A week from today the Crusaders take on the Billikens. Don't be surprised or get too angry if Valpo plays sloppy and has multiple turnovers, misses a bunch of under the basket bunny shots, the Billikens have better big men than Nebraska (although Nebraska has the better coach since the departure of Rick Majerus), and the Crusaders face a much tougher defense to shoot the three against (Majerus was a master of in game adjustments and defense--Crews, the interim SLU coach, is improving but not up to where Majerus had the Billikens) and Valpo loses this game. The handwriting has been written all over the walls on how to beat Valpo. It's up to Valpo's coaching staff to find a way to surprise SLU with some unseen plays to overcome these problems.
Quote from: bbtds on November 25, 2012, 02:23:43 PMthe Billikens have better big men than Nebraska (although Nebraska has the better coach since the departure of Rick Majerus),
speaking of nebraska......Kent State rolled the corn huskers by 14.....
I would love for valpo to win, and they certainly can. Although, they will have to play pretty polished. If we can hit our 3 pointers and our easy loooks we can get the win.
http://www.slubillikens.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27200&ATCLID=205764560 (http://www.slubillikens.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27200&ATCLID=205764560)
ST. LOUIS - Dwayne Evans scored 14 points and collected six rebounds to lead Saint Louis to a 61-51 victory over Southern Illinois Saturday night at Chaifetz Arena.
Rob Loe scored 12 points, including a 3-of-3 effort from 3-point range, and added four rebounds. Mike McCall Jr. tallied nine points, tied his career best with a game-high eight assists and made a game-high three steals.
Cody Ellis contributed nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc, part of the Billikens' 8-of-18 (.444) performance from 3-point distance. SLU shot 51.2 percent overall, the third time in five games this season the Bills (3-2) have topped the 50-percent mark. Southern Illinois was held to 36.5 percent overall and was just 2-of-9 from 3-point range.
Cory Remekun chipped in eight points and six rebounds for the Billikens.
Jeff Early scored a game-high 15 points and added six rebounds for Southern Illinois (3-1), who used 18 offensive rebounds to gain a 36-28 overall edge on the boards. Dantiel Daniels had 12 points, Desmar Jackson posted 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds, and Kendal Brown-Surles registered five assists.
The Billikens led by 11 at intermission, but an 11-5 run including six points from Daniels pulled the Salukis to within five, 33-28.
Loe connected from beyond the arc on consecutive possessions to stretch the SLU lead to 39-30. After Daniels hit a short jumper, Loe made a free throw and Jordair Jett drilled a jumper from the left wing for a 42-32 Billiken advantage.
Consecutive buckets by Jackson sandwiched Evans' spinning layup, and the Billikens led 44-36. But that was as close as the Salukis would get as Saint Louis constructed a 13-4 run that put the game out of reach.
Evans ignited the outburst with an offensive rebound and layup. McCall Jr. netted both ends of a 1-and-1, and Evans' fast-break layup made it 50-36.
Evans sank the back end of a two-shot foul, then converted both ends of a 1-and-1 for a 53-38 SLU advantage. Jett's short jumper and two Loe free throws concluded the run, and it was 57-40 Saint Louis with 3:53 remaining.
Saint Louis scored on seven of its first nine first-half touches to take a 15-4 lead. Five different Billikens scored during the run, which was highlighted by a pair of Ellis 3-pointers on consecutive possessions.
But the tables turned for SLU as the Bills suffered seven straight empty possessions. However, Southern Illinois scored just twice during that stretch to make it a 15-8 game.
McCall Jr.'s steal and acrobatic fast-break layup halted the Saint Louis scoreless streak, and Remekun's layup with a sharp assist from McCall Jr. put the Billikens on top 19-8.
SIU scored on its next three possessions, including a jumper and a 3-pointer from Early, to cut the SLU lead to 19-15. But the Billikens finished with a 9-2 flurry consisting of treys by McCall, Ellis and Jake Barnett for a 28-17 halftime cushion.
Saint Louis travels to Seattle to take on Washington Wednesday, Nov. 28. Tip time is 11 p.m. (CT).
SLU Men's Basketball
I think that we will be ready to play, and it will be a competitive game. A 3 here or there may be the difference. I have faith that Bryce will have the guys better prepared to play in a more open gym, versus how we were in Nebraska:
Valpo 66
SLU 63
Will be a tough game. For us to be in the game in the final moments we'll need to play well the full 40 minutes. We can't have scoring droughts as in the Nebraska game. We'll need a few contested shots to drop in, especially a few 3's. I'm not sure how many players are in the SLU rotation, but we need to push the ball after long rebounds and when we have numbers. If we have more than 14 TO's, we could be in trouble. Everyone will need to step up - a key rebound here, taking a charge there, help defending, etc.
Valpo 69
SLU 67
I love how posters give themselves pep talks before making their somewhat bold predictions. ;)
Here is the ESPN 3 replay of the Kansas/Saint Louis game.
http://espn.go.com/watchespn/player/_/source/espn3/id/639942/size/condensed/ (http://espn.go.com/watchespn/player/_/source/espn3/id/639942/size/condensed/)
Kansas was pretty tough that game. You sure could see the despair Kwamain Mitchell had on his face as he was showed during the timeout between the 14:00 and 13:00 minute marks of the first half. Imagine being the #1 scorer missing the Kansas game in your senior year and watching your team struggling to put points on the board.
This one is a toss-up in my book. Valpo will make plenty mistakes, turnovers, bad fouls, missed shots under the basket, etc. Valpo will also get big runs from Ryan, Kevin, Erik and a lot of help under the basket from Capo. The key will be if Valpo can shut down the SLU offense enough to win. I say no. I can almost guarantee you Jordair Jett (player with dreadlocks) will have a better game.
Valpo 64
Saint Louis 69
If SLU plays up to its potential, we lose. However, like Valpo, SLU has been inconsistent and has not performed at the expected level. SLU is certainly beatable on its home floor, but note that Southern Illinois played a relatively good game against SLU and still lost handily. Recently, SLU also hung in there with Kansas, which was all-world that night. I have no doubt that Valpo would lose any game against Kansas by at least 20. I would also hate to see our performance against any of the other top-ten teams.
I know vu72 thinks we have no chance of being blown out this year (which may or may not be true), but SLU is the sort of team that can blow us out of the gym on any given day. Let's hope we catch them on a merely mediocre day. So far, I've not seen the consistency from Valpo that gives me the confidence to predict a victory against SLU.
SLU 73
VU 58
Road woes against good opponents continues. Hope I'm wrong.
Paul
Quote from: atkins on November 26, 2012, 10:12:09 PM
If SLU plays up to its potential, we lose. However, like Valpo, SLU has been inconsistent and has not performed at the expected level. SLU is certainly beatable on its home floor, but note that Southern Illinois played a relatively good game against SLU and still lost handily. Recently, SLU also hung in there with Kansas, which was all-world that night. I have no doubt that Valpo would lose any game against Kansas by at least 20. I would also hate to see our performance against any of the other top-ten teams.
I know vu72 thinks we have no chance of being blown out this year (which may or may not be true), but SLU is the sort of team that can blow us out of the gym on any given day. Let's hope we catch them on a merely mediocre day. So far, I've not seen the consistency from Valpo that gives me the confidence to predict a victory against SLU.
And you've seen consistency from whom?? It's early in the season. we have the same talent level as St. Louis or anyone else on our schedule. If, we lose it will be a close game, and we still won't be at full strength. I know it is painful for some on this board to acknowledge how good we may be, but wait a short while and you will see a team capable of hanging with anyone, including Kansas.
Quote from: vu72 on November 26, 2012, 10:49:39 PMAnd you've seen consistency from whom??
Amen...how many teams go 40-0 these days (or any day)?
I know this board consists of rabid Valpo fans, but many of the posters here would agree that we have not played nearly well enough to hang with a top-20 team, especially away from home, where we seem to turn the ball over more than a dozen times a game and allow easy inside shots. Numerous turnovers against a good team typically spells defeat, and so do a bunch of inside shots. An average team such as Bethane Cookman got plenty of very easy baskets against us inside. Even Valpo's own announcers note that Valpo struggles when Ryan is not in the game. His brief absences from the game should not cause our offense to die in a corner.
Hopefully we will indeed improve to the level at which we can hang with the better major and mid-major teams, but we are not close at this point. Remember that Kansas (i.e., archetypal big team to which Valpo is traditionally fed for revenue) and its ilk will also improve as the year progresses. If we defeat Missouri State, New Mexico, and SLU, I'll be a true believer, but until then....
Missouri State has lost to Jacksonville, South Carolina, and SMU so far...not good. Their wins are against Philander Smith and Malone??? Missouri State does not worry me at all this year, though SLU and New Mexico do.
Those are some big wins by MSU! I wonder whether we should schedule those teams? I don' t think we've played either of them in recent memory. They'd fit right in along with our traditional opponents IUPUI and IUPUFW. Although I've not seen Missouri State play this year, my friend from Springfield, MO, tells me that they are down this year and that Valpo should have an easy ride.
Quote from: atkins on November 28, 2012, 09:01:49 AMright in along with our traditional opponents IUPUI and IUPUFW.
At least get the acronyms right, its IPFW not IUPUFW. ;)
Quote from: atkins on November 28, 2012, 09:01:49 AM
Those are some big wins by MSU! I wonder whether we should schedule those teams? I don' t think we've played either of them in recent memory. They'd fit right in along with our traditional opponents IUPUI and IUPUFW. Although I've not seen Missouri State play this year, my friend from Springfield, MO, tells me that they are down this year and that Valpo should have an easy ride.
To be honest, IUPUI and IPFW are better than every team we have played except for maybe Nebraska and Kent and probably close to better than 50% of the other teams on the rest of the schedule.
IPFW is getting a little more balanced scoring recently than in the past couple of years. They had relied heavily on Frank Gaines getting 20+ points per game. Some of the other guys are starting to step up including Mario Hines and Isaiah McCray.
For those staying up late who want to see the SLU/Wash game at midnight EST. I stole this off the SLU board:
wouldn't this be a simple question of "do you carry the Pac-12 network?" If they have dish network it's channel 413. If they have directv they don't have it and can't magically "order it".
Once I noticed we were going to have issues streaming this game I started talking to the pirates cruising around the internet and informed them of the on going negotiations with pac 12 network and directv and asked if they would help us out.
They have been very gracious about it as you can read on: http://forum.wiziwig (http://forum.wiziwig)...-amp-Discussion
Most likely a link will come tonight, or tomorrow and be by either viraljet or ft420.
Because the Pac 12 Network is so new they are still negotiating with many TV services for air time.
