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Looks like Markus Golder is playing for the Vancouver Volcanoes in The Basketball League.

https://hosted.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/TBBL/en/person/1800783/gamelog?

The Basketball League president is Dave Magley, 1978 Mr. Basketball and alum of South Bend LaSalle (and HS teammate of former Crusader Brian Hubbard).

I've also seen former Crusader Chandler Levingston-Simon play a few games in The Basketball League.  His dad Cliff, is the coach of the Kokomo BobKats.  I enjoyed chatting with Cliff before a game last Sunday at Lebanon.

Looks like Markus Golder is playing for the Vancouver Volcanoes in The Basketball League.

https://hosted.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/TBBL/en/person/1800783/gamelog?

The Basketball League president is Dave Magley, 1978 Mr. Basketball and alum of South Bend LaSalle (and HS teammate of former Crusader Brian Hubbard).

Good episode with Howard Little.  I had completely forgotten about Beas Hamga!  Interesting enough, the below article referenced Mark Adams as an advisor to Beas.  Is this the same Mark Adams that announces some of our games, and is a huge proponent of Valpo?

https://www.zagsblog.com/2009/01/10/beas-hamga-to-valparaiso/

This is a different Mark Adams.  He runs the Indiana Elite AAU program and the A-HOPE foundation that helps bring young players to the US (primarily from Africa).  As you can see from the article linked below, some people question his methods and motives.

https://www.espn.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=6587668

Does anyone really care what Dan D says or believes?

Dan Dakich can go f*ck himself and all his Zionsville buddies for all I care. He is a useless piece of former Region trash.

Does that include me?   

FWIW, Dan moved a few years ago.

Smits having a good game thus far on Fox sports 1

Looked pretty good his first rotation in the first half with 6 points in 4 minutes, after that he started playing with a similar attitude to his Valpo days and Jordan obviously did not like what he saw. Barely played in the second half and ended with just those 6 points and 1 rebound.

Derrik provided a big boost off the bench in the 1st half.  He didn't play much in the 2nd half because Butler played mostly with only one big to match up with Creighton's small lineup.  After returning from injury, Derrik is #3 in the rotation for bigs, so he didn't play much in the 2nd half.  Not sure why you think his "attitude" had anything to do with things.  Were you at the game?

I talked to both Coach Jordan and Derrik after the game.  Derrik seems very happy and excited to be able to contribute after missing extended time with injury.  They are all excited to be a top 5 to 10 team (pick your ranking) in the country at this point, but realize there is a lot of work to be done and a lot of room for improvement.  Butler was a very good team without Derrik.  Adding him gives them additional depth, but his playing time will be dependent upon matchups and foul trouble.

All in all, I'm thrilled to have Derrik on Butler's roster.  Most of you are thrilled to have him gone from Valpo.  I'll call this a win-win.

New podcast came out late last week with a nice interview with Casey Schmidt.  Interesting information about his time at Arizona and how he returned to Valpo U.  I got to see Arizona up close during Casey's freshman year and he's right about the talent level they had on that team.  Good listen.

Thanks, this made my day.  Talking about Valpo during a Butler game.  Priceless.   

Unfortunately most of the audience was thinking of Valpo being two steps down from a Butler team that really hasn't accomplished anything in quite a few years. The same way most of Indy thinks.

Yes, as you predicted years ago, leaving the Horizon League would be a huge mistake for Butler.  Kudos to you for also accurately predicting that Butler's deal to have games on local TV would be short-lived.  WNDY hasn't aired a Butler game for several years.  I've also not seen Anthony Calhoun anywhere close to Hinkle Fieldhouse.  David Woods is still covering Butler for the Indy Star, despite their mediocrity.

I guess I'm having a hard time understanding the finger pointing at Butler in this....

Its clear that a decision was made amongst the HL that Butler was going to be excluded from any championships, etc.... how is that Butler's fault?  (other than leaving the conference in the first place).

And before people go huffing and puffing about the exit fee, just you remember how much money you've banked, and Butler LEFT BEHIND off of our two Championship Game runs!
The dollar amounts we are leaving behind have to be more than the cumulative dollars your program (or almost any other in the league) have generated in your existence!

You'll have a good program next year, be happy, but now you'll get to be the ones that have to deal with the rest of the conference bringing you down...

