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If the opportunity for Vashil to come back does indeed present itself, I don't see why he wouldn't agree to come back. I would imagine his basketball goal is to make it to the NBA, which right now are very slim and if he comes back another season and keeps improving those odds go up.

I'm not saying he's NBA material because very few players are but his chances do increase with another college season, especially if he keeps improving.

What does he have to lose? If he wants he can play in Europe now or next season. There was without a doubt he was a crowd favorite and a student favorite on campus.

Since there has been tons of talk about Vashil coming back or not and nobody really knows it'll be interesting to see what the general consensus is out there on whether or not he'll be suiting up in brown & gold for another season.

I didn't condemn his comments at all, but was rather saying that it doesn't make sense for him to come back, which still holds true.  He can be making good money in Europe, and I just don't understand why he would come back, if granted the opportunity, unless it was family-oriented.

If you look at the trajectory Vashil had over his 3 playing seasons at the college level he made huge strides between his 1st and second seasons and same with his second and third seasons. If he is indeed coming back could he make another big stride between his 3rd and 4th season? Potentially get NBA looks if his offensive game rounds out and he becomes even more dominant on defense?

Many would agree he hasn't reached his fullest potential, he's only been playing the game since he was a teenager. There is still a lot room for development with Vashil. If he does come back and continue to get drastically better he may get some NBA looks.

Will he be the next Dikembe Mutumbo? Probably not but who knows.

My guess is either Relvao or Davidson. My guess would be Davidson, I could see him going to D II so he can get a lot more playing time.

Fortunately for the program and unfortunately for him there's simply too much talent to give him a good opportunity to prove himself.

Obviously I'm hopeful Rowdy makes it into the NBA... Aren't we all?

It'll be interesting to watch him though and what the Nuggets want on their team. To me its more important to get somebody that isn't selfish and knows when to take the right shot not somebody that will try to cut to the basket every opportunity they get. If you are playing in the NBA summer league that usually means you don't have the talent level yet to create a ton of opportunities.

Are the Nuggets looking for a lengthy forward that is a great 3 point shooter that can occasionally cut to the basket and score? If that's the case I like his chances. If the Nuggets are looking for a power forward, a guard, or some other style of play then it might not pan out this year. I believe Rowdy has the talent to make it to the NBA, will the right opportunity present itself is more or less the question to whether or not he gets a chance at the NBA.

I wish him the best of luck and am rooting for him to make it to the NBA. It'll give me a reason to tune in to some games just to get an opportunity to watch him play. I for one can't stand the NBA and haven't watched a game in years but if Rowdy makes it; I'll at least pay attention to him and what he does. As I do with both Norris Cole and Ray McCallum.

If Vashil is indeed coming back that will be by far the biggest surprise.

To me somebody with the potential for biggest surprise would be from Max Joseph or Nick Davidson; somebody who was for the most part on the bench but has a big role on this team. Last season there were a lot more unknowns than this season.

Last season there were a lot of big surprises.

1.) Darien Walker, coming out of nowhere to be a big scoring threat
2.) Tevonn Walker, arguably the best freshman in the Horizon League
3.) David Skara, with signs that he can be the next Ryan Broekhoff
4.) EVN, one of the most versatile 6' 7" players in a Valpo uniform
5.) Vashil, having the best defensive season in Valpo history
6.) Alec, taking that next step into an elite player in college basketball

I wouldn't be shocked if we have another stellar season, better than last year, that we do get an invite to a bigger conference, whether it's the MVC, A10, Big East.

To me with the trajectory the program is on it's not a matter of if Valpo leaves the HL it's more of a matter of when.

LeCrone needs to be gone. He's done nothing for the HL. Loyola and Butler left, we replaced Butler with Oakland and Loyola with Northern Kentucky. The HL tournament is going to be played in the worst city in the freaking country now! Why even try to win the regular season, it doesn't matter anymore.

LeCrone is damn lucky the HL struck gold with Valpo coming in. If it wasn't for Valpo they'd be the Summit League. If Valpo continues to play at the high level, another conference will happily ask Valpo to join. I'm not trying to toot my own horn but Valpo right now is the saving grace for the Horizon League right now.

If all of this is true and Vashil will return; Smits will see a decrease in PT but still see plenty of action. My guess is he'll average around 15 minutes a game and gives him a year to develop as well as learn from one of the best defenders in the country.

Still, I won't believe it until it is officially official.

