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New USH podcast is out.  I can't wait to listen when I get time this evening.

There was no team in the Horizon that was ever going to win a NCAA tourney game, so Valpo's move allowed them to cash in on the success of Loyola and Drake.

Well worded. Can we assume your careful phrasing was not just a clumsy accident? 

No, as 1314 pointed out, even the really good teams that Valpo had in the Horizon were going to get hosed by the NCAA (through seeding or no invite).  As shown this year, the MVC gets much more respect when it comes to selection and seeding for the tourney.

I don't recall if someone already covered this, but I'll mention it in case. Each unit from this year's tournament was worth $2,022,846 paid in increments over the next 6 years. By earning 5 units, the league made a whopping $10,114,230. That's more than a million dollars per program, less the league office's cut.  That is a load at a crucial time of need.

This really highlights the benefits of Valpo moving to the MVC.  There was no team in the Horizon that was ever going to win a NCAA tourney game, so Valpo's move allowed them to cash in on the success of Loyola and Drake.

Assuming we are done with bringing in transfers and done losing transfers.

Who was the biggest loss?
Clay, JO, Robinson, Mileek, Sackey, Helm, Lorange

Who was the biggest gain?
Anderson, Taylor, Kithier, Hedstrom

And overall an upgrade vs downgrade?

All 7 fall into 1 or more of the following categories:
• not talented enough to play
• enough talent to play, but lousy numbers to show for it
• selfish (as in demanding to play guard and pouting, yelling at the coach, and giving a halfhearted effort if told to play another position)
• thought the coaching staff didn't exhibit enough spiritual leadership (the type you might expect to see at evangelical or fundamentalist colleges). Also thought the coach should have disciplined a certain selfish player, but supposedly didn't

All 7 are addition by subtraction. I like our new guys a lot.

I won't argue with any of this.  You had a very similar evaluation of the Evelyn/Smits et al departures a few years ago. 

I will ask this ... if all the recent departures are due to deficiencies in the talent/attitude/character of the players, does any of that fault fall with the coaching staff who recruited them to campus?  I don't have an opinion either way, but just curious what the group thinks.

Things have definitely changed, with kids showing much less patience to put in work while waiting their turn.  It's also true that some % of kids just never develop into the player you thought they would be when you offered a scholarship to them at age 16.  All programs make recruiting mistakes ... could it be that Lottich is more honest and more aggressive in moving on from his mistakes?

So what's the rotation going to look like?   Who starts and who subs in and out. 

Looks like multiple scenarios.  Will be interesting to see how Connor fits in this with him starting last year.   

Good question. I would guess that three transfers start (Kithier, Anderson and Taylor) together with Ben and Eron.  Next 5 would be Goodnews, Sheldon, Hedstrom, Cam and Keyondre.  Oh man, some guys are not going to be happy. 

I'd have Sheldon instead of Taylor, but who knows?  Taylor is new to DI, so I'd like to see how he adjusts to big time ball in the MVC.

A few interesting thoughts in that article, but what a tough read.  If someone is going to "publish" an article, mixing in some commas or periods in the appropriate spots makes comprehension much easier. 

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1359903254147129344

Now I'm confused. Is "retiring the Crusader mascot over the coming months" the same as "changing the Crusader nickname?" If it is, it's certainly a strange way of saying it. The Crusader mascot and the Crusader nickname are related but different. The mascot is a symbol. There are examples where universities changed their mascot but retained their nickname.

Good question.  Illinois eliminated their mascot Chief Illiniwek but kept the nickname Illini.

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SIUE's game today cancelled due to a positive COVID test within the SIUE program.  Concerning since they played Valpo just a few days ago.

I really doubt the NCAA will want to play NCAA tournament games on 84 foot high school courts, but I may be wrong.

I'm also curious how many players will move up career statistical lists because they will play the equivalent of 5 seasons?

[more scholarships over the next 4 years]

This sounds eerily similar in the level of irresponsibility to Congress passing legislation that gave most every adult in the country a free $1200 and $500 for their kids, whether they suffered a job or hours loss, or didn't. I can personally attest to a boatload of friends and relatives who received checks who hadn't lost a penny due to COVID. What a country.   

I don't disagree with you there. I took the money I was given and bought this very laptop that I'm typing this on. The leftover money I donated to the Biden campaign. It felt like the right thing to do!