It's just so easy to see the arrogance that pervades Butler thinking and LeCrone finally after all these years had enough of it. Good riddance, Nildogg. We won't miss you!!!! Also let's make a bet when WNDY lets their TV contract to televise Butler games run out.  2013-14 is my guess. Good luck wondering how your basketball team looks playing on the east coast and paying those $80 A-10 video fees.

I'll take that WNDY bet if your offering it to outsiders. Really, you think they're going to drop the contract because they're playing better teams with more name recognition?

WNDY went many years without Butler, even when Butler made the NCAA tourney just about every year. If Butler starts placing middle of the pack in the A-10 and the ratings start dropping off things will change fast. Also the cost of televising games from Philadelphia, West Mass, New York City, Richmond, etc. will make the Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock & Monk re-runs and Family Fued look a whole lot better ratings wise. None of those Purdue and IU fans with be loyal to Butler. I lived in Indy during those days and I remember what they were like. You think the cash strapped Indy Star will keep David Woods covering Butler when they are mediocre in the A-10. It won't happen.  There is a good reason it is a year by year contract. That glory will fade just as quickly as it started. People are very fickle.

When Anthony Calhoun WISH/WNDY sports director ended the "Butler leaving for the A-10 early" segment on channel 8's newscast he ended saying more cautiously than excitingly that "Yah, we look forward to covering those Butler basketball games on our sister station my Indy 23 coming up this year." That statement coming from a guy who could get excited about almost anything Butler in the past. Anthony Calhoun knows Butler basketball took a hit and it must recover quickly in a tougher conference or things are going downhill quickly. He certainly didn't sound nearly as excited as when he stood on the stage at Hinkle with LeCrone, Collier, Fong and Governor Daniels (by video) and said "back to back Final Fours."

Bryce doing national T V?   Hard to believe.  uuh   uuh   I guess the networks , uuh, are doing so many games now they, uuh, uuh,  need any body they can get.

Monday was the first time I had heard him on a broadcast and I thought he did a nice job.  He's more about providing analysis vs whipping up excitement (ala Dicky V), but thought he added insight to the broadcast.

Just caught the end of his post game interview with the guard from THAT school who won't play us... After he was the color commentator on ESPNU.  In a few minutes he'll be on ESPN2 with the second game... Stanford - Oklahoma.

Had you tuned in for the 1st half, you could have seen a 15 minute stretch with no game commentary while they talked to Homer about his HOF induction and the glory days of Valpo two decades ago. 

Not sure why he wasn't on the broadcasts last night, but Bryce was replaced by Jon Sundvold for the championship game.

[OVER]

2019-20 Over/Unders
Javon Freeman-Liberty: 63.5 steals OVER
Siggy Lorange: 27.5 3-point field goals OVER
Zion Morgan: 16.5 games with more assists than turnovers UNDER
Daniel Sackey: 3.2 assists per game UNDER
Donovan Clay: 3.8 rebounds per game OVER
Eron Gordon: 7.5 points per game UNDER
Emil Freese-Vilien: 10.5 blocks UNDER
Mileek McMillian: 44.5 field goal percentage UNDER
Ben Krikke: 5.8 points per game OVER
Nick Robinson: 10.5 points per game UNDER
John Kiser: 11.5 3-point field goals UNDER
Ryan Fazekas: 42.5 3-point field goal percentage UNDER
Matt Lottich: 1.5 technical fouls UNDER

Wins: 17.5 OVER
Arch Madness wins: 1.5 UNDER
MVC Finish: 6.5 (Over means 1-6, Under means 7-10) OVER
Postseason victories (NCAA, NIT, CBI, CIT): 0.5 UNDER
Conference win streak: 2.5 OVER
Conference loss streak: 2.5 OVER
Attendance: 2,800 OVER

Tiebreaker: Combined season points from Brock Pappas and Luke Morrill 8

https://twitter.com/BBCHSBOYSHOOPS/status/1154020535300501504?s=20

I wish him well.

On another note, I went to the verbal commits website for Southern U:

http://www.verbalcommits.com/schools/southern-university

And guess what is listed under the "Latest Jaguar Headlines" section?

http://www.subr.edu/news/southern-plants-first-seeds-in-medical-marijuana-venture

I'll leave this here with no further comment...

I just noticed that Micah will be returning to the state when Southern plays at Butler in December.

So, who is the winner?

