#HLMBB Conference Preview
Joey Yashinsky
#HLMBB Conference Preview
By Joey Yashinsky
Horizon League Contributor
Greg Kampe’s Oakland Golden Grizzlies were the top seed at Motor City Madness last season. And now they add what could be the Horizon League’s most explosive player to the mix.
Note to the rest of the conference: take cover.
Kendrick Nunn, a former 15.5 point per game scorer at Illinois, joins the Golden Grizzlies as a 5th-year senior. All he did in his debut for the Black & Gold was drop 36 points on Fort Wayne in an Oakland rout. The 6-foot-3 lefty has launched himself headfirst into HL Player of the Year conversation.
He’ll have to beat his own teammates out for the honor first. Flanking Nunn will be fellow 5th-year seniors Jalen Hayes and Martez Walker. Hayes is a double-double machine with an NBA body and Walker is a modern-day Michael Redd.
Nick Daniels and Brailen Neely give Kampe good depth at point guard, and the return of shot-blocking demon Isaiah Brock solidified OU’s status as Horizon League favorites that much more.
Of course, Oakland will need to make its mark at Little Caesars Arena in March during the conference tournament. Kampe’s club has lost its opening tourney contest three years running.
The darlings of last year’s event were the Northern Kentucky Norse. Led by tournament MVP Lavone Holland II, John Brannen’s team methodically worked its way through the bracket and emerged as champions. And just about everyone is back in the fold.
Drew McDonald was voted the league’s preseason Player of the Year. He and Holland form a devastating 1-2 attack. Jordan Garnett pressures opposing wing players like an anaconda and Carson Williams might be the most consistent performer in the conference.
With Jalen Tate back from injury and Mason Faulkner fresh off a tremendous Horizon League tournament, the Norse enter the 2017-18 campaign with a fully loaded tank, ready to defend the throne.
Steve McClain’s UIC Flames could very well be the most athletic team in the league. Tai Odiase is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and he continues to refine a growing arsenal in the post. Dikembe Dixson was voted first team all-conference after sitting out most of last season, a testament to just how dynamic his skills are viewed by the rest of the Horizon League.
UIC’s quartet of sophomore guards (Tarkus Ferguson, Dominique Matthews, Godwin Boahen, Marcus Ottey) offer McClain tremendous lineup flexibility and the opportunity to ride the hot hand on any particular night. Jordan Blount and his non-stop motor will be a welcome addition to the Flames’ frontline.
The Detroit Mercy Titans are looking for a bounce-back season after dropping 23 games last year. Bacari Alexander brings in a pair of explosive newcomers in junior transfer Kam Chatman (Michigan) and freshman point guard Jermaine Jackson Jr. Chatman was superb in his Titans debut against Virginia Tech on Friday night, collecting 23 points and seven rebounds on 9 of 12 shooting (4-4 3PT).
Corey Allen and Jaleel Hogan, both preseason second team all-league selections, will need to follow up on their strong 2016-17 seasons. Allen is one of the most dangerous outside shooters in the country. Hogan is capable of owning the paint and dominating a game from the inside. Graduate transfer Roschon Prince (Long Beach State) adds much-needed experience and versatility to Detroit Mercy’s lineup.
Wright State will be paced by its trio of seasoned guards: seniors Justin Mitchell and Grant Benzinger, and junior Mark Hughes. Each one brings a little something different to the floor. Mitchell rebounds like a power forward at just 6-foot-4. Benzinger is a deadeye shooter with NBA range. Hughes is a dogged competitor on both ends and will benefit from having seen valuable playing time each of his first two years.
Scott Nagy will look for inside production from his tandem of junior Parker Ernsthausen and freshman Loudon Love. At 6’11” and 6’9”, the duo should present a formidable presence under the basket for the Raiders.
Linc Darner and the Green Bay Phoenix were Motor City Madness champions two seasons ago, but enter 2017-18 with an almost entirely new set of faces.
