Topics

Saw this on Twitter from mvchoops. No rubric in the ranking but thought it was interesting. Several commented that valpo is too high or should be last.  Probably also posters on here.  Not me though, I'm only negative on the coach.

My MVC Court Rankings:
1. Evansville
2. Illinois State
3. Loyola
4. Drake
5.SIU
6. UNI
7. Valpo
8. Indiana State
9. Missouri State
10. Bradley

[2016-2017]

I've posted a couple times saying the HL kings would have been just fine in the MVC.  Finally had time to look up some of the numbers.  I included Belmont and Murray St.

2016-2017
@ Missouri St. W
Indiana St. W

2015-2016
Belmont W
@ Indiana St. W
Missouri St. W
@ Belmont L

2014-2015
Drake W
@ Murray St. W

2013-2014
Murray St. W
@ Evansville L

2012-2013
@ Missouri St. W
@ Murray St. W

2011-2012
No MVC opponents

2010-2011
Missouri St. W

We are 3-8 against Missouri State since we joined the Valley.  We were 4-0 against them from 2010-2016 just prior to joining the Valley........
We are 6-6 against Indiana State since we joined the Valley with our 13th MVC game against them coming this Saturday. 

Our old pals, Oakland University told 5,500 students they won $48,000 in scholarships.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/31/us/oakland-university-scholarship-notification-mistake-trnd/index.html

[2015-16 Valpo Men's Basketball Highlights]

We are 0-2 (I don't count scrimmages even if they are dII) against teams from lesser conferences.  These videos will help us get by and remember the good times.  They were fun, cherish them.  Turn the volume up, we actually had people in the stands. 

2015-16 Valpo Men's Basketball Highlights

2012-2013 Valpo Men's Basketball Intro Video

2016-2017 Valpo Men's Basketball Intro

[204. Matt Lottich (Valparaiso) (Last year: 185)Overall record: 83-78After playing at Stanford and professionally overseas, Lottich fell into a pretty good program, joining Bryce Drew's staff at Valparaiso. He ascended to the top job in 2016 and led Valpo to the NIT in his first campaign. The program then shifted to the MVC and the transition has been rough, though Valparaiso has steadily increased their standing in their first four years in the Valley. However, last year's 10-18 record won't cut it.]

Obviously this can't be 100% accurate, but only posted because I thought it was interesting and gives perspective of what outsiders think who are not wearing Gold and Brown. 

https://bustingbrackets.com/2021/10/01/ncaa-basketball-ranking-358-d-head-coaches-2021-22-season/9/

204. Matt Lottich (Valparaiso) (Last year: 185)

Overall record: 83-78

After playing at Stanford and professionally overseas, Lottich fell into a pretty good program, joining Bryce Drew's staff at Valparaiso. He ascended to the top job in 2016 and led Valpo to the NIT in his first campaign. The program then shifted to the MVC and the transition has been rough, though Valparaiso has steadily increased their standing in their first four years in the Valley. However, last year's 10-18 record won't cut it.

Never before have I seen any school capitalize so immediately and so emphatical

https://tulsaworld.com/sports/college/oru/bill-haisten-oru-s-grand-slam-mike-carter-athletic-center-and-mabee-center-renovation/article_cf8fae9c-a086-11eb-ba22-03264a1582af.html

Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State beginning in 2021-22 will no longer be in the OVC.  They along with Central Arkansas will be joining the ASun. 

Hello Belmont and Murray St. 

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=28464047

Ok, so this is Scott's Baylor Bears who ran this but Valpo used to run it all the time.  Can you remember which VU player Bryce used for the play?

And if anyone knows how to have the video posted on the forum so we don't have to go to the link, much appreciated. 

Detroit Mercy basketball not eligible for NCAA tournament after low APR score

www.freep.com/story/sports/college/2019/05/09/detroit-mercy-basketball-eligible-ncaa-tournament/1156203001/

We looked up UNI basketball and football facilities.  Very impressive. 

In the mvc I've only seen Missouri state facilities. 

Seems like the state schools have good facilities and an advantage.

Among our conference foes, who has top 5 facilities?

