Game Thread (Non-Con) Bryant (305) @ Valparaiso (286) [12:00pm CST]

Thanks for that Bryan. In some ways you could have substituted Valpo for Bryant in the details, e.g., plays fast, good length, poor 3 point shooting, loses momentum in the half court O, etc.

So…….  Coach AI’s game plan will have Shon and Carter together clogging the paint forcing errant threes and/or forcing them into a half court offense that they are too impatient to see all the way through. Hmmmm.

Just for grins, could you do the same AI request for Valpo.  I, for one, would like to see the comparison of the two teams side by side.

@vulb62 I thought the exact same thing, I did out of curiosity ask for a scouting report for Valpo and it wasn't far off from what it spit out for Bryant. The one thing I didn't agree with was listing Cam Webster as a guy to watch off the bench. Other than that, I had to agree with just about everything else on it. I did check the Bryant stats to verify what it put out and it was pretty accurate from what I could tell. AI is just a tool; verification is still needed to ensure it doesn't lead us totally astray. None the less it appears we are going against a similar style of team as Valpo.

Here is what it put out for the Valpo scouting report. 

Team Overview

• Conference: Missouri Valley Conference (MVC)
• Head Coach: Roger Powell Jr. (3rd season)
• Assistants: Pat Baldwin, Matt Gordon, Jesse McClung [valpoathletics.com], [bing.com]
• Current Record: 2–1 (0–0 MVC) [bing.com]
• Home Arena: Athletics–Recreation Center (Valparaiso, IN)

Previous Season: 15–19 overall, 6–14 MVC; reached MVC Tournament semifinals before losing to Bradley. [bing.com]

Style of Play

• Tempo: Fast-paced, aggressive, “Gonzaga-like” vibe; thrives in transition and offensive rebounding (16 OREB in opener, ~35% rate).
• Defense: High-pressure, turnover-focused; ranks top 15 nationally in defensive turnover percentage and top 10 in steals percentage. Excellent at taking away threes (Eastern Illinois shot 2–9 from deep).
• Offense: Shoots a lot of threes (31 attempts vs EIU), but efficiency is low; relies on pace and second-chance points. [si.com]

Roster Highlights

Projected Starters:

• Isaiah Barnes (6’7”, RS Sr, G): Veteran wing, physical, strong rebounder (6 RPG), secondary scorer (8.5 PPG). [espn.com]
• Mark Brown Jr. (6’0”, Jr, PG): JUCO transfer, steady ball handler, needs shooting consistency (6.5 PPG, 36% 3PT). [espn.com]
• JT Pettigrew (6’8”, Fr, F): Athletic forward, aggressive on glass (5 RPG), developing scorer (9 PPG). [espn.com]
• Owen Dease (6’8”, RS Sr, F): Experienced stretch forward, solid defender.
• Shon Tupuola (6’10”, Jr, C): Physical big, rim protector (4.5 RPG, 1 BPG). [espn.com]

Key Contributors:

• Rakim Chaney (Fr, G): Defensive catalyst (13.5 PPG, 2.5 SPG), explosive in transition.
• Carter Hopoi (Fr, F, 6’11”): Size and length, efficient inside (50% FG).
• Brody Whitaker (Sr, G): Veteran shooter, needs consistency.
• Justus McNair (So, G): Depth guard, defensive energy. [espn.com]

Statistical Snapshot (First 2 Games)

• PPG: 62.5 | Opp PPG: 85.0
• FG%: 31.1% | 3PT%: 23.1%
• Rebounds: 36 RPG (-9.5 margin)
• Turnovers: 12 per game
• Steals: 8.5 per game (strong defensive activity) [valpoathletics.com]

Strengths

• Defensive Pressure: Forces turnovers and generates steals (8.5 per game).
• Length & Athleticism: Multiple players 6’8”+ for rim protection and rebounding.
• Transition Game: Dangerous when running off turnovers and rebounds.
• Offensive Rebounding: Aggressive on the glass (16 OREB vs EIU). [si.com]

Weaknesses

• Half-Court Offense: Poor spacing and execution; stagnant late in shot clock.
• Shooting Efficiency: Low FG% (31.1%) and 3PT% (23.1%).
• Defensive Rebounding: Opponents dominate boards (-9.5 margin).
• Scoring Depth: Relies heavily on Chaney and Barnes for offense. [valpoathletics.com]

Keys to Beating Valpo

1. Control Tempo: Force them into half-court sets; limit transition chances.
2. Dominate Glass: Exploit their defensive rebounding weakness.
3. Protect the Ball: Avoid turnovers—they thrive on steals and fast breaks.
4. Pack the Paint: Make them settle for contested threes; they shoot poorly from deep.

