The Horizon conference tournament kicks off and we are ready for the chaos that could come from with it. Last year we saw Wright State take home the crown and earn their ticket to the NCAA tournament as a four seed. This year it is anybody’s conference tournament to win. With that being said let’s take a look at the Horizon League Conference Tournament.
The Bracket
The Betting Odds
Youngstown St +170
Northern Kentucky +400
Cleveland State +400
Wright State +650
Milwaukee +1000
Detroit +1800
Robert Morris +2500
Oakland +4000
IPFW +7500
Green Bay +50000
IUPUI +50000
Sleeper Of The Tournament
Wright St +650
Last year’s tournament champions are looking for another strong showing. Well here’s the thing, they were a sleeper last year to win the tournament and they did it. The Raiders are led by senior guard Trey Calvin who averages 20.3 points per game. They play up to eight guys which can help them down the stretch. It can’t be just Calvin that contributes though. Wright State is going to need all hands on deck again if they want to go back to the NCAA tournament.
Their path to their second straight Horizon conference tournament title could be as followed.
-Green Bay (2-0 against on the year)
-Likely Milwaukee (2-0 against this year)
-If they play Milwaukee then they get Youngstown State who they lost in triple overtime to.
-The Finals would be against Cleveland St (0-2 against them) or Northern Kentucky (1-1 against them).
Wright State could win the first two and then they will need their best to beat Youngstown and then Cleveland St/Northern Kentucky. However, they are my sleeper pick to win this conference tournament.
Which Top Seed To Trust?
We have Youngstown State as the one seed, Milwaukee as the two seed, Cleveland State as the three seed and Northern Kentucky as the four seed. The Youngstown State Penguins are looking to go dancing in the division I NCAA tournament for the first time ever. The Penguins are led by Dwayne Cohill (17.8 ppg) and Brandon Rush (14.1 ppg). Youngstown State averages 83.5 points per game which is fifth in the nation. This senior-based group has been special and I would trust them to make a run in the Horizon conference tournament.
The year after having the inconsistent play of Patrick Baldwin Jr, the Milwaukee Panthers put together a good season in the Horizon league. Milwaukee is led by sophomore guard BJ Freeman who averages 17 points per game. This team goes eight deep and has the potential to play with anybody in this tournament. Against Youngstown State they split the series, they beat Cleveland State in the only meeting this year and they were 2-0 against Northern Kentucky. Look for Milwaukee to be a team to watch in the Horizon tournament.
Seeds 3 & 4
Cleveland State is led by Tristan Enaruna who averaged 15.1 points per game to go along with 6.6 rebounds per game as well. The Vikings are a combined 2-4 against the rest of the top three seeds. They are 0-2 against Milwaukee, 1-1 against Northern Kentucky and 1-1 against Youngstown State. I don’t think Cleveland State can win this tournament. Their defense is good, but they are going to need someone besides Enaruna to score for them to go far in this tournament.
The Northern Kentucky Norse are another team I could see winning the Horizon conference tournament. They have won three out of the six Horizon tournaments since 2017, and were runner-up last season. Northern Kentucky is led by junior guard Marques Warrick who averages 19 points per game for the Norse. They have six guys that play big minutes for them, but they always seem to have two of them step up when they need it. Northern Kentucky has the potential to go back to the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in seven seasons.
Who’s Winning?
I am throwing my money at Youngstown State +180. It is super chalky I know, but I think it is their time to make the NCAA tournament. They match up well with everyone in this tournament and I am all in on teams making their first ever NCAA tournament this season. The Penguins have a great chance to finally get over the hump in this good Horizon league tournament.
The Don’s Game By Game Prediction
First Round
6 Robert Morris over 11 IUPUI
7 Wright St over 10 Green Bay
9 Purdue Fort Wayne over 8 Detroit
Quarterfinals
1 Youngstown State over 9 Purdue Fort Wayne
7 Wright St over 2 Milwaukee
6 Robert Morris over 3 Cleveland State
4 Northern Kentucky over 5 Oakland
Semifinals
1 Youngstown St over 7 Wright State
4 Northern Kentucky over 6 Robert Morris
Finals
1 Youngstown St over 4 Northern Kentucky