11/10/13 Valpo Basketball vs North Park

[valpopal]

Didn't see a thread started, so I thought I'd begin one with this year's men's basketball intro video:

2013-2014 Valpo Men's Basketball Intro Video

[classof2014]

Guess I'll start the predictions... Valpo 89 NP 54

Guessing Drew will use it as a tune up game before we had down to Champaign, I'm hoping we see Lexus on the floor quite a bit. He seems a lot more comfortable running the point than LVD. Nothing against LVD, he's just not a true point guard and I would imagine the game against MSU was just a bad game. Anyways should be an easy game.

[VU75]

Interesting thing about North Park. About a month ago they won their first conference football game in 13 years, an 89 game CCIW losing streak. They have since tacked on two more conference wins.  All this under a first year coach.

[EddieCabot]

Guess I'll start the predictions... Valpo 89 NP 54

If you were predicting the score midway through the 2nd half, very close! 

You have to wonder why games like this are even scheduled, as they really don't benefit either team.  Non-DI games are sometimes necessary, but North Park was a horrid DIII team last year ... losing their last 10 games and 14 of their last 15. 

Let's just hope no one gets hurt and move onto the next game.

[swiftmutiny]

Guess I'll start the predictions... Valpo 89 NP 54

If you were predicting the score midway through the 2nd half, very close! 

You have to wonder why games like this are even scheduled, as they really don't benefit either team.  Non-DI games are sometimes necessary, but North Park was a horrid DIII team last year ... losing their last 10 games and 14 of their last 15. 

Let's just hope no one gets hurt and move onto the next game.

Apparently North Park is Mark LaBarbera's alma mater, per Paul Oren on Twitter.

[Valpofan00]

113-50.....all I have to say is WOW...

[classof2014]

Seemed like Dority found his shot. Other than that can't say all too much bout this game. It was pretty much a pro team playing a minor league team. Hopefully some of the 3 point shooting will carry over to Champaign, we'll need it!

[humbleopinion]

Perhaps the only thing worth noting is that the number of the player called for a foul and the number of his fouls were posted on the east and west scoreboards.  I complained, so I feel obliged to express my gratitude.

[bbtds]

Perhaps the only thing worth noting is that the number of the player called for a foul and the number of his fouls were posted on the east and west scoreboards.  I complained, so I feel obliged to express my gratitude.

Atta boy, h.o., way to get the ball rolling and someone in the ath.dept. to follow through.

[valpo64]

Glad to hear that the player number and number of fouls was posted on the east and west scoreboards.  I talked to Mark L before the MSU game and he was surprised that it was not posted because they had received new software to get the job done.  That was a great, quick response by M L.   Thanks Mr. L.

[Smj]

Not much of a game for us - probably not a team we should have been playing based on their last year's record.   Our other exhibition games were with teams that have stronger advancing programs.   Sunday afternoons seem to be bad times for attendance -not sure why that is.  (Doesn't help when the competition is weak.)

Student section was very small.  Not going to be too negative about it but sometimes I can't understand it.   I drove from the Milwaukee Wisconsin area to watch this game.   

At one point I started wishing we would stop dunking on them (unless it was a not starter).   I liked that Bryce used this game as an opportunity to play other combinations - including a go big with both Vashil and Moussa.    Very cool that Davidson can say his first college points were the 2 points to get to 100.

I really will enjoy watching this team grow over the season.

[valpotx]

I don't mind the attendance for a game like this.  It would be hard to get most people out to watch us throttle a D-3 team

[Kyle321n]

Plus you've got the Bears in a big game against Detroit, so the students are going to choose that on TV over a D3 school

[historyman]

Very cool that Davidson can say his first college points were the 2 points to get to 100.

Not sure it had anything to do with it but a guy over by section H yelled "Get Nick the 100!" which Lexus and Jordan seemed to notice. Coming out of the time out Valpo was trying to work the ball to Davidson when Valpo had 98 points.