Keys for Valpo to Succeed

• Improve spacing and ball movement in half-court sets.
• Develop consistent perimeter shooting from Barnes and Whitaker.
• Limit opponent second-chance points; box out aggressively.
• Continue leveraging defensive pressure to create easy scoring opportunities.

Here is what it put out regarding the matchup between Bryant and Valpo:

Game Context

• Date: Nov 16, 2025
• Location: Athletics–Recreation Center, Valparaiso, IN
• Valpo Record: 2–1 (MVC)
• Bryant Record: 1–2 (America East) [proballers.com]

Valpo Scouting Summary

• Style: Fast-paced, aggressive, Gonzaga-like tempo; thrives in transition and offensive rebounding (16 OREB in opener, ~35% rate).
• Defensive Identity: High-pressure defense, ranks top 15 nationally in forcing turnovers and top 10 in steals percentage; takes away threes (Eastern Illinois shot 2–9 from deep).
• Offense: Shoots a lot of threes (31 attempts vs EIU), but efficiency is low; relies on pace and second-chance points.
• Key Players:
  • Isaiah Barnes (6’7” Sr): Physical wing, double-double threat.
  • JT Pettigrew (6’8” Fr): Athletic forward, strong finisher.
  • Rakim Chaney (Fr G): Defensive catalyst (5 steals vs EIU), quick in transition.
  • Mark Brown Jr. (Jr PG): JUCO transfer, steady ball handler.
  • Bigs: Carter Hopoi (6’11”), Shon Tupuola (6’10”), Kobe Walker (6’9”) provide size for rim protection and boards. [si.com], [valpoathletics.com]

Bryant Scouting Summary

• Style: Jamion Christian’s system emphasizes pace and empowerment, but early-season offense has struggled (55.5 PPG, 33.6% FG).
• Strengths: Length and athleticism; Quincy Allen (6’8”) and Ashley Sims II (6’8”) are versatile scorers; Tim Rudovskii (6’9”) is leading scorer (13.5 PPG).
• Weaknesses: Half-court stagnation, poor shooting (23.3% from 3), high turnovers (18 per game).
• Key Players:
  • Quincy Allen: Wing scorer, defensive versatility.
  • Ashley Sims II: Physical forward, strong inside presence.
  • Ty Tabales: Streaky shooter, needs confidence.
  • Tim Rudovskii: Efficient inside scorer. [collegenetworth.com], [espn.com]

Valpo Game Plan vs Bryant

Defensive Strategy

1. Pressure Ball Handlers Early

   • Bryant struggles with turnovers; apply full-court pressure and aggressive traps to exploit their assist-to-turnover ratio.
   • Target Tabales and Brown in pick-up points to disrupt rhythm.

2. Protect the Rim

   • Bryant’s size (Allen, Sims, Rudovskii) means they’ll attack inside. Use Tupuola and Hopoi to contest shots and force kick-outs.

3. Force Perimeter Shots

   • Pack the paint and close out late; Bryant is shooting only 23.3% from three. Make them beat you from deep.

Offensive Strategy

1. Push Tempo

   • Bryant struggles in transition defense; run after every rebound or turnover.
   • Use Chaney and Barnes to initiate fast breaks.

2. Crash Offensive Glass

   • Bryant has a negative rebounding margin; send Pettigrew and Hopoi aggressively for second-chance points.

3. Exploit Screens

   • Bryant’s half-court defense breaks down on ball screens; run high pick-and-roll with Brown and Barnes to create mismatches.

4. Attack Weak Closeouts

   • Drive hard off Bryant’s slow rotations; look for kick-outs to shooters like Whitaker and McNair.

Key Matchups

• Barnes vs Allen: Physical battle on the wing; Barnes must limit Allen’s scoring and crash boards.
• Pettigrew vs Sims: Athletic forwards—Pettigrew needs to win hustle plays.
• Brown vs Tabales: Control tempo; Brown must protect the ball and avoid live-ball turnovers.

Bench Utilization

• Use Camden Webster (AI gets this wrong) and Brody Whitaker for spacing and energy.
• Rotate bigs (Tupuola, Tornatta) to keep rim protection fresh.

Win Conditions for Valpo

• Win turnover battle (+8 or better).
• Hold Bryant under 40% FG and under 25% from three.
• Score 15+ points in transition and 12+ second-chance points.