Some more bad news from the SLU board for watching this game:
Cal St. Northridge @ UCLA shown on Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Arizona, Pac-12 Bay Area, Pac-12 Los Angeles while we are
Saint Louis @ Washington shown on Pac-12 Mountain, Pac-12 Oregon, Pac-12 Washington
Therefore, it would appear we aren't even on dish networks 413 channel but rather Pac-12 sub regional channels. Does anyone have any idea how theses work on dish network?
I found it.
http://www.vipboxsports.eu/sports/basketball.html (http://www.vipboxsports.eu/sports/basketball.html)
Scroll down to GMT 2012-11-29 5:00 a.m. you'll see Saint Louis at Washington
There's no way we should be favored against SLU. No reason to fear them either. Like so many on the board, I love the 3 games vs. beatable Top 50 teams.
SLU 61 Valpo 52
Valpo really hasn't looked good yet even though they are more talented now. All the wins except Kent St. so far were gimmes and we've looked bad too many times in the easy games. On the other hand, if we shoot well we can beat any of the teams on our schedule.
Quote from: FWalum on November 28, 2012, 09:07:01 AM
Quote from: atkins on November 28, 2012, 09:01:49 AMright in along with our traditional opponents IUPUI and IUPUFW.
At least get the acronyms right, its IPFW not IUPUFW. ;)
No, no.....its now just, Fort Wayne.
Better feed for SLU/Wash game:
http://jets-fuel.blogspot.com/p/jet-4.html (http://jets-fuel.blogspot.com/p/jet-4.html)
Washington knocks off SLU 66-61. UW got out to an 11 point lead on the shooting of C.J. Wilcox, who finished with 27 points, in the late part of the 2nd half before the Billikens closed it to 4. Washington made the plays to win it and controlled the flow of the game enough for the Huskies to stay ahead. Not what I would call a well played game especially with all those big bodies banging into each other. There was some excellent shooting from both teams.
Valpo is going to have to limit their mistakes to about a third of what they have in one of their sloppy games. This is not a game where Vashil will be able to control the middle. Kevin will need to bang hard but control his fouls. Trying to draw fouls will not work well. Valpo will need to make almost every shot they work for. No missing easy under the basket shots or missing dunks. This is a game where we will see if Capo is up to the challenge. He's going to need to bang for every point he can get. I don't think we'll see Erik making many layups because the Billikens know how to swat them away.
Jett came off the bench to score 11. Leading scorer was Cody Ellis with 14 off the bench. Rob Loe, the Aussie from Rowdy's school, had 13 and Mike McCall also had 11. Dwayne Evans, usually their most consistent scorer had only 8 points because he didn't play his normal explosive game and because he was tied up by the Huskies big men.
Did Rob Loe bring a Brat Pack of his own to the US?
Quote from: crusadermoe on November 29, 2012, 01:12:37 PMDid Rob Loe bring a Brat Pack of his own to the US?
that's just a Lowe blow
Rumors and hopes from Saint Louis fans are that their freshman phenom, Keith Carter, will be ready to play. Rick Majerus called him the second most talented guard he's ever recruited. Carter suffered a leg injury very early in the season, it got bent the wrong way. He's from Proviso East and lives in Maywood. He was recruited by Whitesell to Loyola. Whitesell is now a SLU asst coach. Carter switched to the Billikens when Jim W. was fired by the Ramblers.
I guess now he's a rambling man.
http://ballislife.com/keith-carter-proviso-east/ (http://ballislife.com/keith-carter-proviso-east/)
Quote from: bbtds on November 30, 2012, 10:02:41 AMI guess now he's a rambling man
if that were really true he'd be at loyola
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on November 30, 2012, 12:21:59 PM
Quote from: bbtds on November 30, 2012, 10:02:41 AMI guess now he's a rambling man
if that were really true he'd be at loyola
Carter, like many, had no Loyolaty. If Saint Louis doesn't find a better coach for next season I think you might see KC hitting the road for more
colorful destinations and
buying himself a ticket to a BCS team. He'd no longer be a Whitesell guy.
Quote from: bbtds on November 30, 2012, 12:39:55 PMmore colorful destinations and buying himself a ticket to a BCS team. He'd no longer be a Whitesell guy.
wow. payoff = worth the buildup.
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on November 30, 2012, 01:49:25 PM
wow. payoff = worth the buildup.
That's debateable.
It reminds me of the character played by Jason Segel in "How I Met Your Mother," Marshall Eriksen who named his son
Marvin Wait-for-it Eriksen III
Quote from: bbtds on November 30, 2012, 02:47:58 PM
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on November 30, 2012, 01:49:25 PM
wow. payoff = worth the buildup.
That's debatable.
It reminds me of the character played by Jason Segel in "How I Met Your Mother," Marshall Eriksen who named his son
Marvin Wait-for-it Eriksen III
legen
wait for it
DAIRY
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on November 30, 2012, 03:18:46 PM
Quote from: bbtds on November 30, 2012, 02:47:58 PM
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on November 30, 2012, 01:49:25 PM
wow. payoff = worth the buildup.
That's debatable.
It reminds me of the character played by Jason Segel in "How I Met Your Mother," Marshall Eriksen who named his son
Marvin Wait-for-it Eriksen III
legen
wait for it
Whew! There for a second I thought I had stumbled across another dirty German word.
Legen mir bitte!
Alright, back to basketball. :)
Looks like the game's _not_ going to be available in Valpo, at least not on Comcast?
Anyone know of a place that will definitely be airing it?
Or, it might be back to the old days of radio/streaming audio only. At least I'm in the correct time zone now!
St. Louis has trouble guarding the 3....I will say Valpo by 2.
This hasn't been too successful for me but Wiziwig has a link.
http://forum.wiziwig.eu/threads/79513-Week-4-NCAA-Men-s-Basketball-2012-13-Streaming-amp-Discussion (http://forum.wiziwig.eu/threads/79513-Week-4-NCAA-Men-s-Basketball-2012-13-Streaming-amp-Discussion)
Scroll all the way down to Sunday Dec.2 4:30 p.m. EST.
There is a Weblink listed next to Valparaiso at ST LOUIS
Another preview:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1423941-st-louis-university-billikens-vs-valparaiso-game-preview (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1423941-st-louis-university-billikens-vs-valparaiso-game-preview)
I hope the St Louis coaching has te poor scouting report on Valpo that Bleacher Report posted.
Quote from: agibson on November 30, 2012, 05:16:50 PM
Looks like the game's _not_ going to be available in Valpo, at least not on Comcast?
Anyone know of a place that will definitely be airing it?
Or, it might be back to the old days of radio/streaming audio only. At least I'm in the correct time zone now!
According to the St. Louis athletics website the game will be televised on Fox Sports Midwest:
http://www.slubillikens.com//ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27200&ATCLID=205818557 (http://www.slubillikens.com//ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27200&ATCLID=205818557)
I have Dish. Fox Sports Midwest is channel 418. Not sure about other providers.
Quote from: HC on November 30, 2012, 08:40:20 PM
I hope the St Louis coaching has te poor scouting report on Valpo that Bleacher Report posted.
Because they're running short on levity.
Seems to me that Bleacher Report is a site meant more for sports journalism majors to get internships. The stories are useless in my opinion.
The game is on Fox Sports Central as part of the Sports Package on Comcast Xfinity in Valparaiso.
Quote from: Pgmado on December 01, 2012, 11:13:34 AM
The game is on Fox Sports Central as part of the Sports Package on Comcast Xfinity in Valparaiso.
Thanks - not in my package, unfortunately. But, it does suggest that it shouldn't be too hard to find.
Anyone have a favorite VU-basketball friendly venue in Valparaiso?
Quote from: HC on November 30, 2012, 05:53:03 PMSt. Louis has trouble guarding the 3....I will say Valpo by 2.
Good point about the Bleacher Report scouting report...maybe we could get a ringer into the mess that is BR and post really off suggestions on how to beat Valpo, and email them to graduate assistants of upcoming games.
HC--when you say they have "trouble guarding the 3" do you mean "the small forward position" or "the 3-pointer)?
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on December 01, 2012, 12:13:02 PM
Quote from: HC on November 30, 2012, 05:53:03 PMSt. Louis has trouble guarding the 3....I will say Valpo by 2.
Good point about the Bleacher Report scouting report...maybe we could get a ringer into the mess that is BR and post really off suggestions on how to beat Valpo, and email them to graduate assistants of upcoming games.
HC--when you say they have "trouble guarding the 3" do you mean "the small forward position" or "the 3-pointer)?
Last I heard SLU was dead last in Div.I in three point % defense. Of course that might have changed since I read it 1-2 days ago.
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on December 01, 2012, 12:13:02 PM
Quote from: HC on November 30, 2012, 05:53:03 PMSt. Louis has trouble guarding the 3....I will say Valpo by 2.
Good point about the Bleacher Report scouting report...maybe we could get a ringer into the mess that is BR and post really off suggestions on how to beat Valpo, and email them to graduate assistants of upcoming games.
It would be an excellent way to separate the good grad assistants from the bad. "Hey coach, found this scouting report on Bleacher Report!" "Son, you've got 4 months to get serious about this job or find another career."
The place to see the game on DirecTV Fox Sports Midwest is channel 671.
Quote from: bbtds on December 01, 2012, 12:24:28 PM
Last I heard SLU was dead last in Div.I in three point % defense. Of course that might have changed since I read it 1-2 days ago.
BBstate.com reports St. Louis at 50.8% 3Pt defense. Wow, that's shockingly, amazingly bad. And, indeed, the worst in the country. Worse than their 2Pt defense.
I'm sure St. Louis will do their darndest to improve it - and we've been erratic, for sure, particularly on the road. But, it looks like a pretty ugly statistical comparison.
Our 41.4% 3Pt% is good for 20th in the country.
Overall BBState has us ranked 74 and St. Louis 128. (But, remember, they also have UIC ranked 41st).
I'd feel better about that if 3-point defense were an actual stat.
http://kenpom.com/blog/index.php/weblog/entry/the_3-point_line_is_a_lottery (http://kenpom.com/blog/index.php/weblog/entry/the_3-point_line_is_a_lottery)
A few comments:
1. I see every Kansas game (was at the game last night). Valpo would likely hang with Kansas because everyone hangs with Kansas right now. Kansas' most complete game of the year was against St. Louis - and St. Louis didn't really hang with them (it was between 10 and 20 for almost all of the second half).
2. St. Louis' big man mobility would seem to be a big issue - and they seem much better than Nebraska's big men. They can play inside and all move out and hit the three. This is a big challenge for KVW (not sure how well Capobianco defends the perimeter).
