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Tried to correct it, too  Didn't take except for my single post. I think the originator can change the title and icon on the original post.

Beacs 68
Bears 67

...on an open walk off 17' buzzer beater by Jahari.

You would think. But....................

I never played football and have never discussed this with any football players, but how would the current football players view this question? Would they prefer playing more higher tier opponents or playing non-D1 opponents outside of conference? This should be considered in such decisions.

Having played and coached at the college level, I can provide a generalized opinion.

1 - Players always want to be challenged by whom they play.
2 - Players want to see how they fare against the next highest level of talent. 
3 - Players want to win

So it is never a black or white answer to your "either/or" question. Our kids relish being challenged in conference or out of conference, and they love seeing how they measure up against FCS scholarship programs, despite knowing that the odds are stacked against them. Occasionally, however, there are glimpses of what might've been (like at Montana or against Illinois State).

But they also need a "win fix."  Always playing over one's head and never winning wears you down, saps energy and plays with your mind. But easy wins without the challenge also is not rewarding.

The answer, 84,  is a proper balance between your two options. 

And generally, Coach Fox has followed that script —> One FCS scholarship "buy" game + one Ivy or lower tier FCS or NCAA DII game + one NAIA or NCAA DIII game (although some NAIA programs give NCAA DII a run for their money).

But this season the NCAA has allowed FCS schools to schedule a 12th game. We could have added a non-scholarship DIII, but Coach Fox instead chose to go in the opposite direction and scheduled Northern Iowa.  And that in a nutshell is the reason for this particular discussion.  Had we scheduled a DIII, IMO, it wouldn't have been an issue.

If this young team continues to improve as they seem to be doing, by the end of the regular season, Kaspar and Jahari may prove to be more than just long shots. They'll have increased minutes vs. other freshmen.  Sepp will need to increase his scoring to go along with solid rebounding. Williamson has to become a more consistent scorer from both the field and from the line. But either one could break through.

Watching the game, I wondered if we might see Coach Powell receive his first technical foul. He seemed upset with the officials a few times, especially when Stafford was injured by an SIU player running into him. The Rev's occasional glare at officials is pretty intimidating, but I am curious what it would take to make him mad enough or to think it was tactical as a motivational move to get a technical.

That dynamic had been missing from Valpo basketball for the past several seasons.  Just saying that for a friend.

Until MSU just beat Drake, I was kinda thinking we'd squeak out one win and possibly two. Uhhh.... i guess not.

I have zero concern over our recruiting when it comes to the defensive side of the ball and kicking specialists. Fox has had his D scheme in place and stable since he arrived. Yeah, the assistant coach revolving door has impacted defense some, but it always comes down to Fox. He knows what he needs and who he wants there in the recruiting cycle. Our defense keeps our program competitive in just about every PFL contest.

Question:  but how do you recruit for specific offensive talent when the O scheme changes from year to year based on an unstable staff and, alas, what appears to be no clear, consistent and established vision season to season?

We've  this as well numerous times.  I certainly wish I could be a fly on the wall in the AD/HFBC meetings.

One bodybag/buy game is OK for the experience and the cash flow.  Two (especially both in the MvFC) is really tough on the record, the players and the psyche. But it is one more paycheck, I guess. We did this in 2022 with ISUr and then added New Mexico State as a bonus at the end, but that was not two FCS schollies in a row. Then you add in both IWU and a NEC school (schollies as well, but no cash for these) — is any other PFL program as masochistic as this?

But we have  this a few times before, and it is what it is. If Valpo wants football, it's do what ya gotta do.

[SPOILER ALERT]

16,  it's obvious by the scheduling that we're in the process of loading up on FBS xfers and we have corralled some very experienced assistant coaches to take the '24 team to new competitive heights. 🤣

OR.......

We are loading up on body bag games to salt away enough funds to, hopefully, be a little more competitive in the future.

SPOILER ALERT: People, we have freakin scheduled 1/6th of the entire MVFC just for smiles and giggles. 

