After a slow first half, a new-look Cleveland State team ran away from the Division II Malone Pioneers, claiming their first victory of the season by a tally of 62-46. The Vikes trailed at the half, 23-22, thanks in large part to Malone taking care of the ball. CSU wants to press and run this season, but they had just one steal and zero fast break points in the game’s first 20 minutes.

In the second half, however, they turned up the pressure. CSU went on a defense-driven 19-1 run, capped off by a three from freshman Jeron Rogers with 10:43 to play. Every one of the Vikings’ points during that stretch came via layup, dunk, three, or free throw. They were able to turn Malone over and, after a wasteful first half, make the most of their opportunities both inside and out. Cleveland State shot 37 percent and made no three-pointers in the first half. They converted 48 percent of their second half shots, including 4-of-7 triples.

“We really got our pressure going, got two or three straight turnovers, and were able to convert those and get a little hot streak going,” said senior forward Vinny Zollo.

Many things look the same as they did last year inside the Wolstein Center. The court is the same, surrounded by the familiar sea of green seats. The home uniforms are the same, with green lettering, numbers, and trim over white fabric. MJ the DJ — whose star has risen a bit since last season; he’s producing beats for Cavs guard Iman Shumpert these days — still plays hype man and provides the soundtrack. Rascal House Pizza still gives away pie to lucky fans. Vikings head coach Gary Waters still prowls the sidelines with a look on his face that suggests he’s between unpleasant bowel movements.

Yes sir, it’s all the same at CSU this year. With the notable exception, that is, of the guys playing the games.

The 2015-16 Vikings feature 11 players from last year’s team, but few among them were true contributors. Only three players — Andre Yates, Vinny Zollo, and Terrell Hales — played more than 10 minutes per game. Yates is the team’s top returning scorer, having averaged 6.0 points per game in 2014-15. The departures of Trey Lewis (transfer to Louisville), Anton Grady (transfer to Wichita State), and Charlie Lee and Marlin Mason (to graduation) meant that 76 percent of last year’s scoring was out the door. Suffice it to say that there are opportunities to be seized this year.

“I won’t say that I was excited when [Lewis and Grady] left,” Zollo said. “I don’t think anybody would say that. But I think when opportunity shines on certain people, when they put in the work and the preparation, and you know you’re going to be relied on a heavy amount, it changes your perspective of the program that you’re in.”

For at least one game, junior forward Demonte Flannigan was the one to capitalize. The 6-foot-7 forward had the game of his collegiate career, finishing with 22 points, 17 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He shot a tidy 9-of-12 from the floor and only turned the ball over twice. He posted up early and often, and in various spots. He set up on each block, along the baseline, and at the elbows, influencing the game from each location. Malone sent double teams his way in the second half, but by that point much of the damage had been done. Flannigan’s game looked reminiscent of Anton Grady, who made his bones in many of the same zones.

Perhaps trying to put the departed far in the rear view, Gary Waters shot that comparison down. “That wasn’t Anton-like,” the coach said. “That was Demonte-like.”

Flannigan struggled in the season opener against Akron, a 65-53 loss, scoring 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting in 27 minutes. He had eight rebounds and two blocks against the Zips, but didn’t impact that game nearly as much as he did Tuesday’s. He attributed his effectiveness against Malone to focusing more on going inside and hitting the boards hard. (One can also assume that a D-2 team offers less resistance than a competitive mid-major program.)

“I think I should’ve done better getting more rebounds and scoring more inside [against Akron], so I decided I’d do that this game,” Flannigan said. “Last game I barely posted up. I just attacked the glass [tonight]. Every time the ball went up I just went in to try and get a rebound.”

That Tristan Thompson-like aggressiveness will suit Flannigan just fine. He will likely have a tougher go of it inside against bigger competition — no Malone player taller than 6-8 saw meaningful playing time — but his work in the paint is an encouraging development. Gary Waters has long preferred attacking the basket to letting fly from deep. A reliable post-up option would provide a fulcrum for the rest of the offense to operate around and take some pressure off of CSU’s young guards.

Senior forward Vinny Zollo had a solid if unspectacular game, totaling 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in 28 minutes. He was content to keep the ball moving, taking just seven shots on the evening. His greatest contribution may have been an intangible one. With CSU losing 143 starts’ worth of players from last year, Zollo looks to be stepping up as a leader. He played traffic cop on the floor and was vocal on the bench throughout Tuesday’s contest. After the game, Zollo spoke of his (and Flannigan’s) move into a leadership position.

“Having a new unit, with four or five new guys that are making an impact on this team, I think me and ‘Te [Flannigan] definitely felt that during the offseason,” said Zollo of his newfound veteran responsibility. “I think when you know going into the year that your team’s going to rely on you and a large part of our success will be our efforts…I think that we both — and a lot of the guys who are going to lead this team — have taken that responsibility and recognized it early, recognized it in the offseason, and really put in a lot of work.”

Perhaps the toughest void for this year’s Vikings to fill will be in the backcourt. Both Trey Lewis and Charlie Lee were capable, threatening ballhandlers who had a firm grasp of the CSU offensive scheme. In their absence, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of junior Andre Yates, sophomores Terrell Hales and Kenny Carpenter, and freshmen Rob Edwards and Daniel Levitt.

Yates had 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals in 28 minutes; he also had 5 turnovers. Hales, a rangy defensive-minded type, played a game-high 33 minutes, finishing with five points, three assists, and two steals against just one turnover. Edwards was threatening when attacking the basket, but struggled to convert en route to a two-point, 1-of-9 performance.1 Levitt was 0-of-4 in 15 minutes. Yates, Hales, and Carpenter started the game, with Edwards replacing the latter to open the second half.

“It was a little questionable, to be honest,” Waters said of his guard play Tuesday. “They’ll grow and they’ll get better.  I’m a believer you win with guards. You got great guards, you can win most games you play. That’s what I gotta get…We gotta get some consistency.”

Consistency may be hard to come by. With so many young players, many of whom are playing together for the first time and in a new system, establishing good habits will be important. It was evident Tuesday night that the Vikings are not yet cohesive on either end; that’s hardly a crime. There were, however, glimpses of what could be. Perhaps the best sequence for CSU came about four minutes into the second half. Andre Yates had just made a three, the Vikings’ first of the game. A backcourt trap led to an errant Malone pass, which Yates dove after on the floor. He hit a streaking Zollo, who finished with a two-hand dunk. It was plays like that that fueled their big second half run. Plays like that, defined by teamwork and hustle, can serve to hide some of their blemishes.

The new-look Vikes did good things Tuesday. The challenge now is to reduce them from highlight to ho-hum.

Cleveland State’s next game is at Rhode Island this Saturday. They travel to Cancun next week, and play at No. 3 ranked Maryland next Saturday.

1. One play by Edwards reminded me very much of Dion Waiters. He had an open three on the left wing, but took a couple dribbles before taking a contested two-pointer. Again, it’s a young squad.

Fresh off their first win of the season against Division II Malone University, the Cleveland State Vikings fell Saturday night to the Rams of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI. While the game didn’t take place in Mexico, it was the Vikings’ first of the Cancun Challenge tournament. Their next game will be in Cancun against Rider Tuesday afternoon.

Your faithful reporter was not in attendance — we couldn’t get all the paperwork in order with our travel department; fingers crossed for a trip to Mexico — nor was I able to watch it on the telly, so I lean on the reports of the Associated Press and CSU’s athletics department to explain how it went down in Rhode Island.

First, from the AP:

Hassan Martin scored 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting to lead a balanced and hot-shooting Rhode Island over Cleveland State 73-45 Saturday night.

Following Martin, Kuran Iverson added 15 points, Jared Terrell 14 and Jarvis Garrett 13 for the Rams (2-1) who never trailed in the game, leading by 20 (39-19) at halftime. Rhode Island shot 63 percent from the floor (26-41), and outrebounded Cleveland State 37-26. Iverson set career-bests in points and rebounds (8).

The dominance showed as Rhode Island doubled the Vikings on points in the paint, 36-18, outscored Cleveland State 24-14 on points off turnovers and 12-7 on the fast break.

Rob Edwards led Cleveland State (1-2), which shot just 27 percent, with 16 points.

And a more Viking-leaning account from CSU:

Cleveland State began a four-game stretch in the Cancun Challenge with a 73-45 setback at Rhode Island on Saturday night.

The Vikings fell to 1-2 with the loss, while the Rams improved to 2-1.

Rob Edwards, who was making his first career start, scored 16 points and added five rebounds and three steals. Kenny Carpenter tallied nine points and two rebounds, while Jibri Blount added five points, two rebounds and two assists. Jeron Rogers scored five points.

The Viking defense forced 23 URI turnovers and also had 11 steals.

Rhode Island had four players in double figures, led by 16 points from Hassan Martin. Kuran Iverson added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Jared Terrell scored 14 points and Jarvis Garrett added 13.

Rhode Island raced out to a 9-2 lead less than four minutes into the game, but the Vikings managed to pull within four (11-7) at the 12:36 mark.  After the teams traded baskets to keep the URI lead at four points, the Rams used a 20-7 run to open up a 17-point lead (33-16) with just under four minutes to play in the first half.

The Rams hit 14-of-20 (.700) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes and 10-of-14 from the free throw line. URI finished the game shooting .634 (26-41) from the field and held a 37-26 advantage on the glass.

It’s a disappointing result for Cleveland State, if not a wholly shocking one. Rhode Island finished 23-10 last season and returned two of their top three leading scorers from last year’s club — they’re a solid team. After playing well against Malone, Demonte Flannigan and Vinny Zollo struggled mightily, combining for six points on 1-of-15 shooting. They weren’t alone. Only Rob Edwards (6-of-12), sophomore guard Kenny Carpenter (3-of-6) and freshman Jeron Rogers (2-of-4) hit at least half of their shots for the Vikings. No other CSU player made more than one field goal.

“Our nemesis right now is our offense,” head coach Gary Waters said after the Malone game. “We’re trying to find out who’s gonna do what.” The search continues.

If you’re looking for silver linings, Rob Edwards’ performance is encouraging. The Detroit Cass Tech product is a strongly built 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds. He has done well getting into the lane in his young college career. The next step for him will be learning how to slow down and probe the defense to find the best chances both for himself and his teammates.

Let’s check in on our young Cleveland State Vikings, shall we? Let me start with an apology that coverage was lacking during the Thanksgiving weekend. The Vikes were busy over the holiday, playing two games in Cancun and then squaring off with No. 2 ranked Maryland in College Park. CSU won their first game of that spell — a 57-52 win over Rider in Mexico on Tuesday, Nov. 24 — led by 17 points from freshman guard Rob Edwards. They dropped their next three, including last night’s 76-65 loss to Toledo.

In their second game in Cancun, on Nov. 25, they lost to the now 6-0 South Dakota State Jackrabbits, 77-66. They faced the Jackrabbits by virtue of their win over Rider, which put them through to the so-called title game in the so-called Mayan division. (A storied history, the Cancun Challenge does not have. You didn’t miss the big Morgan State-Liberty showdown last year, did you?) Sophomore guard Kenny Carpenter gave Cleveland State a boost with 17 points off the bench, but a balanced South Dakota State attack — four players scored in double figures — was too much to overcome.

The Vikings put forth a hell of an effort against the Terrapins at Maryland on Saturday, Nov. 28, in a game that was technically a continuation of the Cancun Challenge. They took a 27-26 lead midway through the first half, and trailed by a narrow 37-33 margin at the intermission. They outrebounded the Terps (albeit by one) in the first half and made 52 percent of their shots. They were hanging in there, just as they did against the Wildcats in Kentucky a couple years back.

That brings us to Wednesday night’s game against the Rockets in Toledo. Cleveland State fell into a bit of a pit early, going down 11-4 after five minutes and showing all of the fragility that comes with a youth-heavy team without a clear leader.1 Toledo wisely spent much of the game in a zone defense. They crashed down on CSU’s post players and dared the Vikings to beat them from deep. In a related story, Cleveland State entered the game shooting 38 percent from the field and 26 percent on threes. It was a sound strategy.

CSU trailed by 13 at halftime and by as much as 20 in the second half. They narrowed the margin to as little as 10 with 4:17 to go, but there was never a real sense that they could come all the way back. Toledo kept Cleveland State at arm’s length and coasted to the 76-65 win. Rob Edwards led the Vikings with 15 points (3-of-12 shooting, 2-of-4 threes, 7-of-9 free throws) and Vinny Zollo added 14 on a tidy 6-of-8 shooting.

