I don't mean things like "at least our white dudes don't have terrible facial hair/haircuts" or "our shot blocker never talked trash like a punk- ".
I'm thinking one for sure: to lose like that moves the Bryce-o-meter at least two ticks closer to "Coming back to finish business".
Hard to imagine him leaving before next year plays out.
What else is there to take away?
If we were graduating 3-4 starters, maybe Bryce leaves, but I still doubt it. I don't see a reason for him to walk away as we should have an even better team next year. I could see Indiana maybe making a run at him though as Crean's seat just got a lot hotter.
We need to strengthen our OOC schedule and pick up some quality wins and we could easily be a 10-8 seed. Although being a 13 or 14 seed isn't looking too bad anymore. Can't choke on high majors anymore in the OOC.
Why can't Bryce Drew be to Valpo what Mark Few is to Gonzaga?
That's what I say. But some people think he might be interested in DePaul, like they thought about godforsaken Tulsa.
(And maybe he was.)
But I say it'd gotta be a perfect situation and a perfect timing personally. The longer he stays...
Quote from: Valpo18 on March 20, 2015, 11:09:28 PM
If we were graduating 3-4 starters, maybe Bryce leaves, but I still doubt it. I don't see a reason for him to walk away as we should have an even better team next year. I could see Indiana maybe making a run at him though as Crean's seat just got a lot hotter.
We need to strengthen our OOC schedule and pick up some quality wins and we could easily be a 10-8 seed. Although being a 13 or 14 seed isn't looking too bad anymore. Can't choke on high majors anymore in the OOC.
Today they showed they can play with a top team. Next year they need to show they can actually beat somebody from a big conference. Otherwise once again they will have to win the conference tourney to get at most a 12 seed, more likely a 13 or lower. We will not get respect by beating most mid major teams. If that were the case Murrey State would have gotten an at large bid.
Bryce isn't going anywhere.....
Sorry but the "Bryce leaving" talk is annoying. He has such a good thing here and it fits him. ... He would find it difficult to be the man he wants to be at a big program.
silver lining - we have some of the best players at their age - I mean freshman and sophomores looked this good against a top 8 team. (Let that sink in for a minute)
Bryce is a loyal and smart dude. If he is going to leave, it will not be for DePaul, where the program and athletic administration is a complete joking mess.
Bryce has decent players, a decent gig, works with a decent AD and I am sure he is not strapped for cash - he would be wise to stay for the time being. I would strongly suggest the administration to promptly make renovations to the ARC.
Quote from: usc4valpo on March 21, 2015, 08:45:07 AMBryce has decent players, a decent gig, works with a decent AD and I am sure he is not strapped for cash - he would be wise to stay for the time being. I would strongly suggest the administration to promptly make renovations to the ARC.
Congratulations for fitting two of our favorite three topics into the same paragraph. However, I must subtract a point for not commenting on attendance.
Apostle, be aware that caffiene was just beginning to take effect when writing these words of wisdom.
I am bummed about loss since Valpo could have defeated the Terps and the almighty Big 10, but I am proud of what Bryce and the team did this year.
Like many, I will be interested to see if Kentucky complete their season undefeated. After watching some SEC teams play the past 2 days, I would take the field as I think their competition makes them look more invincible that they are. I will also be interested to see if Ashley Judd's botox holds up for the next couple of weeks.
Bad final play call from Bryce. Almost as bad as Pete Carrolls blunder :crazy:
setshot - agree with your comment, but even great coaches like Pete Carroll and Bryce Drew make mistakes. Notre Dame and most teams would only hope to have Pete Carroll as their coach.
I am already feeling better about next season - USC is loading on scholarships and is getting better, and Valpo should be a joy to watch.
Quote from: VUOR63 on March 20, 2015, 11:16:05 PM
Why can't Bryce Drew be to Valpo what Mark Few is to Gonzaga?
No doubt Bryce made a few extra bucks via the championships and NCAA appearance. Keep him at the very top of pay for Horizon League coaches. He may not need the money but he deserves it for his future and his families future. The improvements to the ARC will not be what keep Bryce here. As for him not wanting to take on the mess at DePaul, that mess is nothing even close to what Scott walked into. So, if Scott wasn't afraid of a challenge (and major pay day!), Bryce may not be either. Let's hope not.
72, there is a difference between the Baylor position and the DePaul position. At Baylor, Scott was pretty much able to start the program from scratch. Scott gets a lot of criticism from Big 12 fans, but what he has done at Baylor has been phenomemal. Big 12 fans and coaches dislike him because of his prompt success, jealousy of his success and in their hope that they thought he would be a nice guy coaching a doormat team. Scott had to start clean.
