Messages

What a crappy last play.  However, I am impressed with our fight back, when it looked like we were dead in the water several times...especially without JFL in the game during those situations.

Help me understand why you were impressed? I'm truly at a loss as to how anyone can look at a game where we only showed up for the second half and say it was impressive.


Now, Donovan Clay was impressive individually. But if we had been ready to play from the opening tip, we win by 7 or 8 points.

This is a bad loss, and what makes it so is a lack of preparation. We weren't ready to play, and Loyola had a solid game plan to shut down our best player. They executed, and we didn't even have a plan.

Lottich has shown he can recruit talent, and managed to retain Freeman. Maybe what we need is better Xs and Os from the supporting staff?

I'm starting to think that Sackey is in his own head. Afraid to shoot, bad turnovers, indecisive passes. Hope he figures it out, when he's locked in he's dynamite.

How has Lottich not drawn a T? It's like they know they're beaten.

What do we do? We're recruiting better and there's really slow upward progress but we're just not good enough right now...

I'm going to regret responding to this question during a game, but we can't fire the players... Lottich at least needs to feel some heat under his chair. His guys don't play defense and start games slowly.

We are young, we will get better.

Loyola is about as young as we are. So when they also get better, we'll continue to get schooled on our own court.

We could not have played worse, yet we're only down by 7. Gives me hope for the 2nd half.

Still within reach. I wish we would take it to the hoop more instead of launching a bunch of 3s Glad to see Gordon back in there

These viewpoints seemed a lot more reasonable 5 or 6 games ago. We're a known quantity now. This shouldn't be 'within reach', it should've been tied at the half, but we took bad shots and gave up easy ones, like we do every single game in the early going. Lottich needs to find a way to get his guys ready to play a full 40, or we're a Thursday team again.

Still early... But like clockwork we're giving up a very high shooting percentage in the early going. Meanwhile Loyola is showing that defense travels. Sigh...

This is a bit misleading for us because we put these numbers up against vastly inferior leagues even to the current MVC while the MVC teams (except Loyola) have put these numbers up against an MVC led by Creighton and Wichita State (And obviously Loyola was also able to play against the Shockers unlike us).

I suspect that Ken Pomeroy has made adjustments for this.

EMU was picked to finish second to last in the MAC. I fear this is one of those Bad Losses that you read about.

How is Kiser the only Valpo defender who prevents most dribble drives?

They're playing Spanish defense. ¡Olé!

Our defense is h*ckin' awful, almost as bad as our passing. If we can't play defense, we're a Thursday team for sure.

But what really gets me is that, to my eye, we're giving partial effort. Guess the guys had a lot of laundry to do after the trip to the Virgin Islands.

Part of me wants to say 'burn the tape', but that's two games in a row with a high shooting% against and a slow start. That can't become a trend or we're gonna see a lot of blowouts.

As a friend said, Javon could average 20 points per game, and that would be a bad sign.

I thought our FG% against in the Grand Canyon game was a fluke against a hot team, but with Nevada shooting 70% right now I think it's got to be a consequence of awful perimeter defense. Anybody with a video feed care to weigh in? Are we maybe staying too close to the basket to prevent penetration and counter our lack of size in the defensive post?

Looks like current lines have Nevada -3.5. I think I'll take us to cover if it moves another point in Nevada's favor.

So has anyone subscribed to the FloHoops  website to watch the games? What was the actual cost of the subscription. I understand it can be cancelled at any time. Some input woild be helpful. Thanks.

I clicked through to create an account, and it's $30/month if you pay month-to-month, and $13/month if you pay for the full year up front. So the best deal is $30 for this tournament.

Looks like you can listen to the WVUR broadcast for free, though 

So from what I gather it's going to cost my $13 to watch these games?

I couldn't even gather THAT much, where did you find the info? I might be one of the suckers who pays...

Javon really looks like a first team MVC player and there are good signs from Robinson and Maleek.

I don't know who Maleek is, but I thought Robinson and McMillan looked pretty good. Now that he's a much smaller liability on defense, I wonder if they can find a way to run the offense through Mileek when Freeman is on the bench. He's always had a good scoring touch and we look lost when Javon isn't out there.

This is a pet peeve of mine, but can we PLEASE spell these guys' names correctly?

Was wondering about the pep band. Amazing that scheduling peeps at Christ College and Athletics Dept couldn't work out having a pep band for opening night of the college basketball season!! Signature sport at Valpo gets little respect again. Disappointing to see that. Wonder how many other D1 schools won't have their pep band at their home openers?

As a CC alum, the only MBB game I missed in 4 years was for this production (I was an actor and a member of the pit orchestra). I don't regret it. At a university of our size, sometimes you have to make that kind of choice, but the opportunity to be a Crusader is worth it!

The Band?    Tonight was the Rehearsal for the Christ College Presentation.   There were not enough members to compile a band.   They should be back for the game against the Fighting Hawks on the 17th at 1:30pm.

This might be the most Valpo thing I've ever seen in writing.

That trip was a lot more fun than I thought it would be... but damn, now we gotta wait 12 weeks for more hoops.

Exhibition game, grain of salt and all that, but for those who are curious, in games that count Carleton has lost 20 times in the past 19 seasons.

Lottich getting fired up!

I get the impression that the camera operator is also the score and clock operator for the TV broadcast.

I forgot the view from Mont Royal Park which was made famous in a movie with Bruce Willis and that guy from Friends, Matthew Perry. I forget the name of the movie, though.

The Whole Nine Yards, I believe.