For much of the game the Vikings were simply stagnant. There was too much catch-and-pause, catch-and-fake, catch-and-not-drive-or-shoot. Often they looked to be overthinking, trying to remember the next step of the play. They did pick it up in the second half and had some moments of nice ball movement. When they just played basketball — driving into open lanes, kicking out to open shooters, swinging the ball around the horn, and taking the avenues that were offered — they looked pretty good. The trick for them will be making that second nature.

The story of the young season, in my eyes, has been the play of freshman guard Rob Edwards. The 18-year-old from Detroit’s Cass Tech (the same school that produced sophomore Kenny Carpenter) is a bulldog of a guard, and he wasted little time in forcing his way into the starting lineup. In most every Cleveland State game this season, including at Maryland, Edwards has been relentless in attacking the rim. He doesn’t totally know what to do once he gets into the lane, but getting there consistently is a start. He is averaging over 30 minutes a game, easily the most among the Viking freshmen.

And he looks to be a tough SOB. Late in the first half against Toledo, he drove the lane and drew a foul. Rockets center Zach Garber caught him with a little incidental contact after the whistle, to which Edwards took offense. Garber offered a conciliatory hand, which the young Viking slapped away. It won’t win him any sportsmanship awards, but I like it. Cleveland State isn’t going to win pretty. If they want to steal a few games here and there, they’re going to have to be tough. I like Rob. He reminds me of Dion Waiters, and I mean that as a compliment.

Vinny Zollo’s performance against Toledo was encouraging. 14 points in 23 minutes is terrific. But he needs to be more aggressive, and consistent, and consistently aggressive. His eight shot attempts against the Rockets were a season high. He shouldn’t be shy about getting more shots up, especially from the outside. He is the only senior seeing substantial playing time right now. It’s admirable that he wants to get others involved, but this team needs shooting. He is one of the few who can provide it.

Cleveland State knew this was going to be a tough year from the jump. The specifics of why are becoming clearer with each game. They don’t have any one player they can truly lean on to get them points. Last year they had at least two. Edwards has shown promise, and junior forward Demonte Flannigan has looked to score in the post, but there isn’t a proper go-to guy on the team. Exacerbating that is the aforementioned stiffness of the offense. As a result, they need to be completely locked in on defense to have a shot at beating most teams. They play hard on that end, but they have lapses. A big man might over-help on a penetrating guard. A wing might suck in too much off of a shooter. A lazy pass on offense might lead to a runout. They’re going to make mistakes.

To make a cross-sport analogy, they remind me a bit of a football team running a triple-option offense. They’re methodical. They’re a bit stubborn. They’re more likely to score with strength than finesse. And if they fall behind by more than 10 points, they’re going to have a hard time coming back.

Cleveland State’s next game is at Quicken Loans Arena — you read that right — against Kent State this Saturday, December 5, at 3:30 p.m. Punch and pie

1. In East Lansing, meanwhile, ex-Viking Bryn Forbes scored 20 for the Michigan State Spartans while Trey Lewis scored 21 for Louisville. Ah, what could have been.

Cleveland State’s finest passing game of the season was rendered moot by efficient play inside from Kent State’s front line, as the Vikings (2-6) fell to the Golden Flashes (4-2) Saturday afternoon, 66-62, at Quicken Loans Arena.

Guards Andre Yates and Rob Edwards each scored 14 points to lead CSU, while forward Vinny Zollo finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds to record his first career double-double. Kent State’s forward tandem of Khaliq Spicer and Jimmy Hall combined for 36 points and 17 rebounds to set the pace in the victory. Spicer scored 22 points, doubling his previous career high, while Hall added nine rebounds and six assists in a fine all-around performance. Kent State scored 40 of their 66 points in the paint.

A Jimmy Hall layup gave Kent State a 64-59 lead with 1:40 to play. Viking freshman Jibri Blount was fouled on the ensuing possession. He made the first free throw to cut the lead to four but missed the second. Vinny Zollo grabbed the offensive rebound, but a missed three by Andre Yates put the Vikings firmly behind the eight-ball with 1:06 remaining.

Cleveland State got a stop on the next possession. Rob Edwards steamed ahead in transition and laid it up and in, but was whistled for an offensive foul with 28 seconds to play — it was one of at least five charges drawn by Kent State on the night. CSU stayed alive by stealing two inbounds passes in the game’s waning moments, but they couldn’t conjure the basket necessary to pull out the victory. They missed six straight shots, including some tip-in chances, in the final minute.

It was the Vikings’ best chance at a win during what is now a four-game losing streak. They hung tough before losing by 17 at Maryland, while both Toledo and South Dakota State beat them comfortably. CSU led Kent State for nearly 23 minutes and for much of the game played well enough to win. That fact was not lost on Gary Waters, who addressed his team for roughly 45 minutes — the average postgame talk is closer to 10 minutes — in a locker room at The Q.

From the News-Herald‘s David Glasier:

The aim of his extended postgame lecture, Waters explained, was to get senior forward Vinny Zollo, freshman guard Rob Edwards and the other CSU players to “feel this thing” before immersing themselves in preparation for exams.

As for what he wanted his players to feel, Waters said it was the implications of allowing a golden opportunity to slip through their fingers.

“We should have won this game. We had the opportunity to win it,” Waters said.

Indeed, Cleveland State led for over 17 minutes of the first half. They jumped out to a 6-0 lead and played sound offense for much of the period. They assisted on 9 of their first 11 first-half baskets, and drew foul shots thanks to more good passing than that. Andre Yates sank 3-of-4 three-pointers to score 9 points, with Edwards adding 8. Kent State took a 28-27 lead through a Jimmy Hall jumper with 29 seconds to go in the half, and went into the intermission with that same advantage.

It was just another loss, but CSU played loads better against Kent State than they did Toledo

Kent State alternated between man-to-man and zone defense early on, with neither proving particularly effective. The book on Cleveland State will favor playing a zone and forcing them to shoot over the top. The Vikings have yet to show consistency in shooting from the outside, but they fared well against the Flashes’ 2-3/3-2 hybrid defense thanks in large part to nifty interior passing from Vinny Zollo and Demonte Flannigan. Flannigan made some smart kick-out passes from the post, while Zollo did well making plays out of pick-and-rolls. The forwards each had four assists to lead CSU.

The game turned in the second half when Kent State went to a 1-3-1 zone. The Golden Flashes crowded the center of the floor, especially around the free throw line where Zollo and Flannigan did their early work. Kent State went on a 13-1 run over the course of four-plus minutes to turn a 45-41 deficit into a 54-46 lead with seven minutes to go. All of the Flashes’ points during that stretch came on layups, dunks, threes, and free throws. Cleveland State had three turnovers and missed their only two field goal attempts during that time.

A jumper from junior guard Myles Hamilton — playing in his first game of the season after dealing with suspension and injury — got the Vikings to within three points, at 60-57 with 2:55 to play. They couldn’t muster a stop, which was the story of the second half. From the 14:58 mark to 8:10, Kent State made 8-of-9 shots. Cleveland State hung with them at the start of that stretch, but the Flashes’ move to the 1-3-1 defense undid the Viking offense.

It was just another loss, but CSU played loads better against Kent State than they did Toledo. There were some rickety moments, but on the whole the ball moved with more purpose, as did the players. Their timing seemed better, and they put more pressure on their defenders. Often Cleveland State went to four- or five-out sets designed to open space inside. If a shot or drive wasn’t there, they made a pass and kept it moving. The ball went into the post not just to score, but to set up kick-out opportunities as well.

It wasn’t all good. More than a couple ill-advised shots resulted in airballs. Kent State beat them to the spot time and again to draw charges. At least a couple times the Flashes beat the Vikings down the court for transition layups — even after made baskets. There were defensive lapses overall, as evidenced by Kent State shooting 56 percent in the second half.

It isn’t the sort of thing one puts on a marquee to sell tickets, but these are the growing pains indicative of an inexperienced team.

Other Notes

• The Q was done up nicely for Cleveland State. It felt like a proper home game. The CSU court was laid down in place of the Cavs version, Viking green was all over the Humongotron and other video boards, and arena hype man MJ the DJ was doing his thing. It made for a fun atmosphere on a Saturday afternoon.
• Checking in on the CSU freshmen: guard Rob Edwards looks to have a starting spot locked down; he totaled 14 points and 4 rebounds in 34 minutes…forward Jibri Blount played just nine minutes, but scored nine points in that time…forward Jeron Rogers struggled, going scoreless in eight minutes…guard Daniel Levitt scored three points in five minutes…both Blount and Rogers have been playing power forward-type roles, often matching up against larger opponents.
• Andre Yates’ three-point shooting performance (4-of-7) was his best in weeks. He was 2-for-10 in the previous four games combined.
• Edwards and Yates are leading the team in minutes played, followed by swingman Terrell Hales and forwards Flannigan and Zollo. There is plenty of competition beyond those five, especially with Myles Hamilton’s return.

Cleveland State’s next game is Saturday, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. against the Ohio Bobcats at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Cleveland State Vikings’ rough season continued Saturday afternoon at Quicken Loans Arena, as they fell to the visiting Ohio Bobcats, 76-67. Cleveland State sank 10-of-21 three-pointers, by far their most accurate long-range shooting performance of the season, with guards Rob Edwards and Andre Yates each scoring 17 points to lead the way. In the second half, however, Ohio took advantage of Viking miscues, crashed the offensive boards, dominated the paint, and departed with a comfortable victory.

A select few statistics tell the tale. Ohio outrebounded Cleveland State, 37-32, including 12 offensive rebounds. The rebounding disparity wasn’t huge, but the Bobcats made the most of their second chances to the tune of 15 second-chance points. Whether by attacking the glass or slicing into the lane, OU was able to make its living in the paint. The Bobcats scored 42 points in the paint to the Vikings’ 26.

Antonio Campbell, Ohio’s 6-foot-9, 260-pound barge of a forward, dominated inside. He scored a game-high 23 points (10-of-15 shooting) and grabbed 10 rebounds, five on the offensive end. Cleveland State simply didn’t have the necessary size to slow him down, as neither Demonte Flannigan nor Vinny Zollo could contend with Campbell’s bulk. The one Viking in Campbell’s weight class, Aaron Scales, played just six minutes.

CSU defended OU well for stretches, but did themselves no favors by turning the ball over. The Vikings committed 15 turnovers which turned into 16 Bobcat points. According to the stat sheet OU had just four fast break points, but it certainly felt like more. Cleveland State has developed a nasty habit of getting beaten downcourt after made baskets, which benefits no one except for the makers of Gary Waters’ blood pressure medication.

Sophomore swingman Terrell Hales drew the task of guarding OU point guard Jaaron Simmons, who entered the game averaging 16.1 points and 7.9 assists per game. Simmons made all five of his first-half shots en route to 11 points, but Hales did reasonably well denying him the ball and making him work. Simmons finished with 13 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 6 turnovers.

For much of the game, fans were treated to unusually positive, fluid basketball. Ohio sagged deep into the lane, daring the Vikings to shoot, and CSU was actually able to do so. Freshman guard Rob Edwards made two three-balls in the first half, with Andre Yates, Jibri Blount, Daniel Levitt, and Myles Hamilton each adding one. Cleveland State opened the game with incisive ball movement and led by as much as nine points midway through the opening half. Edwards was the engine, controlling the game with his scoring, passing, driving, and all-around sense of the action. Yates was aggressive and effective as well, making 8-of-15 shots.

The most exciting stretch of the first half came when the two sides combined for five threes in less than two minutes. Jibri Blount hit one from the top of the key to give CSU a 23-17 lead. OU’s Gavin Block answered to cut the lead to three, with Jordan Dartis tying the game a possession later. Daniel Levitt put the Vikings back on top, only for OU’s Wadly Mompremier (WHAT A NAME!) to pull the Bobcats level again. CSU and OU combined to shoot 10-of-23 from beyond the arc in the first half.

Lack of consistency was again the story of the game, as Cleveland State couldn’t maintain the requisite focus or sharpness to hang with Ohio in the second half. The Vikings will often be outclassed this season, so they’ll need to be at or close to their best in order to get wins. Such a game was not in the cards Saturday, and CSU has now dropped five in a row.

“I’ve never been here before,” Gary Waters said of losing five straight games. “Why don’t we turn it around and get five wins, that would help the process. But the biggest thing is finding something [we’re doing] consistently well.”

