Horizon League watch guide for Dec. 15-21

High-major opportunities return this week for the Horizon League, but more importantly, arguably the league’s top-four teams go head-to-head on Tuesday night. Mixed into the madness of upset opportunities and matchups of the conference’s elites are a few more quality mid-major matchups. 

Check out some of the best games for the week. Note, there are no games on Monday or Thursday this week.

And be sure to check out my recap of the past week.

Key Horizon League Matchups

Miami (Ohio) at Wright State (5-6, 1-1 Horizon League), Tuesday, Dec. 16 p.m. ET, on ESPN+

Not only does Wright State have an opportunity to knock off an in-state rival at home in the comforts of the Nutter Center, but it has the chance to hand Miami (Ohio) its first loss. The RedHawks are the final undefeated mid-major program in the country and winners of 10 straight to open the season. Freshman Michael Cooper has continued to lead Wright State in the scoring department. He had a rough Horizon League opener at Youngstown State, but responded with 23 points against Green Bay and 22 against Marshall. If the Raiders want to snap Miami’s streak, Cooper will need to have another big game. Michael Imariagbe has also been a steady frontcourt presence for Wright State, averaging 10.5 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds. He struggled against Marshall over the weekend, but should he return to form and provide resistance down low, the Raiders’ chances would greatly increase.

UC Santa Barbara at Green Bay (5-7, 1-2 Horizon League), Wednesday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m. ET, on ESPN+

Green Bay’s improvement from a season ago has been well documented on this site, and it just surpassed its win total from the entire 2024-25 season before Christmas with its first Horizon League win over IU Indy. This game, however, provides a ton of intrigue. Albeit early, the Gauchos are once again amongst the top contenders in a Big West that is shaping up to be exciting all the way through March. After leaving Saint Mary’s for UConn, Aidan Mahaney made his way back west and has again found his footing for UCSB, averaging a team-leading 14.6 points on 43.6% shooting from deep. For Green Bay, Marcus Hall has returned from his injury, but in his absence, a few different faces have taken strides as contributors. The opportunity to play a high-level mid-major in a true home game is not one Doug Gottlieb’s team should take lightly.

Youngstown State (7-4, 2-0 Horizon League) at Robert Morris (8-4, 1-1 Horizon League), Wednesday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m. ET, on ESPN+

Youngstown State had looked like the best team in the league in the initial stages of the season, but faltered. Led by Cris Carroll, the Penguins have found their balance once again and have started 2-0 in league play. This road game at the defending champions will be the first major test for Youngstown State in conference play. DeSean Goode is breaking out for the Colonials, leading the team in points at 13.4 per game and rebounds at 8.9 per game. It was Nikolaos Chitikoudis who had some big moments early for Robert Morris, but in his second season in the conference, Goode is starting to dominate. The Colonials are 1-1 in conference play, with the loss being at the buzzer at Milwaukee, but are riding the momentum of a home win over Toledo. These teams have been two of the best in the conference so far, and fans could be in for a treat on Tuesday.

Oakland (5-6, 1-0 Horizon League) at Northern Kentucky (9-3, 1-1 Horizon League), Wednesday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m. ET, on ESPN+

Oakland is still digging itself out of a hole record-wise, but has continued to look the part of a top team in the conference. Brody Robinson has played like the Player of the Year in the conference as of late, and Michael Houge’s return has bolstered an already strong frontcourt. Greg Kampe will take his team on the road to face Northern Kentucky and the dynamic backcourt of Dan Gherezgher and Donovan Oday which has anchored the strong start to the season. The Norse fell at Purdue Fort Wayne in its last conference game and will look to decipher the Golden Grizzlies’ zone en route to a big conference win. Regardless of the brutal schedule Oakland has faced, it now has an opportunity to play a high-level Horizon League foe early to see where it stands amongst the league, which is what really matters. This game marks the second can’t-miss Horizon League tilt on Wednesday.

South Dakota State at Milwaukee (4-6, 1-0 Horizon League), Friday, Dec. 19, 5 p.m. ET on B1G+

As part of the Milwaukee Hoops Showdown at Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee has an opportunity to get right against South Dakota State, which is still regrouping following Eric Henderson’s departure. The Jackrabbits, despite losing their head coach, sit at 7-5 entering the week and don’t really have a bad loss to the point. The Panthers–despite being the preseason favorite to win the conference–haven’t fully clicked yet, but perhaps a change of scenery without having to travel is what Bart Lundy’s team needs. While Horizon League play is obviously what matters, this is the kind of game Milwaukee needs to capitalize on if it’s serious about going dancing in a few months.

Opportunities for Horizon League upsets against high-major opponents

Oakland versus No. 9 Michigan State, Saturday, Dec. 20, 12 p.m. ET, on BTN

Purdue Fort Wayne at Notre Dame, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2 p.m. ET, on ACC Extra

Most likely:

If you’re anywhere near a TV or streaming device, be sure to watch the coaches introductions for the game between Oakland and Michigan State. Greg Kampe and Tom Izzo will almost certainly be sporting festive attire on the sidelines at Little Caesars Arena.

However, Michigan State narrowly escaped at Penn State over the weekend, and Izzo mentioned his team can practice twice a day due to his players having no classes, so it doesn’t sound like it’ll be a fun week for the Spartans. As a result, Oakland may be playing an extremely motivated Michigan State team. For that reason, Purdue Fort Wayne probably owns a better chance of picking off a high-major opponent this week. Notre Dame has been much improved this season and is yet to lose at home, but it is still not Michigan State. Corey Hadnot II is leading the Horizon League in scoring, averaging better than 20 per game. In their last high-major opportunity, the Mastodons played Utah to the finish, proving they can compete if things go right. Oakland has looked better to this point and beat the Mastodons head-to-head, but it would be tough to argue it has a better chance against Michigan State. If Hadnot can get hot and have another big day, Purdue Fort Wayne could make something happen in South Bend.