8 Missouri Valley
10 Mid-American Conference
16 Western Athletic Conference
17 Summit League
20 Ohio Valley Conference
29 HORIZON LEAGUE

Individual HL Team RPI's

92 Milwaukee
140 NKU
156 Oakland
212 Wright State
259 Detroit Mercy
317 Green Bay
323 IUPUI
326 UIC
329 Cleveland State
337 Youngstown State

Read more: http://horizonleaguefans.freeforums.net/thread/1071/rpi-watch-17-18?page=5#ixzz51G99bDoZ

   sad some of us believed it....

We know the story.  The question is how would Valpo handle this?  Would Labarbra or Lottich have the final say?  What would the final say be? 
Side note: This happened in Hangzhou, where I completed my internship and Valpo takes students every summer. 

Tressel up to his old tricks. 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/court-ohio-rape-convict-can-play-football-in-saturday-game/ar-AAs0vKa?ocid=spartandhp

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — A federal appeals court on Friday declined a university's request to stop one of its football players convicted of rape as a teenager from playing on the team.

Youngstown State had asked the appeals court to throw out a Thursday night decision by U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson to temporarily allow Richmond to play football for Youngstown State for at least the next 14 days, including in the 2 p.m. game Saturday. Pearson scheduled a hearing Sept. 28 on whether to make the decision permanent.

[SB NATION]

SB NATION

RANK    TEAM    RECORD    LAST WEEK    POINTS
1    Saint Mary's (5)    3-0    2    196
2    Gonzaga (3)    3-0    1    195
3    Rhode Island    4-1    3    176
4    Wichita State    4-0    5    175
5    VCU    3-0    6    157
6    BYU    3-0    10    146
7    Dayton    2-1    4    138
8    Northern Iowa    3-1    16    134
9    Valparaiso    3-1    8    120
10    Davidson    3-1    11    109
11    San Diego State    2-1    7    106
12    UNC-Wilmington    3-0    17    101
13    New Mexico    3-0    15    78
14    George Washington    3-0    19    63
15    Ohio    3-0    NR    48
16    Yale    2-1    NR    47
17    St. Bonaventure    1-1    20    46
18    Florida Gulf Coast    1-3    NR    38
18    Saint Joseph's    3-1    NR    38
20    Nevada    3-1    25    37
21    Princeton    0-2    9    36
22    UT-Arlington    1-3    13    35
23    Chattanooga    3-2    23    32
24    Monmouth    1-2    12    31
25    Utah State    3-0    NR    27

COLLEGE INSIDER
1.    Gonzaga (22)    3-0    764    1    West Coast
2.    Saint Mary's (8)    3-0    748    2    West Coast
3.    Wichita State    4-0    715    3    Missouri Valley
4.    UNCW    3-0    663    6    Colonial
5.    BYU    3-0    611    12    West Coast
6.    Valparaiso    3-1    569    7    Horizon
7.    Ohio    3-0    541    13    Mid-American
8.    Illinois State    1-1    490    9    Missouri Valley
9.    Belmont    1-1    476    11    Ohio Valley
10.    Chattanooga    3-2    449    8    Southern
11.    Monmouth    1-3    430    4    Metro Atlantic
12.    Northern Iowa (1)    3-1    399    17    Missouri Valley
13.    UT Arlington    1-3    375    5    Sun Belt
14.    Stephen F. Austin    2-1    323    20    Southland
15.    Princeton    0-2    287    10    Ivy League
16.    Yale    2-1    282    18    Ivy League
17.    North Dakota State    4-1    254    19    Summit
18.    Fort Wayne    2-2    245    16    Summit
19.    Long Beach State    1-4    171    15    Big West
20.    Tennessee State    4-0    144    NR    Ohio Valley
21.    Florida Gulf Coast    1-3    143    21    Atlantic Sun
22.    ETSU    3-1    117    21    Southern
23.    South Alabama    5-0    109    NR    Sun Belt
24.    Oakland    4-0    96    NR    Horizon
25.    Arkansas State    4-1    92    NR    Sun Belt

First one is out. 

http://www.slipperstillfits.com/2016/11/3/13510428/2017-ncaa-tournament-bracketology-gonzaga-bulldogs

Valpo #12 seed vs. West Virginia @ Tulsa

http://team-shop.bsnsports.com/form/show/VUMBB2016

Will Valparaiso continue its regular season dominance?

http://www.midmajormadness.com/2016/9/18/12953808/2016-17-horizon-league-basketball-preseason-power-rankings-preview-valparaiso-oakland-green-bay

[HL Foes]

Valpo came in at #260.