Other notes

• Both Demonte Flannigan and Vinny Zollo had awful games. Flannigan finished with six points (2-of-8 shooting) and two rebounds in 16 minutes, while Zollo had two points (1-of-8 shooting) and eight rebounds in 21 minutes. Cleveland State is generally undersized, and they’ll have a hard time surviving with their starting forwards playing poorly.
• Tim Hasbargen, a walk-on from Munich, saw his most extensive action of his career since a win over Tiffin last year. The German scored nine points and had four rebounds in 13 minutes.
• Jibri Blount provided a nice spark off the bench, scoring eight points on 3-of-4 shooting in 17 minutes.

Cleveland State’s next game is Wednesday, Dec. 16 at Loyola (IL)

The Cleveland State Vikings beat the Loyola (Illinois) Ramblers, 60-54, Wednesday night in a tremendous argument in favor of professional basketball’s superiority to the college game. There are those who hold collegiate basketball in the highest of esteem, those who delight in the longer shot clock, the myriad zone defenses, and the idea that there is a purity to the game at the university level. That’s all well and good, and I don’t presume to change anyone’s mind on the subject. I’m just saying that every once in a while you run into a bad college basketball game, and this was one of them.

I’m being a little harsh. Things got interesting down the stretch and the level of play took baby steps forward as the game went on. Things were tight most of the way at the Joseph J. Gentile Center in Chicago. Loyola led by as much as seven, but German walk-on Tim Hasbargen hit a three to give Cleveland State a 44-42 lead with 5:09 to go. They would not relinquish that advantage. A Milton Doyle and-one pulled the Ramblers level at 47 with 3:06 left, and the result was very much in doubt heading into the last few minutes.

Cleveland State got some precious breathing room when freshman Daniel Levitt buried a deep right-wing three to put them ahead 52-47 with 2:12 remaining. (More on Levitt later.) Tyson Smith split a pair of free throws on Loyola’s next possession, and Andre Yates hit a jumper to put the Vikings up six with a minute and a half left. An Earl Peterson jumper got the Ramblers within four, but that’s as close as they would get. Hasbargen and Yates each sank two free throws in the final minute to secure the Vikings’ first road win of the season — and the 350th of Gary Waters’ career.

Still, it was far from pretty, especially in the first half.

It was far from pretty, especially in the first half

The Ramblers led the Vikings 24-23 at the intermission, with the teams combining to shoot 31 percent. There were 15 first-half field goals and 17 first-half turnovers. All three of Cleveland State’s starting guards — Rob Edwards, Andre Yates, and Terrell Hales — picked up two fouls early, forcing Gary Waters to go to his bench and taking the most threatening playmakers (Edwards and Yates) off the floor. The bench eventually came through to the tune of 32 points, it just took a while to get there.

Loyola doubled Demonte Flannigan, Jibri Blount, and any other Viking who caught the ball on the block almost immediately. The Ramblers are not a big team — they have just two players taller than 6-7 — which put Cleveland State in the rare situation of not being outsized and overpowered. Flannigan did well with the few chances he had to go one-on-one, but those opportunities were rare; he totaled 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Blount shot just 2-of-7, but he sank 7-of-8 free throws to finish with a solid line of 11 points and 7 rebounds. He flashed a nice face-up game and used a quick, long first step to beat defenders into the lane.

Still, with the lane full of defenders and the starting backcourt coping with foul trouble for stretches, Cleveland State struggled mightily to get open looks for much of the game. The good news is that their defense put Loyola in a similar predicament. The Vikings had perhaps their best pressing game of the season, forcing turnovers and generally knocking the Ramblers out of sorts. They had nine steals on the night and forced 16 total turnovers, which they turned into 15 points. They defended the rim as well, blocking six shots (all in the first half).

The biggest takeaway from this game was the shooting of Daniel Levitt. The 6-1 Montreal native, who came to Cleveland State via New Hampton (NH) Prep, scored 12 points on 4-of-6 three-pointers. He has had some good games shooting from deep — he hit 2-of-3 against Akron and 2-of-5 against Rider — and he was locked in Wednesday. The last, most important three was a catch-and-shoot job that came from a few feet beyond the arc with the shot clock winding down. A miss would have given the ball back to Loyola with a chance to tie. Instead, it all but ended the game. The Vikings have long yearned for a capable floor spacer, and a showing like this offers hope that Levitt can be the one.

It wasn’t an aesthetically pleasing game, but even the ugliest W looks better than the most elegant L. The victory ends a five-game losing streak for CSU. Head coach Gary Waters is now 350-269 lifetime, with a 179-134 record at Cleveland State. The 350 wins put him among the top 175 winningest head coaches in men’s college basketball history. Only 677 more to catch Mike Krzyzewski!

Other Notes

• I feel like I overlook him too often, but junior guard Andre Yates had another nice game. He finished with a team-high 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including two three-balls. He added three rebounds, two assists, and did not commit a turnover. On a night when Rob Edwards was limited to 18 minutes by foul trouble, Yates kept the Vikings afloat. Good work by the lefty from Dayton.
• Calling the first half a rock fight would insult our nation’s geologists. Cleveland State had two separate stretches where they made 1-of-11 field goals, while Loyola went a full nine minutes between makes. No bueno baloncesto.
• Vinny Zollo followed up a rough game against Ohio with another one Wednesday. He went scoreless in 22 minutes, shooting 0-of-5. The good news is that he grabbed eight rebounds, his second game in a row with that many.
• Terrell Hales is primarily a defensive stopper, but one would like to see him get more involved on the offensive end. He has two points total in the last five games. He isn’t much of a shooter, but he should be able to get free on the break of come up with a putback every now and then.

Well before the ball went up for Cleveland State’s Saturday afternoon game against the Belmont Bruins at the Wolstein Center, the Vikings looked to have a newfound enthusiasm about them. Coming off a sloppy but nonetheless valuable win over Loyola (Chicago), there was a bounce in CSU’s collective step. Junior guard Myles Hamilton led the charge, talking up his teammates during warmups and in the pregame huddle. The Vikes carried that energy into the game, and a Demonte Flannigan basket with 1.8 seconds left gave CSU a 67-65 win to improve their record to 4-7.

“I have a concept I tell [the team] all the time.” CSU head coach Gary Waters said after the game, “You don’t have to lose to learn. A lot of people come with the concept — ‘we lost so we can learn from it’ — but I’m not a believer in that. I think you can still win and still learn. Today was one of those games.”

After leading for nearly 36 minutes of game time, the Vikings trailed the Bruins (now 7-6) with 49 seconds to play. Two free throws from forward Mack Mercer put Belmont ahead, 65-63. Cleveland State threw the ball inside to Demonte Flannigan on the ensuing possession, and a strong right hook tied the game with 35.8 seconds left. Belmont responded in kind, finding Mercer on the left block. With the shot clock ticking down he turned baseline and put up a left hook over Flannigan — airball. Cleveland State corralled the rebound and called timeout with 4.3 seconds left.

Terrell Hales inbounded from the frontcourt sideline to Andre Yates, who quickly entered the ball to Flannigan on the left block. The 6-7 junior dribbled middle, drop stepped baseline, and put a left hook up and in off the window. The bucket gave CSU a 67-65 advantage with just 1.8 remaining. Belmont called timeout in hopes of drawing up a last-second miracle, but their full-court touchdown pass went begging. The buzzer sounded, and the Vikings held on for their second win in as many games.

“That’s what we drew up in the huddle and on my mind was just finishing strong, getting the bucket,” said Flannigan of the deciding play. “I just wanted to win. You’ve seen how our record is. We need to start winning and get that to where it’s supposed to be.”

“I just wanted to win. You’ve seen how our record is”
– Demonte Flannigan

Cleveland State led almost all the way, but the win didn’t come easy. Belmont took its first lead of the game when two Mercer free throws capped a furious 19-4 run that spanned eight-plus minutes. Mercer alone scored nine points during the run, and eight of Belmont’s points came from the charity stripe. Cleveland State committed its tenth team foul midway through the second half, which emboldened the Bruins to go inside, attack the hoop, and crash the boards. Of Belmont’s 34 second-half points, 18 came in the paint and 13 more came from the free throw line. An Amanze Egekeze three to tie the game at 61 with 3:31 left represented Belmont’s only output from outside the lane.

Cleveland State was able to stop the bleeding and fight back, thanks in part to the teamwide gusto. “We’re a close team. We feed off each other,” Flannigan said. “When we see our brothers on the bench yelling and screaming for us, that gives us energy. If we’re tired or something, it takes away all of that. We’re just ready to play for each other.”

The battle between Flannigan and Mercer inside came to define the game. Flannigan finished with 16 points (8-of-14 shooting), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks, while Mercer totaled 20 points (7-of-18 shooting) and 10 rebounds. The 6-9 Mercer exploited his height advantage over Flannigan, and Belmont did well to hit him with lobs over the top when he was fronted in the post. Mercer scored 15 of his 20 points (and grabbed 8 of his 10 rebounds) in the second half, making five shots and five free throws. After playing just eight minutes in the first half, he played 14 in the second. Overall, the Bruins grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and scored 18 second-chance points.

“The issue that we gotta resolve is post defense,” Waters said. “People are going right at us. They’re licking their lips, and we can’t let that happen.” Belmont’s bigs aren’t behemoths, but they had enough size and bulk to establish good position inside.

While Flannigan struggled to contend with Mercer’s size, he came through for CSU when it counted. The Richmond Heights product scored the Vikings’ last eight points down the stretch and provided a vital go-to option when the offense bogged down. A jumper, a tip-in, and those final hook shots were enough to put Cleveland State over the top.

Flannigan provided a vital go-to option when the offense bogged down

It is important to note that Mack Mercer is not Belmont’s primary scoring option; he came into Saturday averaging just 13.2 minutes per game. Belmont coach Rick Byrd turned to Mercer in part because his top offensive players, Evan Bradds and Craig Bradshaw, struggled. Bradds, a 6-7 junior forward, came into the game averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds on a whopping 73 percent shooting. Bradshaw, a 6-3 senior, came in averaging over 16 points and shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc. Demonte Flannigan did well defending Bradds, while sophomore swingman Terrell Hales hounded Bradshaw. The B&B tandem finished with just 11 points on 2-of-11 shooting against Cleveland State.

“I thought that was the game right there,” Waters said of limiting Bradshaw and Bradds’ output.

In the first half, Cleveland State beat Belmont at its own brand of up-and-down basketball. The Bruins average 76 possessions per game, among the fastest paces in college hoops. The Vikings average 66 possessions per game, ranking them No. 337 out of 351 Division I teams. Belmont has scored 80-plus points nine times, 90-plus four times, and even topped 100 points once. Saturday’s 67 points tied CSU’s season high.

The fast pace suited the Vikes just fine, at least for a half. They led 40-31 at the break, their first 40-point half of the season. They shot 52 percent from the field and made half of their eight three-pointers. Guards Rob Edwards and Tim Hasbargen — the former a freshman starter, the latter a walk-on sophomore — each scored 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting. Demonte Flannigan scored eight points, with Jibri Blount and Andre Yates each scoring four.

CSU head coach Gary Waters said, however, that he didn’t want to get into a track meet with the Bruins. “We had told our team going into the game that we wanted to keep it in the 60s. I told them, if we keep them in the 60s, they can’t beat us. If we get into the 70s or 80s, we’re in trouble. Until the last moments we had it in the 50s, and [Belmont was] struggling because they couldn’t get the shots they wanted.”

It was a good win. The young Vikings panicked a bit down the stretch but maintained their composure enough to come out on top.

The scene on the floor after the Wolstein Center had emptied out was much like that before tipoff. Myles Hamilton was among several Vikings shooting around and cracking jokes. Some players were still in their uniforms while others had already changed. It was as though they didn’t want to let go of that winning feeling just yet. With two straight victories under the belts, the 2015-16 Vikes have a reason to smile.

Other notes:

• Junior guard Andre Yates had another solid game, finishing with 11 points and 5 rebounds. With Rob Edwards occasionally getting into foul trouble and the other guards not quite being ready to run the show, Yates has brought stability to the backcourt.
• Tim Hasbargen has done very well with the opportunities he’s received the past couple games. He scored 10 points in nine minutes against Belmont on 4-of-5 shooting. He knocked down two three-balls and made a smart cut to the rim for a layup. Gut gemacht, Tim!
• Terrell Hales played 30 minutes, more than Waters would normally like, in large part because he defended Craig Bradshaw so well. Hales’ production doesn’t show itself on the stat sheet very often, but this was a strong game for him.
• Vinny Zollo’s rough stretch continues. He shot 1-of-10 Saturday, missing all three triples along with a few point-blank bunnies. He doesn’t look to be shooting with any confidence. He has, however, averaged 8.8 rebounds over the last four games, and he had four assists against Belmont.

