Valpo has never lost when I have started a thread.
Let's hope that fans will brave the wind to support the Beacons in this game which should give us a better idea of the quality of this year's team.
As far as I know everyone other than Emil should be available.
Let's see if our guards can D up and stop/slow down Jahmir Young. 49'rs don't have any impressive wins and they are not a good offensive rebounding team. Would like to see Valpo jump them from the start! Is a double digit win in the cards today? Attendance?
This generation of student section is pathetic.
Myself and a few friends used to lead cheers and yelled at students who were sitting. We kept the ARC rocking, a lot changed in 8 - 10 years I guess.
How do we not know how to pass out of a double team??? Surely someone was going to start doubling up Krikke and Kithier in the post. Someone come help them out!!!
Also whoever the shooting coach on this team is needs to be fired. I'm sick of us being towards the bottom of the country in jump shot percentage!
Beacons looking okay. I think they are close to breaking through with this game.
I hope our mid game adjustments allow them to push through. If our shots were falling this would be a very different game.
Shots still not falling. They better start soon!
Quote from: VUSERF on December 11, 2021, 12:55:49 PM
If our shots were falling this would be a very different game.
Unlike many of us who like moral victories sometimes we need to score more points to actually win ;) just kidding.
Agreed on the captain obvious!
I can't stand moronic passes, and there were way too many of those today. Do defenders magically disappear after you run by them, or are they just going to stand still as you throw it 30 feet? WTF...
We are not a 3 point shooting team. Quit pretending, and get it inside or drive.
The 1:30 and 30 sec marks were just :censored: coaching jobs. Just bad setups and bad shots. Unbelievable. And you don't put Ben in with 30 secs. Didn't take a timeout.
Snatched defeat from the jaws of victory once again.
Same old same old. Just good enough to lose close.
I don't want to hear anything about playing good defense today, giving up 11-17 from 3 and over 50% from the field is not good defense.
And I am getting sick of hearing about all the good looks we're getting. Good teams connect on those good looks, we don't, this is getting ridiculous!
I'm now worried about games against what should be vastly inferior competition at home against EMU, W&M, & PV A&M. We are playing like crap against D-1 competition at home. How long has it been since we've had a losing record at home after a full season? I think that is in jeopardy this season.
We need to be able to find ways to win these games, especially at home. Our rebounding margin used to be better. Our 3pt shooting differential used to be better. Unsure what to make of this season
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Agree with ValpoTX. I thought I was being very pessimistic by picking 4-3 or 3-4 as our December record.
How do you not have Kobe in the last 2 mins when we need points. He got in on last play. Makes no sense. He gets to the bucket.
We have the players to win. We have the talent. That is not the issue.
Have to ammend this. Valpo basketball student sections are pathetic. Seeing great things from the Volleyball support.
So we take the lead with a minute left and immediately give up a layup in 11 seconds. We then panic, throw the ball away and allow them to get another layup.
Is that on Lottich, the players, or both?
Those 2 instances were on the players. Sheldon tried to follow Charlotte's Young around the pick, and Young just did an easy reverse direction at the 3 point line, for a straight path to the hoop. Let him have the longer distance shot, even though he was making almost everything. Don't give up the drive! Taylor then gets caught under the basket, and throws through the middle of the lane, where any of 3 defenders had the potential to easily intercept, including the dude that was standing at the FT line, who ended up with the steal.
mj
I think both on this one. Our players had a lot of chances to take control.
I have a question regarding coaching. Is Lottichs style to "let the players play"?
I have a feeling that may be why he recruits so well but does not translate to on-court success. Players are not being coached to improve on the court? Is this off base?
Quote from: Chairback on December 11, 2021, 02:06:20 PMHow do you not have Kobe in the last 2 mins when we need points. He got in on last play. Makes no sense. He gets to the bucket.
I wondered about that as well. Maybe there was a physical reason he was not in. A question which certainly should be asked by a reporter.
QuoteWe have the players to win. We have the talent. That is not the issue.
I'm not sure it isn't.
I asked after the game. I'd have to go back and listen, but Matt said Kobe appeared gassed toward the end of the game. Put in Eron and Lottich though Eron gave some good minutes on the defensive end.
