Come on team extend my game thread streak to 2! I've got a coach my middle school squad this night, hoping to have a victory to watch on replay when I get home!
Valpo 72-67 win.
2 NOV 17 FRI FloHoops.com vs 116 Wake Forest 8-7 W 77 - 74
3 NOV 18 SAT FloHoops.com vs 70 Colorado 10-6 L 81 - 86
4 NOV 19 SUN FloHoops.com vs 239 Drexel 6-9 W 90 - 88
5 NOV 26 SUN 294 Chicago State 0-16 W 79 - 67
6 NOV 29 WED @ 227 Omaha 3-12 L 73 - 75
MVC/MWC Challenge - Laramie, WY
7 DEC 2 SAT @ 73 Wyoming 9-5 L 89 - 96
8 DEC 6 WED @ 102 South Dakota 11-5 L 65 - 93
9 DEC 9 SAT 227 Omaha 3-12 W 93 - 74
10 DEC 11 MON @ 76 Minnesota 13-4 L 67 - 68
Hy-Vee Classic - Des Moines, IA
11 DEC 16 SAT vs 173 Iowa 9-8 L 64 - 90
12 DEC 19 TUE @ 61 South Dakota State 9-5 L 74 - 87
13 DEC 22 FRI 245 Maryland Eastern Shore 3-12 W 81 - 57
14 DEC 28 THU 110 Bradley 11-5 W 66 - 64
15 DEC 31 SUN @ 148 Southern Illinois 9-7 W 69 - 67
16 JAN 3 WED 82 Illinois State 7-7 W 87 - 62
17 JAN 6 SAT @ 179 Indiana State 5-9 W 75 - 72
they are 4-0... wins by 2, 2, 25 and 3; best OOC win was the opener Neutral court win over Wake Forest
This is a tough one to gauge, but since it is at home:
Valpo 76
Drake 68
0 C.J. Rivers G 6-2 187 Sr. Cahokia, Ill. / Cahokia
1 Samm Jones G 5-11 180 R-Fr. Minneapolis, Minn. / De La Salle
2 Jalen Gibbs G 6-3 180 Fr. Waldorf, Md / North Point
3 Graham Woodward G 6-0 182 R-Sr. Edina, Minn. / Edina
4 De'Antae McMurray G 6-2 170 Sr. Alton, Ill. / Alton
11 Antonio Pilipovic F 6-7 205 Fr. Cologne, Germany
12 Reed Timmer G 6-1 185 Sr. New Berlin, Wis. / Eisenhower
14 Noah Thomas G 6-2 180 Fr. Sydney, Australia
22 Casey Schlatter F 6-10 220 R-Jr. Iowa Falls, Iowa / Iowa Falls Alden
23 Ore Arogundade G 6-3 185 Sr. Chicago, Ill. / St. Viator
25 Connor Gholson G 6-3 170 Fr. Newton, Iowa / Newton
32 Kory Kuenstling F/C 6-11 234 R-Jr. Dunkerton, Iowa / Dunkerton
35 Nick McGlynn F 6-8 223 Jr. Stoughton, Wis. / Stoughton
## SUMMARY GP GS Min/G FG% 3PT% FT% Reb/G Ast/G Stl Blk Pts/G
12 Timmer, Reed 17 17 33.9 .472 .481 .886 3.4 2.9 11 1 19.4
04 McMurray, De'Antae 17 17 30.4 .422 .400 .766 4.4 3.1 13 1 12.0
35 McGlynn, Nick 17 17 20.9 .538 .143 .730 5.5 1.1 5 18 10.8
03 Woodward, Graham 17 6 24.7 .421 .427 .840 2.6 1.8 12 0 10.1
23 Arogundade, Ore 17 11 24.6 .423 .419 .769 3.2 1.3 16 2 7.4
00 Rivers, C.J. 17 17 27.8 .529 .313 .560 5.6 3.2 20 4 5.5
22 Schlatter, Casey 17 0 16.1 .507 .600 .571 3.5 1.1 4 4 5.1
02 Gibbs, Jalen 15 0 11.7 .460 .333 .636 1.9 0.5 7 0 4.1
14 Thomas, Noah 17 0 13.0 .347 .283 1.000 1.4 1.1 14 2 4.0
32 Kuenstling, Kory 12 0 4.7 .167 .000 .700 0.7 0.1 1 3 0.8
11 Pilipovic, Antonio 4 0 1.5 .000 .000 .000 0.0 0.0 0 0 0.0
01 Jones, Samm 3 0 2.0 .000 .000 .000 0.7 0.0 0 0 0.0
25 Gholson, Connor 1 0 0.0 .000 .000 .000 1.0 0.0 0 0 0.0
TM TEAM 17 0 0.0 .000 .000 .000 2.9 0.0 0 0 0.0
Total.......... 17 .455 .404 .776 34.6 16.1 103 35 78.4
Opponents...... 17 .455 .333 .709 35.9 15.0 95 62 74.9
DRAKE:
ATTENDANCE 15727 27284
Home games-Avg/Game 6-2621 7-3650
VALPO
ATTENDANCE 18492 37247
Home games-Avg/Game 7-2642 8-4527
"IF YOU BUILD IT... THEY WILL COME..."... this is Iowa afterall...
The Knapp Center, already a premier Division-1 facility, recently went through many upgrades, including the installation of new LED scorer's table and video boards, the best lighting system in college basketball and, most notably, the addition of Ron Pearson Court.
After a generous donation from Hy-Vee, Drake officials unveiled the new "Ron Pearson Court" to the public on Sept. 18, 2010. The court which was repainted over the summer to feature the Hy-Vee logo on the floor and the designation "Ron Pearson Court" on both end lines, is named for the former Hy-Vee CEO and Drake alumni.
The Knapp Center also received and aesthetic upgrade in the spring of 2011. New graphics adorn the walls of the facility and fresh colors from floor to ceiling greet the eyes of fans. In addition, the MVC's instant replay project outfitted the building with a cutting-edge replay system that will capture every moment of every game.
Many have praised the Knapp Center for its excellent design and versatility. Boasting a seating capacity of 7,152 that puts the fans right on the court, the Knapp Center provides 112,000 square feet on two levels. It includes five universal courts for basketball, volleyball and badmitton; four racquetball and handball courts; a 5,800 square-foot strength training area; a four-lane 200-meter track circling the upper level and team locker rooms.
The structure contains offices and locker rooms for the Drake basketball and volleyball teams, along with other support areas for all of the Drake athletic teams, including a weight training facilities, athletic training room and equipment room.
William Knapp, chairman of Iowa Realty and a member of the University's Board of Govenors, played a key role in making the Knapp Center dream become possible. Knapp made a $3 million gift to construction of the center and a $100,000 gift for the construction of the Drake Tennis Center.
Still today, the Knapp Center is one of the true collegiate athletics arenas that brings its fans right into the game.
Should we expect a large crowd Wednesday? The current leader in the MVC coming to town, we are fresh off a win, Drake is a similar school competing for the same students.
Over/Under butts in the stands
2,750
Quote from: oklahomamick on January 08, 2018, 10:09:05 AMThe current leader in the MVC coming to town, we are fresh off a win, Drake is a similar school competing for the same students.
First day of classes, so a chance for a pretty decent student turnout.
Not sure about regular fans on a Wednesday night - luckily 7 PM and not later. But, it'd certainly be good to knock Drake down a peg, and keep on the winning track, after an improbable start to conference play.
Game time forecast is 48 degrees and rising. Some showers, but should be warm.
Andy Katz ranks Drake the 36th best team in the nation... :crazy: They are strong but not that good, imo.
(https://media.giphy.com/media/xT9IgnvAUPnPWku3f2/giphy.gif)
Andy Katz's Power 36: Who's in the NCAA tournament? (Jan. 8)
Andy Katz | NCAA.com Correspondent
Last Updated - Jan 8, 2018 11:33 EST
..........
36. Drake (NR): Time rewards winners. And Drake is winning — on the road. The Bulldogs are 4-0 in the Missouri Valley with two road wins, including at Southern Illinois. Look, Drake doesn't have the profile for an at-large berth. But Drake is now the team to beat in the Valley. I saw this team in November. Loved them then. I haven't fallen out of love. Grit. Determination. Shooters. Niko Medved. Reed Timmer. Follow this crew. Des Moines is all on board.
Up next: at Valparaiso, Wednesday; Evansville, Saturday.
http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2018-01-08/andy-katzs-power-36-whos-ncaa-tournament-jan-8
https://twitter.com/TheAndyKatz/status/950371778819485696
We need to continue the success started against Southern Illinois. In league play we need to somehow get some rebounding from other than our seniors.
We are three games back in the 'L' column - we need to make it two!
