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[November's schedule is, as follows:]

November's schedule is, as follows: 

NOV 05 TUE Toledo
NOV 09 SAT at Saint Louis
NOV 12 TUE at SIUE
NOV 17 SUN North Dakota
NOV 22 FRI vs Grand Canyon Paradise Jam U.S. Virgin Islands
NOV 23 SAT vs Paradise Jam U.S. Virgin Islands
NOV 24 SUN vs Paradise Jam U.S. Virgin Islands
NOV 27 WED Trinity Christian

Paradise Jam Tournament Bracket
https://basketballtravelers.com/documents/2019/5/13/2019_paradise_jam_mens_brackets.pdf

... for following and supporting Crusader basketball

I resolve to never post about facilities or facilities management after today. Why?  I arrived at the ARC at 6:30p for the IL State game only to be told for the second consecutive game that they had already run out of programs. I was going to mention it in the game thread, but then it occurred to me - what's the use?  I had already posted the same thing in the PNW thread. I know that several AD staff members read the threads, including, but in no way limited to, Aaron Leavitt and ML himself, because both reply at various times to provide clarity and answer specific questions. Yet, even knowing that this was an issue at the PNW game, the identical problem occurred at the very next game. Moreover, it wasn't against a D-whatever program, we were hosting our first conference game against an opponent that brought a lot of fans with them. How simple it would have been for any staff member to shoot a text or email to Erik Weiler (the supposed overseer of event management) to make him aware. Of course, that assumes we have people that give a damn about game day image and appearance, which obviously we don't. It also assumes that Weiler wasn't aware and that he actually cares.

That's when it occurred to me.  Mentioning event management shortcomings like no programs, a garbled sound system, closed concession stands, ticket taking bottlenecks causing ingress backups out the front door, tables left in the corridor bottlenecking the egress of the masses at the conclusion of the game is a complete waste of time. These people will never meet even a minimum level of professionalism that I would find acceptable. They demonstrate no pride of workmanship, no concern for minor details. They obviously operate without a checklist and there is no accountability for performance.

I think I will have much more fun (which is what this is supposed to be about) if I just close my eyes and hold my nose to the staff laziness and indifference on regular display. Thus, my resolution for 2019.

[FIVE STAR 'FAKERY' 'One in three TripAdvisor reviews are FAKE' with hotels and restaurants buying glowing reviews for £7, investigation finds]

FIVE STAR 'FAKERY' 'One in three TripAdvisor reviews are FAKE' with hotels and restaurants buying glowing reviews for £7, investigation finds
An investigation has found that a large number of reviews on the site seem to have been uploaded by websites which offer glowing praise for a fee

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7321574/tripadvisor-reviews-fake-hotel-restaurant-ratings/

I thought there may be other posters who, like me, use TripAdvisor reviews to help make vacation planning decisions. This is pretty disappointing.

[NJIT offers to host displaced Saudi students after diplomatic dispute with Canada]

VU milking a new cash cow opportunity:

NJIT offers to host displaced Saudi students after diplomatic dispute with Canada

"NJIT is one of a number of colleges across the country offering to take in Saudi students whose studies were cut short with only weeks' notice. Louisiana Tech University, Portland State University in Oregon and Valparaiso University in Indiana are also waiving application fees, among other steps to ease enrollment for Saudi students in Canada, Inside Higher Ed reported."

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/education/2018/09/07/njit-welcomes-saudi-students-after-dispute-canada/1222873002/

With 1 remaining vacancy, the current Crusader roster looks like this:

Seniors
None

Juniors
3★ SF Ryan Fazekas (6-8 215)
3★ PG Bakari Evelyn (6-2 180)
3★ C Derrik Smits (7-2 240)
2.5★ PG Micah Bradford (6-2 150)
2★ SG Markus Golder (6-6 195)
2★ SF John Kiser (6-5 205)
2★ C Jaume Sorolla (6-11 240)
2★ PG Steven Helm (6-2 180) Walk-On

Sophomores
3.7★ SG Eron Gordon (6-3 190) (Red Shirt)
3★ SG Nick Robinson (6-6 195) (Red Shirt)
2★ PF Mileek McMillan (6-8 220)

Freshmen
3★ SG Javon Freeman-Liberty (6-4 170)
2★ PG Daniel Sackey (5-10 170)

Observation: 7 of 12 scholarship players are ranked higher than 2★'s. Valpo has never had a roster this stacked (not even close). Potentially, the upcoming season should be a very good one. The following season could catapult Valpo men's basketball into rarified air.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/12/15/trump-opens-80000-white-collar-jobs-americans/

Following is the Crusaders December game schedule:

DEC 7     @ Purdue
DEC 9     @ Ball State
DEC 14   @ Northwestern
DEC 18   @ Santa Clara
DEC 20   @ UC Riverside
DEC 28   @ Indiana State
DEC 31   Missouri State (H)

What will our record be?

South Carolina women's basketball team declines Trump's invite to White House

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/11/17/south-carolina-womens-basketball-team-declines-trumps-invite-to-white-house.html

Another boon for populist domination in the United States. I never thought it would be this easy. 

