Feb. 22, 2011
Men's Basketball Notes 2/22/11
By: Robert Ivory
ESPN has deemed this week "Decision Week" for college basketball, and that it certainly true for the Cleveland State Vikings and the Horizon League.
Before we get into what the possibilities are for the Vikes, lets get into this week.
On December 2, a trip to Green Bay got the league schedule started for the Vikes and wins against the Phoenix (83-75) and the Milwaukee Panthers (82-59).
Not bad for a `dreaded trip,' which most schools agree the trip is.
The Phoenix and the Panthers are seventh and eighth in the league in scoring, respectively. That means that the Viking defense has to step up. Green Bay shoots 44.1% from the field (fourth best and a .2% better than CSU). As Milwaukee shoots 42.9%.
Green Bay hits 32.6% from beyond the arc and Milwaukee makes 35.5% of their shots from the three-point arc. At the same time, both schools are at the bottom two when it comes to three-point defense, so if the Vikings can hit their threes and push their outside game, they could easily win their next two games.
What the Phoenix do well is rebound the ball. In 29 games this year, they have accumulated 373 offensive rebounds, tops in the league.
Green Bay's Rahmon Fletcher is fifth in the league in scoring, with 16.2 points per game, hitting 176 shots. But, that's all Green Bay has in the top 20 in the league in scoring, so you can imagine who the Vikings are going to key in on. He is also tied with Trey Harmon for fourth in the league with 1.6 steals a game.
Jarvis Williams is tenth in the league in rebounding (5.6). Williams is also fifth in the league in field goal percentage (52.3%) and Alec Brown has hit just under half his shots (49.8%) for tenth.
Not to mention, the Phoenix just knocked off Valpo at the Resch Center on Monday. That helps the Vikings out, but that momentum could lead to Cleveland.
As for the Panthers, they are dangerous, but the Vikings just need to bring their `A' game and they should not have a problem.
It is also worth noting that Milwaukee's Anthony Hill has hit the most field goals in a Horizon League game this year (14 against YSU) and 12 (at UIC).
Interestingly, Norris Cole's HL high of 41 points came on just 11 field goals. That's not one of his top two of the year! Also, as a side note, Cole has six double-doubles this year, but not one against either Green Bay or Milwaukee.
Speaking of Norris, what an effort he has had over these past few weeks. We know that he has done it all year, but to go off like that on ESPN2, is just amazing.
Cole is the only member of the HL is score 40+ in a game this year. His last two games (41 against the Pens and 35 against Old Dominion are the two best point performances this year in the league. Only Valpo's Brandon Wood has scored 35.
He also has the most 20-point games with 15.
We will get more into what Norris has done when the tournament starts, but what is sad is that he has not scratched the top of the record books at CSU in individual games.
His 41 against Youngstown State only ties him for third in school history with Ken McFadden (1/31/87) and Dave Jacklitch (3/3/51). Franklin Edwards holds the record with 49 against Xavier in 1981 and Damon Stringer had 47 against Milwaukee in 2000.
His eight threes still comes just one short of the school record of nine by Percell Coles (11/27/2002). Coles did hit seven three different times in his career.
Just some things for thought.
The last time the Horizon League has held outside of the Hinklefield house was in 2007 when the Raiders of Wright State held the tourney. In that tournament, the Vikings lost to the Phoenix in the opening round in Green Bay.
With those two teams coming into town this week, all the Vikings have to do is win these last two and they will win their first Horizon League regular season title.