Valpo 77
Drake 68
Quote from: oklahomamick on January 08, 2018, 10:09:05 AM
Should we expect a large crowd Wednesday? The current leader in the MVC coming to town, we are fresh off a win, Drake is a similar school competing for the same students.
Over/Under butts in the stands
2,750
Hit almost 3,000 on Saturday with no students. Students are back and classes have just begun so no pressure to study. I'm going OVER.
Quote from: VULB#62 on January 08, 2018, 11:55:58 AM
Quote from: oklahomamick on January 08, 2018, 10:09:05 AM
Should we expect a large crowd Wednesday? The current leader in the MVC coming to town, we are fresh off a win, Drake is a similar school competing for the same students.
Over/Under butts in the stands
2,750
Hit almost 3,000 on Saturday with no students. Students are back and classes have just begun so no pressure to study. I'm going OVER.
Greek Life recruitment ramps up this 1st week back, particularly for sororities. Nobody wants to hear the excuse but its a reality. It will be interesting to watch student attendance during these next few weeks.
https://www.valpo.edu/greek/sorority-life/how-to-join/
-
Women's Primary Membership Recruitment period will be January 8–14, 2018 and each potential new member must complete the Primary Membership Recruitment Registration form by January 8, 2018 at 11:30 p.m. in order to participate. The registration form can be found by clicking here.
https://www.valpo.edu/greek/recruitment/fraternity-recruitment/
"
Men's recruitment for new students is held from January 13–26, 2018, and a full listing of events will also be posted on the fraternity and sorority calendar. All recruitment events are open to all interested men. Details of the events are included on the calendar."
Seriously? Come on, man, that is a terrible excuse. Why don't the Greek Life folks schedule an event that includes the game? I have no idea what goes on in Greek Life, as I steered clear of it while I was in school, but they always seemed to be gung ho for athletic events in the past...
The key for every MVC team: play defense like it's a championship game and you will win
Quote from: valpotx on January 08, 2018, 01:48:19 PM
Seriously? Come on, man, that is a terrible excuse. Why don't the Greek Life folks schedule an event that includes the game? I have no idea what goes on in Greek Life, as I steered clear of it while I was in school, but they always seemed to be gung ho for athletic events in the past...
I would think that the Phi Psis would be out in force to support Brother Smits!
You can always count on the Phi Psis!! :)
Quote from: valpotx on January 08, 2018, 01:48:19 PM
Seriously? Come on, man, that is a terrible excuse. Why don't the Greek Life folks schedule an event that includes the game? I have no idea what goes on in Greek Life, as I steered clear of it while I was in school, but they always seemed to be gung ho for athletic events in the past...
Greek Life is one of the biggest groups who support of Valpo Athletics but recruitment/pledging/rushing goes head to head with many home games and also factor in there are more fraternities then even a few years ago, means more competition for days of recruitment events. Once you get invite to a fraternity/sorority you have to go through the initiation process which often takes many weeks where they have to be down at the house "learning" or whatever each individuals who process is. It seemed to be an issue last year too. The student attendance noticeably picked up after of the recruiting/rushing was done for a few weeks.
https://www.valpo.edu/greek/calendar/
Fraternity/Sorority recruiting events that clash with games:JAN 13 WED, 7 p.m. Drake - ESPN3
-Sorority Recruitment for all sororities
JAN 21, SUN, 3 p.m. Loyola:
ESPNU - Gold Out - Pediatric Cancer Awareness Day
Phi Kappa Psi Recruitment Event: Phi Psi Paint Up
When: Sun, January 21, 2pm – 6pm
Where: The ARC
Description: Come along with the brothers of Phi Kappa Psi in support of our Men's Basketball team. Go Valpo!
Remember there are 3 other events that Sunday that aren't involved with going to the basketball game at different times.
JAN 24, WED, 7 p.m. Evansville - ESPN3 - Staff/Faculty Appreciation Night
Competing with 4 Fraternity events at the same time.
5:00pm - Phi Delta Theta Recruitment Event: Phiesta and PhiZone
6:00pm - Phi Kappa Psi Recruitment Event: Preference Dinner
6:00pm - Sigma Chi Recruitment Event: Preference Dinner
8:00pm - Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Recruitment Event: Sin"bowl"nia
Well I am glad to see there are no Greek B.S. excuses for the men. Take names of frat members not attending the Drake game. And close the library and music practice rooms. :)
Quote from: vu72 on January 08, 2018, 02:05:23 PM
Quote from: valpotx on January 08, 2018, 01:48:19 PM
Seriously? Come on, man, that is a terrible excuse. Why don't the Greek Life folks schedule an event that includes the game? I have no idea what goes on in Greek Life, as I steered clear of it while I was in school, but they always seemed to be gung ho for athletic events in the past...
I would think that the Phi Psis would be out in force to support Brother Smits!
I am going back quite a while (80s & 90s), but I believe there was a time when scheduling fraternity events did take into account basketball games, and sometimes attendance at a game was a requirement, especially to support fellow members.
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/950417958291083264
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/950406300319518721
Quote from: VU2014 on January 08, 2018, 02:23:59 PMGreek Life is one of the biggest groups who support of Valpo Athletics
For sure. They're not always the most engaged of fans (maybe socializing more than following the game), but they're often there in big numbers. Sometimes doing dumb things like standing up and walking in or out en masse during the action, obscuring views for a while. But, hey, great to have them at the games.
I'm glad to see that some of them are explicitly including it as part of their recruiting activities.
I'm not buying what Jay is selling on this one. Getting benched clearly motivated him. A great coaching move by Coach Lottich.
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/950479862669733889
I have never bought the "we don't have time because of rush/chapter/etc." nonsense from students in the Greek system. You're not cramming for finals or prepping for surgery - you're planning social events and such. Which is fine but don't dress it up like it requires some unbreakable time commitment. Show up and support your university's team.
I was on a Big Ten campus one weekend this fall and overheard a student complaining that they "scheduled a football game during rush." Um, the football game in question was scheduled SIX YEARS AGO, kid. Your little social club could've easily bumped your rush activities for a day.
Quote from: valpopal on January 08, 2018, 03:12:24 PM
Quote from: vu72 on January 08, 2018, 02:05:23 PM
Quote from: valpotx on January 08, 2018, 01:48:19 PM
Seriously? Come on, man, that is a terrible excuse. Why don't the Greek Life folks schedule an event that includes the game? I have no idea what goes on in Greek Life, as I steered clear of it while I was in school, but they always seemed to be gung ho for athletic events in the past...
I would think that the Phi Psis would be out in force to support Brother Smits!
I am going back quite a while (80s & 90s), but I believe there was a time when scheduling fraternity events did take into account basketball games, and sometimes attendance at a game was a requirement, especially to support fellow members.
Fellow members? The Drews didn't allow basketball team members to be in fraternities. To my knowledge Derrik is the first since Homer took over.
Jay Sorolla is in a fraternity also. I forget which one. I think it's one of the newer ones on campus.
Interesting. Going back to the Bartow era, just about every member of those great teams were fraternity members -- mainly Phi Psi and Phi Delt (Football, too, and because there were so many more players involved, Theta Chis, Pikes and others also were represented). That had a signnificant affect on student attendance at MBB games -- it was all about supporting your brothers. Other fraternities were drawn into it just to be competitively visible at games. Fraternity life, IMO, did not have a negative influence on performance as indicated by the records those teams set and the number of players from that era who are in the Valpo HOF.
For the time commitment alone, I can see why coaches would at least be cautious about Greek organizations.
They bring some additional support structures, but it seems like the time commitment is quite significant, on top of athletics, on top of academics.
Quote from: agibson on January 09, 2018, 10:52:56 AM
For the time commitment alone, I can see why coaches would at least be cautious about Greek organizations.
They bring some additional support structures, but it seems like the time commitment is quite significant, on top of athletics, on top of academics.
Could be now but wasn't back in the day. For athletes, team activities always were first priority. If there was a conflict, BB or FB players were automatically excused from the fraternity activity -- at least at the Phi Delt house and I'm quite sure Phi Psi did the same. 72?
For baseball players, the main fraternity was Theta Chi, during my Valpo days. I believe that each scholarship player had to get approval from Coach Twenge, in order to join a fraternity.
https://twitter.com/valpoathletics/status/950817527130656768
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXaInj6D54E
If every frat and every sorority picked two home games to show up in force beyond normal attenders and join the student section I think you would see a bump.
And to the other guy's point, the hoops schedules for the MVC are now pretty firmly on Wednesday nights during the week. So Greeks can adjust from there.if they have the desire. Greek schedules (and I was proud member) are not train schedules, published curriculum or a National Guard call up.
