Men's Basketball Release #8
Dec. 24, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Horizon League Player of the Week
Ryan Tillema, Green Bay
Junior * Guard * Randolph, Wis. (Randolph)
Ryan Tillema led the Phoenix with 33 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 85-76 victory over Northern Illinois. His 33 points were ten more than his previous career high and marked the most scored by a
Other Top Performances for the Week Ending December 23
A.J. Graves,
Sr. * G *
Graves led the Bulldogs to back-to-back victories over Bradley and
J'Nathan Bullock,
Jr. * F * Flint, Mich.
Bullock led the Vikings with 19 points in just 20 minutes Saturday, pacing CSU to an 86-70 victory over
Leon Young, Loyola
Jr. * F * Long Beach, Calif.
Young averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in two contests. Young poured in a career-best 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in Saturday's loss at UMKC, notching his second double-double of the season. He also had nine points at
Paige Paulsen, Milwaukee
Sr. * F * Custer, S.D.
Paulsen scored 22 points to pace the Panthers to a 74-71 victory over Central Michigan on Wednesday, ending UWM's six-game losing streak. Paulsen hit six of 12 shots from the floor with four three-pointers while also grabbing eight rebounds.
Josh Mayo, UIC
Jr. * G * Merrillville, Ind.
Mayo scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half to rally the Flames past Toledo on Wednesday. and posted 18 points in only 20 minutes in Saturday's rout of Howard. Mayo shot 65 percent (13-of-20) from the field and 67 percent (8-of-12) from three-point range.
Samuel Haanpää,
So. * G * Kerava, Finland
Haanpaa scored ten points in the first five minutes Saturday at Wisconsin, staking the Crusaders to an early nine-point lead over the Badgers. He finished with a team-high 16 points on six-of-eight shooting from the field and three rebounds in the 68-58 loss.
Scottie Wilson, Wright State
Sr. * F * Middletown,
Jack Liles, Youngstown State
Jr. * F * Odenton,
Liles scored 28 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in two games last week, shooting 61.1 percent (11-of-18) from the field. He scored 16 points with nine caroms Friday at
News From Around the League Top combined records in Division I (through games of Sunday, December 23) School * Men * Women * Total / Pct. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Stanford * 10-1 * 10-1 * 20-2, .909 6. Baylor * 9-1 * 9-1 * 18-2, .900 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Vanderbilt * 11-0 * 9-3 * 20-3, .870 13. 14. 15. Auburn * 7-2 * 11-1 * 18-3, .857 16. Notre Dame * 8-2 * 10-1 * 18-3, .857 17. 18.
Crusaders fall short at
Valparaiso opens the week at 10-2 after having an eight-game winning streak snapped with a 68-58 loss at
Valpo led or was tied for the first 17:40 of the second half before hitting its fatal dry spell.Sophomore guard Samuel Haanpää led the Crusaders with 16 points.
The Crusaders feature four players averaging in double figures, with senior guard Shawn Huff leading the way at 11.8 points per game, followed by Haanpää (11.7), junior forward Urule Igbavboa (11.5) and senior guard Jarryd Loyd (10.1).All four are also among the League leaders in other categories with Huff ninth in assists (3.08 per outing), Igbavboa third in rebounding (6.8 per contest) and Haanpää (.472) and Loyd (.471) fourth and fifth, respectively, in three-point shooting.
That balance powers the League's highest-scoring offense, with Valparaiso averaging 74.3 points per game. Valpo was held under 60 points for the first time this season after averaging 82 points in its three previous contests.
Valpo returns to the hardwood Sunday night at North Carolina. The Tar Heels' number-one status in the polls marks the fourth year in a row Valpo has played the nation's top-ranked team.
Flames burning up the competitionUIC stretched its winning streak to five games with two victories last week, defeating Toledo 66-56 on Wednesday and Howard 97-58 on Saturday. The Flames are now 8-4 on the season including 6-0 at home.
UIC scored 57 points in the first half Saturday, finishing at 57 percent from the field, including a 13-of-24 effort from three-point range. Senior guard Karl White Jr. led five Flames in double figures with a career-high 20 points. UIC also set a school record with 25 steals Saturday.
The hot shooting is nothing new to UIC, which leads the League in field-goal shooting (.480) and three-point accuracy (.460). UIC is hitting 54.1 percent (180-of-333) of its shots at home including 54.6 percent (65-of-119) from long distance.
Junior guard Josh Mayo leads the Flames attack with a League-best 19 points-per-game scoring average. He is shooting 60.6 percent (40-of-66) from behind the arc, and s sixth in the circuit at 54.8 percent overall from the floor.
Freshman guard Robert Kreps is second on the UIC scoring charts at 9.5 points per game despite not starting a game yet this season. During his last six games, that rate is 13.7 per outing.
Sophomore guard Spencer Stewart ranks third in the League with a rate of 4.42 assists per game.
UIC is back in action Saturday, traveling to Akron in pursuit of its sixth consecutive victory.