[New shuttle stop links Valparaiso to Chicago airports]

New shuttle stop links Valparaiso to Chicago airports

November 2, 2017

"...City officials approached Coach USA about adding the Valparaiso stop to the service earlier this year, to expand the city's reach into Chicago and to serve a ready market of Valparaiso University students and visitors.

On Wednesday, that included Alissa Kretzmann, a 2012 graduate of the university who was back on campus for a speaking engagement and was waiting for the shuttle to catch a flight home to Minneapolis.

"I think students will use it," she said, adding she lived in Ohio when she went to VU and took the South Shore into Chicago and caught a Chicago Transit Authority train to the airport.

Another fan of the shuttle was Doreen Olguin-Flores, executive assistant in VU's campus ministry office, who drove Kretzmann to the shuttle stop.

"I'm so excited this is here because we have a lot of speakers who come to our university. I'm very grateful," she said, adding she used to drop them off at the South Shore station in Chesterton, so they could then transfer to the CTA, as Kretzmann did. "It's two steps to the airport instead of just one."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-valparaiso-coach-bus-st-1102-20171102-story.html

Following is the Crusaders November game schedule:

NOV 10 North Park (H)
NOV 13 Trinity Christian (H)
NOV 15 SIUE (A)
NOV 19 Southeastern Louisiana (H)
NOV 21 Samford (H)
NOV 24 Kent State (N)
NOV 25 UNCW (N)
NOV 28 Utah State (H)

What will our record be?

[One writer's bucket list: All of his must-see mid-major venuesFrom the classics, to the bandboxes, to...Grand Canyon.]

One writer's bucket list: All of his must-see mid-major venues
From the classics, to the bandboxes, to...Grand Canyon.
by Patrick Toner@PTonero  Jun 8, 2017, 9:17am PDT

http://www.midmajormadness.com/2017/6/8/15743024/mid-major-arena-bucket-list-siegel-center-palestra-jadwin-gonzaga

I happen to have WOWO radio (Ft. Wayne) in the car this morning (a favorite channel when I'm in that area). A program just concluded called The Lutheran Hour. I had never heard of it (obviously not Lutheran), but decided to keep listening. The message was titled "The Best of Things in the Worst of Times."  The speaker was Dr. Paul Klaus. It provided kind of a foundational history of Christianity in America and how watered down Christian teaching has become prevalent in today's society. For me, it served as a call to action to make some changes in my life.

I took the time to look up "The Lutheran Hour" website and find the message in case anyone is interested. IMO it's 15-20 minutes of time well spent.

http://lutheranhour.org

Scroll down to "Listen Now."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBFdX37Qpnk

R.I.P.

[ESPN to lay off about 100 employees today, including on-air talent]

ESPN to lay off about 100 employees today, including on-air talent

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2017/04/26/espn-to-lay-off-about-100-employees-today-including-on-air-talent.html

As the father of a VU Law School graduate, I was thrilled to see this!

VALPARAISO LAW EARNS A+ RATING AND #7 RANKING FOR PRACTICAL TRAINING BY NATIONAL JURIST MAGAZINE

http://www.valpo.edu/law/valparaiso-law-earns-a-rating-and-7-ranking-for-practical-training-by-national-jurist-magazine

Following is our 9-game Feb. schedule:
FEB 2 at Milwaukee
FEB 4 at Green Bay
FEB 9 Cleveland State
FEB 11 Youngstown State
FEB 17 at Oakland
FEB 19 at Detroit Mercy
FEB 21 Milwaukee
FEB 24 at Wright State
FEB 26 at Northern Kentucky

Almost forgot this, but better late than never.

Following is January's 8-game schedule, 6 of which are at the ARC:

Fri 6           Oakland    
Sun 8   Detroit Mercy
Thu 12   @Youngstown State   
Sat 14   @Cleveland State   
Mon 16   Green Bay   
Sun 22   UIC   
Fri 27   Wright State
Sun 29   Northern Kentucky   

What will our January record be?

Fort Wayne wins again, but is that a good thing?
(By Tom Davis of The News-Sentinel)
Mastodons having trouble finding games due to growing success
Sunday, December 18, 2016 8:12 PM.

From the article:

"The coaches understand the quality of our basketball," Coffman said. "But I'm not sure that their fan bases do. Even with the top mid-majors in the Midwest, they're not psyched to play us because they know it is a quality game, if they care about their RPI it is good for their RPI, but their fan base doesn't necessarily recognize that."
Take Valparaiso for example.
The Crusaders are a dominant mid-major program (9-2 this season) with a potential NBA Draft pick (senior forward Alec Peters). In 12 of the past 13 seasons, Fort Wayne and Valpo have played each other, however, when Coffman called to schedule a game this season he got a familiar answer (from most programs), but a surprising one from Valpo.
"They had Alec Peters back," Coffman said, "they knew that they were going to be good this year, we've played that game (12 of the past 13 years), and they wouldn't play us this year."

November is finally here, and it's time to begin our month-by-month prediction poll. 

Following is November's 8-game schedule, 5 of which are at the ARC:

1 Fri, Nov 11, 2016 Southern Utah   
2 Sat, Nov 12, 2016 Trinity Christian         
3 Mon, Nov 14, 2016 Coppin State   
4 Thu, Nov 17, 2016 @ Oregon   
5 Mon, Nov 21, 2016 Alabama (MGM Grand)
6 Wed, Nov 23, 2016 BYU/St. Louis (MGM Grand)
7 Sun, Nov 27, 2016 Ball State   
8 Tue, Nov 29, 2016 Rhode Island

What will our November record be?