Your purpose is social. Basketball games are social. Just move your damn event or meeting and cheer on your school that's known largely for its basketball outside Indiana.
someone need to buys Todd some new polo shirts. Wear something like Coach. We are not in the Jon Steinbrecher Mid Con conference anymore.
Quote from: usc4valpo on January 09, 2018, 07:15:30 PM
someone need to buys Todd some new polo shirts. Wear something like Coach. We are not in the Jon Steinbrecher Mid Con conference anymore.
What is this, "Say Yes To The Dress"? What's with all the comments on dress ware!?!? Haha
And, how about..."I'm Todd Ickow" instead of "this is Todd Ickow" This is? You aren't on the radio!! Still love the guy however! A great friend and contributor to Valpo over many years! :clap:
I REALLY miss Todd as the TV voice. Why isn't the home broadcaster the voice on streams?
Quote from: usc4valpo on January 09, 2018, 07:15:30 PM
someone need to buys Todd some new polo shirts. Wear something like Coach. We are not in the Jon Steinbrecher Mid Con conference anymore.
Nothing wrong with the polo, IMO.
Quote from: a3uge on January 10, 2018, 07:07:02 AM
Quote from: usc4valpo on January 09, 2018, 07:15:30 PM
someone need to buys Todd some new polo shirts. Wear something like Coach. We are not in the Jon Steinbrecher Mid Con conference anymore.
Nothing wrong with the polo, IMO.
The logo is up to date, I'm not sure what else could be changed unless the color could be softened, not a big fan of the YELLOW
gold color.
Vegas has Valpo -3
We should have a big advantage on the boards, but they have guards who pretty consistently knock down the three. Have a feeling we'll know how this game is going to go by the 12 min media of the first half. If we're contesting their threes well, could hang in there. If they come out knocking down shots, could be a long night.
Quote from: VULB#62 on January 09, 2018, 10:32:48 PMI REALLY miss Todd as the TV voice. Why isn't the home broadcaster the voice on streams?
I think he will be sometimes. I would have said most of the time, actually. If the game's produced by Valpo, so probably if it's "just" an ESPN3 game, and not something more special with someone else bringing in broadcasting talent, I think we're to expect Todd.
Checking the schedule: So, SIU was "MVC TV Network" (and e.g. regional sports cable) so it wasn't Todd. Drake tonight is "The Valley on ESPN3" and so I think we're to expect Todd. So was every other home game so far this season. (I did stream Missouri State, but mostly I remember getting killed, and not whether it was Todd or not.) After Drake it looks like we'll get Todd on ESPN3 twice more. With a couple of ESPNU games, another MVC TV Network game, and a CBS Sports Network game on senior night, to round out the home broadcast schedule.
This was discussed on Paul's podcast sometime around the beginning of the season, where Todd talked about honing his craft for TV, and now sometimes/often TV-only, vs. radio. And the discussion of being disappointed over not having him pre-game/post-game on WVUR as we're arriving/leaving the ARC.
Quote from: oklahomamick on January 10, 2018, 09:48:31 AM
Vegas has Valpo -3
It opened at -3. But has moved to -5 or -5.5.
It would seem that gamblers believe computer rankings (e.g. we're ahead of Drake in the kenpom) or even RPI (where we're only a little behind Drake, close enough that home advantage would outweigh the difference) more than conference records (4-0 vs 1-3).
Reed Timmer for Drake is playing very well. The Crusaders must limit the turnovers.
Drake 75, Valpo 62
Big game tonight...good weather for middle of January...going over for the attendance
The attendance and providing a great atmosphere is important. It got me thinking. What have been the best ARC atmospheres? Mine are as follows
Florida St game
St. Mary's
Green Bay Semi Final
Missouri St. bracket buster (I think 2010)
Love your list...I'd add the Butler home game where Valpo hit a bunch of crazy 3's in the second half and pulled off the win.
For me the single best atmosphere (regardless of the game result) was the 2008 Butler game. It was the Bulldogs first visit to the ARC after we joined the HL. The game was on ESPN2, which hadn't happened for awhile at home and Butler was ranked. The building was completely packed - but what sets this game above the others mentioned was the number and involvement level of the students. They filled up the whole student section, plus section E and most of EE. In addition the students in E and EE actually stood and cheered the whole game as well. I think this game would have to set the record for decibel level in the ARC, and I was at the game M referenced in January of 2011, which was also packed, but not with as many students.
You can get a bit of an idea for the atmosphere from this old grainy highlight video. Pay attention to the crowd in the background and you can see the students standing all the way up into EE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lj8E6P5gjI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lj8E6P5gjI)
(Also visible in the background during the reporters' on camera time - my old intramural team in the process of being destroyed by Lambda Chi Alpha).
They are doing a special t-shirt give-a-way to the first 500 students for tonight's game...should help
the crowd as far as students are concerned
:o :o :o Did anyone else know this? Homer almost took the Drake job in 1996? Wow could you imagine how different this programs history would be? No Homer, no Bryce, No Scott. No Sweet 16 tourney run. Thank goodness Homer didn't take that job. I don't even want to think about where we'd be right now. We'd probably still be kicking around the Summit League.
https://twitter.com/pjankValpo/status/951165391623147520
If Homer had left, and the replacement wasn't a home run, I have little doubt we'd be D2 (maybe 3) right now.
Best environments that I have seen at Valpo (a somewhat limited sample, since I don't live there).
-Butler several times, but especially in 2011
-Missouri State in 2011 (this is the bracket buster game). I ended up introducing Ryan Broekhoff's mom to Todd at this game. Todd's first response, "do you have any more like him back home?"
-Saint Mary's
-Notre Dame (1989?)
Honorable mentions: Marquette (2006), Purdue (2001), Western Illinois in conference tourney final in 1995.
There have been many discussions on this board over the years about increasing attendance and fan (students/etc.) enthusiasm. People talk about marketing, facilities and any number of other things, but there are two things that ring out loudly from each of these games: the quality of the opponent and the perceived quality of the Valpo team at that time.
Don't forget that Homer also almost took the SLU job around 2000. Homer was many great things to Valpo - including very loyal!
Quote from: VU2014 on January 10, 2018, 01:59:46 PM
:o :o :o Did anyone else know this? Homer almost took the Drake job in 1996? Wow could you imagine how different this programs history would be? No Homer, no Bryce, No Scott. No Sweet 16 tourney run. Thank goodness Homer didn't take that job. I don't even want to think about where we'd be right now. We'd probably still be kicking around the Summit League.
https://twitter.com/pjankValpo/status/951165391623147520
I remember the rumors. In '96 I wouldn't have blamed him for leaving the Mid-Con after building Valpo into a two year winner. I'm glad that Homer considered what he and Valpo could become.
I live in DSM. Drake has been terrible (for the most part) for the last 30 years. Wouldn't you know it, the same year we join the league, Drake is pretty good.
Drake 72
VU 69
Best game environment I have ever seen at ANY sporting event was in January 1966 when we beat undefeated and defending national champion Evansville, 83-73. We were sitting in the second row from the top and the stands were rocking back and forth so much my mom (and others sitting nearby) were afraid the stands were going to collapse. In the closing seconds the students (who made up at least half the crowd) were waving their arms back and forth and chanting "DING DONG DING DONG" as the clock wound down. You could not have fit one more person in the gym with a shoehorn. It took us 15 minutes to find a seat before we could squeeze in on the second row from the top. Unforgettable.
I realize very few on this board were at that game. VULB62 and Valpo64 perhaps you could add your thoughts.
Paul
Quote from: vu84v2 on January 10, 2018, 03:03:31 PMWestern Illinois in conference tourney final in 1995.
was an all-time classic game...
I'll add the Northern Illinois "Wake Up Call" for the 7am tip a few years ago... as a "really neat experience"...
I'll add the "Ball State Blizzard" game '92-93 season... like 8" of snow fell during the game...
the "Kenny The Mouse McFadden" game against Cleveland State... that would have been like 1986/87 time frame...
One more... January 24, 2004. Valpo 76 Southern Utah 69. If you remember being at the game... you're probably lying. I'm told the total attendance at the game was less than 20 people due to blizzard that shut down Valpo. Both teams and the referees made it. The BEST part of the game... nobody did Public Address after Bill Rogers introduced the players. Yes, I was told it was a massive improvement... I couldn't get out of my driveway!
QuoteI'll add the Northern Illinois "Wake Up Call" for the 7am tip a few years ago... as a "really neat experience"...
I'll add the "Ball State Blizzard" game '92-93 season... like 8" of snow fell during the game...
the "Kenny The Mouse McFadden" game against Cleveland State... that would have been like 1986/87 time frame...
