With the month of January in the bag, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball team has taken the conference in stride. Except for the shutdown on ESPN2 against UW-Green Bay, the Panthers have gone undefeated in the Horizon League.

Taking a league record of 9-1 into February, Milwaukee has just six league games left on its schedule, along with a comfortable three-game lead over the second-place Butler Bulldogs. While Butler has to cover a lot of ground to catch up with Milwaukee, they can accomplish a lot in one night.

That one night, it so happens, is Feb. 4, at the Hinkle Fieldhouse. Always a tough place to play, the Bulldogs will be thinking upset — as if anyone in the Horizon League isn't nowadays.

Another team to watch out for is Wright State, which sits alone in the conference at an even 4-4. While Wright State actually held a lead on the conference over Milwaukee in January, the Panthers took that lead away even before the Raiders came to the U.S. Cellular Arena on Jan. 21. Wright State gets its next crack at the Panthers on Feb. 2 in Dayton, Ohio.

Wright State gave Milwaukee a scare at the Arena before succumbing to a 61-54 loss. It may be tough to keep their team from scoring as Drew Burleson, Jordan Pleiman and DaShaun Wood each scored in double figures in the first matchup.

After the Bulldogs and Raiders, there is a jumble of teams at 4-5. Loyola, which was picked to finish second in the Horizon League by many publications, faded early in the conference, and is all but out at this point. They are joined by Green Bay, Detroit, Cleveland State and Youngstown State. Jimmy Collins and the Illinois-Chicago Flames sit alone at the bottom of the conference.

In all, the conference looks as though it is going to be a race for second place. While UWM is the prime target for each of its remaining opponents, the Panthers would need help to lose the Horizon League at this point. Three home games at the U.S. Cellular Arena will give the Panthers enough to clinch the conference outright.

The home court is very solid, as Milwaukee now has the sixth-longest home winning streak in the nation, and with the lower half of the division coming into town (UIC, YSU and Detroit), the Panthers can go into February feeling safe that the Horizon League Tournament will be played at home.

> Comments