I thought we should have a thread devoted to our appearances in national and mid-major polls across the season. Hopefully, it will be a hot topic.

USA Today Men's Basketball Coaches Poll
Week 1

Valparaiso 2 points; tied for 53rd

http://sportspolls.usatoday.com/ncaa/basketball-men/polls/coaches-poll/2016/20

Preview #1: UIC

Over the past few years I've written up and shared Horizon team previews. I do this in part as a hobby--I like to write, I like sports, but I don't normally get to write about sports. In elementary school I used to write up game reports after our basketball games. In junior high I covered the junior high teams for the community newspaper, and also wrote coverage of teams in the nearby where my Dad coached (and they'd print those in the News Herald--the question of reporter bias never seemed to come up). I used to do play by play on games in college. But somewhere along the line my dream of being a sports reporter fell by the wayside. That's OK, no regrets. But this is an outlet for that side of me. I also find that it helps me enjoy the games more if I've learned about our opponents and their players in advance, so the education I do to write these up helps me enjoy the games and know what to look for.

So basically, I do this for me. But I do appreciate the nice things that many of you have said about these season previews, and the in-season game previews as well. Indeed, these season previews have been getting some play and discussion on other fan boards around the Horizon the last few years, which I get a kick out of seeing. So I'm glad that at least some folks enjoy reading these. I'll be posting these here and also at the other site. I'm going through the teams in reverse order of last year's finish, except, as always, saving the Titans for last. This year I'm using some of the previews to talk about other things that interest me a bit. You'll see what I mean. I'll post one every few days between now and the start of the season on November 11.

So, first team preview: UIC.

UIC
2016: 5-25 Overall, RPI #346
3-15 Horizon (10th)

Does playing a rigorous non-conference schedule "prepare a team for conference play?" Last year, Valparaiso played the toughest non-conference schedule of any team in the Horizon (#19 nationally, according to RPI Forecast) and won the regular season. UIC played easily the weakest non-conference schedule of any Horizon team (#343), and finished last. So that would suggest the benefits of a tough schedule. Then again, the teams that most over-performed preseason predictions were Green Bay and Wright State, and their OOC SOSes were #219 and #257, respectively, not exactly the toughest you'd have in mind. Meanwhile, the teams that most under-performed pre-season projections were Cleveland State, Milwaukee and Detroit. Milwaukee's non-conference SOS was #297, weakest in the conference after UIC. But Detroit's non-conference SOS was #193, and the Titans also underperformed expectations. And CSU's non-conference schedule was 39th toughest nationally, but their season was a disaster.

That's not much data, but it fits my gut intuition—whether you want to play a tough non-conference schedule depends on a lot of factors, like what kind of team you have and what your goals are. I'm not sure that playing a tough schedule makes you better or worse to any significant degree. But UIC has been really bad for quite a few years now, and an easy non-conference schedule might be worth a try, simply to help shed the culture of losing and drum up a bit more fan interest.

The Flames struggled mightily in 2016, winning just 5 games in Steve McClain's first season—two of those against non-D-I opponents. It was UIC's worst season ever. Their three D-I wins came in a 4 game stretch during the first two weeks of February. All three wins were at home. They beat 8th place Northern Kentucky by two, 9th place Cleveland State by 2, and—the shocker—third place Wright State by 5.

How bad were the Flames? They lost to Western Illinois by 27, to Drake by 21, to DePaul by 27, to Cleveland State by 17, and to Northern Kentucky by 13. Not counting games against the Flames, those 5 teams won a combined total of just 31 games against D-I competition. The Flames were really bad, and you can't blame UIC's record on strength of schedule—the NCAA ranked UIC's overall schedule (including conference games) just 268th in the nation.

The Flames will be a young team again in 2016-17. The only senior is walk-on guard Josh Joiner. Center Tai Odiase could be the only junior in the starting lineup, and though juniors Lance Whitaker and Clint Robinson should also get serious minutes, this is basically a team of freshmen and sophomores.

As such, UIC has put together another non-conference schedule of cupcakes. I think that's the right move, but last year's schedule wasn't like downing brussels sprouts, so we'll have to see it the Flames can swallow those cupcakes this year. UIC has 7 home games and just 4 true road games, with two other games played at a tournament at Northern Illinois. The highest 2015-16 RPI to appear on their fall 2016 non-conference schedule is Grand Canyon, at #88. Northern Illinois (#143) is the only other scheduled non-conference opponent with an RPI rank below 200 last year. They face no Power 5 squads, though DePaul (#201) of the Big East is on the schedule. They face off against two of the worst 5 RPIs from last year, Texas-San Antonio (#347) and Chicago State (dead last at #351), plus Northern Arizona (#333) and two NAIA teams. The Flames ought to win at least 7 games in non-conference play, possibly as many as 10 or 11. On the other hand, UIC's RPI last year ranked #346, so undoubtedly fans of some of these weak sister opponents are looking at UIC as a team that they can beat this year.

