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YOUNGSTOWN -- Four games in two weeks.
That's all the stands between Youngstown State's men's and women's basketball teams and the postseason now.
With the Horizon League Tournament knocking on the door, each YSU squad is in a different position.
Here's how the postseason pictures are shaping up.
MEN'S OUTLOOK
The Penguin men find themselves chasing the top four spots in the league after a disappointing loss to Robert Morris on Sunday. That, coupled with Purdue Fort Wayne's surprising 102-98 win in triple overtime against Cleveland State, saw YSU tumble clear back to sixth place.
But, not all hope is lost. The Penguins are still in contention for a top four spot and the coveted first-round bye and home quarterfinal game, but they'll need some help.
YSU (16-11, 10-7) hosts UIC (10-14, 6-9) and IUPUI (2-22, 0-13) this week and then travels to Wright State and Northern Kentucky next week. In theory, the Penguins will need to win out, or at the bare minimum go 3-1 in that stretch.
WSU (15-12, 12-6) and NKU (15-10, 11-5) sit at fourth and third in the Horizon League, respectively, so that trip to Dayton and Highland Heights, Ky., looms large.
In addition to needing those wins, the Penguins need some help. PFW (16-10, 11-6) visits the Wisconsin schools -- Milwaukee and Green Bay -- this week and is a favorite in each of those. The Mastodons round out their schedule at Oakland and Detroit Mercy, which should be tougher games. YSU will need PFW to lose at least one more game than the Penguins do during this final stretch. So, if YSU wins out, PFW must go 2-2 for the Penguins to jump the Mastodons, since PFW swept the regular season series.
NKU and Wright State, meanwhile, visit UDM and Oakland this week and host YSU and RMU next week. They'll need to drop one or two of those, plus fall to YSU, in order to be in reach.
It isn't unfeasible by any stretch. Detroit Mercy and Oakland are both solid squads, and the Penguins are still in the hunt.
WOMEN'S OUTLOOK
The YSU women, meanwhile, are all but a lock for a top four spot, and at this point are probably going to finish at No. 1 or No. 2.
As it stands, the Penguins (21-4, 15-3) are tied with IUPUI (18-5, 15-3), though the Jaguars did top YSU at the Beeghly Center last month. Youngstown State gets its shot back at IUPUI Feb. 24 in Indianapolis.
The Penguins host Northern Kentucky (17-6, 11-5), who sits at fourth, Friday and Wright State (3-19, 2-15) on Sunday before making the trip to Indy and then rounding out the regular season at UIC (2-20, 1-16).
Along with YSU, IUPUI and NKU, Green Bay (15-5, 11-3) is in the top four at No. 3.
This week's slate of games will be the first time YSU encounters NKU and WSU, as the contests scheduled between them away from the Beeghly Center were canceled due to COVID-19 at NKU and Wright State.
YSU picked up a forfeit win over WSU, but the NKU game was deemed a no contest.
UIC back in the mix
Speaking of the postseason, the Horizon League's decision to disqualify UIC from all conference postseasons over its move to the Missouri Valley Conference was rescinded Tuesday.
According to the league, conference bylaws dictated that schools must give at least a year's notice if they plan to depart the conference. UIC, which announced its decision in January, is set to become an MVC member July 1, thus only giving six months or so.
Originally, the Horizon League's members voted to enforce that bylaw and render UIC's teams ineligible for competition, but it reversed that decision this week so as not to punish athletes who have nothing to do with the choices being made.
The Horizon League did, however, get a few parting shots in at UIC's administration in its statement regarding the decision.
In that press release, commissioner Julie Roe Lach said, "I credit our League's Board of Directors for prioritizing UIC's student-athletes despite UIC leaders' continued actions regarding their move to another conference. The response from UIC leaders has been disappointing, disingenuous, and inconsistent with our League values. At the end of the day, our League's Board of Directors realized that UIC leaders were not going to take any action to restore eligibility for their student-athletes -- including by making a simple request to the Missouri Valley Conference to enter in 2023. So our Board chose to exercise their authority tor grant the student-athletes an exception to the agreed-upon bylaw."
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com