Time for the guys to step it up... from Sagarin #325 and #327 to Sagarin #25 (AP #4) Oregon.... we played well there last year...
They Beat Army by 14... and Tuesday afternoon they get Baylor (2:30pm Central). I think I have a "Meeting".
Here's the story on the Army game...
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400915488
I think this Oregon team may be better than last years team. Against less than Oregon type opponents, our 3-pt shooting has been awful. I just hope we have a decent shooting night, stay on the boards and defense and keep this game close.
Valpo 72
Oregon 77
Quote from: talksalot on November 15, 2016, 08:19:40 AMand Tuesday afternoon they get Baylor (2:30pm Central). I think I have a "Meeting".
ESPN2 apparently. Maybe that also means it'll be available on-demand later?
I still need to get PAC-12 figured out on my Comcast. Last year I think it was surprisingly easy to add; and I was even more surprised how easy it was to cancel later.
Watching the Baylor-Duck game... they really do miss Dillon Brooks... who MAY be available on Thursday; or they hold him out until Maui. I'm guessing he plays on Thursday; Ducks won't want to lose two in a row... be nice to beat them when they are at full strength! 3:50 to play in Waco... 62-48 Bears.
I think we will shoot better than we have during the past three games. However, I don't think we have much of a shot at winning, so hopefully we can keep it within a dozen or so. We will likely have a tough time inside defensively and offensively against them.
72-66 Valpo. AP finally finds his jumper and puts up 30+
Without Brooks:
Valpo 73
Oregon 71
With Brooks:
Oregon 77
Valpo 68
Oregon 80, Valpo 60.
QuoteOregon 80, Valpo 60.
I agree with a3uge. I think its going to be a tough night. I just haven't seen enough cohesiveness with the offense yet to see stealing a win on the road against a team of Oregon's caliber. I hope I'm wrong though.
I actually think going to the west coast and getting out of the ARC might be the best thing for the team shooting slump. Just getting out of the road and being the underdog might help clear the teams head, and make the team relax a little bit and just go out there and play. I'm not too concerned about Alec's 3 point slump. I heard he was knocking down shots left and right during the preseason. The missed lay up have been a head scratcher but I'm too worried about them either.
The one thing about Alec is that he seems to be a bit "slower" or not moving around as well these first couple games and maybe he's dealing with some little nicks and bruises that the coaching staff isn't talking about publicly. Maybe I'm making this up in my head or something but I just don't think he's moving around as well out there. I just hope he didn't over do it in the offseason with the tryouts and NBA prep training that cause him to be a little run down for the season. If you really think about it the last year or so is probably most basketball he's played in his life. The legs might be a bit tired but it could also be that the guy played heavy minutes in 3 games in 4 days. I don't really want to make something out of nothing. I think he'll be fine though and get out of this mini slump.
Quote from: VU2014 on November 16, 2016, 12:09:47 AM
QuoteOregon 80, Valpo 60.
I agree with a3uge. I think its going to be a tough night. I just haven't seen enough cohesiveness with the offense yet to see stealing a win on the road against a team of Oregon's caliber. I hope I'm wrong though.
I actually think going to the west coast and getting out of the ARC might be the best thing for the team shooting slump. Just getting out of the road and being the underdog might help clear the teams head, and make the team relax a little bit and just go out there and play. I'm not too concerned about Alec's 3 point slump. I heard he was knocking down shots left and right during the preseason. The missed lay up have been a head scratcher but I'm too worried about them either.
The one thing about Alec is that he seems to be a bit "slower" or not moving around as well these first couple games and maybe he's dealing with some little nicks and bruises that the coaching staff isn't talking about publicly. Maybe I'm making this up in my head or something but I just don't think he's moving around as well out there. I just hope he didn't over do it in the offseason with the tryouts and NBA prep training that cause him to be a little run down for the season. If you really think about it the last year or so is probably most basketball he's played in his life. The legs might be a bit tired but it could also be that the guy played heavy minutes in 3 games in 4 days. I don't really want to make something out of nothing. I think he'll be fine though and get out of this mini slump.
