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[Gift to Support Valpo Counseling Services]

https://twitter.com/IIB/status/859824144896143360

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/story/35331896/gift-to-support-valpo-counseling-services?platform=hootsuite

Gift to Support Valpo Counseling Services
Posted: May 03, 2017 12:11 PM CDT
By Alex Brown, Multimedia Journalist

VALPARAISO -
The estate of an anonymous Valparaiso University alumnus has donated $1.4 million to the school. President Mark Heckler says the university will use the gift to establish an endowed fund which will secure a permanent source of funding for programs and operations of its Counseling Services department.

Heckler touted the importance of the Counseling Services programs which are aimed at addressing personal and mental issues among students. The university says the programs are provided through the school's Counseling Center, the Office of Alcohol and Drug Education and the Sexual Assault Awareness and Facilitative Education Office.

"College is an exciting time filled with exploration, growth and learning. At the same time, students may find that they need additional support to address specific issues and challenges," said Bonnie Hunter, vice president for student affairs. "For some, mental health concerns can cause significant impairment. Gifts such as this help to provide the psychological support students need to have a successful college experience."

The gift will count toward the $250 million Forever Valpo: the Campaign for Our Future endowment campaign, which launched in September. To date, the campaign has raised more than $152 million.

https://twitter.com/EnthusiAdams/status/859433781803069440
https://twitter.com/EnthusiAdams/status/859435194394214400
https://twitter.com/EnthusiAdams/status/859436509518286848
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/859455993410973696
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/859456461709160448

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/858038123468599296
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/858038983737184258
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/858040203277160453

Marten Linssen
Position: PF
Height: 6'8" - 6'9"
Wingspan: 7'1"
Weight: 242 - 250lbs. (depends on the website)
Nationality: GERMAN
Birth:
30 Aug 1998 (age 18)
Current Team   :   Bayer Giants Leverkusen
Current League   :   Germany: Pro A

STATS: http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Marten-Linssen/Summary/98009

Season   Team                           League   GP   GS   MIN   FGM   FGA   FG%   3PM   3PA   3P%   FTM   FTA   FT%   OFF   DEF   TRB   AST   STL   BLK   PF
2015-16   Bayer Giants Leverkusen   Pro A   3   0   4.7   0.33   1.33   .250   0.00   0.00   .000   0.00   0.00   .000   0.00   1.00   1.00   0.00   0.00   0.33   1.33
2016-17   Bayer Giants Leverkusen   Pro B   22   4   12.2   1.59   3.82   .417   0.05   0.18   .250   1.18   1.73   .684   1.09   2.36   3.45   0.64   0.32   0.68   2.64

http://www.fiba.com/europe/u18/2016/Marten-LINSSEN
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/gamecent/p/pid/6085772/playerview.html
http://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Marten-Linssen/Germany/Bayer-Giants-Leverkusen/354247

https://twitter.com/GermanProspects/status/846321447987499008
https://twitter.com/JBaehren5/status/852800424411136000


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPbZbiFyJQg&t=229s

I believe he is #12 in this game: (EDIT: I don't see him in the vid. I thought I saw him in warmups.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjWEaZ3dEjo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5jNnDMfxA

https://twitter.com/Ryan_fazekas/status/856225941135253504
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/856224537226207232
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/856225130846060546
https://twitter.com/Ryan_fazekas/status/854105323954515968
https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN/status/856223861104398336

Tevonn is declaring for the draft and will go through the beginning stages of the NBA draft workouts and talking with NBA coaches and scouts. I am not worried about losing him to the draft (yet, hopefully he gets a shot next season (definitely will play pro in the near future)). He has till May 24th to drop out of the process.

This could only help him getting feedback from coaches/scouts/Front Office guys. Hopefully he gets good advice and some great tips from those coaches. Shouldn't hurt at all and probably could only help him.

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/852712787218399234
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/852713322210353156
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/852713934721347584
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/852714403392868356

Well it looks like that rumor was true about Assistant Coach Jackie Manuel leaving for the UNC-W... bummer. We've now lost Coach Warner (most likely was only temporary) & now Coach Manuel within the last few weeks. I could see maybe why Coach Manuel may have wanted to move closer to where he use to play college ball North Carolina.

https://twitter.com/BGMull/status/852509595868303361
https://twitter.com/AlexRileySN/status/852512358064934914

Wish Coach Manuel nothing but the best of luck!

