New week. Hopefully new mindset. This is a must win game to prove the team can still hang. Need the shooting to improve. Luckily, shooting seems to be the only sore spot when in years past there were various sore spots all rearing their ugly head at once.
Side Note: I have a men's medium Nike Polo, and a men's Medium Cutter & Buck 1/4 zip sweater that I bought from the team store, they sent me the wrong size as I am a large. I tried returning them, but they said they don't take returns and just sent me larges free of charge. Both are Valpo branded, both have tags, and I didn't even try them on. If there is anyone on the board here that wants these items, free of charge let me know and I will bring them to the game Wednesday. I sit in Section G Row 2 seats 11-13. Just let me know so I make sure to grab them!
**UPDATE** Items have been claimed!
Real Note: EIU beat Nicholls at home by 8 points, so this should be similar competition. I did watch that game on the +, and it was sloppy. Valpo let EIU hang around enough to almost win it at the end. The tipping point is surely the shooting, if we go up 10 then we have to keep the gas on, or it will be a repeat of the EIU game. Valpo should be winning these by 15-25 points, we open ourselves up to vulnerability for long stretches of the game when we don't convert or start missing free throws. I also feel like this is a must win to get this team in the right direction, a loss here could create a hole in any confidence and prevent momentum from building. I do think the guys come out and win but I am nervous this is going to be an extra long season at this point in time if the chemistry and shooting don't improve. Here is to hoping we catch fire and tamp down some of the concerns for now. See you all there! For those that notice I feel its more appropriate to just list my name here since I'm getting to know a lot of you all. the fan formally known as IYELLATGAMES is really just Bryan F. 
This might be an Owen Dease breakout game. Dease has played against Nicholls many times in his career. Including their conference tournament contests, he’s averaged 10.2 PPG in the last 2 seasons against Nicholls. Some familiarity with their coaching style and being at home should help. Nicholls has had a winning season every year since 2018-2019, and has knocked off some big schools in the process (ex. LSU). This is not a team we should take lightly, but one we should beat.
Nicholls State Colonels – Team Overview
Nicholls State’s roster is comparable in size to Valpo’s. They return 30% of their minutes and 24% of their scoring from last season, when they finished 3rd in the Southland Conference with a 20–13 overall record (13–7 in conference play).
Key Players:
- #1 Trae English (6’0” Senior Guard): Leads the team in scoring, averages over 30 minutes per game, and is shooting 80% from the free-throw line.
- #5 Sincere Malone (6’8” Senior Forward): Leading rebounder, also averaging over 30 minutes per game.
- #3 Jaylen Searles (6’8” Forward): Provides additional size and depth in the frontcourt.
Roster Composition:
This is a veteran-heavy team with 11 juniors and seniors. Nine players are averaging double-figure minutes through their first two games. They have started five seniors in one game and four seniors plus a sophomore in the other.
Early Results:
Nicholls State lost by 26 points at Kentucky and by 8 points at Eastern Illinois. Despite these losses, their experience and depth suggest they could be a tough matchup.
Overall, this is a seasoned team with significant basketball experience.
Based on what I've read of Nicholls and what I've seen from Valpo...this one will be a struggle.
If you want a glass half full take on this....
Sure there have been shooting struggles, but shooting seems to be the ONLY struggle we have seen thus far, and, unlike other struggles, is actually less complex of an issue to fix
This team has defended well against a strong team in Kentucky. Looking back at the game Kentucky was forced to take many contested shots. Albeit they were able to make their contested shots.
Aside from 2-3 teams in the MVC, the rest are struggling with the same "Portal Fog" issues that Valpo is. If a team is going to make a break out, it will be the team that can get their act together the fastest, and lord do some of these other MVC teams have issues to work out
I looked at Nicholls State's mens team's performance this year and last year. Last year, they won a non-conference game against the Mississippi University for Women.
Let's get a win! Games like these are the games that need to be wins as we look to improve the program in year three under Roger Powell. Hail Crusaders!
34% shooting in game one, 28% in game two. Can we please see our shooting eclipse 40% tomorrow with at least 30% from 3? Oh, and better than 70% from the FT line?
I jinxed them- we haven’t made a shot in the last 6 minutes.
Problem is not shooting. It's scoring....nearly at all. Miss too many layups, can't shoot the three and free throws have been a problem as well.
Meaningful improvement folks....
Meaningful improvement
Not much to write home about. Two weak teams battling it out. Valpo still a work in progress. Chainey….promising. McNair injured or did I miss the memo?
Some improved shooting in this game, though Nicholls shot slightly better except at the free throw line, which Valpo won by 10 points (17-23 vs 7-13) and Nicholls was pretty bad.
Like the EIU game, VU wins a game it should. That is good enough for now. On the other hand, I never thought I'd see an attendance under 4-digits at 867 on a clear, comfortable evening in November. That is not good.