Several holdovers from the Howard Moore era graduated or transferred out, but the only significant loss is forward Najeal Young, a juco recruited by McClain. Young played in every conference game last year, averaging 7.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in conference play, but for whatever reason decided to transfer down to NAIA Texas Wesleyan after one season.

So the Flames, one of the least experienced teams in the country last year, will be inexperienced again. No matter: McClain has brought in another stellar recruiting class. Substantial improvement is expected.

The big dog for the Flames is sophomore Dikembe Dixson, last year's Freshman of the Year in the Horizon and a second team all-conference selection (the first freshman to make all-conference since Ray McCallum). Dixson averaged 19.8 points and 7.3 rebounds last year, boosting his scoring to 23.3 points per game in conference play, where he averaged almost 40 minutes per game. Dixson has plenty of detractors, for his relatively high turnover rate and poor shooting (just 39.4% overall, 30.5% from three) and shot selection. But he's also a guy who can take over a game, as in his 40 point, 17 rebound effort last year against Youngstown. If Dixson matures a bit and let's his improving teammates take on a bit more of the action, he could contend for Horizon Player of the Year.

At center will be Odiase, second in the nation last year in blocked shots per game and an All-Defensive team selection in the Horizon. He gives UIC a top-notch rim protector and solid rebounding. Odiase also began to find his offensive groove in the second half of last season. After averaging just 4.4 points as a freshman and 6.1 points in the first 12 D-I games last year, Odiase averaged 11.0 ppg over UIC's final 16 D-I games.

A third starter is likely to be redshirt freshman shooting guard Dominique Matthews, a three-star recruit in the Class of '15. Last year Matthews averaged 9.7 points (including 22 against Illinois State and 17 against DePaul) in 9 games (8 starts) before being lost for the season to a thumb injury. As it is, Matthews' playing time just barely squeaked under the wire for gaining an extra year's eligibility as a medical hardship. So while that hurt the Flames last year, in the long run Matthew' injury could be a benefit--if they can keep him for four more seasons.

I wouldn't be surprised if freshmen don't fill UIC's other two starting spots.

6-8 forward KJ Santos is a three-star recruit who at one time or another had offers from VCU, West Virginia, Iowa, Wake Forest, Penn State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, Rhode Island, SMU, and Wichita State, among others. ESPN ranked him the 37th best small forward in the nation last year. His problem has been staying healthy—he missed a good portion of his high school career with injuries. He also bounced around different prep schools, which probably hurt his recruitment. Nevertheless, he's a genuine high major talent and should start, although, give the injury history, McClain may want to take it easy on his star recruit.

UIC's biggest problem last year was the lack of a solid point guard. McClain finally stuck Lance Whitaker into the spot, and Whitaker did a respectable if unspectacular job. In the off-season, McClain went out and signed a couple good point guards, Marcus Ottey and Godwin Boahen, one of whom will likely start at the point. The first crack should go to Ottey, a 6-1, 165 lb. guard from Ohio who chose UIC over Cincinnati and Nebraska. He is said to be quick, athletic, a good penetrator and good defender. Ottey probably made the right choice passing on the high majors—he's got the potential to be a major star in the Horizon, whereas his relatively small size, slender build, and so-so three point shooting would probably have left him a role player in the Big 10 or at UC. Boahen is, like Ottey, a three-star recruit, but was not offered by the Power 5. North Pole Hoops rated him the best point guard in Canada. If Ottey doesn't come through McClain will likely give Boahen a good look. If both strike out, the Flames can fall back on Whitaker, an injury-redshirt junior who averaged 5.5 points and 3.3 assists last year. Whitaker had a good A/TO ratio and he would adequate.

Dixson and Santos are both really 3s, or even 2s, more than power forwards. If UIC needs some added muscle up front they'll turn to a pair of juco transfers, 6-8, 235 lb. Clint Robinson, who averaged 14.6 points and 8 rebounds at State Fair CC, and 6-8, 225 lb. Kyle Guice, whose North Idaho CC team won 31 games last year. Robinson will probably be the main back-up for Odiase, but they could see time together on the court if McClain wants to go big, with Robinson starting ahead of Santos. They've also got 6-7 soph Hassan Thomas, who appeared in 20 games as a freshman, and 6-8 freshman Jordan Blount, an Irishman who attended the SPIRE Academy in Ohio, where he was a teammate of Ottey. Before that, in 2015 he led the Under-18 Irish national team in scoring at the European Championships with 25.4 ppg.

Another player who should see time is sophomore guard Michael Kolawole, who averaged 25 minutes and 7.7 points in conference play last year. Yet another freshman who can't be counted out is shooting guard Tarkus Ferguson, who committed to UIC over offers from Western Kentucky and a slew of Missouri Valley schools.

