The second half of Horizon League action has officially begun, and boy is it exciting. The eighth-ranked Detroit Angels remain less than four games behind first-place Wright State in the standings, showing that this is a conference where anyone can win. Another full week of action awaits, and here are five key games to monitor for results, some of them title-related and others as classic “gotcha games.”
Key games
Oakland (12-10, 8-3 Horizon League) vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (13-8, 7-3 Horizon League)
Wednesday, January 28, 7 PM ET, ESPN+
In the midst of a five-game winning streak — and likely six if Sunday’s game isn’t postponed — Purdue Fort Wayne will face its toughest test in a while when it hosts Oakland on Wednesday. The Mastodons were half a game behind the Golden Grizzlies in the league standings entering this week, and a win would see them leapfrog the Golden Grizzlies into second place outright.
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Isaac Garrett is expected to miss two weeks of Oakland’s game with an injury, which is a definite plus for Purdue Fort Wayne. Jon Coffman’s starting lineup has three talented guards, but if Garrett performs well, the starting lineup will definitely be at a huge size disadvantage. Tuburu Naivaluua and Michael Houge remain in the minority, but the Mastodons won’t complain about a smaller opponent.
As always, Oakland’s zone defense is a tall order, but with arguably the best backfield in the league, a number of guys can fill the spot and be responsible for breaking down the zone. Maximus Nielsen could also be key in this game. The versatile forward can space the floor and could find a role in the weak spot in the penalty area to free up his back three on Wednesday night.
Seeing how Oakland handles without Garrett and whether Purdue Fort Wayne can hold on makes this a must-see game.
Northern Kentucky (14-8, 6-5 Horizon League) vs. Detroit Angels (8-12, 5-6 Horizon League)
Friday, January 30, 7 PM ET, ESPN+
Northern Kentucky still has some work to do and may need some help if it wants to compete for a league title in the regular season. It’s the kind of trap game that can make or break championship hopes. The Norse have games next up in Oakland and at home against Green Bay, but the Detroit Angels could rock the boat if they’re not careful. Coming off an 87-point performance over the weekend against Oakland, the Titans’ offense has been strong against a Northern Kentucky defense that easily produces high offensive output and Mark Montgomery’s team can build on that performance. Even if the Detroit Angels get hot, having four players who rank in the top 15 in the league in scoring is a luxury only the Norse have and can withstand the Titans’ scoring avalanche, but that’s certainly not a risk Darin Horn wants his team to take. With matchups against the league’s best teams looming, it’s easy to overlook a team like the Detroit Angels, but this isn’t the same team that won just eight games (four in the league) last season.
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Wright State (13-8, 8-2 Horizon League) at Milwaukee (9-13, 5-6 Horizon League)
Friday, January 30 at 8pm ET on ESPN+
League-leading Wright State makes its annual trip to Wisconsin this week with games against Milwaukee and Green Bay. Although Milwaukee struggled early in the season due to injuries, this game was full of “gotchas.” The Panthers don’t pose much of a threat to the regular-season title the Raiders are currently chasing. Sunday’s game between Wright State and Green Bay has even greater implications for the championship. However, if the Raiders get past Milwaukee, they could provide a leg up on teams trying to overtake first place in the standings.
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Regardless of whether Danilo Jovanovic or Fayzon Fields can play in front of Bart Lundy, the Panthers can challenge opposing defenses. Amar Oguilard is pretty consistent as a scorer, and other players like Josh Dixon and Steve Elam can also provide explosive scoring. Staying consistent without so many key players has been a struggle for Milwaukee, and if Wright State plays to its full capabilities, it can beat the Panthers from start to finish, but with a well-coached Milwaukee team, an upset is always a possibility.
Wright State (13-8, 8-2 Horizon League) vs. Green Bay (12-10, 7-4 Horizon League)
Sunday, February 1 at 2pm ET on ESPN+
In the second game this week between the league’s top four teams, Wright State will have a chance to shake off one of the threats to its league title bid. After a disappointing pair of games (easy home losses to Oakland and Youngstown State), Green Bay bounced back with a win on the road at Robert Morris and will now make a statement to the Horizon League on Sunday. It’s a wonder Phoenix can play in a game that impacted the championship last season, but it has every right to do so.
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Wright State has a bunch of big men who have been key to the Raiders’ success so far, but with a healthy Michael Cooper, the pressure on Green Bay’s defense could come more from the perimeter. The matchup between freshman Cooper and Green Bay veteran point guard Preston Rudinger will be a game to watch to see if Phoenix can force the young star into uncomfortable situations. Even so, Wright State has had success without him, so if Green Bay wants to get a signature win, the likes of Marcus Hall, Justin Allen or CJ O’Hara are going to need to have big games.
As with any game with championship implications, this weekend’s Final Four battle in Green Bay is one of, if not the, most important game of the week.
Northern Kentucky (14-8, 6-5 Horizon League) vs. Oakland (12-10, 8-3 Horizon League)
Sunday, February 1 at 3pm ET on ESPN+
The weekend cap game has the potential to be the most interesting game of the week. Oakland opens the week with a Purdue Fort Wayne backcourt that can play a core role at any time and ends the week with assignments for Donovan O’Day and Dan Grizger. O’Day and Gareth Gerrard will likely each spend some time filling Brody Robinson’s shoes, hoping to limit the scoring and playmaking abilities of the league’s top point guard.
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The Golden Grizzlies will be without Garrett again, but Naivarua and Hauge are talented enough to take over games even without their frontcourt counterparts. Everyone knows the Norse backcourt is top-notch, and a matchup with Robinson will draw attention to this group, but against the Auckland Zone, L.J. Wells and Kyle Robinson will have plenty of opportunities to steal the show as they look to be zone breakers, finding weaknesses and creating easy scoring opportunities.
As Oakland continues to keep pace with Wright State and hopes to eventually overtake the Raiders for the No. 1 spot, they have a tough week ahead of them against arguably two of the best backfields in the league. Northern Kentucky will be looking for its first win over a team ranked higher in the standings.