The reason I haven't gone back to listen to everything is because I'm not writing a story about the game. The paper made a decision earlier this week not to cover the game.
Our Women's Soccer, Volleyball, and Football programs appear to be on track to compete year-in and year-out in their respective conferences. We need Men's Basketball & Women's Basketball to step it up...
Yikes. NWI Times did not want to cover a Valpo basketball game? Is that a regular occurrence or is it relatively recent?
That seems like a really bad look for our program.
Quote from: VUSERF on December 11, 2021, 04:00:38 PM
Yikes. NWI Times did not want to cover a Valpo basketball game? Is that a regular occurrence or is it relatively recent?
That seems like a really bad look for our program.
You'll notice that the Post-Trib has stopped covering Valpo altogether. Has much more to do with staffing than it does anything with Valpo basketball, although I'm sure a Portage/Chesterton game gets more clicks, and if we've decided that page clicks are the thing that matters, then here we are.
Some improvement today as our ball movement was better. We still use purposeless dribbles which allow the defense to rotate and match up. We do not send anybody to the offensive board. Corner and side shots should have a designated weak side rebounder. Our players watch the arc of the shot and retreat. Double team on Ben will be common. However, players must recognize this and create a passing lane and not remain stationary. Many little things to work on. Close games are won by execution of little things. At three seconds Valpo did not take a time out during the free throw to discuss made or miss options. I would like to see the 4 point play option Matt drew up in the time out? Times choosing not to cover the game. My subscription is up for renewal. Easy to make that decision.
Quote from: Pgmado on December 11, 2021, 04:31:31 PM
Quote from: VUSERF on December 11, 2021, 04:00:38 PM
Yikes. NWI Times did not want to cover a Valpo basketball game? Is that a regular occurrence or is it relatively recent?
That seems like a really bad look for our program.
You'll notice that the Post-Trib has stopped covering Valpo altogether. Has much more to do with staffing than it does anything with Valpo basketball, although I'm sure a Portage/Chesterton game gets more clicks, and if we've decided that page clicks are the thing that matters, then here we are.
Are you the only reporter in the postgame conference nowadays?
Quote from: Old Timer on December 11, 2021, 05:18:59 PM
Some improvement today as our ball movement was better. We still use purposeless dribbles which allow the defense to rotate and match up. We do not send anybody to the offensive board. Corner and side shots should have a designated weak side rebounder. Our players watch the arc of the shot and retreat. Double team on Ben will be common. However, players must recognize this and create a passing lane and not remain stationary. Many little things to work on. Close games are won by execution of little things. At three seconds Valpo did not take a time out during the free throw to discuss made or miss options. I would like to see the 4 point play option Matt drew up in the time out? Times choosing not to cover the game. My subscription is up for renewal. Easy to make that decision.
Good points from top to bottom.
On the brighter side, it was an exciting game to watch, and we did a lot of good things. We're not there yet, but I see good things ahead - this year and next. I really like our guys. They are all about team. Not a selfish player in the bunch. Good things happen to good people. Onward and upward!
There was a point in time valpo never lost at the arc. If they did it was shocking and a major upset. It just never happened.
The Atmosphere was so fun. Crazy and entertaining half time shows (unicycle guy), students attending, timeout contests, the band coming out to do the player intros, the flame juggler.
All of that is gone. Very sad.
It's one thing for the Times to not cover an afternoon non-conference game for a team that is struggling. If there is not a front-page article with photos for the Valpo Women's Volleyball team who is playing for a National Championship at home with a player who is likely to break the NCAA career record for digs, that is another discussion. As far as student support goes, please see my volleyball thread post.
Quote from: valpo tundra on December 12, 2021, 12:44:24 AM
It's one thing for the Times to not cover an afternoon non-conference game for a team that is struggling. If there is not a front-page article with photos for the Valpo Women's Volleyball team who is playing for a National Championship at home with a player who is likely to break the NCAA career record for digs, that is another discussion. As far as student support goes, please see my volleyball thread post.
