Conference Preview: Horizon

The Horizon League has been represented well by UW-Milwaukee, which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season and made it to the Sweet 16 two seasons ago.

However, UWM will begrudgingly hand its badge to a new sheriff, Loyola, which returns all five starters, including preseason player of the year Blake Schilb.

Loyola coach Jim Whitesell has had the magic touch where he has previously coached and has quickly turned around the fortunes of basketball teams that struggled before his arrival. Whitesell guided the Ramblers to a four-game improvement in his first season and 19 victories in his second.

Expectations are very high for Loyola, but UW-Green Bay and Detroit will present two significant hurdles in the quest for a conference title.

Team to beat

Loyola: Expectations are very high for the Ramblers, who are a clear favorite to win the league following a third-place finish in 2005-06. Loyola was 19-11 and all signs point to improvement on that number.

Whitesell prepared his team for the upcoming season with a goodwill tour of Central America last August. Loyola traveled to Costa Rica and Guatemala and played and won all six games in eight days.

Schilb (19.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg) contemplated entering the 2006 NBA draft, but his decision to return to Loyola makes this team a strong favorite to win the title. Schilb is the 15th-best small forward in the nation, according to CBS SportsLine.com's Gary Parrish.

Another key returner is high-flying senior guard Majak Kou (12.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg), whose tremendous leaping ability contributed to 1.5 blocks per game, second in the league.

Two sophomores, J.R. Blount (11.3 ppg) and Leon Young (10.4 ppg and 7.2 rpg), made significant contributions as freshmen and look to take their game to a higher level. Blount can score inside and out, while Young enjoys banging in the paint and battling for rebounds.

The Ramblers also struck gold by recruiting Andy Polka, who was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Wisconsin last season. Polka, a 6-foot-7 freshman forward, gained valuable experience and was a key contributor for the U.S. team in the Global Games last June.

Watch out for

UW-Green Bay: The Phoenix had the nation's fourth-youngest team last season, finishing 15-16. But coach Tod Kowalczyk is grinning from ear to ear as he returns five "experienced" starters.

Green Bay possesses a balanced scoring attack, featuring senior guard Ryan Evanochko (15.8 ppg, 160 assists), who serves as the primary option on offense. Mike Schachtner (10.3 ppg) was the team's second leading scorer and Josh Lawrence (.446 3-pt FG percentage) can light it up from the perimeter.

Keep an eye on freshman guard Troy Cotton, who led Milwaukee Rufus King High to a pair of Wisconsin Division I state championships.

Player of the year

Schilb, Loyola: The versatile 6-7 senior can score from inside and out. Plus, he's an above-average rebounder, passer and defender.

A conference champion needs a player it can count on when things aren't going well. Schilb has proven throughout his college career that he can consistently step up and be counted on to produce in good times and bad.