Times correspondent Paul Oren predicts the final Horizon League women's basketball standings, based on the team's nonconference performances. The first number after the team is Oren's updated prediction; the second is the Horizon's preseason poll's prediction. The Horizon League's conference schedule begins today.

Green Bay 1 1 Record: 8-3 RPI: 48

Comment: Clearly the class of the league. The Phoenix have lost three of their last four, but each loss has come against a Top 75 program. A win at Marquette proves that this squad can show up in the big game, something it failed to do last year in the Horizon League semifinals against Cleveland State.

Milwaukee 2 3 Record: 5-6 RPI: 168

Comment: The Panthers have a deceptive record, as three of their losses have come by two points or less, including a pair of defeats to Illinois and Wisconsin. On Wednesday, Milwaukee upset Marquette in a signature win for the program led by Horizon League preseason Player of the Year Traci Edwards (19.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg).

Cleveland State 3 4 Record: 6-6 RPI: 131

Comment: The Vikings knocked off an Illinois State team that defeated Green Bay three weeks later. Junior Kailey Klein leads the Horizon League averaging 19.2 points per game.

Valparaiso 4 6 Record: 5-5 RPI: 79

Comment: The Crusaders have the conference's second-highest RPI ranking after big wins over Florida State and Purdue, but have struggled to put away opponents on the road, twice blowing double-digit leads to North Texas and La Salle. This team will hang with Green Bay and Cleveland State, but will have to work equally as hard to finish off Detroit and Youngstown State.

Butler 5 5 Record: 5-6 RPI: 118

Comment: After losing four of five to start the year and getting swept out of the Lobo Classic, the Bulldogs were searching for a rallying point, and they may have found it with a 86-81 double overtime victory at Miami (Ohio). Butler plays five of its first seven Horizon League games at home and has a chance to get a good start on the competition.

Wright State 6 2 Record: 4-7 RPI: 236

Comment: A year after taking the league by storm, Shey Peddy is suffering through the dreaded sophomore slump. Peddy averaged a team-high 16.7 points last season and was named to the First Team as well as Newcomer of the Year.

This season, Peddy is averaging only 11.7 points per game, but she is adding 3.3 steals per contest.

UIC 7 7 Record: 6-4 RPI: 100

Comment: The Flames started the year with wins over Bradley and Canisius, and were, at one time, the No. 2 team in the country in the RPI rankings. While they are ranked 100 heading into conference, they haven't beaten a Top 200 team since Thanksgiving. Jessie Miller is fourth in the league with 14.7 points per game.

Loyola 8 8 Record: 5-5 RPI: 133

Comment: With the exception of an ugly loss to New Mexico State, the Ramblers have largely beaten whom they were supposed to and lost to whom they were supposed to. Loyola beat a tough Central Michigan team 87-82, but has followed that up with a pair of blowout losses to Notre Dame and Dayton.

Detroit 9 10 Record: 4-7 RPI: 199

Comment: Three games into the season, the Titans scored a huge upset over Georgia with a 70-66 victory. The celebration was short-lived as three games later, Detroit fell to No. 323 Albany 62-49. The Titans have won consecutive games just once this year, but they will provide a nuisance in the Horizon League to teams looking for an easy game.

Youngstown State 10 9 Record: 2-9 RPI: 288

Comment: The Penguins have played just four home games and they don't get a break as they begin Horizon League play in Indiana for tilts against Valparaiso and Butler. Beating Youngstown State will be as close to a sure thing as there is in the Horizon League, but don't be surprised if first-year coach Cindy Martin has this team playing better by the end of the season.