I had tickets to Green Bay/Chicago at Lambeau. I sold them so I could be at the game. There will be coverage.
Quote from: Pgmado on December 12, 2021, 02:05:07 AM
Quote from: valpo tundra on December 12, 2021, 12:44:24 AM
It's one thing for the Times to not cover an afternoon non-conference game for a team that is struggling. If there is not a front-page article with photos for the Valpo Women's Volleyball team who is playing for a National Championship at home with a player who is likely to break the NCAA career record for digs, that is another discussion. As far as student support goes, please see my volleyball thread post.
I had tickets to Green Bay/Chicago at Lambeau. I sold them so I could be at the game. There will be coverage.
(https://media2.giphy.com/media/KDVTAN0CycdPkJKZiI/giphy.gif)
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I suspect that Kobe now holds the record for the longest 3 at the ARC! An amazing shot. We are getting better. Will it be enough to make a run in Valley play?
Quote from: Pgmado on December 11, 2021, 04:31:31 PM
Quote from: VUSERF on December 11, 2021, 04:00:38 PM
Yikes. NWI Times did not want to cover a Valpo basketball game? Is that a regular occurrence or is it relatively recent?
That seems like a really bad look for our program.
You'll notice that the Post-Trib has stopped covering Valpo altogether. Has much more to do with staffing than it does anything with Valpo basketball, although I'm sure a Portage/Chesterton game gets more clicks, and if we've decided that page clicks are the thing that matters, then here we are.
I checked this morning's print edition of the newspaper, which has four local feature stories on the sports main page: a girls' cross country article, a girls' high school basketball piece, a prep wrestling report, and Paul's fine profile of Carin Avery and the women's volleyball team. Therefore, it appears the editors decided one story about VU sports was enough to bump coverage of the men's basketball game, which was mentioned briefly as a paragraph in the overall national "sports digest" section. However, I wonder if Valpo had won the game by one point due to Kobe's full-court shot at the buzzer rather than lose by one point, making it a memorable moment in VU basketball history and #1 in ESPN's Sports Center Top 10, whether the editors would have regretted their decision. Unfortunately, we'll never know.
Valpo will continue to improve throughout the season and these guys are not even close to reaching their full potential. The Valley is up for grabs.
Quote from: valpopal on December 12, 2021, 08:58:47 AM
Quote from: Pgmado on December 11, 2021, 04:31:31 PM
Quote from: VUSERF on December 11, 2021, 04:00:38 PM
Yikes. NWI Times did not want to cover a Valpo basketball game? Is that a regular occurrence or is it relatively recent?
That seems like a really bad look for our program.
You'll notice that the Post-Trib has stopped covering Valpo altogether. Has much more to do with staffing than it does anything with Valpo basketball, although I'm sure a Portage/Chesterton game gets more clicks, and if we've decided that page clicks are the thing that matters, then here we are.
I checked this morning's print edition of the newspaper, which has four local feature stories on the sports main page: a girls' cross country article, a girls' high school basketball piece, a prep wrestling report, and Paul's fine profile of Carin Avery and the women's volleyball team. Therefore, it appears the editors decided one story about VU sports was enough to bump coverage of the men's basketball game, which was mentioned briefly as a paragraph in the overall national "sports digest" section. However, I wonder if Valpo had won the game by one point due to Kobe's full-court shot at the buzzer rather than lose by one point, making it a memorable moment in VU basketball history and #1 in ESPN's Sports Center Top 10, whether the editors would have regretted their decision. Unfortunately, we'll never know.
When an organization starts initiating nickel/dime-level austerity measures, it usually indicates severe financial distress. Making a decision to not cover a VU HOME men's BB game for the first time in decades is about as nickel/dime as it gets. Someone could have disabled the exhaust fan in the office bathroom for a day and saved more money than that.
Yesterday's game definitely an improvement but we should have won this one. Very disappointed in Krikke...NO rebounds!? He stands around when a shot goes up and gets pushed around never working to compete for the rebound. Come on, Ben...you are better than that. I still believe that this team will be much better and very competitive as the season progresses. UNCC' s shooting in the first half was unbelievable while our %age I think was 32%, I think their 3-point %-age was 62%. That is tough to beat.