And BTW, I believe the St. Francis you listed is in the NEC and is in Lorretto, PA.  There was a St. Francis, Brooklyn, but they didn't play FB and left the NEC in 2022. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Football Assistant pay won't go up while we're paying Lottich several hundred thousand to sit at home.

Lottich is now an assistant at Missouri, and if his VU contract did not specify that the buy out would be reduced by the compensation in his next job, that would be criminal negligence.

Why was SIU  left out?

If there is a football budget line that needs major beefing up it is assistant coach salaries. Facilities are fine for now.   There's a decent, dedicated weight room. Buy games have helped considerably to defray operating expenses.  But if Landon can't stabilize his staff because it is out of his control, it's a problem that will haunt year after year and, unfortunately, ensure mediocrity.

New Commit: Cole Muilenburg 6'5 230 DE Peninsula HS , Washington

Other Offers: Culver Stockton, Eastern Oregon , Linfield, Whitworth

Notes: 2* on 247

He must have family in the MW 

We are now in the second half of the season. It looks like there's another red shirt - Manyang.

One thing that has to happen in the next nine months:  Cooper has to gain 20# - 25#.  I watched him drive to the hoop and saw him being easily leveraged away from the basket by the guy who was guarding him. He missed the shot.  That will come eventually with maturity, but it can be accelerated with a strength program.

Different observation. UIC leads the MVC in blocks, I believe. Why?  From our game, our guy penetrates, a defender goes for the block, misses, but another defender is right behind and swats the ball away.  These guys have a mindset that maybe we should consider.  Of course being taller would help. 

FWIW, there was a time in the game when we went super small, but, dang, we pulled it off and didn't get crushed.

Wow. The press release uses the term  "Latinx". 

I had the impression that the laugh out loud reaction to the term was even embarrassing to liberals by now who are major proponents.  It's being forced into the lexicon of the country without a lot of success.  How about just saying latinas and latinos?  Or is there a gender I am skipping? 

Now I am seeing the President of my alma mater use it.  One more concession to silliness in the identity olympics.

I lectured about something today in my Intro to Media course that I feel is apropos to this point. In 1968, Lyndon Johnson appointed the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence. That commission partially dealt with media and television. What they found was that desensitization was one effect of long-term exposure to mass-media portrayals of violence. That we were so beaten down by the images that we saw on television that we became immune to them. As Aaron Sorkin has written in multiple shows, "wars are being broadcast with a logo and theme music."

Taking the opposite viewpoint of this, we're all so sensitive now. There are large groups that are sensitive to how they are referred to and there are large groups that are sensitive that they have to refer to people differently. I've always kind of shrugged my shoulders at it all. I don't understand why Latinos or Latinas want to be referred to as Latinx, but if that's their preference, fine, it doesn't cost me anything to change a letter. Are we to the point now that people are too sensitive about what they're called AND people are too sensitive about having to call people something else?

Just food for thought. I don't have the answers. I barely know the questions.

Simple. From Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989):

Just "be excellent to each other."

Now that the Iowa Caucuses are over, I took a look at the Iowa Hawkeyes' season so far.

Ben is their leading scorer at 16.9 ppg starting all 17 of their games and averaging about 28 minutes pg. Only three players have started every game and Ben is one of the three. Keep it going Ben 

Sloan did not play 65-66 but Humes did. Either way, we have the same game. But my reference to 1966 means 1965-66. The 66-67 Aces team was brutally awful.

I have the box from the game (I hope I can insert it somehow) from the Evansville paper.

https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/420122637_7688130317881699_6989921024278117194_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3635dc&_nc_ohc=cHlqByyLLzgAX98XWfj&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDgC2fxndFrOi5SLFnmCAY1ABVynFIXQNvEgzZ1oxZ04g&oe=65ACAA4C

I guess ya got me with that clip, John. It still doesn't square with my recollection of a home win with Sloan on the floor. Maybe I am conflating two home games and projecting the previous year's home loss into the win game in Jan 1966. 

