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If Paul Oren goes that would be a Trifecta.

It won't cost you $1,000 to find me on Homecoming weekend.

The two friends I have that are the biggest cigar smokers I know are both women.

What happened to Brittany Anderson? Did she leave the athletic department

Brittany was hired by the NCAA. Great promotion for a two-sport athlete from Valpo.

Why are there so many people in this world who just want to trash Valpo at every turn? Jesus, this school lives in the head of people rent free. There is currently a former assistant football coach who hops on Twitter at all hours of the night and goes on diatribes about how bad his experience was at Valpo. The guy is currently a bartender and worked at Valpo for less than two months. Yet it's been three months and he's still firing off tweets about it at 4 in the morning. Then there are the people on this board who chime in every couple months to let us know that the wrong hires were made. Fine. We get it.

Valpo has ALWAYS been a school that has given a ton in aid. It has a high sticker price, but it has a high aid rate as well. I guess that reeks of desperation?

I'm just so sick of the negativity all the time. The students walk back in the classroom tomorrow. I don't know how many there are, but I know the ones that are here are going to get our all.

Former/current pro players dot the walls of various places in the ARC, and I have to believe that they have outreach with alumni.  You shouldn't be Valpo's coach, if you don't know the past successful players, especially someone like Lubos Barton.  He had a more successful Czech basketball career than the guy he was always compared, Jiri Welsch. 

Lubos gave the greatest senior night speech in Valpo history. Long, rambling, heartfelt, bizarrely comprehensive (I think he even thanked the cooks in the dorms).

Agreed, but Ivan Vujic was also up there, since he invited each of us to his house for a party, which I took him up on.  Vu's house was always a fun party

I was most definitely at that party.

I have been told that Jerome's problems included both attitude and work ethics.  Let's hope that situation will improve with "Rev" at the helm.

Just wanted to chime in that I haven't heard or seen any of that. Fact of the matter is the team shifted away from using a traditional big midway through the season last year. Palm has a voice of experience to the younger guys this offseason.

BTW, I'm not Paul's agent lol, but I believe when someone pours themselves into something the way he has and meets a critical need that we benefit from, that person should be properly supported in return.

I truly appreciate the kind words. I'm excited for the next year. Both in hoping the product grows on the floor as well as the site itself. I need to figure out a way to generate more revenue, whether that be through a slight price uptick, advertising, some sort of teleathon (haha) or all of the above. This has been the most rewarding professional work I've done, but not necessarily financially.

James Doerer to Eastern Michigan.

This is my own positive news. I drove through campus today to take a look around. I took my lunch with me and parked by the turnaround adjacent to the Center for the Arts and spent some quiet time. There's nothing quite like the look and feel of a beautiful traditional college campus.

I recall recently reading a critical comment somewhere that Valpo's major buildings don't have a common look or theme. What that person found unappealing, I find uniquely attractive. Each building has its own shape, form, and character, as opposed to a prototype and 15 clones that send the message that once you've seen one building, you've seen them all. I guess it's the same reason I like that not everyone drives a Chevy or lives in the same style home. Variety is inspired by creativity and innovation. Aren't those the qualities we're trying to instill in our students?

I must have walked right by you! I walked through the area around lunch time today and thought I saw someone sitting in their car.

One thing I do hope Roger brings back is the coaches wearing suits and ties on the bench, no more of the polos, athletic pullover jackets, and khakis or workout pants. Be respectful of your job title, not some marketing campaign.

Not getting the toothpaste back in the tube on this one.

I think people need to prepare themselves for the fact that Valparaiso will absolutely be picked to finish last this year. I'd be shocked if a single voter picks them to finish higher than last.

TheVictoryBell.com coverage

Oct. 10 - Jahari Williamson
https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/valparaiso-lands-canadian-point-guard

Oct. 27 - Yanis Bamba
https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/the-french-connection

Apr. 30 - Ola Ajiboye
https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/ajiboye-commits-to-valparaiso

May 5 - Isaiah Stafford
https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/stafford-latest-to-commit-to-valparaiso

May 14 - Jaxon Edwards
https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/valpo-lands-first-indiana-all-star

May 16 - Justus McNair
https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/mcnair-is-first-24-to-commit-to-valpo

May 18 - Lual Manyang
https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/manyang-commits-to-valparaiso

May 19 - Cooper Schwieger
https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/schwieger-finds-right-fit-at-valparaiso

June 8 - Kaspar Sepp
https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/sepp-commits-to-valparaiso

June 13 - Sherman Weatherspoon IV
https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/weatherspoon-iv-latest-to-join-valpo

One more to go...

Kylen Butler, who was the Special Assistant to the Head Coach, has moved on to work with Marty Simmons at Eastern Illinois, so we are down one assistant coach. He had previous experience working alongside Coach Simmons in his time at Clemson, where Simmons was an assistant with Brad Brownell.

https://eiupanthers.com/news/2023/6/12/kylen-butler-joins-eiu-mens-basketball-coaching-staff.aspx

To be clear, Kylen Butler was not an assistant coach. The assistant coaches are Baldwin, Gordon and Moye.

Not a single "boom" of his has been a boom... a boom is a 4-5 star or top player in the transfer portal.

Has Valpo ever signed a 4-5 star player? Has Valpo ever gotten a top player in the transfer portal? When you get the job in April and are forced to fill out a roster after 90 percent of the country has filled out theirs, I'd say any commit would be "boom."

https://twitter.com/RogerPowellJr/status/1667160229639798788?s=20

While we're trying to muster up a little hope and be ever so careful with our phraseology so as to not sound overly optimistic, our head coach has cast a vision of a Final Four appearance somewhere in Valpo's future and put it out there for the world to see. Thus is a man who operates without fear or trepidation.