Quote from: Chairback on December 11, 2021, 05:36:03 PM
There was a point in time valpo never lost at the arc. If they did it was shocking and a major upset. It just never happened.
The Atmosphere was so fun. Crazy and entertaining half time shows (unicycle guy), students attending, timeout contests, the band coming out to do the player intros, the flame juggler.
All of that is gone. Very sad.
Something like this?
Yep. Sad.
When Young made a long drive straight to the basket for an easy layup late in the game, Valpo defenders on the weak side were watching the guys they were defending and were not even aware Young was headed for the basket so they gave ZERO help to stop him or take a charge. Aren' t they supposed to keep an eye on the ball when they are defending? Seems like basketball 101.
Quote from: vu72 on December 12, 2021, 08:23:01 AM
I suspect that Kobe now holds the record for the longest 3 at the ARC! An amazing shot. We are getting better. Will it be enough to make a run in Valley play?
Not sure about this point. Greg Tonagel hit a shot against Belmont (I believe), the year before I arrived on campus. There was a graphic on the court from where he shot, which was just about, if not further than, the shot that King made.
Quote from: valpotx on December 12, 2021, 08:59:19 PM
Quote from: vu72 on December 12, 2021, 08:23:01 AM
I suspect that Kobe now holds the record for the longest 3 at the ARC! An amazing shot. We are getting better. Will it be enough to make a run in Valley play?
Not sure about this point. Greg Tonagel hit a shot against Belmont (I believe), the year before I arrived on campus. There was a graphic on the court from where he shot, which was just about, if not further than, the shot that King made.
I just rewatched it. Kobe let it go from our foul line so 84 feet I think. This was what the NW Indiana Times reported after Greg's shot:
"The freshman guard from LaPorte heaved in a 60-footer at the buzzer Monday
night, lifting Valparaiso to an until-then uninspiring 71-68 win over Belmont."
Quote from: vu72 on December 13, 2021, 01:27:26 PM
Quote from: valpotx on December 12, 2021, 08:59:19 PM
Quote from: vu72 on December 12, 2021, 08:23:01 AM
I suspect that Kobe now holds the record for the longest 3 at the ARC! An amazing shot. We are getting better. Will it be enough to make a run in Valley play?
Not sure about this point. Greg Tonagel hit a shot against Belmont (I believe), the year before I arrived on campus. There was a graphic on the court from where he shot, which was just about, if not further than, the shot that King made.
I just rewatched it. Kobe let it go from our foul line so 84 feet I think. This was what the NW Indiana Times reported after Greg's shot:
"The freshman guard from LaPorte heaved in a 60-footer at the buzzer Monday
night, lifting Valparaiso to an until-then uninspiring 71-68 win over Belmont."
What did the NW Indiana Times write about the Kobe King shot? I kid, I kid.
Quote from: Pgmado on December 13, 2021, 02:14:29 PM
Quote from: vu72 on December 13, 2021, 01:27:26 PM
Quote from: valpotx on December 12, 2021, 08:59:19 PM
Quote from: vu72 on December 12, 2021, 08:23:01 AM
I suspect that Kobe now holds the record for the longest 3 at the ARC! An amazing shot. We are getting better. Will it be enough to make a run in Valley play?
Not sure about this point. Greg Tonagel hit a shot against Belmont (I believe), the year before I arrived on campus. There was a graphic on the court from where he shot, which was just about, if not further than, the shot that King made.
I just rewatched it. Kobe let it go from our foul line so 84 feet I think. This was what the NW Indiana Times reported after Greg's shot:
"The freshman guard from LaPorte heaved in a 60-footer at the buzzer Monday
night, lifting Valparaiso to an until-then uninspiring 71-68 win over Belmont."
What did the NW Indiana Times write about the Kobe King shot? I kid, I kid.