Thought it may be time to start this thread Topic.

[NHL announces league not going to 2018 Olympics in South Korea]

Once again the NHL & Commissioner Gary Bettman shooting itself in the foot. Olympics is a great way to GROW the game & expose it to new people who have never seen or given hockey a try!

Yes there is a chance of injury but I can not believe how short sighted the NHL is to not see they are only hurting themselves in the long run and pissing off a LOT of fans and the players themselves!! The Players Union wants to be able to compete! Gary Bettman and some of the owners are the only ones who don't want players competing!

https://twitter.com/PR_NHL/status/848985459589914624

NHL announces league not going to 2018 Olympics in South Korea
Scott Burnside
ESPN Senior Writer

The National Hockey League announced Monday that it would not be sending its players to the Olympics in South Korea in 2018, ending months of controversy over the issue of participation in Pyeongchang.

The league had been looking for conciliatory offers from the International Olympic Committee and/or the National Hockey League Players' Association in order to placate an ownership group increasingly unhappy with the league shutting down for weeks every four years to take part in the Olympic tournament.

When that didn't happen in recent weeks the league decided to formally make the announcement that it would not participate in the South Korea Games, making good on a promise to resolve the matter prior to the start of the NHL playoffs which begin April 13.

"In an effort to create clarity among conflicting reports and erroneous speculation, this will confirm our intention to proceed with finalizing our 2017-18 Regular Season schedule without any break to accommodate the Olympic Winter Games," the league said in a release distributed Monday afternoon.

"We now consider the matter officially closed," the release stated.

What remains unknown is whether this decision precludes the NHL from returning to the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022.

The league's decision to abandon the South Korea Games comes less than a week after NHL officials, including NHL commissioner Gary Bettman visited Beijing to announce that two preseason games would be played in China by the Vancouver Canucks and the Los Angeles Kings next September.

The league believes that China represents a significant opportunity to grow the game globally but the IOC recently warned that if the NHL did not take part in the South Korean Olympics they could not necessarily count on taking part in the Beijing Games.

That perceived threat was another factor in Monday's announcement.

"A number of months have now passed and no meaningful dialogue has materialized. Instead, the IOC has now expressed the position that the NHL's participation in Beijing in 2022 is conditioned on our participation in South Korea in 2018," the league said.

The league informed NHLPA executive director Don Fehr of the decision Monday.

The players are almost unanimously in favor of the NHL continuing its Olympic participation and this decision will no doubt be greeted negatively by the players.

The league had been hopeful that the players' desire to continue participating in the Olympics would lead to some sort of concessions, like agreeing to see the current collective bargaining agreement through to its conclusion in 2022 instead of exercising an out option two years earlier. But the players' association's view was that they should not have to make concessions to ensure that Olympic participation continued.

``Obviously the players are not about to engage in collective bargaining in return for getting an opportunity to go to the Olympics for which they aren't being paid, where very valuable things would go elsewhere in return for that," Fehr told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun in a recent interview.

Some players, including Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, have said they would play in the Olympics regardless of whether the league was formally committed or not. The league did not address this issue in its release, but league officials expect players to fulfill their contractual commitments to play with their respective clubs.

In December, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said he'd support Ovechkin playing in the Olympics if the NHL decided not to go.

"He knows I have his back on this one," Leonsis told ESPN.com in December. "If this is what's so important to him and he wants to go to the Olympics, he should be able to do that."

A source told ESPN's Craig Custance that the NHL told its teams on Monday in a memo not to say anything publicly about individual players going and that the league will deal with the situation.

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/19069690/nhl-announces-league-not-participating-2018-olympics-south-korea

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/18925708/nhl-players-overwhelmingly-want-play-2018-winter-olympics-big-question

Players overwhelmingly in favor of playing in the Winter Olympics

Do you want the NHL to participate in the Olympics? Why or why not?

Ben Bishop, Los Angeles Kings: "Yes, I think they should go to the Olympics. Fans and players get so excited for it. If we didn't go, it would be a big letdown to both."

Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks: "I think so. Firsthand experience, it was a great experience for myself. I was in Torino and then in Vancouver. I think it's good for hockey. I think it's good for hockey worldwide. It definitely promotes players going and representing their countries, and I know players really enjoy it."

Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning: "I can only speak for myself, but my answer might be a little different just because I didn't get a chance to play [in Sochi] because of injury last time, so I really want to go. In talking to a lot of players, I've yet to hear someone say they didn't want to get a chance to represent their country at the Olympics. I know it's been a hot topic, but the players have said it since Day 1 and haven't strayed away, that we really want a chance to have a once-in-a-lifetime-chance experience. You never know how many chances you're going to get to represent your country on a stage like the Olympics."

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs: "I think everybody likes the idea of the Olympics. For sure, I remember always watching them growing up. Obviously, to play in them would be a great honor. I've represented my country in the [U.S. national program], the world championships, the world juniors. It's always pretty special to put on your country's jersey. It's definitely very important for all the players."

Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins: "I think every player wants to be part of the Olympics. It's one of the biggest stages that any athlete can participate in and compete in. It makes it so special when you have your best athletes all over the world competing against each other. Anytime there's some sort of interference, it looks bad on the sport and it looks bad on the people making the decisions. We are at a point where people need to really sit down behind one table and find a solution instead of always kind of being defensive, I would say, or finding ways not to find solutions. That's what I'm hoping for and believe that it will eventually happen -- things will find a way and fall into place for the Olympics, for the sport and for the history of all the nations being in the same place."

Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild: "I understand it's a break for the regular season, but worldwide for the fans, as someone that comes from Finland, it's the biggest sport that people back there follow. As an athlete, too, a lot of athletes don't get to experience that. I think it's a very special event. Just the atmosphere and getting the chance to spend time with other athletes -- to me that's all about sports, and it's just the right thing to do."

Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings: "Yes. The Olympics are supposed to symbolize the best in the world. That's in the NHL: Most of the best players in the world play in the NHL. I think all the guys, no matter where you're from, want to represent their country at the highest level."

Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators: "Absolutely. It's one of the most important things for the hockey community outside of North America, probably, to watch the superstars play at the same time. Coming from Sweden, we never got the opportunity to watch NHL games, or watch NHL live, and you don't see it on TV as much. The Olympics were probably the only time that we really sat down and watched everybody together. For the sake of the hockey game, not allowing us to go is going to cause a lot of damage. ... It's an opportunity to let everybody see how good the game has become and get the opportunity to see the best players at the same time. It's easy marketing for the league to do by just sending guys, and guys want to go. I don't think I have ever spoken to anyone who has ever been in an Olympics, or would have an opportunity to go to the next one, that doesn't want to go."

Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks: "As a player, the level of hockey there (I know it's high in the playoffs, but...) when you're in a one-game-takes-all and you're on Canada playing the U.S., there's no better hockey you're going to be a part of. As a competitive guy, I want to be part of those games. And obviously I want to represent my country again and bring home the gold. On top of all that, it's good for hockey to have the best players in the world at the Olympics. Otherwise, what is it, really?"

Thomas Vanek, Florida Panthers: "I like it. I think my best memories as a kid were watching Olympic hockey. For a lot of kids around, speaking from the European side of it, they don't get to see that much NHL hockey because of the time difference, but I think for the Olympics, it doesn't matter where it was, you kind of stayed up or the games were televised the next day, so I think the exposure of the [Olympic] game was just so much greater than an NHL game."

Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild: "All I know is that in 2014, when I played in Sochi, it was one of the greatest tournaments I've been in. As a player and an athlete, being able to play in an Olympic Games, I'm really proud of that. ... I love the Olympic atmosphere and everything with it. I hope we can play."

Frans Nielsen, Detroit Red Wings: "Yes. If we want to grow our game worldwide, it's important. You need the best players there to do that. Over there, even on the business side, it's a big market over there, where hockey isn't big right now. You need your best players to advertise it everywhere. I know it's not going to be prime time over here with the time change, but there's still going to be kids in Europe watching hockey. It's one of the major events in the Olympics. We want to keep growing our game worldwide. It's important the best players participate."

Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators: "I don't see why we wouldn't, especially [because] everyone wants to play. All the players want to play. I guess, obviously, it's going to be a little bit of a break in the season, but we're doing that break already, I feel like, [with bye weeks]. Yeah, I would love to play. I've never had a chance and, yeah, growing up watching it and just not for the hockey, just for the whole experience of everything around it. I don't think that would be a very good decision to take that away from all the players."

Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild: "It's a great experience as players and as fans to watch it. It's the best-on-best in the tournament. So from that angle, I think it's awesome. But at the same time, I can see it's a long [distance] away. It's South Korea. That's not like you're going to Vancouver. So there's logistic things that go along with it, and you're in the middle of the hockey season. I can see how it's not just like jumping on a flight for two hours. There's a lot of other things that go on with it. So for me it'd be great just because it's a great tournament and it's a great experience. As a player, it's a great experience, and as a fan, to watch. But the games are at three in the morning, and it's that far away, maybe it's not going to look the same as in other places. That's just because of where it is. Once you're there as a player, it's going to be just the same, but as far as an audience, it's a little bit different, I guess."

Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs: "It's the thing everyone loves watching -- seeing all the top countries playing in that tournament. It's the thing everyone wakes up and loves watching. I don't remember a time of NHL players not being able to go. It's exciting to watch the Olympics with those guys a part of it. ... Everyone wants to play for that crest. If an opportunity like that comes and it gets shut down, it would suck a lot. But there's nothing you can do about it."

Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild: "I think all the players would like to play in the Olympics. It's a special event. I haven't had the opportunity to play in them, but I know from watching it throughout my career and throughout my life, it's a special event. I imagine the guys going there with such a different atmosphere, with all the different athletes there and the different sports. It's a unique experience that I think every player will tell you is something they wouldn't want to miss."

Johnny Oduya, Chicago Blackhawks: "Personally, yes, I think the Olympics is the biggest stage in the world. It's something very positive that would spread the game of hockey around the globe with being where it is in the upcoming two Olympics here with South Korea and China. Those are two markets that everybody in the NHL is interested in expanding the game to. I see it as a very positive thing for everybody involved. Of course, there's some concern from owners, I'm assuming, that maybe some players might get hurt, there's more taxation on players [physically], the issue of revenue and things like that. But overall, in the long run, I think it's a positive thing. Players want to go there and play. I've been fortunate to be part of two Olympics. As a player, it's something that's very special."

Reid Duke, Vegas Golden Knights: "Oh, of course. I'd have to agree with the players. You just watch them on TV and you see how passionate they get about wanting to represent their country. I think that's one of the highest honors you can achieve, is representing where you're from. I don't think that the Olympics will be the same without [NHL players]. ... It's something that would be a little strange without having those players there."

Mike Babcock, Toronto Maple Leafs: "I think it's really important. Getting your name on the Stanley Cup is something you dream about. Playing for your country in the Olympics, playing best on best, there's no better event, there is none. So to have that opportunity, I think, is important. I think it's important to showcase your game every year [and] not just pick and choose when it's your turn or when you'd like to go. But I don't own any teams."

Dan Bylsma, Buffalo Sabres: "I think it's the biggest stage, the best venue, the greatest players in the game playing. I have mixed feelings about what it does to the NHL season. I have mixed feelings about the break for the year. I have mixed feelings about seeing John Tavares get injured in the Olympic games. Those are all part of that, but I just like the aspect of the best players in the world playing on the biggest stage. It's the best tournament. It happens once every four years. ... I would like them all to be able to go and play in the greatest tournament we have."

Brian Boucher, retired: "I get why the NHL players should be there, because it's best-on-best and fans want to see that. It is really cool to see NHL players playing for their country, even if those countries aren't powerhouses on the world stage. For that, it's really cool. But I grew up in a time when the Olympics, from a Canadian and American standpoint, were about the amateurs and the college kids getting a chance, and maybe guys that were on the tail end of their career. I see a really cool story in that as well, although it may not be great from a marketing standpoint, because it would be players that many [fans] don't know. But I always found interest in that from a hockey standpoint. I remember the '92 Olympics. I remember the '88 Olympics. I remember the '94 Olympics, when these kids traveled around with the U.S. national team all year, and you hear a story about a kid who got cut on the last weekend before the Olympics took place, or you get to know who these kids are while on the Olympic stage. ... I see it two ways. But the fans, for the most part, want to see the best players, and I can't blame them for that because they want to see the best hockey possible. But from a storytelling standpoint, I always love the stories of the underdog."