That Cleveland State game was right after they had their Sweet 16 run the year before where they upset IU, and I believe the Vikings were ranked for a good chunk of that season. Largest crowd we had ever had for a conference game to that point -- the place was packed. When Mouse McFadden was announced, the student section bombarded the floor with slices of cheese. Harry Bell had a highlight-reel slam to tie the game late, and we missed a big shot that would have won, then lost in OT. We thought that game was a corner-turner for Coach Tom Smith, but alas, no.
That Purdue game in 2001 was pretty electric, too - one too many dribbles by Bierdiel (as always) or we probably win that one, as well.
We've had a bunch of great games and atmospheres in the ARC over the years, but I'm still partial to the Notre Dame win in 1988 as my favorite, simply because it was so gloriously unexpected and was the signpost that proved what the program could become.
As for Homer nearly leaving, I really don't think he was as close to taking the Drake job as everyone else thought he was. It was a step up in money, but a total rebuild job at a program that was under-resourced compared to its conference mates and in the middle of a 20-year run of losing seasons. I honestly believe Homer used that more as leverage to get some additional investments in the program and recruiting budget at VU (and a raise).
Now, the SLU job, that was one I figured he was as good as gone for. Would've nearly tripled his salary, private school in a bigger conference, tourney-ready roster that had been to the round of 32 twice in the previous 5 years (and went to the NCAAs the next year under first-year coach Lorenzo Romar), big-time city and facility and a return to his hometown. Bryce had graduated, so there was nothing to tether him to VU anymore. It was a perfect fit. Turning that down to stay at Mid-Con Valpo was an act of faith and love.
Quote from: 78crusader on January 10, 2018, 03:33:51 PM
I live in DSM. Drake has been terrible (for the most part) for the last 30 years. Wouldn't you know it, the same year we join the league, Drake is pretty good.
Drake 72
VU 69
Best game environment I have ever seen at ANY sporting event was in January 1966 when we beat undefeated and defending national champion Evansville, 83-73. We were sitting in the second row from the top and the stands were rocking back and forth so much my mom (and others sitting nearby) were afraid the stands were going to collapse. In the closing seconds the students (who made up at least half the crowd) were waving their arms back and forth and chanting "DING DONG DING DONG" as the clock wound down. You could not have fit one more person in the gym with a shoehorn. It took us 15 minutes to find a seat before we could squeeze in on the second row from the top. Unforgettable.
I realize very few on this board were at that game. VULB62 and Valpo64 perhaps you could add your thoughts.
Paul
Incredible. Tom Smith dribbling around, under and past All-Americans Jerry Sloan and Larry Hume and they couldn't catch him. They beat us later in the season down in E'Ville but only by 7. That team scored 100+ points in 14 of the 28 games they played that season. The first six home games all went over 100 and they hit 120 twice in that stretch. Lost to Marquette to open the season in MKE by 1 point. Laid 114 points on Purdiue in a win in Hilltop. Won their first rounder in the NCAA regional but lost the next game to North Dakota (in Grand Forks).
A pretty article about this Drake Team coming into the ARC tonight.
https://twitter.com/FatherHarry1/status/951132803328077824
The Drake Bulldogs are the Valley's biggest surprise
Niko Medved already has the program trending in the right direction.
By Harry Schroeder@FatherHarry1 Jan 10, 2018
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2018/1/10/16870798/the-drake-bulldogs-are-the-valleys-biggest-surprise-niko-medved-missouri-valley
Quote from: talksalot on January 10, 2018, 03:54:12 PM
One more... January 24, 2004. Valpo 76 Southern Utah 69. If you remember being at the game... you're probably lying. I'm told the total attendance at the game was less than 20 people due to blizzard that shut down Valpo. Both teams and the referees made it. The BEST part of the game... nobody did Public Address after Bill Rogers introduced the players. Yes, I was told it was a massive improvement... I couldn't get out of my driveway!
Fun! I guess I was living in illinois at the time. I don't remember that snow storm in particular... I was a couple of seasons away from getting back in to VU basketball.
(I spent a little time looking for a box score for this game, and didn't come up with much. The closest I've got to an attendance figure is this
http://www.espn.co.uk/mens-college-basketball/game?gameId=240242674
which actually seems to list it as 4,516! But, it doesn't have much detail. Web electronic records may still not have been very good, i.e. not well archived to the present, at the time.)
Quote from: VULB#62 on January 10, 2018, 04:06:43 PM
Quote from: 78crusader on January 10, 2018, 03:33:51 PM
I live in DSM. Drake has been terrible (for the most part) for the last 30 years. Wouldn't you know it, the same year we join the league, Drake is pretty good.
Drake 72
VU 69
Best game environment I have ever seen at ANY sporting event was in January 1966 when we beat undefeated and defending national champion Evansville, 83-73. We were sitting in the second row from the top and the stands were rocking back and forth so much my mom (and others sitting nearby) were afraid the stands were going to collapse. In the closing seconds the students (who made up at least half the crowd) were waving their arms back and forth and chanting "DING DONG DING DONG" as the clock wound down. You could not have fit one more person in the gym with a shoehorn. It took us 15 minutes to find a seat before we could squeeze in on the second row from the top. Unforgettable.
I realize very few on this board were at that game. VULB62 and Valpo64 perhaps you could add your thoughts.
Paul
Incredible. Tom Smith dribbling around, under and past All-Americans Jerry Sloan and Larry Hume and they couldn't catch him. They beat us later in the season down in E'Ville but only by 7. That team scored 100+ points in 14 of the 28 games they played that season. The first six home games all went over 100 and they hit 120 twice in that stretch. Lost to Marquette to open the season in MKE by 1 point. Laid 114 points on Purdiue in a win in Hilltop. Won their first rounder in the NCAA regional but lost the next game to North Dakota (in Grand Forks).
Remarkable. I had no idea we had teams like this in the 60's.
Quote from: agibson on January 10, 2018, 05:05:56 PM
Quote from: talksalot on January 10, 2018, 03:54:12 PM
One more... January 24, 2004. Valpo 76 Southern Utah 69. If you remember being at the game... you're probably lying. I'm told the total attendance at the game was less than 20 people due to blizzard that shut down Valpo. Both teams and the referees made it. The BEST part of the game... nobody did Public Address after Bill Rogers introduced the players. Yes, I was told it was a massive improvement... I couldn't get out of my driveway!
Fun! I guess I was living in illinois at the time. I don't remember that snow storm in particular... I was a couple of seasons away from getting back in to VU basketball.
(I spent a little time looking for a box score for this game, and didn't come up with much. The closest I've got to an attendance figure is this
http://www.espn.co.uk/mens-college-basketball/game?gameId=240242674
which actually seems to list it as 4,516! But, it doesn't have much detail. Web electronic records may still not have been very good, i.e. not well archived to the present, at the time.)
OK - here's the box score.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040628232558/http://www.valpo.edu:80/athletics/assets/stats/gr-stat-0000000662.html
I'm not sure if the 4516 was some kind of joke (near capacity?!), or if you might be thinking of a different game.
If Ali Berdiel goes for a double-double and nobody sees it, did it actually happen?
Quote from: VU2014 on January 10, 2018, 01:59:46 PM
:o :o :o Did anyone else know this? Homer almost took the Drake job in 1996? Wow could you imagine how different this programs history would be? No Homer, no Bryce, No Scott. No Sweet 16 tourney run. Thank goodness Homer didn't take that job. I don't even want to think about where we'd be right now. We'd probably still be kicking around the Summit League.
https://twitter.com/pjankValpo/status/951165391623147520
Here's what I wrote in April, 1996. Thanks to the Times archives:
Steinbrecher and Harre did the right thing
Paul Jankowski Apr 9, 1996
All that was needed was a nine-year-old girl with curly red hair, and you
would have sworn you were at some intellectual, private stage version of the
movie "Annie."
"When we were struggling, I can still remember his words: The sun will come
up the next day," said Homer Drew, the current and future Valparaiso University
men's basketball coach.
The key word here is future, not the fact
Drew just missed reciting the famous line from the goofy 1970s flick while
praising VU athletic director Bill Steinbrecher.
The sun has indeed risen at VU. Steinbrecher should be praised, along with
president Alan Harre, for making it worthwhile for Drew to remain as the
Crusaders' head coach.
And a lot of that happened during Monday night's "press conference" in the
McGill Room at the Athletics-Recreation Center, an event that included not only
the media but just about every coach in the VU athletic department and several
other dignitaries from around town.
If you hand out free pizza, they will come. And I'm not ashamed to say I was
among the first in line.
Keeping their man
One must wonder whether VU would have staged this event if word hadn't
leaked last week that Drew was offered the head coaching position at Drake.
When that happened, Steinbrecher and Harre had to act, and they did.