John — I went back to our all time results. The game in question involved our "1965 team" , which today we refer to as the 65-66 team because the season covers the winter of 65-66. The win at Hilltop was on January 8, 1966. Jerry and Humes played in that game.  Sloan graduated that June leaving only Larry to lead your "1966 team" which finished the season in  March of 1967. Does that make sense?

Tiny,

Yes. See my reply below. Paul is referring to the 65-66 season. Smitty graduated in 66. Dick then was the point guard for the 66-67 season.

A MUCH better player.

I am glad that I am not the only one who has noticed how little most players follow their shots nowadays.  It irks the hell out of me to see our jump shooters immediately start the opposite direction of our basket after the ball leaves their hands, as if their job is done.  This is all while the ball eventually lands about 2 feet from where they were previously standing.

⬆️⬆️⬆️
THIS!

My old BB coach, Elmer Doberstein, at Concordia Prep drilled us on following our shots all the time. We'd get yelled at if we didn't. His mantra was "the shooter knows better than the other 9 on the floor what the ball is gonna do after it leaves his hand."  Elmer was a math teacher and he also explained that by having a followup mindset the shooter naturally aligns on better angle toward the basket and it forces better follow-through mechanics.

I'm curious whether anyone else on this board attended the VU/Evansville game on January 8, 1966 - VU beat #1-ranked Evansville 83-73, ending UE's 25 game winning streak. I suppose anyone who did, and who can remember the game, would have to be close to my age (67).

It is hard to describe the atmosphere - Hilltop was completely jammed. There was even an extra set of bleachers set up along the south side. You could not find a seat anywhere. I sat in the second row from the top of the bleachers and they were shaking from the students down below who were swaying back and forth with arms held high in the final seconds as they chanted "Ding Dong! Ding Dong!" My brother was scared the bleachers would collapse. I was too.

At that time UE wore long satin warm up robes when they came out on the court (not sure what else to call them; sort of like what a boxer would wear when he enters the ring). They were different colors  - some were purple, some were blue - as well as orange, red, and white ones. Their attire was fitting, I suppose, since they were the kings of small college basketball, having won several national championships.

Tom Smith and Dick Jones were superb in that game.

When the game ended the UE players stood around for a few seconds as if they could not believe they lost.

My brother, dad and I did not miss a game at Hilltop for 10 years. I'm kinda proud of that. We saw some good ballgames, I can tell you that.

I was 10 years old and it was an unforgettable experience. I have been to several thrilling athletic events in my life, but nothing as memorable as this game.

Paul

Paul, I was there. Sitting with my fraternity bros (Phi Delt) and some Phi Psis across from Gene Bartow and the bench.  Starting lineup Rakow 6'6", Cook 6'2", Eynon 6'3, Smitty 5'9"ish, Jones 5'11".  Vern Curtis and John Hinkey off the bench. No shot clock, no 3pt arc, but not uncommon for that team to score in the high 80s and low 90s. Yes, the pace would make Roger envious.

EU had two legit All -Americans: Jerry Sloan and Larry Humes.

Electric is an understatement. Favorite memory:  With the Aces down late in the game (maybe 6 or so minutes to go).  Legendary coach Arad McCutcheon figures he'd just press and get control of the game and win it going away. For the remainder of the game the laughs and giggles from the stands were clear and loud as the two AAs were left time and again with their jocks around their ankles as they clumsily tried to stop Smitty as he single-handedly dribbled around, under and through them.  It's imprinted on my brain forever.

But one other memory I also had was of why Jerry Sloan was an AA and why he was such a great pro and afterward a great coach. Without fail, after every jumper he took, he aggressively followed it to the hoop (something few shooters do today). Can't remember how many rebounds or followup baskets he got off a seldomly missed shot, but it was something that stuck with me.

I think it began as a reference (wink) to hispanic immigrants from south of the border who could inflate VU's enrollment numbers. 

Won't this hinge on whether Humrichous plays?  He's been out for five games and they've lost all five.