-- Pierre LeBrun, Scott Burnside, Craig Custance, Joe McDonald

Coach Warner who was here for one year as the Special Assistant to the Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator is leaving to become the Head Coach of lagler College's Men's Basketball Program.

We wish him the best of luck!

https://twitter.com/FlaglerSports/status/848266110478815233
https://twitter.com/ValpoAD/status/848333174874570752
https://twitter.com/apete1993/status/848318610397315072
https://twitter.com/CoachLottich/status/850149106433613824

Just a thread to discuss anything about Horizon League Basketball.

[those away from campus should be aware there is a movement organized by activist faculty members to change the name of the team and the mascot, as well as the Valparaiso University logo.]

I thought this deserved its own thread. I saw ValpoPal's post that mentioned it.

Personally I am not for changing the Mascot. There is sometimes change that is needed to be respectful in my eyes but then there are people who want to see change because they think society should be "overly-sensitive" and I think this creeps into that territory...

ValpoPal's Post from before:

More important than the name on the back of the uniforms, those away from campus should be aware there is a movement organized by activist faculty members to change the name of the team and the mascot, as well as the Valparaiso University logo. In this week's Torch, a letter appeared from one of the faculty after a "teach-in" by the "Compassionate Campus Faculty Learning Community" titled "Islamaphobia and the Crusader Mascot." The group has a Facebook page, "VU-FLC Creating a Compassionate Campus Series," where they have posted photos of the "teach-in" and a poll intended to create artwork for a new VU logo.

How about if we alter the name from "the fighting Crusaders of Valparaiso University" to "The Compassionate Crusaders of Vaplaraiso University" ?  We could still use the mascot but have him smiling.

Maybe he mascot is smiling under the armor. How about we assume that and move forward?

In the meantime, we should have a set back the clock game, wear the puke orange jerseys from the Smith era,  play a game at Hilltop and flip the bird at the officials in honor of Rob Harden? Ok, maybe not the last suggestion. How about play without a shot kick and win 35-33 over a div 3 Indiana foe?

Just what we need...the faculty running the University!  I've had it with the politically correct crap.  Maybe we could change our colors to pink and blue and change our nickname to "The fighting Jeans" to eliminate the gender thing too.

https://twitter.com/nwioren/status/844660542627336201
https://twitter.com/nwioren/status/844660872723251201
https://twitter.com/nwioren/status/844661041963450368
https://twitter.com/nwioren/status/844661441709948928
https://twitter.com/nwioren/status/844661736343060481
https://twitter.com/nwioren/status/844662302523772929
https://twitter.com/nwioren/status/844662809485082630

Valpo has 2 available scholarships for next season and John Kiser who played a key role & played well down the stretch this season, has likely earned one of them.

That leaves one more scholarship available. What would you do with it and which type of player would you like to see added to the roster?

What are the most important needs for this team next season and going forward? Obviously we'd like to land another player in the mold of Alec Peters and Ryan Broekhoff but those players don't usually fall into a programs lap and we can't count on landing one of those players every 4 years. Hopefully we do find that guy but we can't count on it.

Just a thread to discuss anything about college basketball. I would normally put this thread in a Non-Valpo Basketball Board but those boards on this site don't get that much traffic or views.

https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/837126816108273666

I just became extremely sad. 