I agree with everything here. But I think Alec looks far more athletic than he's ever been. He's never really been one to finish above the rim, but he's seemed to be looking to dunk much more. In the SUU game he went for a tip slam that was almost shocking. He did look a bit gassed in the Coppin State game, but I attribute that to playing 3 games in 4 days.
Hate to be debbie downer but if we didn't beat them last year, we aren't beating them this year. I understand its two different teams. I suspect vegas will have the spread set at +15
Agreed on the athleticism. Though he wasn't show cased last year.
We had more proven weapons, so his aggression could've been seen (last year) as a detriment to the team.
We are going to be hard pressed to see that sort of quality depth at VU again in the near term.
Quote from: agibson on November 15, 2016, 12:01:47 PMI still need to get PAC-12 figured out on my Comcast. Last year I think it was surprisingly easy to add; and I was even more surprised how easy it was to cancel later.
It turned on basically immediately after I placed the order. Did it last night to catch the disaster of the USMNT loss to Costa Rica on BeIN Sports.
I think I should be good for the PAC-12 network Thursday, and apparently also for the SEC for Kentucky. But, they make it remarkably hard to figure out what channels you're actually getting. Should be good for ESPNU.
Not bad for $5 or $10 (additional) a month. And, how did I miss that this includes MLS Direct Kick, which is _all_ MLS games? Seems like a marketing failure on their part to fail to mention that to me. Not much left of the season now (and maybe the rest of the playoffs are on national TV anyway). But, I might have considered it for the regular season for MLS alone...
Quote from: a3uge on November 16, 2016, 06:08:20 AMBut I think Alec looks far more athletic than he's ever been. He's never really been one to finish above the rim, but he's seemed to be looking to dunk much more.
My impression is that he's been a lot more aggressive on offense generally. His total for slam dunks may already exceed last season. He's much more likely to attempt a fade-away, or maybe even a quick three.
It's not going to help his shooting numbers, but it's going to help his PPG. Presumably a deliberate decision on his part, with some NBA input, and some discussion with the coaching staff no doubt. More BWood than RB45 maybe - not going for the high efficiency game, necessarily. Could be fun.
Quote from: oklahomamick on November 16, 2016, 08:55:41 AM
Hate to be debbie downer but if we didn't beat them last year, we aren't beating them this year. I understand its two different teams. I suspect vegas will have the spread set at +15
While Valpo has some question marks, I've yet to see much from Oregon so far, especially without Brooks, who burned us for 26 points last year. 14-point win against a rebuilding Army team? Meh. Didn't look so great against Baylor, either. A decent shooting night at the perimeter will make us a different team from what we've seen so far, and it will make us a little more competitive than Army was. Now, if Brooks plays and is on his game, we'll have a challenge. Defensively, we'll miss Fernandez who had 4 blocks against them, but hopefully we can offset that offensively.
OU 80 Vu 73 The team play on defense continues to grow but not fast enough. This teams success will come with the growth of the young Players. :twocents:
I hate to to guess numbers but I am not optimistic. This will take big contributions from all our unproven players to just keep it close. Yes it could happen but no I would not bet on it. Either way this should give us a much better picture of potential for Micah, Derrik, and Jaume.
Quote from: justducky on November 16, 2016, 12:28:47 PM
I hate to to guess numbers but I am not optimistic. This will take big contributions from all our unproven players to just keep it close. Yes it could happen but no I would not bet on it. Either way this should give us a much better picture of potential for Micah, Derrik, and Jaume.