@iyellatgames This is awesome stuff, Bryan.  It’s not a predictor, of course, but it’s nice to have an “objective” 🙄  set of eyes looking at the analytics and then doing the comparisons and contrasts.  Next step - be interesting to see how close these assessments are during the actual game. 

The AI scouting reports are interesting. Our defensive intensity needs to improve. Our shot selection and FG% needs to improve. 

When Valpo has been successful in the past we’ve rebounded well and shot the ball well. I hope we can return to our roots 

I would agree with both of you. The AI scouting reports are interesting, and I think miss certain scenario-based items. For example, it lists Kobe Walker in the Bigs section of the match up comparison key players but if we are honest he is likely headed for a redshirt year unless something changes, Tucker would have been more accurate to include there. While it gets many of the metrics right, we have a huge statistic outlier in the Kentucky game. Obviously, I mentioned the bench production mentioning Cam Webster. It's also using past trends to project a starting lineup but at this point I think everyone would agree our starting lineup will be fluid for the time being. For a lot of us that follow the team closely we can pick those things out, however it does seem to get a lot of other stuff correct. If there is interest in this moving forward, I can post an "AI Game Outlook" in each of the game threads as we progress through the season. It will be interesting to see how this changes as we move through the schedule. 

Depending on what Model you used, you get different results. Most LLMS like Chat GPT and Gemini just go to google and give you a summary of what they found. If you want an answer that has the potential to be better, I would suggest finding a model that is trained on sports data and feed valpo specific data into it to design a reference

I personally have used AI recreationally to make some renders of what a renovated ARC would look like, and the results from an image specific model prove to be better than models like Gemini and Chat GPT whom are more broad.

@rezynezy These are all great points, you are correct. I have a decent understanding of how AI works at this point in time and do use it in my daily work to create agents to fulfill some of my lower priority tasks in the office. I normally also run my emails through it, so people don't reveal my rural public-school education /s. I am not familiar with the sports focused models though. Just curious what model would you suggest for sports? These scouting post responses just came out of my office co-pilot M365 so it will be generic like the other models you mentioned. I'm sure a lot of the college programs are using specific models to help with scouting and statistics. Valpo may even be using it; if Brandon runs across this thread maybe he will know and share some knowledge.

@iyellatgames Unfortunately, most AI services beyond LLMs are pay for access. As  a Dev, I could build a custom sports AI model, but the API key costs are also a money pit. I have free trialed a lot of sports AI sources and generally, their answers come better. I cant give you a specific one to reccomend as most of them are one and done and I refuse to pay for it.

What got me psyched was not the disputable detail or personnel specifics. It was how close AI was in articulating team style, personality, patterns and performances. I am not familiar with Bryant, but the AI characterization of Valpo was pretty much spot on - especially the “stagnant late in the shot clock” comment.

Correct me if I’m not remembering correctly, but wasn’t a Drew era hallmark a solid half court offense with lots of pick & rolls and patiently working the ball in low with kick outs for open shots?  Roger cut his coaching teeth on that, but the Gonzaga way must have had a significant impact on his coaching philosophy, cuz we have not been that disciplined in half court BB the past two seasons or the beginning of 25-26. Again, I could be totally all wet on this.

That level of discipline and execution comes with experience. Experience both in the game itself, and in experience with your team. I could place some of the best athletes in the world on the same team, but if I give them no time with each other (practice, bonding, ect). I can guarantee with about 95% accuracy that they sure wont look like the best athletes in the world. 

The fact of the matter is this is a team with a lot of freshman. Freshman that need experience. I commend Powell for going out and getting some Vets who can better teach the young core how to Gel. That's why you see a lot of selfish shots and poor execution in early games(not just at Valpo, but throughout the MVC and the country). Meaningful improvement is what I am looking for in these non con games because meaningful improvement shows me that this team is figuring itself and each other out.

Posted by: @rezynezy

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That level of discipline and execution comes with experience. Experience both in the game itself, and in experience with your team. I could place some of the best athletes in the world on the same team, but if I give them no time with each other (practice, bonding, ect). I can guarantee with about 95% accuracy that they sure wont look like the best athletes in the world. 

 

The fact of the matter is this is a team with a lot of freshman. Freshman that need experience. I commend Powell for going out and getting some Vets who can better teach the young core how to Gel. That's why you see a lot of selfish shots and poor execution in early games(not just at Valpo, but throughout the MVC and the country). Meaningful improvement is what I am looking for in these non con games because meaningful improvement shows me that this team is figuring itself and each other out.

Of course, the more experienced a team is with both the game in general and with teammates, the higher the probability of success.