HL Foes
UIC 240
UWM 609
UWGB N/A
Oakland 520
Detroit N/A
CSU 649
Wright St. 660
NKU 641
YSU 656

Those are the schools we compete against athletically.  Below are schools that similar to us in size, degrees offered, regional, private, etc.  In other words, I would assume these are schools in which we compete with not athletically but rather with students.  It's odd because a good percentage of our students are athletes.

Similar Schools I wish we were in a league with
Drake 136
Butler 226
Evansville 306
Belmont 427
Dayton 203

http://www.campuspressbox.com/2016/oakland-adds-nunn-clark-comes-bagage/

http://www.midmajormadness.com/2016/7/13/12167802/horizon-league-freshman-class-recruiting-carson-williams-trevor-anderson

Still don't know how UIC and NKU are getting these recruits.

Oh, be sure to look at the picture.  Add 200 more fans to the seats and that's what the HL championship game was like.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/sports/college/uwgb/2016/07/09/horizon-hoops-format-hurts-fans/86830210/

[Wisconsin Regents Debating Keeping Athletics at UW-Milwaukee]

http://www.cbs58.com/story/32194485/wisconsin-regents-debating-keeping-athletics-at-uw-milwaukee

Wisconsin Regents Debating Keeping Athletics at UW-Milwaukee

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin regent is questioning whether it's worth continuing athletics at UW-Milwaukee.

Regent Tim Higgins challenged UW-Milwaukee Athletic Director Amanda Braun after she gave a presentation on Panther sports to regents Friday on the school's campus, pointing out the athletic department has an $11 million deficit.

Braun countered that her department has a plan to eliminate the deficit and should finish fiscal year 2016 with a balanced budget

[Milwaukee Panthers]

Conference realignment has already pillaged two charter members and the marquee basketball program from the Horizon League in recent years. Both Loyola and Butler departed before the first few rounds of realignment settled to a halt.

Now, with rumors of the Big 12 looking to add members, conference realignment may become a reality once more. Any moves the Big 12 may make would be based on what a school could do to enhance the conference's football profile. Certainly no schools in the Horizon League even come close to fulfilling the Big 12's football needs. But, the trickle down effect of Big 12 expansion could result in the Horizon League losing schools to other conferences looking to replenish their ranks.

Which schools are the likely movers? Just about every school would jump at the chance to move to a higher profile basketball conference. But who is currently poised to make the leap?

Milwaukee Panthers 

The Panthers could be a target for conferences looking to expand. Milwaukee basketball is generally around the top of the Horizon League standings and would add value to a basketball-centric conference. But, realignment is heavily based on the potential media market each school brings. Milwaukee is big enough city to get the Panthers in that discussion, but with Marquette and Wisconsin nearby, it could be an obstacle.

Milwaukee could be a fit for the Missouri Valley should they decide to expand. Wichita State has recently expressed a desire to bring back its football program and leave the Missouri Valley. The conference would likely want to replace Wichita State or could bring in teams preemptively.

Valparaiso Crusaders   

Valparaiso certainly has seen a great deal of success on the basketball court in recent years. They bring a high profile name among mid-major circles to the table. Valparaiso also is close enough to potentially draw some of the interest from the Chicago media market. Valparaiso's athletic facilities would likely need to improve for a conference to consider adding the Crusaders though.

Rumor had it that Valparaiso was among the final schools considered by the Missouri Valley the last time they expanded. Of course, Loyola was ultimately chosen, but Valparaiso would once again be a quality choice if the Missouri Valley does decide to expand.

UIC Flames 

Like Valparaiso, UIC was rumored to be a finalist in the last round of Missouri Valley expansion. The Flames have excellent athletic facilities and are located in Chicago, which would make them a prime candidate. Unfortunately, UIC has also struggled on the basketball court recently, but they have the resources to make a comeback in a big way.