Monday's announcement was simply the public culmination of more than a month
of worrying (by Steinbrecher) and negotiating among the Big Three, and this
time we're not talking about Anthony Allison, Chris Ensminger and Bryce Drew.
Homer, Steinbrecher and Harre were the main characters in this drama.
Steinbrecher and Harre should be credited with giving Drew an offer he couldn't
refuse, although in the future we may learn other forces may have been at work
here.
Regardless, Drew is here to stay. And he has the added title of assistant
athletic director to add to his resume.
That can translate into more control over the basketball program. And it may
also one day lead to Drew taking over for Steinbrecher, nearing retirement age,
as athletic director.
"That wasn't part of it," Drew said. "But (being assistant AD) will
help me for my future. It does give me the qualification in administration that might be an option for the future."
Quality control
Retaining Drew was critical for VU to continue its recent basketball
success. But, as Harre pointed out in a written statement, that's not the only
reason for making an effort to keep him.
"The primary reason that I am pleased that Coach Drew will continue service
at Valparaiso University is not that he has achieved a good win-loss record
these past three years," Harre said. "Rather, I am pleased that Coach Drew will
remain at Valparaiso University because I believe Coach Drew is a consummate
educator with his athletes, in the context of the university, and in the larger
arena of the community of Northwest Indiana."
Certainly Drew has never been accused of being anything less than a winner
on and off the basketball court. That is why Steinbrecher and Harre supported
him even during the lean years, a period from 1989 to 1992 when his teams went
4-24, 5-22 and 5-22.
That's the period Drew was referring to when he talked about the sun coming
up the next day, when Steinbrecher's support was crucial. A less patient man
may have said goodbye, but Steinbrecher never wavered in his support of Drew.
"There was many nights when I did not get enough sleep," Drew said. "His
motivation, his inspiration that it could be done was there, and I've always
appreciated Dr. Steinbrecher for that."
"Homer's a good fit for VU in many ways," Steinbrecher said. "It's a
comfortable place for him at this point in his career, and I'm sure he'd like
for his son Bryce to get back to the NCAA Tournament again in the next two
years.
"We'd like that, too."
In the past, VU may have had a reputation - at least in athletics - for
accepting mediocrity. By keeping Drew from going to Drake, from turning down a
deal that could have been worth up to $150,000 per year, Steinbrecher and
Harre have put that reputation to rest.
"These two gentlemen have given our basketball program the opportunity to be
successful," Drew said. "I can not say how much I appreciate them - their
fairness, their integrity, their character has been something that I have
learned a great deal from."
We all have. Now we can breathe a sigh of relief, and start making plans for
next year's NCAA Tournament.
Quote from: VULB#62 on January 10, 2018, 04:06:43 PM
Quote from: 78crusader on January 10, 2018, 03:33:51 PM
I live in DSM. Drake has been terrible (for the most part) for the last 30 years. Wouldn't you know it, the same year we join the league, Drake is pretty good.
Drake 72
VU 69
Best game environment I have ever seen at ANY sporting event was in January 1966 when we beat undefeated and defending national champion Evansville, 83-73. We were sitting in the second row from the top and the stands were rocking back and forth so much my mom (and others sitting nearby) were afraid the stands were going to collapse. In the closing seconds the students (who made up at least half the crowd) were waving their arms back and forth and chanting "DING DONG DING DONG" as the clock wound down. You could not have fit one more person in the gym with a shoehorn. It took us 15 minutes to find a seat before we could squeeze in on the second row from the top. Unforgettable.
I realize very few on this board were at that game. VULB62 and Valpo64 perhaps you could add your thoughts.
Paul
Incredible. Tom Smith dribbling around, under and past All-Americans Jerry Sloan and Larry Hume and they couldn't catch him. They beat us later in the season down in E'Ville but only by 7. That team scored 100+ points in 14 of the 28 games they played that season. The first six home games all went over 100 and they hit 120 twice in that stretch. Lost to Marquette to open the season in MKE by 1 point. Laid 114 points on Purdiue in a win in Hilltop. Won their first rounder in the NCAA regional but lost the next game to North Dakota (in Grand Forks).
[/b]
And, all that scoring was BEFORE the 3 point basket. What a team.
They just showed a zoomed out shot of the ARC and it looks sparse in the 2nd deck. Maybe it was a shot from earlier in the night. Sounds like there is a good amount of students there.
A great start to this game for Valpo's offense. Both Tevonn and Bakari have each made a pair of 3s. Smits was very strong to start the game. Reed Timmer is a stud. We need to slow him down. He's keeping them in this 1st half
For all that Smits does well, he makes some extremely boneheaded TO and fouls.
Does anyone want to go in and contribute to keeping Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Joseph in Valpo? I feel like they are our good luck charms
Quote from: FieldGoodie05 on January 10, 2018, 08:18:43 PM
For all that Smits does well, he makes some extremely boneheaded TO and fouls.
In tight games Derrik's going to have to tighten up his loose ball handling (turnovers).
But man he has improved offensively and not fouling.
Quote from: VUCPB alum on January 10, 2018, 08:35:26 PM
Does anyone want to go in and contribute to keeping Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Joseph in Valpo? I feel like they are our good luck charms
No kidding!!!
We are a different team when we can score in the post. Man, just opens everything up.
(Separately, what a job defensively tonight. Held Drake nearly 20 pts under their season average and had someone on Timmer like wallpaper all night).
Wow!!
Great from the fast start to pulling away at the finish.
Keep it up team!
Solid D , Good Rebounding, Offence is Easy ;D
Another good night for our "bigs" really makes a difference at both ends of the court. Also a great defensive effort, especially on Timmer. Those items along with some very good shooting and low number of turnovers , plus our maturing as a team has mede us a pretty good ballclub. Keep up the good work, guys! If we can keep up our confidence level we will be a very competitive team form here on out.
Quote from: usc4valpo on January 10, 2018, 11:45:23 AM
Reed Timmer for Drake is playing very well. The Crusaders must limit the turnovers.
Drake 75, Valpo 62
Nope.
Valpo played great tonight and Drake was flat as can be. And yes, I am an idiot.
We are witnessing a totally new team. Check out the stats:
http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=194912
Check out the assists from Micah and Max. Look at our 3 point percentage, 25 assts versus 17 turnovers. My guess is the Valley is noticing!
Credit to the coaching staff. They have figured out that Micah is much more effective at the point versus chucking up 3's at the 2. That Bakari is much more effective at the 2 without the pressure of being the 1. That we need to play small in the Valley to match these teams. etc, etc, etc, Fantastic adjustments. :thewave:
These games are much more fun to watch when we win. Great win and the team looks much better
Congrats--I'm sure you all will agree, this MVC season will be going down to the last few games--tight--I have no idea who will win it
Biggest change from our losing games to the last 2 is our ability to pass the ball. We had several games where we had less than 5 assists. You cannot win games like that, unless you are Mike Helms (Oakland) or Michael Watson (UMKC), and you have to do it all yourself. We were over 20 assists both games, and it looks much more fluid. The inside/outside passing game is really clicking. It seems like the coaches have spent extra time in getting it drilled into our team's system.
Best atmosphere I have attended is easily the Butler game at Valpo during the HL tournament, when we beat the ever living crap out of them. I had only been dating my future wife for around 5 months at that point, and we flew up to see Chicago and the game. She soon learned, as did those sitting around me, just how much I love Valpo and hate Butler :).
Great win tonight. You can start to see this young team coming together and guys find their roles. Also I have to give a shout out Micah Bradford who has really been finding guys and getting everyone involved. He may not be shooting the ball well but he is do an excellent job of distributing and finding the open guys.
and our RPI just jumped to 129
MVC Standings - with a few liberties on the line count.
1. Drake 4-1
2. Missouri State, Loyola, Bradley, Illinois State, Indiana State 3-2
3. Valparaiso, Evansville, Southern Illinois 2-3
4. Northern Iowa 0-5
Valparaiso sets season highs in 3-pointers and assists in dominating win
Paul Oren Times Correspondent
Jan 10, 2018 Updated 10 min ago
VALPARAISO — Whatever ailment plagued the Valparaiso men's basketball team while losing seven games in four-week span was officially eradicated on Wednesday night.
The Crusaders set season highs in 3-pointers and assists while nearly leading wire-to-wire in a dominating 77-60 win over first-place Drake in Missouri Valley Conference action at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
........... http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/valparaiso-university/valparaiso-sets-season-highs-in--pointers-and-assists-in/article_62bfcd85-a7ef-570e-ba71-5078b059bff9.html
Rebound leader: Tevonn Walker bounces back, sparks Valparaiso past Drake
Michael Osipoff
Post-Tribune
January 10, 2018
Valparaiso senior guard Tevonn Walker elevated for jump shots and rebounds.