Cleveland State’s next game is at the Wolstein Center, Wednesday, December 23 at 1 p.m. vs. Bowling Green.

Cleveland State opened non-conference play with a tough loss against Akron, the current MAC leader. They closed it with a blowout victory over Division II Cedarville, overcoming an early deficit and eventually coasting to a 77-37 final.

Freshman guard Rob Edwards led the Vikings with a career-high 21 points (on 8-of-10 shooting) and 9 rebounds. His former teammate at Detroit’s Cass Tech High School, sophomore guard Kenny Carpenter, scored a season-high 14 on 5-of-6 shooting and dished out 9 assists. Freshman guard Daniel Levitt added 11 points, and freshman forward Jibri Blount 10.

It wasn’t, however, a wire-to-wire cakewalk. The Yellow Jackets (5-8) won the first three minutes of their matchup with the Vikings (also 5-8), jumping out to a 13-3 lead. Three layups, two triples, and one free throw accounted for the early Cedarville scoring. Cleveland State head coach Gary Waters called timeout and gave his team a talking to — there was plenty of hollering from the CSU bench throughout the first half — and that seemed to do the trick. Cleveland State won the next 37 minutes by a cool 74-24 margin. In the end it was an easy win for a CSU team that was surely happy to have one.

“Today’s whole thing was about energy,” Waters said after the game. “If you didn’t bring energy, you were on the bench.”

Cleveland State bested Cedarville in literally every statistical category

The starters didn’t open the game with such energy, and that resulted in some early calls to the reserves. The Vikings came out as though they’d been gifted the game over Christmas weekend. They weren’t quite lazy, but perhaps scatterbrained. There was a vague sense that, by virtue of their smaller-division status, Cedarville would cede the ballgame to the hosts. The Yellow Jackets weren’t having any of that — Kenny Carpenter said that Cedarville “kinda punched [CSU] in the mouth” — and the Vikings had to fight their way back into it.

They did so through an unfamiliar means: the three-point shot. Gary Waters has long been averse to the deep ball, preferring to attack the rim or post up. On this night he seemed to make an exception, as the Vikings hoisted a whopping 30 triples, which Waters compared it to the Cavs putting up 41 threes in their Monday night win over the Suns. The tactic worked early and often. CSU sank 9-of-15 first-half threes, led by Edwards and Carpenter going 6-of-6 combined. The Vikes cooled off in the second half, finishing 12-of-30 from beyond the arc. Daniel Levitt did a terrific J.R. Smith impression, going 3-of-10.

A Carpenter three midway through the first half put the Vikes up, 20-17, and they would build on that lead in a hurry. They closed the first on a 23-9 run, hitting six threes in the process.

The knockout blow came shortly after halftime. After J.C. Faubion put in a layup for Cedarville, Cleveland State ripped off an 11-0 run in less than three minutes to go up, 54-28. Junior forward Demonte Flannigan led the charge with perhaps his best sequence of the season. He started the scoring with a strong spinning post move that ended in a short jumper. On the next possession, Andre Yates came away with a steal and fed Flannigan for a transition dunk. Then Flannigan blocked a shot on the other end, hustled downcourt, and finished a bunny off a pass from Vinny Zollo. Edwards scored five straight after the timeout to drive the point home.

It was a comprehensive win for Cleveland State. They bested Cedarville in literally every statistical category. The Vikings had more (deep breath) rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, fast break points, points in the paint, bench points, and second chance points. They shot better from every area and committed fewer turnovers. All of this comes with the asterisk that it was a Division II team, but a win is always better than a loss, regardless of punctuation.

The Vikings now turn their attention to the Horizon League. They open conference play with four of the league’s better teams, playing at 8-4 Oakland and at 6-5 Detroit before hosting 7-5 Green Bay and 9-4 Milwaukee. Their first, at Oakland, is this Saturday, January 2.

“Oooh man, that’s tough coming up,” said Gary Waters. “We’re playing the top four teams in the first four games…This is going to be a really tough stretch for us. We just gotta work at it and grow from this. The key is you got everything to gain; you don’t have a whole lot to lose here.

“If we keep pushing it, I think positive things can happen here.”

Other Notes:

• While just a freshman, Rob Edwards is taking on more of a leadership role. He said that Waters looks to him to be one of the leading scorers, and he is gradually becoming more talkative and assertive on the court. If he sticks around, he could really turn into something.
• Daniel Levitt has the green light from deep. Said Waters: “The one thing that Daniel’s gonna do is shoot threes.” He has a good stroke, and CSU will need it, as several opponents — including Cedarville — have gone to a zone defense against them.
• Freshman Jeron Rogers looks to be Cleveland State’s resident funnyman. During warmups, on the bench, and even while playing he seems to have a perma-grin and/or be laughing at something. He’s some combination of Hines Ward and a baseball player who hotfoots his teammates.
• When they tear down the Wolstein Center, the last thing to be removed will be faint echoes of Gary Waters yelling “VINNY!” at senior forward Vinny Zollo. Something about that name just lends itself to hollerin’.

The Cleveland State Vikings fell to the Green Bay Phoenix at the Wolstein Center Thursday night, 87-67. The loss is the Vikings’ third straight and fourth in a row against Division I foes. (They beat Division II Cedarville on December 29.) They now stand at 5-11 overall and 0-3 in Horizon League play.

Cleveland State jumped out to a 15-2 lead on the Phoenix (10-5) to open the game, but went into halftime trailing 41-30. They climbed within seven midway through the second half, but Green Bay kept them at arm’s length and sailed to a 20-point victory. Cleveland State has allowed at least 86 points in each of its first three conference games.

Green Bay shot the hell out of the ball. They were 30-of-58 from the field (51.7 percent), 11-of-21 on threes (52.4 percent), and 16-of-22 from the free throw line (72.7 percent). Many of those shots came on open looks, but some went in regardless of the defense. Phoenix reserve Turner Botz poured in 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting (4-5 3FG), leading scorer Carrington Love scored 16 on 5-of-11 (3-6 3FG), and do-it-all forward Jordan Fouse added 14 (3-7 FG, 2-4 3FG, 6-6 FT). There were stretches when Green Bay, especially Botz, just couldn’t miss.

Cleveland State had four players in double figures. Andre Yates scored 16 (6-13 FG), Vinny Zollo 13 (5-11 FG, 2-4 3FG), Tim Hasbargen 11 (3-5 FG, 4-6 FT), and Demonte Flannigan 10 (5-10 FG). Rob Edwards, the team’s top scorer, scored just five points as Green Bay made a point of taking the ball out of his hands; he did have seven rebounds and five assists. The Vikings shot a very solid 46.4 percent from the floor, but they committed a ghastly 23 turnovers that led to 28 Green Bay points.

In lieu of a traditional game writeup, I thought it best to sketch out some bullet points about what’s plaguing the Vikings as they sit in the basement of the Horizon League. (This is also an excuse to avoid writing more about a game that frankly wasn’t all that interesting.)

• There was a flare-up on the bench between Gary Waters and senior guard Myles Hamilton in the first half. After committing a foul (and having had a hand in two turnovers shortly before), Hamilton was taken out of the game. Some words were exchanged, and he went straight into the locker room. He rejoined the bench in the second half, but he didn’t play. After the game, Waters said, “You may not see that boy ever again. I got to sit down and think about it.”
  • UPDATE: Hamilton has since been dismissed from the team. The school released the following statement Friday afternoon: “Cleveland State head men’s basketball coach Gary Waters has announced that junior guard Myles Hamilton has been dismissed from the team effective immediately for violation of team policies. ‘We wish Myles the best and appreciate his contributions to our program,’ Waters said.”
• This is pure speculation on my part, but: I wonder if Waters and his fiery sideline demeanor are reaching this club. He is prone to little outbursts after players make mistakes, which tend to be punctuated with convulsing limbs or displeased faces. It also seems that players often have a short leash — one mistake could be enough to land them on the bench. I think a little more patience is in order, especially since it was no state secret that this would be a rebuilding year.
• Cleveland State’s defense is decidedly worrisome, especially as it is the calling card of Waters squads. They opened the season with some solid defensive efforts — they held Akron to 65 points, Rhode Island to 73, and Rider to 52 in the season’s first two weeks — but things have gotten worse since then. They allowed 86, 88, and 87 points in their first three Horizon League games. Their season points-against average stands at a decent 63.8 after Thursday, but that’s including two games against Division II opponents. If things don’t turn around, that number will go up in a hurry.
• To be fair, CSU opened conference play with three of the top teams in the Horizon League — and it won’t get any easier with 11-5 Milwaukee coming to town Saturday. That said, they knew they were getting some of the league’s best early on. If they held Maryland to 80 points, can’t they do the same against Oakland and Detroit?
• The Vikings did well crashing the offensive boards early against Green Bay. They had six offensive rebounds in the first five minutes of the game, which helped them build a 13-2 lead. The Phoenix did a better job on the defensive glass as the game went on, resulting in plenty of transition and semi-transition opportunities. Too often CSU had multiple players chasing the ball downcourt. Green Bay capitalized with a healthy diet of drive-and-kick action, and they knocked down the open shots generated therefrom. It brought to mind Zach Lowe’s recent writing about the ongoing preference for transition defense over offensive rebounding in the NBA. More selective crashes could behoove CSU.
• As Green Bay came back and built its lead, Cleveland State’s defense grew less organized. They opened the game contesting everything, especially near the basket. They communicated and they moved in concert with one another. In time, however, they simply showed less urgency when it came to stopping the ball and matching up. Their teamwide confidence seems fragile, which could dovetail with the earlier points about Waters.
• With how well Green Bay shot Thursday, it may not have mattered what CSU did on D. The Phoenix hit everything. Carrington Love banking in a second-half three from the left wing with a hand in his face was a microcosm of the evening.
• Freshman Rob Edwards is a real player. He’s quick, he’s strong, and he can handle the ball. He gets beautiful rotation on his jumper, and he’s knocking down 44 percent of his threes. He can do a little bit of everything, including create his own shot. The issue is that he is one of the few Vikings who can do so consistently. (Andre Yates is another.) Smart opponents will get the ball out of his hands, as Green Bay did, and that’s when CSU’s offense can grow stagnant.
• Terrell Hales still does great work on the defensive end. The sophomore is a rangy 6-foot-4, he’s quick, he has good hands, good feet, and he does a nice job of dodging screens. His value really shows against teams with dangerous backcourt scorers. That said, he just doesn’t bring much to the table on offense. He’s a starter, but he’s averaging 1.6 points per game and has a team-low 7.3 usage rating, per Sports Reference. He doesn’t have a reliable jumper, so he needs to find other ways to get involved on offense. Studying Dwayne Wade’s off-ball cuts would be a good start.

2015-16 was never going to be a championship season for Cleveland State. It has to be hard for them to watch Trey Lewis, Bryn Forbes, and Anton Grady, who all transferred away from CSU, play at Louisville, Michigan State, and Wichita State, respectively. The trouble is that they’re trending downward in the heart of conference play. A four-game stretch from January 14-24 against Wright State, Northern Kentucky, Illinois-Chicago, and Youngstown State offers a good shot at least a couple wins. But the Horizon League has some good clubs this year. If Cleveland State doesn’t show some progress, they could be looking at more than a few double-digit losses in the weeks to come.

The Cleveland State Vikings made a nine-foot climb out of a 10-foot pit, as their frantic second-half comeback fell short against the Milwaukee Panthers Saturday afternoon at the Wolstein Center. The 65-62 loss is Cleveland State’s fourth in a row, all in Horizon League play. The defeat dropped CSU to 5-12 on the season (0-4 Horizon League), while Milwaukee improved to 12-5 (3-1 HL).

The Vikings had a chance in the closing seconds. After Milwaukee’s JayQuan McCloud missed the front end of a 1-and-1, Cleveland State advanced the ball to the frontcourt and called timeout with with 8.0 seconds remaining. Trailing 65-62, CSU inbounded on the sideline in front of their own bench. The entry pass went to Andre Yates, who drove from the left wing. As he pivoted and looked to kick it outside, the ball was slapped out of his hands. Milwaukee recovered, time expired, and the Vikings dropped their second home game in three days.

[Related: Bullet points on the struggling CSU Vikings]

CSU head coach Gary Waters said the final out-of-bounds play was designed to get freshman guard Rob Edwards coming off a double screen. Milwaukee switched on the pick, and Yates lost the ball before he was able to find another option.