While the Missouri Valley was previously interested in UIC, the conference already added cross-town rival Loyola. They may not be looking to another school in Chicago.
Overall

Two potential scenarios seem to put the Horizon League in danger of losing programs once again to realignment. The first would be the chain reaction set off by the Big 12 and then the AAC expanding. If those conferences suddenly start adding members of other conferences, it could quickly open up movement in Conference USA, the MAC, and other leagues across the conference. As a result, the Horizon League could suddenly be an option.

The other scenario is the Missouri Valley looking to beef up its numbers as a preventive measure to Wichita State departing. The MVC was rumored to have courted several Horizon League schools during the last expansion and could turn to the league again. Keep an eye out for further developments on both scenarios in the coming weeks as conferences hold yearly meetings.

http://www.midmajormadness.com/2016/6/10/11890236/could-any-horizon-league-teams-conference-expansion-missouri-valley-big-12-aac

The NCAA attendance figures came out yesterday.  Here's how the HL breaks down. 

Wright St = 4,355
Valpo = 3,572
UIC = 3,166
Oakland = 3,097
Green Bay = 3,029
Milwaukee = 2,667
Northern Ky = 2,296
Detroit = 2,121
YSU = 2,013
CSU = 1,911

www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2016-06-07/mens-basketball-attendance-tops-32-million-10th-straight-year


Valpo is a tough place to play when it's packed.  Ask the NIT guys.

D. Walker will be missed.  Best of luck to him. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znz5lCwSnio&feature=youtu.be

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2639716-ranking-the-best-mid-major-programs-in-college-basketball/page/11

#11 and the only HL team.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/2016/05/05/stevie-clark-oakland/83985500/

Oakland signs a Big12 transfer with a criminal background.  I remember watching Stevie Clark at Okie State.  He is good and quick - number 68 nationally in 2013 recruiting class.  It's been a couple years since he competed at the DI level but I would compare him to Felder good.  (I may have to eat those words, we shall see)  What was he arrested for?  Marijuana and another incident were he was peeing out the window of a moving vehicle.  I understand Stillwater is dull and its tough to find entertainment but he had other choices.  After being dismissed from OSU (he had so many chances and the local papers and radio stations couldn't believe it) Stevie tried suing the university.  He's with Oakland now. 

Ryan is generating a lot of interest from NBA teams.  He won't be playing in the NBA summer league because he decided to represent his country in Rio.  How cool would it be to have Alec and Ryan in the NBA.  Has any HL team had two players in the NBA at the same time?

http://pickandroll.com.au/beyond-europe-broekhoffs-rio-success-key-unlocking-nba-career/

Interesting read on Kampe and Oakland. 

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/sports/20160501/pat-caputo-perception-doesnt-fit-reality-of-greg-kampe-contract-extension-at-oakland-university

This is just a few.  Please add.

* 30 wins - Only other HL program to do this was Butler in 2008 and 2010
* Set a HL Record for scoring margin +14.7
* Set a HL Record for rebounding average 43.6
* Set a HL Record for rebounding margin 13
* NCAA individual leader in blocks and blocks per game (Vashil)
* 16-2 making for 2nd best ever HL winning percentage (Butler 18-0)
* Highest RPI in Crusader history?
* More ESPN games than any other season
* Alec Peters named Honorable Mention All-American.
* Bryce Drew a Finalist for 2016 Hugh Durham award

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160328/chatham/hoops-godfather-helps-chicago-star-escape-hood

Has a similar story to LaVonte Dority. 

D.Walker is that he was playing poorly and found himself coming off the bench.  A lot of players (even professional players) would be a distraction/cancer to the team after losing their spot in the starting lineup.  What I like about D. Walker besides his athleticism, sometimes 3 point shoot is his desire to be a team player.  He seems to be a good kid. 

http://host.madison.com/wsj/sports/college/basketball/men/college-basketball-uw-milwaukee-fires-head-coach-rob-jeter/article_6b66c450-98b6-5017-ab71-51410e6c46a7.html

http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2016/03/16/billy-donlon-wright-state-part-ways/

http://www.iwuwildcats.com/article/4742.php

Rex was an assistant at Valpo under Homer during the 03-05 season before taking the head job at Florida Atlantic. 