Vikings continuing early-season successCleveland State split a pair of games last week, moving to 8-4 on the season. The Vikings had a three-game winning streak snapped with an 80-63 loss to Ohio State on Tuesday, but rebounded for an 86-70 victory over Central Michigan on Saturday. The Vikings are off to their best 12-game start since 1992-93.
Junior forward J'Nathan Bullock paced CSU with 19 points Saturday. The Vikings shot 53 percent from the floor and hit eight of 15 three-point attempts. Junior guard Cedric Jackson chipped in with 12 points and six assists.
Jackson ranks sixth on the League scoring charts at 16.5 points per game and tops the circuit with 5.25 assists and 2.92 steals per outing. Bullock is sixth in scoring (15 points per contest) and eighth in rebounding (six per game).
The Vikings lead the League in rebounding margin, out-working their foes by an average of 4.6 caroms per contest. CSU is also second in the League with its scoring pace of 73.3 points per game. Last year, the Vikings ranked last on the loop charts in both categories.
The Vikings take on another local rival Saturday, traveling to Kent State. The game is a homecoming of sorts for CSU coach Gary Waters, who posted a 92-60 mark in five seasons (1996-01) at KSU, and led the Golden Flashes to two NCAA tournaments. He was inducted into the KSU Hall of Fame this past summer.
Bulldogs continue climb in the pollsButler carries an 11-1 record into the week following an 83-64 victory over Bradley on Wednesday and a 78-66 triumph at Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday. The Bulldogs remained 16th in the Associated Press national poll and climbed to 17th in the ESPN/USA Today canvass.
Butler posted a 49-point second half Wednesday, the team's highest one-period total of the season.
Senior forward Julian Betko has hit 14 of 23 three-point tries in BU's last five games. That .609 clip includes a four-of-five night at FGCU.
Senior guard A.J. Graves led the way with 38 points in the two games, while fellow senior Mike Green had 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists versus Bradley. Graves ranks fourth in the League in scoring (16.8 points per game) with Green second in assists (5.00 per outing) and ninth in scoring (14.7).Freshman center Matt Howard adds 11.5 points per game on 59 percent shooting from the field.
Senior forward Pete Campbell returned to action Wednesday, playing nine minutes after missing the previous three games with a sprained knee. Sophomore forward Avery Jukes also made his Butler debut versus the Braves.
Butler returns to action Friday at Southern Illinois. The contest, scheduled for a national television audience on ESPNU, is a re-match of last year's classic BracketBusters showdown.
Phoenix goes back on the roadGreen Bay improved to 7-4 on the season with an 86-75 victory over Northern Illinois on Saturday. The contest was Green Bay's only home date in December.
The Phoenix set season highs with 28 free throws made and 33 attempted in a game that featured 53 fouls.
Junior guard Ryan Tillema scored a career-high 33 points against the Huskies, hitting eight of 13 shots from the field and 12 of 14 at the free-throw line. In the process, Tillema improved his season scoring average from 8.1 to 10.4 points per game.
Freshman guard Rahmon Fletcher is also at 10.4 points per outing, while junior forward Mike Schachtner is second in the League at 18.9 points per contest. Schachtner also is ninth in the League with a .524 field-goal percentage. Schachtner added 18 points Saturday for his tenth double-digit total in 11 appearances this season.
Junior forward Terry Evans ranks sixth on the loop rebounding charts at 6.2 per contest. He is also sixth in assists (3.36 per game) and third in steals (1.82 per outing).
The Phoenix hit the road again this week, closing the 2007 portion of the schedule Saturday at #7/7 Michigan State. The Spartans are the third Big Ten Conference opponent on the Phoenix schedule this year.
Raiders continue winning waysWright State climbed to 6-3 on the season with a pair of victories last week. After holding off St. Bonaventure 54-45 on Tuesday and adding an 84-80 triumph at Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, WSU has now won three games in a row and four of its last five.
The Raiders erased a 15-point deficit for the second time in eight days at Fullerton. WSU trailed by that margin (23-8) with 14:21 remaining in the first half before rallying for the victory. Wright State also erased a 44-28 halftime deficit to defeat Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 15.
Senior forward Scottie Wilson led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds at CSUF. He averages 11.4 points per game for the season while leading the League with a .660 field-goal percentage and ranking fourth with an average of 6.5 rebounds per contest.
Sophomore guards Vaughn Duggins and Todd Brown pace the Raiders in scoring, averaging 14.4 and 13 points per game, respectively. Brown is shooting 43 percent from three-point range, hitting four treys in Saturday's triumph. Duggins added 16 points in Tuesday's victory over St. Bonaventure.
Wright State heads to Chattanooga, Tenn., for the Dr Pepper Classic this week. The Raiders face Belmont on Friday before a Saturday meeting with either host Chattanooga or Murray State.
Ramblers come up empty in Show-Me StateLoyola fell to 4-7 on the season with two losses on its swing through Missouri last week. The Ramblers suffered a 60-43 defeat at Saint Louis on Wednesday before a 77-66 setback at UMKC on Saturday.
Junior guard Justin Cerasoli made his Loyola debut at Saint Louis and averaged 13 points in the two contests. Cerasoli, a former All-State performer at West Aurora (Ill.) High School, transferred to Loyola after two seasons at the University of Mississippi.