3. St. Louis did have trouble defending the outside, but from my sample of one game (Kansas) this was caused by lots of ball movement. If Valpo doesn't move the ball on offense, they are going to have trouble score more than 50 or 55.
4. I don't know anything about their freshman Carter, but besides Jett I thought that McCall looked very solid too. He will hit the three if left open.
Early line has St. Louis as 7 pt. favorites. I don't buy it. The only thing that can beat us is the scared rabbit syndrome, and for the past 3 seasons that has been reserved exclusively for Majors. (Getting over that hump is for a different conversation.) I expect us to come out and play with confidence, and take it to them right from the beginning. I think we'll get some easy hoops on back door plays and lobs over defenders, as we usually do against teams that don't know us well. (Yes, I know their forwards are good). I also expect we will see longer rotations and less experimenting. If St. Louis is playing from behind at any point in the second half, the game is ours.
Valpo 71 St. Louis 68
Quote from: wh on December 01, 2012, 05:21:38 PMI expect us to come out and play with confidence, and take it to them right from the beginning. I think we'll get some easy hoops on back door plays and lobs over defenders, as we usually do against teams that don't know us well. (Yes, I know their forwards are good). I also expect we will see longer rotations and less experimenting.
Does less experimenting mean that Ryan will stay at the 4? I think we might get a brief look at the go-big option if for no other reason than to just jump in and get our feet wet (a learning process). I am unsure how well it would work against their defensive personnel but I am anxious (as are you) to get a look. Thoughts?
I think we will see some bursts from our "big" lineup that will give us a lot of hope.
But I see no reason to be so confident that we match up well enough to consistently get open shots. Our offense just didn't generate any open shots against Nebraska and their team is much less athletic as SLU.
SLU is not a Top 25 team, but SLU is solid and consistent. So far this year we are NOT.
Breaking news from the "twittersphere:" former Billikens head coach Rick Majerus has died. Majerus was the coach during past few seasons before stepping aside before this year due to heart problems. I'd expect at least a moment of silence before tomorrow's game and I'm sure the St. Louis team and its members will also have other ideas for honoring Majerus tomorrow
Sadly, I just heard that Rick Majerus has passed away. This will hang over the game tomorrow in St. Louis.
[Sorry for the repetitions. KL31NY and I must have been typing our messages at the same time]
(http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/slp2011121007.jpg?w=300)
God Bless You, Rick.
We at Valpo wish to also honor you, along with your beloved Saint Louis University, at tomorrow's game. We know it will be an extremely emotional game and you will be looking down on both teams who know that a true way to honor you is to play an amazing game. All our condolences to the SLU family at this time.
Brian Conklin emotional after loss: 3/18/12 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOwShNl2Vfw#ws)
A very fitting tribute to how Rick's players felt about their coach as a man. The amazing thing is it is from this past March.
Quote from: bbtds on December 01, 2012, 08:19:43 PM
(http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/slp2011121007.jpg?w=300)
God Bless You, Rick.
We at Valpo wish to also honor you, along with your beloved Saint Louis University, at tomorrow's game. We know it will be an extremely emotional game and you will be looking down on both teams who know that a true way to honor you is to play an amazing game. All our condolences to the SLU family at this time.
Well said. Rest in peace, Rick.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Ricks' family, and also his Basketball Family at St. Louis. Gods' Blessings to you all!
Quote from: wh on December 01, 2012, 05:21:38 PMI think we'll get some easy hoops on back door plays and lobs over defenders, as we usually do against teams that don't know us well.
One of their assistant coaches knows us very, very well.
Wow. Sad, unexpected news. Our thoughts are definitely out to Rick Majerus' family and the St. Louis community. My wife and I, both alumni from 2011 and living in Missouri, are making the trip out to St. Louis to meet up with some other recent grads for the game. It will be interesting to see how they honor such a great coach and contributor to the game, as well as person, and definitely changes the feel of going to my first game as an alum.
Quote from: grad66 on December 01, 2012, 09:03:08 PM
My thoughts and prayers go out to Ricks' family, and also his Basketball Family at St. Louis. Gods' Blessings to you all!
Same here. By the time he had spent a couple years at Ball State it was obvious that he was a special guy and a special talent. The world of college basketball has been diminished.
Quote from: StlVUFan on December 01, 2012, 11:06:00 PM
Quote from: wh on December 01, 2012, 05:21:38 PMI think we'll get some easy hoops on back door plays and lobs over defenders, as we usually do against teams that don't know us well.
One of their assistant coaches knows us very, very well.
Good ol' Jim Whitesell of Loyola. He's also from around my neck of woods in Iowa.
Also, since Majerus was simply on medical leave and did not resign, he was still technically the head coach while Crews has the interim tag. Here's the link to the coaches page on the program website, really scary to see him there listed as the head coach and realize he's gone. God bless him and keep him. http://www.slubillikens.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=27200&SPID=93215&SPSID=632627 (http://www.slubillikens.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=27200&SPID=93215&SPSID=632627)
Tomorrow's game is a matchup between my undergrad (Valpo) vs my law school (SLU) and one I've wanted to see for quite some time. It's too bad that it happened after I moved away from St. Louis. Hopefully it can become a semi-regular occurrence. No question who I'm rooting for tomorrow though. :)
Post Tribune game day article:
Crusaders enjoy rest before non conference test
http://posttrib.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/16752971-419/crusaders-enjoy-rest-before-nonconference-test.html (http://posttrib.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/16752971-419/crusaders-enjoy-rest-before-nonconference-test.html)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch game day article:
SLU begins long stretch at home (good comments about the Drews and Ryan)
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/slu/slu-begins-long-stretch-at-home/article_4096f9ea-e1bb-58e5-87e9-77a766464245.html (http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/slu/slu-begins-long-stretch-at-home/article_4096f9ea-e1bb-58e5-87e9-77a766464245.html)
This will be a tough game for the SLU players tomorrow. Rick was a hell of a coach, and seemed to be an amazing guy. Rest in peace.
In spite of the obvious sadness that will surround tomorrow's game, our guys need to put any of that impact behind them, and focus on the game. SLU will come out playing because they will want to dedicate the first game to Rick I imagine.
Rick Majerus was a great coach who built and found success at multiple places, but he also was a very classy person that knew how to have fun while being succesful. College basketball will miss Rick Majerus. Best wishes at this time to the SLU community and to Rick Majerus' family.
Rest In Peace, Rick Majerus. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Majerus family.
Coach Majerus was a one of a kind. He did it right and had outstanding success.
One of his disciples, Porter Moser, is at Loyola and is rebuilding that program very very quickly. Expect the Ramblers to make some noise this year.
I recall Majerus bringing in the Ball State Cardinals back in the late 80s and perhaps we won that game, but he seemed bigger than life during that game.
Thoughts and prayers out to his family, team, and friends.
lowposter
Looking back over the VU archives, it looks to me like December 13, 1988 was Rick Majerus' only coaching visit to the ARC... a 63-56 win for the Ball State Cardinals. I see a number of match-ups with Marquette and Ball State under his tenure... all on the road... and all losses by Valpo. God Bless you Rick... one of the good guys.
The following video of Rick Majerus' final post-game conference, the loss in the NCAA tournament to Brandon Wood and Michigan State, is a must see! This is the most compelling post-game interview I have watched, especially the emotions for his players and by his players, as well as the coach's emphasis on academics and character:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21225182/rick-majerus-final-press-conference-was-funny-sad-perfect-everything (http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21225182/rick-majerus-final-press-conference-was-funny-sad-perfect-everything)
It seems a lot more of the Fox Sports network stations are now going to be showing this game. Check your local Fox Sports channel.
If you are willing to work through a minefield of popup ads and download offers firstrowsports has a link to the game.
On my Comcast program guide, it is on Channel 414. It's not high-def, but it is on after the South Carolina-Kansas State game that tips off at 1 p.m.
Clicking through on the video from the St. Louis web pages, it seems like there is likely to be streaming video.
http://www.fansonly.com/schools/stlo/allaccess/?media=348090 (http://www.fansonly.com/schools/stlo/allaccess/?media=348090)
But, it's $10/month. Unless you already subscribe to CBSSports.com ULive.
here, everyone
http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1025.0 (http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1025.0)
WHEEL: REINVENTED
If all else fails, call your local sports bar and ask them if they have Fox Sports Midwest and will turn it on one of their TV's. That's worked for me in a pinch.
so if we sign up for the 1 month Billiken package, we will be able to view this game on the web?
Yes, you would valpotx, plus be able to watch as often as you want until the month runs out...
Cool, just wanted to make sure that since it was on Fox Sports, that this game would not be excluded
I checked it out earlier, and it says "Premium" in bold yellow, plus it's a regional/local FOX Sports, not the national one.
Up and running online, ready to go :)
Decent start for Valpo but if Buggs defender sags off any more he'll be in the paint. Clearly the scouting report says let him shoot.
http://apps.ohlulz.com/ncaa/?lulz=rtmp://cp98724.live.edgefcs.net:1935/live&id=stlo_m-baskbl@31636 (http://apps.ohlulz.com/ncaa/?lulz=rtmp://cp98724.live.edgefcs.net:1935/live&id=stlo_m-baskbl@31636)
This link is working for me. Free too.
What a terrible effort. Nothing from Boggs, Bogan, Capo, Kinney Nobody's playing Buggs. They're smothering Ryan and not other player is making them pay. Also, a very poor coaching effort. No adjustments made to counter overplays on perimeter. St. Louis looks like the 3-3 team they are. We look like Chicago State. Just telling it like it is.
Quote from: vu72 on November 26, 2012, 10:49:39 PM
Quote from: atkins on November 26, 2012, 10:12:09 PM
If SLU plays up to its potential, we lose. However, like Valpo, SLU has been inconsistent and has not performed at the expected level. SLU is certainly beatable on its home floor, but note that Southern Illinois played a relatively good game against SLU and still lost handily. Recently, SLU also hung in there with Kansas, which was all-world that night. I have no doubt that Valpo would lose any game against Kansas by at least 20. I would also hate to see our performance against any of the other top-ten teams.
I know vu72 thinks we have no chance of being blown out this year (which may or may not be true), but SLU is the sort of team that can blow us out of the gym on any given day. Let's hope we catch them on a merely mediocre day. So far, I've not seen the consistency from Valpo that gives me the confidence to predict a victory against SLU.
And you've seen consistency from whom?? It's early in the season. we have the same talent level as St. Louis or anyone else on our schedule. If, we lose it will be a close game, and we still won't be at full strength. I know it is painful for some on this board to acknowledge how good we may be, but wait a short while and you will see a team capable of hanging with anyone, including Kansas.