The Biden quip is clever. Let me be more direct. College athletic departments across the country are in severe financial distress, and with all the COVID restrictions on game attendance it's going to get worse IMO - much worse. Here we are almost in Nov. and the Athletic Dept. has yet to collect a dime for season tickets. With COVID getting worse, conceivably, the entire season's gate could be lost. As we know, normal NCAA tournament revenue sharing has taken a huge hit, a situation that will continue to affect revenue sharing for several years. Pay-to-play games are dead. Certain other scholarship sports have been eliminated. The university itself is in severe financial distress.

Just when you think things can't get worse, the NCAA strolls in and makes a shortsighted decision to further add to the university's financial dilemma by forcing the provision of more scholarships over the next 4 years, whether they're needed or not. So, who's going to pay for these? Certainly not the NCAA. The athletic dept. doesn't have it. The university doesn't have it. How are donors like me supposed to respond when the next appeal comes asking if I can help out? Hopefully, you can appreciate on some level my frustration when organization governance decides to recklessly spend someone else's money that they don't have and at a time where they're trying to hang on for dear life. How easy it is to play Santa Claus and sow good will when you're charging on someone else's credit card.

To clarify, the extra scholarships will be allowed for only the '21-'22 season and only for current seniors who choose to return to their current school.  For the '22-'23 season, coaches must manage the roster back to 13 scholarship players.  This may be a challenge since many players may want to stay around a year longer than originally expected.

All this managing of rosters may become easier if the NCAA allows each player one-time transfer with no sit out requirement, which is expected to be passed next summer. 

[We're also recruiting Minnesota as well]

Oh yeah! Great news! Great get! I'm not sure how we do so well in Wisconsin but I love that we do! It's wonderful!

Coach Bowen and Coach Townsend opened doors to Wisconsin and the staff has made Wisconsin more of recruiting priority. We're also recruiting Minnesota as well

Coach Bowen was the head coach at Minnesota Duluth.  Valpo has had a "pipeline" to Minnesota going back to Harry Bell, Jared Nuness, Dwayne Totley and even Arden Skogland and now Goodnews!

You forgot Urule and Chris Halvorsen.

Great news!  Lottich and staff continue to show they can recruit at an elite level.   

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Again, the goal of reducing/eradicating racism (or at least, racist acts) on campus is admirable.  Is the best way to accomplish that goal really punishing/expelling students who have ever liked a social media post the University thinks could be offensive? 

I'm not that familiar with Facebook, but I do know that many Twitter users utilize the "like" function to bookmark posts/links they want to be able to find later.  What if I "like" a tweet that links to a blog post about the BLM movement to read later, only to find out the linked post contains "offensive" material or words?  What if I accidentally "like" an offensive tweet while quickly scrolling through my timeline on my phone?  Also, "Likes" or "Retweets" don't always equate to an endorsement.  People may retweet things they don't agree with, just to mock or ridicule a position they consider silly. 

(comparing Valparaiso to Chicago is just not a fair comparison)

I think this hits the nail on the head.  Valpo has the advantage of being in a small town and on a very large campus, plus, a much smaller student body.  It isn't a stretch to think that every on campus student could have their own room, particularly if Scheele was put back on line.  It's apples to oranges to campare Loyola to Valpo or Drake, for example.

Thanks to COVID, Valpo's small town setting, small enrollment and excess dorm capacity is finally a competitive advantage!   

I think the University should do everything it can to promote diversity and tolerance for all races/religions, etc.  Racist acts should not be tolerated.  With that said, attempting to police the comments of all students on all social media platforms to ensure they don't post anything someone might find "offensive" is a rabbit hole they shouldn't crawl into.

Once upon a time, college campuses were lauded as a place where diverse ideas and beliefs were openly discussed and debated logically.  Campuses today are the exact opposite of that.  Showing support for any Republican (much less the President) or questioning if there might be underlying political/social/economic agendas behind the BLM movement are clearly not topics that can be openly discussed ... they get you labeled as a hateful racist by the self-proclaimed "open-minded" and "tolerant" students/profs who run today's colleges and universities.

"The return game may have been pushed out a year given the current travel challenges."
-If that is the case we then loose a marquis home game for this upcoming season.  That would leave Valpo with Eastern Michigan and SIU-e...Plus what ever is in the works.