What happened to getting this great new sports editor that you guys were raving about sometime back? Actually, I'm not positive it was you, but I'm giving you an opening if you want it. Or not. lol
Does anyone know why Keyondre didn't play? Please tell me it's the thumb. I would rather not hear that he was available, but just didn't get it. IMO, he should be getting some of Kevion's minutes right now. I like Kevion, except for a couple of things. He is a streak shooter, ala some of our players from the recent past like Mileek. He plays agressive defense, works hard, but also occasionally gets caught flatfooted on a backdoor or switch. When that happens, he needs to come out. It's about acountability. That's one thing I admired about Homer. His teams played fairly soft defense in general, but if someone got caugth flatfooted and got beat, he immediately came out. It could have been Corey, BWood, Lubos, anyone.
Keyondre had a thumb injury. Saw him during warmups and he said he was out. I wondered aloud on latest episode of USH if this could be a long term thing in order to shut him down right at cutoff of redshirt deadline (nine games is typically the mark), but I think he'll be back and counted on for depth this season.
Quote from: valpopal on December 12, 2021, 02:11:36 PM
Quote from: Chairback on December 11, 2021, 05:36:03 PM
There was a point in time valpo never lost at the arc. If they did it was shocking and a major upset. It just never happened.
The Atmosphere was so fun. Crazy and entertaining half time shows (unicycle guy), students attending, timeout contests, the band coming out to do the player intros, the flame juggler.
All of that is gone. Very sad.
Something like this?
Wow, that is sad. Our men's bb program has gone from kings of the Mid Con to kings of the Horizon League to dregs of the Missouri Valley. We're the oldtimer who can't keep up anymore, and people are laughing behind his back.
This also comes to mind:
Pe·ter Prin·ci·ple/ˈpēdər ˈprinsəpəl/
Learn to pronounce
noun
the principle that members of a hierarchy are promoted until they reach the level at which they are no longer competent.
BTW, this is why I deplore the "MVC expansion" thread. We have no moral authority - NONE - to express opinions about what's in the best interest of a conference in which we are clearly in over our heads. We have this year and next, with this group, and only this group, to turn this mess around, or we never will. Starting over from scratch with a new coach and a brand new crop of players in a dilapidated high school-level facility with a broken PA system and scoreboard and a gutted fan base is not an option. At that point, we go from bad to bottom, and its over permanently.
WH, sadly you are correct.
Is there an accountable person assigned at Valpo to try to put a game plan together?
Years ago I was asked to join a panel on The basketball experience at the ARC. There were some Great ideas that were brought up by everyone. Some of it was low hanging fruit that was impactful. However not one was ever implemented. It just died. Prof Boyd was the university lead on the panel.
There is so much Valpo could be doing with tickets and marketing. An email game day or a few hours before the game does nothing.
Quote from: vu72 on December 13, 2021, 01:27:26 PM
Quote from: valpotx on December 12, 2021, 08:59:19 PM
Quote from: vu72 on December 12, 2021, 08:23:01 AM
I suspect that Kobe now holds the record for the longest 3 at the ARC! An amazing shot. We are getting better. Will it be enough to make a run in Valley play?
Not sure about this point. Greg Tonagel hit a shot against Belmont (I believe), the year before I arrived on campus. There was a graphic on the court from where he shot, which was just about, if not further than, the shot that King made.
I just rewatched it. Kobe let it go from our foul line so 84 feet I think. This was what the NW Indiana Times reported after Greg's shot:
"The freshman guard from LaPorte heaved in a 60-footer at the buzzer Monday
night, lifting Valparaiso to an until-then uninspiring 71-68 win over Belmont."
The Tonagel shot graphic on the court was pretty close to the opposite foul line, as well, regardless of what that newspaper report says. Pgmado?
Well said WH.
For those of you who did not realize it or see the story, Kobe King's shot was an extreme bad beat (on the over/under). Scott Van Pelt showed it (including the tipped pass just before it, as well as Charlotte's free throws and Valpo's empty prior possession) in his Sportscenter segment focusing on bad beats.
From a prior post: Our men's bb program has gone from kings of the Mid Con to kings of the Horizon League to dregs of the Missouri Valley.
-------------------
This is not exactly true. Most seasons were pretty mediocre from 2004-2005 to 2009-2010 (last few years of Mid Con membership into first three season in Horizon).