Coach McClain is accumulating talent at a remarkable clip, but I expect UIC fans are going to expect some on-court results this year. This team has a quality rim protector and some scorers. It is weak in three-point shooting and, at least from that off-season perspective, looks unsettled at the point. In a weak Horizon, UIC could easily finish in the first division, and might even challenge for the title. But remember, the Flames won just 5 games last season. A 12 game overall improvement would leave them just 17-13, and it is very rare that teams improve by 12 games in a season. In fact, no Horizon team has done that since at least 2000. In conference play, the only Horizon team since at least 2000 to improve by 9 games in a season is Wright State, just last year. A 9 game improvement in conference play would leave the Flames 12-6, probably good for 4th place, possibly 3rd. If you want to pick a team anywhere in the country to make that kind of massive improvement this year, UIC would be a darn good bet, but it's still a bet against the odds. The Flames will definitely improve, probably by a lot. But a title run is probably too much to expect, and UIC fans should be patient. These Flames should be deadly in 2018 and 2019.

Probable Starters
PG – Marcus Ottey, 6-1 Fr.
SG – Dominique Matthews, 6-2 RS Fr. (9.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.1 apg in 9 games)
F – KJ Santos, 6-8 Fr.
F – Dikembe Dixon, 6-7 Soph. (19.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg)
C – Tai Odiase, 6-9 Jr. (9.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.2 bpg)

Other Key Players
G – Lance Whitaker, 6-4 RS Jr. (5.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.3 apg; .345 3P%)
G – Michael Kolawole, 6-5 Soph. (5.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.2 apg)
PG – Godwin Boahen, 5-11 Fr.
PF – Kyle Guice, 6-8 Jr. (7.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg at North Idaho JC)
PF/C – Clint Robinson, 6-8 Jr. (14.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg at State Fair JC)

X

According to an Oren tweet, HL Media Day has been cancelled.

https://www.twitter.com/NWIOren/status/780966066985971712

I haven't seen anything else to confirm this, but if it's true I think it's a disappointing development. Only last year the commissioner announced that the league was moving its tournament to Detroit to emulate the format and forum of higher profile D-1 conferences. Now, apparently he has reversed course by cancelling our big splash, kick-off event that every respectable conference in college basketball holds to gen excitement and promote their brand.

I will say that moving the tournament and cancelling media day are consistent in 1 respect. Both show poor judgement (IMHO).

It almost seems like sacrilege to even ponder such a thing, but I have to admit it has crossed my mind. When it's all said and done, is there any way that Alec could surpass Bryce as the greatest player in Valpo men's basketball history? 

Just wondering what everyone thinks...

http://www.twitter.com/NWIOren/status/768145188158136320

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2016/08/22/texas-high-schools-budget-busting-stadium-to-cost-70m.html

Spending $70 Million on a high school football stadium might be the biggest waste of "education" funds I've ever heard of.  At the same time, if it was approved by the local taxpayers, I guess it's their business how they spend their own money.

[Horizon League happy with move to Detroit]

Horizon League happy with move to Detroit

Paul Oren Times Correspondent Updated Mar 8, 2016 

Valparaiso men's basketball coach Bryce Drew could only let out a snide laugh when he was asked following Monday night's 99-92 overtime loss to Green Bay if the Crusaders would've won the game had it been held at the Athletics-Recreation Center.

The Horizon League made the decision to move the tournament to a neutral site this season, agreeing to a 5-year deal with Olympia Entertainment to host the tournament at Joe Louis Arena for two years before moving to the newly-constructed Detroit Events Center for the remainder of the deal.

The decision affected the Crusaders this year as they played their first game in a cavernous arena which likely didn't help shooting numbers as Valparaiso struggled to adapt to its surroundings. Green Bay, which played two games to get to the semifinal, has seen its shooting percentages rise with each game in the tournament.

"We didn't shoot the ball well (tonight) and I'd like to think we would've shot better (at the ARC)," Drew said. "That's an irrelevant question because it wasn't the case."

Before Monday night's games began Horizon League Commissioner Jon LeCrone addressed the media and spoke highly of the move to Detroit and the support the league has gotten from Olympia and the community.

"We wanted everyone to feel like a champion," LeCrone said. "That was really year one what we wanted to accomplish. We were focused on everything that touched the student-athletes. We're really proud of the work we've done."

Changes on Horizon?: LeCrone mentioned that there could be several changes coming down the line pertaining to the Horizon League tournament bracket or even the way teams schedule opponents during the conference season.

LeCrone and the Horizon League came under fire from Wright State coach Billy Donlon on Sunday afternoon as the fifth-year coach criticized the way the league handled the double-bye situation for Oakland while the Raiders were forced to play two games just to reach the semifinals, despite tying the Grizzlies in the standings.

"(Donlon's comments) were fine with me except I disagreed with the forum," LeCrone said. "We had a conversation about it. I have no problem at all with the issues he raised. It was on our agenda (this weekend) and we already knew we were going to discuss it. We'll look at a number of brackets."

LeCrone also alluded that the conference could rethink its scheduling, possibly doing away with the double round-robin during the regular-season. Valparaiso had a RPI of 18 when its nonconference schedule came to a close, and the Crusaders entered the Horizon League tournament with a RPI of 39 after having to play several conference bottom-feeders twice.

"There are different ways to do it," LeCrone said. "The double round-robin, maybe it's time to look beyond that. The NCAA doesn't require that. They just require we tell them how we're going to select our champion. We've never been shy about doing things differently."

Odds appear slim for Valparaiso to earn an at-large berth
Paul Oren Times Correspondent Updated 5 hrs ago 

DETROIT | And now their watch begins.

