Valpo at ETSU 12/29 final tune up

[HC]

In an attempt to keep some of you from jumping off a bridge or worse, I'll start the next game thread. We'd visit East Tennessee State next Sunday. They are in the same conference as a mercer and Florida Golf Coast. In their wins they scored lots of points, in all but one win they have scored over 80. Anyway, let's hope for a better defensive effort and some higher percentage shooting on the offensive end.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Florida Golf Coast

You know, I'd have said that's a typo, but living down here, no, no it's not at all.  Well played.

[HC]

That's all you do down there right? Golf, fish and wrestle gators? If that's wrong then why am I heading down that way at the end of the week?!

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Oh, I never said there was anything wrong with it.  Far from it.  (We also are buying a lot more duck calls these days, but that's a whole other story.)

Valpo by 5.

[oklahomamick]

Is there a place we can watch this?

[mvandersee]

Is there a place we can watch this?

ASun.TV will be streaming it live for free

[talksalot]

Yeh, the A-Sun... with Mercer, FGCU... and a bunch of dogs.   Their conference RPI is 26.... few notes about them.  First... the explanation of how we got them on the schedule...

Murray Bartow, Prior to accepting the head coaching job at ETSU, he served as the head coach for UAB from 1996 to 2002, succeeding his father Gene Bartow, the creator of the Blazers basketball program. At UAB, he compiled a 103–83 record, that included 48 conference wins.   

Last year at ETSU:

The ETSU men's basketball program was glad to see the 2012-13 campaign come to an end, following a season which saw the team face multiple obstacles and challenges -- such as a brutal schedule that featured the likes of North Carolina, Arizona,  Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Georgia and Hawaii ... Other issues for the team included senior post Lukas Poderis (Port Richey, Fla.) missing the season with ankle injury that he suffered in the preseason, senior guard Jarvis Jones (Memphis) being academically ineligible for the first two months of the year, and two other senior guards who were expected to be major contributors were dismissed from the team in early November for violations of team rules ... This left head coach Murry Bartow and his coaching staff with a young, inexperienced group of underclassmen, several true freshmen, one redshirt freshman and a pair of junior college transfers ... Those obstacles proved to be tough to overcome, as the Buccaneers posted a 10-22 record and finished 8-10 in Atlantic Sun Conference play ... It was the toughest campaign in Bartow's 10 seasons at ETSU, a tenure that has produced many championships, postseason tournament appearances and 20-win campaigns ... In all, Bartow's teams have earned three NCAA Tournament invitations (2004, 2009 and 2010), one NIT appearance (2007), and one CIT berth (2011), and the Bucs have eclipsed 20 wins five times. ...

Record, Nolan RPI and Streak

   Mercer                       6 - 4           51     3 Wins
   South Carolina Upstate       5 - 6       173    1 Loss
   East Tennessee State        5 - 6       214    2 Wins   (6-6 counting one non D1 win)
   Florida Gulf Coast            4 - 6            200    1 Win
   Lipscomb                        4 - 6        216    1 Win
   North Florida            4 - 7     233    1 Win
   Northern Kentucky        4 - 7       287    3 Wins
   Stetson                            2 - 10     350    1 Win
   Jacksonville                1 - 7        338    3 Losses
   Kennesaw State                1 - 10    284    5 Losses

and, as far as ETSU's Buccaneers are concerned:  4-2 at home.

11-08     at    Charlotte     7-3 (0-0)    143     75-80    L
11-12         Morehead St.     7-5 (0-0)    170     63-71    L
11-16     at    West. Kentucky     6-4 (0-0)    119     52-57    L
11-19         Winthrop     4-3 (0-0)    128     66-76    L
11-21         Samford     2-8 (0-0)    329     89-75    W
11-23         Stephen F. Austin     8-2 (0-0)    88     66-58    W
11-27     at    Tennessee Tech     5-7 (0-0)    237     83-98    L
11-30         Marshall     3-6 (0-0)    233     88-78    W
12-04     at    Austin Peay     4-8 (0-0)    300     80-74    W
12-07     at    Georgia Tech     8-3 (0-0)    153     57-87    L
12-21         Austin Peay     4-8 (0-0)    300     84-79 W    

They closed on a 14-2 run to end the game in the  (get ready for this one chef!)    inside the ETSU/MSHA Athletic Center.  (OK, they call it the "Dome")

They don't really appear to have a "go-to" guy...

http://www.etsubucs.com/media/mbasketball/2013-14/pdfs/Combined%20Stats%20%2812-21-13%29.pdf


Notice their attendance ...


11/12/13 MOREHEAD STATE  L  63-71 2402
11/19/13 WINTHROP  L  66-76 2372
11/21/13 SAMFORD  W  89-75 2640
11/23/13 SFA  W 66-58 2535
11/30/13 MARSHALL W 88-78 3016
12/16/13 TUSCULUM  W 108-87 2231
12/21/13 AUSTIN PEAY W 84-79 2257

about their arena:

ETSU/Mountain States Health Alliance Athletic Center, previously known as the Memorial Center, and popularly referred to as the "Mini-Dome", is a 8,539-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. It currently hosts ETSU's men's and women's basketball teams. It also serves as the indoor venue for tennis and track. At one time, the facility also hosted ETSU's football team, but the school discontinued its football program at the end of the 2003 season as a cost-cutting measure. It was the host of the 2006 and 2007 Atlantic Sun Conference men's basketball tournaments, and the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships from 2001 to 2011. The Mini-Dome has also hosted non-athletic events that could not be housed in an indoor setting on most American college campuses, such as national indoor championships for free flight model aircraft.

In December 2009, the Tennessee Board of Regents approved the renaming of Memorial Center to ETSU/Mountain States Health Alliance Athletic Center, adding the name of the hospital system headquartered in Johnson City to the official name of the Mini-Dome.