Ok, I didn't want to be the one to say this, but I feel now that I have been forced into an uncomfortable position. Anyone else getting the feeling that "vu72" is just trolling us? It's a rare breed of trolling, but trolling none-the-less. I would label it as the "well-intentioned troll"...taking on a positive but contrarian stance....if the troll is correct in his stance, he can gloat. If he is incorrect, he a) stirs up dissension and b) can claim to be the "positive" poster who is actually being trolled.
There is no other way to understand his comment above. I have a feeling valpo04 will making a stop at the woodshed very soon. Tough, but fair, as I like to say.
Valpo needs to make shots. Pay attention to the shot clock. Bobby isn't playing good
Maybe we'd be winning if Homer's son Bryce were coaching instead of Jim. See twitter pic for details
pic.twitter.com/y4Hn3gGf (http://pic.twitter.com/y4Hn3gGf)
Valpo looks bad. Really unprepared and clueless. Bobby can't make a shot to save christmas. Buggs looks terrible
St. Louis is currently my least favorite city in the world. Between the 49ers and Valpo, today has been infuriating. What's worse is that it's hardly St. Louis's fault, my teams have simply sucked on ice today. No karma from the sports gods.
The formula to beat Valpo is simple...
Ball denial for Broekhoff or double if necessary
Leave Buggs
Double the post
Make others beat you
Van Wijk / Broekhoff 20pts
Rest of team 29pts
Playing 4 on 5 really slows the offense down.
Quote from: milanmiracle on December 02, 2012, 05:18:12 PM
The formula to beat Valpo is simple...
Ball denial for Broekhoff or double if necessary
Leave Buggs
Double the post
Make others beat you
Yep, any team playing us will see this and we will have to adjust. Hopefully when Dority is eligible, we will gain a PG who can shoot and still be a PG.
Another poor road showing by us, as it could have been much worse than a 13 point loss. As long as we beat Purdue-Calumet, IUPUI, Oakland, IPFW, and Missouri State, I will be happy with December. I can stomach losses against SLU, UNM, and Murray State, as I now give us 1% chance of winning on their floors.
We looked aweful. I would have thought we would be better than we are. We look so bad. I can't get over it. Like I've stated before, our 2 gaurds are all average. They don't offer anything special. Capo isn't very talented. He can't shoot even though he thinks he can. Van wijk was really pressing in the post.
I have to believe Capobianco is still hurting ... only way to explain Bryce only getting him 10 minutes.
Well we saw some of the "big" lineup and it didn't work. I thought Kevin was awful, getting beat by his man and then throwing up some goofy shot. Capo was equally bad and Erik, well, no comment. Not sure why we didn't see more Jordan Coleman.
Dority will certainly help but our ball movement and lack of more athleticism is showing big time against better teams. Upward and onward...
Capo does have talent, I don't know why you think he has none. Well, he did shoot poorly today. I can see that being a reason. I believe he will improve from this. As for Buggs, it really hurts to know we are playing 4 on 5 because they know allowing him to shoot a three is likely to result in a brick or an airball.
I think the problem is this years group of new faces isn't meshing as well or as quickly as last years. We have too many guys getting too much playing time. Something has to give. Cory Johnson, errr Bobby Capobianco needs to get inside where he is effective and quit it with the threes (I said this last year about Edwards then he started hitting everything, heres hoping it happens again).
I just wonder why we don't see more of Rossi. When no one is hitting, and Ryan is getting all of the attention, it would be nice to have a reliable shooter on the floor.
Quote from: HC on December 02, 2012, 06:22:08 PM
I think the problem is this years group of new faces isn't meshing as well or as quickly as last years. We have too many guys getting too much playing time.
This comment puzzles me. Valpo returns their top 6 from last year, while both Fernandez and Capobianco practiced with the team last year. Coleman is the only "new face" who played today. What am I missing?
Games are obviously different then practice, and I would wager those guys barely practiced with the returning core, ie Capo and Vashil probably were guarding KVW during those practices. Maybe last years new guys meshed faster. We have 5 new faces: Capo, Vashil, Coleman, Rossi and Dority. I'm just throwing out an idea or two for discussion. Maybe, our team just isn't that good? I mean we've been playing below expectations for about 2 weeks or so.
Note: I don't believe the last statement to be true....yet
I think that could be true. Id like to see something different from our team. As in put rossi on the floor for 20 mins and see what he does. Bench boggs and bogan for some of the game. Once dority is eligible, he should start. I don't care if I've never seen him play. Buggs is garbage...he's fast...that's it. I wanna see some good post defense. Our zone today got picked apart.
Quote from: HC on December 02, 2012, 07:11:23 PM
Games are obviously different then practice, and I would wager those guys barely practiced with the returning core, ie Capo and Vashil probably were guarding KVW during those practices. Maybe last years new guys meshed faster. We have 5 new faces: Capo, Vashil, Coleman, Rossi and Dority. I'm just throwing out an idea or two for discussion. Maybe, our team just isn't that good? I mean we've been playing below expectations for about 2 weeks or so.
Note: I don't believe the last statement to be true....yet
Fair enough. Things will change again when Dority become eligible in a few weeks. Maybe Bryce will have things sorted out by mid-January.
I agree, he can get guys back to their position and we can back to playing the way they are comfortable.
Does anyone have a KenPom membership? I'd be interested in seeing the eFG%, etc. for this team--both this year and last.
I mean, I suppose I know what they would be in the sense they will confirm my suspicions, but still...
Plus/minus for Nebraska (a sampling). St. Louis not out yet...
Coleman +9
Bogan +5
Rossi, KVW -6
Buggs -15
Quote from: KL31NY on December 02, 2012, 04:49:00 PM
Maybe we'd be winning if Homer's son Bryce were coaching instead of Jim. See twitter pic for details
pic.twitter.com/y4Hn3gGf (http://pic.twitter.com/y4Hn3gGf)
It's probably the guy that does post-game for the baseball Cardinals (Pat Paris?). What some people will go through to avoid doing simple homework is beyond me.
Quote from: HC on December 02, 2012, 07:11:23 PMMaybe, our team just isn't that good? I mean we've been playing below expectations for about 2 weeks or so.
Bingo. You have it correct. When a tough but simple defense makes you turn the ball over excessively. When you miss multiple wide open shots, when you're best player, who is an excellent player, falls short of leading the team in a number of games, when your big men in several games throw up prayers that look embarrassingly awkward and when you have a guard who can't throw up a shot that comes close to going in
then you are a marginal team that is not good. It doesn't mean they don't have the potential to get much better, better enough to win the conference, but as of now they are not good. If I saw this team against Nebraska, St Louis and Chicago State only and no other games I would call them marginal to poor. I might even say they shoot like East Peoria. Sorry, JJenkins!
Just back from game, here are my quick thoughts:
SLU is deeper in the front line than we are. Their 5 (#51) drew 3rd foul early in 2nd half. #54 (another 6-11 guy) replaced him and they didn't seem to miss a beat. We can't really do that.
Remeken is only 6-5, but somehow did brisk business down low, even completing an alley oop play once.
When Bobby started jacking up 3s, I had no problem with that whatsoever because nothing conventional was working at that point. We were overmatched. There were alley oops tried that failed miserably (have to do better, but I don't mind the play). We were in desperation mode because nothing normal was working right. If Bobby thinks he can hit a 3 (and I don't remember anyone else being wide open at the time), by all means shoot it. Anything to spark a turnaround. As it turned out, we needed to get Matt Kenney open sooner instead, but oh well.
Part of what wasn't working, it seems to me, was that nobody was confident enough to shoot. Buggs wasn't the only one passing up open shots. Everybody was hesitating to shoot (until desperation time, of course).
SLU easily exploited holes in our defense way too often for my taste for easy layups (they also missed a few of those easy layups).
Someone sitting in front of me and a few seats down pointed out (as I think someone has here) that we have no true backup point guard until Dority becomes eligible. I'm not really good enough to recognize why Will Bogan or Ben Boggs or Jordan Coleman aren't good in that position, but I accept that it's true. It might well explain why we struggled on offense.
We were horrible from beyond the arc in the first half especially. That probably also negatively impacted our offense.
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on December 02, 2012, 07:43:12 PMDoes anyone have a KenPom membership? I'd be interested in seeing the eFG%, etc. for this team--both this year and last.
BBstate.com lets you get a certain number of page views free each day. Probably enough to get what you want, e.g. access to
http://www.bbstate.com/teamstats/VALP (http://www.bbstate.com/teamstats/VALP)
and then click back (upper-right corner) to last season.
eFG% is still high this season - but we've had some weak opponents. 53.4% so far this season, to last season's 53.5%.
Comments from the SLU board:
Valpo is playing very poorly today. Thank god!!
If Valpo is the best the Horizon has, yikes. Of course, we are at home. Valpo 5 and 1 beating the likes of GA Southern, Northern IL, Kent St, Chicago St., and Bethune-Cookman. Not a real 5 and 1. Loss on road by two to Nebraska.
Rammer is a homer extraordinnairre but he is right on in what these refs are allowing. I am sure we are doing it too but Valpo looks a hell of a lot more obvious with their pushes and hand checks and grabs.
I would say UIC is the best given their win over Northwestern last night (have to agree with this as of right now)
I feel safe in saying that this is the most upset we've ever been about being 5-2. (Cp. with last year, or 2010...anyone remember what expectations were in 2000, 2001? Kind of a blur of Eastern Europeans to me at this point.)
Anyway: plus/minus now done for the STL game.
best, not counting Rossi:
Vashil -3 (RR +7 [!]; Roland Rating is your +/- minus the +/- while you were not playing)
KVW, RB -4 (RR +5)
worst
Buggs -14 (-15 RR)
Boggs -15 (-17 RR)
A-RR-GH
Quote from: StlVUFan on December 02, 2012, 07:48:51 PM
Quote from: KL31NY on December 02, 2012, 04:49:00 PM
Maybe we'd be winning if Homer's son Bryce were coaching instead of Jim. See twitter pic for details
pic.twitter.com/y4Hn3gGf (http://pic.twitter.com/y4Hn3gGf)
It's probably the guy that does post-game for the baseball Cardinals (Pat Paris?). What some people will go through to avoid doing simple homework is beyond me.
Never mind, I didn't pay attention to the picture. It was the graphics guy or whoever fed him the line to type in that got it wrong. I was thinking it was one of the on-air guys, but they both knew their Drews very well.