“Andre was supposed to drive down to the baseline, with two guys screening for Rob [Edwards] coming off,” Waters said. “[Milwaukee] switched it, which was okay. We had set Tim [Hasbargen] in the corner and we had set Vinny [Zollo] up top.”

Cleveland State turned up the pressure in the game’s last minute. Leading 63-60 with 32.3 seconds left, the Panthers were forced to call two timeouts in a row in their own backcourt. The first came when Jordan Johnson was trapped in the corner. The second came immediately after to avoid a five-second call on the ensuing inbounds pass. They finally got the ball across halfcourt, but promptly turned it over when CSU’s Terrell Hales deflected a pass. As Hales corralled the ball near the sideline and looked to go ahead in transition, his foot (apparently) went juuuust out of bounds, giving the ball back to Milwaukee.

Just making a ballgame out of it represented progress for a team that had given up 86-plus points in three straight contests

Those two plays — Yates losing the ball and Hales stepping on the line — were two that the Cleveland State couldn’t afford. Still, just making a ballgame out of it represented progress for a team that had given up 86-plus points in three straight contests.

“I thought our guys came out and competed today,” Waters said. “We easily could have folded with how well [Milwaukee] shot it.”

The Vikings trailed Milwaukee at halftime, 39-27, and trailed by as many as 18 points. The Panthers shot 56 percent in the first half, including 9-of-15 three-pointers. Cleveland State’s defense was out of sorts, and the visitors gladly reaped the benefits. Too many possessions were marked by Vikings wearing the expressions of lost travelers. Milwaukee was able to break their press with ease, and then to turn simple pick-and-roll actions into wide-open threes. When CSU was matched up properly, they made a bad habit of reaching, leaping, and lurching, taking themselves out of position in the process.

“That team was en route to about 90 [points] in the beginning,” said Waters.

Milwaukee’s starting forwards, J.J. Panoske and Matt Tiby, stepped behind the line to hit 5-of-11 threes. Forward Demonte Flannigan said that they presented a different challenge than do traditional, paint-residing frontcourts.

“They have bigs that can shoot,” Flannigan said. “We trap a lot, so it gives them a chance to shoot the ball if we’re blitzing [on-ball screens] and our man is trying to get back off the screen. That was a bit difficult.”

Cleveland State cleaned up the defense in the latter part of the second half. They did a better job of running Milwaukee off the three-point line and then rotating to prevent wide-open shots. It still wasn’t a lockdown effort — the Panthers shot 53 percent in the second half — but it was a significant improvement over the first 20 minutes. Milwaukee made 3-of-10 from downtown after halftime. Slowing down their long-range attack was an integral part of CSU’s comeback; they finished the game on a 27-12 run.

Forcing turnovers helped the Vikings climb back into the game as well. After committing exactly zero giveaways in the first half, Milwaukee had five in the second, which led to eight Cleveland State points. Milwaukee passed well for much of the afternoon, but was goaded into clumsier play and more mistakes as CSU focused more on taking away the deep ball. Panthers forward Matt Tiby alone committed three, including his team’s first (a traveling violation with 13:14 left in the game).

On the offensive end, Cleveland State was led by Andre Yates, Rob Edwards, and Demonte Flannigan. Yates, who turned 22 years old on Friday, scored a game-high 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Edwards, the standout freshman, scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half, including four free throws in the final minute. Flannigan had a double-double, with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

A loss is a loss is a loss, but this one suggests some degree of progress from the Vikings. After opening conference play with four defeats, the schedule now takes Cleveland State on the road. They visit Wright State next Thursday and Horizon League newcomer Northern Kentucky next Saturday.

Other notes…

• Andre Yates landed awkwardly on his right ankle after converting a layup midway through the second half. He stayed in the game but was clearly favoring it. It sounds as though he just rolled it and won’t miss any time.
• Gary Waters said that freshman guard Daniel Levitt is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a right knee injury suffered in CSU’s loss at Oakland on January 2. Levitt averaged 4.5 points in 14 games and looked to be developing into a dangerous shooter.
• Gary Waters did not have any further comment on Myles Hamilton’s dismissal from the team. He said it was simply a “team rules issue and it just didn’t work out.”
• Highlights of the game are available on CSU’s website.

While 2016 is now upon us, many of you are still mistakenly writing “2015” on your checks. I can’t speak to why you’re still using checks in 2016, but I feel the new year is a ripe opportunity to reflect on the important Cleveland sports anniversaries and milestones that 2016 will bring. Let us walk down memory lane and stare in disbelief at the calendar unsure how 20 (or more) years have passed already.

2011 (5 years): March 29 – Cavaliers defeat LeBron’s Miami Heat. Knowing what we know now, it’s easy to have mixed feelings about this game. In the moment, however, beating the Heat and traitorous LeBron James felt like something Cleveland deserved. The Cavs had already endured a 26-game losing streak that season and it was clear that recovering from James’ departure would take a while. Cleveland led the late March contest wire-to-wire as Cavaliers dropped power dunks and rained threes. Play-by-play man Fred McLeod absolutely nailed the final statement as the clock expired. “There is no heat in Cleveland in the month of March; we like it that way!”

2006 (10 years): May 5 – Damon Jones’ Game 6. In their first playoff appearance in eight years, the Cavaliers drew their longtime rival Washington Wizards in the first round. Up three games to two, Cleveland had a chance to take the series in a road Game 6. Late in overtime, head coach Mike Brown inserted an ice cold Damon Jones into the game for the Cavs’ final possession. Improbably, the ball found its way to Jones in the corner. The self-proclaimed greatest shooter in the world calmly knocked down the three to give Cleveland a 114-113 victory. Giddy off Jones’ bucket, it’s easy to forget that Caron Butler managed to position himself for a makeable three-point attempt at the win. Happily it bounced off, and the Wine and Gold earned their first playoff series win in 13 years.

2001 (15 years): August 5 – The Impossible Return. Let’s call this like it is; the Indians had no business winning this game. The Seattle Mariners led 14-2 at the seventh inning stretch and in that moment had a 100-percent win expectancy, per Baseball Reference. The comeback started so slowly it was hard to recognize it as a comeback. Three runs in the seventh seemed nice, four more in the eighth was a slight saving of face, but down five in the bottom of the ninth is hardly the stuff dreams are made of. Remember when Russell Branyan whiffed for the second out? All Cleveland had going for it was Eddie Taubensee on first from a leadoff single. When Omar Vizquel cleared the bases with his two-out triple a few batters later, I could hardly believe the fight the team was showing. ESPN no doubt counted their lucky stars that the Sunday Night Game of the Week flipped from snoozer to can’t miss. Lastly, props eternal to Jolbert Cabrera for being the answer to the trivia question “Who knocked the game-winning hit in the 11th inning?”

1996 (20 years): October 4, Indians win ALDS Game 3. A year after winning the American League pennant, most baseball insiders expected Cleveland to not only return to the Fall Classic but also claim the Commissioner’s Trophy. The Tribe won 99 games and the AL Central, but fell to the Baltimore Orioles in four games in the ALDS. Cleveland’s lone playoff win of the season featured a powerful seventh inning grand slam from Albert Belle. Cleveland did not know it at the time, but that would be the last hit Belle would record playing for the Indians.

1991 (25 years): October 4. A scrawny 21-year-old left-handed hitter gets a hold of one in Yankee Stadium. He trots the same bases that Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle wore down while enjoying his first round tripper of his major league career. While the young man would only connect on one tater that season, he would add another 611 dingers before hanging it up. But on that night, Jim Thome was just a young third baseman trying to make it in the bigs. The Indians won the game, 3-2.

1986 (30 years): Cleveland State Vikings reach Sweet 16. In their 55th year of basketball, the Cleveland State Vikings qualified for their first NCAA tournament by merit of their AMCU-8 Tournament Championship. The Vikings received a No. 14 seed and shocked the basketball world by upsetting the No. 3 seed, Bob Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers. CSU kept on rolling through St. Joseph’s to reach the Sweet 16. Cleveland State gave Navy all they could handle, but eventually fell to David Robinson’s team, 71-70. Regardless of the finish, the Vikings energized the area, and made them notice CSU basketball.

1981 (35 years): January 4 – Red Right 88. You guys want to talk about this one? Me neither. Next!

1981 (35 years): August 9 – Cleveland hosts the MLB All-Star Game. Delayed by the 1981 players’ strike, the Midsummer Classic kicked off the second half of the baseball season. Fifteen future Hall of Famers suited up during the contest, which the National League won, 5-4. Tribe catcher Bo Diaz struck out in his only plate appearance; pitcher Len Barker, he of the perfect game in the same year, pitched two perfect innings.

1976 (40 years): April 29 – The Miracle of Richfield. The Cavaliers qualify for their first postseason appearance in 1976 and draw the Washington Bullets. A tight, back-and-forth series comes down to Game 7 at The Coliseum in Richfield.

So much awesome in a single clip. Dick Snyder’s running layup, Washington somehow managing to get off a decent tying look in the dying seconds, fans rushing the floor as if it were a college game. While a series winning shot is great, the “Miracle” label seems a bit odd when you consider it was an Eastern Conference Semifinal. Still, the Cavs made playoff noise for the first time, and put Cleveland basketball on the map.

1976 (40 years): Professional hockey arrives in the Forest City. While Cleveland enjoyed a number of minor league hockey teams throughout the years, in 1976 the National Hockey League bestowed a team upon Cleveland – The Barons. Honoring the original Barons, the NHL iteration played at Richfield Coliseum and failed to develop a large following in Ohio, leaving after only two seasons. While the Barons failed to catch on long term, they remain the only NHL team to have called northeast Ohio home.

1971 (45 years): The Cavaliers wrap up their first season in the NBA with a dismal 15-67 record. More importantly, Dick Fraser and Larry Morrow write one of the sexiest songs in the history of professional sports. “Come on Cavs” should play before, during, and after every Cavaliers home game until the sun envelops the earth. Somewhere between the vintage seventies rattle and the female vocalists responding to the verses lies an exquisite musical experience. The best part may be the promise of how “The Cavs will make it happen and rally two by two.” The songwriters could sense the Cavs would trail on the scoreboard, and more importantly offer an important snapshot from a time when the three-point shot did not yet exist.

1966 (50 years): August 14, The Beatles play Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Over 20,000 fans turned out to watch the Fab Four play on the lakefront. The Indians, on the other hand, would draw a similar or larger size crowd only 10 times all season. We also remember that year as the summer Sam McDowell learned to spontaneously immolate fastballs.

1964: Bonus! 52 year anniversary of Cleveland’s last professional sports championship.

As the poet said, “Life moves pretty fast sometimes. If you don’t stop and take a look around, you might miss it.” Over time, seasons merge together and memories of drizzly April baseball or awful December football fade away. As for the good memories? Those remain evergreen — if we let them. Sometimes it helps to take stock of the passing years, not only as a testament to the globe spinning, but also in the context of how we have changed. Reflection is a cornerstone of growth. So as you go through 2016 remember the good times from years past and look forward to the promise of good times to come.

Early in the first half at the Athletics-Recreation Center (or ARC) in Valparaiso, Indiana Thursday night, Cleveland State sophomore Kenny Carpenter came away with a steal. He finished with a layup at the other end, giving the Vikings a two-point lead over the heavily favored, Horizon League-leading Valparaiso Crusaders. As the ball came through the net, you could almost hear Bill Pullman’s President Whitmore hollering, WE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT.

Problem was, that two-point lead was the only one Cleveland State had all night. It was just a 2-0 advantage, and it disappeared within about 40 seconds. Valparaiso scored the next eight points and went into halftime ahead, 36-23. The Vikings hung around early thanks to turnovers and poor free throw shooting on Valpo’s part, but it wouldn’t last. The discrepancies in size, strength, and shooting proved too much over the full 40 minutes. The Crusaders kept extending their lead and eventually won, 77-52.

The win improved their record to 18-4 on the season (8-1 Horizon League; look for them in the top 25 soon) while the Vikings fell to 7-15 (2-7 HL). Cleveland State was without junior guard Andre Yates due to a foot injury.1 Sophomore Kenny Carpenter started in his place, while senior forward Vinny Zollo was replaced in the starting lineup by freshman Jibri Blount.