Good question.  I think I was in contention, but I doubt Paul will invite me onto the podcast if I win.

Bradford  (not counted)

Why not?  Bradford had 0 assists and 1 turnover on the year for a ratio of 0:1.  My "Under" prediction should count!

If you recall, the Horizon also took a shot at Butler on their way out of the league, voting to make them ineligible for league championships in '12-'13 and resulting in them leaving a year early.  https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/butler-joining-a-10-this-fall-instead-of-2013/

That's the Butler version of the story. The actual story was that the HL wanted simply make them ineligible to *host* any league championships in their lame-duck year, which is a much more modest and some would say fair request. But Butler wasn't going to countenance having to give up playing at Hinkle, so they left.

I've never heard your version before, but whether your story, the CBS Sports story or something in between is the "actual story", I'll stick to my position that I'm fine not scheduling any school that was in support of whatever those sanctions were, just like you're in favor of Valpo not scheduling schools that were supportive of the Horizon's lawsuit against Valpo.  There are roughly 340 DI schools outside of each team's conference ... finding 12 or 13 non-conference opponents that haven't tried to harm your program shouldn't be that hard.

In hindsight, things worked out fine for both programs.  In 2013, Valpo won the league and played in the NCAA tourney and Butler, after getting away from Valpo, was also able to get back to the tournament.  Win win situation.

I think that depends entirely on which schools were pushing the lawsuit. I'm pretty sure VU knows which schools they are and those won't be on the schedule anytime soon. And if it was a unanimous decision among HL schools to sue us, then I still say screw them.

I totally agree with this take ... why do a favor for a Horizon League school who was in favor of suing you??

If you recall, the Horizon also took a shot at Butler on their way out of the league, voting to make them ineligible for league championships in '12-'13 and resulting in them leaving a year early.  https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/butler-joining-a-10-this-fall-instead-of-2013/

Butler knows which schools initiated and voted in favor of that move and I doubt that Butler MBB will be playing those schools (voluntarily, at least) for a long time, if ever.  I'm totally in favor of that decision.

Makes zero sense.  I'm in Nashville and I am on Central time while Vigo County is on Eastern? 

Indiana time has never made sense.  I grew up east of Valpo during the time that Northwest Indiana was on Central time and observed DST while most surrounding counties were on Eastern time and not using DST.  A town 10 miles away where we shopped and saw doctors was an hour ahead for half the year and in sync for the other half.  Crazy.

In the dedication season of the ARC (88-89) under first year coach Homer Drew, we played the following leading up to the ND home win:
@ Butler (L)
Evansville (L)
@ W Mich (L)
Illinois Tech (W)
Air Force (L)
@ Montana (W)
Vs. Centenary (@ Montana) (L)
Ball State (L)
Notre Dame (W - OT)

The ARC opened for the 1984-1985 season ... I think the dedication game was in December of 1984.

Valpo is not Liberty or BYU, and prohibing alcohol at a historicallly German Lutheran school does not sense. Responsible sales of beer at basketball events will not create the Delta House.

Butler began selling alcohol last season and I've noticed little to no difference with the crowd.  I rarely even think about going to grab a drink because I don't enjoy standing in lines to spend $9 on a beer. 

My guess is people aren't making a go/stay home decision based on being able to buy a beer, but some may feel it improves their game day experience. 

Here are my guesses:

2018-19 Valparaiso O/U                
                  
1. Javon Freeman: 11.5 points per game          Under
2. Micah Bradford:  2:1 assist to turnover ratio         Under
3. Deion Lavender:  3.6 assists per game         Under
4. Daniel Sackey:  18.5 games with more assists than turnovers   Under
5. Bakari Evelyn:  39.5% 3PFG            Under
6. Markus Golder:  50.0% FG            Over
7. Jaume Sorolla:  5.5 rebounds per game         Under
8. Derrik Smits:  25 blocks               Over
9. Mileek McMillan:  20.5 3-pointers            Over
10. John Kiser:  1.2 offensive rebounds per game      Under
11. Ryan Fazekas:  14.2 points per game         Under
                  
12. Wins:  19.5                  Under
13. Arch Madness wins:  1.5            Under
14. MVC Finish:  5.5 (Over means 1-5, Under means 6-10)   Under
15. Postseason Victories:  0.5            Under
16. Conference win streak:  2.5            Over
17. Conference loss streak:  2.5            Under
18. Average Attendance:  2,850            Under
                  
Tiebreaker: How many games will Langston Stalling appear in?   8
                  

Scrimmage with UIC is tomorrow, right?  Does anyone know Jay's status for this and next week's exhibition game?

