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Horizon League basketball: 2018 Conference Tournament preview

By Bryan Mauro

LAWRENCE, KS - NOVEMBER 24: Malik Newman #14 of the Kansas Jayhawks drives past Kendrick Nunn #1 of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies during the game at Allen Fieldhouse on November 24, 2017 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KS - NOVEMBER 24: Malik Newman #14 of the Kansas Jayhawks drives past Kendrick Nunn #1 of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies during the game at Allen Fieldhouse on November 24, 2017 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 17: Lavone Holland II (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 17: Lavone Holland II (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images /

The 2018 Horizon League tournament is scheduled to start on Wednesday in Detroit. Who is the favorite to win it all?

The league has been competitive especially at the top of the conference standings.  The Horizon league has also had its fair share of disappointments this year, but for the most part the top of the league finished as most pundits would have expected.

Northern Kentucky was the regular season champion in this league and has already locked up the automatic bid into the NIT tournament.  Northern Kentucky was one of the preseason favorites to win the league, and showed what kind of team they can be, as they dominated the league.  Northern Kentucky has the most talent in this league as well as the leagues best player.  The Norse are going into the tournament with a huge target on their back.

One of the biggest surprises in league play this year was the play of the Wright State Raiders.  Wright State was not expected to do much in the preseason.  However, Wright State held the top spot in the league for most of the year, until Northern Kentucky was able to take over the top spot just recently.  Wright State is going to be one of the biggest competitors for the tournament crown in Detroit.  The team is well coached, doesn’t beat themselves and plays great defense.

As with any league, there are the teams who enter the tournament as a disappointment in conference play.  That team would be none other than the Oakland Golden Grizzles.  Oakland entered the year as one of the favorites along with Northern Kentucky to win the regular season league title.  Armed with two of the best players in the league, Oakland could just seemingly not put it all together.

As mentioned above the Norse are one of the teams who have a huge target on their back.  The Golden Grizzlies have the talent to get on a role and knock off Northern Kentucky.  Oakland did however just recently lose one of their best players in Martez Walker for the year with a foot injury.  They do still have Illinois transfer Kendrick Nunn, and if Nunn is playing like he is capable he can beat teams by himself.

Motor City Madness, as the tournament has been dubbed, is going to be a great 4 days of basketball.  There are numerous teams that can take the crown, and many players who will be able to help those teams take the crown.  If someone else besides Northern Kentucky wins the tournament, the league will have two teams play in a postseason tournament.