Valpo @ Chicago St. 11-16-22 7pm CST

[covufan]

Didn't pay to watch this mess.  How can we not be ready for Chicago State.  This is an embarrassment. Something needs to change.


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Dr. CHARLES SMALL
ValpoAD@valpo.edu
For those who feel the need to take it to the top.

The apathy of this board over the last 6 years should be enough.


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[valpopal]

Dr. Small won't make a move this quickly, but we will see what happens after this season for sure.

True, it is difficult to believe Small will fire Lottich this soon. However, now is the time that he must assert himself as the Athletic Director and publicly make a statement that Valpo's tradition means success is expected from its basketball program and neither failure nor even mediocrity is acceptable. Someone needs to be the alpha male in the Athletics department right now, and it would be beneficial if Small quickly asserts himself. This team has had three poor outings already: a 15-point loss to Toledo, a 13-point loss to Chicago State, and almost a loss (a nearly made 3-pointer at the end of the game would have given them the win) to non-D1 Cedarville in the exhibition game. If Small isn't going to fire Lottich, he needs to set a fire that gets some attention. Fans need to know something is being done.

[valpolaw]

Lottich should have been let go several years ago when the writing was on the wall. He has run the program into the ground. I just checked the ESPN app and couldn't believe my eyes that we lost to chicago state

[VUGrad1314]

Dr. Small won't make a move this quickly, but we will see what happens after this season for sure.

True, it is difficult to believe Small will fire Lottich this soon. However, now is the time that he must assert himself as the Athletic Director and publicly make a statement that Valpo's tradition means success is expected from its basketball program and neither failure nor even mediocrity is acceptable. Someone needs to be the alpha male in the Athletics department right now, and it would be beneficial if Small quickly asserts himself. This team has had three poor outings already: a 15-point loss to Toledo, a 13-point loss to Chicago State, and almost a loss (a nearly made 3-pointer at the end of the game would have given them the win) to non-D1 Cedarville in the exhibition game. If Small isn't going to fire Lottich, he needs to set a fire that gets some attention. Fans need to know something is being done.

This.

Dr. Small should be on the phone with Jake Diebler right now.

Do you honestly think he'd want to come clean up this mess? Surely Dielber can get a better job than this. He'd likely be an awesome hire though!

[may know]

I just checked the ESPN app and couldn't believe my eyes that we lost to chicago state

And we didn't just lose to Chicago St - we got blown out of the building to the point we were down 25 at halftime.

[valpofb16]

Roger Powell would get my vote

Midwest ties, Valpo ties, Successful Mid major in Gonzaga.

[VUGrad1314]

Roger Powell would get my vote Midwest ties, Valpo ties, Successful Mid major in Gonzaga.

He already turned us down once. And we were a much better program back then. He's got his eyes on a better job and I don't blame him. Would take him in an instant if he'd say yes to coaching here but I know it's not happening.

[valpofb16]

Did not know he turned us down.


Rick Pitino from Iona, half tongue in cheek. Half.

[VUGrad1314]

Did not know he turned us down. Rick Pitino from Iona, half tongue in cheek. Half.

At least that was the rumor when Bryce left for Vanderbilt. He was supposedly Valpo's first choice and was even offered the job. He chose to follow Bryce to Nashville instead and later as we all know ended up in Spokane learning under Mark Few. I think he's going to be an amazing coach someday and whatever program that gets him is going to be so lucky. He's learning from one of the best to ever do it right now.

[mj]

What's most concerning is that this team came out of the gates completely flat. Normally hope springs eternal at the beginning of the season, but that was over before the end of the first preseason game.

I've said it a million times but Lottich needs to go. His teams are unprepared. It's not as though we're losing despite playing tough. We're getting run out of the building from the jump.

This is a coaching issue rather than a talent issue. How many more games are we going to let this go on?

[rogerwilco]

Without a doubt, today is the darkest day in my 26 years of being a Valpo basketball fan. Is this what rock bottom feels like?

[elephtheria47]

Seriously everyone. Gut check. We are at rock bottom. With our facilities and lack of commitment, who are we getting in our current state to make immediate improvements with instant transfers. This is bad, and I dont have an idea to improve it. Do we fall into despair until a Drew or Alec Peters tries to save us sometime down the line? I hate to be melodramatic, but the last few years have been bad and now we've hit a new rock bottom. I dont see a fix in the short or long term future in the current climate of college basketball. And it didn't have to be this way. We will forever chase the Bryce Drew days.

