Post by freewind on Oct 11, 2023 10:59:44 GMT -6
I’m a believer to win the Horizon League, you need 3 good players that can bring a top-notch game on both ends of the court. This year is no exception, I believe my top 4 teams have that in place, the rest of the league is going to have to find it and I tried figuring out who those players could be. Let’s dive in!
Pre-Season Favorites
1. NKU – Warrick, Vinson, Itejere. Warrick will be a POTY candidate for certain. Vinson slumped early last year due to injuries and being a sophomore (ha). Marquette is favored to win the conference this year so you always feel good about what a player might bring from a winning pedigree, and I believe Itejere will live up to those expectations. If not, we already know Cade Meyer is solid. Had Trey Robinson on my fantasy team last year and he didn’t live up to my expectation until the end of the year when I dropped him then he started to show signs of life. Most of the other teams below, we are guessing at, NKU gets to be first because there’s no guessing, as long as this team stays healthy, this team will be competing again.
2. UWM – Freeman, Pullian, Browning. These guys brought it last year, no reason to believe they won’t do it again this year. Freeman, also a POTY candidate and this also feels better to have your POTY who can slot in both the front and back court. Lundy should be more comfortable with his roster this year and I’ll be interested in seeing how if he can take his star talents to the next level in development.
3. WSU – Calvin, Noel, Holden*/Carter I really was holding out for the Holden announcement. That being said, I think 3 is probably where I would put them regardless. This team, I believe, has the highest ceiling but also has the lowest floor of all 5 teams. Raider fans are quick to forget how bad defense was last year. Literally every pick and roll was successful against us it felt like. If the team doesn’t tighten up on the D, you can add Holden into the mix and this team still finishes 5th at best. Offense keeps you in the game, Defense wins you those games. Nagy stresses this all the time, and he’s not wrong. Add potentially 5 new players into the line up (2 red shirts, 3 freshmen) will be enough to break old habits if everyone plays. Nagy has shown he’s not afraid to bench players who aren’t following his instructions, which stops bad habits. Europe looked good for the Raiders, but there’s little to take from that. Without Holden, I think Carter will surprise many people in the same aspects Noel did last year. Start steady and finishes strong.
4. CSU – Enaruna, Lowder, Williams. Enaruna, yet another POTY candidate and probably the league’s most consistent big man. The team will need to lean on that because the back court will probably lack that early on. Lowder and Williams can…and will have big games. They need to do that more consistently. When you have a deep bench consistency isn’t required, coach just finds someone who is hot. Lot of new faces on the bench this year, so it might take some time for Robinson to develop the talent, so I expect a slower and a higher-level play come conference time. Textbook Horizon League.
6. OAK – Townsend, Watts, Conway – I know a lot of people are talking about Enaruna and Freeman being the big guys, but Townsend is probably my favorite in his more methodical play. Losing their star PG, Oakland will need other guards to step up. Conway had the best FG% in the league last year. Let the kid shoot some more and even if he loses a little bit of that shooting percentage, it will be worth the points he brings in.
7. IUPUI – Monroe, Counter, Brady II – For the bottom half of the Horizon, IUPUI has a more clear picture of the direction it’s taking. Crenshaw has shown he’s able to slow the pace down on games and clamp down with defenses with teams…that aren’t quite put together. Of the years he’s been here, this team looks like his best shot yet. If he can keep that defensive composure and get some points on the board, the top half of the Horizon is within reach. That should buy him more time as a coach to continue to build towards the future in this program.
8. GB – Byhre, Eames, Reynolds – This is where we start getting into the unknown. Wicks is bringing together a team pretty much from scratch, and as how bad Green Bay was last year, that’s a good thing. He’s building energy back into a program that’s been deflated, and the fan base is ready with tempered expectations. I’ll be interested in what tricks Wicks has in store for us this year to make this team good again.
9. PFW – Robertson, Roberts, ….Nelson? – Playing small isn’t any thing different for Fort Wayne in the past, but they need someone to step up under the basket for when their shots don’t fall. Robertson and Roberts both have inconsistencies, but it wouldn’t surprise me if either one of these players takes the reigns of this team and leads them to some victories.
10. RMU – Spear, Cheeks, Green….no wait that was last year and I really thought they were going to do more than they did. Now you are probably looking at Corbin, Williams, Hastings. Corbin was solid last year, but I wouldn’t quite put him top tier in the realm of guards in the Horizon League. Since he had other stars to share the ball with, maybe this year is his to shine. Williams might be one of those players who might take off playing at a lower level of competition but the problem with the transfers coming in, Hastings Included, they don’t come from prestigious basketball universities, and I think Toole will have to do some adjusting to get them competing.
11. DET – Stone, Manciel, Tchikou – Like WSU and lesser talked about Tchikou is also waiting for a waiver. Stone must keep his academics up. Manciel must stay healthy. Davis must change his coaching style that he’s been accustomed to the last 5 years since his son is no longer a center piece. Can all this happen? Absolutely and Detroit can bring a team that wins game. That’s a lot that has to come together and my best bet is it won’t all work, so I have them at the bottom.