The good news is that the neutral/road schedule should balance this out.  The problem is that these games are going to be extremely difficult to win, especially the Texas A&M game, which Valpo's going to have to play 2 games in 48 hours, and have to fly from Indiana to Texas.
Western Kentucky - 47
West Virginia - 12
UNLV - 107
GW - 192
Texas A&M - 29

Texas A&M projected by KenPom to be a .500 team.  Saw they just lost a closed scrimmage to Stephen F. Austin from the lowly Southland Conference.

[any]

Agree that just getting into any early season tournament is not that difficult, however getting into an early season tournament that includes the opportunity to play a P5 team(s) on a neutral court is another matter entirely. That is very difficult for a mid-major and usually involves 1) building relationships with the people running the tournaments (often by playing in an inferior tournament they run first), 2) planning an additional year or two in advance relative to all other basketball scheduling and 3) a six figure entry fee payment - a major investment for programs without P5 money.

Relating specifically to the tournament, based on the article details, Nevada paid over $200k to "Las Vegas Tournamnt Inc." and got home games against Radford and UC Davis, and neutral site games against Southern Illinois and San Francisco. (the article breaks these payments out on a per game basis, but since the money is going to the tournament promoter and not the opposing school, it's really better to look at this collectively as payment for tournament participation, as opposed to individual "buy" games).

I know I'm late to the game, but must have missed this discussion the first time around.  From these posts, is ml2 suggesting that Valpo is paying in excess of $100k to participate in the Myrtle Beach Invitational this year?  Does anyone else think that seems like a lot of money, especially since a school like Valpo would normally BE PAID $90-$100k to play at WVU, which is part of the MTE.  Just curious.

In addition to Greek life scheduling conflicts, I recall valpopal pointing out ongoing conflicts with other student organizations and clubs, especially on week nights. I also recall someone saying that the majority of profs could care less about men's basketball, some of whom feel that every dollar spent on men's BB takes a dollar away from academics, pay raises, etc. From these and other similar comments, I've long had the impression that Valpo is highly siloed with everyone looking out for#1. Can someone shed some light on this?

Once upon a time, this was an issue at Butler also.  With leadership from the top, all areas of the university have realized that the benefits of a strong athletic program (particularly, men's basketball) benefit all areas of the university (ie. increase in applications and enrollment).  A successful basketball program also leads to increased contributions to other areas of the university.  It started in 1990, when Butler was just a blip on the radar of college basketball.  It was a bold move, but one that has turned out to be successful.  Can Valpo do the same?  I don't know, but I know it won't happen without leadership from the top and support from the entire university.

https://www.ibj.com/articles/40197-ex-butler-chief-hatched-plan-to-use-basketball-to-turn-around-university

Sat February 2, Evansville, AWAY  1pm MVC Network -- DEFINITE ROAD TRIP

If not for a conflicting home Butler game, I would be making this trip also.  I encourage Valpo fans to make this trip if they can.  The Ford Center is a great place to watch a game and downtown Evansville has many food/entertainment options.  Casino just a few minutes from the arena ... assume Todd might be playing a few hands of poker on Friday night.

He's a two sport athlete in Football and Basketball. He's been on Purdue and Notre Dame's radars for football. He's already taken unofficial visits to both schools. He's a Fort Wayne native. I couldn't find much info if on his recruitment. No offers yet, but his high school teammate is considered one of the top 100 recruit in his class. Deontae sounds like a really strong kid.

Deontae Craig
6'4"225 lbs Sophomore
Graduates in 2020
Position: SF, PF

I saw Culver play several times this year.  Deontae improved and expanded his game throughout the year.  He's definitely an undersized 4 at this point, but still has two years to develop his game if he makes basketball a priority. 

They were 16-1 over their last 17 games, only losing at LaLamiere.  They return almost everyone, so should be the 3A favorite next year (and maybe the following as well). 

They also have a rising senior point guard, Ethan Brittain-Watts, who has D-I offers.  To my knowledge, Valpo hasn't shown interest in him.

Just received a football offer from Tennessee.