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There are high expectations for Coach Powell and praise for him to date. Realistically this year's team is likely to dwell in the bottom of the MVC. Still this forum isn't known for patience. I expect that for some fans his luster will fade as the team struggles.

When do you expect the naysayers to appear?

I'm sure that Roger can choose anyone whom he wants (although we've heard about salary limitations).

Who is likely to go?  Will he hold onto Luke,  a former colleague?

What about the others?

Let's have a thread that doesn't devolve into a coach conversation (PLEASE!) or previous years' favorite -- facilities.

Watching the tournament, it has been so clear that the talent of the winning teams was a level above what we put on the court this year.

Given  that we have 6' 9" center Zane Doughty, 6'6" shooting guard Yanis Bamba, and 6'1" point guard Jahari Williamson committed, what would you say to the veteran players.

I see two projects on the team (both Dutch) who have promise to be impact players in the MVC, but I'm not sure about anyone else (other than Ben)  who would break into a starting lineup on any of the top eight teams in the Valley. 

Am I too hard on the bench?

Tucker backed by two guys from the region expect to thump the Beacons at the ARC.

We played them tough in Des Moines, and many of their nine conference wins have been by a small margin.  They have lost twice to MoSt, and like VU, come off an overtime game this past Wednesday (of course they won theirs in a double overtime while Valpo ran out of gas and collapsed in OT). I look for a competitive game and hold out hope that this will be a game when our streaky shooters will find the basket.

Will Sturtz again prove himself to be the pest that makes the little plays that sting on both ends of the court?

The Bears have defeated Drake twice but have lost to Illinois State.  At least Ben doesn't have to battle with Prim this year.

We need Green, Max, Conner to connect on their threes for us to match the Redbirds' success.

An opportunity for the Beacons to chalk up a win for the hometown fans.

I certainly wouldn't predict a blowout.  Evansville, coming of a close loss to Belmont, must have this date circled on the schedule to notch a victory.

Illinois State has notched wins over MoSt, Belmont, and Evansville, but lost to UIC.

Valpo has historically played well in Normal. Can the win streak extend to three games?

Sagarin  has us ranked above Evansville by 41 teams.  This is as good a chance for a victory as we have had in Valley play.  Still, our odds of winning in Evansville has been bad if history is taken into account.

Presuming that Darius is out will Nick be playing all forty minutes?

As the game starts in a but more than an hour, I figure it's time to start the thread.

I'll be in the stands with somewhat higher expectations than last Saturday.  We will see if the team is ready to gut through the season.  My expectation that they will have the pride to put out a a good effort.

It's hard to be optimistic about a road trip to play one of the top rated teams in the conference.

Changes made for the UNI game yielded positive results, but unless we can put the ball through the hoop, it could be a long afternoon in Peoria. It's good to have Darius available again, and maybe Max will show the prowess from 3 for which he was recruited.

Valpo gets to greet a middle-of-the-pack team this evening.

The Beacons have not done much to inspire confidence, but I have to believe that they won't look as bad as they did on Sunday.  In fact, with no basis in rationality, I'll predict a Valpo win 68-64.

A step down in talent from Drake, and familiar baskets (I'm not counting on a strong showing in the stands). 

I have hopes of a victory.  Valpo 67, InSU 61.

Into the conference slate and taking on one of the toughest teams.

After defeating St. Ambrose by 76 points in their last outing and with MoSt coming to town on Sunday, maybe the Bulldogs will be looking past the Beacons...

The first conference home game of the season, and the first time we host Murray St in conference play. After the transfer portal,  the Racers are a whole new team for the season.

Given the fact that I start this thread four hours before the tip-off, it seems that enthusiasm is muted. I hope attendance tops 2500.

Knocking on wood, as I type this, but if TK plays another year, and Kobe is granted another season, I think that we are in good position, all things considered.  With limited video examples, I think that Nick Edwards is a good replacement for Sheldon leaving, and if Connor can return to his FR form, the loss of Keyondre/Trey is minimized.  We would need someone to step up to replace what Kevion brought, however.

Rather than continuing in the "Transfers" thread, valpotx has opened the door to looking toward next fall.

Nick Edwards to replace Sheldon: we move from a "me first" pseudo guard who can rebound and hit big shots as well as make bad decisions, to a pass-first true point guard whose weaknesses are yet to be discovered. Preston has shown that he can be a competent sub, and Darius may have a higher up-side than Preston over time.

Will Joe or Emil develop enough to allow TK to take a breather? 

When are we expecting to hear about Kobe?  Will Cam be trusted to sub for him?