He powered for layups.
During one sequence Wednesday night, he dove for a loose ball to snag an offensive rebound, drawing appreciation from the crowd at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
Even when he tried for a highlight-type reverse and missed during the Crusaders' 77-60 win against Drake, it was eye-catching.
.......... http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/sports/ct-ptb-mens-basketball-drake-valparaiso-st-0111-20180110-story.html
Quote from: talksalot on January 10, 2018, 10:07:02 PM
and our RPI just jumped to 129
MVC Standings - with a few liberties on the line count.
1. Drake 4-1
2. Missouri State, Loyola, Bradley, Illinois State, Indiana State 3-2
3. Valparaiso, Evansville, Southern Illinois 2-3
4. Northern Iowa 0-5
Who wuddah thunk?
So happy we are playing the drakes, Missouri states, Evansville, Indian st as opposed to Cleveland st Youngstown state and Detroit. Thankful for the Mvc
I think the crowd hit the under (2700) tonight
Agreed. And espn had attendance at 2710. Great line for over/under. Thought the fans were great who were there tonight (although there WAS a lot to cheer for tonight:) )
Quote from: 78crusader on January 10, 2018, 03:33:51 PMI realize very few on this board were at that game. VULB62 and Valpo64 perhaps you could add your thoughts.
As Maxwell Smart used to say "Missed it by
THAT much!"
Considering I was only 4 or 5 years old at the time I probably wouldn't have remembered much if I had been there. Bruce Linder's teams are my first memories of Valpo games.
Quote from: usc4valpo on January 10, 2018, 09:31:00 PMAnd yes, I am an idiot.
I suppose "liking" this post wouldn't be the polite thing to do. But I do "like" the whole post.
Quote from: usc4valpo on January 10, 2018, 09:31:00 PM
Valpo played great tonight and Drake was flat as can be. And yes, I am an idiot.
This guy...
https://twitter.com/Tom101010/status/951296972425715712
Micah Bradford's Dad.
https://twitter.com/barrybradford3/status/951334631718211584
Quote from: VU2014 on January 11, 2018, 12:08:03 AM
This guy...
https://twitter.com/Tom101010/status/951296972425715712
Somebody's just watching box scores and has missed a ton of Valpo basketball this season.
Quote from: VU2014 on January 11, 2018, 12:08:03 AM
This guy...
https://twitter.com/Tom101010/status/951296972425715712
And in that one minute managed to have a turnover. Maybe he needs a redshirt year to get a chance to mature and get used to playing at this level.
Great game tonight. Was good to have the students back. It gets the place rocking when they're there.
Noticed for the first time they used in game footage on the Video screen. Seems almost like we're trying to be professional in presentation. Anyways I liked it, always thought they under used that asset.
Quote from: VU2014 on January 11, 2018, 12:12:00 AMMicah Bradford's Dad. [tweet]951334631718211584[/tweet]
So glad to see Micah and so many others finally finding their roles and jelling together. The last two games have been beautiful. A true joy to watch. Keep it up guys. Go Valpo!
Quote from: VU2014 on January 11, 2018, 12:12:00 AM
Micah Bradford's Dad.
https://twitter.com/barrybradford3/status/951334631718211584
Micah's Dad deleted the tweet but I got a screenshot.
Quote from: VU2014 on January 11, 2018, 12:23:33 AM
Quote from: VU2014 on January 11, 2018, 12:12:00 AM
Micah Bradford's Dad.
https://twitter.com/barrybradford3/status/951334631718211584
Micah's Dad deleted the tweet but I got a screenshot.
What was it?
Quote from: usc4valpo on January 10, 2018, 09:31:00 PM
Valpo played great tonight and Drake was flat as can be. And yes, I am an idiot.
Drake did play flat. They missed a ton of open shots. You can tell they're a much better team than what they displayed.
Also, this was the first MVC game Valpo played where the refs weren't whistle-happy. It was an enjoyable game and went by quickly. I know a Horizon League game circa 2011 would more resemble a UFC bout, but I thought this game didn't turn into a slogfest even though the refs let everyone play. Only 20 combined free throws, 26 fouls, and only one player with 4 fouls. That was refreshing.
Nobody should ever pay attention to tom davis...dude is always off on all of his takes
I think our shooting 3-point shooting percentage will come back to earth soon. The question is how do we perform when that happens?
The dramatic increase in assists, the shortening of the bench, and the more consistent play from our 7 footers has me hopeful that we can survive a poor 3 point shooting percentage against solid MVC competition.
Next big questions will be:
Can we mimic these performances on the road?
When do we get Kiser back and how does he fit in now that everyone is starting to gel?
With that turnover in his only minute, Hazen now has the worst Player Efficiency Rating (-1.3) in all of D1 basketball, passing a couple of MEAC and SWAC players. It's common sense how one of the worst performing players in D1 isn't getting minutes.
Seriously? Did someone from Valpo stuff Tom Davis in a locker when he was in middle school?
Quote from: a3uge on January 11, 2018, 07:35:34 AMWith that turnover in his only minute, Hazen now has the worst Player Efficiency Rating (-1.3) in all of D1 basketball,
and it's really toooo bad for Parker. Matt told the guys to dribble out the shot clock with 33 seconds on the game... Parker happened to have the ball for the last 10 seconds of the clock and just handed the ball to the official with 3 seconds left in the game. helluva way to get a turnover.
Parker's turnover was his first possession, a bad pass. The shot clock violation is listed as a team turnover in the PBP.
Quote from: talksalot on January 11, 2018, 08:21:33 AM
Quote from: a3uge on January 11, 2018, 07:35:34 AMWith that turnover in his only minute, Hazen now has the worst Player Efficiency Rating (-1.3) in all of D1 basketball,
and it's really toooo bad for Parker. Matt told the guys to dribble out the shot clock with 33 seconds on the game... Parker happened to have the ball for the last 10 seconds of the clock and just handed the ball to the official with 3 seconds left in the game. helluva way to get a turnover.
That's not how his turnover happened. He threw it right to Drake with 45 seconds left while passing on the perimeter.
I can take grief on my predictions when I am wrong. I am not furious and hope not to be a snowflake and pull a Ashley Wagner.
We need M to start the UNI game thread to keep the good mojo going! ;D
Three thoughts on last night's game:
1. Things are never as good or as bad as you think they are.
2. Bradford needs to be given instructions similar to Eric Buggs. Don't shoot unless you have a layup. Still, I am really impressed with how he is handling and passing the ball and the coaching staff has done a great job making changes in the offense to utilize that.
3. Max Joseph is playing his best basketball ever at Valpo.
Quote from: vu84v2 on January 11, 2018, 09:51:14 AM
Three thoughts on last night's game:
1. Things are never as good or as bad as you think they are.
2. Bradford needs to be given instructions similar to Eric Buggs. Don't shoot unless you have a layup. Still, I am really impressed with how he is handling and passing the ball and the coaching staff has done a great job making changes in the offense to utilize that.
3. Max Joseph is playing his best basketball ever at Valpo.
It was interesting that Max did not even get much of a look (except major garbage time) until Matt took over. As I recall some on the board wondered at the time if Max was signed just to get Tevonn. But, one of the first things I remember Matt mentioning was that Max would be a contributor. Amazing what a little confidence by a coach can do to bring out talent.
Quote from: vu84v2 on January 11, 2018, 09:51:14 AM
2. Bradford needs to be given instructions similar to Eric Buggs. Don't shoot unless you have a layup.
The funny thing is, up until a few games ago, you could have said the exact same thing about Max.
Quote from: VULB#62 on January 11, 2018, 10:00:53 AM
It was interesting that Max did not even get much of a look (except major garbage time) until Matt took over. As I recall some on the board wondered at the time if Max was signed just to get Tevonn. But, one of the first things I remember Matt mentioning was that Max would be a contributor. Amazing what a little confidence by a coach can do to bring out talent.
[/quote]
I don't think you can blame Bryce for not playing Max. He was about the 9th or 10th best player on deep teams. You knew he had the body to be a big contributor at some point if he developed a shooting touch. He's finally coming through.
The last 2 postgame press conferences have by far been the most happy this season. Lot's of smiles from the players and Coach Lottich.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdz3d35lHfg&t=0s
Not blaming Bryce. Praising Matt. He could have kept Max bunched with the end of the bench guys, but recognized his potential right away.
Great game! Good to see this team develop after a horrific 4 weeks. They seem to have found their roles, and are more effective. Hope that it continues.
The next two road games will give us a good indicator of where this team is in the MVC. We need to take one of these games, especially after the 0-3 start. If we play as well as the last two games, both games are in play. UNI starting out 0-5 will be very tough.