[Horizon League Awards:]

Horizon League Awards:

Horizon League Player of the Year: Alec Peters (Valparaiso)

Horizon League Coach of the Year: John Brannen (Northern Kentucky)

Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year: Tai Odiase (UIC)

Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year: Warren Jones (Green Bay)

Horizon League Freshman of the Year: Corey Allen (Detroit)

All Conference First Team:
-Alec Peters (Valparaiso)
-Mark Alstork (Wright State)
-Drew McDonald (Northern Kentucky)
-Cameron Morse (Youngstown State)
-Jaylen Hayes (Oakland)

All Conference Second Team:
-Jaleel Hogan (Detroit)
-Martez Walker (Oakland)
-Shane Hammink (Valparaiso)
-Rob Edwards (Cleveland State)
-Charles Cooper (Green Bay)

All Freshman Team:
-Corey Allen (Detroit)
-Carson Williams (Northern Kentucky)
-Isaiah Brock (Oakland)
-Tarkus Ferguson (UIC)
-Dominique Matthews (UIC)

All Defensive Team:
-Tevonn Walker (Valparaiso)
-Kenneth Love (Green Bay)
-Isaiah Brock (Oakland)
-Tai Odiase (UIC)
-Khalil Small (Green Bay)

https://www.facebook.com/HorizonLeague/videos/10154258979690079/

https://twitter.com/HorizonLeague/status/836961982142017536

https://twitter.com/HorizonLeague/status/836961733986103297

Everyone still seems concerned about the Oakland loss that we forgot to create a Detroit thread.

We need to finish out the season strong and take care of business.

[Pool a priority in Valparaiso parks plan]

I recently read a Post-Tribune article according to a poll about 90% Valpo residents want an Aquatic Center.

I was wondering if others think it would be possible for the Valparaiso University and the city of Valparaiso to build an aquatic center and pool? Valparaiso needs a major upgrade to their pool and I was wondering if it would be possible to split resources to affordably build a pool for both the community, Student Athletes, student, and faculty.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-valparaiso-park-plan-st-1120-20161118-story.html

Pool a priority in Valparaiso parks plan

A Draft of a five-year plan for the Valparaiso Parks Department includes a pool or aquatic center, a proposed dog park and the possibility of expanding to cover Center Township, which now relies on the county's parks department.

The draft was presented last week to about 15 people.

"This is more a directional piece," said John Seibert, parks director, with the goal of being on the right track of what residents want. More specifics will be in the final draft, which the parks staff and consultants will present to the parks board at a Dec. 20 meeting.

Through research, community meetings and two surveys, it was found that an aging population wants more multi-generational activities, more outdoor activities, nature and hiking and biking trails, and a nature center. said Austin Hochstettler of Pros Consulting of Indianapolis.

Ninety percent want a pool, he said, while interest in special events decreased even as attendance at events increased 16 percent.

Seibert said Kirchoff Park, Rogers-Lakewood Park and the horticultural center are in line for makeovers and would be the first facilities to have individual plans.

Suggestions from the audience included allowing bow hunting for deer on empty parks land, buying abandoned sites and not infringing on programs provided by Valparaiso University or the schools.

The parks department will seek more public/private partnerships and make use of the stand-alone school gyms being built to save money, Seibert said, and will keep an eye on available land, starting with the south side and followed by the west, east and north.

Besides partnerships, the department will look for ways to generate revenue to maintain existing parks, a concern revealed in surveys. But residents won't see a recreation fee attached to their tax or utility bills, Seibert said. The only fee that can be charged is that imposed on new developments for projected population increases and that can only be used for new parks.

For Valparaiso's series of hiking and biking trails, the consultants identified three loops, one in the center of the city, one on the east side and one on the west side. Consulting engineer Adam Higgins of SEH of Indiana said the city needs to put paths into the neighborhoods and look to connect to outside networks, such as the planned Kankakee-Dunes trail along Indiana 49.

The consultants recommended improved trail identification and going forward with plans for trailheads with parking, restrooms and kiosks.

Seibert said Valparaiso University students surveyed weren't aware a trail passed by their school. The department would likely put trailheads where amenities already exist, such as Foundation Meadows Park, Central Park and Valplayso, he said.

James D. Wolf Jr. is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

[New NCAA rule basically will pay schools for committing academic fraud]

New NCAA rule basically will pay schools for committing academic fraud

By Mike DeCourcy

So now it literally pays to cheat in NCAA athletics.

It always had been hypothetical before. Like, a booster might slip $100,000 into that figurative shoebox for the quarterback whom coach really wants to sign, but there never has been a guarantee the player would turn out to be a superstar. It's not unprecedented for a five-star prospect to become a fifth-string washout.

