It’s hard to believe, but we’re half-way through the Horizon League regular season. The power rankings are starting to make more sense with the top five teams tied for either first or third place in the conference standings.

Included in this week’s expanded rankings: tempo-free up-sides and down-sides for all ten teams.

1. (2 last week) Cleveland State (17-4, 7-2 Horizon League)
Record vs. top 5: 2-2
Efficiency margin: +10.5

Up-side: The Vikings proved to Milwaukee that they now have a top-100 offense (87th per Pomeroy’s rankings) to complement their already top-100 defense (81st) when they scored 1.22 points per possession vs. Milwaukee’s Horizon-best defense (43rd on Pomeroy) on Sunday. This balanced system is reflected in their impressive efficiency margin.

Still, there’s that dangerous CSU backcourt that creates a turnover on 27.2 percent of their opponent’s possessions (3rd in the nation). The Vikings are also second only to Milwaukee in guarding the three with opponents hitting 29.6 percent from range (24th nationally).

They’re 8-1 at the Wolstein Center this season. Only Youngstown State has handled the Vikings at home.

Down-side: Cleveland State struggles to get to and keep opponents off of the free throw line. In fact, the Vikings are dead-last in both categories in the Horizon League and among the eight worst teams in the nation in both. They play a physical game and pay the price. Anton Grady and Aaron Pogue both average more than 6.0 fouls called per 40 minutes.

2. (1) Milwaukee (13-8, 6-3)
Record vs. top 5: 0-3
Efficiency margin: +5.5

Up-side: The Panthers win games when their defense comes to play. Not only do they guard shots exceedingly well (25th nationally in opponent eFG%), but they also keep their opponents from getting second chances with a 59th ranked opponent offensive rebounding rate. That’s an equation for low-scoring games. Milwaukee is only allowing 0.92 ppp.

Down-side: Unfortunately, the offense hasn’t adapted to player losses nearly as well. Milwaukee has managed less than a point per trip in seven of their last nine games. The Panther’s offensive fingerprint has completely shifted since last season, and mirrors Butler’s possession-sharing system. Senior PG Kaylon Williams, the king of assists, is now the team’s leading scorer after ranking fourth a season ago.

Milwaukee has also lost six of their last seven away games, and will be on the road for five of their last six games of the season.

3. (3) Butler (12-9, 6-3)
Record vs. top 5: 2-2
Efficiency margin: +3.0

Up-side: The Bulldogs are 11-2 this season when they hold opponents to less than or equal to a point per trip, and 1-7 when they don’t. Like Milwaukee, their defense wins them games, and is limiting opponents to 0.95 ppp on average. It helps that Ron Nored seems to be continuing to grow on the court. He’s second in assist rate (33.6 percent), third in steal rate (3.91 percent) and first in free throw rate (85.5 percent) in the Horizon League.

Down-side: Shooting. It seems as simple as that. The Bulldogs are worst in the League from range (28.1 percent), second-worst from the stripe (61.6 percent) and third-worst in overall eFG% (44.9) for a combined 0.98 ppp.

4. (5) Valparaiso (14-7, 7-2)
Record vs. top 5: 3-1
Efficiency margin: +2.6

Up-side: Since the start of the season, Valparaiso has been the one Horizon League team winning games with their offense, which is currently pegged at a league-best 1.07 ppp. Led by impressive sharp-shooting from Ryan Broekhoff and Will Bogan, the Crusaders have a combined effective field goal percentage (53.9 percent) that ranks 24th nationally. They hit two-pointers at an untouchable rate (57.2 percent) that is second in the nation only to Missouri.

There may be no more formidable front court duo in mid-major hoops than Ryan Broekhoff and Kevin Van Wijk.

Down-side: Similar to Butler and Milwaukee, Valpo has significant down-side, but it’s their defense, which is allowing 1.05 ppp. Weaknesses include an inability to create turnovers and shot-defense. Bryce Drew’s young backcourt is trying to sort these things out.

5. (6) Youngstown State (11-8, 6-3)
Record vs. top 5: 2-2
Efficiency margin: +0.3

Up-side: The Penguins are proving that tight ballhandling and threatening perimeter offense can win games. YSU leads the league in turnover rate with one in 16.8 percent of their possessions, and three-point shooting (38.6 percent). It doesn’t hurt that HLPOTW Blake Allen went 10-of-13 from three on the week in YSU’s two wins that propel YSU into the ranks of the teams with positive efficiency margins for the first time.

Down-side: At 1.04 ppp the Youngstown State offense could use more support. They just aren’t much of a threat in the post, and Damian Eargle has single-handedly kept the Penguins’ defense from falling apart with a ridiculous amount of blocks (the fourth best rate in the nation). YSU allows 1.04 ppp on the defensive end, and that’s too much.

6. (4) Detroit (10-11, 4-5)
Record vs. top 5: 1-4
Efficiency margin: +2.2

Up-side: As predicted the Titans’ offense packs a still-high-tempo (68.1 possessions per game) punch. They threaten from every corner of the front court and score 1.06 ppp.

Down-side: The Detroit backcourt isn’t pulling its share of the load. Worst shot-defense in the league, worst at defending the three and second-worst at shooting threes (29.3 percent). The Titans were the best three-point shooting team in the league a season ago (37.9 percent) with essentially the same lineup. What happened?

7. (7) Green Bay (7-12, 3-6)
Record vs. top 5: 0-5
Efficiency margin: -4.9

Up-side: Alec Brown (7-1) and Brennan Cougill (6-9) are an emerging frontcourt force in Green Bay. Both rank among the top nine defensive rebounders in the league, and have led the Phoenix to a league-best inside-the-arc shot-defense (44.2 percent).

Down-side: Still, Green Bay is falling prey to lots of steals and the league’s worst turnover rate that is limiting their offense to 0.96 points per trip.

8. (8) Wright State (9-12, 4-5)
Record vs. top 5: 2-3
Efficiency margin: -4.9

Up-side: There’s lots of defensive upside for WSU, which is home to the league’s third most efficient D. The Raiders create a league-best turnover in 26.5 percent of their opponents’ possessions in league play, and are second in limiting offensive rebounds (28.6 percent).

Down-side: Unfortunately their anemic offense outweighs their terrific defense. The Raiders rank seventh in all four offensive factors (OR%, eFG%, TO% and free throw rate).

9. (9) UIC (6-13, 2-7)
Record vs. top 5: 0-5
Efficiency margin: -11.1

Up-side: The Flames are the league’s third-best shot-defending team, and second-best at defending the three, but their defense isn’t especially strong at 1.03 ppp allowed. Darrin Williams has kept the Flames near the top in offensive rebounding rate (one in 34.8 percent of their possessions as a team in conference play).

Down-side: Daniel Barnes is a microcosm of the Flame’s offense. He’s shooting well from range (32.4 percent), and not well inside the arc (42.6 pecent). UIC is third as a team from three, and dead-last from two-point range.

10. (10) Loyola (5-14, 0-9)
Record vs. top 5: 0-5
Efficiency margin: -14.0

Up-side: Walt Gibler and Ben Averkamp. Bless their hearts. They are doing so many big things (ranked in 15 categories combined nationally), but two players a team does not make.

Down-side: The Ramblers have the league’s worst offensive and defensive efficiencies. It’s been a trying, injury-riddled season in Rogers Park.