Dang, I had to miss watching this game.
Assuming the Tom Davis discussed above is not Dr Tom Davis (former Iowa and Drake coach) delivering sour grapes.... (SI) 8-)
Quote from: Valpo89 on January 11, 2018, 10:12:31 AM
Quote from: VULB#62 on January 11, 2018, 10:00:53 AM
It was interesting that Max did not even get much of a look (except major garbage time) until Matt took over. As I recall some on the board wondered at the time if Max was signed just to get Tevonn. But, one of the first things I remember Matt mentioning was that Max would be a contributor. Amazing what a little confidence by a coach can do to bring out talent.
I don't think you can blame Bryce for not playing Max. He was about the 9th or 10th best player on deep teams. You knew he had the body to be a big contributor at some point if he developed a shooting touch. He's finally coming through.
[/quote]
In part, that's due to his youth at the time under Bryce undoubtedly.
Quote from: a3uge on January 11, 2018, 07:35:34 AM
With that turnover in his only minute, Hazen now has the worst Player Efficiency Rating (-1.3) in all of D1 basketball, passing a couple of MEAC and SWAC players. It's common sense how one of the worst performing players in D1 isn't getting minutes.
Not calling out anyone in particular, but can we please stop piling on Parker Hazen, let the kid have a little breathing room.
Quote from: FWalum on January 11, 2018, 12:51:26 PM
Quote from: a3uge on January 11, 2018, 07:35:34 AM
With that turnover in his only minute, Hazen now has the worst Player Efficiency Rating (-1.3) in all of D1 basketball, passing a couple of MEAC and SWAC players. It's common sense how one of the worst performing players in D1 isn't getting minutes.
Not calling out anyone in particular, but can we please stop piling on Parker Hazen, let the kid have a little breathing room.
That was more of a rebuttal to the Tom Davis tweet, but yeah, we're probably beating a dead horse with the Hazen situation.
I've only watched the first half so far on replay, going to catch the rest this evening....but wow! Walker, Joseph and Evelyn were red hot from the field. Big guys playing well. Micah was a positive even though his shots weren't falling. I didn't see any bonehead Mileek fouls either. Good stuff!
Quote from: a3uge on January 11, 2018, 01:11:47 PM
Quote from: FWalum on January 11, 2018, 12:51:26 PM
Quote from: a3uge on January 11, 2018, 07:35:34 AM
With that turnover in his only minute, Hazen now has the worst Player Efficiency Rating (-1.3) in all of D1 basketball, passing a couple of MEAC and SWAC players. It's common sense how one of the worst performing players in D1 isn't getting minutes.
Not calling out anyone in particular, but can we please stop piling on Parker Hazen, let the kid have a little breathing room.
That was more of a rebuttal to the Tom Davis tweet, but yeah, we're probably beating a dead horse with the Hazen situation.
When I watch this kid warm up, shoot, dribble, pass, pivot, sprint, etc; he looks like somebody that has the tools. Obviously the members of our coaching staff reached the same conclusion or we would not have offered. I wouldn't be shocked if this isn't another overnight but maybe less spectacular turnaround.
Just remember that 2 weeks ago we were ready to abandon Derrik and Micah to the furthest end of the bench and deport Jay back to Spain. Things can change in a hurry and sometimes you can never figure out why.
Quote from: M on January 11, 2018, 01:39:50 PM
I've only watched the first half so far on replay, going to catch the rest this evening....but wow! Walker, Joseph and Evelyn were red hot from the field. Big guys playing well. Micah was a positive even though his shots weren't falling. I didn't see any bonehead Mileek fouls either. Good stuff!
Not sure when they occurred, but there were a few. Markus had a couple and Bakari did as well. These touch fouls after a kid has let his shot go are just dumb. As for Micah, the key in my estimation is to make hum more then a guy who comes in the choke up shots. When he is in the game he is the primary ball handler and point guard with Bakari slipping over to the 2. The result is a new found value and 11 assists in 2 games. Great coaching.
Oh I agree...although those guys look like they've never committed a foul in their lives with their reactions. I was mostly pointing out that Mileek, who typically seems to have a silly foul called on him every game, hadn't committed one in the first half.
I just finished the second half. He didn't commit any silly fouls then either!
Quote from: FWalum on January 11, 2018, 12:51:26 PM
Quote from: a3uge on January 11, 2018, 07:35:34 AM
With that turnover in his only minute, Hazen now has the worst Player Efficiency Rating (-1.3) in all of D1 basketball, passing a couple of MEAC and SWAC players. It's common sense how one of the worst performing players in D1 isn't getting minutes.
Not calling out anyone in particular, but can we please stop piling on Parker Hazen, let the kid have a little breathing room.
I'm reserving judgement on Parker and the rest of the freshman this season. My gut says it's mental with him. It seems that he hasn't adjusted to the speed of the college game yet.
But
I'd really like to hear from Paul on his thoughts on Parker Hazen because he recently sat in on a practice. Paul, when you were at practice how did Parker look? Is he practicing like he's playing in in-game situations? I was wondering how he looks in practice because that could be very telling.
I remember Paul mentioning that he saw him make something like 10 3's in a row in practice once. I can't remember the last game I saw him shoot a long-range jumpshot but I remember it didn't look pretty. His mechanics looked completely unnecessarily rushed. I remember a moment in the Bradley game where he had the opportunity for a wide open look with clock running down but he didn't take it which clearly means he didn't have his confidence.
Like everyone else, I appreciated seeing Smits and Sorolla becoming more aggressive in their offense. Both dunked the ball, though Sorolla did miss one easy shot by not dunking. Also, although Smits got called for an offensive foul on his spin to the basket and the points were disallowed, that too was the result of an aggressive offensive move where the defender's head happened to be at the level of Derrik's elbow. And as in the last game, once again despite being more aggressive, they did not have foul trouble—the two only accumulated four fouls between them.
Quote from: VU2014 on January 11, 2018, 02:51:35 PMBut I'd really like to hear from Paul on his thoughts on Parker Hazen because he recently sat in on a practice. Paul, when you were at practice how did Parker look? Is he practicing like he's playing in in-game situations? I was wondering how he looks in practice because that could be very telling.
I remember Paul mentioning that he saw him make something like 10 3's in a row in practice once. I can't remember the last game I saw him shoot a long-range jumpshot but I remember it didn't look pretty. His mechanics looked completely unnecessarily rushed. I remember a moment in the Bradley game where he had the opportunity for a wide open look with clock running down but he didn't take it which clearly means he didn't have his confidence.
I've seen Parker hit a bunch of 3's in a row during his own workouts. The media gets to see the warmup part of practice, but we don't have access to the bulk of practice, which is just fine by me. Remember that he's a freshman...a freshman who went from a junior year when his team was loaded with seniors to a senior year when he was the only guy with varsity experience. He's got the work ethic, time will tell on the rest. I'm sure the confidence is rattled, but watch him on the bench during games. He's the biggest supporter of his teammates. I've never seen him sulk, I've only seen the guy do everything he can to be a good teammate and eventually contribute.
Quote from: Pgmado on January 11, 2018, 03:39:28 PM
Quote from: VU2014 on January 11, 2018, 02:51:35 PMBut I'd really like to hear from Paul on his thoughts on Parker Hazen because he recently sat in on a practice. Paul, when you were at practice how did Parker look? Is he practicing like he's playing in in-game situations? I was wondering how he looks in practice because that could be very telling.
I remember Paul mentioning that he saw him make something like 10 3's in a row in practice once. I can't remember the last game I saw him shoot a long-range jumpshot but I remember it didn't look pretty. His mechanics looked completely unnecessarily rushed. I remember a moment in the Bradley game where he had the opportunity for a wide open look with clock running down but he didn't take it which clearly means he didn't have his confidence.
I've seen Parker hit a bunch of 3's in a row during his own workouts. The media gets to see the warmup part of practice, but we don't have access to the bulk of practice, which is just fine by me. Remember that he's a freshman...a freshman who went from a junior year when his team was loaded with seniors to a senior year when he was the only guy with varsity experience. He's got the work ethic, time will tell on the rest. I'm sure the confidence is rattled, but watch him on the bench during games. He's the biggest supporter of his teammates. I've never seen him sulk, I've only seen the guy do everything he can to be a good teammate and eventually contribute.
He's engaged and I'm excited for his future! Thanks for your input
I am wondering if Parker Hazen might be one of those players in which things just suddenly click. There was a player like Parker Hazen a few years ago at Kansas (I apologize for my sometimes overly Kansas-focused comments)....Perry Ellis. Bright guy, good credentials out of high school, but could not figure things out and generate any production for most of his Freshman year. With about two games left in the regular season, everything clicked and he suddenly became very confident and productive. I agree with the comments that everyone needs to give him a little space.
