as they rank fifth in the nation in blocks per game with 5.9 led by Ahmad Rand who is 23rd in blocks per game with 2.1.

  • The Panthers are 7-3 since the calendar turned to 2023 in large part to the rise of BJ Freeman. Over his last 10 games, the Selma, N.C. native is averaging 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game including a 30-point, 11-assist performance against Youngstown State.

  • NKU is the No. 1 scoring defense through the first seven weeks of HL play at 62.1 points per game. The Norse are also tops during League play in steals (9.9) and turnover margin (+6.4). Northern Kentucky is sixth in the country with under 10 steals per contest led by the reigning Freshman of the Year Sam Vinson who is ninth in the nation with 2.5 swipes per game.

  • Northern Kentucky’s Marques Warrick is the third-leading scorer in the Horizon League with 18.3 points per game and is top-10 during HL play at 17.4 points per game hitting over 2.2 3-pointers per game. Chris Brandon is grabbing 10.1 boards per game against HL opponents including eight double-digit rebound efforts and four double-doubles.

  • The Vikings sit in fourth place in the HL and are one of the top defenses during Horizon League play ranking top-3 in scoring (71.1) and defensive field-goal percentage (43.9). Tristan Enaruna leads an offense that is shooting 47.7 percent from the floor during League play with 17.6 points per game and a 54.5 shooting percentage.

  • Oakland’s Jalen Moore is the second-leading scorer during Horizon League play at 21.5 points per game with a League-best 110 made free throws and is also tied for the most assists per game at 5.5. Moore has nine 20-point games against HL opponents including a 32-point performance at Detroit Mercy. Trey Townsend fills up the stat sheet for the Golden Grizzlies as he is top-10 in the League in points (16.1), field goal percentage (51.4), rebounds (8.1) and blocks (1.1).

  • Earlier this season, Oakland head coach Greg Kampe became the fourth coach in League history to earn 100 Horizon League victories and sits third all-time in HL wins. 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 672 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 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game in League play, all top-15 in the Horizon League, while shooting a League-high 91 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 146.

  • The Raiders are the No. 2 scoring offense in the Horizon League at 80.4 points per game led by Trey Calvin who is the No. 2 scorer in the HL at 20.3 points per game, including averaging 21.4 against HL opponents. WSU is one of the most efficient offenses in the country as it is No. 5 in shooting percentage at 49.7 percent led by three-time Freshman of the Week honoree Brandon Noel who is tops in the League at 59.8 percent shooting and also grabbing a League-best 10.9 rebounds during League play.

  • RMU’s Kahliel Spear is top-7 during Horizon League play in scoring (18.3), field-goal percentage (57.8), rebounding (8.1), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.2). Enoch Cheeks is also top-10 in scoring (15.7), field-goal percentage (46.9), assists (3.6) and steals (1.9) against HL opponents.

  • There have been 25 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. NKU’s Warrick is tied for the third-highest scoring mark this season with 45 against Tennessee Tech followed by Wright State’s Calvin with 44 at Youngstown State and YSU’s Cohill registered 41 on the road at Wright State.
RESULTS
DATE GAME RECAP
Thursday, Feb. 2 Milwaukee 72, IUPUI 69 Box Score
Youngstown State 91, Wright State 89 (3OT) Box Score
Northern Kentucky 65, RMU 52 Box Score
Detroit Mercy 85, Cleveland State 67 Box Score
Purdue Fort Wayne 82, Oakland 73 Box Score
Saturday, Feb. 4 IUPUI 68, Green Bay 53 Box Score
Detroit Mercy 85, Purdue Fort Wayne 52 Box Score
Oakland 92, Cleveland State 89 (OT) Box Score
Youngstown State 74, Northern Kentucky 56 Box Score
Wright State 82, RMU 67 Box Score
Monday, Feb. 6 Green Bay 80, Milwaukee 79 (OT) Box Score

NIKE #HLMBB PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (all times ET)
Wednesday, Feb. 8
IUPUI at Wright State, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)

Thursday, Feb. 9
Detroit Mercy at Milwaukee, 8:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Oakland at Green Bay, 8:00 P.M. (ESPN+)

Friday, Feb. 10
Youngstown State at Purdue Fort Wayne, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
RMU at Cleveland State, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Northern Kentucky at Wright State, 9:00 P.M. (ESPNU)

Saturday, Feb. 11
Detroit Mercy at Green Bay, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Oakland at Milwaukee, 7:00 P.M. (ESPN+)

Sunday, Feb. 12
IUPUI at Northern Kentucky, 1:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
RMU at Purdue Fort Wayne, 1:00 P.M. (ESPN+)
Youngstown State at Cleveland State, 1:00 P.M. (ESPN+)