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Big Joe's 2002-2003 Conference Awards

3/02/03
by Joe Dlugosz
What a great season of Horizon League basketball. There were loads of great games, great performances, fantastic finishes and, as most Horizon League fans would attest to, horrible officiating. The regular season provided some great memories for just about every team in the league.

Butler had another impressive run and looks to have another star in the making with freshman Avery Sheets. Milwaukee won 20 games for the first time in a decade and is poised to make the NCAA tournament. UIC gets stronger every year and proved that it's not just the Banks and Bailey show, but rather a whole cast of stars. Loyola was just one of two league teams to knock off Butler and was involved in a couple of the best games of the season. Detroit had the pleasure of watching Willie Green put together a Kobe-esque scoring streak for the better part of the conference season. Let's hope the conference tournament can provide some more memories put an exclamation point on a great season.

Without further ado here is Big Joe's Horizon League Post Season Awards.

Player of the year: Clay Tucker, Milwaukee

For the first time in a long while the Player of the Year race was wide open. Most teams in the conference had a legitimate candidate or two or three. In fact, there's not even enough spots on the first team for players who are very deserving of the honor. As for Tucker, he overcame early season injuries and, as he's done all of his career, became the Panthers leader. Tucker led the Panthers in scoring, steals and assists. He was second on the club in rebounding and provided the leadership this very talented Panthers team needed to compete for the league crown. While his numbers were not as impressive as season's past Tucker is the heart and soul of a Milwaukee team that has come a long way in a very short amount of time.

Coach of the Year: Todd Lickliter, Butler

The Bulldogs lost some of the best players to ever put on a Butler uniform after last season. So what did Lickliter and the Dogs do after suffering such losses? They only came back and won the regular season title again. Lickliter has instilled a tremendous work ethic in this Bulldogs squad. It's a testament to his ability that he won the conference not only after losing so many great players, but also without any Horizon League first team performers.

Big Joe's Horizon League First Team

Clay Tucker, Milwaukee
Willie Green, Detroit
Armond Williams, UIC
Seth Doliboa, Wright State
Cedric Banks, UIC

Green was flat out amazing for most of the conference season, dumping more than 40 on two occasions and putting together a great string of 10 straight games with 20 or more points. Williams became one of the most dominant big men in the league this season for the Flames, averaging better than 16 points a contest with nearly nine rebounds. Doliboa has blossomed at Wright State. The 6'7" forward is as strong as anyone in the conference, and he has developed a very good outside shot. Banks does things in basketball games that most basketball players only dream of. The Flames wingman is one of the quickest players in the league and when he's hot a deadly scorer.

Big Joe's Horizon League Second Team

David Bailey, Loyola
Dylan Page, Milwaukee
Paul McMillan, Loyola
Joel Cornette, Butler
Brandon Miller, Butler

Bailey had a down year by David Bailey standards, but still saw himself near the top of the conference in scoring and assists in leading the Ramblers to a 9-7 conference mark. Page emerged as a star this season in the wake of injuries to several Panthers frontcourt players. When Clay Tucker was battling injury earlier this season Page became the scorer Milwaukee needed and didn't miss a beat on defense or the battle on the glass. McMillan provided a much-needed inside presence for the Ramblers and might have the best mid-range jumper among the conference's big men. It's tough to mention Butler without mentioning Brandon Miller and Joel Cornette. The duo are among the league's fiercest competitors and do whatever it takes to win ballgames.

Big Joe's Horizon League Third Team

Martell Bailey, UIC
Vernard Hollins, Wright State
Greg Babcock, Green Bay
Doug Underwood, Youngstown State
Jason Frederick, Milwaukee

Bailey is the top assist man in the country and did a great job distributing the ball for a Flames squad that has plenty of scoring options. Hollins struggled with his outside shot, but may be the best post-up guard in the conference. Babcock is an absolute rebounding machine, posting 19 rebounds twice this season and averaging a double double in conference, the only player to do so. Underwood is a solid scorer for a club that lacks any scoring punch and allows defenses to focus on Underwood. Frederick quietly averaged better than 11 points a contest while shooting 43% from beyond the three-point arc. He has a tendency, as most of the league knows, to hit that rally killing, emotion draining "I hate him" three-pointer.

Big Joe's Horizon League Dream Team

PG: Martell Bailey
SG: Brandon Miller
SF: Ced Banks
PF: Dylan Page
C: Greg Babcock

Coach: Bruce Pearl

I'd take my chances against anyone with this squad. A group of hard working and very talented basketball players.

Big Joe's Top Five Horizon League Games of the Season:

1. March 1, 2003. Butler freshman Avery Sheets hits a buzzer beating three pointer to knock off the visiting Milwaukee Panthers and give Butler the regular season title.
2. February 27, 2003. In what has become a regular occurrence when Loyola and UIC meet a buzzer beater wins the game. UIC's Aaron Carr took a beautiful pass from Ced Banks and nailed down the game winner in front of nearly 5400 fans on Loyola's senior night.
3. January 18, 2003. In state rival Green Bay stuns conference heavyweight Milwaukee. The Phoenix took it to the Panthers led by Greg Babcock's 19 points and 16 rebounds.
4. February 8, 2003. The Ramblers went the length of the court in 2.8 seconds and David Bailey lofted the game winner over Seth Doliboa. It was the beginning of a five game win streak for Loyola
5. January 27, 2003. Willie Green poured in 43 points as the visiting Titans knocked off UIC at the Pavilion. Green's performance was the top scoring effort of the season.

For the record:

On November 1, 2002 I predicted the following order of finish

1. Illinois-Chicago
2. Loyola
3. UW-Milwaukee
4. Butler
5. Detroit
6. UW-Green Bay
7. Wright State
8. Youngstown State
9. Cleveland State