I don't even know if we're going to see much of them and if we do, it means we've gotten into foul trouble or have blown them out (yeah right). Last year, Oregon used 5 players for 33 minutes or more to beat us and we might have to do something similar. Our top 5 scorers against them, in order, were Tevonn, AP, D Walker, Hammink, and Jubril. Max Joseph played 11 minutes and scored no points, but the way he's been playing, he could probably replace D Walker's contribution on both ends. As for losing Carter? It's tough, but I'll say that I haven't had much of a problem with the way the ball has moved with Lexus and Micah. The turnovers seem down, especially when you take away some of the suspect travel calls, and the opportunity for good shots has been there. The key as far as keeping step with Oregon's improvements from last year will be if Tevonn is sharp after missing two games (and a question that will also apply to Oregon's Brooks, if he returns).
Quote from: Valpower on November 16, 2016, 02:00:17 PM
Quote from: justducky on November 16, 2016, 12:28:47 PM
I hate to to guess numbers but I am not optimistic. This will take big contributions from all our unproven players to just keep it close. Yes it could happen but no I would not bet on it. Either way this should give us a much better picture of potential for Micah, Derrik, and Jaume.
I don't even know if we're going to see much of them and if we do, it means we've gotten into foul trouble or have blown them out (yeah right). Last year, Oregon used 5 players for 33 minutes or more to beat us and we might have to do something similar. Our top 5 scorers against them, in order, were Tevonn, AP, D Walker, Hammink, and Jubril. Max Joseph played 11 minutes and scored no points, but the way he's been playing, he could probably replace D Walker's contribution on both ends. As for losing Carter? It's tough, but I'll say that I haven't had much of a problem with the way the ball has moved with Lexus and Micah. The turnovers seem down, especially when you take away some of the suspect travel calls, and the opportunity for good shots has been there. The key as far as keeping step with Oregon's improvements from last year will be if Tevonn is sharp after missing two games (and a question that will also apply to Oregon's Brooks, if he returns).
Another key will be for AP to be a more aggressive inside. He only took 9 shots (7 being from the perimeter) compared to Brooks 24 and Valpo attempted a home-cooking total of 6 free-throws versus 24 for the cooks.
Per ESPN'S Andy Katz on Dillon Brooks return to play.
Oregon expects Dillon Brooks to play Monday in Maui against Georgetown. Brooks could still technically play against Baylor today or Valpo this week, but the target is Maui. He has heeled from broken foot and has been practicing well. Baylor game will be a test for Oregon to see how well it can handle physical play.
Andy Katz, ESPN Senior Writer
Per ESPN article on various CBB teams dated November 15th.
Might rudh him back after the Baylor loss?
As a Valpo alum in Oregon, I feel obligated to post the latest article from The Oregonian:
http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2016/11/with_dillon_brooks_return_impe.html#incart_gallery
I have to work so can't make the 2 hour trip down to Eugene from Portland but it sure seemed to me like the team is starting to get a better feel for each other. Hopefully the missed three pointers will turn into made three pointers tomorrow.
Spread: Valpo +11.5
It seems that the talk is Dillon is not coming back to the line-up until at least the Maui trip Which I think gives VU a slim shot if they can get hot from 3 point land. However that means they would have to turn their scoring around a lot from what they have been doing so far. That I think is going to be pretty difficult playing and shooting from those Trees on the court.
Quote from: VUBBFan on November 17, 2016, 12:09:09 AM
It seems that the talk is Dillon is not coming back to the line-up until at least the Maui trip Which I think gives VU a slim shot if they can get hot from 3 point land. However that means they would have to turn their scoring around a lot from what they have been doing so far. That I think is going to be pretty difficult playing and shooting from those Trees on the court.