A school could gerrymander a defensive lineman's grades so he's available when otherwise he might not be, but it's possible that player could tear up his knee and be unavailable for the big rivalry game.

here's less nuance, though, to the NCAA announcement Thursday it will soon distribute a significant amount of the revenue from its media rights contract with Turner Sports and CBS as a reward for academic achievement among athletes. It sounds noble and well-intentioned, and maybe it is. However, it also is myopic and naïve.

(And it sounds a bit too much like mom and dad handing out $10 bills for A's in Geometry.)

The NCAA previously has divvied up revenue from its multi-billion contract based in part on team/conference performance in the NCAA Tournament as well as through a formula that included the number of sports a university sponsors.

As of the 2019-20 school year, colleges will be able to earn "academic achievement" credits for keeping an Academic Progress rate 985 or higher, a Graduation Success Rate of 90 percent or better or a federal graduation rate 13 percentage points better than the overall rate for the school in general.

It sounds great in theory. So did the APR, however.

The APR was designed to be a truer statistical read on how athletes were performing as students than the fallacious federal rate that counted every transfer out as a failure and made no accommodation for those who transfer in and graduate. In practice, though, tying competitive penalties to the APR has appeared to accelerate the clustering of athletes in less rigorous majors. Universities don't want to cope with the enormous embarrassment of APR penalties, and they surely don't want their teams missing postseason play on that account.

It should come as no surprise this utopian proposal was advocated by the Knight Commission, which has meddled in college athletics for nearly three decades and rarely for the better. It's a cosmetic adjustment that does little to enhance college athletics and could have devastating side effects.

"This landmark change benefits schools at which student-athletes succeed academically and graduate," NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a release. "The creation of an academic distribution unit underscores the NCAA's commitment to putting its money where its mission is — with students. We've distributed funds to assist schools whose students need help in the classroom, but this is the first time revenue distribution will be determined by a school's academic achievement. It's an important moment for us as an Association."

It's also a fundamental mistake because it places an even greater incentive before the schools either to manipulate the numbers, or "teach to the test," so to speak.

It's not as if my concern over academic shenanigans is a cynical invention. For one, I'm not a cynic. I'm just someone who's been awake for the past five years.

Three of the most recent scandals in college basketball involved such issues: at Syracuse, SMU and, still to be adjudicated, North Carolina. Although SMU's apparently was focused on a single athlete, the investigation of Syracuse looked into multiple players over at least four seasons, and the UNC issue was traced back by the Wainstein report from 1993 to 2011.

The cost of an athlete's academic struggle escalated with the introduction of the APR. Now the reward for the athlete's academic achievement becomes that much greater with the new TV contract distribution model.

The honest schools, and they comprise the vast majority, will be slightly empowered by the change. The others have seen their incentive effectively double. When this turns out badly, please don't say you weren't warned.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/news/ncaa-revenue-distribution-academics-mark-emmert-cbs-turner-contract/8uawiesd3ybd1561zq2l0yb4t?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter


https://twitter.com/tsnmike/status/791991920079671296

https://twitter.com/franfraschilla/status/791999343842562048

I think the 1 and 5 positions will be the X-Factor's this season. The obvious one also being how far can Alec take us this season. Basketball is a team game but also having a special player like Alec makes world of impact on the game. Alec is one of the best players in the country this year and probably arguably a Top 3 or 5 mid-major player in the country this season. We have other very talented players on our team also but I don't think anyone would question that Alec will lead our team in play this year.

A couple of my thoughts:

Micah is very talented, but you never know how true freshman PG is going to handle the responsibility of making decisions in his first season. Micah has the speed and acceleration to create his own shot, but it may be an adjustment in the beginning for him because athletes at this level are bigger, faster, stronger. I really like his 3 point shot and its surprisingly smooth and think that will surprise some people, and could space the floor for the bigs and Alec if they are working post or need to open up driving lanes for Hammink. (side note: I'm curious as to how Hammink's mid-range game may have developed, because if he can keep his defender honest and make the defender come up on him then watch out. I hope we never need to force Hammink to play the 1 ever again, and we should only have to use him in a pinch. He's just not a natural ball handler.)

