The problem is massive turnover in rosters. EVERY league team has multiple transfers leading the way this season, making it hard on opponents to feel secure in their scouting reports with so little to go on.
The top two scorers for preseason favorite Milwaukee are transfers.
YSU, picked third in the poll, landed a difference-maker in Rich Rolf, a 6-7 junior from Centerville who transferred after making seven starts for Charlotte.
Cleveland State, though, probably needed mixers to get acquainted. All 14 players are newcomers, and coach Rob Summers is in his first year.
The Raiders, picked seventh in the poll, may have had a sense of panic when their top four scorers from last year transferred. Turns out, it’s the norm.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
HORIZON LEAGUE AT A GLANCE
1 (preseason poll rank) Milwaukee (3-5)
Lopsided losses: Indiana 101-70, Texas Tech 80-63, Akron 105-81.
Best win: Still waiting.
Impact transfers: Seth Hubbard, a 6-4 senior guard and a second-team preseason all-league pick, is averaging 16.3 points. He spent three years at two MAC schools, averaging 9.9 in 95 career games.
Amar Augillard, a 6-5 fifth-year player and a preseason first-team pick, is averaging 12.6 points after scoring 13.3 per game at Fresno State.
2 Oakland (3-5)
Lopsided losses: Michigan 121-78, Houston 78-45.
Best wins: At Montana, 95-87. Though not a win, the Grizzlies played top-ranked Purdue tough, falling 97-87.
Impact transfers: Isaac Garrett, a 6-8 junior from Snow Community College, and Brody Robinson, a 5-11 senior from UT Arlington, are second and third in scoring at 16.1 and 15.1.
Familiar face: Preseason player of the year Tuburu Naivalurua, a 6-8 wide-bodied Australian, has averaged 14.0 points and 5.6 rebounds.
3 Youngstown State (4-4)
Lopsided losses: The Penguins have been fairly competitive in every game, including a 74-59 loss to Pittsburgh.
Best wins: At Grand Canyon 90-81, Akron (exh.) 84-78.
Impact transfers: Ex-Centerville Elk Rich Rolf is third on the team in scoring (10.0) and second in rebounding (4.4) after playing sparingly at Charlotte.
Bryson Dawkins, a 6-2 senior, is averaging 10.4 points after being a first-team All-Southland pick at Houston Christian.
4 Robert Morris (6-3)
Lopsided loss: Iowa 101-69
Best win: At Drake 81-79 in overtime. The Bulldogs went 31-4 last year and made the NCAA tourney.
Impact transfers: Nikolaos Chitikoudis, 6-9 junior, is first on the team in scoring (13.1) and fourth in the HL in rebounding (7.0) after averaging 10.8 rebounds, which was 20th nationally, at North Carolina A&T.
DeSean Goode is a rare intra-league transfer, coming from IU Indy. He was an all-freshman team pick and leads the HL in rebounding at 9.0. That’s helped weather the blow of RM seeing its entire starting five from last year hitting the portal.
5 Purdue Fort Wayne (4-5)
Lopsided losses: Ohio State 94-68, St. Louis 91-60.
Best win: Still waiting. But the Mastodons did push Utah in an 85-77 loss.
Impact transfers: DeAndre Craig Jr., a 6-0 junior guard, is averaging 14.8 points after scoring 13.4 per game at Denver.
Mikale Stevenson, a 6-2 fifth-year guard, is averaging 14.7 points after scoring 10.9 per game at Grambling.
Familiar face: Corey Hadnot II, a 6-3 junior and preseason second-team pick, is second in the league in scoring at 18.0.
6 Northern Kentucky (6-2)
Lopsided losses: Tennessee 95-66.
Best win: At Central Michigan 90-66
Impact transfers: Donovan Oday, a 6-2 senior guard, is third in the league in scoring at 17.9 per game after averaging 12.8 at Cal State Fullerton.
Kael Robinson, a 6-7 fifth-year forward, is averaging 13.5 after a 17.4 clip at Montana State and being named first team all-conference.
Familiar face: Dan Gherezgher, a 6-4 senior guard and preseason second-team selection, is the league’s top scorer at 18.1 after getting 7.5 per game last season.
8 Cleveland State (3-6)
Lopsided losses: Northwestern 110-63, Missouri 86-59, Kent State 91-71. The Vikings actually played Kent twice in the first seven games, losing 102-95 at the Greenbrier Tip-off.
Best win: A 71-70 victory over Division-III Capital makes the list because of the potentially disaster consequences. Cap missed a 3 with three seconds left that would have won it.
Impact transfers: Dayan Nessah, a 6-7 sophomore forward, is averaging a team-best 15.3 points after playing 21 games at George Washington.
9 Detroit Mercy (2-6)
Lopsided losses: Notre Dame 102-70, Michigan State 84-56.
Best win: At Niagara 70-66.
Impact transfer: Ayden Carter, a 6-5 junior guard, is averaging 11.1 points after scoring 19.0 per game at D-II Walsh.
Familiar face: Orlando Lovejoy, a 6-3 senior guard and first-team preseason pick, is averaging a team-best 12.7 points and 3.7 assists.
10 IU Indy (3-6)
Lopsided losses: Ohio State 118-102, Butler 112-80.
Best win: At Eastern Michigan 90-83.
Impact transfers: Kyler D’Augustino, a 6-1 junior guard, is fourth in the league with a 16.1 average after scoring 17.3 per game at D-II West Liberty, which went 30-5 and made the NCAA Elite Eight.
Matt Compas, a 6-4 fifth-year guard, is averaging 14.3 after being named an NAIA third-team All-American at Dalton State.
11 Green Bay (4-5)
Lopsided losses: Kansas 94-51.
Best win: At UMass 79-75.
Impact transfer: Second-year coach Doug Gottlieb brought in Justin Allen, a 6-4 senior guard who is averaging 12.0 ppg after finishing fourth nationally in scoring in Division III with a 24.5 average at Carnegie-Mellon.
NEXT GAME
Who: Wright State at Youngstown State
When: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 1410-AM, 101.5-FM
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