The Valparaiso men's basketball team began six days of uncertainty when they returned to campus early Tuesday morning following Monday's 99-92 overtime loss to Green Bay in the Horizon League semifinals.

The loss severely cripples any hopes the Crusaders have of getting in the NCAA tournament despite a number of factors that fifth-year coach Bryce Drew and his staff plan to share with the tournament committee before Sunday's selection show.

The majority of national pundits, including Schererville native Jerry Palm (CBS Sports), have the Crusaders falling just short of the Field of 68.

"This is the best team since I've been head coach here," Drew said. "I feel like we can make a run in the tourney."

Drew's biggest case for a potential at-large berth comes from the fact that the Crusaders have been a dominant team when they've been healthy. Valparaiso played Monday's semifinal game against Green Bay without sophomore star Tevonn Walker (ankle) and his presence was sorely missed.

With Walker expected to be healthy for the postseason, Drew will lobby the committee that the Crusaders are 11-1 this season when they have their full complement of players. Of Valparaiso's six losses, five have come when it was missing Walker, Keith Carter, David Skara or E. Victor Nickerson. The team confirmed Tuesday night that Walker would be fully available for whatever postseason tournament the Crusaders play in.

"The unfortunate thing is at our level with the mid-majors, for 60 days you win a league and you have one bad day with one of your best players injured, other team has the game of their life and you can't get the automatic bid," Drew said. "In the big scheme of things it just doesn't make a lot of sense."

Whether the Crusaders hear their named called for the Big Dance — likely the First Four in Dayton — or Valparaiso hosts a game in the National Invitational Tournament, the players will be eager to return to the court and wipe the sting away from Monday's loss.

"Right now it's going to hurt for a while," Valparaiso star Alec Peters said. "Our fate's not in our hands anymore. Whatever gets decided we have to live with. Until we get back to start practicing we need to let this hurt a little bit, let this motivate us because we're better than what we showed (against Green Bay). We're a team that wherever we end up, I feel like we can make a deep postseason run."

Following a successful 9-1 January, the Crusaders finish conference play with 8 games in February (4 home/4 away):

FEB 6 at UIC
FEB 11 Northern Kentucky
FEB 13 Wright State
FEB 16 at Cleveland State
FEB 19 Oakland
FEB 21 Detroit
FEB 26 at Milwaukee
FEB 28 at Green Bay

What will our February record be?

Reminder: All members of the board are welcome to vote and post comments (Crusader fans and fans of other teams). 

[Valpo's Peters, YSU's Morse and UIC's Dixson Collect Men's Basketball Honors]

Valpo's Peters, YSU's Morse and UIC's Dixson Collect Men's Basketball Honors

Craig Hammel ·
January 11, 2016

INDIANAPOLIS -- Valparaiso junior forward Alec Peters (Washington, Ill./Washington) and Youngstown State sophomore guard Cameron Morse (Flint, Mich./Carman-Ainsworth) have been named Co-Horizon League Men's Basketball Players of the Week, while UIC freshman forward Dikembe Dixson (Freeport, Ill./Mingo Central) has been named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week.

Peters recorded double-doubles in both of Valparaiso's wins last week to claim his first Player of the Week honor this season. The junior forward opened the weekend with 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Crusaders won at Oakland, 84-67.

On Sunday, Peters had a career-day as he matched Valpo's modern-era scoring record with 39 points in the Crusaders 92-74 win at Detroit. He also set another career-high with 14 rebounds in the win as he now has five double-doubles in the last seven games.

For the week, Peters averaged 27.0 points and 12.5 rebounds in two Valparaiso wins. He shot 60 percent (18-of-30) from the field and 93.3 percent (14-of-15) from the foul line.

Valparaiso (13-3, 3-0) returns home this week and will host Milwaukee (12-5, 3-1) on Thursday and Green Bay (10-6, 3-1) on Saturday.

http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/valpos-peters-ysus-morse-and-uics-dixson-collect-mens-basketball-honors

The Crusaders play the first 10 of 18 conference games in January:

JAN 2 UIC
JAN 8 at Oakland
JAN 10 at Detroit
JAN 14 Milwaukee
JAN 16 Green Bay
JAN 18 at Youngstown State
JAN 22 at Wright State
JAN 24 at Northern Kentucky
JAN 28 Cleveland State
JAN 30 Youngstown State

All forum members are welcome to participate, including fans of other HL programs.

[7 candidates to replace Bo Ryan]

7 candidates to replace Bo Ryan

http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaab/eye-on-college-basketball/25415922/seven-candidates-to-replace-bo-ryan-as-wisconsins-basketball-coach

Following a successful 6-2 November, the Crusaders wrap up out-of-conference play with the following 5 games in December:

DEC 3 Belmont
DEC 9 at Indiana State
DEC 11 at Chicago State
DEC 19 Missouri State
DEC 28 at Belmont

Note: All opinions and predictions are welcomed and respected.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/sports/college/uwgb/2015/11/06/uwgb-guard-faces-weapons-charge/75295758/

Police confiscated the Smith & Wesson M&P 9 mm handgun that was loaded with 23 bullets. Love does not have a concealed carry weapon permit.

About a $600 gun with the loaded extended clip. Nice birthday present from mom and dad?  Gift for himself from his "cost of attendance" stipend?  Other?

