The Horizon League is one of those conferences without a perennial juggernaut. As a result, different teams emerge as contenders, sometimes as a surprise. Wright State was the league’s surprise last year, winning both the regular season and conference tournament titles en route to making the Big Dance.
Are the Raiders the favorites to repeat in 2027? Or has the roster turnover created a new favorite? Here’s a look at the latest way-too-early power rankings for the Horizon League.
12. IU Indy Jaguars
2025-26 record: 7-25 (3-17)
Key losses
- Kyler D’Augstino (18.5 ppg and 3.4 apg)
- Magurie Mitchell (11.8 ppg and 2.3 rpg)
- Jaxon Edwards (11.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg)
Key players
- Kameron Tinsley (7.9 ppg and 2.4 rpg)
- Gus Etchison (8.8 ppg and 2.1 apg at Idaho State
- Jason Clarke (3.4 ppg and 1.4 apg at Appalachian State)
- Markus Pastorcic-Straun (20.1 ppg and 3.3 apg at D-II Colorado School of Mines)
- Pat Curtin (12.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg at Bucknell)
Considering the late roster-building a year ago, Coach Ben Howlett and the Jags were fairly competitive despite the overall record. But after losing just about everyone, the program’s rebuilding efforts have stalled. Tinsley is a breakout candidate returning, while the hope is that they can have more success with D-II imports.
It’ll be interesting to see whether the style of play remains, with them having a ton of possessions while trying to force turnovers. If there aren’t great scorers on the roster to put up points, the Jaguars may be forced to change things.
11. Northern Illinois Huskies
2025-26 record: 9-21 (4-14 MAC)
Key losses
- Makhai Valentine (13.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg)
- Dylan Ducommun (10.8 ppg and 3.4 apg)
- Gianni Cobb (9.8 ppg and 3.9 apg)
Key players
- Jao Ituka (6.9 ppg and 2.5 rpg)
- Uzziah Buntyn (12.1 ppg and 3.5 apg at South Dakota)
- David Douglas (7.2 ppg and 1.4 rpg at Fresno State)
- Jack Daugherty (3.0 ppg and 1.5 rpg at Illinois State)
- Mykolaus Ivanauskas (7.4 ppg and 5.1 rpg at Mercyhurst)
- Tolu Samuels (7.1 ppg and 8.6 rpg at Southern Indiana)
It’s a new era with the Huskies, coming over after a number of bottom-tier finishes in the MAC in the last six years. Coach Matt Majkrzak takes over after leaving Northern Michigan, but there will be some growing pains for him and NIU, similar to what happened at IU Indy this past season. The good news is that they won’t be pushovers, with guys such as former Green Bay guard Douglas joining the fold.
10. Youngstown State Penguins
2025-26 record: 15-17 (8-12)
Key losses
- Cris Carroll (17.4 ppg and 5.2 rpg)
- Bryson Dawkins (12.6 ppg and 4.6 rpg)
- Rich Wolf (9.1 ppg and 4.5 rpg)
- Vladimir Salaridze (8.4 ppg and 4.3 rpg)
Key players
- Jaiden Haynes (4.8 ppg and 1.5 rpg)
- Linus Holmstrom (11.4 ppg and 2.5 rpg at VMI)
- Jayden Tyler (5.4 ppg and 1.0 rpg at Wofford)
- Jermaine Coleman (4.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg at St. Thomas)
- Dom Aekins (3.0 ppg and 0.7 apg at Duquesne)
The Penguins are going young next year, thanks to a 4-man freshman class, along with a pair of young guards in Tyler and Aekins, both with scoring potential. Last year’s group had more proven transfers, and they still finished in the bottom tier; this group currently lacks that go-to guy needed to win games in league play.Â
9. Northern Kentucky Norse
2025-26 record: 20-14 (10-10)
Key losses
- Donovan Oday (18.6 ppg and 3.8 rpg)
- Dan Gherezgher (15.9 ppg and 2.7 apg)
- LJ Wells (15 ppg and 7.3 rpg)
- Kael Robinson (14.4 ppg and 4.5 rpg)
Key players
- Ethan Elliott (5.1 ppg and 2.8 rpg)
- Donovan Rakotonanahary (3.0 ppg and 2.3 rpg)
- Eric Acker (5.8 ppg and 1.7 apg at La Salle)
- Noah Pagotto (10.4 ppg and 5.7 rpg at East Texas A&M)
- Will Shortt (6.5 ppg and 4.4 rpg at Niagara)
- BJ Davis (1.3 ppg and 0.7 rpg at SMU)
The Norse have consistently been among the top offenses in the Horizon League and have featured elite individual scorers this past year. So far, the newcomers aren’t as proven, with just Pagotto the lone double-digit D-I scorer. Davis, a former four-star prospect out of high school, has breakout potential after being buried in their depth chart.
8. Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons
2025-26 record: 17-15 (11-9)
Key losses
- Corey Hadnot (20.4 ppg and 3.5 apg)
- DeAndre Craig (14 ppg and 2.6 apg)
- Mikale Stevenson (13.9 ppg and 3.6 rpg)
Key players
- EJ Mosley (3.2 ppg and 1.1 rpg)
- Chris Morgan (3.1 ppg and 1.0 rpg)
- Mason Shrout (3.7 ppg and 0.5 rpg)
- Ashton Williamson (7.7 ppg and 2.6 apg at FIU)
- Anthony Isaac (9.5 ppg and 7.2 rpg at Manhattan)
The Mastodons have always had a 1st-Team star to lead their offense and keep them in the top half. But replacing Hadnot, who led the Horizon League in scoring overall, will be a difficult task. Isaac, a 6’6 forward who averaged over 12 rpg per 40 mpg off the bench in the MAAC, has the chance to be a focal point of the offense inside. For Fort Wayne to succeed, they’ll need one of its returning young players to break out.
7. Cleveland State Vikings
2025-26 record: 11-22 (6-14)
Key losses
- Dayan Nessah (15.5 ppg and 6.4 rpg)
- Jaideon Lipscomb (12.9 ppg and 3.0 apg)
- Ice Emery (12.7 ppg and 2.0 apg)
- Tre Beard (12.6 ppg and 3.3 apg)
Key players
- Jordan Lowery (4.6 ppg and 1.2 apg at UT-Arlington)
- Owen Bronston Jr. (10.3 ppg and 2.6 rpg at South Carolina State)
- Alex Bruskotter (4.5 ppg and 1.5 rpg at Wright State)
- Derek Vorst (7.9 ppg and 3.9 rpg at Indiana State)
- Rayvon Griffith (4.0 ppg and 3.0 rpg at Kent State)
Yes, Cleveland State loses all of its top scorers, but considering that they were the worst defensive unit in the league, it’s probably not a bad thing. They added Bruskotter from the top defensive unit in the Horizon, while Griffith is a former top-100 prospect who could be an x-factor on a team that needs a lead scorer to be competitive again.
6. Milwaukee Panthers
2025-26 record: 12-20 (8-12)
Key losses
- Seth Hubbard (16.6 ppg and 3.3 rpg in 9 games)
- Amar Augillar (12.6 ppg and 2.6 rpg)
- Stevie Elam (10.5 ppg and 4.7 rpg)
- Josh Dixon (9.0 ppg and 1.6 apg)
Key players
- Danilo Jovanovich (12.4 ppg and 6.1 rpg)
- Chandler Jackson (9.7 ppg and 2.8 rpg)
- Isaiah Dorceus (5.5 ppg and 3.7 apg)
- Al Amadou (1.4 ppg and 0.8 rpg in 11 games at St. Joe’s)
- Tre Norman (2.2 pgp and 1.4 rpg at Marquette)
Injuries proved to be fatal for the Panthers last year, but they do bring back two key frontcourt pieces in Jovanovich and Jackson. But losing both key freshmen (Elam and Dixon) was a tough blow. The hope is that Norman, a transfer from Marquette, could be a breakout star who leads the backcourt and balances the offense.
5. Green Bay PhoenixÂ
2025-26 record: 18-15 (12-8)
Key losses
- CJ O’Hara (14.1 ppg and 4.4 rpg)
- Justin Allen (13.6 ppg and 3.7 rpg)
- Preston Ruedinger (11.6 ppg and 5.5 apg)
Key players
- Marcus Hall (13.9 ppg and 5.2 rpg)
- Mac Wrecke (3.3 ppg and 1.4 rpg)
- Jaxon Edwards (11.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg at IU Indy)
- Isaiah Sutherland (3.5 ppg and 1.8 rpg at East Tennessee State)
- Ahmere Carson (12.2 ppg at Odessa JUCO College)
While Green Bay lost three big pieces, it arguably brought back its best player, Hall, who shot over 40% from deep and is one of the top returning offensive players. Joining him is Edwards, a double-digit scorer from IU Indy who shot 52% from the field as a perimeter player. The rest of the current roster isn’t as proven, but Wrecke is due for a larger role after playing behind the likes of Ruedinger and O’Hara.