I wish they would do something about the fouling at the end of games. That drives me nuts, you shouldn't use fouling as a strategy to win games. With under a minute to play it should be 2 shots and the ball. That goes for both sides, if you are down you have the ball and get fouled you should be rewarded more highly for drawing a foul instead of intentionally giving one. While making the penalty for fouling worse for the team trying to comeback.

In all other sports fouling isn't used as a strategy as much as it is in basketball. Why should somebody be rewarded for intentionally breaking the rules?

Gap?  Bryce beat him twice and one of those games was a complete blowout!

Actually 3 times. Once at Murray St, once in Valpo, and once in Nashville.

My guess is ISU will go with Otzelberger, they have a Top 10 caliber team and I don't think anyone would leave if Otzelberger is the coach. Nothing would surprise me anymore.

Do I think Bryce will leave this year? No.

Do I think Bryce will leave? Yes.

Until I see it on Valpo's athletic website, I find it very hard to believe that the NCAA would grant Vashil another year.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Vashil get a 4th year, if he does I think it makes us a Top 25 team, he was one of the most dominant defensive players in college basketball last season, I'd love to have him back. Still, I won't believe it until I see it.

I posted this a year or two ago when Bryce was a candidate for the Tulsa job.

The one thing I'd hate to see happen to a guy like Bryce is if he were to jump to a bigger program in the B1G, Big 12, Pac 12, etc.. and the team is unsuccessful in his first 3 to 4 seasons and Bryce is subsequently fired. Chances are he'll end back in a Mid-Major program, perhaps a program that is not at the same quality as Valpo. Obviously if he's successful at the next level, it'll do great things for him but the next level is extremely competitive when it comes to coaches and patience is no longer a virtue up their.

So let's look at the positives at staying at Valpo

- Job is secure
- He has been successful
- He is a beloved figure in town
- He has strong roots in Valpo
- Much of his family lives in the area
- Quality Mid-Major prgram

Negative at staying at Valpo

- No matter what we do we will never be consistently at the level of the Kansas's, Kentucky's, Ohio State's, etc...
- If the basketball program takes a turn for the worse his chances of moving up decrease drastically
- Less money
- Mid-major program

Positives of going to a bigger program

- More money
- Better opportunity to win a national championship
- Much more recognizable
- If successful perhaps he can get into the NBA as a coach
- Top-tier recruits
- Better facilities

Negatives of going to a bigger program

- Less secure
- More likely to get fired
- Perhaps end up at a lower level mid-major program
- Media coverage
- Harsh world

Staying at Valpo has its positives and negatives and so does going to a bigger program. If he waits perhaps that door will close if Valpo doesn't get back to the form it was in 2011/2012 and 2012/2013. As many know those big programs are high risk high reward, if he's successful he can truly become a basketball god but if not they'll leave him on the side of the road and move on. I'm glad he's at least staying around for another year and who knows perhaps he does stay here for the full 10 years of his contract. It can't hurt to shop around as you never know when that perfect opportunity will present itself and it's obvious that Bryce isn't leaving unless it's a perfect opportunity. Since he has had a chance to go to bigger programs and has chosen to stay at Valpo.

Obviously, I hope he stays at Valpo but if he moves on I will wish him well and root for him to succeed.

I live in Des Moines. My guess is ISU is going to go after Jeff Hornacek, I have heard Bryce's name tossed around but there are others ahead of him, at least in the eyes of the public.

I think Bryce stays at VU. To me, it sounds like ISU, is going to go after other candidates.

EVN isn't going anywhere. He got his undergrad done in 4 years and will go for his grad degree. If he hasn't left yet, he's not going anywhere.

Vashil isn't eligible for another year. Period. End of story.

LeCrone is a terrible commissioner, the HL has been in a downward spin since Butler left. You lose two private schools and replace them with two commuter schools. The basketball programs have gotten worse. The only school making big strides up is Valpo.

There is no regulations on scheduling, Oakland shouldn't be allowed to play a complete B1G schedule for OOC while Wright State plays Northeast Idaho State.

Also when you look at academics, Butler and Loyola are two of the better schools in the country. You replace them with Oakland, which is basically a community college, and Northern Kentucky. I'm not bashing people who went to state, commuter schools, but the HL lost two of its best in terms of academics and you basically find scrubs to fill their shoes.

I want LeCrone gone. He's a joke of a commissioner, if he really tried we would have better replacements for Butler and Loyola. Maybe he has a few tricks up his sleeves to pull in a few privates to make it a twelve team conference but I doubt it. I have zero confidence in LeCrone; I hope that Wichita St leaves the MVC and we are the replacement. The Horizon League isn't the same league it was in 2010. It's basically turned into a more compact version of the Summit League.