It will be interesting to hear what sort of players take the last two slots.  I hope that each is 6'6" or taller.

The results of this game will have no impact on the seedings for Arch Madness.  i would guess that Kithier and Ruedinger will be given the night off to rest.  I wonder how many Bradley players will be given a rest as well.

Bradley embarrassed us in the first outing.  i hope that the team wants to avenge that debacle.

On Saturday, the Beacons left Valpo at full strength(ish).  By the time they left Evansville, two players were hurting.

I'd imagine tonight, Givance will be a point of emphasis for the defense.  We are likely to see some interesting lineups if neither Kithier nor Ruedinger can play. It would be fun to see Kobe put on a show again. Let's hope the team isn't overconfident after Saturday's easy victory.

It seems strange to be two weeks away form the tournament and be facing a conference opponent.  I'm sure this series Evansville has circled as a chance to at least get a split. 

We're about as healthy as we're going to get, so I'm looking for us to sweep the series.

In Chicago we hit 53% from the field and over 40% from three, but the refs awarded Loyola thirteen more free throws (including two questionable technicals) than Valpo in the double overtime loss. 

It would be great to see the same effort from the Beacons on our home court.  With any luck Gerry Pollard won't be assigned this game.

I suppose that this game can be seen as warmup for Arch Madness: playing a game that we aren't expected to win in Missouri.

It would be nice to keep Mosley under twenty points and stay even on the boards. Kithier would be big help against Prim, but I would think that making sure that he is ready to come back is more important than pushing it for this game.

Illinois State has manged to lose to every team in the Valley this year, but their three victories have all been at home including wins over Bradley and Missouri State.  They took Valpo to overtime in the ARC.

In our last matchup we had no answer for Chatman and Reeves, and we allowed 18 offensive rebounds.  We squanderd an eight point halftime lead, but held on at the end thanks, in part, to hitting all 16 of our free throws.

As is true of all of our remaining games, if we want to escape the bottom four, we need to win.

The Packers have bowed out of the playoffs, so my viewing schedule has been freed up for Beacon b-ball. 

This game will determine which team has sole possession of 6th place in the conference standings.

SIU is on a three game losing streak, but two of those games were to Loyola (the other was an eight point loss to Bradley).  The Salukis beat VU by three in the ARC  a few weeks ago, and their other two wins were against Evansville and Indiana State. Our defensive focus has to be on containing Marcus Domask; however, when teams have paid too much attention to him, Lance Jones has stepped up.

We started the year with fifteen scholarship players, and five of those were unavailable for the last game. We know that Trevor is gone for the season, but will Kithier be back (or how is Kithier's back)?  Does anyone know what's up with Conner? Luke says that Emil may be able to play before the season ends, but does that mean soon? 

It looks like The Beacons will need to focus on JuCo transfer Terry Roberts who leads the team in scoring and has been named Newcomer of the Week for the last two weeks. In those two weeks, the Braves have defeated Drake (in Des Moines), Evansville, and SIU, while losing to IlSU. They have a victory over NIU and lost to Loyola in OT.  This shapes up as another evenly matched contest.

It seems that Kithier and Anderson will be available but limited.

It's cold in Valpo, but I'm hoping for a hot evening in the ARC.

The Sycamores have dropped their last three games, losing to UNI, SIU, and Loyola.

We will need to control Neese and Henry.  If our intensity matches last game's I feel good about this one. Kithier needs to stay out of foul trouble -- his value was on full display against UNI.

Will Trevor come off of the bench again?  For having a bad back, he performed admirably in his last outing.

This is the  first time that we have played a team for the second matchup this year.

Last time we contained AJ Green (9 points), and Phyfe only played a minute (his time continues to be limited).  However, Berhow was stroking from 3, and Carter had his way attacking the basket.  This will be another tough challenge before the schedule eases a bit.

Kriike said the team needed to look in the mirror.  Will it change its appearance for this game? Will we see a different starting lineup?

In hopes of changing the subject (it has really gotten dull reading the board with posters saying the same thing over and over again) perhaps we could focus on the rest of the season.  Our schedule has been frontloaded with the best teams in the conference.  We have five losses; four of them were to the top teams in the conference (combined record of 17-4 in conference) and to the Salukis who lost to Drake and UNI this weekend by one point each.  We have yet to face the bottom end of the conference. If we were to have had a poll for the first weeks of January, it would have been optimistic to predict we would have done much better than our record has shown.

It's clear that we won't win the conference, but if we can find a team resembling the one that played Loyola, we still have a chance to salvage the season.

