12/7/2011: IPFW

[wh]

44 points at half - are you kidding me?  OSU didn't have that many.  We should commit to a 25-point defensive 2nd half.

This is starting like last year's Toledo game.  We will soon see what kind of a halftime motivator Bryce is...

Oh, and how about the constant 30-second replays of IPFW baskets while we have the ball on the other end.  A new local yokal low in internet basketball coverage.

[valpotx]

I can't stress how terrible of a loss this is.  I am speechless in losing to IPFW this year, they are not good.  We gave away too many easy baskets, and way too many turnovers.  Hopefully serves as a reality check for our guys so they can concentrate on the next few important games.

[KL31NY]

Tough loss for Valpo. 85-76 final for IPFW. Followed most of the game via friends on twitter and saw that we had a rough start while IPFW opened up red hot offensively. We made some good runs but never got control.

Also, anyone have issues with OUR links to the webcast? I tried WAKE's online stream on the athletics site and it might not have been turned on. I found WJOB online, but it was 1 or 2 minutes slower than the twitter feeds I found.

[valpo84]

Love a good trap game (SI). Lots of lessons to be learned about coming back against good opponents after big wins. Need to tune up for conference season, but very disappointing.

[vu72]

Pathetic effort.  The guys looked lost and disinterested the entire game.  Pretty good game for Ryan and Will but Ryan turned it over too many times.  Terrible effort from Richie and Buggs?  Fouled out again with 2 points.  Embarrassing to say the least.  Probably had 25 tos tonight.  Thank God it wasn't a conference game but sure will fall into the "bad loss" column should we need to get into a tourney of some sort.

[valpofan56]

This was absolutely pathetic.  We should have beat IPFW by 15+.  Defense and turnovers continue to be a problem.

[sectionee]

Last game of a three game road trip was shaping up as a trap game.  IPFW shot the ball out of their minds (sounds like it was bad D but they still had to put it in the hoop).  I didn't follow the game but I'm looking forward to checking out the stats and reading the wrap up.  I did see our bench did nothing, and Buggs looks like he had a pretty awful game.  We need Boggs in a bad way right now to grab some minutes and provide something offensively.

[valpotx]

If we beat both Bowling Green and Oakland at home the next two games, I will pick my spirits up.  I had figured we might lose one of these 3 games due to the intensity of the Butler game.

[agibson]

Also, anyone have issues with OUR links to the webcast? I tried WAKE's online stream on the athletics site and it might not have been turned on.

I didn't follow any links, but the usual WAKE URL of
http://stream3web.securenetsystems.net/radio_player_large.cfm?stationCallSign=WAKE&relocateURL=true
worked OK for me for pre-game, half-time, and post-game.

[valpotx]

Is Boggs eligible for the 12/17 game against Oakland?  I thought I read somewhere that it would be the earliest he could be available.

[sectionee]

http://sectionee.blogspot.com/2011/12/ipfw-wrapup.html

[covufan]

Hard to beat a team that shoots 58% from 3-pt land, nearly 61% overall, and 80% from the stripe, especially when you only hit 53% from the stripe.  We'll need to bounce back quickly.

[VUfan]

IPFW IS a D-1 Basketball Program not a vary good one but they have some ability, given the chance they can beat you. Valparaiso will be a good team when they respect teams like them and start the game by working hard, playing defence, setting picks hard, going to the basket and establishing control of the basketball until then they just hope to be good.  night

[sliman]

Cudos -- unfortunately -- to FWalum for pretty accurately previewing the game and sending out warning flares that apparently weren't seen by the right people.

[Crusader03]

FWalum was right on the money on this one...maybe we need him working in the program in some sort of advisory role!

Dollars to donuts that there will be some good-natured ribbing of the guys by the Lady 'Saders in the ARC this week...girls beat IPFW, guys didn't...but anyone close to the program knows this group of guys and gals is tight and it will be all in fun.  The girls finally have something to smile about!

[valporun]

valpotx, the semester ends on the 16th, so Boggs should be eligible on Saturday the 17th.

