The biggest opportunities return this week for the Horizon League, but the most important thing is that arguably the four best teams in the league face off on Tuesday night. Mixed in with the madness of unexpected opportunities and matchups of the conference elites are a few more quality matchups in the middle of the majors.
Check out some of the best games of the week. Please note there are no games on Mondays or Thursdays this week.
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And be sure to check out my recap from last week.
Horizon League Key Matchups
Miami (Ohio) at Wright State (5-6, 1-1 Horizon League), Tuesday, December 16, ET, on ESPN+
Wright State not only has a chance to defeat an in-state rival at home in the comforts of the Nutter Center, but it also has a chance to hand Miami (Ohio) its first loss. The RedHawks are the last undefeated mid-major program in the country and winners of 10 straight to open the season. Freshman Michael Cooper has continued to lead Wright State in the scoring department. He had a tough first Horizon League game at Youngstown State, but responded with 23 points against Green Bay and 22 against Marshall. If the Raiders want to break Miami’s streak, Cooper will need to have another big game. Michael Imariagbe has also been a consistent presence in the frontcourt for Wright State, averaging 10.5 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds. He struggled against Marshall over the weekend, but if he returned to form and offered resistance from deep, the Raiders’ chances would improve considerably.
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UC Santa Barbara at Green Bay (5-7, 1-2 Horizon League), Wednesday, December 17, 7 pm ET, on ESPN+
Green Bay’s improvement from a season ago has been well documented on this site, and it just surpassed its entire 2024-25 season win total before Christmas with its first Horizon League win over IU Indy. This game, however, offers a lot of intrigue. Although early, the gauchos are once again among the main contenders in a Great West that is shaping up to be exciting throughout March. After leaving Saint Mary’s for UConn, Aidan Mahaney returned west and again found his footing for UCSB, averaging a team-leading 14.6 points on 43.6% shooting from deep. For Green Bay, Marcus Hall has returned from injury, but in his absence, some different faces have taken big steps forward as contributors. The opportunity to play a high-level mid-major in a true home game is not something Doug Gottlieb’s team should take lightly.
Youngstown State (7-4, 2-0 Horizon League) at Robert Morris (8-4, 1-1 Horizon League), Wednesday, December 17, 7 pm ET, on ESPN+
Youngstown State looked like the best team in the league in the early stages of the season, but floundered. Led by Cris Carroll, the Penguins have found their footing again and are off to a 2-0 start in the league. This road game against the defending champions will be the first major test for Youngstown State in the conference. DeSean Goode is standing out for the Colonials, leading the team in points with 13.4 per game and rebounds with 8.9 per game. It was Nikolaos Chitikoudis who had big moments early for Robert Morris, but in his second season in the conference, Goode is starting to dominate. The Colonials are 1-1 in conference play, with the loss at the buzzer in Milwaukee, but are riding the momentum of a home win over Toledo. These teams have been two of the best in the conference so far, and fans could be in for a treat on Tuesday.
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Oakland (5-6, 1-0 Horizon League) at Northern Kentucky (9-3, 1-1 Horizon League), Wednesday, December 17, 7 pm ET, on ESPN+
Oakland is still digging itself out of a hole in terms of records, but has continued to look like a top team in the conference. Brody Robinson has been playing like the conference’s Player of the Year lately, and the return of Michael Houge has bolstered an already strong frontcourt. Greg Kampe will take his team on the road to face Northern Kentucky and the dynamic defense of Dan Gherezgher and Donovan Oday, which has anchored the strong start to the season. The Norse fell to Purdue Fort Wayne in their final conference game and will look to crack the Golden Grizzlies zone en route to a big conference win. Regardless of the brutal schedule Oakland has faced, it now has a chance to take on a top-level Horizon League foe early to see where it stands in the league, which is what really matters. This game marks the second must-see Horizon League event on Wednesday.
South Dakota State at Milwaukee (4-6, 1-0 Horizon League), Friday, December 19, 5 pm ET on B1G+
As part of the Milwaukee Hoops Showdown at Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee has the opportunity to take on South Dakota State, which is still regrouping following the departure of Eric Henderson. The Jackrabbits, despite losing their head coach, are 7-5 entering the week and haven’t really had a bad loss so far. The Panthers, despite being the preseason favorites to win the conference, haven’t quite clicked yet, but perhaps what Bart Lundy’s team needs is a change of scenery without having to travel. While Horizon League play is obviously what matters, this is the type of game Milwaukee needs to take advantage of if it really wants to dance in a few months.
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Opportunities for the Horizon League to surprise high-level opponents
Oakland vs. No. 9 Michigan State, Saturday, Dec. 20, 12 p.m. ET, on BTN
Purdue Fort Wayne at Notre Dame, Sunday, December 21, 2 pm ET, on ACC Extra
Most likely:
If you’re near a TV or streaming device, be sure to check out the coaches’ introductions for the Oakland-Michigan State game. Greg Kampe and Tom Izzo will almost certainly be sporting festive attire on the sidelines of Little Caesars Arena.
However, Michigan State narrowly escaped at Penn State over the weekend, and Izzo mentioned that his team can practice twice a day due to his players not having classes, so it doesn’t look like it’s going to be a fun week for the Spartans. As a result, Oakland may be playing an extremely motivated Michigan State team. For that reason, Purdue Fort Wayne probably has a better chance of defeating a top opponent this week. Notre Dame has improved a lot this season and has yet to lose at home, but it is still no Michigan State. Corey Hadnot II leads the Horizon League in scoring, averaging more than 20 per game. In their last big-time opportunity, the Mastodons played Utah to the end, proving they can compete if things go right. Oakland has looked better to this point and beat the Mastodons head-to-head, but it would be hard to argue that it has a better chance against Michigan State. If Hadnot can stay hot and have another big day, Purdue Fort Wayne could make something happen in South Bend.