Reaching the Final Four of the Valley tournament would be a massive accomplishment in Year One. Massive.

I put this on Twitter, but thought it was interesting to share here.

The last group of five scholarship freshmen to join the roster was in 2013-14 when Alec Peters, Lexus Williams, Jubril Adekoya, Clay Yeo and Nick Davidson signed. The first, and only, time they were on the floor together came with 49 seconds left in second half of conference tourney loss to Milwaukee. They were on the floor together for five seconds before Peters committed a foul and Bryce brought four seniors in to close out the game. Yeo transferred after the season and that was that.

I wasn't familiar with Ted Lasso, so I looked it up. My wife and I have been looking for a good series to follow. It looks like a gem. Thanks!

Ted Lasso
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Lasso

A truly amazing show.

What other offers did Kaspar Sepp have? I looked, but couldn't find anything.

Details are in the latest article on TheVictoryBell.com

Almost certain GB will be at the ARC this year in a game that was already finalized before Preston exit/Powell entrance.

We had one first team MVC player and still finished in 10th place and got blown out by Murray State at Arch Madness with a coach in his 7th year. I think we will see improvement, player development and a system in place. Nice to get players from other places besides the state of Wisconsin.

I will not stand for any slander concerning Wisconsin.

All you need is (Jordan) Love.

2 places she's been at with higher enrollment classes from previous years and higher net tuition isn't a coincidence. Once again I'm not going to get in a pissing contest, but facts are facts. Bart Harvey ain't going to cut it, and neither is Padilla's friend hire. When Ray Brown was at VU, he was grooming Welch. Just ask upper administration about Welch and they'll all tell you the same thing, she pulled people together, had great plans and had amazing traction in retention. Like I said Valpo dropped the ball I'm not bringing her back.

Lastly when they have articles about her in Higher Ed publications touting her as the next rising star in Enrollment, it's just embarrassment to VU. Good luck

Just curious, who is Padilla's friend hire?

I believe Valpo was out of the tournament even when the old coaching staff was still intact. Not sure what is happening now, but don't go booking trips to Gulf Coast.

I don't believe Valparaiso is participating in the Gulf Coast Showcase.

Guys. I drink the Valpo Kool-Aid as much as anyone, but come on. Julian Strawther is not coming to a school that just lost a guy to McNesse State.

[In fact, nationwide, women are 80% less likely to work a blue-collar job compared to men.]

Wow. These emotional negative reactions to my post might be worthy of a study on reading comprehension. First off, my paraphrased assertion that girls gravitate toward college majors with less lifetime earnings potential is 100% supported by statistical data from the BLS.

To the "are you saying my daughter is dumb" crowd, the aforementioned gender-based trends have nothing to do with IQ, for which there is no appreciable difference between male and female. As I clearly stated they do have everything to do with gender differences that reveal themselves at a very early age. I'm sure many here are generally aware of an abundance of "truck" vs. "doll" studies that show that little boys are more likely to gravitate toward toys with moving parts that "do things" rather than a doll or stuffed animal to hold and cuddle, and vise versa for little girls.

As to my assertion that girls pass up unlimited opportunities for good paying blue collar jobs:

From the Washington Post, 6/25/21:
"While women still dominate in some roles such as health services and education, they account for less than 30% of factory jobs and less than 9% in construction. In fact, nationwide, women are 80% less likely to work a blue-collar job compared to men."

As to my point that girls choose jobs and career paths with far less earnings potential than boys, that is absolutely factual. Attach any reason to it that fits your comfort zone; it's immaterial to the reality that a clear distinction is ever present. Oh, and for Mr. Oren the fact that your mom worked in blue collar doesn't disprove anything. It doesn't even poke a hole in anything. We're talking about statistical probability, not absolute distinction. Somehow I doubt that if I were to have said there are more tornadoes in Oklahoma than Wisconsin, you would have pounced on it with a visceral response, like "wtf, my mom lived through a tornado worse than anything ever seen in Oklahoma."  Something to ponder.

From Valpo's website, average student debt in 2019 was $37,000. Now look at Purdue's: Of the 2021 graduating class, 60% graduated from Purdue debt-free, far above the 45% national average. The average debt per Purdue student in 2021 was $3,389, down from more than $5,400 in 2021. Loan default rates were 1.7% in 2018, more than three times lower than the national four-year public university rate."

So, tell me, anyone, how it was somehow "inappropriate" to express a great deal of frustration when your daughter or your granddaughter, both of whom you love more than life itself, innately gravitate toward a relationship-centered college major at a private university that will leave them $40,000 in debt as they enter into adulthood with lower/far lower lifetime earnings power than those who chose male-dominated STEM or business career paths. Add to that living with the knowledge that they could have chosen the same major at a state school and started their adult life debt free. Misogyny? Woman hater? Complete clown responses.

I'm really not trying to get into a pissing contest here. But let me say this. I thought you were way out of line with your very general comments about women. If you want to cite stats to support your claims, fine. What set me off was your line "live a life full of bitterness and jealously." It had a tinge of, dare I say, bitterness and jealously.

Reading through this latest post that I've quoted, it really seems to me that you're implying the only accomplishment (or joy to be found) in life is through money. I know there are career paths I could've chosen that would've led me to having higher "lifetime earnings power," but that wasn't my focus in in life. I take great pride in the teaching profession and great joy in being a sportswriter. Given that these are people-centered jobs, I can't help but wonder if I'd be viewed as a failure in your household.

I've said my piece. I've always appreciated your passion for Valpo athletics and will continue to do so. I'm going to go back to waiting for recruits to call me back.