I wonder if we should have redshirted Hazen. Valpo doesn't redshirt freshman very often. Not compared to other mid majors
Quote from: oklahomamick on January 12, 2018, 08:39:59 AM
I wonder if we should have redshirted Hazen. Valpo doesn't redshirt freshman very often. Not compared to other mid majors
Yeah I'm pretty surprised Valpo has never really taken advantage of red-shirting freshman certain seasons. Teams like like Belmont red-shirt almost half their roster.
Coach Lottich considered red-shirting Linssen and McMillan at the beginning of the season but opted for added depth. I'm thinking they probably think maybe someone might become a grad-transfer down the road and we'd lose them for their RS senior year. It's interesting that we never heard Parker's name come up for a potential red-shirt. Maybe that suggests he might have been practicing well but just clams up during real games? Either way I'm willing to stay patient with him for his freshman season.
Probably in hind sight they may have liked to Red-shirt Parker, Mileek or Linssen. Linssen has supplied good minutes this season but he's been MIA the last 2 games with Sorolla and Smits playing so well. I wish Linssen was quick enough to play the 4 but it seems Coach doesn't feel comfortable with that lineup yet. Linssen has a nice 15-ft jump shot that he's hardly used during the games when he's out there. If you ever watch Marty during shoot around he has some nice to touch on his jumpshot, as does Smits.
Quote from: VU2014 on January 12, 2018, 08:51:52 AMIt's interesting that we never heard Parker's name come up for a potential red-shirt. Maybe that suggests he might have been practicing well but just clams up during real games?
Parker started the first 10 games of his career. If the staff thought that highly of him to start the season, a redshirt was nowhere near their minds.
Quote from: ValpoHoops on January 12, 2018, 09:10:09 AM
Quote from: VU2014 on January 12, 2018, 08:51:52 AMIt's interesting that we never heard Parker's name come up for a potential red-shirt. Maybe that suggests he might have been practicing well but just clams up during real games?
Parker started the first 10 games of his career. If the staff thought that highly of him to start the season, a redshirt was nowhere near their minds.
Agreed. My guess is that his talent and his practice work ethic were high, but somehow never translated to the court during games. At some point it will work for Parker.
Quote from: ValpoHoops on January 12, 2018, 09:10:09 AM
Quote from: VU2014 on January 12, 2018, 08:51:52 AMIt's interesting that we never heard Parker's name come up for a potential red-shirt. Maybe that suggests he might have been practicing well but just clams up during real games?
Parker started the first 10 games of his career. If the staff thought that highly of him to start the season, a redshirt was nowhere near their minds.
I have kept quiet about this topic until recently and just wanted to say that I have seen Parker play probably more than most on this board, in both games and at practice. A good friend of mine has worked with Parker (he works with other players and professionals including Caleb Swanigan) in the past, so I feel that I have had a pretty good handle on his potential and I have to say that it did not surprise me that Parker was in the starting lineup at the beginning of the season. My friend came to a recent home game and we discussed Parker's lack of production and he is very surprised and perplexed by what he has seen so far this year. I am not too concerned and expect that things will turn around for Parker because of his work ethic and support for his team and teammates. Doubt is one of the biggest performance blockers in the game of basketball, a tentative decision or reaction of a tenth or even one-hundredth of a second makes the difference between a great play or a turnover. I think we have seen that dynamic play out with this team over the last 10 games and hopefully, we are now over the uncertainties caused by Tevonn's illness, Bakari's issues and Joe's departure.
If body look mattered in college basketball, he has the look of a basketball star lol. He has the D-1 basketball body already, and only needs to put on a bit of muscle.
I'll be honest - I'm not crazy about redshirting freshmen unless they clearly aren't physically ready for the rigors of D-1 ball (or are coming off some sort of injury that doesn't rise to the level of a medical redshirt but would prevent them from being 100% for their first season).
The reasons:
- As we've seen with Keith Carter, the NCAA is no guarantee to grant an extra year if that player needs a medical redshirt somewhere down the line, so you could be costing a year of eligibility.
- With the proliferation of P5s using the new grad transfer rule to poach starters from midmajors, it makes no sense to voluntarily put yourself in that position where you are having to deal with an annual circus of your redshirt senior being courted by schools around the country. (I've heard that, quite smartly, many midmajor coaches have quietly ended the practice of setting up players to graduate in 3 years so they can take a lighter load of grad school classes their senior year, until the NCAA makes adjustments to the grad transfer rule to prevent it from being used against midmajors so heavily).
- With the number of injuries and other issues this program has had the past few years with keeping guys on the court, there's no way I'd be shortchanging my roster depth unless I absolutely had to.
- Lastly, one of Valpo's few advantages when recruiting against the P5/Big East/AAC is the opportunity to come into our program and contribute and play right away as a freshman (where they might spend a couple years on the bench before seeing meaningful minutes elsewhere). Redshirt more than the occasional frosh and that pitch point flies right out the window.
Your second point was on the point (as the kids say).
Quote from: bigmosmithfan1 on January 12, 2018, 12:33:14 PM
- With the proliferation of P5s using the new grad transfer rule to poach starters from midmajors, it makes no sense to voluntarily put yourself in that position where you are having to deal with an annual circus of your redshirt senior being courted by schools around the country. (I've heard that, quite smartly, many midmajor coaches have quietly ended the practice of setting up players to graduate in 3 years so they can take a lighter load of grad school classes their senior year, until the NCAA makes adjustments to the grad transfer rule to prevent it from being used against midmajors so heavily).
Nailed it. I've also heard coaches aren't allowing their kids to take too many summer course anymore to set themselves up for 3 years graduations. I'm not sure if we have any kids on track for that but I believe Smits took a huge summer course load the summer after his medical red-shirt season. Not sure if he did it again this season, but he may be on track for a 3 year degrees. P5 poachings of mid-major players is a serious concern. Both Jubril and Alec earned their degrees in 3 years and that was a really big concern that Spring. Everyone was panicking that Alec would leave and there were big time programs recruiting him. Also with Jubril there was that rumor that he was leaving for Alabama. I don't remember how that all started again.
My theory on why Coach Lottich is allowing guys to join Fraternities now is that it may help players build a stronger connection with the University and if a player ever did find themselves in an opportunity to become a grad-transfer they may be more likely to stay because they won't want to leave all their close friends beyond just their brothers in the locker-room. All I know is that the Valparaiso Basketball program has developed a very tight knit family culture which is the greatest deterrent to wanting to transfer.
Quote from: FWalum on January 12, 2018, 11:29:45 AM
Quote from: ValpoHoops on January 12, 2018, 09:10:09 AM
Quote from: VU2014 on January 12, 2018, 08:51:52 AMIt's interesting that we never heard Parker's name come up for a potential red-shirt. Maybe that suggests he might have been practicing well but just clams up during real games?
Parker started the first 10 games of his career. If the staff thought that highly of him to start the season, a redshirt was nowhere near their minds.
I have kept quiet about this topic until recently and just wanted to say that I have seen Parker play probably more than most on this board, in both games and at practice. A good friend of mine has worked with Parker (he works with other players and professionals including Caleb Swanigan) in the past, so I feel that I have had a pretty good handle on his potential and I have to say that it did not surprise me that Parker was in the starting lineup at the beginning of the season. My friend came to a recent home game and we discussed Parker's lack of production and he is very surprised and perplexed by what he has seen so far this year. I am not too concerned and expect that things will turn around for Parker because of his work ethic and support for his team and teammates. Doubt is one of the biggest performance blockers in the game of basketball, a tentative decision or reaction of a tenth or even one-hundredth of a second makes the difference between a great play or a turnover. I think we have seen that dynamic play out with this team over the last 10 games and hopefully, we are now over the uncertainties caused by Tevonn's illness, Bakari's issues and Joe's departure.
The reality is that the coaching staff may have expected too much from Parker as a freshman with perhaps few other options. Looking back at a few VERY productive players, their freshman year, shows that maturity and experience can make a "slow start" end on a high note. Witness the freshman year of these three: Jake Diebler: played 4.3 minutes a game an averaged 1.1 ppg. Urule Igbavboa: played 7.4 minutes and averaged 2.9 ppg. Even the great Dan Oppland only averaged 4.6 ppg and has 38 turnovers to 25 assists. By their senior year Jake averaged 7.9 ppg, Urule 13.8 and Dan 20.1
Allowing players to join fraternities can also add to student interest from the Greeks. We sure know that more student interest would be welcomed.
Nice perspective, 72. The Bryces and Alecs come along once every other decade (at least @ mid majors like Valpo ::) ).