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Just read from another poster that it takes Cam Witt 26 hours to get back and forth from home to Valpo!!!  That is crazy.  Anyone know the travel times for Ryan?

On a more important note, does this travel affect their play?  I don't know how long jet lag lasts, but I bet it takes its toll on practices when they get back.  What happens when they fly home for a weekend and have a game that Thursday?  It's gotta have an effect.  How much do you think homesickness messes with their mental game?

Interesting topic, will be waiting to get your two cents guys!

If you seriously think that Witt and Broekhoff, or any of the other international players for that matter, "fly home for a weekend" at any point during the school year, much less the season, then you should just stop posting altogether because you will do nothing but continue to embarrass yourself.

If you don't have anything nice to s...eh, not going to bother with this vitriolic poster.

We all thought it (or some variation thereof)...he just said it...

[Cory is a classy guy]

agree with everything that has been said.  Great interview. 

Cory is a classy guy and I am proud that he played on our team.  Wish him all the best in the future.

Hey!  He is from Minnesota!  What did you expect??   

So is valpofan56... 

If I were in charge of the NCAA, I would create a football playoff, level the scholarship playing field in all sports, eliminate some football scholarships for the FBS schools, increase compliance/enforcement staff and agressively pursue things (random spot checks, etc.)...and probably some other stuff that I can't think of.

If I were in charge of Valpo Athletics for a day, I would build a new arena (if we could get that done in a day, that would be some sort of miracle), continue to improve our other facilities, beg the administration for more money for coaches, scholarships and facilities, and again, probably some other stuff I can't think of.

OK, since things get slow in the summer...

Two hypotheticals for the masses....


If I were in charge of the NCAA for a day, I would...
If I were in charge of Valpo Athletics for a day, I would...

I should clarify, when I say "our" floor, I don't mean VU anymore

The issue wasn't so much how to make it enforceable, rather that there are 800+ NCAA schools and 250+ NAIA schools (NAIA uses the NCAA rule book for basketball) that suddenly needed to put the arc on their floor, and the NCAA doesn't like the schools to use tape. So, you now essentially have 1000 schools that have to get their floors worked on in the next five months, at a time when most athletic departments are struggling for cash - especially the non-D1 schools.

What the should have done was announced this last year, to be started this coming year so schools could plan ahead. We already have had our floor painted this sunmer, and I'm not sure we will be able to afford to go back and get the arc down.

NCAA rules dictate that you may have four coaches that work with players on the court, and four coaches that are allowed to recruit (the same four).

If you have a coach working for both teams, who do they recruit for, given that the recruiting periods are during the same times? Who do they travel with when the teams are in different cities?

Also, saying "a good big man coach" might be great for the men's game, but MBB and WBB are vastly different when it comes to position coaches. Yes, someone could be good at both, but the approaches have to be different, as the skill set is different.

Freeman, really? 

Yet again, a "one-post wonder" comes in here to flame and troll...maybe you should build a little street cred around by posting more than ONE TIME and your opinions would be taken a little more seriously.

Valpo04, I think it is time to send this one to the woodshed.

Easy now...

Remember that there are a lot of people who were posters on the old board as well, and some of them are just now migrating over here.

what ValpoHoops has stated certainly makes a lot of sense. And there should, and will be some accountability at some point if things don't get turned around. There has to be, or as they say, "anyone can coach". And it is true, that it isn't the players fault that the wins aren't coming. Ultimately, the line ups, plays, match ups, substitutions, and schemes are all on the coaches. The players can't control that. I will have to disagree a bit on one point being made: I feel that part of our struggles, from my perspective, is that we don't count on our freshman enough. Many times comments have been made here that, "they wont play much, they're Freshman." The women's game has changed enourmously in the past five years. These incoming freshman, here, and everywhere, have played the travel circuit through AAU and other programs, with many competing in more games in one summer, then some of these college programs play in two years. And they compete at a very high level against very good talent all over the country. It's not a stretch to say by the time they get to college, they've already competed with, and against similiar talent. Granted, not all of the talent they see goes on to the next level to play, but many do, and they'll compete against them again at this level. I don't think it helps their mental aspects of the game to compete at such a high level, only to get to the college level and sit on the bench the majority of the season. True, some may need to ride the pines for most of the season to get the feel and flow of stepping up to this level, but others are clearly ready to come in first year and help out with possitive minutes from the start. Moses at Purdue comes to mind. She went to a bigger program then ours and helped out from the start. There are exceptions to every rule, and to sit your freshman for a season because it's "what you do," may be hurting your team more then you know. A teams leaders can come from any class, and thats a fact. It takes a special person, and player to want to step up and assume that role. I think it's only fair to see if you have that person early on. I'm not saying that our incoming class has a lock on that role, but I think they have proven that they can assume that role if asked to. Both came from the middle school ranks and took over that roll as Freshman in highschool. I wouldn't discount them just because they are freshmen. Let's see what they bring to the table. We all agree that we need a floor leader. I think it's time we look through the entire roster and see who can fit the bill with actions, deeds, and play. We'd be remiss if we didn't do just that.  