[agibson]

113-50.....all I have to say is WOW...

4th largest margin of victory ever?

We kindly held the ball for the last possession, otherwise we might have tied for 10th highest scoring effort ever.  I wonder if any of those were in OT?

[Valpofan00]

Is Illinois that good that it is a for sure loss? Our guys are playing well right now .Lots of new players in the mix, and different ones stepping up in situations when needed. Freshman are playing extremely well for freshman.. Almost "Kentucky" like  My guess is it will be a good game!

[classof2014]

One thing I noticed on the Davidson note, was both Lexus and Clay were incredibly unselfish in dishing out the ball to the bottom of the bench. Chadwick, Jubril, and Nick will all struggle to see minutes and if Lexus and Clay wanted to they could have easily patted their stats and Clay could have had 20 to 25 easily. Was nice to see them try to get the bottom three the ball and I don't think either Clay or Lexus took a shot over the last 5 minutes. Not much to take from a game, hopefully LVD found his shot cause we'll need him to come up big if we wanna beat Illinois on Wednesday.

Gotta be tough for the North Park kids going into a game where you know you're gonna get destroyed. Couldn't have been much fun losing by 63 and knowing that if Valpo wanted to put up 150 they could have. Wish them the best of luck in their league.

[Smj]

Post game press conference
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ4PH6zGb7Y

Okay - I have been avoiding this topic but could someone at Valpo please work with Bryce on his public speaking.....?    He says um so much it is very distracting.

[valpopal]

Congrats to Bryce on his 50th career win! Here is a photo I took of Bryce at the press conference as he credited the "really good players" he's had for those 50 career wins:

[justducky]

Is Illinois that good that it is a for sure loss?

I have been avoiding this topic but could someone at Valpo please work with Bryce on his public speaking.....?    He says um so much it is very distracting.

As for the first point um I think um that this will be dicussed at length um just as soon um as the Illinois game thread is opened um. I will not um make any comment yet, um until I see the point spread. 

[bbtds]

Okay - I have been avoiding this topic but could someone at Valpo please work with Bryce on his public speaking.....?    He says um so much it is very distracting.

Imagine having to give a press conference after every assignment you completed at your job about once or twice a week with unrehearsed answers being given to questions being asked. Unless we had practiced this for many, many years I don't think anyone would sound very good at it. Yes, I think he could learn to lose the "um.......um."

[valpopal]

I'm not sure that much can be taken away from such a one-sided victory as this; however, we can be pleased by the added game experience received by the freshmen, even breaking the ice for Davidson, who enjoyed himself in the post-game press conference, and giving Adekoya his first real chance to show scoring ability. Also, Bobby seemed to be running and jumping well without any evidence of his lingering sore leg, and the team avoided injury. Finally, Bryce had an opportunity to experiment with unusual combinations on the floor in case they are needed in a future game situation.

There were quite a few highlights, and I captured some of them in my pictures. I invite you to check out a set of 29 photos, including the three below, at the following link, and I hope you like them: http://www.flickr.com/photos/96208998@N05/sets/72157637545150103/with/10794774604/

[valpotx]

Both the 'um,' and the looking down at the stat sheet constantly.  If he wants to be at the big boy programs, he has to learn how to look straight ahead  .  Is it only Paul and one other guy at these things usually?  I keep thinking how awkward it must be for the players to see 2 writers each time.

[vu84v2]

The intro video is good, but I would like to see mixing in some video that supports the tradition and history of Valpo basketball.  Editing the intro video to include a few recent highlights with the current players is also a good idea, but they may already have that planned.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Is it only Paul and one other guy at these things usually?  I keep thinking how awkward it must be for the players to see 2 writers each time.

I've wondered that myself, but you think there's probably at least a student for the Torch, and maybe a guy for the VU website; perhaps the visiting team has a guy and/or a student?

pgm, how do these things go?  and what we all really want to know:  do they feed you?