The holiday week saw just three games in the Horizon League. Now, aside from one in-state tilt with a high-major opponent on Tuesday, the league shifts officially to conference play with a handful of matchups
between the conference’s top teams. There’s been a handful of teams that have seemed to be the top contenders for the league crown in the early going, but there is plenty of time for any team to make a move. Below are some of the key games to watch in the opening week of the official conference season:
Recap of Dec. 22-28
Wright State was the lone Horizon League team to win, downing Eastern Michigan 70-64. Michael Cooper once again led the way with 18 points, but four others scored in double figures. Michael Imariagbe had 13. Dominic Pangonis and TJ Burch each had 12, and Kellen Pickett had 10.
IU Indianapolis hung around in the desert, but fell to Grand Canyon 91-78. Kyler D’Augustino did all he could to keep the Jaguars in it, but his 24 points weren’t enough as the Lopes shot 30 free throws and connected on 26, compared to IU Indianapolis’ 15 attempts.
Green Bay struggled to build on its momentum from the win over UC Santa Barbara as Campbell took down the Phoenix 102-79. Despite shooting 58% from the field, Green Bay couldn’t get a stop, as the Fighting Camels shot 60% from the field and 58% from three.
Key matchups for the upcoming week
Oakland (6-7, 2-0 Horizon League) at Wright State (6-7, 1-1 Horizon league)
Monday, Dec. 29, 7 p.m. ET, on ESPN+
Oakland’s record isn’t a good representation of how good it has been this season, as was evident in its most recent game where it played Michigan State to the final buzzer. Its undefeated Horizon League record is a better indicator. The Golden Grizzlies have wins over Purdue Fort Wayne and Northern Kentucky in the league and will look to pick up a third league win against Wright State. The trio of bigs and Brody Robinson will be a problem for each team Greg Kampe leads his team into battle with. Wright State nearly won at Youngstown State, then dominated Green Bay in conference play so far. As the Raiders look to prove themselves amongst the league’s better half, opening conference play officially with a home game against one of the league’s best is a grand opportunity.
Purdue Fort Wayne (8-6, 2-1 Horizon League) at Milwaukee (6-6, 2-0 Horizon League)
Monday, Dec. 29, 8 p.m. ET, on ESPN+
The preseason favorite in the league, Milwaukee, is still adjusting to being without Seth Hubbard, but it hasn’t lost in the league yet. Josh Dixon has filled the scoring void left by Hubbard in the two games without him thus far, but it is to be determined if the true freshman can maintain his level of production. Purdue Fort Wayne has not played since it won at Notre Dame. The Mastodons’ backcourt trio of Corey Hadnot II, Mikale Stevenson and DeAndre Craig Jr. has been extremely productive this season. As Horizon League play officially begins, the group looks like it could potentially lead Purdue Fort Wayne to its first NCAA Tournament appearance. The Mastodons seem to be clicking right now, and the Panthers are looking to piece things together without their leading scorer, giving this game plenty of intrigue.
Milwaukee (6-6, 2-0 Horizon League) at Wisconsin
Tuesday, Dec. 30, 7 p.m. ET, on BTN
Bart Lundy will lead his team into an NBA-esque second night of a back to back at the Kohl Center with an opportunity to take down an in-state rival. Given the recent loss of the team’s leading scorer and this being the second game in as many nights, it’s a tall task for the Panthers, but it’s one last opportunity to see how they stack up against the teams they want to be playing against come March. Wisconsin has had its struggles this season, and if the Badgers come back from the holiday break a bit sluggish and looking towards Big Ten play, perhaps Milwaukee could create a bit of a trap-game environment on the road.
Oakland (6-7, 2-0 Horizon League) at Youngstown State (8-5, 2-1 Horizon League)
Thursday, Jan. 1, 1 p.m. ET, on ESPN+
Youngstown State opened the season playing like the best team in the conference. After a slide around Thanksgiving, the Penguins are back on their feet looking to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. Ethan Faulkner’s team took care of business against Wright State and IU Indianapolis but fell narrowly to the defending champs on the road. This matchup with Oakland gives Youngstown State another chance to grab a marquee win earlier in the conference slate, but like it did with the Robert Morris frontcourt, it will again have its hands full with the Golden Grizzlies’ bigs. Cris Carroll is usually the key for the Penguins, but some combination of Imanuel Zorgvol, Rich Rolf, Vlad Salaridze and Tyler Robinett will need to be strong protecting the rim against Michael Houge, Isaac Garrett and Tuburu Naivalurua.
Robert Morris (10-4, 2-1 Horizon League) at Oakland (6-7, 2-0 Horizon League)
Sunday, Jan. 4, 3 p.m. ET, on ESPN+
Oakland being included in three different key matchups for the week is a perfect encapsulation of the Golden Grizzlies’ season to this point. While playing three of the league’s top teams in one week to officially start conference play is daunting, no team is better prepared than Oakland. For those who like traditional post play, this game is can’t miss. The trio of Houge, Garrett and Naivalurua has been dominant, even having a great game against Michigan State. The defending champs are led by DeSean Goode and Nikolaos Chitikoudis up front who have been equally as good. Some combination of the elite bigs in this game will get their’s, so it may come down to the guard. Robinson has been awesome all year for the Golden Grizzlies, both scoring and setting up his bigs and shooters. Ryan Prather Jr. has come alive as of late to lead the Colonials backcourt as the lone returner from last season’s rotation. This should be a physical game as both teams look to dominate down low, but if the guards for either squad can get it going from deep, that could be the difference.