Quote from: vu84v2 on December 15, 2021, 02:35:55 PM
From a prior post: Our men's bb program has gone from kings of the Mid Con to kings of the Horizon League to dregs of the Missouri Valley.
-------------------
This is not exactly true. Most seasons were pretty mediocre from 2004-2005 to 2009-2010 (last few years of Mid Con membership into first three season in Horizon).
There we were in the promised land,
Once a garden green, now stones and sand,
Here we are in the fields of time,
Our backs are bent, our hands resigned.
It's now or never.
It took us 5 seasons to win the HL...which means this year? :)
Quote from: vu84v2 on December 15, 2021, 02:35:55 PM
From a prior post: Our men's bb program has gone from kings of the Mid Con to kings of the Horizon League to dregs of the Missouri Valley.
-------------------
This is not exactly true. Most seasons were pretty mediocre from 2004-2005 to 2009-2010 (last few years of Mid Con membership into first three season in Horizon).
However, in that span of time Valpo only once finished lower than 4th in the conference. I would have been pleased if the team had finished in the top four the past four years.
These are very unfair comparisons of the 3 leagues...absolutely NO COMPARISON of the level of competition and the number of very good teams in the MVC as compared to the other leagues. I'm not sure, but I think our record in MVC conference play thus far is better than Loyola's in the same number of games after entering the Valley. Let's pay at least some attention to the facts when making an analysis and comparison.
Can we please stop with the Loyola comparisons? MBB record aside, Loyola was in the middle of a large renovation of their facilities before they even set foot in the MVC. Valpo four years in? We finally got beer!
First comes beer. Next comes upgrades from beer sales. Lol. We'll fix the scoreboard with another few games.
Quote from: NativeCheesehead on December 16, 2021, 01:09:41 PMCan we please stop with the Loyola comparisons?
Not quite yet. Look, Valpo is more aliened with Evansville, not Loyola. Evansville has been in the Valley for dozens of years and still sucks. They play in a beautiful facility provided by the city. They don't have a football team. Their endowment is tiny. Loyola has an undergrad enrollment of 12,000(thus, MANY more deep pockets from which to draw contributions) and has a huge endowment. All the other schools in the Valley (for the most part) either are big state schools or have facilities provided by the city/county where they reside.
Valpo is in a unique situation. A small school, in a small city, where academics will always be king--as it should be. We are making slow progress and now have a President who clearly acknowledges our facility needs. Stop the whining, please.
Quote from: valpo64 on December 16, 2021, 11:48:00 AM
These are very unfair comparisons of the 3 leagues...absolutely NO COMPARISON of the level of competition and the number of very good teams in the MVC as compared to the other leagues. I'm not sure, but I think our record in MVC conference play thus far is better than Loyola's in the same number of games after entering the Valley. Let's pay at least some attention to the facts when making an analysis and comparison.
You're right in an absolute sense - the MVC is better than the HL which was better than the Mid Con. When we moved to the HL from the Mid Con we had to elevate our recruiting, and elevate our coaching. We did exactly that, and over time we started competing with the likes of Butler and Milwaukee. When Butler left, Valpo filled the void and became the team to beat. And while the league was "harder," recruiting better players in a better league was easier. The same holds true with the MVC. The competition is better, but recruiting players that can compete at this level is easier. Look at our current roster. No way would any of our best players have been attracted to the HL. "Harder league" is not an excuse for mediocrity. To go from top shelf in an easier league to mediocrity in a harder league means you weren't up to the challenge; you failed.
We haven't failed yet, but to my original point if we don't make a dramatic uptick with this group over the next 2 seasons, we are well on our way to long term mediocrity. We had all better be hoping and praying for Matt and this group of guys, because our LONG term - not SHORT term- future is in their hands. Again, I repeat, if we have to start over from scratch year after next with a new coach, a dilapidated gym, and a shattered reputation, the only posters left on this board will be those fascinated by the league expansion thread.
Conversely, if/when Valpo wins a league championship and represents the Valley, it will be the greatest accomplishment in program history. And Valparaiso University will be eternally indebted to one Coach Matt Lottich.