The Detroit Trip -- Games 15 and 16

[VULB#62]

Oh, forgot the home run ball.  Worked again.   

And didn't cuz Vashil couldn't make the layup 

[VULB#62]

Ok everybody, we should do the same thing we want our team to do: we've celebrated the great win long enough -- time to shift over to Detroit and start focusing.

Detroit beat UIC handily last night. They are unbeaten in HL play. Did anyone watch the game?  What do we know about the Titans? How do we match up?

[Chairback]

Does anyone think our team is running on all cylinders right now?  I don't.  I don't think we are even close.

However I'm feeling pretty good it will come together late Feb/March which is going to be really special.

[VUfan]

Detroit Detroit Detroit  Focus forward! This is a team that is thinking pretty good right now.

[agibson]

Speaking of injury plagued players, I saw on the Valpo ESPN page a tweet about Keith Carter being questionable for tomorrow with a foot injury.  Any validity to that?

It was mentioned in the post-game on WVUR, I think, but I didn't catch the details.  Maybe a tweak, back in, and reinjured? (And still back in?)

It's also mentioned briefly in Osipoff's game report.

Hopefully nothing serious, but...

[agibson]

She should stick to reporting women's sports where things move a lot slower. It would give her brain time to catch up.

Every once in a while I miss that "thums down" button.

[wh]

She should stick to reporting women's sports where things move a lot slower. It would give her brain time to catch up.

Every once in a while I miss that "thums down" button.

It was an innocuous comment - except to those members of the perpetually offended and aggrieved PC crowd. You should share it in the faculty lounge on Monday. I'm sure it will be received with complete shock, utter disdain, and condescending head shakes.

[agibson]

She should stick to reporting women's sports where things move a lot slower. It would give her brain time to catch up.

Every once in a while I miss that "thums down" button.

It was an innocuous comment - except to those members of the perpetually offended and aggrieved PC crowd. You should share it in the faculty lounge on Monday. I'm sure it will be received with complete shock, utter disdain, and condescending head shakes.

And a I meant it, or a "thums down" [sic], if available, as a fairly lighthearted, even innocuous response. Not trying to crucify you. Just trying to gently point out that I think we can and should do better by our sisters and daughters, maybe especially in sports and sports reporting.

I chipped in to take her to task, on twitter, too. A careless typo on her part, or a lack of attention to detail - not great reporting. Same as I did for those horrible tv/video commentators... was it Indiana State?  That time they happened both to be men. I'm not sure what the College Insider reporter's gender, or the gender of the athletes, has to do with it.

[wh]

She should stick to reporting women's sports where things move a lot slower. It would give her brain time to catch up.

Every once in a while I miss that "thums down" button.

It was an innocuous comment - except to those members of the perpetually offended and aggrieved PC crowd. You should share it in the faculty lounge on Monday. I'm sure it will be received with complete shock, utter disdain, and condescending head shakes.

And a I meant it, or a "thums down" [sic], if available, as a fairly lighthearted, even innocuous response. Not trying to crucify you. Just trying to gently point out that I think we can and should do better by our sisters and daughters, maybe especially in sports and sports reporting.

I chipped in to take her to task, on twitter, too. A careless typo on her part, or a lack of attention to detail - not great reporting. Same as I did for those horrible tv/video commentators... was it Indiana State?  That time they happened both to be men. I'm not sure what the College Insider reporter's gender, or the gender of the athletes, has to do with it.

No offense taken. I know you guys people are duty bound to educate the ignorant, even in a basketball thread on a fans message board. LOL

[StlVUFan]

She should stick to reporting women's sports where things move a lot slower. It would give her brain time to catch up.

Every once in a while I miss that "thums down" button.

It was an innocuous comment - except to those members of the perpetually offended and aggrieved PC crowd. You should share it in the faculty lounge on Monday. I'm sure it will be received with complete shock, utter disdain, and condescending head shakes.

I think you're missing the point.  I cringed too when I saw some of these replies.

You can make your point -- and I agree with it -- without resorting to the old "women should stop commenting on mens' sports" memes.  It's tired and old and sexist.  Period.