Whoa...we need to get jack on the paragraph system

I can't disagree really with your premise on freshmen. I don't think I stated it quite as I wanted to in my original posting. Freshmen, if they are good, need to play and can contribute. My thought was more along the lines of not having a veteran leader (of course, they don't have to be juniors or seniors, but it helps to have people that have been through it). The only exception would be someone, as you mentioned, like Courtney Moses...unfortunately for VU, I don't think a player like her is coming along any time soon. (And yes, I know the kids coming in are very good)

I didn't mean to say that playing freshmen wasn't the answer, I meant it more as a "you need to have a mix of everyone, and generally the older kids are more reliable and consistent", and that's just the nature of the beast. And, that's where my point came from...its great to have good incoming classes, but who are they learning from, who is leading them, who is the "go-to" player when the team needs a basket?

No it doesn't. As vusupporter said, you get 5 to play 4. Your year of sitting out counts as one of those five. As long as you didn't previously redshirt, you don't lose a year....the year you sit out essentially counts as your redshirt season.

Alright, let's see...

As a college basketball coach (for those who don't know, yes, I am), the results of the program you lead are DIRECTLY attributed to you. It doesn't matter how hard you work, doesn't matter how much you care, all that really matters is results. And, to suggest that players are to blame is a cop-out, since its not the players who determine who plays...its the coaches. If you want to say a player isn't the right one, that's on the coaches, they recruit the players...if they haven't developed, that's on the coaches (if the kids aren't working hard enough to develop as players, they shouldn't be playing anyways).

As someone who has athletic department experience at the college level, I can say this: it's not an expectation to make the NCAA Tournament every season. It's the ultimate goal, of course, but its generally unrealistic unless you have a program that dominates a conference like Green Bay. What you do look for as an athletic director, however, is continued improvement.


Now, it wasn't too long ago that I remember quite a few posters suggesting that it was time for Homer to step down. Obviously, he hasn't done so and the team had a very successful season - aka, improvement (though whether that is long or short term remains to be seen). From someone who has extensive experience with women's basketball, I can't honestly say that I have seen that from the VU women. From players not becoming what we thought they could, to players being out of position, etc., something just hasn't worked.

Again, to blame the players, that's totally off base. Is it right to perhaps get on them if they have a bad night or a bad stretch, yes, but to say that they haven't been good enough, that's on the coaches, and the coaches know it. I have been very fortunate in my coaching that I have had great players who have developed extremely well, something just hasn't clicked at VU. Now, there have been situations that didn't work out that nobody could forsee (Gick, for one), and that's part of the deal, but I don't think she takes the team from where it was to .500...they are more than one player away.

As for the incoming kids, obviously, I have seen them play given the fact that I have recruited Indiana quite a bit. They are good, there's no question about that, but relying on freshmen just isn't the way to go. The last "great" freshman class was in 2003-04 (Rietema, Braun, Myers), but they had a ton of help from the older kids. Who will be the leader on the floor? Perhaps someone steps up, but I'm not sure who right now.

I care about the team as much (and possibly more than most of you, for those who know my past involvement...quite literally blood, sweat and tears...and a surgery), but something just isn't right. I'm not going to come on here and call for anyone's job, but at some point, a Division 1 coach, in a top-12 conference simply has to win games. Again, I don't expect the team to make the Sweet 16 next year, and I don't expect them to compete for a conference title. But, if there is not improvement, then perhaps it would be time for a change, or at least some strong thoughts about it.

As reported by Yahoo! Sports and picked up by CBS Sports and ESPN, Mack will remain in the draft and forgo his senior season.

We get a little less than 1/10 of the revenue...the HL takes a share as well, so there are actually 11 entities.

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2011/03/loyola-fires-basketball-coach-whitesell.html

New arena coming right? Need to attract interest and attention? Pat Knight is available.

I'm not sure about a new arena. They are working on new locker rooms and team areas right now, so perhaps they redo the inside of the GC, but nothing more than that.

i thought they were replacing their arena. or have plans changed in the last year or so?

I have no knowledge of their plans...but my team plays there once a year, and they are building new locker rooms. It doesn't seem to make much sense to put a bunch of money into your facility if you're going to build a new one...that's my thinking.

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2011/03/loyola-fires-basketball-coach-whitesell.html

New arena coming right? Need to attract interest and attention? Pat Knight is available.

I'm not sure about a new arena. They are working on new locker rooms and team areas right now, so perhaps they redo the inside of the GC, but nothing more than that.

Went over and re-introduced myself to the False Prophet's Board as they were entertaining the idea of Valpo possibly playing at the Mabee Center in a later round of this tournament.  They are just as uptight as ever . . . 

Yeah, I looked at that and found it odd they were tearing Valpo for joining the Horizon League. The Summit League is terrible; we're the last team to win a NCAA tourney game for the conference (1998).

Technically, we aren't the last team to win an NCAA game...when Oakland won their "play-in" game, they officially won an NCAA game, and got an extra "full share" of money for it.

Now that the NIT is run by the NCAA, as soon as the 68 teams are decided upon (and yes, this happens LONG before the final bracket, since the Big Ten and SEC are the only two conferences that finish on Sunday, and most times the two teams playing in the final are in regardless of outcome), then the NIT gets that list and can work from there putting teams in.

So, as soon as the NCAA field is announced, they have been making calls to schools on accepting bids, hosts, etc. and have already put a bracket together, just confirming with the schools that everything is good to go, game times, TV, etc. Its all going to be done relatively fast.