As I write this on Jan. 31, Horizon League men’s basketball teams have anywhere between eight and ten games left to play. A champion will be crowned on March 12 after the tournament in Indianapolis, granting them an automatic bid to play in March Madness.

So how is the league stacking up as the season nears its end? Let’s break it down.

Note: All teams play each other twice for a total of 20 games.

The Top Dogs

Green Bay, 9-3: The Phoenix sit atop the Horizon League, with their biggest conference wins being over fourth-place Wright State (twice) and a split with second-place Oakland. They are led by Noah Reynolds, who leads the league in total scoring. First-year head coach Sundance Wicks has seemingly transformed the program overnight, taking Green Bay from the cellar of the league to the very top. They also boast the best defense in the league based on average opponent points per game (ppg). (Sports Reference). Two games against Youngstown State will test the Phoenix greatly.

Oakland, 8-3: The Golden Grizzlies enter the final stretch of league play a half-game behind Green Bay. Oakland is led by preseason all-Horizon League first-teamer Trey Townsend (per HoriZone Roundtable). Townsend and Chris Conway lead Oakland in the post, matched by Jack Gohlke and Blake Lampman’s shooting on the perimeter. In coach Greg Kampe’s 40th season at Oakland, the Grizzlies hope to win the Horizon League tournament for the first time. Oakland has two huge games remaining against Wright State.

Youngstown State, 8-3: The reigning regular season champs are back near the top with a resounding 11-1 record at home. The lone loss came to Oakland in late December. Ziggy Reid leads their scoring with 14.2 points per game but is joined by three other double-digit scorers: Brandon Rush, Brett Thompson and D.J. Burns. Burns leads the league in rebounds per game at 9.4. The Penguins sit second in the league for defensive points per game and third in offensive points per game. Youngstown State’s remaining schedule is daunting, with two games against Green Bay and some difficult road trips.

Wright State, 7-4: The Raiders are statistically the best offensive team in the league, leading in offensive points per game, 2-point field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage. They’re led by Trey Calvin, averaging a league-best 20 points per game, and supported by Tanner Holden’s 16.6 points per game. Their Achilles’ heel is their league-worst defensive points per game. Their season will rest on two games against Oakland and home games against Youngstown State, Purdue Fort Wayne and Northern Kentucky.

The Next Four

Cleveland State, 6-5: Tristan Enuruna leads the Vikings with 18.5 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game. They will likely finish near .500 in the league as they tread water with top-end talent but minimal depth.

Northern Kentucky, 6-5: The 2023 conference tournament champions have experienced a hangover season. The Norse lost second-leading scorer Sam Vinson to a torn ACL just a few games into the year. They also lost significant contributors from last season’s team that pushed No. 1 seed Houston to the brink. Marques Warrick leads the team with 19 points per game.

Purdue Fort Wayne, 5-5: The Mastodons have the league’s second-best offense, with four players averaging over 13 points per game. However, they barely escaped having a winless month in January by beating Northern Kentucky on the road. This losing streak was punctuated by losses to lowly Robert Morris and IUPUI.

Milwaukee, 5-5: Preseason darling Milwaukee suffered early season turmoil with Markeith Browning II’s dismissal from the team and star B.J. Freeman’s injury. They’ve stayed afloat behind a healthy Freeman and guards Pratt and Pullian, but much like Youngstown State, the Panthers suffered two nail-biting defeats to Oakland.

The Cellar

Robert Morris, 4-6 – IUPUI, 2-10 – Detroit Mercy, 0-11: The Colonials aren’t quite as bad as the likes of IUPUI and U of D. Detroit Mercy is one of two remaining winless schools in college basketball at 0-22.