For the past four years, Horizon League Basketball has centered around the Wright State Raiders and the Northern Kentucky Norse. These two teams have either finished first or second and have separated themselves from the rest of the league in the standings.
Yet last season, a new contender emerged in Cleveland State, who accomplished one of the biggest turnarounds as a program in recent memory. A late coaching change a while ago had the Vikings with just four scholarship players at one point in 2019. But thanks to Junior College transfers, hidden gems, and a tremendous hire in Florida assistant Dennis Gates, Cleveland State had its best regular season in the Horizon League, tying Wright State at 16-4 for first place.
And in the end, it was the Vikings that capped off the magical season with a conference title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament before losing to Houston in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64. Cleveland State looks formidable once again, while both Wright State and Northern Kentucky look to bounce back in 2022.
And Horizon League Basketball has plenty of other storylines to watch for outside of those potential contenders. The conference has, for the first time, a five-star freshman prospect joining. There’s also a 25 ppg scorer still around looking for his first postseason experience. And after a dreadful debut in the Horizon League last season, Robert Morris is looking to make some noise in year 2.
Here’s a look at how the teams look heading into the season, starting at the bottom at No. 12.