Of course, she doesn't read this message board so I'm not saying any of this on her behalf.  I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't care what's being said about her.

I'm just pointing out that we can do better.  That's all.

[justducky]

I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't care what's being said about her.

I'm just pointing out that we can do better.  That's all.

Agree. I reread my earlier comments and realized that they either were sexist or could have been interpreted as such.

After it was pointed out that she was a founder and maybe part or better owner my attitude changed. If its her business and her money I don't really care how much of her target audience she chooses to drive away. On the other hand those surrounding her should should be the first to point out that her work is turning into a pile of crap.

[wh]

She should stick to reporting women's sports where things move a lot slower. It would give her brain time to catch up.

Every once in a while I miss that "thums down" button.

It was an innocuous comment - except to those members of the perpetually offended and aggrieved PC crowd. You should share it in the faculty lounge on Monday. I'm sure it will be received with complete shock, utter disdain, and condescending head shakes.

I think you're missing the point.  I cringed too when I saw some of these replies.

You can make your point -- and I agree with it -- without resorting to the old "women should stop commenting on mens' sports" memes.  It's tired and old and sexist.  Period.

Of course, she doesn't read this message board so I'm not saying any of this on her behalf.  I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't care what's being said about her.

I'm just pointing out that we can do better.  That's all.

Missed the point?  Trust me, I didn't miss his point and I didn't need you to dumb it down for me.

That said, it's apparent you two are missing my point, although it should have been apparent in my tone. I've had a bellyful (or is that offensive to  overweight people) of political correctness run amuck and the "enlightened" fools who think it's their responsibility to police what everyone says. Don't tell me how to think or feel. And I won't tell you how stupid your opinions are. Mind your own business and I'll mind mine. Have I made my point?

[agibson]

No offense taken. I know you guys people are duty bound to educate the ignorant, even in a basketball thread on a fans message board. LOL

Guilty. LOL.

Hey, it's a message board. People are sounding off with their opinions. We're going to disagree with each other - sometimes on substance, sometimes on tone, etc. We can choose to let those disagreements go, or we can choose to dive into them, or somewhere in between.  We happen to be unified by a shared allegiance to a basketball team, and often by some other shared attributes - so maybe those discussions have a better than average chance of being civil.

We're not going to ruin or redeem the world in six posts.

[agibson]

I'd temporarily forgotten about the "nobody rebounding when we're shooting FT's"!  Despite Kampe's beautiful email explaining.

Was I inconsistent in my attention, or was Kampe inconsistent in his policy?

I sort of expected _no_ Oakland players rebounding on Oakland FT's except maybe the last couple of minutes. I did sometimes notice one or more Oakland players missing, maybe all of them once or twice, but at other times it seemed like NCAA business as usual.

[HC]

Thank goodness we are back to basketball....

Pretty sure they weren't lined up for rebounds except the last 4-5 minutes.

[a3uge]

Rewatched the game and counted 6 Vashil blocks, possibly 8. At least 5, no question. Jubril had at least 2. Scorekeeper clearly missed some - listed Vashil as 3 and Jubril as 1. Vashil definitely impacted several shots that he didn't block. He blocked a couple shots on fouls, either by him, or by a teammate and saved 1-2 points on those - something that won't show up on the statsheet.

Nickerson and Jubril weren't good, but you have to commend the guards for keeping Kieth fresh when Felder was gassed by the end.

Also, the PA announcer was way over the top. The court was really slippery.

Oakland got a 4 min 2 sec break on the review with 5:20 to go where they looked at who knows what. Ridiculous. Gave Oakland an underserved rest when Valpo actually managed their subs properly.

[oklahomamick]

Oakland got a 4 min 2 sec break on the review with 5:20 to go where they looked at who knows what. Ridiculous. Gave Oakland an underserved rest when Valpo actually managed their subs properly.

That was a flop by Oaklands Hooper.  Then Kampe knew he could get a free timeout and regather his troops.

[oklahomamick]

Apparently Oaklnd girls basketball doesn't play defense either.  Allowed 81 to the women Crusaders today. Valpo 81 Oakland 61.