[!]

One of the Top 10 songs played at sporting events is The Final Countdown by Europe. I would love to see it used as the players break the huddle and head for center court for the opening tip. Believe me it revs up a crowd like nothing else can. Put on some headphones, turn up the volume, and give it a listen :

! No longer available

Following is our 8-game schedule for November (excludes exhibition game):

NOV 13 IPFW
NOV 15 Iona
NOV 17 at Rhode Island
NOV 18 IU Kokomo
NOV 19 Trinity
NOV 22 at Oregon
NOV 24 at Oregon State
NOV 28 at Ball State

http://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2016

[In this thread I'll put up my 2015-16 Horizon team previews. We'll go alphabetically (except saving the Titans for last), with one every week or so until the season opens on November 13.We start with Cleveland State:]

by Commissioner » Fri Sep 11, 2015 8:43 am

In this thread I'll put up my 2015-16 Horizon team previews. We'll go alphabetically (except saving the Titans for last), with one every week or so until the season opens on November 13.

We start with Cleveland State:

Cleveland State
2015
19-15 Overall
11-5 Conference (3rd T)
RPI #128
Lost CIT Second Round
Returns 21.7% of scoring
Returns 27.9% of rebounding

Poor Gary Waters. In March of 2013 he could envision a 2015-16 Cleveland State squad featuring Trey Lewis, Anton Grady, Bryn Forbes, and Junior Lomomba. That team would be the favorite for a Horizon League title, with a chance to make a deep run in the NCAAs. Instead, those four will be playing in 2016 for, respectively, Louisville, Wichita State, Michigan State, and Providence.

Lomomba left after the 2013 season, Forbes the next year, and finally Lewis and Grady, First Team All Horizon players last year as redshirt juniors, succumbed to the lure of high majors this spring. To add insult to injury, Kaza Keane, who started 20 games last year, also decided to transfer this summer, returning to his native Canada.

What we're seeing with CSU is part of the ongoing destruction of mid-major basketball as a force in the NCAA. The high majors won't play mid-majors on the road, and in fact, they won't even play them at neutral sites. (The NCAA could require that exempt tournament games be played at neutral sites, or be actual tournaments, but it won't). Now the stigma is totally off transferring, and the stigma is also totally off raiding lower ranked teams' rosters for transfers. Mid-majors are being converted into a minor league system for high-majors.

From now on, when the mid-major gets that rare gem of a player, it should plan on losing that gem. The mid-major that convinces a local star to stay local, nabs the four-star recruit who likes the idea of building the program, or otherwise gets a top 250 player, will find that despite a commitment, the player is relentlessly wooed by the bigs. It is already harder than ever for a mid-major to get that player in the first place, due to the rise of national recruiting and the AAU circuits, as well as twitter and recruiting sites that are constantly telling that player "you can do better." But now it continues even after the player is signed, and even if he is otherwise happy. The player who blossoms late will be snatched away by the high major. The skinny 6-11 center with poor footwork that the mid-major took a chance on and red-shirted for a year, and who then becomes a star, will leave after his redshirt junior year to play immediately at a high major. Mid-majors not only have to recruit new players – they now have to recruit their own guys, and do so with the same disadvantages they had when they first managed to get the commitment. To sneak a player away from, say, Michigan, the Titans will have to out-recruit Michigan for him not just once, but year after year for four to five years. I don't see any way of stopping this except a heavy dose of NCAA paternalism that will often be unfair to the athletes and probably wouldn't work anyway.

Meanwhile, the window of opportunity to climb from the ranks of mid to high majors has just about closed. The era of high major conference expansion is ending. The ACC has 15 teams; the Big 10 and SEC have 14, as does the A10, which barely hangs on as an important basketball conference. There just aren't many spots available. In the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s Detroit mattered; in the 70s, 80s, and 90s it had chances to stay in a top tier conference, or at least something reasonably close to one. I think those chances are gone until something shakes up the system in 20 years or so.

With that glum opening, let's get back to Cleveland State...

Waters is a good coach but he's got his work cut out for him this year. Forbes and Lomomba aside, Cleveland State with Grady, Lewis, and Keane returning in 2015-16 still looked like a top contender to Valpo for the 2016 league crown. Without them, and adding in the loss of graduated seniors Charlie Lee and Marlin Mason, CSU looks like a team anchored in the lower half of the league.

Just two rotation players return, although the Vikes have some promising young players and transfers coming on. The top returning player is guard Andre Yates, who started 22 games last season, averaging 6.1 ppg. He is the team's top returning scorer, but the Vikings will need him to score a lot more this year, which means he has to up his .313 three point and .426 overall shooting percentages. The other returning rotation player is senior forward Vinny Zollo, who averaged 3.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in 13 minutes a game last year. Zollo, a muscular 6-8, 230 lbs., is an impressive physical specimen, but also has to step up for CSU to have much chance.