Junior guard J.R. Blount made only two of 22 field-goal attempts during the road trip, averaging six points. Blount had scored in double digits in each of the Ramblers' first nine outings, and still ranks seventh in the League at 15.5 points per game for the season.
Junior forward Leon Young picked up the slack with a career-high 24 points and 13 rebounds at UMKC. Young made all ten of his free-throw attempts in that game while posting his second double-double of the season.
Young's strong week raised his season scoring pace to 12.7 points per contest, and the junior ranks second in the League in rebounding (7.1 per game) and tenth in field-gal percentage (.518).
The Ramblers host Saint Mary's (Minn.) on Saturday in their only appearace at Gentile Center before Jan. 7.
Penguins try to stop slideYoungstown State saw its losing streak reach five games with two setbacks last week. The Penguins fell 74-71 to Robert Morris (Pa.) on Monday before suffering a 79-59 defeat at Akron on Friday.
The contest at Akron featured 59 fouls and 76 free-throw attempts between the teams. Akron attempted more charity tosses (43) than field goals (39). YSU, meanwhile, finished below 40 percent for the fourth time during its current five-game skid.
The Penguins have relied on seven players to handle most of the scoring this year. Senior forward John Barber, senior guard Byron Davis, junior forward Jack Liles, sophomore guard Vance Cooksey, freshman guard Vytas Sulskis, junior forward Mel Johnson and senior forward Dwight Holmes have combined for 602 of the team's 647 points (93 percent) this season.
Davis leads the way, ranking tenth in the League at 14.6 points per game with Barber and Liles adding 12.6 and 11.9, respectively. Barber also leads the team at 5.8 rebounds per outing. Cooksey is fourth in assists (4.20 per game) and second in steals (2.10 per contest).
YSU returns to action Saturday, opening a four-game homestand against Slippery Rock. The Beeghly Center run, which also includs games versus UIC, Loyola and Milwaukee, is YSU's longest of the season.Titans return home trying to stop skidDetroit stands at 4-7 overall after a pair of losses in Texas last week. The Titans fell at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 70-55, on Monday and 79-39 at #14/11 Texas A&M on Wednesday as their losing streak reached five games.
UDM shot a season-low 24.1 percent from the field against the Aggies, making only 14 of 58 field-goal attempts. Texas A&M, meanwhile, finished at 57 percent..
Senior guard Jon Goode leads the League with six games of 20 or more points, including a 22-point effort at TAMUCC---his fourth consecutive game of 20 or more. He ranks sixth on the loop scoring charts at 16.6 points per game for the season.
Junior forward Chris Hayes is the only other Titan in double figures, averaging 10.2 points per game while topping the Titan charts with an average of 5.8 rebounds per appearance.
Senior guard Zach Everingham ranks seventh in the League at 3.30 assists per game with a 4.71 assists-to-turnover ratio that is among the best in the nation. Everingham has committed only seven turnovers in 228 minutes of action this season.
The Titans return to Calihan Hall on Saturday, facing DePaul. The Blue Demons are the first Big East Conference member to visit the UDM arena since Syracuse posted a 93-79 victory there in 1980.
Panthers return to win columnMilwaukee ended a six-game slide of its own Wednesday with a 74-71 victory over Central Michigan. The Panthers improved to 4-7 on the year by hitting 29 of 42 free-throw attempts, overcoming a 40.4 percent shooting night from the field.
Senior forward Paige Paulsen scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds to power the Panthers to the victory. Paulsen raised his season averages to 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest, with the latter number ranking fifth on the League charts. Paulsen is shooting 46 percent from three-point range this season.
Senior forward Marcus Skinner logged his second double-double in the last three games with ten points and ten rebounds versus the Chippewas. Skinner is averaging 8.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in 25 minutes during his last three games after totals of 13 points and 15 rebounds in UWM's first eight contests.
Milwaukee head coach Rob Jeter dismissed senior forward Torre Johnson from the team following his arrest in an off-court incident a week ago. At the time of his dismissal, Johnson led the League in rebounding (eight per game) and was third in scoring (17.8 points per outing). He also stood among the League's top ten in free-throw accuracy, steals and blocked shots.
UWM is back in action Saturday when the Panthers visit Wyoming.
Bulldog women continue winning ways, as well
The school's women's team hasn't garnered the same national attention, but coach Beth Couture's team simply continues to post victories. BU's women carry a 9-1 record into the Christmas holiday, giving Butler a composite 20-2 record between its two hardwood clubs. Only three schools can claim better marks through Sunday, putting Butler in some elite company. North Carolina>'s 22-1 combined record includes the top-ranked men's team in the country, with Kansas> and Tennessee each sporting 21-2 marks.
The Southeastern Conference and Big East Conference each feature five of the top 18 combined men's and women's records, with the Big 12 Conference boasting four. The Atlantic 10 Conference (Dayton), the Pacific-10 Conference (Stanford), the Atlantic Coast Conference (UNC) and the Horizon League have the others on this list.