In matters of both size and skill, Valparaiso was simply superior

In matters of both size and skill, Valparaiso was simply superior. The Crusaders battered the Vikings on the boards, winning the rebounding battle, 41-22. When Valpo did miss, they were as likely to get the rebound as Cleveland State — 16 offensive rebounds for the hosts and 17 defensive rebounds for the visitors. Valpo bested CSU in second-chance points by a 20-3 margin. 6-foot-10 center Vashil Fernandez bossed the paint, finishing with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, and plenty more altered shots. Four Valparaiso players finished with at least five rebounds; no Viking had more than three.

When it came to scoring, Horizon League Player of the Year contender Alec Peters led the charge. The 6-9 junior scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-8 threes. He has scored in double figures in 21 of 22 games this season. Starting forward David Skara added 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, with reserve guard Shane Hammink scoring another 10 on 4-of-6.

Valparaiso shot 50 percent from the field and a sizzling 46 percent (11-of-24) from beyond the arc. They assisted on 19 of their 29 field goals, a season high, including no fewer than three alley-oops. Cleveland State tried different defensive looks — man, press, zone — but none was able to slow down the Crusaders. Thirteen different Valpo players got on the court, and twelve of them scored at least one point.

As for Cleveland State, their offensive woes continued. They shot 41 percent from the field (18-of-44) and just 57 percent from the free throw line (13-of-23). They attempted 10 three-pointers and made three. Valparaiso’s size made post play impractical — CSU’s biggest starters were Demonte Flannigan and Jibri Blount at 6-7; Valpo started three guys bigger than 6-8. Without any pure shooting threat, the Vikings were left without many options. Freshman guard and leading scorer Rob Edwards did his best to penetrate and force the defense to collapse, but the Crusaders paid him plenty of attention and generally made life miserable.

Edwards led Cleveland State with 13 points (4-of-8 FG, 4-of-7 FT), but he also committed five turnovers. Carpenter and Flannigan scored 10 each on a combined 9-of-19 shooting. No other Viking scored more than five. They ran a bunch of different actions — weaves and pick-and-rolls and dribble handoffs and such — but there was no threat credible enough to truly put Valpo on its heels. CSU was often forced into contested jumpers or tough fadeaways, and that ain’t no way to make a living on offense.

Lurking in the background throughout was the idea of what could have been. A year ago these teams met in the Horizon League semifinal, with Valparaiso winning a hard-fought if not beautiful game, 60-55. From there, Cleveland State’s roster was gutted by transfers and graduation while Valpo’s largely remained in place. Whereas all of the Crusaders’ Thursday night starters saw significant playing time in 2014-15, Cleveland State started two true freshmen and two sophomores who averaged 17 minutes per game combined last season.

Had all of the pieces come back for both teams, they could well be battling for Horizon League supremacy. Instead, Valparaiso sits in the penthouse while Cleveland State looks up from near the basement. What a difference a year makes.

1. Ed’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to Yates as a senior. WFNY regrets the error.

Cleveland State led Horizon League doormat Illinois-Chicago by as many as 12 points Saturday afternoon, but the Flames fought back to defeat the foul-troubled Vikings in overtime. The 72-70 win snaps UIC’s 10-game losing streak and puts the Flames in the win column for the first time in conference play. The loss drops Cleveland State to 7-16 on the year (2-8 Horizon League) and arguably marks a low point in what was expected to be a difficult season.

The broad strokes go like this. UIC came out strong, attacking the rim and building a 15-9 lead in the early going. Cleveland State took control, with Kenny Carpenter leading the Vikes to a 37-29 halftime advantage. The game was close for much of the second half, though foul trouble became significant issue. CSU starters Rob Edwards and Demonte Flannigan sat much of the half with four fouls, while Vinny Zollo’s night ended when he picked up a technical on the heels of his fourth infraction.

The Vikings bench largely held its own, but UIC stayed just close enough. A Jibri Blount layup put Cleveland State ahead, 64-57, with two minutes to play. From there, the Flames attacked the rim, got to the charity stripe, and converted when it counted. Jake Wiegand, Najeal Young, and Dikembe Dixson combined to go 5-of-6 from the line, cutting CSU’s lead to 64-62 with a minute to play.

Dixson tied the game with 31 seconds to go, getting a tough leaner to go from the right block. From there, one would think that Cleveland State would hold the ball for the last shot, or, as the shot clock is only 30 seconds nowadays, something close to it. Instead, Kenny Carpenter — who, it should be said, had a career day — put up an ill-advised, off-balance runner with some 14 seconds to go. The Vikings got the ball back after it was knocked out of bounds, but they were unable to put up a shot as Rob Edwards lost the ball. Overtime.

Cleveland State scored on their first three overtime possessions — and none after that. Jake Wiegand tied the game at 70 with a strong move in the post. Then, with just two seconds left on the clock, Najeal Young put the Flames ahead for good. He took a pass on the right wing, pulled up after one dribble, and buried a lefty jumper. Cleveland State couldn’t conjure any last-second magic. Flames win, Vikings lose.

Yikes.

A quick look at some relevant statistics:

54 — The two sides combined for 54 fouls, 34 of which were on Cleveland State. It was ugly. Either team could have gone ahead comfortably if either was able to convert from the foul line. Cleveland State shot 14-of-22 (64 percent) from the stripe, while Illinois-Chicago was a cover-your-eyes bad 26-of-48 (54 percent). The Flames made a concerted effort to get to the hoop in the second half, and CSU hacked them to the tune of 30 second-half free throw attempts.

To that end, foul trouble forced Gary Waters to go to his bench quite a bit. Starters Rob Edwards, Demonte Flannigan, and Terrell Hales had four fouls apiece early in the second half.

24 — To that end, sophomore Kenny Carpenter picked up a bunch of slack for the Vikings. The 6-4 guard from Detroit finished with a career-high 24 points on 10-of-21 shooting, along with 7 rebounds and 3 steals. He put up 16 points in the first half, scoring from beyond the arc, at the rim, and everywhere in between. He couldn’t keep it going all game, however, and Cleveland State’s offense bogged down as a result.

15, 6, 4 — Freshman Jibri Blount has taken a starting spot from senior Vinny Zollo, and he put up his best stat line of the season Saturday. The 6-7 forward totaled 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in 31 minutes, getting to the free throw line 8 times. He has been forced into big man duty for Cleveland State this year, but looks best suited as a sort of playmaking 4 type.

That’s about all the analysis this game warrants. Cleveland State is now 2-8 in conference play, and there are some tough games left on the Horizon League schedule (home vs. Detroit, Oakland, and Valparaiso; at Milwaukee and Green Bay). This one will likely sting for a while. It should.

A rough year just gets rougher for the Cleveland State Vikings. Despite a career-high 25-point, 10-rebound, 3-block effort from junior forward Demonte Flannigan, CSU dropped its fourth straight game Thursday night at the Wolstein Center. The loss brings Cleveland State’s record to 7-17 (2-9 in Horizon League play), while the visiting Detroit Titans improved to 11-11 (5-6 HL). Junior Chris Jenkins paced Detroit with 20 points, knocking down 6-of-8 threes.

Jenkins’ hot shooting spearheaded Detroit’s 10-for-21 performance from beyond the arc. The Titans’ ability to knock down so many threes shone a brighter light on Cleveland State’s inability to do the same. The Vikings went 3-for-20 from outside, with Rob Edwards, Kenny Carpenter, and Andre Yates combining to go 0-for-12. Detroit spent much of the game in a lane-clogging zone defense.

“It comes down to if we can hit shots — and that’s what we can’t do,” Vikings head coach Gary Waters said after the game. “Until we do a better job of that, it’s going to be hard to stay in games. Some days you hit shots, some days you don’t. Our last game [against Illinois-Chicago] we hit shots, we should have won that game. This game, we couldn’t hit shots, so we’ll never have a chance to win those kind of games.”

“They knew they couldn’t guard us inside, so they went back and stayed in a zone and dared us to shoot.”
– Gary Waters

After a gruesome start that saw more fouls and turnovers than points in the first six minutes, Cleveland State made it a mission to attack the rim. Their efforts paid off, as they cut an eight-point deficit to two by halftime. Demonte Flannigan led the way in the first half, totaling 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks on 9-of-12 shooting. Flannigan’s career has been marked by some inconsistency, but he came into this game with an aggressive attitude.

“[Flannigan] came into my office and we talked yesterday, and before the game, and he said, ‘I’m gonna be a dog today, Coach. I’m going after them.’ And he showed it.”

He was true to his word. Detroit doesn’t have a true big man, and Flannigan was able to impose his will in the paint. The Vikings also fared well when their guards were able to penetrate — junior Andre Yates1 and walk-on freshman Nelson Maxwell combined for six first-half assists. Unfortunately for CSU, Detroit adjusted accordingly, mucking up the middle with a 2-3 zone for most of the second half. Waters said that Detroit’s preferred zone is usually a 3-2, but they went with a 2-3 to put more bodies around the rim.

“They knew they couldn’t guard us inside,” Waters said, “So they went back and stayed in a zone and dared us to shoot.”

The strategy paid off. Without room to operate on the interior, Flannigan had just six points and four rebounds after halftime, and CSU’s guards couldn’t make them pay from downtown. Cleveland State tied the game at 36 early in the second half, but from there the Titans went on a 15-2 run that all but ended the game. Detroit grew more confident in its zone as the game went on — they talked more, rotated faster, and recovered quicker. Cleveland State got some good looks when they were able to get the ball into the middle or in the short corner along the baseline, but those opportunities were hard to come by.

The discrepancy in the two halves was not lost on Waters.

“This team was beatable today in here,” he said. “We just couldn’t hit any shots. They play man-to-man the first half and we shoot 47 percent. They play zone all the second half and we shoot 37 percent. That’s the difference of the game.”

Flannigan said, “We have to work harder going against a 2-3 — or any kind of zone.” The Vikings’ options are just so limited without a consistent perimeter threat. Freshman Daniel Levitt showed promise from the outside, but he could miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. Rob Edwards is a 40 percent three-point shooter, but he can run hot and cold. The song remains the same, and the jukebox is unlikely to change until next season.

Some other notes on Thursday night’s game…

• Flannigan’s 25 points and 36 minutes played were both career highs. It was his fourth straight game scoring in double figures — he is shooting 63 percent during that stretch. He was terrific on the defensive end as well, blocking three shots, coming away with a steal, and taking two charges. He can be a real asset inside when he gets it going. Assuming he sticks around for his senior season, he will be a solid building block for next year’s offense.
• After riding the bench for the first six weeks or so of the season, walk-on freshman Nelson Maxwell has earned a good bit of playing time. He played 21 minutes against Detroit, contributing five assists, two steals, and two rebounds to the cause. He’s small at 6 feet and 170 pounds, but he has a nice, steady pace to his play. Waters said that Maxwell is getting more run because he may be the truest point guard on the roster. “What it is is, we don’t have a point guard,” Waters said. “So what we do is, we gotta put him in there — a walk-on — so he can run our offense.”
• The implication of the above quote is that freshman Rob Edwards is more of a two-guard than a point guard. Edwards remains Cleveland State’s leading scorer and most dangerous overall player, but he can be a bit of a ball-stopper from time to time. Only twice this season has he picked up more than three assists. He has been in a funk over the past four games — 11.5 points per game on 33 percent shooting. Small wonder that CSU has lost them all.
• Saturday’s game with Oakland will be interesting for a few reasons.
  • One, Norris Cole is getting his No. 30 jersey retired.
  • Two, Oakland can score the hell out of the ball. They hung 86 on Cleveland State when they played in Michigan, and they average better than that. They scored 107 against Youngstown State Thursday night.
  • Three, Kahlil “Kay” Felder has been one of the best players in college hoops this year, full stop. The 5-9 junior is averaging 25.6 points, 8.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. No less an authority than Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony said, “Felder has shown NBA scouts that he is a prospect that needs to be taken very seriously.” The kid is no joke.
• The Wolstein Center remains a heckler’s paradise. Cleveland State seems to have a couple questionable calls go against them every game, and the fans capitalize on any pause in the action by letting the refs know about it. It’s the little things that make this gig enjoyable.

1. This was Yates’ first game since January 24. He sat out the previous two with an ankle injury, and he wasn’t 100 percent against Detroit.

Norris Cole, one of the most decorated players in Cleveland State history, had his No. 30 jersey retired at the Wolstein Center Saturday afternoon before the Vikings took on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. A number of Cole’s New Orleans Pelicans teammates were on hand to support him, as was his former Miami Heat teammate, LeBron James.

Cole’s number was the third retired by the CSU men’s basketball program, joining Franklin Edwards (No. 14, 1977-81) and Ken “Mouse” McFadden (No. 10, 1985-1989). Head coach Gary Waters and school president Ronald Berkman led Saturday’s festivities.

