The Horizon had its national profile increased by the incredible NCAA tournament run of the Butler Bulldogs. Butler's streak of wins over Tier 1 teams - including Kansas State, Syracuse, and Michigan State - was like a dream. Sadly, dreams do not last and I think Butler and the Horizon will slink back to a lower profile. I hate to be a killjoy, but the most recent example was the 2008 run of the Davidson Wildcats. Granted, the Wildcats had not won games in the NCAA tournament in three of four years like the Bulldogs. Since Stephen Curry took his game to the NBA, the past two years have been danceless for the Wildcats. Will the same thing happen to the Bulldogs without Gordon Hayward?
Butler Bulldogs
The Bulldogs were perfect in Horizon conference play last year and only had a few close wins in their 18-game run. The team retains plenty of talent and the spotlight should be on forward Matt Howard once again. In his three years in Indianapolis, the 6-foot-8 Howard has always been foul prone, but last year his inability to stay away from fouls curbed his production. He still averaged 11.6 points and 5.2 rebounds, but those are barely fantasy relevant numbers. Junior guard Shelvin Mack should lead the offense. As a sophomore, he provided 14.7 points and three assists. Ronald Nored also returns to the backcourt. He may need to be more assertive on the offensive end after averaging just six points last year. Keep an eye on freshman forward Khyle Marshall who can attack the rim and draw fouls.
Cleveland State Vikings
Cleveland State could be a nice place to look for backcourt help because they have three fantasy quality guards. Last year 6-foot-2 guard Norris Cole led the team in scoring (14.4 points) and assists (four dimes). Cole was at his best when he was driving to the hole and averaged nearly five free throw attempts per game. He made 79.9% of his freebies and scored 38 points in an early season game against Florida A&M. Jeremy Montgomery and Trevon Harmon supplied shooting from the outside. Montgomery, a 6-foot-2 junior, made 40.4% of his threes and averaged 12.8 points. Harmon was not afraid of hoisting long-range shots, despite making 29% of his three-pointers. The frontcourt is weak, but junior Aaron Pogue has some potential as a boardsman.
Detroit Titans
If there is a team that appears set to challenge Butler, it is Detroit. The Titans boast the most heralded incoming recruit in Ray McCallum Jr., the coach's son. The 6-foot-1 point guard should start at point guard from day one and may lead the conference in assists. His shot is reportedly somewhat streaky, but he will have plenty of help in that regard. Chase Simon led the team in scoring at 14 points and scored a career-high 33 points in a January win over Milwaukee. He faded down the stretch with three single-digit efforts in the last four games. Forward Xavier Keeling can also provide offense and added 12.4 points. Last but certainly not least is forward/center Eli Holman. The former Indiana Hoosier provided 11.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in his first year as a Titan. Holman, a 6-foot-10 junior, is the best center in conference and may be even more effective with McCallum running the show.
Green Bay Phoenix
The Phoenix will rise in 2010-11 with a new coach leading the way. Brian Wardle takes over for Tod Kowalcyzk who used Green Bay as a springboard for the job at Toledo. Wardle inherits a strong backcourt in seniors Rahmon Fletcher and Bryquis Perine. Fletcher led the team in scoring at 15.8 points, which represented a significant step up from his first two years. He struggled in the last three games of the season and hit just eight of his last 37 shots. Perine took over the point guard role from Fletcher. The 6-foot-3 Milwaukee native provided a team-high 4.2 assists to go along with 13.4 points. Freshman Alec Brown is a seven-footer, but is just 205 lbs. He has some offensive skills, but might be pushed around by shorter players.
UIC Flames
UIC suffered through a 3-15 Horizon record in 2009-10 and that was apparently enough for coach Jimmy Collins to throw in the towel. The Flames, like the Phoenix, are under a new regime led by former Wisconsin assistant Howard Moore. Guard Robo Kreps is back for his senior year. The six-footer led the team with 15.2 points, but shot a career-worst 35.7% from the field. After shooting above 40% from long range in his first two years, Kreps hit just 29.9% of his three-pointers. Expect him to bounce back. The Flames will also have eight new players, including Minnesota transfer Paul Carter who was granted a hardship waiver and can play immediately. Carter averaged 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds for the Golden Gophers last season in 15.2 minutes per game.
Loyola Ramblers
If you believe seniors are the key to fantasy college basketball, you might want to look at the Ramblers. They have their top four scorers back, including the conference's leading rebounder Andy Polka. The Oshkosh, WI native grabbed 8.9 rebounds to go along with 7.4 points and three assists. His assist rate fell off in the second half of the season when the Ramblers lost a lot of games. Terrance Hill led the team in scoring at 11.4 points and forward Walt Gibler was second at 11.3. Gibler, a junior, was the conference's Sixth Man of the Year and hit 46.6% of his shots. Hill, a 6-foot-4 guard, hit the 20-point plateau three times. Freshman Flavien Davis could figure in the offense because he has a good back-to-the-basket game.
Milwaukee Panthers
The 2010-11 Panthers will head into the season without their top two scorers from the previous season. So, who is here? Well, Tone Boyle should be back after missing the 2009-10 season with a back injury. Boyle averaged 13.2 points in 2008-09 and scored at least 20 points four times in 2008. Boyle should be flanked by reigning Freshman of the Year Ja'Rob McCallum. The sophomore made 42.3% of his three-pointers and may need to run the offense a bit more. Center Mitchell Carter is a Milwaukee native who started his college career at South Carolina. He did not play much for the Gamecocks, but the 6-foot-10 has the requisite size to do well in the Horizon. Freshman Evan Richard played well in a Panther trip to Italy in August.
Valparaiso Crusaders
Coach Homer Drew's team may have the best inside-outside combo in the conference in forward Cory Johnson and guard Brandon Wood, who led the conference in scoring at 17.7 points. After transferring from Southern Illinois, Wood made a huge impact at the beginning of the season. In his first five games, he averaged 26 points, including a 39-point outburst against Georgia Southern. Johnson was also in his first year after transferring (in his case, from Iowa State) and the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 15.6 points and 5.6 rebounds. He made 55.6% of his shots from the field and had 28 points and 10 rebounds in the season finale against Butler. Freshman point guard Jay Harris should get the keys to the offense and will be a top first year Tier 2 player to watch.
Wright State Raiders
Vaughn Duggins redshirted in 2008-09 with a broken finger. He returned to the Raiders in 2009-10 and provided excellent numbers and defense. The 6-foot-2 senior led the team with 14.2 points and 2.9 assists. Duggins was only held to single-digits twice in Horizon conference play. The Raiders have some holes in the frontcourt to fill. Johann Mpondo transferred from New Orleans and is eligible immediately. The 6-foot-8, 220 lb forward averaged 5.2 points and 3.3 rebounds for the Privateers in limited minutes. New coach Billy Donlon takes over for Brian Brownell, who went to Clemson.
Youngstown State Penguins
The Penguins were in the ice chest, er, I mean the cellar of the Horizon last year and don't have a lot of returning talent. Vytas Sulskis is the leading returning scorer at 11.3 points. He took nearly half of his shots from beyond the arc and hit 38% of his three-pointers. The 6-foot-7 Lithuanian scored in double-figures in eight straight games in February and March, but Youngstown State did not win any of those games. Freshman center Josh Chojnacki averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds as a high senior in Erie, PA. Another freshman, Nate Perry, could get some time in the backcourt. He averaged 23.1 points as a senior.