[talksalot]

Vegas Line for Sunday... Remember the Titans?    Valpo by 8 or 7.5... with the OU 149.5

NOTE:  game time changed for game... now 1PM eastern...Noon Central... probably due to the weather !!

[justducky]

Nickerson and Jubril weren't good,

I quickly and casually rewatched, mainly focusing on our defense. Lets give EVN a pass as his 6 minutes weren't bad for someone who has sat out 3+ weeks and I am looking forward to his normal rotational play. Jubril's defense was fine. I didn't time it but it appeared that fully half of his 14 minutes were alongside Vashil. We have not seen much of that combination but both are good inside help defenders and being double team trapped 5 feet from the baseline by those 2 has got to be a nightmare. 

If we played any straight up zone it wasn't readily apparent. Looked to my untrained eye like super tight man coverage on their shooting guards (with few switches) coupled with sagging man inside play. Whatever it was the results were spectacular. I wonder if we put that defense back in the bottle for a while so that some of our remaining games can be competitive? Serious.

[Pgmado]

That was a flop by Oaklands Hooper.  Then Kampe knew he could get a free timeout and regather his troops.

Saw this a lot on Twitter last night about Oakland getting a free timeout. Make no mistake about it, both teams were gassed throughout the night. Haven't seen Valpo players that gassed or drenched in sweat in a long time. That game took every ounce of physicality from both teams. I'm sure both squads welcomed the break.

[HC]

I'm sure they were tired, but I think it was more a momentum killing attempt more then a rest break. Kampe's is crafty.

[valpospartan]

Nobody's saying that Valpo is Michigan State or Virginia, but it's a fact that this was Oakland's worst loss of the season, and it was a true home game for Oakland in front of the O'rena's largest crowd ever. That's not something to take lightly. Just don't expect a similar atmosphere in Calihan Sunday,

We aren't Michigan State or Virginia and I thank you for not insulting us. 

Thanks for insulting me.

[wh]

OAKLAND INSIDER BY TERRY FOSTER
Down, but not out.
Jan. 9, 2016

The immediate game plan for Oakland University men's basketball team is simple.

The Golden Grizzlies must find a way to beat UIC Sunday on the Blacktop at the O'rena. And after that head coach Greg Kampe and his staff must become mad scientists and refocus, reconstruct and refine this team during a six-day break before making the quick drive down I-75 to Calihan Hall to face the Detroit Titans.

The rebirth of the Golden Grizzlies is in serious danger if this does not happen.

Valparaiso did what a good team is supposed to do. The Crusaders (12-3 overall, 2-0 in the Horizon League) survived the emotions of playing a desperate team before a school-record 4,110 fans at the O'rena. After that they dismantled Oakland during an 84-67 Friday night white out that turned into a Mike Tyson knockout.

Now Oakland (9-7, 1-2), a team that came into the season with high expectations, is hanging with the bottom teams in the league. That is not acceptable here.

Afterwards Coach Kampe did what any responsible coach is supposed to do. He took blame for not having his team prepared.

"No coach. That is my fault," guard Kay Felder said.

The junior guard certainly played his role. He took bad and quick shots and lost his focus at times defensively. Felder finished with 20 points and just six assists and was an astonishing 8-for-28 from the field.

There was no flow to the offense for long stretches which is the responsibility of a lead guard. Felder must get his shots but he also must make teammates better. Kampe was having none of this. It was important for him to make the initial cut for a patient withering in pain on the operating table.

"No Kay that is my fault. You were a very poorly coached team," Kampe told his guys. "Anybody that walked into this building and had never seen Oakland play would say 'wow' that's a very poorly coached team because we were. It is my job to get you to do the things that you didn't do.

"That's my job and it didn't get done. That is going to change and if it doesn't change then the personnel is going to change. I am looking at you and telling you it's my fault and I guarantee you I have been doing this for 32 years and I have been in these situations. I know what to do and I will do it. If you are not going to come along I am going to make changes."

Sometimes lineup changes send shock waves through teams. Maybe Kampe needs to send a message by benching someone in favor of someone that wants to be a difference maker.