“Norris, who is known for his work ethic and his ability to lead a team, is truly deserving of this honor,” Waters said. “It’s not often that a number is retired, but this is a well-deserved honor and achievement for one of the most well-rounded players I have ever coached.”

“I was able to grow academically, physically, and on the court,” Cole said of his time at Cleveland State. “I was able to grow as a man. I think it’s pretty cool to see my name and number go up.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone who showed up today. Thank you for supporting us student athletes. Thank you for supporting Kailey1, thank you for supporting me.

“Everywhere I go, I’m going to make sure I represent [Cleveland State] right.”

CSUVikings.com

The Vikings lost the game, 67-57, but they put forth one of their better efforts of the season. Holding Oakland to 67 points is no small feat; the Golden Grizzlies came into the game averaging 87 points per game. Vikings forward Demonte Flannigan said that the team wanted to play hard not just to snap an ongoing losing streak, but to pay respect to one of CSU’s all-time greats.

Cole was the guest of honor, but plenty of attention was paid, as one might expect, to LeBron James. James and Cole were teammates in Miami from 2011 to 2014; Cole wore one of his Heat championship rings Saturday. Both are clients of agent Rich Paul and James’ LRMR Management. Gary Waters said that the school had extended an invitation to James through Paul, but they didn’t know in advance that he would be attending.

“We didn’t know,” said Waters. “We had [an offer] out for him to come to support Norris. I had talked to his agent because Norris’ and his agent are the same — Rich Paul. We had talked to [Paul] and he said he didn’t know if LeBron was going to make it; you know he’s got his daily ritual. I was hoping that he’d come for Norris, to support Norris. They’re friends and played together.”

Waters, who briefly spoke to James before the pregame ceremony, suspected that LeBron was trying to keep his presence as low-key as possible. James sat near the scorer’s table during the retirement ceremony, then moved to a courtside seat on the opposite side — joined by Rich Paul and some handlers — for the first half of CSU-Oakland.

“I don’t think he wanted anyone to acknowledge that he was there,” Waters said. “He didn’t want to take that [attention] from Norris; he wanted today to be all about Norris.”

Cole was in Cleveland because the New Orleans Pelicans play the Cavaliers Saturday night at Quicken Loans Arena. He and James both left before the conclusion of the CSU game to prepare for their own.

Norris Cole played at Cleveland State from 2007 to 2011. He led the Vikings to three postseason appearances, including an upset over Wake Forest in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. He finished his career among the all-time Cleveland State leaders in several categories. He is Cleveland State’s all-time leader in games and minutes played; third in scoring (1,978 points), free throws made (485), and free throw percentage (.826); fourth in assists (455); and seventh in steals (207). He set single-season records for points (780), free throws made (227) and free throws attempted (266) in his senior year.

Cole was an All-Horizon League selection as a junior and senior. As a senior, he led the Vikings to 27 wins, a regular season conference championship, and an NIT berth. He became the first player in conference history to win Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. He led the Horizon League in scoring (21.7), steals (2.2) and free throw percentage (.853), and was a finalist for the Bob Cousy award, presented to the best point guard in the country. Connecticut’s Kemba Walker, now of the Charlotte Hornets, won the Cousy award.

“All rookies who come in to the NBA come in with skills,” said President Berkman, recounting something Dwyane Wade reportedly once said of Cole. “They’re all talented. What makes them successful is not their talent but their character. What makes them successful is their willingness to understand that life and basketball are continuing learning exercises.

“Norris Cole epitomizes that.”

1. Kailey Klein, the all-time points leader in CSU women’s basketball history, had her No. 23 retired at halftime.

“Who won?” asked the friendly security guard at the Quicken Loans Arena parking garage.
“Valparaiso,” I answered. “Cleveland State scored 43 points. Season low.”
“Oooh,” he replied. “That’s not good.”

And that, sports fans, about sums it up. You don’t need to be an expert on Cleveland State, the Horizon League, or even basketball to understand that Tuesday night’s result was not a good one for the Vikings. The loss at the Q brings Cleveland State’s record to 8-19 on the season, 3-11 in Horizon League play. Last year’s team was 16-11 and 10-3, respectively, through 27 games. It is no surprise that this year’s CSU squad is worse than last year’s, what with the transfers and all, but that doesn’t make the 2015-16 campaign any easier to stomach.

The Valparaiso Crusaders entered Tuesday night’s game against Cleveland State as one of the best defensive teams in the country, full stop. In the country. Not just in the Horizon League or among mid-majors, but one of the best — arguably the best — in the whole gosh-darn nation at stopping opponents from scoring. This isn’t to say that they would shut down Villanova or Kansas or Oklahoma, but consider: Valparaiso entered the CSU game with Division I’s second-best opponent scoring average (59.5 points per game) and the top defensive rating (86.7), per Sports Reference.

Valparaiso entered Tuesday night’s game against CSU as one of the best defensive teams in the country, full stop

Their 66-43 win over an overmatched Cleveland State side will only burnish those credentials. Valpo held the Vikings to 52 points in their first matchup a few weeks back, and did even better this time around, holding CSU to its lowest scoring game of the season. Cleveland State was without forwards Vinny Zollo (suspension)1 and Jibri Blount (ankle injury). Neither is a huge scorer, but CSU could have used any help it could get. The Crusaders enjoyed a significant size advantage, and exacerbated it with sound movement, communication, and effort.

Valparaiso held CSU to 29 percent shooting, including 25 percent in the first half. At one point the Vikings missed 14 straight shots. Cleveland State committed 17 turnovers, 10 in the second half, which turned into 15 Crusader points. Valpo ran the Vikings off the three-point line, forcing them into a bunch of contested midrange jumpers off the dribble, most of which went begging. When CSU was able to get into the paint, 6-foot-10 center Vashil Fernandez was waiting for them; he had six or Valpo’s seven blocks.

CSU played fairly well on the other end, at least in the first half. They held Valpo to 29 points and 38 percent shooting before halftime, forced seven turnovers, and held their own on the boards. An undermanned and undersized Viking front line battled in the paint. Cleveland State kept the game close enough for it to be a game, at least in theory.

Alas, it is a two-half game, and the scoreline became more lopsided as time went on. Cleveland State led for exactly zero seconds of game time. After a Rob Edwards triple tied the game at 3-3 in the game’s first minute, Valpo stretched its lead like a team full of Armstrongs. They carried a 12-point lead into halftime and led by as many as 28 in the second half. They played with greater patience and better passing, swinging the ball around until they got open looks.

Alec Peters, he who came into the game averaging 16.6 points and 7.7 rebounds on .488/.442/.850 shooting, led the way for the visitors. He rarely forced the action, but gradually came to own the game. He finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds (5 offensive) in 28 minutes, shooting 6-of-10 from the floor. He’s just a good, solid basketball player. He has a nice jump shot, can put the ball on the floor a bit, and has the strength and smarts to finish in traffic. If Valpo indeed makes its way into the NCAA Tournament, his is a name you are likely to hear.

Such is life for the 2015-16 Cleveland State Vikings

On the CSU side, freshman guard Rob Edwards led the way with 11 points. Edwards has struggled as one might expect a 19-year-old to. He has notched games of 26, 24, and 21 points, games when he has looked like a hazy vision of Kyle Lowry or a similarly brawny lead guard. He has also had games of 4, 2, and 0 points, games when he has born a frightful resemblance to Dion Waiters. There’s no question that he is a talented player. The hope is that he is learning from what is surely a trying season.

Days after scoring 30 points in a victory at Youngstown State, junior forward Demonte Flannigan was held to six by Valparaiso. The Crusaders had plenty of bodies to throw at the 6-7 forward, and sent double teams any time he turned his back to the defense; Edwards has seen similar attention on occasion. Without credible deep threats to pull would-be help defenders away, CSU foes are free to tear after whomever they deem the most threatening offensive player.

Such is life for the 2015-16 Cleveland State Vikings. They have some promising players, and perhaps next year they will throw more punches than they take in the Horizon League. For now, all they can do is play hard, do their best, and hope for better. But if this season has taught any lesson, it is that talent, you know, matters.

Also, this game was played at the Q. Cleveland State has drawn a couple decent crowds at the Cavs’ arena when playing nearby teams like Ohio and Kent State, but those were on Saturday afternoons. Playing a team from a state away on a Tuesday night, I would be hard pressed to say there were more than 500 people in attendance.

To quote the aforementioned friendly security guard: Oooh. That’s not good.

1. This was Zollo’s second missed game of a three-game suspension. Cleveland State has said only that it is for a violation of team rules, without further clarification.

The Cleveland State Vikings entered Thursday night’s tilt against the Northern Kentucky Norse with an 8-21 record. It’s been a down year not just in terms of wins and losses but also for attendance and, it seems, general fan interest. The refrain of the season is that this is no surprise given the loss of last year’s top four leading scorers — Trey Lewis, Anton Grady, Charlie Lee, and Marlin Mason — to transfer and graduation. But despite the struggles and the losses, the Vikings have not packed it in.

The Vikes claimed their ninth win of the season Thursday, beating Northern Kentucky, 63-58, at the Wolstein Center. A strong defensive showing helped Cleveland State build a 31-24 halftime lead. The Norse took the lead back, opening the second half with a 13-3 run, but CSU weathered the storm, ended a three-game losing streak, and came away with their first home victory since January 18.

“I told them we had three keys to this game,” Vikings head coach Gary Waters said of his pregame address. “We had to take care of the basketball, we had to limit our fouls and we had to hold them under 60 points. And we did all three.”

The Vikings finished the job down the stretch. They had possession and a 58-57 lead with a 1:06 to go. Andre Yates let a three fly with the shot clock winding down, but it rimmed out toward the right corner. Junior forward Aaron Scales tracked down the rebound and kicked it back outside, sucking valuable time off the clock in the process. Yates capitalized on the second chance by converting a swooping lefty layup to put CSU up, 60-57, with 41 seconds to play.

“I thought Aaron’s rebound was the play of the game,” said Waters.

For the first time in over a month, a home win

Northern Kentucky looked for a quick two on the other end, going inside to freshman big man Drew McDonald. McDonald, who finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, drew a shooting foul against Vinny Zollo. McDonald made the first free throw but missed the second, and Zollo grabbed the rebound. Zollo was fouled and went to the line with a chance to turn a lead of two points into four. He did just that: Cleveland State 62, Northern Kentucky 58 with 16 seconds remaining.

Northern Kentucky tried to set up a quick triple out of a timeout, but the Vikings did well to put bodies all over the three-point arc. Tyler White’s three was off target and Terrell Hales grabbed the rebound. Kenny Carpenter was fouled in the backcourt and split a pair of free throws with a second left on the clock. The small but hearty Wolstein Center crowd rose to its feet and gave the Vikings a standing ovation as time expired. For the first time in over a month, a home win.

While this season has surely been a disappointing one, junior guard Andre Yates says the team is focusing on improving and turning good habits into second nature. The bulk of this team will be back next season. This is no one-and-done deal.

“It’s a testament to us trying to change our mentality and look at this season as something that we can build on,” Yates said of the win. “Our faith hasn’t wavered whatsoever. We play for a coach who challenges us to be better every day.”

The Vikings went into the game without junior forward Demonte Flannigan, the team’s second-leading scorer (11.3 ppg) and only real post threat. He suffered a concussion in practice and was held out as a precaution. Without him in the lineup, head coach Gary Waters knew his team would be short on scoring. He called upon senior forward Vinny Zollo, freshman guard Rob Edwards, and sophomore guard Kenny Carpenter to pick up the slack.

“In order for us to win this game, we needed a couple of guys to come outside themselves,” Waters said, using his pet phrase for exceeding expectations. “I told Vinny his goal was to [score] double what he averages. I told Rob he had to score more points for us. And I told Kenny he had to double what he averages. Everybody had to give a little bit more.”

All three were up to the challenge, particularly Edwards and Carpenter. Edwards led the Vikings with 19 points, hitting 3-of-6 threes and all six of his free throws. He scored 12 points in the second half and added 5 rebounds for the game. Carpenter started hot, scoring 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the first half. He didn’t see much time in the second half, however, as Waters felt his defense was wanting. When asked why Carpenter didn’t play more in the second half, Waters asked rhetorically, “Did you see all them shots go in on him out there?”