No, they're not going to have to turn it around "a lot" especially when we consider what they're truly capable of. Honestly they're going to have to hit about 34% to have a chance. If they exceed that (with at least a decent defensive effort) they're probably going to have a good outcome. Holy crap, Oregon is not the second coming, no matter the pronouncements of the press.
https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/799245546154323972
https://twitter.com/sbncollege/status/799268547881013248
http://www.addictedtoquack.com/2016/11/17/13664210/no-4-oregon-vs-valparaiso-how-to-watch-listen-follow-and-more
No. 4 Oregon vs. Valparaiso: How to watch, listen, follow and more Oregon looks to bounce back in a quick-turnaround game at home
by TianaAument@TianaAument Nov 17, 2016, 7:00am PST
The Oregon Ducks return to Eugene, where they hope to bounce back after a loss at Baylor on Tuesday. They'll welcome the Valparaiso Crusaders to Matthew Knight Arena on Thursday, Nov. 17. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. PT.
Here's everything you need to know about tonight's basketball action:
Week 2 — No. 4 Oregon Ducks (1-1, 0-0 Pac-12) vs. Valparaiso Crusaders (3-0, 0-0 Horizon)
Date: Thursday, November 17, 2016
Time: 6 p.m. PT
Place: Matthew Knight Arena (Eugene, Ore.)
TV: Pac-12 Networks
Follow Along: Live Stats; @AddictedToQuack
This season's poster is pretty swaggy.
At A Glance
Oregon Ducks (1-1, 0-0 Pac-12) — Oregon has won 26 in a row at Matthew Knight Arena, marking the longest such winning streak in school history and the fifth-longest active streak in the country. Kansas (40 games), Kentucky (39), South Dakota State (29) and Stephen F. Austin round out the top four... Oregon beat Army by double figures in the season-opener before falling at Baylor, 66-49, two days ago. In the latter, Dylan Ennis led the team with 16 points, while Chris Boucher added 12. Jordan Bell put in work on the defensive end, tallying 11 boards and four blocks to lead the team. All-conference forward Dillon Brooks was certainly missed in the setback (foot), but the team is hopeful he'll play in the Maui Invitational next week. In the meantime, fear not. A loss this early in this season is nothing to get your feathers in a bunch.
https://twitter.com/seanlarsonATQ/status/798655150227210241
Those two losses? Cal and Stanford.
Valparaiso Crusaders (3-0, 0-0 Horizon) — Head coach Matt Lottich is finding success in his first season, leading Valpo to three straight wins to open 2016-17. The Crusaders will try to make it four straight against No. 4 Oregon, but the Ducks will prove to be their greatest test yet... Valpo topped Southern Utah, 79-65, Trinity Christian, 89-75, and most recently, Copping State, 78-58. All three of those wins came at home. ... In their most recent outing, the Crusaders never trailed on their way to victory. Guard Shane Hammink totaled a team-leading 23 points along with seven rebounds, while forward Alec Peters poured in 20 points along with a team-best eight boards... Valpo was picked to win the Horizon League in the preseason poll, following a 2015-16 campaign, in which the Crusaders won a school-record 30 games, losing seven along the way.
All-Time Series
The Ducks took down the Crusaders last season on Nov. 22 in their only series meeting. Oregon trailed at the half before storming back for a 73-67 win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSKOCJA7kxM
Film Session
Below, you'll find highlights from the Ducks' most recent game. Oregon fell to Baylor on the road, 66-49.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfkRjtqYGXA
I think this is the type of game where we are going to miss Skara the most. His ability to backup the 2-3-4 positions was huge. Max should be a starter on this team based on his play so far. However, I don't think you start him because out of Max/Micah/Lexus he is the only one with the body type to backup the 2-3 against a team like Oregon.
Vegas has Valpo +13
I just don't think that Valpo is ready for this game. I hope that I am wrong but I think that there will be too many possessions in which they struggle to get good looks and Oregon will be too athletic for many of the Valpo players.
Oregon 78
Valpo 54
I would really like to be wrong on this.
Quote from: vu84v2 on November 17, 2016, 01:52:37 PM
I just don't think that Valpo is ready for this game. I hope that I am wrong but I think that there will be too many possessions in which they struggle to get good looks and Oregon will be too athletic for many of the Valpo players.
Oregon 78
Valpo 54
I would really like to be wrong on this.