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/14934779/rex-walters-fired-head-coach-san-francisco-dons

http://phearthephoenix.webs.com/apps/blog/entries/show/43827261-comparing-2014-green-bay-to-2016-valparaiso

http://www.valpo.edu/news/2016/02/29/run-at-the-top-the-crusaders-success-under-bryce-drew/

May 17, 2011. That was the day Homer Drew announced that his 22nd season as head coach of the Valparaiso men's basketball program had been his final season at the helm.

After a brief intermission, Homer's son, Bryce Drew, was introduced as the 21st head coach in program history. During his remarks, Bryce Drew jokingly thanked his dad for leaving at least one more thing that could be accomplished — the ability to win a Horizon League championship.

Homer Drew's final team in 2010–2011 won 23 games and came as close as the Crusaders had been to winning the Horizon League title since joining the league, finishing the regular season just one game out of a share of the regular season championship.

Little did Bryce Drew know at the time he made those comments that less than five years later, he would have led Valparaiso on one of the more impressive stretches in Horizon League history. The Crusaders are just the third program in league history to win at least four regular season titles in a five-year stretch, joining Xavier and Butler.

2011–2012 — The Beginning

Bryce Drew's first team was one which entered the season with low expectations. The Crusaders lost their top two scorers from the previous year and returned less than 40% of their scoring. Accordingly, Valparaiso was picked just fifth in the Horizon League preseason poll and earned no first-place votes.

But a pair of juniors would step up into leadership roles to lead the way for Valpo in Drew's first season. Ryan Broekhoff emerged as a superstar, going from a Second Team All-League pick in the preseason to the Horizon League Player of the Year by year's end. Meanwhile, Kevin Van Wijk went from scoring just over five points per game in 2010–2011 to a 14 ppg scorer in 2011–2012 and developed into one of the league's prominent post players, also earning First Team All-League accolades.

The Horizon League slate started with a monumental win for Valpo, with the Crusaders going to Indianapolis in early December and beating Butler in Hinkle Fieldhouse for the first time since 1988. But the momentum wouldn't carry over for the Crusaders through a nearly four-week break from league play, as Valpo would drop two of its next four league games and exit a January 8 contest at Wright State just 3-2 in Horizon League action.

But with a balanced Horizon League, the Crusaders were still just one game back of first place in the standings and took full advantage, winning eight of their next nine games. A win February 9 at Cleveland State — Valpo's first at CSU since joining the league — capped the stretch, completed a season sweep of CSU and moved the Crusaders ahead of the Vikings in the league standings, with a two-game lead on the rest of the field.

Valpo would drop its next game at Youngstown State, but rebounded with a home win over UIC on February 14 to set itself up for a chance to clinch its first Horizon League title against Loyola one week later. It took five minutes longer than the team and fans might have liked, but the Crusaders got the job done against the Ramblers, as a 66-62 overtime victory secured the league crown. Valpo finished out the regular season with a decisive win over Butler, as the Crusaders closed the Horizon League with a 14-4 record, winning the league title by two games in Bryce Drew's first season at the helm.

2012–2013 — Redemption

While Bryce Drew's first season at the helm resulted in a Horizon League regular season championship, there was a sour taste in the Crusaders' mouths entering the 2012–2013 season. Detroit downed Valpo by 20 points at the Athletics-Recreation Center in the tournament title game to deny the Crusaders a chance to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

With six seniors leading the way, including All-League selections in Broekhoff and Van Wijk, Valpo was the nation's most experienced team heading into the 2012–2013 campaign, and expectations were high. The tables were turned from the previous season, as after being picked fifth in 2011–2012, the Crusaders were a near-unanimous favorite to repeat as league champions in 2012-13, receiving 40 of 44 first-place votes.

Valpo found out quickly, however, that being the hunted was a much different task than being the hunter. In the Crusaders' very first league game at the ARC against Loyola on January 2, they came out flat and suffered the consequences, falling 63-54 to the Ramblers. The lesson was learned swiftly though, as Valpo rebounded with six consecutive victories, including comebacks from 11 points down with three minutes to play at Detroit and seven points down with seven minutes remaining against Wright State.

The Crusaders' winning streak came to an end at the hands of Youngstown State on January 30, but Valpo still closed the first half of league play all alone atop the standings — a position it would not relinquish the rest of the season. A win at Loyola set the Crusaders up for a chance to secure their second straight regular season title against Youngstown State on Senior Night, and the group of six seniors made sure they would earn a second straight ring, downing the Penguins 73-64. Valpo then went into Green Bay to close out the regular season and clinched a second consecutive outright title with a 75-56 victory, finishing the league slate at 13-3.