[JD24]

CSU actually won their last game, beating IUPUI 68-58 on Monday. So they're looking at the possibility of a D-1 winning streak and playing with confidence I bet that program hasn't had in a while. Good for them. In more distant history, 2013 to be exact, the Valpo football team lost 72-12 to Butler, and I seem to recall MLB making an in-season change.

IIRC that was for just one game.

[JD24]

What's most concerning is that this team came out of the gates completely flat.

For the second time in 3 games.
I had a post pulled from the recruiting thread because I cautioned against paying too much attention to the current recruits(now signees) because there was a good chance they'll be a new coach next season which could make the commitments (at the time) meaningless.

Lottich's not going anywhere until after the season or late in the season at best. Whatever Lottich brings it isn't working.

As to the roster, it seems the team is completely dependent upon 2 or 3 guys to score. The bench is giving very little in terms of points. Still can't defend the 3. Big Bugaboo over the Lottich years.

[rogerwilco]

As an alumnus, the basketball team was a point of pride. Something of which excited school spirit within me.

[usc4valpo]

Let's live in the year 2022. Why would you not pull the trigger? School are dismissing coaches early and often during the season, and for recruiting and engagement with the alums and community it should be considered. Lottich is a great guy, but 6 seasons is a long time window to evaluate. No need to delay if this isn't going to work long term.

[vu72]

Well, our Volleyball team is killing the Cougars when it comes to attendance!  The Volleyball team drew 345 while the Cougars only had 155 at the Valpo game. It's always bad when a coach has to whisper instructions for fear of the other team hearing from 50 feet away.  Jeez. how pathetic.

[vu84v2]

Let's live in the year 2022. Why would you not pull the trigger? School are dismissing coaches early and often during the season, and for recruiting and engagement with the alums and community it should be considered. Lottich is a great guy, but 6 seasons is a long time window to evaluate. No need to delay if this isn't going to work long term.

I understand the sentiment, but 99.9% of the coaches that Valpo would want to hire are currently employed as head coaches or assistants elsewhere. The only option if the coach is dismissed would be to appoint a current Valpo assistant as an interim. Not really sure if there is anything to gain with that option, since a new coach hired after the season is very likely going to replace most or all of the coaching staff and alums/community are not going to suddenly be excited by having an interim coach who had been an assistant on a poorly performing program.

[David81]

I assume that if an in-season coaching change was made, one of the current assistants would be the interim. I don't know the assistants nearly as well as some of the folks here, so just wondering: Who would be the best candidate and what impact would that choice be on the program?

Agree that this is an awfully tough situation for a new AD, at a university that has already done painful belt-tightening by letting go of good employees. Also wondering if Coach Lottich would consider stepping down. He strikes me as being a man of character; perhaps he might step away with an appropriate severance.

[usc4valpo]

vu84v2 - making the change now and having an interim coach makes a clear statement that the program wants to move in a new direction. USC football did it after firing Helton after the second game, knowing the current situation was not working. You are delaying the inevitable, recruiting, etc. if you become passive.

[usc4valpo]

rogerwilco, you weren't around in 1983-84 with the Rob Harden experience and Tom Smith's ever effective 13 minute stalls. That year was a mess and an embarrassment to Valpo.

[valpo64]

I am curious about what fans thought back a number of years ago when I think it was Bethel College beat us in a preseason exhibition game and then we finished the year going to the Sweet 16.  I believe Bethel is either a D-3 or NAIA member.

[vu84v2]

I am curious about what fans thought back a number of years ago when I think it was Bethel College beat us in a preseason exhibition game and then we finished the year going to the Sweet 16.  I believe Bethel is either a D-3 or NAIA member.

There was substantial credibility for the program at that time. Valpo had been to the NCAA tournament the prior two years, had played BC tough in the 1997 tournament, and the coach (Homer) had build the program from nothing. I perceived it as a blip (especially since Bryce was injured for the first several games that season).

[AlaskaCrusader19]

I am curious about what fans thought back a number of years ago when I think it was Bethel College beat us in a preseason exhibition game and then we finished the year going to the Sweet 16.  I believe Bethel is either a D-3 or NAIA member.

Valparaiso had made the NCAA Tournament the previous two seasons and clearly had a reason for optimism moving forward. Now, Valparaiso has had one winning season in the past six seasons (and they lost two exhibitions to non-D1 programs and nearly lost another one this season).

[usc4valpo]

please Don't include the exhibition games in the conversion as they don't count. That being said, a commitment to mediocrity in our flagship sport has to end