But you missed my point. My point was specific to styles of play.  Under the Drews, the style demanded by the coaching staff was discipline first, control the pace, run if it’s open, but if not or if the run gets defended, settle into a slower half court offense that sets up high percentage shots. Roger’s style is just different.  It relies on a quicker pace with more free wheeling in the half court and does not use the shot clock to the same advantage.  When you adopt a style, any style, it’s up to the coach to instill it in his team and for the players to play in that style. That’s all I’m saying  

To your points about experience. Yes, we have some freshmen who do not yet have a lot of experience with the DI college game, but they are pretty talented in their own right as we’ve already seen. Valpo also has a bunch of older players with a lot of college game experience.  What we need to develop further (and fast) is experience with each other. That would be the same regardless of coaching style.

I feel like we saw a lot more of that fast, yet controlled, offense we were used to seeing in the Drew era against Nicholls. Ultimately that is the offense I feel POwell is trying to replicate. The fast, yet controlled offense of the Drews that would wear you down throughout the course of the 40 minute clock. 

ON another note, Bryant is an NCAA tournament team from last year, don't know how the portal treated them, but it will hopefully be a good challenge for the team looking to figure each other out.

@rezynezy,  Here is the what I found on the Bryant basketball page regarding returners, and transfers, and incoming class breakdown. Bryant's group of returners is led by Jakai Robinson and Aaron Davis III and also includes Khalil Williams, Jayden Brown, Langston Bailey, Frankie Vassalluzzo and Jason Sepe. Robinson and Davis both played key roles in Bryant's 2025 America East Championship, with Robinson appearing in all but two games and posting career highs in ppg (5.8) and rpg (3.4). Davis missed the last five weeks of the season with an injury but provided key baskets early in conference play to help the Black and Gold retain the No. 1 seed. The biggest shots came on the road at UMBC when he drilled a pair of late threes as part of a career-high 13-point effort in a comeback win. Vassalluzzo (14 games) and Brown (13) both came off the bench late in games for the Black and Gold last year. Williams, Bailey and Sepe did not see action last season. Freshmen Christian's first roster will feature the largest freshmen class in DI program history. Of the nine first-year players, three are from New England, three come from Maryland and three are international players. Ty Tabales is the headliner from Bryant's local contingent as he reclassified this summer to join the Black and Gold. A native of Worcester, Mass., Tabales prepped at New Hampton School after leading his Worcester North team to a Massachusetts Division I state title. Bryant also welcome Connecticut native Reed Woerner and North Kingstown native Michael DeOrsey to the rookie class. The Bulldogs also hit the state of Maryland hard in recruiting, welcoming Ashley Sims II (Glen Burnie), Joe Green (Baltimore) and Gio Sanford (Glen Dale). Sims played with Fear of God Athletics in OvertimeElite, averaging 9.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 1.8 apg. Green was named the Baltimore Catholic League Defensive Player of the Year and a second team All-BCL selection this past season. Sanford shined at Riverdale Baptist and was a key part of Team Museum in the AAU circuit. Bryant's trio of international freshmen include Ethane Bourgade (France), Timofei Rudovskii (Russia) and Daniel Akoue (Gabon). Bourgade played for Le Mans' U21 team, averaging 16.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.6 spg and 1.5 bpg in his last full season in 2023-24. Rudovskii played at Dream City Christian in Arizona and was a nominee for the McDonald's All-American game. Akoue is a 6-foot-10 big wing that played at Southern Coast Academy last season. He has competed internationally for Gabon in the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers. Transfers Quincy Allen, Keegan Harvey, Lennart Weber and Jaheim Nyam are Bryant's four transfers. Allen was the 2020-21 Washington, D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year at the Maret School before spending two seasons at Colorado, one at James Madison and last season at Chicago State. He enjoyed a breakout year at Chicago State, averaging 9.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg. He finished in double figures nine times during the season. Harvey began his college career at the College of Charleston before joining Christian at George Washington, spending three seasons with the Revolutionaries. He battled injuries during his time in D.C., appearing in just 20 games over three seasons. Weber is another graduate transfer that grew up in Wiesbaden, Germany and spent four years at the University of Toronto. He enjoyed a career year in 2024-25, averaging 13.1 ppg and a league-leading 8.9 rpg. Nyam, a native of Paris, France, most recently played at Kilgore College, a JUCO in Kilgore, Texas. 

Murray defeated Nichols state by a score of 79 - 99.

Considering there were points in the game where it seemed like Valpo was poised to jump out to a 20 point game and couldn't hang onto the lead...I am still left uncertain and must still look for meaningful improvements