Horizon League Preview

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From CBSSPORTSLINE.COM

Horizon League preview

By Gregg Doyel
SportsLine.com Senior Writer

Stock Chart
Team Stock
1. Wisconsin-Milwaukee
2. Wisconsin-Green Bay
3. Illinois-Chicago
4. Detroit
5. Butler
6. Wright State
7. Loyola-Chicago
8. Cleveland State
9. Youngstown State

This is going to be a down year for everyone's favorite mid-major, the Horizon. Don't believe that sentence? Look at all those arrows on the chart below.


With the exception of two, every arrow is pointing down. And Cleveland State's arrow points up simply because there is no "down" after you've gone 0-16 in the league.

Still don't believe? Fine, read on. If it's facts you want, it's facts you shall get.

UW-Milwaukee

Top three: G Ed McCants, F Joah Tucker, C Adrian Tigert.

On the decline: The Panthers are going to be plenty good -- we've got them winning the league title, duh -- but they can't possibly be as good as last season considering that team had 21-point scorer Dylan Page, and this season's team doesn't. Still, a handful of Division I transfers (and the league's decline) should make this an NCAA Tournament-bound season for the Panthers.

UW-Green Bay

Top three: G Brandon Morris, G Javier Mendiburu, G Matt Rohde.

On the rise: Plenty of guards are here already, and the backcourt gets deeper with the addition of Utah transfer Ryan Werch. The Phoenix are probably closer to third than first, though.


Illinois-Chicago

Top three: G Cedrick Banks, F Armond Williams, F Elliott Poole.

On the decline: The Flames won't be winning 24 games again, but this could have been a much, much more dismal outlook. Banks and Williams, a pair of all-league candidates -- Banks is our preseason player of the year -- had their senior season restored in September after having to sit out their freshman season four years ago. Too bad Martell Bailey couldn't stick around, too.

Detroit

Top three: F Ben Green, G Brandon Cotton, C Ryvon Covile.

On the decline: Four starters are gone, but Detroit will unveil the only McDonald's All-American in the Horizon League -- the only one in history? -- in midseason when Cotton, the Michigan State transfer, becomes eligible. He'll join a team with solid pieces in Green and Covile, and another home-state transfer in ex-Wolverine Chuck Bailey.

Butler

Top three: G Bruce Horan, G Avery Sheets, C Jamie Smalligan.

On the decline: The Bulldogs were surging last season to the end, winning 12 of their final 17 games, but some rebuilding must be done with the losses of two double-figure scorers. Clemson transfer Julian Betko is worth keeping an eye on.

Wright State

Top three: F Drew Burleson, G DaShaun Wood, G Zakee Boyd.

On the decline: It has been a bad offseason for the Raiders, who lost their two leading scorers to graduation and then saw coach Paul Biancardi's name get dragged through the Ohio State scandal that cost Buckeyes coach Jim O'Brien his job. Biancardi, an assistant under O'Brien when some NCAA violations have been alleged to have occurred, still has some explaining to do.

Loyola-Chicago

Top three: F Blake Schilb, G DaJuan Gouard, G Majak Kou.

On the decline: Larry Farmer is out, and here's why: The Ramblers aren't very talented. New coach Jim Whitesell will take his shot, but he'll do so without last season's only two double-figure scorers.

Cleveland State
Top three: F Omari Westley, G Victor Morris, G Walter Chavis.

On the rise: The Vikings enter the season on a 23-game losing streak. Surely they can't go 0-16 in the league again, right? Westley's a stud, by the way.

Youngstown State

Top three: G Quin Humphrey, F Khari McQueen, F Brian Radakovich.

On the decline: The football team here is pretty good. Then again, the football team doesn't play at the highest level.


Accolades
First team
F -- Omari Westley, Cleveland State
F -- Joah Tucker, UW-Milwaukee
C -- Ryvon Covile, Detroit
G/F -- Cedrick Banks, Illinois-Chicago
G -- Ed McCants, UW-Milwaukee
Second team
F -- Ben Green, Detroit
F -- Armond Williams, Illinois-Chicago
C -- Adrian Tigert, UW-Milwaukee
G -- Brandon Morris, UW-Green Bay
G -- Bruce Horan, Butler
Player of the year
Cedrick Banks, Illinois-Chicago
Newcomer of the year
Brandon Cotton, Detroit
Breakthrough player
Drew Burleson, Wright State