Week three of the college basketball season in the Horizon League will feature a relatively back-heavy slate of games. After Green Bay nearly stunned Minnesota, the league is trending in the right direction
to finally get an upset of a power-conference opponent, and the opportunities are once again aplenty this week. Whether it is an upset or thriller of a game in one of the quality mid-major matchups, it is shaping up to be a great week in the Horizon League.
Key Matchups
Eastern Michigan at Detroit Mercy, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m. ET, on ESPN+
An in-state matchup for Detroit Mercy is its best chance to get its first Division I win of the season, given what the rest of the week holds. Games at No. 17 Michigan State and DePaul may not be as friendly to the Titans, so getting a win against EMU would be huge for Detroit Mercy to avoid a winless week.
Robert Morris at St. Bonaventure, Thursday, Nov. 20, 6 p.m. ET, on ESPN+
Outside of the loss to Iowa, Andy Toole’s team has taken care of business, handling two non-Division I opponents and getting a big road win at Drake. This game provides the Colonials with another opportunity to pick up a quality win earlier in the year. St. Bonaventure currently sits at 4-0 with notable wins over Bradley and Youngstown State. The Bonnies head to Fort Myers to play No. 18 North Carolina after this game, so will be looking to pick up a quality win before the tall task of facing the Tar Heels. Nikolaos Chitikoudis is off to a strong start, averaging 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds so far, and another strong showing from him could help Robert Morris prevail.
IU Indianapolis versus Alabama State, Friday, Nov. 21, 2 p.m. ET
After winning its first NCAA Tournament game in program history last season, then upsetting in-state foe UAB, Alabama State has some strong momentum behind the program right now. This matchup with IU Indianapolis will be the third game of the week for the Hornets, but certainly entertaining. In a neutral site matchup in Colorado Springs, the Jaguars and Hornets should provide good entertainment value. IU Indianapolis currently leads the nation in pace, and Alabama State is just outside the top-50. This game should get up and down and feature a lot of points.
Purdue Fort Wayne at Saint Louis, Friday, Nov. 21, 8 p.m. ET, on ESPN+
The Mastodons have struggled on the road thus far, but will have a few opportunities to change that this week. They’ll play at Utah, and then this game at Saint Louis. The Robbie Avila train doesn’t have the national attention it once did, but the Billikens are 4-0 riding the momentum of a win over Grand Canyon. It will be an uphill battle for Purdue Fort Wayne, but the Mastodons are desperate for a road win, and doing so over a quality mid-major in Saint Louis would be a great way to get back on track.
Milwaukee at Wichita State, Saturday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m. ET, on ESPN+
After two road games against Indiana and No. 11 Texas Tech, Milwaukee has a few extra days of rest, but returns to action with another tough road test. Wichita State is off to a 3-0 start after a blowout of Loyola Chicago. The Shockers have shown early signs of returning to the program’s successful ways. While the Panthers couldn’t upset Indiana or Texas Tech, they played Texas Tech relatively close, and with a decent chunk of rest before this contest, should have a decent chance to pick up another quality mid-major win.
Opportunities for upsets against high-major opponents
Oakland at UCF, Monday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m. ET, on ESPN
Purdue Fort Wayne at Utah, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 9 p.m. ET, on ESPN+
Detroit Mercy at No. 17 Michigan State, Friday, Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m. ET, on BTN
Detroit Mercy at DePaul, Sunday, Nov. 23, 6 p.m. ET, on ESPN+
Most likely upset
With just three Horizon League teams getting a chance at an upset this week, it feels safest to pick the team led by the most experienced coach in the sport to have the best chance at a big win. Greg Kampe put together a total gauntlet of a schedule for Oakland to start the season, with Monday being the fourth power-conference road game the Golden Grizzlies have played on the young season. UCF has had a solid start to the year. Outside of a scare from Hofstra in game one, the Knights have picked up a few nice wins and sit at 3-1. Kampe’s team has just one win thus far, but it has played three top-ten teams. While UCF hasn’t been bad by any means to start the year, because Oakland has been tested as much as any team in the country through two weeks, an upset win in Orlando wouldn’t be horribly surprising. Three different players have led the team in scoring through four games, none of which were preseason Player of the Year in the conference, Tuburu Naivalurua. Isaac Garrett has impressed through four games, averaging better than 15 points on 61% shooting. He and Naivalurua make up a strong frontcourt that could help the Golden Grizzlies pull the upset here. Because of how battle-tested Oakland is already with three top-10 games under its belt, it has the best shot of any team in the league for an upset this week.