I think Lexus is going to be one of the X-Factors of this team. He was a huge surprise his freshman year and played a big role and step up on running the offense and he was a bull-dog defender who play great man to man, and was athletic enough to get to the rim when he needed to. Coming off that ACL knee injury, in the little amount of minutes he played he didn't look like he had that burst or confidence back yet last year. Which is understandable. It just didn't seem like Bryce or the coaching staff trusted him last year, when they gave Keith a breather. I'm hoping to see him get back to and improve on what he started his freshman season. As for Max, I just don't know. He has all the physical tools and athleticism to be a good player, but he just hasn't put it together yet and hasn't gotten the playing time to prove anything yet.

As for the Bigs: We all know what Jubril is. Not flashy but can eat minutes and surprise you once in a while. works his tail off often times against bigger guy on defense and he wins his match up on effort. He's sort of has improved his game little by little every year and is one the leaders on the team.

-Derrick: Is another x-factor for this season. Has he completely come back from that injury and moving around at full speed? Can he stay out of foul trouble? Can he hold his own on defense? The guy has the blood-lines and size to be a very good mid-major big man and play in Europe in my opinion. I've seen him busting his tail in the gym with his dad working on post on moves and post defense. Not a bad coach/training partner. It's sort of not fair for me to throw all these questions on him, but he is going to an important player this year and it will be interesting to see how fast he develops and plays in his red-shirt freshman season. I have a high hopes for Derrick's college playing career, especially as an offensive big man. How fast can he adjust to the collegiate level play? (side note: I know I've mentioned this before but I'm worried about Smits being a very early grad transfer down the road)

-Sorolla: To be honest I can't even give you an informed opinion on the guy because I've only watched the youtube videos of him play and heard some really good things from people who watched him in practice. He has good size and experience playing for the Spain's junior nationals team and played fairly well there. It looks like he runs the floor very well and is very agile for a big man. I'm curious as to whether the coaching staff will eventually play Sorolla at the 4 and Smits at the 5 down the road. I think Gore mentioned it in an interview as possibility in the Spring. A 6-11' and 7-2' front court could be really tough to defend if its possible to pair them together. Apparently Sorolla was fairly under recruited and around the committed to Valpo, large conference schools were taking a look. Sounds like a talented kid.

Just a few of my thoughts on some of the x-factor players for this season. I'm cautiously optimistic, but I think we are going to lean heavily on Peters this season, especially the first half the season while some of these key young players get their feet under them.

I thought we had a rough week losing Bryce, but UNLV... Their newly hired head coach Chris Beard leaves for another job after ONE week!!! I would be infuriated if I were a UNLV fan, player or administrator. What a low class individual. You proclaim your excitement and gratitude a week earlier to only to leave them for Texas Tech. Such a sleaze move by Chris Beard and the Texas Tech athletic department.

I'm all for coaches reaching for getting a raise and leaving for better opportunities in most cases but this is classless. If I'm a recruit and I see this and Chris Beard give you a call I would hang up the phone.

"UNLV athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy made the announcement in a statement issued at 11:11 a.m.

"This unprecedented move is extremely disappointing to the President (Len Jessup) and I, for our program and to our fans," Kunzer-Murphy said. "Our search process allowed us to develop a deep pool of qualified candidates, from which we will select a great coach who really wants to be here and who will honor his commitments in leading the Runnin' Rebels.""

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/15210975/chris-beard-coach-texas-tech-red-raiders-less-week-accepting-unlv-job

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGgWlll7CA8

Which are you watching?

I'm going with neither! Blackhawks!! But probably going to be flipping back in forth between the Hawks and GS game. I really don't want the GS to break the Bulls record (probably going to happen...). 1995-1996 Bulls >>>>>>>>>>>>> 2015-2016 Golden State.

As for Kobe... I could careless. This farewell tour is so over blown. Was he a great player? Yes. Is he in my Top 10 player of all time? Probably not. He was a massive star who scored a ton of buckets, good defender, and crazy competitor, but to be honest he wasn't the best player on his team for the first 3 championships. I don't dislike Kobe but people talk about him lately like he was MJ (which he wasn't). If you actually take a deep dive into basketball analytics, he wasn't a very efficient player in terms of all-time great players go.