We have twelve conference games left.  Discouraging the comments that have been repeated ad nauseum, what matchups can yield wins for us.  Can we go seven and three to end the season at .500?  If so, what are those games?

Sagarin rates Mo. St. at 97 and  Valpo 175.  Donovan returns, but he can't be the focus of our defense as Mosley and Prim have been doing the damage outside (Prim shooting 45% from 3 and just scored 33 against SIU) and in.

Can the Beacons build on their performance taking Loyola to two OT's?  By any measure, this will be a major challenge for the team.  Kobe has been returning to form, but has not yet played as well as he performed in Wisconsin. If Trevor is set to go, he can help steady the offense in tense situations.  Kevion seems to have found his stroke, and Kithier's inside defense was on display. If we can stay our of foul trouble, we might be able to pull this one out.

I'll be in the crowd hoping for the best in this one, but Valpo faces a team that was ranked in the top 25 last week whose only losses have been to Michigan State and Auburn.  The Ramblers enter the game riding a seven game winning streak and haven't lost at home this year.

With any luck, Trevor will be back, and Covid will not have spread among the team members.

This game will be a challenge for the Beacons who still are trying to find their footing.  Kevion will need to continue hitting threes, eight footers will have to start falling for Kobe, Kithier will need to be a force on the boards -- all this to keep the game close.

The Salukis return to the floor for the first time since December 28, and it seems that both teams have enough healthy bodies to play the game.

The Salukis boast of strong defense and 3 point shooting:

https://siusalukis.com/news/2022/1/6/mens-basketball-plays-at-valparaiso-on-saturday.aspx

Throw out records from the season so far.  Throw out expectations of matchups.

UNI is better than its record, and this game will be a major challenge for the Beacons.  Kithier and Woodyard may be back, but who else will have tested positive by game time.  Who will UNI put on the floor? At least it seems the game will be played.

Those of us in the Chicago media market can watch the game on the NBC sports channel, otherwise ESPN+ will cover the game.

The non-con season is left behind with the rest of 2021. 

Will the Beacons rise to the potential that has been on display recently?  This game should provide a good measuring stick for the rest of the season.

Shake off the rust quickly, and demonstrate that predictions that Valpo can be in the upper echelon of the conference are accurate!

Game canceled due to Covid.

"The Valparaiso University men's basketball program has announced that Tuesday's scheduled game against Prairie View A&M has been canceled due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols."


https://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/2021-22/20946/valpo-mens-basketball-game-vs-prairie-view-am-canceled/

I'm frustrated by the lack of coverage that The Beacons are getting this season.  I realize that if the Beacons win the NCAA tournament, the Times will be willing to print what the AP puts out, but I'm wondering what can happen until that happens.

Currently we are in a chicken and the egg situation; the paper isn't printing articles as there isn't much interest in Beacon basketball, but it's tough to generate interest if no one in the region hears anything about the team.  Yesterday's game yielded a 100 word story and a stock photo stuck on the bottom of page 2 between a story of Colts named to the Pro Bowl and the announcement of the new Oakland A's manager.

Since the editors have no idea that I am reading about Valpo as I subscribe to the print version, I decided to go to the online edition to click on the story.  In that edition, I could only click on the page, so the editors may have thought that I was interested in Oakland management moves rather than Kevion Taylor's hot shooting. I ended up entering "Valpo Beacons" in the Times search box and the results reminded me of how little the editors care about the Beacons.

Maybe this is a question for pgmado, but what can we do as supporters of Beacon basketball to convince the editors that there is interest in the team? As individuals on this board can we take steps to act as a catalyst to increase attention for ARC (and other MVC venues) happenings?

Kids day and $5 seats -- hoping to fill the stands a bit. Unfortunately, coverage of Kouts and LaPorte girls basketball leaves no room in our local newspaper for publicizing the game. Maybe consistent, strong performances will lead the editorial board to adjust priorities. (Even though I get the print edition, I will click on any online story that might make it into the paper.)

I'll be there, catching the chance to see the Beacons fearing that the NHL may be setting an example.

Will there even be a mention from the announcer that masks are required?

Another chance for the team to work into a cohesive unit. I hope these last games allow the team to find its flow before conference play after New Year's.

Valpo has never lost when I have started a thread.

Let's hope that fans will brave the wind to support the Beacons in this game which should give us a better idea of the quality of this year's team.
As far as I know everyone other than Emil should be available.

