A printable bracket for the 2017 Horizon League tournament to help you follow which team moves on to compete in March Madness
The Horizon League has been one of the friskier mid-major conferences in the NCAA tournament in recent history. Their record of at least one win in the last 19 tournaments is the best among all non-BCS conferences. And, they’ve had teams make five appears in the Sweet Sixteen (or better) in five of the last 14 years. Since Butler left for the Big East, though, some of the magic has died out. Though they’ve gotten close several times, the Horizon League is still searching for their first post-Butler NCAA tournament victory.
Alec Peters’s season-ending injury has thrown this tournament wide open. The senior, who has been one of the best players on basketball while toiling outside the spotlight, has been ruled out with a foot injury. Valparaiso would have been the favorite, but it’s a much tougher road without your best player.
The best candidate to step into the void is Oakland, though Northern Kentucky, Green Bay, and Wright State may have something to say about it. Oakland is an excellent defensive squad that can struggle to score, mainly due to alarmingly poor marksmanship from outside. Their 33.0 percent mark on the year is good for just 264th in the country.
While Oakland is likely now the best team in the tournament, they’re still vulnerable. The Grizzlies amassed 3 losses to other conference teams, and with Valpo losing its spot as the favorite, this could be one of the more open conference tournaments in the mid-majors.
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To follow the action, check below for a look at the 2017 Horizon League tournament bracket. Men’s bracket is on the left. For a printable version, just click on the image below.
Follow along to see which team will take up the Horizon League torch to try and make some noise in March Madness. Oakland and its defense are probably the favorites. But, plenty of shakeups can happen along the way.