LOL...those idiots...his name is actually spelled Gym
Quote from: DMvalpo18 on December 02, 2012, 06:12:05 PM
Capo does have talent, I don't know why you think he has none. Well, he did shoot poorly today. I can see that being a reason. I believe he will improve from this. As for Buggs, it really hurts to know we are playing 4 on 5 because they know allowing him to shoot a three is likely to result in a brick or an airball.
Not sure who you referring to, but as I was the last post before yours, I'll assume it was me.
I never said Capo didn't have talent, just that he was not very good today. The team either isn't as good as we (me) thought or they are still working things out as a team. We failed to get guys open and when we did we didn't hit the open shot. SLU shut down Rowdy, as has been the plan for many teams. These guys just did it while others tried. We should expect this from everybody and against better teams we should expect success. What this means is others will need to get the double team off Rowdy or score themselves. Today nobody did that. I actually think Vashil played better than Kevin and I suspect we will see more of him, not less.
Dissapointing and terrible performance. Valpo looked like a mediocre mid-major team that may win 20 games (only because they have enough weak opponents), but will lose in the first round in the CIT or CBI. Their first defensive priority was taking Broekhoff away and the second was taking KVW away. Valpo had no second option with KVW playing poorly and really had no third option. Capobianco looked lost (did he ever get a rebound?) and Fernandez looked raw. The only bright spot I saw was that Kenney played the second half with heart.
I guess a hope here is that this game is sort of like the Indiana game in the 1996-1997 season. In that game, Valpo had their top offensive option taken away and could never score after that point. The issue was that Valpo LEARNED from that. It seemed today like they would start to run their offense and then if they couldn't get into it, they just sort of panicked and stopped moving people and the ball.
It is very hard for me to concur that Dority will be the savior. I hope that I am wrong, but a guy that couldn't really cut it as the backup point guard at South Florida is not suddenly going to come in and be a star that hits shots for Valpo. Quality ball handling and quickness is probably all that can be really expected for some time from Dority.
I was out all day with Christmas season activities, but recorded the game for viewing this evening, and I am glad I didn't cancel any plans to stay home and watch the game. As everyone has mentioned, the team was flat, and the combinations of players used on the court often seemed to have trouble being effective together. Also, I think the team needed to work the inside more forcefully. When the trio of Buggs, Van Wijk, and Capo go 0-7 on 3-point shots (Erik taking as many as Ryan: Bobby and Kevin having only 1 more rebound than they did 3-point shots), you know something is not working. That may also be why the big lineup didn't work in the brief time it was tried. In addition, it is clear Bobby is still not at 100%, but when he is I would like to see a front line of Bobby-Kevin-Ryan that pushes the ball inside and crashes the boards and draws more fouls, with only Ryan popping outside the arc for shots. I still believe that is the strongest inside combination.
Despite this, I am not overly disappointed. I had predicted a loss to St. Louis, and Valpo is exactly where I had expected (5-2). As I have said in the past, I never thought there was a chance for an at-large bid, so I am not concerned about that. Instead, I think the games in December are an extended period of experimenting and finding combinations that work, as well as getting everyone healthy and adding Dority. For me, the real season doesn't begin until January, and the most important games are not until the conference tournament in March. My expectations were that the games in November and December would be somewhat uneven, but the conference season would be when the team found its rhythm and momentum, with the hope of peaking at the time of the conference tournament. Therefore, I'm not too worried yet, and I am still optimistic.
We are at best an average to just below average team right now. They say that one sign of good coaching is whether a team gets better as the season goes along. So, we'll see what happens. If this team continues to sputter, Bryce Drew won't have to field any calls after the season from teams looking for a new coach like Miss St last year.
Paul
Quote from: 78crusader on December 02, 2012, 10:25:45 PM
We are at best an average to just below average team right now. They say that one sign of good coaching is whether a team gets better as the season goes along. So, we'll see what happens. If this team continues to sputter, Bryce Drew won't have to field any calls after the season from teams looking for a new coach like Miss St last year.
Paul
Let's remember Valpo was also 5-2 at this point last year, and then went on to lose four more December games to IPFW, Oakland, and IUPUI, as well as a home game against Milwaukee!
Yet, the team came together to win the conference season title and only fell short at the conference tournament championship game. I am optimistic and looking for this team to repeat, but to win the championship game this time.
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/slu/slu-shakes-off-shock-to-beat-valparaiso/article_6eac39b4-e570-5bf7-8cd5-18069e4a0a68.html (http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/slu/slu-shakes-off-shock-to-beat-valparaiso/article_6eac39b4-e570-5bf7-8cd5-18069e4a0a68.html)
SLU shakes off 'shock' to beat Valparaiso
By TOM TIMMERMANN ttimmermann@post-dispatch.com 314-340-81900
There was no doubt about it for St. Louis U. forward Cody Ellis. How have the last 24 hours been, he was asked Sunday afternoon.
"Not fun," he said.
The SLU basketball team learned after practice Saturday that Rick Majerus, the coach who brought them all here and who, with a couple of exceptions, had helped teach them the game, had died after a long battle with heart troubles, a death both predictable yet unexpected. Less than 24 hours later, they had to take to the court to play a Valparaiso team that was not one to be taken lightly.
"It's never good when you hear someone so close to you passes away," Ellis said. "We knew he wasn't very healthy, but it was still such a shock to hear it yesterday. I think it helped us regroup as a team. We came out today to play for him and did great job of that."
In a game that would have made Majerus proud – well, maybe not the 18 turnovers – SLU beat Valparaiso 62-49 on Sunday afternoon at Chaifetz Arena. In some stretches in the first half, SLU's offense moved the ball the best it had all season, showing the passing and side switching that Majerus preached, and throughout, its defense was solid, holding the Crusaders, who came into the game shooting 48 percent from the field, to 32.6 overall, 23.8 percent on 3's.
There were plenty of big numbers in the box score for SLU (4-3), which shot 55.6 percent from the field. Dwayne Evans had 17 points and five rebounds. Jordair Jett had 14 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals. Mike McCall had 10 points. Cory Remekun had three blocked shots.
"You can pick out any guy," interim coach Jim Crews said. "Mike McCall, Jordair, Dwayne. I felt our guys, the starters and off the bench, did a great job."
It was, as Evans said, "definitely a different day" at Chaifetz. Though Majerus had been gone all season, and everyone knew, even before it became official Nov. 16, that he wasn't coming back, the coach's death was, obviously, a major bridge to cross and a sad event for the SLU faithful who had watched him turn the program around. As recently as March, he was in practice and on the sidelines with the team. Now, at the start of December, he was gone.
"The standing ovation he got before the game was just awesome," said Evans. "It was really great to see the support we had."
A moment of silence before the game led into a 40-second long ovation. The student section wore black, commemorating Majerus' favored color of clothing. But beyond that, it could have been any other day at Chaifetz. If there was a fear that Majerus' death would render Sunday's game a dreary event, that was misplaced. The band played like normal, the cheerleaders cheered like any other game and SLU's defense was its old ornery self, forcing 18 turnovers.
Crews admitted that he had some doubts about how his team might come out, but that associate head coach Jim Whitesell convinced Crews it would be otherwise.
"My feeling," Whitesell said, "was the guys are a little bit older, a little bit more seasoned, and with Coach (Majerus), which way did he teach you how to play? I didn't think it was going to be an issue. Also, they had a lot of respect for Valparaiso."
SLU used a 13-5 run in the final seven minutes of the first half to take a seven-point halftime lead. By midway through the second half, the lead was 16 and the Billikens were in control. The defense at the start of the second half was especially good, and the Crusaders committed 11 turnovers in the half and shot just 28 percent. Valparaiso got the lead down to eight points with 3:32 to play, thanks to SLU's own hefty turnover count and some faulty free throw shooting – in one stretch, SLU made just five of 10 – before the defense clicked back in and allowed just four points the rest of the way.
"I'm very proud of how these guys played the game today," Crews said. "I thought the players responded extremely well. I thought they really fought."
In the closing seconds, Evans and Ellis shared a moment on the court, talking about Majerus.
"We were thinking about him breaking down the game," Evans said, "and what he'd have to say about how we played and how we ran things. I'm sad that won't be the case any more."
Quote from: valpopal on December 02, 2012, 10:54:31 PM
Quote from: 78crusader on December 02, 2012, 10:25:45 PM
We are at best an average to just below average team right now. They say that one sign of good coaching is whether a team gets better as the season goes along. So, we'll see what happens. If this team continues to sputter, Bryce Drew won't have to field any calls after the season from teams looking for a new coach like Miss St last year.
Paul
Let's remember Valpo was also 5-2 at this point last year, and then went on to lose four more December games to IPFW, Oakland, and IUPUI, as well as a home game against Milwaukee!
Yet, the team came together to win the conference season title and only fell short at the conference tournament championship game. I am optimistic and looking for this team to repeat, but to win the championship game this time.
:clap: :clap: :clap:
I totally agree. And to VU72, you are right as well. Capo just had a poor performance today, and Rowdy was just totally shut down. Nobody had any rhythm today whatsoever.
I miss richie edwards
The losses don't bother me as much as HOW we lose--uninspired, listless play, plus the fact that every time we play on a bigger stage, we fold up like a card table.
Paul
Quote from: truth219 on December 03, 2012, 05:47:58 AM
I miss richie edwards
I said last spring that we would have some games this season where Richie and Jay might have made a difference and yesterday was one of them. Their combination of skills at backup minutes at the 1,2, and 4 positions would have been invaluable, but going foreward I still like this team better.
Capo showed us nothing yesterday but if that is all he can give us then Edwards would never have left, so I still am expecting major contributions from him. Dority and a maturing Coleman can give this team some brand new looks and opportunities that just were not available in Saint Louis.
One more side observation, I think I have already seen more go big combination minutes of Vashil, Kevin, and Ryan than I expected to see all year and with one more 3 point shooter capable of creating his own shot on the floor with them, it might even have worked.
Quote from: justducky on December 03, 2012, 11:35:50 AM
Quote from: truth219 on December 03, 2012, 05:47:58 AM
I miss richie edwards
I said last spring that we would have some games this season where Richie and Jay might have made a difference and yesterday was one of them. Their combination of skills at backup minutes at the 1,2, and 4 positions would have been invaluable, but going foreward I still like this team better.
Capo showed us nothing yesterday but if that is all he can give us then Edwards would never have left, so I still am expecting major contributions from him. Dority and a maturing Coleman can give this team some brand new looks and opportunities that just were not available in Saint Louis.
One more side observation, I think I have already seen more go big combination minutes of Vashil, Kevin, and Ryan than I expected to see all year and with one more 3 point shooter capable of creating his own shot on the floor with them, it might even have worked.
Um, who was the first 3 point shooter capable of creating his own shot?
