The hero ball step backs and flailing drives last 4 posessions sucked. I can live if Dease does a step back but cmon. Good effort and some guys played clutch. Brodie and Dease were nails.
As I said. Marquette was beatable, but when Pettigrew goes down with a cramp, and Chaney fouls out on some quite questionable calls. Not much more you can do but paint the zebras blue and gold
Somethings to build on yes, but shot selection the last two three minutes and OT. Brown couldn't ice em with the great mid range jumper look. Not enough looks in the paint, drive draw more fouls. Eagles are more lucky than good. ESPN announcers thought that Valpo got a break or two on calls. Total homers. No pun intended but this was a golden opportunity that slipped through our fingers. Reminded me of the 2019 game in Little Rock when then had the lead late on the Hogs and couldn't close them out. Team needs to learn from this, especially in the closing minutes. More opportunities the next few months.
We need to run some sets specifically for Dease to stroke it. Prettiest shot on the team and he makes free throws. MB probably needs to be on some kind of shot selection probation... I like his on ball dee and he can handle a press...but there will be alot of tight games in conference and ya cant have him goin rogue
Just got home from the game. Valpo deserved to win the game more than Marquette...better effort overall. Agree with comments that Valpo struggled to get in its offense in key last minute possessions in regulation and overtime. Dease, Chaney and Pettigrew looked good against pressure defense.
Not going to hang my head on this loss. Sure, it sucks when you're up for most of the game. But this is still the looks of a team that is definitely the best Valpo has seen for a long while, especially in the Powell era. Keep playing like this and you'll have a chance to win a lot of valley games
Marquette would be in the middle of the MVC this season. Valpo can beat teams in the middle of the MVC so it's not surprising they could play even with Marquette who were, frankly, pretty awful. Valpo should have taken advantage of the drought Marquette went through in the first half but didn't to the degree they should have.
Opportunity wasted. I have no idea what they do with Mark Brown.
Awesome effort last night! What a bummer to lose Pettigrew and have Chaney foul out. If those two play the distance, I really think Valpo wins. Brutal break. It shows the thin margins that exist for programs like Valpo, especially in this era of college hoops, but an effort to be proud of. Now, building off it!
Good to see that the bounce back from Southern Indiana has at least lasted 2 games. It was really fun to watch this Valpo team, so close and yet so far. I wonder who else could be a back up PG instead of Mark Brown- maybe Justus if he's healthy? I know they had a lot more FTs than we did but they shot 83%. That's what we've got to do.
Sadly I'm too far away to get to any games but I hope more people start turning out for them at the ARC. If we play with heart like that every game we'll keep them close in the Valley. In his interview on the ESPN broadcast, Shaka said he though Valpo had a good chance at winning the league. I think that's a bit optimistic, but if we play every game like we did last night teams won't want to play us. Way fewer silly shots taken earlier in the shot clock too which was great, the Rev seems to have been able to get the players to be more disciplined very quickly since that USI game, which is a good sign.
That was a tough loss, but there are several positives to build on. After reflecting on the game, here are my observations:
Positives
- Offensive Discipline: We executed our offense well and controlled the tempo for most of the game. Even when we didn’t get a quality look, we managed the shot clock effectively and maintained pace.
- Shooting and Inside Play: Our shooting was solid for much of the night, and we made a strong effort to get the ball inside despite defensive pressure.
- Individual Performances:
- JT: Showed improvement finishing at the rim, which has been a challenge in previous games.
- Brody: His presence elevates team chemistry and leadership. He brings experience, makes smart plays, and can score when needed.
- Owan: Continues to find his rhythm. He has a smooth shooting stroke and can be a key offensive contributor when consistent and aggressive. He seems to thrive coming off the bench.
- Rakim: Made big shots and needs to be the steady hand running the offense.
- Tucker: Provided valuable minutes down low and contributed offensively, especially in the second half. He took some of Carters minutes down the stretch and in OT.
Areas for Improvement
- Mark’s Role: Shooting 10% from the field hurt us, especially on missed opportunities in the paint that could of helped this team when they needed it most. While his defensive pressure is strong and he handles the ball well under pressure, he needs to slow down, make better decisions, and focus on facilitating rather than forcing shots. Ideally, his role should mirror Durius’ from last year—control the offense, take 2–4 shots per game, and provide relief for the starting guards.
- Defensive Transition: We lost track of the ball several times, which led to easy points for Marquette.
- On-Ball Defense: Marquette attacked aggressively, drawing fouls and getting to the line (87% conversion). This put Brody and Rakim in foul trouble, which hurt us in overtime.
- Turnovers: We committed 21 turnovers, giving Marquette too many opportunities down the stretch.
Closing Thoughts
Despite the loss, I’m encouraged by our potential. We can compete with any team in the Valley and have the ability to finish in the top half of the conference, I think. This team is ahead of where we were last year at this point. Onto the next game! Unfortunately, I’ll miss the CCSJ home game due to a family event, this should be the only home game I miss this year. I’m proud of the guys and excited for what’s ahead.
This team can be top half if not top 4 in the valley. Thats what last night showed me
