Despite a boneheaded headline suggesting the contrary―seriously, who writes this crap?―the Cleveland State Vikings will play Friday night for a share of the Horizon League regular season title and the top seed in the Horizon League tournament. It looked as though CSU’s loss to Milwaukee would take them out of the title picture, as all powerhouse Valparaiso (then 25-4) needed to clinch the conference was a win at middling Detroit (then 13-17). The Titans upset the Crusaders at home, with three Juwan Howard, Jr. free throws with one second remaining setting the final margin.

Just like that, the Vikings are back in the title hunt. They host Valparaiso, the league leader, Friday night. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU and will have an unusually late 10 p.m. tipoff.

The short version of the implications of Friday’s game vs. Valpo: If Cleveland State wins, they get a share of the conference title and (almost certainly) the top seed in the conference tournament, which includes hosting rights and a double bye into the semifinals. If Cleveland State loses, they get the No. 3 seed in the tournament, with no hosting and only a single bye. Their only chance into the NCAA Tournament is to win the conference tourney.

The longer version includes a bunch of tiebreakers. Here’s how ties are broken in the Horizon League (full tie-breaking procedures pictured on the right, per conference literature):

• If two teams are tied, head-to-head record is used first. Let’s say State and Tech are tied; if State swept Tech during the season, then State wins.

• If three or more teams are tied, then you compare the teams’ records against the others involved in the tie. For instance, if State, Tech, and A&M are in a three-way tie, but State swept both Tech and A&M during the season, then State wins out.

• If head-to-head doesn’t resolve it, then the tied teams’ records against other conference teams come into play, starting at the top of the standings. For example, if State, Tech, and A&M are in a three-way tie, and were all 1-1 against each other during the season, then you look at the teams’ records against the best team not in the tie. If State swept the best remaining squad and Tech and A&M didn’t, then State wins out. If the teams have the same record against the best remaining team, then you go to their records versus the next-best, and on and on until the tie is busted.

• If none of the aforementioned comparisons settle things, then tiebreakers are decided by RPI.

The first-round Horizon tournament games—No. 5 vs. No. 8 and No. 6 vs. No. 7—are played at the higher seed’s home court. The No. 1 overall seed hosts the next two rounds and gets a double bye into the semifinals. The No. 2 seed also gets a double bye into the semis, while Nos. 3 and 4 get single byes. The championship game is played at the highest remaining seed’s gym. The tournament champion gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. You can see the full bracket here; it’s kind of a weird one.

Valparaiso, Cleveland State, and Oakland will likely be the top three seeds in some order, with Green Bay potentially jumping into the picture. The CSU-Valpo game is the last of the season for both teams. Green Bay plays at conference stepping stone Illinois-Chicago Thursday, and hosts Oakland Saturday; that game is Oakland’s only one remaining. You can see the full conference standings here.

Here are the scenarios that concern Cleveland State:

1. Cleveland State wins and Oakland loses

It is a two-way tie between Cleveland State and Valparaiso for the No. 1 seed.

Head-to-head doesn’t work because the teams will have split their two games.

The tie is then broken by records vs. the next-best conference teams. CSU and Valpo both split with Oakland, the best remaining team, but CSU would get the No. 1 seed by virtue of their sweep of Green Bay (the next-best team), against whom Valpo split.



2. Cleveland State and Oakland both win

It is a three-way tie between CSU, Valpo, and Oakland for the No. 1 seed.

CSU beats Valpo by virtue to their sweep of Green Bay, as in Scenario 1. Oakland will have also swept Green Bay with a win Saturday, so Oakland also beats Valpo and it becomes a two-way tie between CSU and Oakland.

Oakland and CSU split their matchups, and will have identical records against all other conference teams (split with Valpo, Milwaukee, and Detroit; swept everyone else), so the tie is then broken by RPI. CSU is currently No. 121 in RPI; Oakland is No. 139. Oakland could jump CSU, but CSU would likely stay ahead and get the No. 1 seed .



3. Cleveland State loses and Oakland wins

It is a two-way tie between CSU and Green Bay for the No. 3 seed.

Valpo is No. 1 and Oakland is No. 2 with no ties.

CSU gets the No. 3 seed by virtue of their season sweep of Green Bay, as in Scenario 1.

4. Cleveland State and Oakland both lose

It is a two-way tie between CSU and Oakland for the No. 3 seed.

Valparaiso is the No. 1 seed and Green Bay is the No. 2 seed with no ties.

Oakland gets the No. 3 seed by virtue of splitting against Valparaiso (against whom CSU will have lost both games), and CSU gets the No. 4 seed.

Got all that? I tell ya, tiebreakers are the most exciting things in sports.

Regardless of the consequences, Friday night’s game with Valpo should be among the very best in mid-major basketball this season. The Crusaders have been a juggernaut for most of the year, but they only won by two points when they hosted Cleveland State back on January 10. A lot can change in six weeks, and with both teams coming off a loss, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will prevail.

[This article has been updated and corrected; it previously stated that Cleveland State would get the No. 3 seed in Scenario 4. WFNY regrets the error.]