This time, the run would not come up short of the ultimate goal, either. Despite trailing in the waning seconds of the league tournament semifinal against Green Bay, Broekhoff connected on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer for a thrilling 70-69 win to send the Crusaders to the title game. Then, three nights later, tournament MVP Erik Buggs scored a career-high 22 points and Valpo rallied from down six points with 5:37 to play for a 62-54 win over Wright State, winning its first league tournament championship and returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004.

2014–2015 — The New Era

After a fourth-place finish in the 2013–2014 regular season, Drew welcomed back just seven letterwinners from that year's team in 2014–2015, including less than 50% of their scoring from the previous season. Sophomore Alec Peters was a preseason First Team All-League selection, but with just two seniors on the team, and with five players seeing their first action at Valpo, expectations were tempered, with most believing the best was to come in 2015–2016 and beyond. Accordingly, Valpo was selected fourth in the Horizon League preseason poll, receiving no first-place votes.

The notion that the season might become something special started in the pre-league slate. Valpo dropped its second game of the season at Missouri, and also fell at home to New Mexico, but other than that, suffered no defeats. A one-two punch at the start of the Horizon League schedule seemed like it might knock Valpo back down to earth, though. First, the Crusaders opened league play at Oakland and suffered an 89-75 overtime loss.

Then, two days later in a home win over Youngstown State, Keith Carter suffered a dislocated toe late in the victory. For a Valpo squad already playing without incumbent starting point guard Lexus Williams due to an offseason knee injury, the loss of Carter left the Crusaders down to their third and fourth options at the point, in the form of E. Victor Nickerson, himself coming off double hip surgery, and Max Joseph.

Nickerson and Joseph, along with the rest of the Crusaders, stepped up to the task, however, winning the next four games, including three by double figures. A loss at Green Bay by one point in a game where Valpo had two shots in the final minute to take the lead didn't slow the team down, as three days later, the Crusaders returned home and beat Milwaukee by 25 points.

Then, the young Valpo squad showed it could handle late-game pressure. After winning 15 of their first 19 games by double figures, the Crusaders won six consecutive games by single digits. A home win over Green Bay on February 13 moved Valpo into sole possession of first place in the league standings, and two wins later, the Crusaders were on the verge of securing another league title.

The first time would not be the charm for Valpo in 2014–2015, as the Crusaders let their first chance to win the championship slip away at Detroit in a loss. But Valpo was not to be denied, traveling to Cleveland State two nights later to face a rested Vikings team. With everything on the line, the Crusaders put together one of their best all-around efforts of the year, stifling Cleveland State defensively and getting a dagger of a shot on a four-point play from Peters with 1:11 to play in a 56-53 victory to finish Horizon League play at 13-3.

And just as the Crusaders did in 2012–2013, Valpo took advantage of the home court advantage at the ARC to claim the league tournament title as well. The Crusaders pulled out a hard-fought semifinal win over Cleveland State before locking down defensively for a come-from-behind victory over Green Bay to earn the championship and win their school-record 28th game. Then, in the NCAA Tournament, Valpo played step-for-step with Maryland all the way to the final buzzer, falling by just three points.

2015–2016 — Great Expectations

Expectations were already going to be high entering the 2015–2016 season, with Valpo returning nearly every member of its regular rotation from the 2014–2015 season. But during the summer, expectations got even higher when the program announced that Vashil Fernandez had been granted a fourth year of eligibility by the NCAA and would be returning for his final year as a Crusader — meaning that the team had 99 percent of its scoring and rebounding back from last season's team.

Heavy favorites in the Horizon League, Valpo received unprecedented national attention during the regular season. Top-25 votes became the norm for the Crusaders. Tweets lauding Drew's coaching, the play of Peters, or the shot-blocking ability of Fernandez were no longer confined just to national television appearances. This iteration of the Valpo men's basketball team would have to learn to deal with being the hunted every time out.