(https://cdn.meme.am/instances/38496122.jpg)
Comcast in NW suburbs of Chicago gave me $4.99/month for the sports package that includes PAC12...30 day no questions asked refund.
12-month $4.99/month
Thereafter $9.99/month
Cancel anytime, no fees.
Took me 5-minutes, GO VU!
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/799428350036963328
It'll still be an incredibly difficult game to win, but this certainly doesn't hurt our chances.
Hanging in so far.
I am really struggling to determine which has been worse, the officiating or the Pac 12 announcers. 9-2 on fouls so far and several horrible calls. Announcers who did no preparation on Valpo and broadcast with the quality of an 8th grader using notes from the Oregon and Pac 12 marketing department.
Good effort by Valpo so far. Down 37-30, but should be a little closer. Offense running way better than I expected. Defense has struggled at times, especially with transition and handling Boucher.
Mute the PAC12 broadcast and tune into Todd on WVUR
Quote from: VUBBFan on November 17, 2016, 08:55:00 PM
Mute the PAC12 broadcast and tune into Todd on WVUR
Todd is great, but the audio and video would not be in sync.
If Boucher comes back down to earth in the 2nd half we can probably stay in the game. The rest of their guys look pretty ordinary.
Terrible reach-in foul by Jubril to end the half.
It seems to me Valpo always has a poor shooting night when they play a ranked opponent. That's also been the story of the season so far. Frustrating.
Quote from: vu84v2 on November 17, 2016, 01:52:37 PM
I just don't think that Valpo is ready for this game. I hope that I am wrong but I think that there will be too many possessions in which they struggle to get good looks and Oregon will be too athletic for many of the Valpo players.
Oregon 78
Valpo 54
I would really like to be wrong on this.
You got awfully close on this!
The one good thing about getting your butt kicked to a really good team like Oregon is that it gets you ready to play in Vegas. I haven't seen many other teams this season but Oregon looked damn good. It didn't help that Baylor beat them on Tuesday to light a fire under them...
We are just embarrassing with our 3-pointers right now after 4 games. I didn't mind the refs or the announcers. What did bother me was how afraid we were to attack the lane in the second half, and ending up with only 5 assists because of it. The positives were that we didn't turn the ball over much, and we played pretty good defense for the most part, though our blocking out needs a lot of work. I said it last season, but Hammink has such a good looking stroke from 3, but it is such a heavy shot, that it doesn't leave much room for error. When he lines up, you start to think, 'this guy can shoot and make that,' and then you get a CLANK :).
Boucher opened a can of whoopa$$ on us tonight. He was unstoppable and we are showing extreme struggles shooting the 3.
When you are getting spanked you usually try to get your freshmen in the game instead of trying to let your star shoot his way out of a slump. Leaving Alec in the game to be a chucker was equally unconventional and ugly. I have to wonder if Matt given a second chance would play it that way again. ???
I predicted a 20 pt valpo loss, but people explaining this game as "embarrassing" need to reexamine their college basketball fanhood.
I didn't say that the game was embarrassing, I said that our 3 point shooting is embarrassing through 4 games. Not even close to the same thing. I didn't come away from this game in a negative mindset at all, other than thinking that we need to do less jump shooting, and more drives (but not through the defenders).
It was not even close and Chris Boucher made Vashil look like a freshman.
We are not ready for prime time and, actually. We msy be more ready next season.
We are squarely mediocre at this point. I fear that Kentucky will easily blow us out by at least 30 if we don't improve substantially by that game. Who knows what will happen in Vegas, but I hope lady luck shows up soon.
Quote from: valpotx on November 17, 2016, 10:21:08 PMI didn't say that the game was embarrassing, I said that our 3 point shooting is embarrassing through 4 games.
Our outside shooting is embarrassing but we also have no inside defense coupled with no inside offense. Sorolla and Smits need to be force fed minutes to speed their development and I see no other avenue to late season super respectability. If we really needed a late game designated chucker then Micah as a freshman should have received that honor.
