Kent game

[covufan]

Or is it Kent State?

It appears that Kent plays a little higher tempo then we have so far, and really hits the offensive boards.  This one should be close, but I'm hoping that we come out with great intensity after last night.

Valpo   72
Kent    68

[HC]

Has anyone seen how Erik is feeling? With him we win, without I think we can still win but PG play will be critical.

78-71 Valpo with Erik

70-68 Valpo without him.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

KENT READ
KENT RITE
KENT STATE

[valpotx]

This is a tough one.  They beat the crap out of Chicago State like they should, beat Drexel by 4 in OT, and lost to Temple by 14...all at home.

If Buggs plays:

Valpo 72
Kent State 65

If Buggs sits out:

Kent State 67
Valpo 62

[valpopal]

Based not upon what I am hearing but upon what I am not hearing, my guess is that the silence around campus means Erik will be sidelined against Kent State. Still, I am going to be optimistic and hope for a Valpo win due to an effort to make up for the Nebraska game:

Valpo 68
Kent St  62

Also, based upon my calculations and counting the Kent State game, VU has 6 games before Dority joins the team and Bobby returns for Missouri State. Looking ahead, if Buggs is not back for some of those games or he is not 100%, it is going to be a tough stretch. Still, I think we can hope for a 4-2 record, which would put Valpo at 6-3 going into the Missouri State game, and even then the team will still be trying to work the additional players into the lineup, so I would give the edge to Missouri St. and guess the team could go 3-1 at best after that to end December and enter conference play at 9-5. If the team is 100% healthy entering conference play in January, I'd be satisfied with that record.

[Valpo89]

Based upon what I HAVE heard in a conversation with someone very close to the program, I would be very surprised if Buggs plays on Sunday.

[valpopal]

Based upon what I HAVE heard in a conversation with someone very close to the program, I would be very surprised if Buggs plays on Sunday.

At least, on a positive note, I have heard that Erik is well enough to make the trip to Kent State.

[wh]

Based not upon what I am hearing but upon what I am not hearing, my guess is that the silence around campus means Erik will be sidelined against Kent State. Still, I am going to be optimistic and hope for a Valpo win due to an effort to make up for the Nebraska game:

Valpo 68
Kent St  62

Also, based upon my calculations and counting the Kent State game, VU has 6 games before Dority joins the team and Bobby returns for Missouri State. Looking ahead, if Buggs is not back for some of those games or he is not 100%, it is going to be a tough stretch. Still, I think we can hope for a 4-2 record, which would put Valpo at 6-3 going into the Missouri State game, and even then the team will still be trying to work the additional players into the lineup, so I would give the edge to Missouri St. and guess the team could go 3-1 at best after that to end December and enter conference play at 9-5. If the team is 100% healthy entering conference play in January, I'd be satisfied with that record.

Each to his own, but I'm not going to dial down my expectations for this team for ANY reason.  It seems that one constant with VU men's basketball over the years are excuses for losing or underperforming - some pretty good and some bordering on the bizarre.  Some of the more memorable ones:

Back in the day:
- Lubos is tired because he played too much bb in the summer
- we're without this or that player because knee injuries, broken legs, sprained ankles, sickness
- don't ever expect this or that player to be the same now that they've come back from knee surgery (Tonagel, Kikas, Nuness, etc.)
- too much time on the road, Southern Utah is so difficult to get to, blah, blah, blah

3 years ago:
- concussions
- coming back too soon from concussions
- more concussions

2 years ago - the king of all excuse years
- Wood can't play because of a hamstring - then he doesn't want to come back too soon to risk jeopardizing his future (are you kidding me)
- we lose to the worst team in D-1 bb (winless Toledo) because Cory and others are fighting colds (are you kidding me)
- we lose to another terrible team YSU on the road, because everyone was tired from a long bus ride in a snow storm (are you kidding me)
- we get blown out in a post season game that we host because our players (mainly upper class men) just "weren't into it" - just ready for the season to get over and move on to the next chapter

Last year
- more debilitating flu incidents than the 1918 flu pandemic
- Harris can't make the trip to Miami to play in the NIT because he was too sick (wow) - we play with 6 scholarship players

The world is full of people who "settle" when the going gets tough.  I expect more than that from this group of young men.  They are loaded with talent, depth and experience.  Improvise, adapt, overcome.

[valpopal]

Each to his own, but I'm not going to dial down my expectations for this team for ANY reason.

I'm not sure I'm dialing down my expectations all that much. Before the season began, I expected Valpo would go 10-4 in the games before conference play, so 9-5 would not be too bad after the Nebraska loss. Of course, I'd be happy with a better showing; however, with injuries we could fall as low as 7-7 in this span, which still I would not consider disastrous since I realistically didn't expect an at-large bid possibility.

In addition, I figured a healthy team would go 12-4 (at best, 13-3) in the conference and win the Bracketbusters game, for a record of 23-8 going into the conference tournament, where my expectations are a win this year, giving VU a final record most likely of 25-8 and an NCAA spot: 24-9 and a conference tournament title instead would be fine with me and be right along with my preseason hopes that I considered fairly high.

[Valpo2010]

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/basketball/college/article_8ecedf71-b578-5ded-ba8c-0ca6c9d50185.html

NWITimes Gameday article

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Each to his own, but I'm not going to dial down my expectations for this team for ANY reason. 

Easily one of the best & funniest posts that has ever been on the board, at least in my 8-9 months here.  Well done, sir.

[HC]

Is this game televised tomorrow?

[Smj]

Okay...  So, this game is on my birthday.   For my birthday present I'll take a win.

(And the awesome VU sweatshirt my wife has hidden in the closet - oops, I was not supposed to see it until she wrapped it for my birthday.)

[bbtds]

Is this game televised tomorrow?

   

• http://www.mac-sports.com/Schools/KentState/LiveStreaming.aspx

2. http://www.billikens.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=23083







Just click on #1 above. It should be free.

[valpo84]

Who will be at the game?

[HC]

Thanks bbtds! Valpo is a one point favorite at the moment. I don't care how many they win by, just win baby!

[lowposter]

Let's hope for a one point win.  This is a brutal game.   

Leave Wedneday for Omaha, drive to Lincoln
Thursday - lose to Nebraska
Friday - travel day back to Valpo
Saturday - travel to Kent
Sunday - game

Ideally the Nebraska game would have been a win, so the worst on this would have been a split.  The legs are going to be a little tight today and with a shortened bench, this will take a very good effort.

The above is assuming they came back to Valpo and not directly to Kent.

lowposter

[Valpo89]

They went from Nebraska to Kent on Friday.

[HC]

Sounds like Buggs is going to give it a go!

[Smj]

anyone seeing a stream of the game yet?

[swiftmutiny]

Stream is up now! Go Valpo!

[valpotx]

Vashil needs to learn to stay home sometimes, rather than always jumping out at guys.  He has left the guy open under the basket at least 3 times so far.  No clue why Bryce didn't take him out with 7 seconds left to get another shooter in as well.

KSU has at least 4 guys with 2 fouls, we need to take advantage of this...

[valpotx]

KVW needs to stop trying to dribble, he has no clue how to do so.  I think that is his 3rd TO when he tries to be more of a guard...then Ryan decides to throw it through his own arms on a wide open 3

[KL31NY]

OVERTIME! Tip in to tie it in the final second from KVW! Big play and big game for the big man!

[HC]

Ugly 2nd half defensively, lets get it in OT!