The Crusaders handled that pressure well in the non-league slate against a challenging schedule which ended up featuring a number of league champions. A nationally-televised win at Rhode Island highlighted a grueling early stretch of five games in eight days, and Valpo later went on to split the Pac-12 Oregon trip, losing a narrow decision at Oregon before winning at Oregon State — a pair of results on that road trip matched by only two Pac-12 teams this season.

Valpo entered Horizon League play with a 10-3 record and then put together an unprecedented set of results in program history. The Crusaders won each of their first six league games, including games at Oakland and at Detroit, by at least 12 points apiece — the first time a Valpo team has won six consecutive league games by double figures.

A slip-up at Wright State dealt the Crusaders their first blemish, but they would bounce back with five more double-figure wins in a row. Another loss to the Raiders — Valpo's first defeat at the ARC since December of 2014 — seemed like it might open the door for another team at the top of the Horizon League standings, but Valpo quickly squashed that notion, as an easy win at Cleveland State afforded the Crusaders the ability to clinch another league title at home.

A hard-fought nationally-televised two-point victory over second-place Oakland — the Crusaders' first single-digit win of the Horizon League slate — set up the potential to win the championship on Senior Day at home against Detroit, and that Valpo did, leading start-to-finish over the Titans. The cherry on top of the Horizon League schedule came last weekend in Wisconsin, as the Crusaders pulled out a pair of dramatic victories — Carter's 3-pointer late in overtime helping Valpo to a four-point win at Milwaukee, and Shane Hammink nailing a 3-pointer with two seconds to play for a two-point victory at Green Bay.

The five straight wins send Valpo into the upcoming Horizon League Championship at Joe Louis Arena at 26-5 overall, just two wins shy of matching last season's program-record 28 victories. The Crusaders also finished the Horizon League schedule at 16-2 and won the league title by three full games — the first time any team has done that since the 2009–2010 Butler team, which went on to the national championship game.

Xavier won six Horizon League regular season titles in an eight-year span from 1987 to 1995. Butler won four consecutive championships from 1999 to 2003 and five more titles from 2006 to 2011. Valparaiso has now joined that group as the only programs in league history to win at least four regular season championships in a five-year span, led to all four titles by Bryce Drew. A coach who joked at his introductory press conference about being thankful there was at least one thing left to accomplish, now has accomplished it four times over.

[All Conference 1st team]

All Conference 1st team
Kay Felder, OU
Alec Peters, Valpo
Jordan Johnson, Milwaukee
Matt Tiby, Milwaukee
Paris Bass, Detroit

2nd Team
Keith Carter, Valpo
Jalen Hayes, Oakland
Jordan Fouse, Green Bay
Carrington Love, Green Bay
Dikembe Dixson, UIC

All-Freshman
Dikembe Dixson, UIC
Drew McDonald, NKU
Rob Edwards, CSU
Josh McFolley, Detroit
Michael Kolawole, UIC

All Defense:
Vashil Fernandez, Valpo
Jordan Fouse, Green Bay
Tai Odiase, UIC
Keith Carter, Valpo
Terrell Hales, CSU

Player of the Year: Kay Felder, Oakland
Freshman of the Year: Dikembe Dixson, UIC
Defensive Player of the Year: Vashil Fernandez, Valparaiso
6th Man: Darien Walker or Shane Hammick? Valparaiso
Coach of the Year: Bryce Drew, Valparaiso

The Horizon again dropped Conference RPI slot.  HL falls to 18th, behind the Sunbelt (NKU old stomping ground) Valpo is #37. Bracketology has us as a #11. Second is Oakland, #140. (Oakland is back by the way of a Wisconsin sweep) If we win the conference tournament, the HL may not get an NIT bid.  Oh and one of our teams finally picked up its 1st DI victory making them the second worst RPI in the nation. 

Vote for the #HLMBB GIF of the Week from last week.  Skara's Alley hoop is currently second behind Felder's alley hoop.  As of now, Skara is only losing by 4% (Thats what Trump said).

http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/hlmbb-gif-of-the-week-jan-25

The title says it.  Go onto the HL fan forum and vote for our coach.  Obviously I voted for Bryce but if I was fair, I might have voted for Green Bay's Linc Darner.