Zollo scored eight points, as did freshman forward Jibri Blount, while junior guard Andre Yates scored nine, including the crucial layup in the final minute. Aaron Scales provided vital rebounding and physicality inside. Sophomore wing Terrell Hales played his typically sound defense. Walk-on freshman point guard Nelson Maxwell played 17 solid minutes. Even redshirt freshman Jonothan Janssen, a 6-foot-9 string bean from Australia, saw playing time. Waters called the win “a total team effort.”

Cleveland State’s last game of the regular season — senior day — is this Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena. They will square off against the Wright State Raiders, who own a 18-12 record overall, including 12-5 in Horizon League play. The Raiders have enjoyed a nice bounce-back season, as they finished just 11-20 last year.

“They’re playing good team basketball,” Waters said of Wright State. “They got inside, they got outside, and they play good together.

“Our job is to go out each possession and just play better and better.”

The Cleveland State Vikings’ 2015-16 season concluded Saturday afternoon with a 55-51 loss to Wright State at the Wolstein Center. They finish the regular season 9-22 with a 4-14 record in conference play, good enough for ninth place in the 10-team Horizon League. Only Illinois-Chicago (5-24; 3-15) ended the year below CSU in the standings.

Cleveland State’s attention now turns to the Horizon League tournament, which begins this Saturday in Detroit. Previously, first-round games were played at the higher seed’s gym, but the entirety of this year’s tourney will be held at Joe Louis Arena. CSU plays No. 4 Green Bay in round one, with the winner facing either No. 5 Milwaukee or No. 8 Northern Kentucky. Head coach Gary Waters was fairly pleased with his team after Saturday’s game, and thinks that being a low seed could allow his Vikes to play without any pressure.

“We don’t have to be tight,” said Waters. “They don’t expect us to win it.”

“I think this team is feeling good about itself going into the tournament.”
– Gary Waters

As for the Wright State game, it was a reasonably well-contested one. Wright State went into halftime with a 28-22 lead, led by 6-foot-10 center Michael Karena. The big man scored 12 of his 18 points in the first half, including 6-of-7 from the free throw line. The Raiders pulled away midway through the second half, going on a 14-3 run to make it 49-34 with 6:06 to go. The 15-point advantage was Wright State’s largest of the game, and all of their points during the big run came at either the rim, the free throw line, or the three-point arc.

An old-fashioned three-point play from CSU freshman Rob Edwards capped a quick 6-0 mini-run to bring Cleveland State within 10 points with 5:17 to play. For the remainder of the game, however, the Vikings couldn’t make the big push they needed. They played sound defense — Wright State scored just six points over the final six minutes — but couldn’t conjure enough offense necessary to do the job. They got points here and there, mostly at the free throw line. In the end, the clock was their greatest enemy.

The Vikings trailed, 53-47, with 36 seconds remaining. They chances looked to be dashed when Kenny Carpenter’s deep three rimmed out and Wright State corralled the rebound. Wright State’s J.T. Yoho, however, missed the front end of a one-and-one. Rob Edwards got the rebound, gave it up to Carpenter, got it back, and buried a left wing three as he was fouled. He added the freebie to complete the four-point play. Wright State 53, Cleveland State 51, with 16 seconds left.

Wright State played a good bit of keepaway on the ensuing possession, and sophomore guard Mark Alstork went to the line for two shots with 6.2 remaining. Alstork, Wright State’s leading scorer and a 70 percent free thrower, had made just two of his first eight shots from the line on Saturday. He converted both in the closing seconds, however, and put the game on ice. Andre Yates’ leaning, last-ditch three was off the mark, and the Raiders grabbed the rebound as time expired.

Rob Edwards led the Vikings with a game-high 20 points, shooting 4-of-11 from the field (3-of-6 3FG) and 9-of-10 at the line. Edwards also had eight rebounds. Kenny Carpenter finished with 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Andre Yates scored 9 points. Playing in his last home game, senior forward Vinny Zollo totaled 6 points and 10 rebounds. Zollo didn’t shoot well (2-of-10), but he did good work on the boards.

Junior forward Demonte Flannigan missed his second game in a row after suffering a concussion in practice. He is expected to play in the tournament.

The Vikings finished the season losing 9 of their last 11 games. Still, Gary Waters saw something he liked in the last few contests. CSU lost to Green Bay, their first-round tournament opponent, but they were in that game. They led at halftime and hung around before a big Green Bay run ended. Then they beat Northern Kentucky, a Horizon League newcomer. They ended the year with a loss to Wright State, but it came down to the final moments — and this year’s Raiders were a pretty good squad.

“We played Green Bay really really tough,” Waters said. “We beat a team that I thought was a pretty good team in Northern Kentucky, and we had this team [Wright State] on the ropes too. I think this team is feeling good about itself going into the tournament.”

We’ll find out soon enough.

Many of you were extremely turned off the NBA team in Cleveland after Thursday night’s debacle in Miami. Things seem to hit rock bottom in Saturday’s night blowout loss to lowly Minnesota. While all this was going on, a juggernaut is going unnoticed just up Carnegie Ave.

Ladies and gentleman, there is only one 10-0 team in all of Division I college basketball right now. That would be the Cleveland State Vikings.

Head Coach Gary Waters is doing it again. Last year pre-league play, Waters admittedly over-scheduled his team who lost four Seniors that helped win the Horizon League Tournament and knocked off Wake Forest in the NCAA first round.  He loaded up with the likes of West Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas State (three elite eight teams), Ohio State, and Virginia. It backfired as the young team started very slowly.

This season, Waters loaded up with quality mid-majors – Akron (MAC) , Kent State (MAC) , St. Bonaventure (A-10), Iona (MAAC), and Louisiana-Lafayette (Sun Belt). Big boys West Virginia and South Florida are coming in the next couple of weeks, but the Horizon League season started last week with the dreaded Wisconsin two-step. The Vikings, picked to finish third by the coaches in the preseason, took both road games with relative ease to move to a perfect 10-0, 2-0 in the league.

While the Heat were abusing the Cavs, the Vikings were picking apart Green Bay the Resch Center. Norris Cole, a three-year starter and all-Horizon League performer, led all scorers with 26 points. While he struggled from the floor (5-12), his aggressive dribble drives got him to the line 16 times, where he knocked down 15. Meanwhile, the Vikings, not known for their three-point shooting, were a sizzling 10-14 from deep. Tre Harmon hit four of his five attempts. It wasn’t pretty, but the three pointers bailed them out. It was the first time in four years the Vikings have won in Green Bay.

“That was an ugly game, a real ugly game that lasted too long with too many fouls called,” Waters said. “It was really what I call an interrupted game. No flow in the game. I see 52 percent [shooting], and I can’t complain. The streak continues.”

So on to Milwaukee they went and this time, they put it all together. Four Vikings were in double figures in the 82-59 blowout road win. Jeremy Montgomery, another veteran, hit five threes on his way to 20 points. Charlie Woods’s 10 off the bench were a key as Waters crew moved to 10-0. Like they did two nights earlier in Green Bay, the Vikes were on fire from deep, hitting a whopping 14 triples in 22 attempts (63%). Defensively, they swarmed UW-Milwaukee all night and held them to 29% from the field. Waters was beaming afterwards.

“Last year, we were playing with a lot of young kids, and they didn’t understand the defensive philosophy,” he said. “We know that you win ballgames by playing defense. We said that we’re going to come into these places and make them a defensive game.”

Waters is right. This team is now a veteran group that has jelled. Guys like Aaron Pogue, Cole, Harmon, and Montgomery all were starters last year. Woods is a red-shirt sophomore. Tim Kamczyc, the fifth starter, was a key role player as well. Sixth man Josh McCoy is in his third year with the program, and Joe Latsas is a red-shirt junior. Don’t forget three-year starter D’Aundray Brown hasn’t played in a game yet. The 6’5 Senior has been out with a torn ligament in his finger.

With the Cavaliers is the tank, why not give some love to the college team in town? The Butler run to the title game shows that anything is possible. Nobody has played Butler tougher in the past three years than Cleveland State. Expect the two, along with Detroit, to battle all year for the Horizon League title. And do yourself a favor, get down to the Wolstein Center and support this team. They deserve it.

Since I first got heavily into the NCAA Basketball Tournament in March of 1985, I’ve been hooked on the college game. Whether it be Derrick Coleman at Syracuse, Jerome Lane at Pitt, or the Arkansas teams of Corliss Williamson and Scottie Thurman, I’ve always been in the tank for college basketball.

I’ve never been an pro guy, and in the past 10-12 years, the NBA has severely diluted the talent pool of the college game, which is essentially its minor league (sorry, D-League fans).

First it was the mass exodus of the prep-to-pros kids. Its obviously worked out great for guys like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. But for every KG, there was Korleone Young. For every Kobe, there was Leon Smith. For every LBJ, there was Desagana Diop (aka Lasagna Flop). The list goes on and on.

In attempts to improve both the college and pro games, the NBA adopted a 19-year old age limit to enter the draft (or your high school graduating class must be a full year out of school). That hasn’t worked either. Instead of seeing a jump from high school to the pros, its now the become the “one and done” routine. Sure, its great that we got to see Kevin Durant dominate at Texas, or John Wall run wild at Kentucky, or Michael Beasley become an All-American at Kansas State (all three were top three NBA draft picks) for one year. But it has made a mockery of the term “student-athlete.”

In reality, all a kid like Wall – who never would have gone to college if not for the “one and done” rule – has to do is stay eligible through one semester of college. As long as his grades stay afloat through December, he can finish out the season and not attend a single class the rest of the year. Its hurt the college game because stars don’t stick around longer than one year, causing a major shift in recruiting. The game has never been dirtier.

Kentucky, one of the true blue-blood programs in the game, has hired uber-sleeze John Calipari, who recruits at the absolute highest level. Its great for the one and done kids like Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, but each year, he is seemingly replacing his entire core. If I were a Kentucky fan, this would seem great, but in reality, I would only care about my team winning titles, not becoming a one-year NBA breeding ground. Calipari watched as four of his Freshman left for the NBA – Wall was the #1 pick and is now in Washington. Cousins went #5 to Sacramento, combo Guard Eric Bledsoe went to the Clippers at #18, and Daniel Orton – who had no business going pro – got drafted 29th by the Orlando Magic as a project. Wall and Cousins are NBA players right now. Bledsoe and Orton both should have stayed at Kentucky another year to develop further.

Meanwhile, kids like Orton and BJ Mullins (former Buckeye who left after one year) are languishing on the inactive list while taking the jobs of more deserving veteran players. How is this development? Imagine if the Buckeyes would have had a sophomore version of Mullins in the post last year? He is exactly what was missing from a team that was a #2 seed in the Tournament.

And speaking of the Buckeyes, their season opens with preseason rankings as high as #4 in the country, despite losing Player of the Year Evan Turner to the NBA. They return four starters – Cleveland natives  Dallas Lauderdale (Solon) and David Lighty (VA-SJ) up front, as well as guards William Buford and Jon Diebler. Throw in two McDonalds All-Americans Jared Sullinger (the #1 big man in the class of 2010) and Deshaun Thomas, and the Buckeyes are primed for another big year under Thad Matta.

In this town, we need winners to get behind, and Matta seems to produce quality teams year after year. His hiring has been nothing short of gold for the people in Columbus. He recruits with the best of them and has been consistently at the top of the Big Ten since his arrival seven years ago. Yet, nobody seems to care.

In our own city, we have a little juggernaut playing in the Wolstein Center. Cleveland State has rejuvenated its basketball program under fifth-year coach Gary Waters. Two years ago, the Vikings made their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since the Mouse McFadden-led team of 1986. The Vikes upset fourth-seeded Wake Forest with relative ease 84-69. That senior-laden team put the Vikings back on the basketball map.

The hope was that the success would capture the imagination of local college basketball fans. Unfortunately, it didn’t exactly translate. Clearly, more people are aware of the Vikings now, but it just may be that this town is not a college hoops hotbed.

CSU should again battle for the Horizon League championship this season with Butler – last year’s NCAA runner-up – and Detroit. They return all five starters from last season. Three-year starters Norris Cole and Tre Harmon are on the perimeter, along with D’Aundrey Brown and Jeremy Montgomery – two key role players from the Tournament team two years ago. Center Aaron Pogue, if he can stay out of foul trouble, could be a force in the paint.

In a down economy, taking your family to a Cleveland State game is very affordable and unlike in years past, a quality product. I for one, will be taking my three-year old son to several games this year. Its a solid Saturday afternoon winter activity.

With the Cavaliers clearly not the same and the Browns heading for another playoff-less season, why not tune into some Ohio State or Cleveland State basketball this winter? Give it a shot.