DePaul, however, is different. They have cronies in the administration that will not leave, preventing a coach more leeway and thus more success. Jean Lenti Ponsetto and the DePaul administration are still standing behind their success back in the 80's and Ray Meyer. Student empathy is low, and they have to engage with corrupt Chicago politics for a stadium that will not meet their needs. Ponsetto is great with Title IX accomplishments and intramurals but has no clue in competing in the Big East.
Quote from: VUOR63 on March 20, 2015, 11:16:05 PM
Why can't Bryce Drew be to Valpo what Mark Few is to Gonzaga?
Hopefully, this will happen.
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Big silver lining for me: depth at guard. Tevonn Walker, Darien Walker, Carter, Nickerson, Skara all can play strong D and all can get better. Each of them has shown ability on offense and all of them have the potential to get quite a bit better. Then add Williams, who hopefully comes back strong. No midmajor will have guard depth like that next year. Peters is a stud at the 4. So next year's team can be very special if they can develop or add some quality at the 5 (not discounting Jubril, Hammink or Smits - just need them to develop to the level of everyone else.
Quote from: setshot on March 21, 2015, 09:40:36 AM
Bad final play call from Bryce. Almost as bad as Pete Carrolls blunder :crazy:
As with all play calls in those situations if you do something that fools the defense you have made a great call. If the defense sniffs it out then you are the idiot. It was some what gutsy but it just didn't work. If the foul had been called or Valpo had made their FTs and Keith had made 2 FTs and lost by one would we have felt any better?
Quote from: covufan on March 21, 2015, 11:03:56 AM
Quote from: VUOR63 on March 20, 2015, 11:16:05 PM
Why can't Bryce Drew be to Valpo what Mark Few is to Gonzaga?
Hopefully, this will happen.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Here is an article from the NY Times that describes the "Gonzaga model" for mid-major success. Notice the similarities to Valpo in the way they describe themselves in the "early days," including the frustration of hearing their school name mispronounced (sound familiar?). Then, notice the emphasis on an indispensable element that makes a lot of people on this board nervous - investment in facilities. Read the comments from Butler AD Collier about there being no shortcuts to sustained success without it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/sports/ncaabasketball/gonzaga-basketball-stays-the-course-and-reaches-the-top.html?_r=0 (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/sports/ncaabasketball/gonzaga-basketball-stays-the-course-and-reaches-the-top.html?_r=0)
Please, please, please spare me about how the university has more pressing needs than basketball facilities. I get it. I'm just trying to give an honest answer to an honest question - "Why can't Bryce Drew be to Valpo what Mark Few is to Gonzaga?" The answer is simply this - the administration and board of Valparaiso University do not consider it important enough to make the financial investment necessary to potentially make it happen. I say "potentially" make it happen because there's no guarantee that even with a major investment we would get the ROI that Gonzaga has. People just need to be willing to accept that without making a major investment, we will never become the next Gonzaga or Butler, or anywhere close. A lot of people sound like they're fine with that, others like myself are not, but in the end it really doesn't matter. It is what it is - there are no shortcuts to Level V success.
As the person on the other end of previous arguments on facilities and spending, I choose not to enter into another argument at this time.
wh - good comments and I agree with you. I do not say this about athletic programs in general, but the Valparaiso basketball program has done a lot for this university and they deserve more. Valpo is lucky to have Bryce Drew as a head coach. Also, this program has provided national attention in a different perspective in additional to its Lutheran church affiliation.
I would not suggest a new arena, but renovations. This program has grown and provides positive waves to Valparaiso University. It has been 31 years since the ARC was built and it is time for some home improvement.
Also, sometimes Valpo needs to stop being so conservative and take a calculated risk.
I believe that the speed of how things that we deem are necessary (can't move to the level of Gonzaga or Butler without the improvement in facilities) has a great deal to do with the amount of angst we feel. We could still get all the facilities improvements but not at the rate of a Gonzaga or Butler and still move to that level in the time Bryce is head coach at Valpo. I believe Bryce feels it will happen. There will be many years that Valpo will miss out on being an "elite" mid-major but it may still happen.
Some VU fans have told me that without Mark Heckler being president Bryce would have already been gone from Valpo.
Quote from: historyman on March 21, 2015, 02:11:27 PMSome VU fans have told me that without Mark Heckler being president Bryce would have already been gone from Valpo.
Ironic, because some coaches LEAVE because of hecklers.