[FWalum]

Thanks for the node but I can't take too much credit.  The staff was very conscious that this was a trap game and made some moves that should have helped the situation.  As much as I love having the team play in Fort Wayne I really think this series has out lived its usefulness.  I hate it when teams won't play other teams at home because they have too much to lose, but we really are in that situation here.  This may have been IPFW's biggest game of the year until they get to the Summit League tournament and since I host the coaches show at the ACME I'm sure I will not hear the end of it.  We have nothing to gain by continuing this "rivalry" (and I use that term lightly only because IPFW uses it so frequently they almost have me believing it) and only a lot to lose.  I think we will still play them at home next year but then this "rivalry" should be cooled off for a while.

This was by far IPFW's best performance of the year.  Two games ago I thought they looked terrible against UMKC and tonight they hardly missed a shot.

Just a short note of gratitude to the VU athletic and alumni staff for all that they do.  We all got together today and tried as best we could to promote VU to the Fort Wayne community.  Thanks

[valpotx]

I would agree about the scheduling of IPFW.  At best, we should be getting a 2 home games per 1 away game deal.  That seems to be what other schools always do to us when their conference/program is much better

[historyman]

I would agree about the scheduling of IPFW.  At best, we should be getting a 2 home games per 1 away game deal.  That seems to be what other schools always do to us when their conference/program is much better

Isn't this why Valpo stopped playing Butler? Because Butler started asking Valpo for a 2 for 1 on the scheduling before Valpo joined the Horizon League. How soon we forget when the shoe is on the other foot. Essentially we have the same situation if Valpo asks for a 2 for 1 from IPFW. A Horizon League team asking a Mid-Con/Summit team for a 2 for 1.

[valpotx]

Well, the Summit is a conference between 22nd-25th+ in RPI every year, whereas HL is 10th-13th.  I never complained about a Butler 2 for 1 years ago, as I just wanted to play them when we were in the Mid-Con.  Some may have complained about that arrangement, but I would have loved to test ourselves against them with some of those teams we had. 

[jack]

Back in my coaching days, we welcomed the chance to "play up", and did it at every oportunity. It was the only true way to improve, and it gave our players a true yardstick of where we were at with our game. It went a long way towards making us, and them, better. It seems to be working for IPFW too. If I were the one making the decisions for IPFW, I'd jump at the chance for a 2 for 1. If we went in there and consistently blew them out, it may make sense to re-evaluate the "rivalry". After last night, I'd say the match up still plays a valuable role in letting us know our weaknesses, and what we need to do to improve our play. The most valuable lesson to take from this - you'd better lace them up and come to play, every night, no matter who the opponent is. With that, the men can learn something from the ladies. As mentioned, I'm sure they'll be some good hearted ribbing in the gym this week. And the men have it coming!
They'll bounce back. I'd say they needed this game. Complacency was setting in.

[valporun]

The writer from Fort Wayne made us think he was insane building up Gaines against us, but he was right. Gaines took advantage of our complacency, and put 24 points on us. I hope the humiliation of losing to a lesser opponent humbles the guys to fight harder for shots to fall, and play physical basketball, but in the case of Buggs, NOT FOUL AS MUCH. Honestly, Erik fouling out last night didn't help our guard play. He needs to be controlled, or learn some self control, otherwise we'll lose crucial games in conference play because the other teams will focus on going after his weakness of committing a foul that isn't necessary.

[FWalum]

The writer from Fort Wayne made us think he was insane building up Gaines against us, but he was right. Gaines took advantage of our complacency, and put 24 points on us. I hope the humiliation of losing to a lesser opponent humbles the guys to fight harder for shots to fall, and play physical basketball, but in the case of Buggs, NOT FOUL AS MUCH. Honestly, Erik fouling out last night didn't help our guard play. He needs to be controlled, or learn some self control, otherwise we'll lose crucial games in conference play because the other teams will focus on going after his weakness of committing a foul that isn't necessary.

Never thought the writer was insane.  Gaines is a very good player and will average over 20 points per game for IPFW this year.  Did you think that him putting up over 20 on Iowa and Xavier was a fluke??
Here are some additional articles and even a video with Bryce after the Butler game that really shows what a big game this was for IPFW.  I have never before seen them have a video interview with the coach of an upcoming game.
http://newssentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111206/SPORTS/111209803
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWQ6vf6SNXk#ws
http://newssentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111208/SPORTS/111209690

[hoopfan22]

Not that concerned about this one. Need the next 2 though.

[FWalum]

My only concern is that this is a questionable loss that might affect our resume for post season tournaments.