East-West University, not to be confused with East West University in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

From Wikipedia:

At present, East-West offers an intercollegiate basketball team known as the East West Phantoms. They are coached by Tommie Posley.[3] EWU is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and competes as an independent outside of an athletic conference.[4] In addition to other USCAA teams, the Phantoms routinely play NCAA and NAIA competition.[5]

We'll see Kobe on the floor, and, I would expect, everyone else dressed for the game.

As we are closing in on six hours from tip-off, I figured that someone should get this thread going.

7-0 for December is gone, can the Beacons keep hope for a 6-1 record alive? 

This is our last away game for the month, and it's the last game before Kobe's return.

In hopes of putting the memory of last night's game behind us, here's the thread for tonight's game.

Given the consistency of this team over the season, I choose to believe that we will make shots this game, and, with some help from Missouri State, we will be able to avoid Thursday.

I'm sure the coaches will have a game plan adjustment for a team playing without Key.

A one point victory yesterday with JO getting more minutes (and points) and Sackey out with injury.

Any changes for today's starting five?

If Sackey returns will he be coming off the bench?

Will JO find more playing time?

Was the Goodnews performance in the last outing an aberration, or is he coming into his own?

I thought that it would be good to put all the thought s and impressions from last night's event in one place. I know my memories of it are fading already.

1) I get the impression that Lottich will look for much more from Jubril in scoring this year. He said that he wants forty points total from Jubril and Alec to defeat Kentucky.

2) Lexus continues to improve.  Luke said that Lexus has always been able to score -- he's been working hard on his defense and will be contributing.

3) Derrick has decided not to play with the Dutch national team in order to stay in Valpo for more workout time than he would have had in the Netherlands.

4) The NBA coaches thought that Alec would be a solid second round pick after his workouts.  Lottich stated that they told him to return to Valpo (not just to college), work on his game, and that he would be a first round pick next year.  They knew he could shoot, but they were impressed with his overall athleticism.

5) The whole team will be on campus for the second summer session.

6) Here's where my memory is fading... one member of the team (not Alec) made 1500 three pointers last Sunday. 

7) Our new coaches look young --  season ticket holders are not.

8) Lottich mentioned a quality walk-on, but then he was cautioned by Luke to withdraw the statement.

9) The contract for the Kentucky game has not been signed yet.  That would explain why the date has not been announced.

Let's recognize our participation with a topic for the game that serves as the door to the NCAA Tournament

For some reason the scoreboards no longer post the player who has committed a foul and the number of fouls on the player.  The screen on the scoreboard over the court is never up to date (you have to add whatever just happened to what is posted).  There have been times when I haven't heard the announcer say who was charged with the foul, so I didn't know the foul situation.  There is a slot for the information on the end-of-the-court scoreboards, and any high school scoreboard posts the info, so why has it been discontinued at the ARC?

My request, post the foul situation on the scoreboard.

In his comments after the game, Luke Gore said that the Horizon League is a more physical conferences than the Big Ten as well as other conferences.  Twice we saw KVW on the floor last night without a foul called.

The refs that should be calling fouls in the Horizon are not exclusive to the Horizon -- they ref other conferences as well.  I can't imagine that conference officials tell refs to call fewer fouls when officiating Horizon games.  Isn't it the responsibility of the refs to determine how much banging is allowed?  I know that I'm old and mourn that the Shaqs of the basketball world have replaced finesse with pushing and plowing into people, but I need help to understand why one conference would have more of it than another.

I haven't been able to get to as many games as I would like, and I'm left wondering why we start each game with Ben on the floor.  I suppose that Bryce might have promised him that he would start as part of a deal that Ben would use one of his years of eligibility this year.  Otherwise, has someone seen something that I haven't that would put him ahead of others at the beginning of the game?

I just saw this posted on Facebook.  rlh always was a fair-minded poster and supporter of Valpo sports.  Hen mentioned that he was battling cancer -- I didn't realize the severity of his condition.

Valpo Football
Valpo Football mourns the loss of broadcaster Dick Harlan. Dick was a great friend to Valpo Athletics and will be missed. Thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time.

Bryce was quoted in the Times as saying that Fernandez will lose a year of eligibility, and he (Bryce)also leaves us with the feeling that Jakolis will never see the floor in a Valpo uniform.  89, can you shed any more light on the situation?

Watching Buggs being chosen by the Augustana coach to shoot Kevin's foul shots and then his confidently swishing both shots gave me a better feeling about him running the point than I have had for a while.

While watching him the rest of the game I began to wonder if their ever has been a quicker guard to wear a Valpo uniform.  

Any opinions?

In the past we've been able to hear who's in Valpo and who's looking good in the gym. Is CA getting too old to play in the pick-up games? Has anyone wandered over to the ARC to see what's going on?