#HLMBB 2018-19 in Review

#HLMBB 2018-19 in Review

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INDIANAPOLIS - It was another unforgettable season of #HLMBB action in 2018-19 as records were broken, champions were crowned and memories were made. Check out just some of the highlights that made this season so memorable.
  • Northern Kentucky’s Drew McDonald was named the Horizon League Player of the Year and earned AP All-American Honorable Mention, is a two time member of the Mid-Major All-American Team and is a two-time National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 12 First Team member. Additionally, he ended his career as NKU’s all-time leading scorer and ranks ninth on the HL’s all-time scoring list with 2,066 points. He is also NKU’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,081, ranking third on the HL’s all-time list. Off the court, McDonald was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District team and is one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award.
  • The Norse went on to capture its second Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament Championship in three years at Motor City Madness and went on to earn a No. 14 seed into the NCAA Tournament, where they took on national runner-up Texas Tech.
  • Detroit Mercy's Antoine Davis had a freshman year for the ages that may go down as one of the best first years in League history. The Freshman of the Year led the HL in scoring and broke the Horizon League’s freshman scoring record with 784 points, becoming the first HL freshman to record over 700 points. Davis also broke Stephen Curry’s NCAA record for most 3-pointers in a season by a freshman and finished the season with 132 triples. Davis was third in the nation at 26.1 points per game, while also ranking top-15 in the country in 3-pointers per game (4.40) and field goals (263).
  • Davis became the first freshman since Gordon Heyward in 2008-09 to earn a spot on the All-Horizon League first team and also earned NABC All-District 12 Second Team honors. He broke the Horizon League's single-season record for points during League play that was set in 1984-85 with 442 points.
  • Northern Kentucky and Wright State earned a share of the regular-season title with identical 13-5 records. It was Northern Kentucky's second-straight regular season crown, while Wright State earned its first since the 2006-07 season.
  • Wright State’s Scott Nagy earned his second-straight Coach of the Year honor in the 2019 season and is the first coach since Bryce Drew of Valparaiso in 2015 and 2016 to win back-to-back Coach of the Year honors.
  • Wright State's All-Horizon League first team selection Loudon Love finished second in the HL in double-doubles with 12. He ranked seventh during Horizon League play in scoring with 16.6 points, second in rebounds with 7.6 per game as his performance earned him an NABC All-District 12 First Team recognition and placement on the 2018-19 Lou Henson All-America Team.
  • Green Bay made it to the semifinals of Motor City Madness this season, but had the best postseason run out of any team in the HL as they rolled out a four-game postseason win streak in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). The Phoenix took the HL's top-ranked offense at 81.2 points per game all the way to the championship game, before falling to Marshall on the road.
  • The Phoenix broke the Horizon League's single season record and its own program records for total points with 3,090.
  • All-Horizon League first team selection Sandy Cohen III was one of just two players in the Horizon League to lead their team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and minutes.
  • The Golden Grizzlies went into the semifinals of Motor City Madness as the hottest team in the League having won their last five games as they earned the No. 3 seed, but felt another heart-breaking moment as a buzzer beater in the semifinals ended its postseason run.
  • Brad Brechting was consistently strong for Oakland, having finished the second half of the HL season tied for third in points (18.3) and first in rebounds (9.6), while the Golden Grizzlies boasted the only two teammates to finish in the top-10 in scoring during HL play with Jaevin Cumberland (17.1) and All-Horizon League first team selection Xavier Hill-Mais (15.9). Hill-Mais is was one of four Horizon League players to earn NABC All-District 12 Second Team honors.
  • UIC guard Tarkus Ferguson made the Horizon League All-League Second Team and was named to the NABC All-District Team, becoming the first UIC player since 2008-09 to earn the distinction. Ferguson set the UIC single-season record for 3-pointers by the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, finishing with 100 made this season alone.
  • Marcus Ottey and Godwin Boahen tied 12th in the Horizon League for scoring, each averaging 14.8, as the Flames were the only team to have three players rank inside the top-15 in scoring.
  • Youngstown State newcomer Darius Quisenberry showed himself to be one of the brightest stars in the Horizon League and was named to the All-Freshman Team as well as All-League Second Team for his efforts.
  • By the end of the season, the Penguins set a program record with 303 made 3-pointers, marking the first time in program history a team has made at least 300 triples in season. The 2018-19 season also featured a six-game winning streak, which was the longest winning streak in YSU's Horizon League history and the longest streak since 1997-98.
  • IUPUI housed the Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year, Jaylen Minnett and D.J. McCall, respectively. Minnett, who came off the bench in every game for IUPUI this season, finished HL play averaging 12.3 points per game and finished top-10 in 3-pointers made per game at 2.4. McCall was named to the All-Defensive Team after finishing in the top-10 during Horizon League play in steals and defensive rebounds and was the primary defender on a Jaguars team that finished top-three in scoring defense, steals and turnovers forced.
  • Tyree Appleby led Cleveland State and was named to the All-League Second Team. He finished first in the Horizon League in assists (5.6), sixth in scoring (17.2), and 12th in free throw percentage (.780). The Vikings also had Rashad Williams voted as a member of the All-Freshman Team. after ranking second in the League for 3-point field goal percentage (.408) and earned a pair of Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors.
  • Milwaukee led the Horizon League in free throw percentage, shooting 75 percent from the charity stripe.
  • The Panthers were led from the line by Vance Johnson with a free-throw percentage (.860) that ranks second in League. Johnson also ranked 10th in defensive rebounds (4.1) for the Horizon League. Darius Roy led the way offensively, scoring 15.8 points per game, while DeAndre Abram averaged 12.1 points and 6.9 boards.