On the bright side, I assume several other schools in the midwest are also scrambling for games, so maybe this opens some doors with schools in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

https://twitter.com/TheD1Docket/status/1275557459684450306

https://twitter.com/TheD1Docket/status/1275568026046398466

Looks like Charlotte is heading to DC in late December instead of NW Indiana as we once thought.  Maybe the game got rescheduled to a different date or perhaps it is another buy out to get out of playing at the ARC? We will have to wait and see.

The return game may have been pushed out a year given the current travel challenges.

Will they be Brandon Homer's team Dawson's Woods? 

[IU has never come to Valpo for a basketball game ... it's silly to think they would for Newman.]

Bryce has probably got his greatest gift since going to GCU. Bobby Hurley at Arizona State will play the Lopes at Grand Canyon University Arena.

IU won't come to Valpo for Newman or any player from the Region but ASU knows it should stay in the Phoenix area despite having to play in GCU's arena. Obviously with social distancing it won't be the same but it will be a chance for Bryce and GCU to make a real mark.

https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/platform/amp/2020/6/13/21289953/bobby-hurley-gives-grand-canyon-its-shot-at-asu-sun-devils-blue-devils-duke-basketball

IU has never come to Valpo for a basketball game ... it's silly to think they would for Newman.

Particularly silly for IU because Newman plays for Purdue! 

I was just going off what bbtds said, but you may be right.

Bryce has probably got his greatest gift since going to GCU. Bobby Hurley at Arizona State will play the Lopes at Grand Canyon University Arena.

IU won't come to Valpo for Newman or any player from the Region but ASU knows it should stay in the Phoenix area despite having to play in GCU's arena. Obviously with social distancing it won't be the same but it will be a chance for Bryce and GCU to make a real mark.

https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/platform/amp/2020/6/13/21289953/bobby-hurley-gives-grand-canyon-its-shot-at-asu-sun-devils-blue-devils-duke-basketball

IU has never come to Valpo for a basketball game ... it's silly to think they would for Newman.

Just looked it up. Jubril was suspended for the final 24 games of the 2016-17 season. 24 games for cheating on a school assignment vs. 5 games for shooting your friend in the head and trying to cover it up while your friend lays there on death's doorstep.

Reversing the penalties would make far more sense. Jubril cheats on a course assignment and receives a 5-game penalty. The Drake player accidentally shoots a friend in the head and tries to cover it up and is suspended for the remainder of the season.

One of the greatest "what ifs" in Valpo history.  Todd stated on USH that if not for losing Jubril (and Alec's injury), the 2017 was guaranteed to win at least 1 game in the NCAA tourney.  Had Carter rightfully gotten more eligibility, that 2017 team would have been a Sweet 16/Top 25 caliber squad.

Updated schedule:
@ Toledo Tue. 11/10
@ UIC Sat. 11/14
Challenge in Music City Nashville TN 11/27-29.
*Townson Towson
* Wright St.
*TBD
Eastern Michigan Sat. 12/5
@ Central Michigan Sat. 12/12
Charlotte Mon. 12/21

I could see Valpo playing at Vanderbilt just after their Challenge.  Vandy will be in Brooklyn for the Legends Classics Nov. 23 and 24th and Valpo in Nashville Nov. 27-29th.

Is the Challenge in Nashville 3 games in a round robin format?

That's a good and very fair list. Paul if you could make an honorable mention list (with or without your minimums in place) who would be on it? Just curious.

Good list.  The only argument I would make is that Carter does not belong ahead of Tevonn.  Tevonn scored 1,400+ career points (only 200 less than Ryan) and was a great defender (#8 in career steals).  I think he easily belongs in the top five. 

Honorable mention list would be long with so many great players in the decade.  I think Buggs, Bogan, Capobianco, Adekoya, D Walker, Nickerson and Fazekas would be on the list.

Paul and Todd discuss on today's USH podcast.  It appears that Todd disagrees with me, stating that Carter probably belongs in the top 5.  He's seen more games and talked to the coaches way more than me, so I'll defer.

Todd also stated that the 2017 team, if not for the Adekoya situation and the Peters injury, clearly would have won a game in the NCAA tournament ... no doubt.