What a turnaround by these guys this year after going 9-21 last year. Currently sitting in 4th in the Horizon League, they've won nine of their past eleven and got a big win over conference co-champ Valpo this weekend to finish 21-10 (12-6). They play Wright State on 3/5 in the Horizon League tournament up in Detroit.

I think NKU represents an interesting opportunity not only for Ohio but for the rest of the MAC. I'd love to do some home and homes with these guys. They've got a great arena to visit that's easy to get to and it would be a good gathering place for some of us local alums.

Of course we'd rather have UC, X, and Dayton, but the Horizon isn't a bad league to get in bed with. We seemingly have one or two from that league scehduled every year.

DMAc over at Wright gonna have a hand in the game planning. Hmmmm....who to root for?

Didn't Taylor P over at Balls come from there?

Didn't know that but you are correct. He was the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year before they moved to the Horizon.

I happened to attend the Wright State @ Northern Kentucky game last week. I was impressed with BB&T Arena, concessions and game management by the staff. The lighting is great for television and the seating design provides a great view for fans wherever you're sitting. They have a small NKU athletic hall of fame room -- very nice. If budget permitted, they could dress up the concourse more with art/banners. It's an easy trip from Columbus -- I chose to take I-275 instead of I-71 and it drops you right at campus.

Earlier this season I had the opportunity to see the Raiders visit Valparaiso and was impressed by Peters. He's strong and mobile. he has excellent shooting form and a wide range of shots inside and out. He understands spacing and how to find the open man. He's one of those players who can take over a game without it looking forced. He has a very good frame and I can see him adding muscle without losing agility. Unfortunately, Peters was wearing a boot at Wright State on Friday, so I don't think it looks good for a return in time for the Horizon tournament at The Joe.

You have to give NKU some props for being a relatively new school (1968), new to D-1- this is first school year eligible for D-1 championships. 15,000 students, $89,000,000 endowment-thanks to their law school grads- no doubt.

Edit: they just announced a new on site medical school today. A school on the move.

I need a refresh, what is OUr tie to NKU?

How good would this team have been if they had not lost Person to Ball State transfer??

I have not seen this kid very much, but I did hear a lot about him from Ball State personnel last season and they predicted that he would really help them in a big way. Was he not fitting into the group at NKU ? He certainly has made Ball much better wouldnt you say ?

Nice article about John Brannen recently in the Cincinnati Enquirer. I learned that he grew up just about 10-15 minutes from the NKU Campus (in Alexandria, KY).

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/2017/03/16/norther... /

Perhaps the best part about the story is the gem of the YouTube video at the bottom that you can watch-1995 Marshall vs. Kentucky from Freedom Hall.

Some highlights:

-Billy Donovan as Marshall's coach
-John Brannen dropping 20+ points
-a young, pre-Florida Jason Williams
-some wonderful mid 90s athletic fashions, complete with Pro Player, Starter, and more!

It was also interesting to hear some names who went on to be coaches, such as John Pelphrey.

I haven't had time to watch too much of it but would love to hear any other gems that others come up with if they have a few hours to spare.

NKU has been reaching into our conference for years for Volleyball, Basketball and Olympic sports. Taylor came back to Balls from NKU as it was closewr to Kokomo and we had Muncie kids down there for Volley. Weight room and facilities are pretty spectacular as is their medical situation . They have done what Bellarmine had on tap to do in the early 2000s but did not accomplish choosing to stay a high level D2 with Scotty D... NKU is a pretty interesting story with a vision that reaches out to the future....