Quote from: truth219 on December 03, 2012, 05:47:58 AM
I miss richie edwards
No offense to Richie Edwards, but I don't. There are a whole laundry list of issues with this team, but missing Richie Edwards is not one of them. Again, no offense intended.
Quote from: milanmiracle on December 03, 2012, 11:42:51 AM
Quote from: truth219 on December 03, 2012, 05:47:58 AM
I miss richie edwards
No offense to Richie Edwards, but I don't. There are a whole laundry list of issues with this team, but missing Richie Edwards is not one of them. Again, no offense intended.
After failing to break 50 in a pair of losses, I sort of expected someone to mention the losses of Edwards, Harris and the 18+ ppg they provided off the bench last year. That's a knee-jerk reaction, IMO. Just read comments from vu72, wh and other knowledgable posters/writers like Paul Oren and you'll understand that those guys left because they weren't good enough to get playing time this year. Capobianco, Dority and others are just way more talented than those two, so get over it.
With that said, Capobianco can't be expected to do much when he's only getting 10 minutes a game, especially when it's only 2-3 minutes at a time. You can't expect a talent like him to make contributions when he's utilized (or mis-used) like that. That's the type of stuff he dealt with at Indiana. :twocents:
The bigger - and in my opinion, only - issue that should be discussed here, again, is why this program - not just this year's team - but this program, crawl into a 25% shooting fetal position every time it goes up against a BCS team, or even a high-mid major team?
Every year you see Youngstown State's beating Georgias, and UIC's beating Northwesterns, yet this crap keeps happening to VU, year after year.
This year they couldn't beat the B1G's worst (by far) team, that three days later was trounced by a Kent State team that VU beat.
After 10 years of die hard fandom, I'm really getting sick of this inability to beat higher-level teams.
Quote from: valpopal on December 02, 2012, 10:54:31 PM
Quote from: 78crusader on December 02, 2012, 10:25:45 PM
We are at best an average to just below average team right now. They say that one sign of good coaching is whether a team gets better as the season goes along. So, we'll see what happens. If this team continues to sputter, Bryce Drew won't have to field any calls after the season from teams looking for a new coach like Miss St last year.
Paul
Let's remember Valpo was also 5-2 at this point last year, and then went on to lose four more December games to IPFW, Oakland, and IUPUI, as well as a home game against Milwaukee!
Yet, the team came together to win the conference season title and only fell short at the conference tournament championship game. I am optimistic and looking for this team to repeat, but to win the championship game this time.
I am optomistic as well. Our only two losses are to teams we were underdogs to - although I'm with most that we blew a chance to beat Nebraska. Not sure about the sputtering comment.
I fully expect this team to win the games it is supposed to win, and a few others on the road. If we lose to NM and Murray State and win the other games in December, I'll be pleased. I'd like one more win, but I'd still be pleased. Anything north of 12 wins in HL play would also be very pleasing. If Bryce does that, and wins the HL tournament, look for those calls to start again - especially if we get a favorable seeding the NCAA's and win a close game.
I predicted SLU to win by about 10 in earlier posts...so score not a surprise. Don't know xs and os of hoops like I know football. But how embarrassing for the Valpo crowd to have Buggs exposed as unable to shoot and also to see the 30-second clock go off a few times. The refs bailed us out on some traveling calls and we still couldn't catch a spark. Bobby C. only played 10 minutes so can't really make him a factor.
Buggs is brutal in big games because he can't drive into the paint against bigger, reasonably quick forwards. He does ok with those silly kick-out passes to our shooters ONLY when we play Horizon league teams or 3 guard teams. But when a team can guard our other 4 out to the 3-line and Buggs can't hit his own shot we're pathetic. Buggs needs to AT LEAST be able to dribble up closer and shoot. They were sagging him by 10 feet and he still took a tentative 3 in the rare cases where he even shot. In those cases, pull Buggs and just let Kenney run the point and we jack up 3s from all 5 spots. At least Kenney is strong enough to actually take it to the hoop. At least you get long rebounds and have a shooters' chance. Totally futile in 2nd half!!
Quote from: HC on December 02, 2012, 07:11:23 PM
Maybe, our team just isn't that good? I mean we've been playing below expectations for about 2 weeks or so.
Note: I don't believe the last statement to be true....yet
Teams have figured out to take Ryan away, and make the rest of the guys beat them. Against the best three opponents so far (Nebraska, Kent St, St.Louis) he's been held to an 11pt per game average. Somebody else is going to have to help...
Quote from: covufan on December 03, 2012, 12:52:40 PM
Quote from: valpopal on December 02, 2012, 10:54:31 PM
Quote from: 78crusader on December 02, 2012, 10:25:45 PM
We are at best an average to just below average team right now. They say that one sign of good coaching is whether a team gets better as the season goes along. So, we'll see what happens. If this team continues to sputter, Bryce Drew won't have to field any calls after the season from teams looking for a new coach like Miss St last year.
Paul
Let's remember Valpo was also 5-2 at this point last year, and then went on to lose four more December games to IPFW, Oakland, and IUPUI, as well as a home game against Milwaukee!
Yet, the team came together to win the conference season title and only fell short at the conference tournament championship game. I am optimistic and looking for this team to repeat, but to win the championship game this time.
I am optomistic as well. Our only two losses are to teams we were underdogs to - although I'm with most that we blew a chance to beat Nebraska. Not sure about the sputtering comment.
I fully expect this team to win the games it is supposed to win, and a few others on the road. If we lose to NM and Murray State and win the other games in December, I'll be pleased. I'd like one more win, but I'd still be pleased. Anything north of 12 wins in HL play would also be very pleasing. If Bryce does that, and wins the HL tournament, look for those calls to start again - especially if we get a favorable seeding the NCAA's and win a close game.
Quote from: crusadermoe on December 03, 2012, 01:22:13 PM
I predicted SLU to win by about 10 in earlier posts...so score not a surprise. Don't know xs and os of hoops like I know football. But how embarrassing for the Valpo crowd to have Buggs exposed as unable to shoot and also to see the 30-second clock go off a few times. The refs bailed us out on some traveling calls and we still couldn't catch a spark. Bobby C. only played 10 minutes so can't really make him a factor.
Buggs is brutal in big games because he can't drive into the paint against bigger, reasonably quick forwards. He does ok with those silly kick-out passes to our shooters ONLY when we play Horizon league teams or 3 guard teams. But when a team can guard our other 4 out to the 3-line and Buggs can't hit his own shot we're pathetic. Buggs needs to AT LEAST be able to dribble up closer and shoot. They were sagging him by 10 feet and he still took a tentative 3 in the rare cases where he even shot. In those cases, pull Buggs and just let Kenney run the point and we jack up 3s from all 5 spots. At least Kenney is strong enough to actually take it to the hoop. At least you get long rebounds and have a shooters' chance. Totally futile in 2nd half!!
Well, you know more than you give yourself credit for. That's spot on! Buggs is a complete and total liability on offense, especially against decent teams. He's not the only problem, not even close, but he's the most obvious at this point. Any coach with a brain has the formula to beat Valpo right now...Double KW, ball denial on Ryan, and leave Buggs open. That's putting a lot of pressure on 2 guys (Bogan, Boggs, Kenney, Rossi or Coleman) to pick up the scoring load. Those guys are decent bench guys, but that's about it. Unfortunately Valpo needs two of them to start. Kenney is the best of the bunch, but he should be replacing Buggs...
And I don't want to say that Buggs doesn't have his place, but he shouldn't be a starting point guard on a team that was favored to win the HL. He should be a change of pace guy who starts ball pressure off the in bounds pass just to change tempo.
The biggest thing I see with Valpo is they don't have anybody who can break you down off the dribble and get their shot. Not just a shot, but their shot. It's a huge difference. Getting open is different than getting to where you want. When people play good team defense, sometimes you need a guy to get what he wants when the situation calls for it. Valpo doesn't have that player anywhere on the roster. The last guy who could do it was Brandon Wood.
When you don't have that guy AND you have a guy that doesn't need guarded...you get what you have now. A very easy team to defend and scheme against.
SLU played an obviously great defensive, Majerus type game and basically shut us down. The tribute to Majerus was terrific, after a moment of silence, he was given a 45 second standing, cheering ovation from the nearly 8,000 who attended the game. By-the-way, Chaifetz is a GREAT venue, seating about 10,600 according to the guy sitting next to my wife and me. It has great sight lines, tickets are not cheap, ours were $40 each and we sat about at the end line about 20 rows up from the floor, across from the Valpo bench. The guy next to me also said they are having trouble getting big crowds, whatever that means. It sure would be great to have a smaller version of that building at Valpo!!!
As a member of the A-10, perhaps the potential fans don't get too excited to see the Billikins play such powerhouses as LaSalle, St. Bonventure, Fordham, GW and some of the other schools in that conference. Of course the games with Butler and Xavier are big games.
Quote from: valpo64 on December 04, 2012, 07:29:43 PM
SLU played an obviously great defensive, Majerus type game and basically shut us down. The tribute to Majerus was terrific, after a moment of silence, he was given a 45 second standing, cheering ovation from the nearly 8,000 who attended the game. By-the-way, Chaifetz is a GREAT venue, seating about 10,600 according to the guy sitting next to my wife and me. It has great sight lines, tickets are not cheap, ours were $40 each and we sat about at the end line about 20 rows up from the floor, across from the Valpo bench. The guy next to me also said they are having trouble getting big crowds, whatever that means. It sure would be great to have a smaller version of that building at Valpo!!!
As a member of the A-10, perhaps the potential fans don't get too excited to see the Billikins play such powerhouses as LaSalle, St. Bonventure, Fordham, GW and some of the other schools in that conference. Of course the games with Butler and Xavier are big games.
i've enjoyed the couple games i've been to, and there really aren't many bad seats in the building. though when my family and i went last time, we snagged one of the ticket/hot dog/drink deals. definitely makes it cheaper.
Quote from: valpo64 on December 04, 2012, 07:29:43 PM
The guy next to me also said they are having trouble getting big crowds, whatever that means. It sure would be great to have a smaller version of that building at Valpo!!!
SLU is averaging just over 6,000 per game this year (about what they had for Valpo) vs. 7,750 last year, so crowds are down a bit. The new arena looked great on TV, especially compared to the last two SLU games I attended in The Checkerdome and Kiel Auditorium. For you younger folks, both of those buildings bit the dust long ago. ::)
Quote from: 78crusader on November 26, 2012, 10:31:19 PM
SLU 73
VU 58
Road woes against good opponents continues. Hope I'm wrong.
Paul
Paul was certainly the most accurate in his prediction.
