As a longtime follower of college basketball and someone who's covered the Cleveland State Vikings for over a decade, I can tell you this season's schedule has me more excited than usual. There's something special brewing with this team, and I've been tracking their progress since summer workouts began. When I spoke with Coach Gates last month, he mentioned that key player Damian Johnson still had about a month left in his rehabilitation program, which puts his return right around the start of conference play. That timing could be crucial for some of these early matchups where we'll need his defensive presence.

Looking at the non-conference slate, the Vikings face what I consider to be one of their most challenging early tests against Ohio State on November 28th. This rivalry game always brings extra intensity, and having watched these teams battle over the years, I believe this particular matchup could set the tone for Cleveland State's entire season. The Value City Arena will be rocking, and how our young backcourt handles that environment will tell us a lot about their maturity. Personally, I'm keeping a close eye on how sophomore point guard Marcus Fletcher distributes the ball against Ohio State's pressure defense – if he can limit his turnovers to under three while dishing out 6-7 assists, we've got a real shot at the upset.

The December schedule brings what I like to call the "make or break" stretch with four road games in fourteen days, including what should be an emotional return to action for Damian Johnson against Kent State on December 12th. From what I've gathered through team sources, Johnson's rehabilitation is progressing ahead of schedule, and while he's technically been cleared to play, the medical staff wants to ensure he's at 100% before throwing him into heavy minutes. I've seen too many players rush back from similar injuries only to suffer setbacks, so I'm actually pleased the coaching staff is taking this cautious approach, even if it means we might drop a game or two we could've won with him at full strength.

Conference play kicks off with what I consider the most intriguing matchup of January – the Horizon League opener against Oakland on the 5th. Having attended this rivalry game for the past eight seasons, I can tell you the energy in the Wolstein Center is unlike anything else in mid-major basketball. Last year's contest went to double overtime, with Cleveland State ultimately falling 89-87 after a controversial charging call in the final seconds. I still maintain that was one of the worst calls I've witnessed in person, and I'm hoping our guys use that memory as fuel for this year's rematch. The statistical projections show Cleveland State with a 68% chance of victory, but rivalries like this always defy the numbers.

What really has me circling dates on my calendar are the back-to-back games against Northern Kentucky in mid-February. These two teams have developed what I'd call the most underrated rivalry in the Horizon League, with each of their last six meetings decided by five points or fewer. I've analyzed the film from last season's split, and the key difference came down to three-point shooting – when Cleveland State connects on at least 35% from beyond the arc against Northern Kentucky's zone defense, they're 4-0 in recent matchups. When they shoot below that mark, they're 0-3. It's that simple, and I'll be tracking those shooting percentages closely throughout both contests.

The regular season concludes with what could be a championship-deciding series against Milwaukee in early March. Having covered this program through multiple coaching changes and roster overhauls, I can confidently say that the development of our junior forwards will determine whether we're playing for a conference title or simply jockeying for tournament positioning. The analytics show that when our frontcourt combination of Robert Smith and Anthony Williams combines for 28 points and 14 rebounds, Cleveland State wins nearly 80% of their games. Against Milwaukee's physical interior defense, hitting those benchmarks will be challenging but absolutely essential.

Throughout my years following this program, I've learned that success often comes down to navigating the schedule's toughest stretches while capitalizing on favorable matchups. This year, I'm particularly optimistic about our chances to make some noise in the Horizon League tournament and potentially secure that elusive NCAA bid. The pieces are there, the schedule sets up nicely for a strong finish, and with key players returning from injury at just the right moments, I believe this could be one of those special seasons that Vikings fans remember for years to come.