It's tough to say, but I suspect CSU will open the season with Kennesaw State transfer Myles Hamilton at the other guard spot. Hamilton averaged over 20 minutes a game as a freshman and soph at Kennesaw, scoring about 6 points per game. Waters recruited Hamilton, a Cleveland native, out of high school, so he must like the young man. But Hamilton is no lock to start, and Horizon ball is a clear cut above the Atlantic Sun. Detroiters Terrell Hales and Kenny Carpenter are sophomore combo guards who showed some promise as frosh, though combined they averaged just 2.4 points in 17 minutes per game. Hales has a rep as a defensive specialist; Carpenter is more likely to pick it up on the offensive end. We could see quite a bit of 3 guard line up from CSU.

Up front, a third Detroit area product, 6-7 freshman forward Jeron Rogers, is a good recruit who could see considerable PT. Juniors Aaron Scales (6-9, 260 lbs.) and Demonte Flannigan (6-7, 240) have yet to show much but they've at least got size. A key player up front could be redshirt freshman Jonothan Janssen, a 6-9 SF from Australia. It's hard to tell just what CSU has in Janssen, but Waters seems high on him. Any one of Flannigan, Rogers, or Janssen could start—at some point probably all three will. I suppose even Scales could surprise, which would help CSU a lot. SF Derek Sloan, a 6-5 redshirt soph, may also get a shot.

I don't see CSU winning a lot of games this year—somewhere around 5th or 6th place would seem to be their upside, and it's possible their season gets really nasty—but with Waters I think they'll be competitive and a danger to any team that doesn't show up ready to play.

Predicted Lineup:
PF – Vinny Zollo, 6-8 Sr. (3.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
F – Your guess is as good as mine, but I'll pencil in Jonothan Janssen, 6-9 RS Fr.
G – Terrell Hales, 6-4 Soph., (1.2 ppg, 0.6 apg)
PG – Andre Yates, 6-2 RS Jr. (6.1 ppg)
SG – Myles Hamilton, 6-1 RS Jr. (6.2 ppg, 2.3 apg with Kennesaw St. in 2014)

Other Key Players:
C – Aaron Scales, 6-9 RS Jr. (1.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg)
PF – Demonte Flannigan, 6-7 Jr. (2.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg)
SF – Jeron Rogers, 6-7 Fr.
G – Kenny Carpenter, 6-4 Soph. (1.2 ppg)

...some well known universities on the list, including Drake, the Academies, and Boston College at -28%.

http://colleges.startclass.com/stories/5256/colleges-biggest-decrease-applications?utm_medium=cm&utm_source=outbrain&utm_campaign=ao.cm.ob.dt.5256&utm_term=dt#Intro

10 Snobbiest Places In Indiana

http://www.roadsnacks.net/snobbiest-places-in-indiana/

I just came upon this interview with Roger Powell from 2013. Probably most everyone has seen it before, but I think it's worth reposting. Roger is a man of amazing character and conviction.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kDYLkZWxZsY

National ranking in parentheses:

1. (130) Detroit $2,566,349
2. (143) Cleveland State $2,315,514
3. (145) Wright State $2,308,740
4. (147) Milwaukee $2,264,818
5. (163) Valparaiso $2,116,074
6. (186) UIC $1,858,722
7. (187) Oakland $1,856,790
8. (207) Green Bay $1,642,496
9. (275) Northern Kentucky $1,289,118
10. (279) YSU $1,229,401

http://www.bbstate.com/info/teams-hoopsbudget

Since we're only a few days away from the start of official practices for the Canadian trip, and it's pretty much a certainty that Vashil is returning, I've got an early itch to talk about the upcoming season.

With everyone back, plus our 7' IN HS All Star, plus the return of former starting PG Lexus Williams, we almost have to be better than last year. That said, I'm having a hard time getting my head around how much better we can be than last year's version. The bar last year's team set is so high. We are definitely in uncharted waters as a program, that's for sure.

Any thoughts anyone?

Study blames college tuition arms race on schools addicted to federal aid

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/07/10/study-blames-college-tuition-arms-race-on-schools-addicted-to-federal-aid/

[!]

It was only a year ago this month that Darien Walker arrived on the scene and transformed from the guy no one had ever heard of to an absolute stud. 

! No longer available

Any guesses as to next season's big transformation?

These colleges are in a world of their own. The acceptance rates are unbelievable!

http://colleges.startclass.com/stories/4229/top-20-private-colleges-in-the-country?utm_medium=cm&utm_source=outbrain&utm_campaign=ao.cm.ob.dt.4229&utm_term=dt#Intro

...that Vashiel does in fact return next year. Just for fun,  how good do you think this year's team could be with the same roster, plus our incoming 7' IN HS All-Star and a healthy Lexus?

[Bradley hires Green Bay coach Wardle]

Bradley hires Green Bay coach Wardle

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25126001/bradley-hires-green-bay-coach-wardle

["Coaches talks about the feelings they have during the Horizon League Tournament,"]

Since the tournament begins this evening, I thought it would be good to have a thread for on-going discussion as the games progress. 

I found this new video on the HL website "Coaches talks about the feelings they have during the Horizon League Tournament," including comments from Bryce:

http://www.horizonleague.org/video.html?id=13855

Also, a new HL Men's Basketball Weekly giving a tourney overview:

http://www.horizonleague.org/video.html?id=13855

Like many people in Chicagoland/NWI I got all caught up in the Jackie Robinson Little League feel-good story only to now learn they were a fraudulent enterprise. Disappointing...