You guys need to relax on the Bryce leaving stuff. Focus your worries somewhere else like how the heck are we going to find anyone worth while to play us next season.
I am guessing that I personally will have very little impact on whether Bryce stays or next year's schedule.
Time for a trip to Alaska or Hawaii and the Bahamas to face some real competition.
In business, if the company is committed to the employees, the employee will perform well for the company. Mississippi State, Alabama and other major school have job openings. If Valpo is not committed for Bryce to increase program success, there will be a problem.
The lineups for the major tournaments in Hawaii and the Bahamas are already set. Alaska no longer gets a good field.
While I could certainly see Bryce finding a good fit someplace, a football dominated school like Mississippi State and Alabama (or Texas) is probably not an ideal situation for an up and coming coach.
What level of commitment are you suggesting? Should other employees at Valpo be considered?
What I am saying is Valpo needs to provide adequate support (better facilities, more money, more fan support, etc.) if Bryce is going to stay for the long run. I actually do not think this committment is significant - I am not talking about a 15000 seat arena with sky boxes and open bar. Renovations for the ARC, not just for basketball but for future use, is required.
Quote from: usc4valpo on March 21, 2015, 10:53:08 PMI am not talking about a 15000 seat arena with sky boxes and open bar
Well I wasn't either--until you mentioned it...
While it's easy to identify a thing or two that we don't have that might prompt Bryce to consider leaving, it's also good to remember a thing or two that we do have that would make him think twice about leaving. While the family ties and personal background are pretty clear, we can't do much about that: It's not going to do any more or less in the future to make him want to stay than it's currently doing. A strong returning team is another strong selling point, but that will forever change from year to year.
Maybe it's just the brown-and-gold glow that is lingering after a great season and a really close game in the tournament, but I think the alumni support of Valpo basketball and Valpo in general is something that he must take notice of. He won't play for a fanbase this tightly knit and supportive just anywhere.
With that in mind, I think that we should remember that this is something we do have a little control over. It's something that could increase or decrease over time. Let's make sure he knows he's valued for all the reasons everyone else has already listed in this and other posts. Show him that what he has at Valpo might not be perfect in every way, but in the ways that matter most, it's a great place to be. Drop him an email at bryce.drew@valpo.edu and share your support and send a note of thanks after a great season!
As we all know Bryce's strong Christian faith is indispensably interwoven with his role as coach. I can't picture him going anywhere where he can no longer express his faith with his players or with the public. No more team prayers before and after games, no more saying "we're terifically blessed," no more praying for departing players and managers on senior night, the minions of Satan watching his every move waiting to pounce and "expose" him as a religious bigot, all in the name of fairness, of course.
The number of universities wIth D-1 major basketball programs where Bryce would not have to check his spiritual values at the door are few and far between. That fact alone may keep Bryce at Valpo before any of the other factors that we all know are important to him - family, etc.
Great post Vale. I did the emailing thing with FB to Dave, but never thought of that in BB. Duh! I will do that tonight!
It's true. The Valpo fan base shares his values and if he would go to DePaul, for instance, he'd have to deal with intense fans of the Catholic persuasion (whoa!) who are more stereotypically less forgiving ;) Kidding! But BIG STATE UNIVERSITIES are "what have you done for me yesterday and today -- forget the future, forget character, integrity, whatever....." Why, as a basically good person, expose yourself to that S%$#.
I do think that Bryce will test the waters eventually (but very selectively -- like I think Scott's was a calling, not an $$$ opportunity), but in talking to Bryce on the sidelines during one of the football games this Fall, I felt that he was at home in NWI and a part of his makeup is to challenge the Goliath's as a mid-major and prove that, with good kids (underscore, good kids) who are talented and motivated, a small school can be part of the national conversation. It's one challenge to improve an established multi-million $$ program and make a zillion bucks; it's another to take a mid-major, like Valpo, and raise them up into that same pantheon. Somehow, I think that, like Shaka Smart at VCU, Bryce is listening to a greater call. Our guy has got his head screwed on straight, and he knows what he wants to accomplish. And getting Valpo into the national conversation is his goal. :twocents:
From Ice Age: "It's what you do in a (our) herd." And I live by it.
LAA or bbtds or historyman it is now time to supply a Meme or whatever.
(http://i.turner.ncaa.com/dr/ncaa/ncaa7/release/sites/default/files/styles/640x360/public/media/valpo-bryce-drew-640x360-03112015.jpg?itok=1v-OgHNs)
"He said a meme from Ice Age, you blessed idiot! I think we should pray for you."