4. Oakland Golden Grizzlies
2025-26 record: 16-16 (12-8)
Key losses
- Brody Robinson (17.6 ppg and 6.7 apg)
- Tubur Naivalura (14.3 ppg and 6.1 rpg)
- Isaac Garrett (13.7 ppg and 7.1 rpg)
- Michael Houge (12.6 ppg and 5.4 rpg)
Key players
- Nassim Mashhour (9.3 ppg and 2.9 rpg in 10 games)
- Warren Marshall (3.5 ppg and 1.7 rpg)
- Brady Swartz (7.7 ppg and 4.6 rpg at Western Michigan)
- Chris Fields Jr. (9.7 ppg and 6.9 rpg at Campbell)
- Belal El Shakery (11.4 ppg and 8.2 rpg at New Hampshire)
Oakland had arguably the best frontcourt in the Horizon League last year. Right now, that could be the case for 2026-27 again, with Fields and El Shakery being two of the best incoming forwards from the D-I ranks. Mashhour’s return from injury is big, as he’s a career 40+ percent three-point shooter. But with Brody Robinson’s attempt at getting a waiver to play next year denied, the Grizzlies will need former Northern Iowa guard RJ Taylor to be an impactful perimeter player to run the offense.
3. Detroit Mercy Titans
2025-26 record: 17-15 (12-8)
Key losses
- Orlando Lovejoy (15.8 ppg and 3.7 apg)
- TJ Nadeau (13.8 ppg and 3.2 rpg)
- Legend Geeter (8.3 ppg and 6.4 rpg)
Key players
- Ayden Carter (12.2 ppg and 4.3 rpg in 9 games)
- Tyler Spratt (9.9 ppg and 3.6 rpg)
- Lance Stone (6.8 ppg and 2.0 apg)
- London Maiden (6.3 ppg and 3.0 rpg)
- Jekel Cotton (2.3 ppg and 2.5 rpg)
It’s unfortunate that Detroit will be banned from the postseason next year, because they had a real chance at making another Horizon League Tournament run. While losing Lovejoy is a big blow, the team still brought back several key pieces, including breakout sophomore candidates Stone and Spratt.Â
2. Robert Morris ColonialsÂ
2025-26 record: 22-11 (13-7)
Key losses
- Ryan Prather (15.7 ppg and 3.6 apg)
- DeSean Goode (15.2 ppg and 8.7 rpg)
- Nikolaos Chitikoudis (11.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg)
Key players
- Darius Livingston (9.6 ppg and 3.0 apg)
- Ta’Zir Smith (6.5 ppg and 2.2 rpg)
- Kiwane Garris Jr. (8.2 ppg and 3.4 rpg at Cal State Fullerton)
- Ace Valentine (11.9 ppg and 3.9 apg at UMBC)
- Jalik Dunkley (12.4 ppg and 6.7 rpg at Nicholls State)
Player of the Year forward Goode is one of several notable absences for the Colonials, but they brought back several freshmen poised for larger roles, led by Livingston. He and Valentine are set up to be one of the better backcourts in the league. The defense should remain strong, too, led by Merrimack forward transfer and MAAC DPOY, KC Ugwuakazi.
1. Wright State Raiders
2025-26 record: 23-12 (15-5)
Key losses
- Michael Cooper (13.4 ppg and 2.2 apg)
- TJ Burch (12.4 ppg and 3.6 apg)
- Michael Imariagbe (12 ppg and 7.1 rpg)
- Solomon Callaghan (10.2 ppg and 1.9 rpg)
Key players
- Dominic Pangonis (8.9 ppg and 2.6 rpg)
- Kellen Pickett (8.5 ppg and 5.4 rpg)
- Andrea Holden (6.1 ppg and 3.9 rpg)
- CJ O’Hara (14.1 ppg and 4.4 rpg at Green Bay)
- Chadlyn Traylor (3.8 ppg and 2.0 apg at Charleston)
The reigning Horizon League Basketball champions did lose a ton of talent. However, they also have a lot going for them. Pickett, who won Conference Rookie of the Year honors, is back, while Pangonis is a breakout candidate. Plus, O’Hara, the highest-scoring returning player in the conference, leaves Green Bay to give Wright State not only a clear go-to option but the preseason favorite for Player of the Year.
Add us as a preferred source on Google