INDIANAPOLIS -- The race for the Horizon League men’s basketball title will begin on January 2, 2014, as the League announced its conference men’s basketball schedule on Thursday. Each of the nine Horizon League teams will play the others twice - for a total of 16 conference games - over a nine-week span culminating on March 1.
Among the highlights is the rematch of the Horizon League Championship between Wright State and Valparaiso on Fri., Jan. 10 to launch ESPNU’s weekly coverage of the conference.
Oakland University, the newest member of the Horizon League, will travel to Wright State on Thurs., Jan. 2 to open conference play before its first home conference game against Valparaiso on Sat., Jan. 4.
Separated by a scant 26.5 driving miles, Detroit will host Oakland on Sat., Jan. 11; the two schools will be featured again on Fri., Feb. 14, on ESPNU, as part of ESPN’s “Rivalry Week,” this time at the O’Rena on the Oakland University campus.
Key matchups loom throughout the schedule, including the opening Thursday night, when UIC hosts Valparaiso and Cleveland State travels to Green Bay.
Two days later, Youngstown State heads up I-43 to Green Bay for the first Horizon League Network Game of the Week, while Detroit opens its conference season at Wright State.
Green Bay and Wright State will meet on Jan. 17 as part of ESPN’s “Venue Week,” in a matchup of two of the conference’s semifinalists a year ago. A week later, Youngstown State will get its first crack at the Raiders, hosting Wright State at the Beeghly Center on Jan. 25.
Rivals will square off over the first full weekend of February, with Detroit traveling to Valparaiso for an ESPNU game on Friday, Feb. 7. The following day will see Cleveland State at Wright State and Milwaukee at Green Bay. Oakland’s first trip to Valparaiso’s Athletics-Recreation Center as a member of the Horizon League will close the weekend.
UIC and Green Bay will make the northeast Ohio swing over Valentine’s Day weekend, meeting Youngstown State and Cleveland State on Thurs., Feb. 13 and Sat., Feb. 15.
Cleveland State will host rival Youngstown State on Tues., Feb. 25 to open the last week of the regular season before traveling to Valparaiso on Sat., March 1. Green Bay will close the year in Detroit, taking on Oakland on Thurs., Feb. 27, before a Saturday date with Detroit. UIC will welcome Wright State in its season finale.
The Horizon League Tournament will begin on Tues., March 4, with three first-round games. The winners, along with the No. 3 seed, will be in action on Fri., March 7, with semifinals set for the following day. ESPNU will carry both semifinals, at 9:30 and 11:30 p.m. ET. The Horizon League Championship will air on Tues., March 11, at 7 p.m. ET, on ESPN or ESPN2.
Last year, the Horizon League sent a conference-record six teams into postseason play. Over the last 12 seasons, the League’s NCAA Tournament winning percentage is among the of all non-Power 6 conferences.
The composite League schedule follows:
Thursday, Jan. 2
Oakland at Wright State
Cleveland State at Green Bay
Youngstown State at Milwaukee
UIC at Valparaiso
Saturday, Jan. 4
Cleveland State at Milwaukee
Youngstown State at Green Bay
Valparaiso at Oakland
Wright State at Detroit
Tuesday, Jan. 7
Youngstown State at UIC
Wednesday, Jan. 8
Detroit at Cleveland State
Milwaukee at Oakland
Friday, Jan. 10
Wright State at Valparaiso
Saturday, Jan. 11
Oakland at Detroit
Sunday, Jan. 12
Green Bay at Milwaukee
UIC at Wright State
Monday, Jan. 13
Cleveland State at Youngstown State
Wednesday, Jan. 15
Valparaiso at Detroit
Thursday, Jan. 16
Oakland at Cleveland State
Milwaukee at UIC
Friday, Jan. 17
Green Bay at Wright State
Saturday, Jan. 18
Detroit at Youngstown State
Milwaukee at Valparaiso
Sunday, Jan. 19
Wright State at Cleveland State
Green Bay at UIC
Tuesday, Jan. 21
Milwaukee at Wright State
Wednesday, Jan. 22
Cleveland State at UIC
Oakland at Green Bay
Thursday, Jan. 23
Valparaiso at Youngstown State
Friday, Jan. 24
Detroit at Milwaukee
Saturday, Jan. 25
Valparaiso at Cleveland State
Wright State at Youngstown State
UIC at Oakland
Sunday, Jan. 26
Detroit at Green Bay
Wednesday, Jan. 29
Green Bay at Valparaiso
UIC at Detroit
Thursday, Jan. 30
Wright State at Milwaukee
Friday, Jan. 31
Cleveland State at Detroit
Youngstown State at Oakland
Saturday, Feb. 1
Wright State at Green Bay
Valparaiso at UIC
Sunday, Feb. 2
Oakland at Milwaukee
Wednesday, Feb. 5
Youngstown State at Wright State
UIC at Green Bay
Thursday, Feb. 6
Cleveland State at Oakland
Friday, Feb. 7
Detroit at Valparaiso
Saturday, Feb. 8
Cleveland State at Wright State
Milwaukee at Green Bay
Sunday, Feb. 9
Youngstown State at Detroit
Oakland at Valparaiso
Thursday, Feb. 13
UIC at Cleveland State
Green Bay at Youngstown State
Friday, Feb. 14
Detroit at Oakland
Saturday, Feb. 15
Green Bay at Cleveland State
UIC at Youngstown State
Valparaiso at Milwaukee
Sunday, Feb. 16
Wright State at Oakland
Tuesday, Feb. 18
Detroit at UIC
Thursday, Feb. 20
Milwaukee at Youngstown State
Valparaiso at Green Bay
Friday, Feb. 21
Oakland at UIC
Detroit at Wright State
Saturday, Feb. 22
Milwaukee at Cleveland State
Youngstown State at Valparaiso
Tuesday, Feb. 25
Youngstown State at Cleveland State
UIC at Milwaukee
Valparaiso at Wright State
Thursday, Feb. 27
Green Bay at Oakland
Milwaukee at Detroit
Saturday, March 1
Cleveland State at Valparaiso
Oakland at Youngstown State
Green Bay at Detroit
Wright State at UIC
Tuesday, March 4
Horizon League Tournament 1st Round:
Game 1 - No. 9 seed at No. 4 seed
Game 2 - No. 8 seed at No. 5 seed
Game 3 - No. 7 seed at No. 6 seed
Friday, March 7
Horizon League Tournament 2nd Round:
Game 4 - Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
Game 5 - No. 3 seed vs. Game 3 winner
Saturday, March 8
Horizon League Tournament Semifinals:
Game 6 - Game 5 winner vs. No. 2 seed
Game 7 - Game 4 winner at No. 1 seed
Tuesday, March 11
Horizon League Championship
Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 7