[talksalot]

Weird angle picture... but Wikipedia has a picture of the inside of the MiniDome:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETSU/Mountain_States_Health_Alliance_Athletic_Center

OH, they have about 15,000 total student population.

[valpotx]

Until I see us play better on the road against an average team, I am not picking us in an away game (Ball State is a crap team):

ETSU 82
Valpo 73

[talksalot]

Until I see us play better on the road against an average team, I am not picking us in an away game

Hard to argue with that!   Let's end the year on a High Note.   VU 75  ETSU 75   it will end in a tie... the way "Clean Gene" would have wanted it.   

[valpopal]

I am hoping the team will view this game as a way to atone for the horrible performance at UCF and as a way to set a tone for upcoming conference play, especially establishing confidence in ability to win on the road. If so, this will be a more important game than when I originally had seen it on the schedule as just a meaningless last out of conference game during the break between Christmas and New Year's Day.

[ETSUfan1]

Here's a review of our arena.  I have no idea what to expect in this game.  I figured this would be a loss, but after the near 30 point loss to UCF, I feel as if we may have a chance.  Have a Merry Christmas!

stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/etsu-msha-athletic-center-s623/

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I figured this would be a loss, but after the near 30 point loss to UCF, I feel as if we may have a chance.

You and most of this board

Merry Christmas.  There's no place like Dome for the holidays...

[historyman]

Is there a place we can watch this?

ASun.TV will be streaming it live for free

This website for A-Sun.TV shows the game time as 6:50 p.m. eastern. The actual game time is 4:00 p.m. eastern. Could the free broadcast be a rebroadcast of the game?

http://asun.neulion.com/asc/

[etsuHoops]

ETSU fan here.  The game should be live on ASUN TV at 4pm EST.  The broadcast quality is always iffy with technical glitches, but hey it's free.  You will be listening to Jay Sandos who is our radio play by play guy who isn't great, but ok.  Valpo is a team will have trouble with.  We struggle with larger teams and if you guys have decent 3 point shooters, chances are they could have career nights, as most opponents tend to have one guy that lights it up against us.  IMO our best players are AJ Merriweather (true freshman G) and Jalen Riley (Juco G).  We probably won't have many people in attendance, but those that are there can be lively even though we play in a cavernous arena.  We do have a lively message board at etsufans.com
Here's to a good game

[ProudValpoAlum705]

I really need to see a turnaround from UCF. That game has me losing hope...


"Hail Crusaders! Who rise to glory, our challenge has been hurled. Team Victorious, our colors glorious are known through out the world, Valparaiso, we're here to back you, Our cheers like thunder roar. See our school, see our team, see our colors gleam. Let's fight for the Brown and Gold! "

[vu72]

"Hail Crusaders! Who rise to glory, our challenge has been hurled. Team Victorious, our colors glorious are known through out the world, Valparaiso, we're here to back you, Our cheers like thunder roar. See our school, see our team, see our colors gleam. Let's fight for the Brown and Gold! "

Isn't that "See our school, our team.."  not "see our team"  It just doesn't sound right.   

Valparaiso's Fight Song

[ProudValpoAlum705]

It was a typo, my apologies


"Hail Crusaders! Who rise to glory, our challenge has been hurled. Team Victorious, our colors glorious are known through out the world, Valparaiso, we're here to back you, Our cheers like thunder roar. See our school, our team, see our colors gleam. Let's fight for the Brown and Gold! "

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Let's fight for the Brown and Gold! "

Is it "fight" or "cheer"?

Not picking nits, just wondering if in my youth I was taught a bowdlerized version...

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Also, I don't wish to alarm anyone, but not only would this be our best (second) road win to date, it would be the 8th best in the whole HL this non-con (acc to KenPom)...

Sorry for using the subjunctive.

This will be our best road win of the non-conference season, is what I meant to say.

[talksalot]

According to the Valpo website;  (and this corresponds with the banner from the ARC)

The "Valpo Fight Song" was originally introduced in 1956 after the student council and athletic director, Karl Henrichs, wanted to "fire up" the spirit at sporting events. Over the years, a few minor changes have been made to the lyrics. Today, the current version can be heard at many sporting events across the campus.

    Hail Crusaders! Who rise to glory,
    Our challenge has been hurled.
    Team Victorious, our colors glorious
    Are known throughout the world,
    Valparaiso, we're here to back you,
    Our cheers like thunder roar.
    See our school, our team,
    See our colors gleam.
    Let's fight for the Brown and Gold!

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Huh.  All I'm saying is, I distinctly remember "cheer" in place of "fight" 20-some years ago.

I mean, it IS a "fight" song...

...The first rule of fight song is do not talk about fight song.

[Valpo89]

...The first rule of fight song is do not talk about fight song.

Classic.
I get it.

[historyman]

if you guys have decent 3 point shooters,

in our last game on the road that "if" became a huge "no" but I truly see it turning around when some of the shots, any shots, start to fall. So much of the game is about confidence. Confidence in individual ability, team ability and coaching ability.

[vu72]

if you guys have decent 3 point shooters,

in our last game on the road that "if" became a huge "no" but I truly see it turning around when some of the shots, any shots, start to fall. So much of the game is about confidence. Confidence in individual ability, team ability and coaching ability.

The last game was just a mess, shooting 32% from the 3, most of the good shots came way to late.  The game before however we shot 62% from the 3 and for the season 39+%.  It continues to be turnovers that will determine if can win or not.  For the season we have 209 assts to 210 tos.  Not good. Take Moussa's 29 tos to 8 assts out of the mix and we aren't too bad, but that would also remove a team leading 30 blocks.