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Each year I go through and pick what I think will be the final Horizon League standings come March. In addition to that I do an NCAA Tournament bracket before the committee comes out with theirs. And just to let you know, I beat Joe Lunardi, ESPN NCAA Basketball Analyst, in last years’ bracket projection and tied him the year before that.

So, in a way, I guess that means I kind of know what I’m talking about, but not necessarily. You can make the decision.

Here are my predictions for the Horizon League final standings at the end of the season, and a little explanation why.

Cleveland St.
Last season: 21-13, 12-6 HL
Prediction: 22-9, 13-5 HL
Every year there is a team full of players with a ton of experience, matched with a coach who actually knows what he is doing. The last two year it was Butler, but this year things change. With J’Nathan Bullock and Cedric Jackson on the floor together, this team should be virtually unstoppable. Remember the 2005 Panthers, they may just top that team and make a Davidson-esque run in the NCAA Tournament.

Wright St.
Last season: 21-10, 12-6 HL
Prediction: 21-10, 12-6 HL
This team is easy to let slide under the radar, but lead by Vaughn Duggins, the Raiders should be good enough for a second place finish. They have a half-decent non-conference schedule with the likes of Wake Forest, Oral Roberts, South Florida and Miami all matching up with WSU. This could end up being quite a disappointing season for the Raiders if they don’t make the right moves, but I expect them to be putting a few upsets on the board and possibly running away with the conference, watch out for Ronnie Thomas.

UIC
Last season: 18-15, 9-9 HL
Prediction: 17-12, 10-8 HL
It’s tough for an opponent to score against you when you have the leading blocker in the nation. That would be Scott VanderMeer, and he finished first in the country in blocks a year ago. Add a healthy and dominant Josh Mayo along with backcourt that can rival many in the country, this team should be able to build their confidence against a pretty weak non-conference schedule.

Milwaukee
Last season: 14-16, 9-9 HL
Prediction: 16-13, 10-8 HL
With such a young team, the Panthers non-conference opponents may be a little too much for them. Facing teams like Marquette, Wisconsin, Bradley and Iowa St. are not easy tasks for such a young team. While this will help the team in the long run, it should show in their overall record. The league record is what matters, however, and the Panthers will play four games in 10 days, ending with UIC. UIC should be able to sweep Milwaukee for the tie-breaker and third place in the league. The Panthers should fare well against the rest of the Horizon League, pulling off an above .500 record. The biggest question is how the Panthers will score in the paint. If James Eayrs can really be a positive presence down low, the Panthers have the backcourt to back him up and pull off a great season.

Green Bay
Last season: 15-15, 9-9 HL
Prediction: 22-11, 9-9 HL
The Phoenix have quite possibly the easiest non-conference schedule in the league, facing only one real opponent, Wisconsin. Other notable non-conference games include Houston Baptist, Rollins College, Morgan St. and, oh wait for it, UW-Eau Claire. This team will not be prepared for conference play at all, and simply for that reason Green Bay will repeat with a .500 record in league play. That record, 22-11, sure does look good though doesn’t it? Not if it’s against Idaho St. and Minnesota-Duluth.

Butler
Last season: 30-4, 16-2 HL
Prediction: 14-17, 8-10 HL
After losing four of their five starters, the Bulldogs are back to square one. This rebuilding year should prove to show the future of the Butler bench, especially the dominance of Matt Howard. But with a very tough non-conference schedule and the fact that the rest of the Horizon League is fairly strong, the Bulldogs should find their final resting place near the bottom of the pack.

Loyola
Last season: 12-19, 6-12 HL
Prediction: 15-14, 7-11 HL
The Ramblers start the season with the Dicks Sporting Goods Preseason NIT, but unless they show some major potential in that tournament, just like Butler did last year, Loyola will most likely finish just above the bottom of the Horizon League. Injuries seem to plague the Ramblers every season, but even if they can keep healthy they would need major play from J.R. Blount and Andy Polka to even think about winning games.

Valparaiso
Last season: 22-14, 9-9 HL
Prediction: 7-11
With really only one decent player, Urule Igbavboa, the Crusaders are looking at a down year. Their non-conference schedule looks to be quite difficult with San Diego, Miami (Oh.), Purdue and North Carolina all looking to demolish the second-year Horizon League team. This could be a little low, but the truth is that the Crusaders are no better than any team listed above them.

Detroit
Last season: 7-23, 3-15 HL
Prediction: 10-19, 4-14
The Titans have a little bit of an easier schedule this year compared to last, but they should still finish substantially below .500. There is really only one leader of the team, that being Chris Hayes. The rest of the team could produce some fire power, but it’s unpredictable and not likely up against a tough Horizon League this year.

Youngstown St.
Last season: 9-21, 5-13 HL
Prediction: 7-22, 2-16 HL
It’s always hard to place a team in last before the season even starts, but the Penguins are in a down year. Their star player, Vytas Sulskis, will be the only real positive thing to come out of Youngstown. The sophomore should help the team mold into something positive in the final two years of his eligibility, but nothing for this year. But if you are looking for a good matchup, Akron visits the Beeghley Center, and with the Zips in a down year as well that battle could be an exciting one.

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