Unfortunately, my earlier prediction came true, and we were not really in the game with SLU beyond the first half. SLU actually played a poor offensive game, and we certainly did not see them at anywhere near their best. We were lucky not to lose by 20.
As for Buggs, veteran posters on this board were extolling his virtues as recently as a couple of weeks ago. Yeah, he's athletic, and he can drive to the basket, but that game does not fly against top-50 teams. Ryan is a great player, but he does not appear to be quick enough to create his own shot when facing good defensive players and is ineffective when double-teamed. This relative weakness won't hinder him in the pros, but it prevents him from being an elite college player. Although I was roundly criticized on this board for contending that Valpo's lack of athleticism was an Achilles heel, it is proving to be accurate. We looked very slow and awkward against SLU, yet another example of this issue.
Kevin's overall play and his free-throw shooting remain bright spots. Other than that, the rest of the gang has been mediocre, with some streaky flashes of brilliance from Ryan. I tend to agree with the posters who cite Edwards' absence as a factor this year. Edwards was often frustrating to watch, but he could really play. Capo, on the other hand, was a rarely used role player at IU (i.e., screener), so it is not a surprise that he's not setting the world on fire at Valpo.
I think we expected too much of this team. They're going to be an above-average mid-major, but many of us were looking for a Butleresque performance this year. Lowered expectations are definitely prudent at this point.
Only after Capo is playing at full strength and Lavonte has an opportunity to get a few games under his belt will we be able to make an honest assessment of the full potential of this team.
Quote from: EddieCabot on December 04, 2012, 09:15:08 PM
Quote from: valpo64 on December 04, 2012, 07:29:43 PM
The guy next to me also said they are having trouble getting big crowds, whatever that means. It sure would be great to have a smaller version of that building at Valpo!!!
SLU is averaging just over 6,000 per game this year (about what they had for Valpo) vs. 7,750 last year, so crowds are down a bit. The new arena looked great on TV, especially compared to the last two SLU games I attended in The Checkerdome and Kiel Auditorium. For you younger folks, both of those buildings bit the dust long ago. ::)
i consider myself among the younger folk on this here board, but i remember the spectacle that was the implosion of the checkerdome, and watching it live on tv. (yes, i'm from the st louis area.) seems so much longer than only 99 that that building was taken down.
Quote from: vuweathernerd on December 05, 2012, 08:10:23 AM
Quote from: EddieCabot on December 04, 2012, 09:15:08 PM
Quote from: valpo64 on December 04, 2012, 07:29:43 PM
The guy next to me also said they are having trouble getting big crowds, whatever that means. It sure would be great to have a smaller version of that building at Valpo!!!
SLU is averaging just over 6,000 per game this year (about what they had for Valpo) vs. 7,750 last year, so crowds are down a bit. The new arena looked great on TV, especially compared to the last two SLU games I attended in The Checkerdome and Kiel Auditorium. For you younger folks, both of those buildings bit the dust long ago. ::)
i consider myself among the younger folk on this here board, but i remember the spectacle that was the implosion of the checkerdome, and watching it live on tv. (yes, i'm from the st louis area.) seems so much longer than only 99 that that building was taken down.
I was in St. Louis once as a younger kid in the mid 80s and I saw a St. Louis Steamers indoor soccer game at the CHecker Dome. Cool old room.
I have also attended many events at what I remember as "The Arena." It was only the Checkerdome during the time Ralston-Purina owned the St Louis Blues and the building they played in from 1977 to 1983. Here is a video of several views of the implosion of that old building on Oakland Ave.
Demolition of the old St. Louis Arena (1999) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIWzcLzxd-Q#)
Here is some St. Louis basketball trivia:
Spirits of St. Louis: In 2012, what did the former owners of this team receive in compensation from the NBA (reportedly)? What broadcaster started their career for the Spirits of St. Louis?
Quote from: truth219 on December 03, 2012, 05:47:58 AM
I miss richie edwards
Richie Edwards was actually pretty much of a dog the first 21 D1 games of last season with the exception of the Butler game in which he had 18 points. In those 21 games he averaged a tad over 5 points a game. The next 11 games he almost tripled his point production and really helped us nail down the conference championship. Just have to say that at this point last year I was not impressed at all with Edwards. I think transfers acclimate to their new team so I expect to see real progress with this team as the season goes on and players get comfortable with their roles and coaches expectations
.
Quote from: covufan on December 05, 2012, 11:51:52 AM
Here is some St. Louis basketball trivia:
Spirits of St. Louis: In 2012, what did the former owners of this team receive in compensation from the NBA (reportedly)? What broadcaster started their career for the Spirits of St. Louis?
Since I heard this one before and it's a great story about covering your bases I can answer. In 1976 the Spirits of St Louis were not invited with the other ABA teams, Spurs, Pacers, Nets and Nuggets, to merge with the NBA. In their settlement with Spirits, the 2 brothers that owned the team, the Spurs, Pacers, Nets & Nuggets awarded them 1/7 of any TV money those teams would earn.....
forever. I don't know the amount for 2012 but I heard the brothers have received over $250 million and this year sued for more because NBA TV, the channel, makes money on International games and the brothers wanted part of that money too.
The broadcaster on Spirits radio broadcasts was Bob Costas.
Quote from: vuweathernerd on December 04, 2012, 08:07:18 PM
Quote from: valpo64 on December 04, 2012, 07:29:43 PM
SLU played an obviously great defensive, Majerus type game and basically shut us down. The tribute to Majerus was terrific, after a moment of silence, he was given a 45 second standing, cheering ovation from the nearly 8,000 who attended the game. By-the-way, Chaifetz is a GREAT venue, seating about 10,600 according to the guy sitting next to my wife and me. It has great sight lines, tickets are not cheap, ours were $40 each and we sat about at the end line about 20 rows up from the floor, across from the Valpo bench. The guy next to me also said they are having trouble getting big crowds, whatever that means. It sure would be great to have a smaller version of that building at Valpo!!!
As a member of the A-10, perhaps the potential fans don't get too excited to see the Billikins play such powerhouses as LaSalle, St. Bonventure, Fordham, GW and some of the other schools in that conference. Of course the games with Butler and Xavier are big games.
i've enjoyed the couple games i've been to, and there really aren't many bad seats in the building. though when my family and i went last time, we snagged one of the ticket/hot dog/drink deals. definitely makes it cheaper.
Allow me to introduce you to my bad seat for the home opener: http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/8c2ca5f0-0cf9-0130-7b32-1231381339ae/r600x600.jpg (http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/8c2ca5f0-0cf9-0130-7b32-1231381339ae/r600x600.jpg)
Quote from: StlVUFan on December 05, 2012, 12:25:33 PM
Quote from: vuweathernerd on December 04, 2012, 08:07:18 PM
Quote from: valpo64 on December 04, 2012, 07:29:43 PM
SLU played an obviously great defensive, Majerus type game and basically shut us down. The tribute to Majerus was terrific, after a moment of silence, he was given a 45 second standing, cheering ovation from the nearly 8,000 who attended the game. By-the-way, Chaifetz is a GREAT venue, seating about 10,600 according to the guy sitting next to my wife and me. It has great sight lines, tickets are not cheap, ours were $40 each and we sat about at the end line about 20 rows up from the floor, across from the Valpo bench. The guy next to me also said they are having trouble getting big crowds, whatever that means. It sure would be great to have a smaller version of that building at Valpo!!!
As a member of the A-10, perhaps the potential fans don't get too excited to see the Billikins play such powerhouses as LaSalle, St. Bonventure, Fordham, GW and some of the other schools in that conference. Of course the games with Butler and Xavier are big games.
i've enjoyed the couple games i've been to, and there really aren't many bad seats in the building. though when my family and i went last time, we snagged one of the ticket/hot dog/drink deals. definitely makes it cheaper.
Allow me to introduce you to my bad seat for the home opener: http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/8c2ca5f0-0cf9-0130-7b32-1231381339ae/r600x600.jpg (http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/8c2ca5f0-0cf9-0130-7b32-1231381339ae/r600x600.jpg)
Hopefully you got an obstructed view discount...
Hey, 78 had us losing by 17, but I was also within 4 when I picked SLU 61 to Valpo 52.
Reply #20 on: November 28, 2012, 01:15:52 PM »
- There's no way we should be favored against SLU. No reason to fear them either. Like so many on the board, I love the 3 games vs. beatable Top 50 teams.
SLU 61 Valpo 52
Valpo really hasn't looked good yet even though they are more talented now. All the wins except Kent St. so far were gimmes and we've looked bad too many times in the easy games. On the other hand, if we shoot well we can beat any of the teams on our schedule.
Quote from: wh on December 05, 2012, 12:34:20 PM
Quote from: StlVUFan on December 05, 2012, 12:25:33 PM
Quote from: vuweathernerd on December 04, 2012, 08:07:18 PM
Quote from: valpo64 on December 04, 2012, 07:29:43 PM
SLU played an obviously great defensive, Majerus type game and basically shut us down. The tribute to Majerus was terrific, after a moment of silence, he was given a 45 second standing, cheering ovation from the nearly 8,000 who attended the game. By-the-way, Chaifetz is a GREAT venue, seating about 10,600 according to the guy sitting next to my wife and me. It has great sight lines, tickets are not cheap, ours were $40 each and we sat about at the end line about 20 rows up from the floor, across from the Valpo bench. The guy next to me also said they are having trouble getting big crowds, whatever that means. It sure would be great to have a smaller version of that building at Valpo!!!
As a member of the A-10, perhaps the potential fans don't get too excited to see the Billikins play such powerhouses as LaSalle, St. Bonventure, Fordham, GW and some of the other schools in that conference. Of course the games with Butler and Xavier are big games.
i've enjoyed the couple games i've been to, and there really aren't many bad seats in the building. though when my family and i went last time, we snagged one of the ticket/hot dog/drink deals. definitely makes it cheaper.
Allow me to introduce you to my bad seat for the home opener: http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/8c2ca5f0-0cf9-0130-7b32-1231381339ae/r600x600.jpg (http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/8c2ca5f0-0cf9-0130-7b32-1231381339ae/r600x600.jpg)
Hopefully you got an obstructed view discount...
Heck no.
Quote from: wh on December 04, 2012, 11:27:41 PM
Only after Capo is playing at full strength and Lavonte has an opportunity to get a few games under his belt will we be able to make an honest assessment of the full potential of this team.
I agree wh. Sometimes, all it takes is one sparkplug. Dority is not a quick guard...but we can't get it done with quickness, so maybe strength and good shooting will be a perfect substitute. As for Capo, my friends from IU told me not to expect much but that he would at least be a good banger inside. However, at this point, he already had a full redshirt year to improve, so I suspect that what we see now is what we will get.