Senior guard Khalil Small will be relied upon heavily. He’s already one of the league’s top defenders, but will need to take his offensive game up a notch with so few returners to the squad. Kam Hankerson will see an increased role and should present matchup problems for the opposition as a 6-foot-5 point guard.
It will be a challenge for Darner to get his new charges used to Green Bay’s preferred RP-40 style (Relentless Pressure - 40 Minutes), but the team will benefit during Horizon League play when rangy guard Sandy Cohen III (Marquette transfer) joins the lineup.
Youngstown State made great strides during the conference tournament in March and will look to capitalize on that momentum this season. First-year coach Jerrod Calhoun brings with him a hoops philosophy built on creating turnovers and pushing the ball back the other way. It won’t be unusual to see Penguins’ final scores reach the 90s on a nightly basis, and likely into triple digits as well (allowed 111 to Kent St. in season-opening loss).
Cameron Morse and Francisco Santiago will bring a wealth of experience to Calhoun’s backcourt. Morse will battle with Oakland’s Nunn for the Horizon scoring title and Santiago competes like every game is his last. The Penguins are hoping for a big freshman-to-sophomore leap for Braun Hartfield, a future star in the conference.
Runner-up in 2017 to champions in 2018? That’s the hope of the Milwaukee Panthers, a surprise entrant in last year’s Horizon League title game. Brock Stull and Co. rattled off three straight victories as the tournament’s bottom seed before finally succumbing to Northern Kentucky.
Rookie head coach Pat Baldwin is armed with a host of returning talent. Stull contributes in just about every facet of the game and possesses one of the smoothest jumpers in the league. Brett Prahl and Bryce Nze form a terrific inside pairing. Guard depth is in abundance with junior Jeremiah Bell and a trio of emerging sophomores in Bryce Barnes, Jeremy Johnson, and August Haas.
Dennis Felton takes over at Cleveland State with a unique blend of confident upperclassmen and promising youngsters. Felton has raved about the leadership of his seniors, Bobby Word and Kenny Carpenter. They both have excellent size at the guard position (6’4” and 6’5”), and are looking to make their final season one to remember.
True freshmen Tyree Appleby and Stefan Kenic will play major roles for the Vikings. Appleby is a high-scoring guard from Arkansas and Kenic a multi-talented 6-foot-9 forward from Serbia. Sophomore point guard Kasheem Thomas is coming off a terrific debut season for CSU.
IUPUI readies for its first season in the Horizon after competing previously in the Summit League. It’s only appropriate that the squad’s head coach, onetime star point guard Jason Gardner (Arizona), comes equipped with his own bunch of backcourt ballers.
Senior Ron Patterson will be the go-to guy in crunch time, but don’t sleep on junior T.J. Henderson or freshman Jaylen Minnett. All three could pop for 25 points on any given night and makes the Jaguars a difficult team to hold down. Rugged senior forward Aaron Brennan will solidify the IUPUI interior.
Motor City Madness
This year’s Little Caesars Horizon League Basketball Championships will take place at sparkling new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. Fans from all corners of the conference are already buzzing about the event, which will take place March 2nd-6th, 2018.
The arena, home to the Pistons (NBA) and Red Wings (NHL), will officially open its doors for college hoops on December 16 when it hosts The District Detroit Basketball Showcase. That event will consist of an exciting Horizon League vs. Big Ten doubleheader; Detroit Mercy against Michigan in the opener, and Oakland tussling with Michigan State in the nightcap.
Little Caesars Arena is located right in the heart of District Detroit, a vibrant 50-block area full of restaurants, bars, parks, and other destinations. Fans attending Motor City Madness will be able to explore all that District Detroit has to offer while taking in 18 thrilling Horizon League tournament games over five days in a state-of-the-art entertainment facility.
Tickets can be purchased at campus box offices now and online starting December 15. For more information,
click here.
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