This can still be a very good team but there is much to do and miles of rough road to travel.
Rough....rpi dropped to 242 after that. Was that our worst lost in 5 years?
RPI is meaningless during the first month of the season because there is no sample. Consider that Abilene Christian's RPI is 2 right now, coming off their big win over New Hampshire.
People need to not get too wound up about this loss to Oregon. Oregon played well and is extremely athletic, but Valpo went toe to toe with them for a half without shooting well from the outside (not looking for moral victories, just assessing performance). I had two concerns coming into this game: guard play beyond Hammink and how well the new bigs are developing. I thought that the guard play (Walker, Williams, etc.) was fairly solid. The bigs certainly need a lot of work. The games in Las Vegas are going to be a better indicator, given that Valpo should be able to play with and have a decent probability of beating any of these three teams.
Personally, I'm not concerned even a little bit about Alec's 3-point shooting woes. That kid came out of the womb dead-eyeing 3's. He's probably as likely to hit 6-8 as 2-8 next time out. Keep on shooting, Alec!
http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2016/11/18/no-4-oregon-overpowers-valparaiso-76-54/
No. 4 Oregon overpowers Valparaiso 76-54
Associated PressNov 18, 2016, 9:59 AM EST
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) An embarrassing road loss to Baylor may prove to be a valuable lesson for Oregon.
If the fourth-ranked Ducks want to meet their own lofty expectations, they'll have to earn it on the boards.
Two days after losing by 17 points to the unranked Bears, Chris Boucher had 25 points and nine rebounds to lead Oregon to its 27th consecutive home victory, 76-54 over Valparaiso on Thursday night.
Boucher was coming off a 12-point, two-rebound performance against Baylor.
"His activity allowed him to him to have the 25 points," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "He had no defensive rebounds the other night and we lost the rebounding battle by 11.
"Tonight we won it by 13, and that was the difference in the game."
Jordan Bell added 15 points and seven rebounds for the Ducks (2-1), who took control early in the second half with an 11-4 run fueled by Bell's eight points to open a 52-38 lead. Bell scored 12 points in the second half as Oregon shot 15 of 27 from the field.
"That was our goal, just to go inside," Bell said. "Against Baylor we went 3 for 21 at the 3-point line, so we just wanted to go inside."
Alec Peters led the Crusaders (3-1) with 24 points to become the school's second-leading career scorer. Tevonn Walker added 12 points.
Valparaiso shot just 23.3 percent in the second half as Peters was its only starter to make more than half of his attempts. The Crusaders finished 4 of 21 from 3-point range.
"I think it's pretty evident that we are not shooting the ball very well," Valparaiso coach Matt Lottich said, "and to beat a team like Oregon you're going to have to hit shots from the outside."
Backup freshman point guard Payton Pritchard had nine points and five assists for the Ducks, who led by as many as 25 points in the second half.
Oregon had a 40-27 rebounding edge and blocked six shots.
Altman said his team's size and rebounding ability should be what sets the Ducks apart.
"If you're not beating people on the boards, you're not taking advantage of your athleticism," he said. "Our goal should be a plus-eight or -nine on those boards for the season, and if we do that, it'll be really positive for our team."
The Ducks played again without preseason All-America Dillon Brooks, who continues to recover from offseason foot surgery. Altman was noncommittal about the junior forward's availability for the Maui Jim Maui Invitational when Oregon opens play Monday against Georgetown.
"I don't know if he'll play in Maui," Altman said, "and if he does, it won't be very much."
BIG PICTURE
Valparaiso: Coming off a 30-win season and deep run in the NIT, the Crusaders were held 28 points below their season average while shooting just 32.1 percent from the field against the Ducks.