Did anyone mention Stlvu's nice write-up of the game?
http://www.midmajority.com/p/3109 (http://www.midmajority.com/p/3109)
A great piece - solidly in the Midmajority tradition. Well done!
I'd encourage others to give it a try. I only wrote one last year, not even a Valpo game, but enjoyed the process.
I have a friend who is a die hard indiana fan. He said capo was just a big body and not to get excited about him. If he isn't healthy that's one thing, but if this is what we get....lame
Keep in mind that reports were Bobby was supposed to miss a month following surgery and that he came back in just a little over two weeks. I'd be shocked if he were near 100% yet.
Quote from: agibson on December 05, 2012, 02:56:49 PM
Did anyone mention Stlvu's nice write-up of the game?
http://www.midmajority.com/p/3109 (http://www.midmajority.com/p/3109)
A great piece - solidly in the Midmajority tradition. Well done!
I'd encourage others to give it a try. I only wrote one last year, not even a Valpo game, but enjoyed the process.
:-[
Thank you, sir :)
I missed yours last year, I'll have to hunt for it now!
Found it: http://www.midmajority.com/p/2071 (http://www.midmajority.com/p/2071)
Sorry I missed it. I'm afraid I don't devote as much time as I should to reading other people's recaps.
Quote from: vusupporter on December 05, 2012, 03:40:30 PM
Keep in mind that reports were Bobby was supposed to miss a month following surgery and that he came back in just a little over two weeks. I'd be shocked if he were near 100% yet.
I can assure you Bobby is not near 100%. If you saw the lingering physical evidence in the aftermath of his surgery, you would be amazed he has been playing at all the last couple of weeks.
Good write-up, congrats. I wouldn't be near brave enough to do one.
Quote from: StlVUFan on December 05, 2012, 03:51:36 PMI'm afraid I don't devote as much time as I should to reading other people's recaps.
Horrible formatting on that old Cal write-up! Not sure if the fault was on my end there, or theirs, but clearly my text editor didn't agree with their parser.
Frankly, I hardly ever go to the site any more. I was a devoted follower during Whelliston's last three seasons or so.
I love the _idea_ of the fan recaps. But, the recaps were just one piece of the Midmajority experience for me. Maybe not the biggest piece. And, I found myself reading fairly few of them last season.
Perhaps I should try to get into the current season, with the teams of competing writers, etc. Perhaps I'd be able to identify with a recurring writer, etc. and get engaged.
I think if there was something to hold all the pieces together, if Kyle did his old daily routine but without the travel, it might work much better. At least for me. But, maybe he's not up to even that level of commitment.
Quote from: truth219 on December 05, 2012, 03:29:07 PM
I have a friend who is a die hard indiana fan. He said capo was just a big body and not to get excited about him. If he isn't healthy that's one thing, but if this is what we get....lame
Some things to consider since your friend saw him play 2 years ago:
- Most players make steady improvement over the course of their 4 years (5 in Capo's case).
- The HL is not the B10 in terms of the number and quality of big men that he will be facing.
- All he has to to do to make us better than last year is replace Richie Edwards points and minutes. From the little I saw before his surgery, that should not be a problem.
- We have yet to see him at 100%.
Quote from: agibson on December 05, 2012, 04:08:11 PM
Quote from: StlVUFan on December 05, 2012, 03:51:36 PMI'm afraid I don't devote as much time as I should to reading other people's recaps.
Horrible formatting on that old Cal write-up! Not sure if the fault was on my end there, or theirs, but clearly my text editor didn't agree with their parser.
Frankly, I hardly ever go to the site any more. I was a devoted follower during Whelliston's last three seasons or so.
I love the _idea_ of the fan recaps. But, the recaps were just one piece of the Midmajority experience for me. Maybe not the biggest piece. And, I found myself reading fairly few of them last season.
Perhaps I should try to get into the current season, with the teams of competing writers, etc. Perhaps I'd be able to identify with a recurring writer, etc. and get engaged.
I think if there was something to hold all the pieces together, if Kyle did his old daily routine but without the travel, it might work much better. At least for me. But, maybe he's not up to even that level of commitment.
It could easily be the fault of the website. Others have reported similar, though I've never experienced words being jammed together ;) Just odd paragraph breaks being inserted.
Honestly, agibson, some of us aren't up to Kyle's writing caliber. I'm no great shakes when it comes to content (I don't think I'm awful, just nothing special), and I'm certainly not great at scoping out great pictures to include, etc., but the one thing I do tend to get up on my high horse about is syntax, punctuation, run-on sentences, etc., in other words, grammar. Beyond that, one thing I'm constantly noticing in my own rough drafts is needless repetition of words and various "rhythm" or "musical" qualities of speech, though I'm no expert. I try to clean up such things and make the writing smoother, and I've read some other recaps lately and such things stick out like a sore thumb and detract from enjoyment. It's kind of embarrassing to see something that looks like it hasn't been proofread (I'm not perfect, mind you).
The objective of TMM9 is to encourage better writing by making it a competition, and the team captains are supposed to look over submittals before approving them, but it might be that some team captains don't have enough time to devote to it. Each season will be an experiment and a work in progress, much like the game we follow ;)
Quote from: wh on December 05, 2012, 04:10:47 PM
Quote from: truth219 on December 05, 2012, 03:29:07 PM
I have a friend who is a die hard indiana fan. He said capo was just a big body and not to get excited about him. If he isn't healthy that's one thing, but if this is what we get....lame
Some things to consider since your friend saw him play 2 years ago:
- Most players make steady improvement over the course of their 4 years (5 in Capo's case).
- The HL is not the B10 in terms of the number and quality of big men that he will be facing.
- All he has to to do to make us better than last year is replace Richie Edwards points and minutes. From the little I saw before his surgery, that should not be a problem.
- We have yet to see him at 100%.
My biggest question would be...why is he out there at less than 100% at this point in the season? It's not like they need him to start, he's just coming off the bench. Get him healthy, and THEN work him into the rotation.
You're building for the Horizon League tournamnet and that should be the only goal. Be as healthy as possible going into that tourney. Rushing him into the regular season seems very short sighted.
Quote from: bbtds on December 05, 2012, 12:20:53 PM
Quote from: covufan on December 05, 2012, 11:51:52 AM
Here is some St. Louis basketball trivia:
Spirits of St. Louis: In 2012, what did the former owners of this team receive in compensation from the NBA (reportedly)? What broadcaster started their career for the Spirits of St. Louis?
Since I heard this one before and it's a great story about covering your bases I can answer. In 1976 the Spirits of St Louis were not invited with the other ABA teams, Spurs, Pacers, Nets and Nuggets, to merge with the NBA. In their settlement with Spirits, the 2 brothers that owned the team, the Spurs, Pacers, Nets & Nuggets awarded them 1/7 of any TV money those teams would earn.....forever. I don't know the amount for 2012 but I heard the brothers have received over $250 million and this year sued for more because NBA TV, the channel, makes money on International games and the brothers wanted part of that money too.
The broadcaster on Spirits radio broadcasts was Bob Costas.
$250 is what I read as well. And the brothers passed on an upfront $3.3M - good decision!
I remember Costas broadcasting Bulls games in the late 70's and thinking this "kid" sounds really good. I wonder if he'll make it big some day?
Quote from: covufan on December 06, 2012, 12:06:28 PM
Quote from: bbtds on December 05, 2012, 12:20:53 PM
Quote from: covufan on December 05, 2012, 11:51:52 AM
Here is some St. Louis basketball trivia:
Spirits of St. Louis: In 2012, what did the former owners of this team receive in compensation from the NBA (reportedly)? What broadcaster started their career for the Spirits of St. Louis?
Since I heard this one before and it's a great story about covering your bases I can answer. In 1976 the Spirits of St Louis were not invited with the other ABA teams, Spurs, Pacers, Nets and Nuggets, to merge with the NBA. In their settlement with Spirits, the 2 brothers that owned the team, the Spurs, Pacers, Nets & Nuggets awarded them 1/7 of any TV money those teams would earn.....forever. I don't know the amount for 2012 but I heard the brothers have received over $250 million and this year sued for more because NBA TV, the channel, makes money on International games and the brothers wanted part of that money too.
The broadcaster on Spirits radio broadcasts was Bob Costas.
$250 is what I read as well. And the brothers passed on an upfront $3.3M - good decision!
John Y. Brown who owned the Kentucky Colonels in Louisville settled for $3.3 million. I bet he wished he had a lawyer like the brothers who owned the Spirits had. Or the ABA had a lawyer like the Spirits had. Never give up the rights to something
forever.
Quote from: chef on December 06, 2012, 01:19:55 PM
I remember Costas broadcasting Bulls games in the late 70's and thinking this "kid" sounds really good. I wonder if he'll make it big some day?
I think he has done OK for himself. I google chef and bio and all I get is poker stats :thumbsup:
Quote from: bbtds on November 30, 2012, 12:39:55 PM
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on November 30, 2012, 12:21:59 PM
Quote from: bbtds on November 30, 2012, 10:02:41 AMI guess now he's a rambling man
if that were really true he'd be at loyola
Carter, like many, had no Loyolaty. If Saint Louis doesn't find a better coach for next season I think you might see KC hitting the road for more colorful destinations and buying himself a ticket to a BCS team. He'd no longer be a Whitesell guy.
Keith Carter has left Saint Louis even before the season ended. He's crews-ing out of Billikenland.
Keith Carter Leaves Billiken ProgramFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Dec. 21, 2012
Contact:
ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis interim head coach Jim Crews announced today that freshman guard Keith Carter (Chicago, Ill./Proviso East) has left the Billiken men's basketball program due to personal reasons.
"When commitments are started, you don't want to see things like this happen," Crews said. "Unfortunately this is something that is consistent and constant in college basketball. With that said, we wish Keith the best in his future plans."
Carter appeared in three games for the Billikens and averaged 3.0 ppg. Quote from: bbtds on November 30, 2012, 10:02:41 AM
Rumors and hopes from Saint Louis fans are that their freshman phenom, Keith Carter, will be ready to play. Rick Majerus called him the second most talented guard he's ever recruited. Carter suffered a leg injury very early in the season, it got bent the wrong way. He's from Proviso East and lives in Maywood. He was recruited by Whitesell to Loyola. Whitesell is now a SLU asst coach. Carter switched to the Billikens when Jim W. was fired by the Ramblers.
http://ballislife.com/keith-carter-proviso-east/ (http://ballislife.com/keith-carter-proviso-east/)