When covering the Horizon League, it’s important to not make swift judgments. Which, combined with my not getting around to writing this yesterday, is why this essential recap of Monday’s Horizon-League-action-as-it-pertains-to-the-NIT is coming today. Today is Wednesday, by the way. In case you, like I, have felt uncertain of that.
Anyway, three notable results in the League That Butler Built™:
Green Bay 73, Northern Kentucky 59 – Highland Heights, KY
There’s no getting around it, nor should there be. Northern Kentucky is in trouble. The Norse, accustomed lately to dueling with Wright State for the league’s regular season title (and eventual NIT berth, a tradition that predates NKU’s ascension and runs back four straight seasons, into when Valpo was still part of the conference), are in trouble. They’re only 1-1 in conference, so obviously, the season’s young, and they’re missing Dantez Walton, so obviously, they aren’t at full capacity.
We don’t know, though, when Walton’s coming back, and with four straight on the road starting Friday against three non-contenders and Oakland, NKU’s NIT chances could effectively evaporate before Walton returns to the court.
Meanwhile, Green Bay is suddenly looking like a dark horse. They opened Horizon League play about as tough as you can open it, playing Wright State in the Nutter Center Saturday before this visit to the league’s southern terminus. Garnering a split in such circumstances is all anyone in the conference could reasonably hope to achieve, and the Phoenix did just that. After a brutal non-conference slate, Linc Darner’s team might be coming into its own.
Youngstown State 70, UIC 64 – Chicago, IL
Youngstown State might falter. In fact, they probably will. But it’s worth noting that Jerrod Calhoun (doesn’t look like he’s Jim Calhoun’s son, but I won’t say anything definitive without a paternity test) has the best team of his tenure with the Penguins, and they’ve taken care of business so far in league play. If you open Horizon League play 2-0, you’re going to get mentioned on this website. Or at least in this blog post, if you’re 2-0 at the time of its writing (working on not making promises I won’t keep, @Oakland).
Wright State 82, Milwaukee 70 – Dayton, OH (The Nutter Center)
All that, to say this: Wright State is still the NIT-bid favorite in this conference. It’s theirs to lose. But there are no guarantees in the Horizon League. Not yet, anyway.