Oregon: The Ducks likely will slip in Monday's poll off their 66-49 loss at Baylor, but they may regain Brooks' services while in Hawaii.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Despite Thursday night's win, Oregon's best-ever No. 4 ranking likely will take a hit after its 66-49 road loss to unranked Baylor on Tuesday.
STAT OF THE NIGHT
Boucher, who has scored in all 38 games he's played at Oregon, had 18 points by halftime and missed his career high by one.
HIGHLIGHT REEL
Though not known for his ball-handling, the 6-foot-10 Boucher flashed some nifty moves when he picked off a cross-court pass, dodged a Crusader at mid-court, dipped inside another off the dribble and smoothly threw down a one-handed dunk in the first half to cap a 9-0 run.
UP NEXT
Valparaiso plays Alabama on Monday in Las Vegas at the four-team MGM Grand Main Event. The Crusaders will face either BYU or Saint Louis on Wednesday before heading home.
Oregon heads to Hawaii to play Georgetown on Monday in the first round of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. The Ducks will face either No. 9 Wisconsin or Tennessee on Tuesday.
Quote from: vu72 on November 17, 2016, 10:27:58 PM
It was not even close and Chris Boucher made Vashil look like a freshman.
We are not ready for prime time and, actually. We msy be more ready next season.
I think blaming Vashil is silly.
My thoughts on the Oregon Game:
The Key Stats:
- Valpo FG%: 32.1% (18-56) Oregon FG%: 48.2% (27-56)
-Valpo 3PT: 19.0% (4-21) Oregon 3PT: 33.3% (7-21)
-Valpo REB : 27 Oregon REB: 40
-Valpo ONLY had 5 assists the whole Game!
-Are only true center on the roster had a combined 21 minutes. Sorolla 17min. Smits 4 min.
-Give Oregon credit. They are a very good team.
-To beat a team liken Oregon we were going need to shoot the ball at a respectable clip. Alec is one of the best pure shooters in the country, who is in a really bad shooting slump. He's still finding a way to be an impact player.
-Offenses don't respect our backcourt outside shot other then Alec. Micah's a good outside shot but its hard to rely on heavy minutes from freshman.
-We are badly missing Vashil's rim protection and rebounding ability. I don't blame Lottich for not playing Sorolla/Smits heavy minutes because they are just so young and inexperienced and you don't want to just throw them to the wolves if they aren't ready for the moment.
Quote from: Valpower on November 17, 2016, 01:24:42 AMHoly crap, Oregon is not the second coming, no matter the pronouncements of the press.
Holy carp! Valpo sure made Oregon look like the second coming last night. :o ;)
Quote from: EddieCabot on November 18, 2016, 09:17:48 AMI think blaming Vashil is silly.
Well we need a fall guy and if we can't blame Vashil then we might start blaming you. You only seem to show up when things are going badly so obviously you must be a jinx!
Quote from: VU2014 on November 18, 2016, 09:42:24 AMI don't blame Lottich for not playing Sorolla/Smits heavy minutes because they are just so young and inexperienced and you don't want to just throw them to the wolves if they aren't ready for the moment.
Confidence is much more important for a freshman guard than a freshman big. Vashil as a sophomore was usually fouled out after 16 minutes of play but he learned fast and was HL defensive player of the year as a junior. So put these guys on the floor and let them make their mistakes. We have almost zero chance of at-large or sub 13 seed NCAA inclusion unless Sorolla/Smits can quickly be turned into MEN.
QuoteSo put these guys on the floor and let them make their mistakes. We have almost zero chance of at-large or sub 13 seed NCAA inclusion unless Sorolla/Smits can quickly be turned into MEN.
I understand what you mean but the coaching staff knows these guys better then we do. I agree that we are going to need Sorolla and Smits to step up if we want to have successful season because just relying on Jubril is not a successful formula. These guys do need to get up to speed on the rebounding and protecting the paint. I don't think we should expect them to be vashil, but just to get to that competent level of play where they will make those freshman mistakes but Coach Lottich trusts them to play in key moments down the stretch.