As mentioned, let's separate the Oakland/Detroit game.  Titans bring different challenges.  Big question, will the Crusaders be mentally prepared after a ESPN2 game at Oakland?  The commissioner wrote a good piece on their blog and is worth reading.  I will be catching a 6am flight from Tulsa and will be at the game in Detroit.  Not too many direct flights from Tulsa but Detroit is one of them and after last nights game, I'm very excited.  And I've always wanted to see a game at Mercy.  Hope standby can get a seat and hope our guys are focused with a good game plan. 

The sagarin line has the good guys as 9 point favorites.

http://www.newson6.com/story/30920656/wearing-fitness-trackers-now-mandatory-for-oru-freshman

TULSA, Oklahoma -

­­­­­­Oral Roberts University is now requiring all freshmen to wear tracking devices to monitor their physical activity, the school says.

While wearing Fitbit technology is a pioneer program, the university previously required students to manually log aerobics points into a fitness journal, it says.

"ORU offers one of the most unique educational approaches in the world by focusing on the Whole Person – mind, body and spirit," a statement issued by ORU President William M. Wilson said. "The marriage of new technology with our physical fitness requirements is something that sets ORU apart. In fact, when we began this innovative program in the fall of 2015, we were the first university in the world to offer this unique approach to a fitness program."

The school, which is a private institution, says Fitbit fitness tracking now is required for all incoming students, and ORU has opened the program up to all students.

A Fitbit device tracks a person's activity with GPS technology, including exercise, food, calories burned, weight, sleep and times those things occur.

According to the ORU website, it appears as though school staff and instructors will be able to access the fitness tracking information gathered by the students' devices.

"The Fitbit trackers will feed into the D2L gradebook, automatically logging aerobics points," the website says.

The school says more than 550 of the Fitbit devices (average price of $150) have been sold in the on-campus bookstore, with many more purchased through other retailers.

"Before this breakthrough on the campus in Tulsa, the University successfully integrated wearable technology in their online programs. The university inspired and encouraged all online students to track physical activity through wearable technology in the spring of 2014. This allowed them to save, plan and share progress," the website says.

This year's freshman class is the first required to use the fitness tracking devices.

The university reportedly has set a requirement for each freshman to log 10,000 steps per day.

Yeo's  Bethel is #7 in the nation and he's averaging 25 points a game.  He found the weight room at Bethel and has bulked up to 195 pounds.  I always thought he was a good player but Valpo took advantage of the open position he left when he transferred to Bethel. 

I never understood all the praise this coach received.  I thought he underachieved.  A good recruiter is the only thing I can see.  Oh, the one win he has this year is against Ball St.

Just fun to track it all year.  Currently we are a 11 seed in Providence against the Zags.  We know how that turned out last time we played them in the NCAA.  There are two teams currently in the bracketology that we have beaten, Iona and Belmont.  We lost to Oregon by 5 on their court.  They are listed as a 6 seed. 

Dec. 8th Edition

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

I highly doubt it....

But picked this up from the SB-Nation, Mid-Major Madness and thought it was interesting. 



If Eastern Kentucky does leave the OVC for the Sun Belt then it could trigger a bit of poetic justice in my head. Northern Kentucky left a bad taste in Atlantic Sun fans mouths when the Norse bolted the conference, seemingly overnight, for the Horizon League. The Horizon League is a nice home for a school that basically resides in Cincinnati but there is no secret that NKU would prefer the Ohio Valley.

NKU basically begged the OVC to let them in when they were first transition to Division I but the conference added Belmont instead (which makes sense). The ASun was then the only conference that really opened its arms to NKU and saved them from the Independent peril that NJIT, Longwood, Savannah State, and so many others suffered for years.

I would think that EKU does leave for the Sun Belt that the OVC will be looking for a twelfth member and NKU might have been a very strong candidate for the gig. Perhaps patience would've paid off for a school that ran for perceived greener pastures earlier this year.  Maybe East Tennessee State or Chattanooga can be the OVC's solution instead?

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/03/cleveland_state_university_will_no_longer_fund_wrestling_but_will_add_lacrosse.html#incart_most-read_sports_article

UWGB's Sykes was 1st after the first round but came up 2nd.  If Sykes held his spot was crowned it would have given the HL 2 slam dunk kings in the past 3 years.  Doug Anderson from Detroit mercy won in 2013.