If it is Northern Kentucky, then I want out of the HL even more. The quality of the conference has dropped off since Butler left. Next year it's Valpo and Oakland and nobody else jumps out at me.

CSU is gonna be bad
Detroit is always a mess
WSU able to pull off an upset but nothing more
UIC hopefully their new coach can turn things around
UWM will be mediocre
GB is a mess
YSU is a complete joke

Other than numbers Northern Kentucky doesn't add much. If the trend continues of the quality of the conference decreasing Valpo needs to be knocking on the door of the MVC more regularly.

If Maryland would've made it to the Sweet 16 and had a decent showing against Kentucky that would've greatly improved our RPI, not that it matters.

This was a great season, this is the closest a Crusader team has come to knocking pulling off an upset in the tourney since 98.

This team has Top 25 potential. Looking forward to next year.

You can win every regular season game and not get an at-large. A team that runs the table in the horizon would be at-large worthy.

No matter how good you are it's incredibly difficult to run the table. Undefeated teams have a giant target on their backs, just look at Kentucky. When you go on the road you'll play in packed houses and teams will prepare and play their best. Chances are if we have a strong OOC and lose one or two games in the HL we'll have a shot at an at-large.

Our chances go up drastically year-in, year-out if we're in a stronger conference. Getting two games with recognizable programs helps. Splitting games with UNIs and Wichita State's when they're having good years looks really nice.

I would hate to see Valpo not make it to the tourney because we had an off night in the tournament. That's a lot less likely to happen in a stronger conference that has consistently been a 2-3 bid conference, like the MVC (with Creighton).

If the Horizon League does pick up Northern Kentucky that just makes me want out of the Horizon League even more. Valpo is not a state commuter school, while just about all the others are. I do hope that the rumors of UAB and Valpo to the MVC have some truth to them and aren't just a thought bubble out in cyber space.

Commuter State Schools
Cleveland State
Green Bay
Milwaukee
Oakland
Wright State
Youngstown State
???Northern Kentucky???

Privates
Detroit
Valparaiso

Yes, the cost of travel would be more if we were in the MVC but we still fit geographically in the MVC, there are two other Indiana schools, and four Illinois schools, and two schools in Iowa. Really the only two schools that are a ways away are Missouri State and Wichita State.

The state to private ratio is also much better, much more like the Horizon League a few years ago when both Butler and Loyola were in the league.

State Schools
Indiana State
Illinois State
Southern Illinois
Missouri State
Northern Iowa
Wichita State
???UAB???

Privates
Loyola
Evansville
Bradley
Drake
???Valparaiso???

Currently there are 6 state and 4 private, add UAB and Valpo there are 7 and 5. Which is much more similar to the HL of a few years ago, when it was 6 state and 4 private, which is now 7 and two and a good chance will be 8 to 2 in a few years.

If Valpo wants to compete for an at-large bid every year they need to get out of the HL, to me the HL is going in a different direction, which is fine, but the direction isn't the right way for Valpo. Valpo has the possibility of being a top-25 caliber team next season. Being in the MVC would help our chances by playing better teams on a nightly basis.

Sadly, the chances of playing Northern Kentucky twice next year compared to MVC teams twice next season are much higher but the MVC picking up two teams is a real possibility and Valpo and UAB do make sense, Valpo more-so than UAB in my mind.

They're consistently one of the most talented teams in the HL and always finish in the top third of the league, yet they have nothing really to show for it.

To be fair, CSU has been to the post-season in 6 of the last 8 seasons.  Once to the NCAA (won a game in '09), 3 times to the NIT (won a game in '11) and twice to the CIT (won a game in '15).  You may think they have underachieved, but 3 post-season wins in the last 8 years is pretty good compared to the rest of the HL.

If you ask any CSU player if the season was truly a success they'd say no. The goal is the NCAA tournament not the NIT, CBI, or CIT. They had strong seasons when they were a good team but the team hasn't truly been successful since 09.

To me this says something about Gary Waters and the Cleveland State program. Especially if Grady opts out. Last year they lost Forbes, this year Lewis and possibly Grady. The amount of talent that goes through Cleveland may be the best in the league. They have produced a very productive NBAer in Norris Cole and have had numerous players on the first, second, defensive, and freshmen teams over the past years. Yet, they have never made it to the championship game in the HL. I believe that reflects on Waters style of coaching, he keeps games low scoring which naturally keeps them close and you can't win every close game.

They're consistently one of the most talented teams in the HL and always finish in the top third of the league, yet they have nothing really to show for it.