I think being a 13 seed and outright bid should not be what we are realistically looking forward to with this team this year. We won't be as bad as we've showed last night but we are going to have to fight for wins and see some of these guys step up. This roster has talent on it but we are going to need the rebounding/rim protection to step up and to get out of this shooting rut.
I'm still fairly positive about this season but we need guys the guys to step up and start knocking down shots.
This team is not as good as last years team. But they COULD just as good as the team from 2 years ago, and that team almost won an NCAA Tournament game. So, no need to panic, yet.
However, there is a lot of work to do and this team is going to take the entire season to become as good as that team was.
So, the coaching staff needs to asses our weaknesses and get players in the game that need the minutes to help us improve in those areas throughout the season. We need some post scoring and defense, so starting getting those guys in. May lose a few games early, but in turn we will win some later. I don't think this is going to be a great 3 point shooting team because outside of Peters, nobody has ever shown consistency in that area. Flashes, yes, but no consistency. Will we be hot some games, absolutely! But we can't build a team solely around the 3 point shot, unless that person is Peters.
Nobody saw this struggle in shooting percentage at the beginning of the year but there were predictive signs of struggling.
Quote from: bbtds on November 01, 2016, 05:10:45 PM26-8 but we win the HL tournament because we are the team that takes out the #1 seed in the HL championship game. Then we surprise a #3 seed in the first round of the Big Dance by being the team that we all thought we would be at the beginning of the year. We then lose an O.T. game to a very tough #6 seed.
In terms of Sorolla and Smits, they'll improve, but we have to remember, we had 4 games over 7 days. We opened on Friday, played the next night, had Sunday for practice, played Monday, then practice and travel on Tuesday/Wednesday (depending on NCAA required day off), then played Thursday. Where was there time to focus any thought into what J or Derrick have thought about their minutes of play so far? What was their thought process on what things they needed to do, wanted to do, need to pay attention in practice to get ready for the next game? In previous years, we didn't play this many games in the first week of the season. They'll grow, they'll improve, they'll show what we hope they'll be. Right now, they need to get their feet underneath them in the college game, and get an idea of the pace of the game. Too many of you need to step away from the ledge, and realize that Sorolla and Smits are getting a grasp of what the college game is by being on the court, instead of watching tape or games on tv. They'll be fine, the Crusaders will be fine. We'll take our lumps, we'll improve our defaults, and we'll grow to winning games that we're supposed to win, and we'll win the stats categories that we're supposed to win. Right now, just be patient with our youth in the paint, and our shooting issues. Things will come to us. We're just playing a few too many tough, physical games right away. We'll get there, and I'll take my lumps, bruises, and BS from those of you who want to throw me over the ledge for not panicking because we're missing the shots we usually make, we're not 4-0, we didn't blow out the Trolls by 400, or that we've not looked like the dominant team that we will be in February. Just like Michigan St., we're a tested team, and we'll hit our stride by the time January and February are here, and we'll be fine.
I share your prognosis. However, I would have been happier with a lot more playing time for both J and Smitts in the Trinity game and maybe Coppin State. Though you allude to it, the fatigue factor definitely plays a key role. Tired legs consistently throws shooting off and Alec has been logging tons of minutes. Later in the season that will not be a factor as he will have built up his stamina. But the other players have to also improve their %age.
Could it be a confidence thing? These guys are still finding their team identity. In the meantime there has got to be a question in their minds as to who they are and will be. I believe that in the next couple of games they will find that point and things will come together.
New season, new lineup, TWO new big men that are young, new Coach and system.......patience, everyone, patience.
Quote from: valpo64 on November 20, 2016, 05:44:55 PMNew season, new lineup, TWO new big men that are young, new Coach and system.......patience, everyone, patience.
Agree. After some reflection I think my patience with the team is sufficient but Matt is as wet behind the ears as some of the kids and deserves the same approach.