MEN IN THE MIDDLE

The Black and Gold have four big men that Kampe can play. Starter Percy Gibson stands 6-foot-9 and freshmen reserves Brad Brechting is a 6-foot-11 and Xavier Hill-Mais is a burly 6-foot-7. There is also sophomore Femi Olujobi (6-8).

Here are some of the problems. They do not communicate enough defensively on the court. They see the court better than anybody and can act as a sixth man by warning guards about screens and back cuts.

They are also nice, quiet and passive. That won't cut it in this league. These men need a mean streak. Oakland was beaten up on the boards 49-31 and had 14 offensive rebounds compared to 13 for Oakland. That last statistic doesn't seem bad but the Golden Grizzlies had 46 offensive rebounds to chase and Valpo just 29.

Crusaders big men Alec Peters and Vashil Fernandez finished with 23 rebounds and nine offensive rebounds. The Golden Grizzlies big men combined for three boards and one offensive rebound.

Kampe has used Jalen Hayes inside, but that is not his strength and he has been overmatched physically by bigger and stronger players past two games.

If one of these big men becomes more aggressive, mature and mentally focused he could win more minutes.

THE BLAME GAME

This team looks different than the one that took Michigan State to the wire at the Palace. But why? Hayes applauded his coach for taking responsibility, but this is a team meltdown.

"Coach isn't dribbling the ball, scoring the ball and playing defense," Hayes said. "He can't take all the responsibility for our lack of defense or lack of offense and all that. It is a coaching game, but he always tells us a player coach team is way better than a coach coached team. You can say it's on him, but as a team we've got to do better."

Hayes was not surprised that Felder wanted to take all the blame.

"Kay is the leader of this team and when we don't have it going on, he is going to take responsibility," Hayes said. "He is going to take all the blame. He is an unbelievable kid. He just had a bad night."

THE SEASON IS NOT OVER

This team is not playing well and Associate Head Coach Saddi Washington addressed that. These are times where guys can point fingers, rip apart team chemistry and send teams into a tailspin. We will find out more than if these guys can play. They will discover how they handle adversity.

"The season takes ebbs and flows," Washington told the team. "You got to stay committed. How are you going to handle yourself when things are down? We have to find a way to right the ship and keep moving forward. We got to stay together. It is not the time to abandon ship, go off on a tangent. We say family every time we break. That is what a real family does. They stay together through the good, bad and the ugly. The season is not over. But we are not playing well right now and we have to find a way to turn this around and get the momentum back in our favor and take it one game at a time. "

Kampe looked up from his seat and made a promise to do a better job of coaching.

"When we cut down the nets at Joe Louis Arena you are going to be a well-coached team," he said. "I promise you that."

#WEARtheBEAR

[StlVUFan]

That said, it's apparent you two are missing my point, although it should have been apparent in my tone. I've had a bellyful (or is that offensive to  overweight people) of political correctness run amuck and the "enlightened" fools who think it's their responsibility to police what everyone says. Don't tell me how to think or feel. And I won't tell you how stupid your opinions are. Mind your own business and I'll mind mine. Have I made my point?

I'm not telling you how to think or feel, for crying out loud.  I'm simply suggesting that it is possible to criticize someone for precisely what they are getting wrong without telling them to go back to some traditional role.

This is a message board for pete's sake.  I have about as much chance of manipulating how you feel or think as the man in the moon, and obviously I am well aware of that.

I am also well aware of PC run amok.  I spent 7 months at LSTC and I ran into a bunch of it, mostly centered around the vague concept of making the church a welcoming place (my problem was not with the motivation, it was with the results).  It's not necessary to be provoked by that to flaunt your political incorrectness.

Maybe I've been sheltered from what others have experienced, I don't know.  Nobody has ever oppressed me with PC rules.  I've been uncomfortable at times when I've encountered it, but I've never suffered anything because of it.

I remember when Tipper Gore was on her lyrics high horse, and Donny Osmond was on Nightline pointing out that if records were rated, it would simply motivate him and others to produce R-rated lyrics.  This seemed to me a pavlovian position to take, and I found it just as disappointing as the provocation.

That's my *only* point here.