The Sycamores have dropped their last three games, losing to UNI, SIU, and Loyola.
We will need to control Neese and Henry. If our intensity matches last game's I feel good about this one. Kithier needs to stay out of foul trouble -- his value was on full display against UNI.
Will Trevor come off of the bench again? For having a bad back, he performed admirably in his last outing.
I will avoid predicting anything for the rest of the season. I just want to see this group avoid injury and continue to mature as a working unit. Looks like Matt will continue command so let's hope he starts earning his money.
Intensity will be the key from the opening tip and defending for 40 minutes? Let's see if the win carries over from NIU.? Kithier needs to avoid foul trouble and look for Sheldon or king to erupt. This will be a favorable matchup in the Hulman Center Library today.
Hopefully we can build on the UNI win and get a win here against Indiana State. The conference slate has been tough to start maybe with it starting to even out a bit we can see a few more wins. Go Valpo!
I noticed the following in the Athletics department game notes: "Valpo may hold a 2-5 mark in conference play, but five of the team's seven games have come against the programs picked to finish in the top four in the MVC preseason poll. All five of Valpo's league losses have come against teams projected to finish in the top half of the Valley standings." This seems to fit the definition of "mediocre" (VU can't be expected to beat teams in the top half of the conference), and it serves as official confirmation that even the Athletics folks regard the team as such.
Quote from: valpopal on January 22, 2022, 11:26:48 AM
I noticed the following in the Athletics department game notes: "Valpo may hold a 2-5 mark in conference play, but five of the team's seven games have come against the programs picked to finish in the top four in the MVC preseason poll. All five of Valpo's league losses have come against teams projected to finish in the top half of the Valley standings." This seems to fit the definition of "mediocre" (VU can't be expected to beat teams in the top half of the conference), and it serves as official confirmation that even the Athletics folks regard the team as such.
Exactly. It's a pathetic excuse. I have never understood it. A lot of people were expecting a team that would finish 5th or maybe even 4th in the conference. Now that the season has started and we are 1-5 against those teams, people are almost excusing it as "well they were losses to top teams". Uhhhhh, we are supposed to be competing with those top teams this year. It is one thing for a fan to point it out, but it is concerning that the athletic department seems to have adopted that mentality.
Valpo by 9 today. Kobe and TK are going to have a big day today.
Quote from: vok22 on January 22, 2022, 11:46:40 AMQuote from: valpopal on January 22, 2022, 11:26:48 AMI noticed the following in the Athletics department game notes: "Valpo may hold a 2-5 mark in conference play, but five of the team's seven games have come against the programs picked to finish in the top four in the MVC preseason poll. All five of Valpo's league losses have come against teams projected to finish in the top half of the Valley standings." This seems to fit the definition of "mediocre" (VU can't be expected to beat teams in the top half of the conference), and it serves as official confirmation that even the Athletics folks regard the team as such.
Exactly. It's a pathetic excuse. I have never understood it. A lot of people were expecting a team that would finish 5th or maybe even 4th in the conference. Now that the season has started and we are 1-5 against those teams, people are almost excusing it as "well they were losses to top teams". Uhhhhh, we are supposed to be competing with those top teams this year. It is one thing for a fan to point it out, but it is concerning that the athletic department seems to have adopted that mentality.
I know almosts don't count but if we had held on and won that Loyola game we'd be 3-4 with wins over Loyola and UNI and two really bad losses to Missouri State and @UNI where we got blown out and things wouldn't be quite so bad. The deep hole we dug agains SIU really stings too because that game was winnable. If we can get this one today get to 3-5 with a two game winning streak who knows what could happen with some confidence and momentum on our side for a change?
Quote from: VUGrad1314 on January 22, 2022, 12:03:06 PM
Quote from: vok22 on January 22, 2022, 11:46:40 AMQuote from: valpopal on January 22, 2022, 11:26:48 AMI noticed the following in the Athletics department game notes: "Valpo may hold a 2-5 mark in conference play, but five of the team's seven games have come against the programs picked to finish in the top four in the MVC preseason poll. All five of Valpo's league losses have come against teams projected to finish in the top half of the Valley standings." This seems to fit the definition of "mediocre" (VU can't be expected to beat teams in the top half of the conference), and it serves as official confirmation that even the Athletics folks regard the team as such.
Exactly. It's a pathetic excuse. I have never understood it. A lot of people were expecting a team that would finish 5th or maybe even 4th in the conference. Now that the season has started and we are 1-5 against those teams, people are almost excusing it as "well they were losses to top teams". Uhhhhh, we are supposed to be competing with those top teams this year. It is one thing for a fan to point it out, but it is concerning that the athletic department seems to have adopted that mentality.
I know almosts don't count but if we had held on and won that Loyola game we'd be 3-4 with wins over Loyola and UNI and two really bad losses to Missouri State and @UNI where we got blown out and things wouldn't be quite so bad. The deep hole we dug agains SIU really stings too because that game was winnable. If we can get this one today get to 3-5 with a two game winning streak who knows what could happen with some confidence and momentum on our side for a change?
I hear you and I see that, but you could say the same thing about every one of our seasons under Lottich and it hasn't changed.
Quote from: vok22 on January 22, 2022, 12:08:54 PMQuote from: VUGrad1314 on January 22, 2022, 12:03:06 PMQuote from: vok22 on January 22, 2022, 11:46:40 AMQuote from: valpopal on January 22, 2022, 11:26:48 AMI noticed the following in the Athletics department game notes: "Valpo may hold a 2-5 mark in conference play, but five of the team's seven games have come against the programs picked to finish in the top four in the MVC preseason poll. All five of Valpo's league losses have come against teams projected to finish in the top half of the Valley standings." This seems to fit the definition of "mediocre" (VU can't be expected to beat teams in the top half of the conference), and it serves as official confirmation that even the Athletics folks regard the team as such.
Exactly. It's a pathetic excuse. I have never understood it. A lot of people were expecting a team that would finish 5th or maybe even 4th in the conference. Now that the season has started and we are 1-5 against those teams, people are almost excusing it as "well they were losses to top teams". Uhhhhh, we are supposed to be competing with those top teams this year. It is one thing for a fan to point it out, but it is concerning that the athletic department seems to have adopted that mentality.
I know almosts don't count but if we had held on and won that Loyola game we'd be 3-4 with wins over Loyola and UNI and two really bad losses to Missouri State and @UNI where we got blown out and things wouldn't be quite so bad. The deep hole we dug agains SIU really stings too because that game was winnable. If we can get this one today get to 3-5 with a two game winning streak who knows what could happen with some confidence and momentum on our side for a change?
I hear you and I see that, but you could say the same thing about every one of our seasons under Lottich and it hasn't changed.
I know. I'm just trying to be optimistic coming off a win and with a winnable game here today. I'm doing the best I can not to come to this board CONSTANTLY negative. Hopefully Lottich gives me more than just the occasional surprising win to work with. For the sake of the program I have WANTED things to work out with him for years and that hasn't changed and will not change as long as he is the coach but as I said he needs to give me something to work with here.
Both Teams looking sluggish to start the game.
Did gravity increase overnight? What is with all the airballs.
If we could finish at the rim we'd be up big....
That was ugly. 35% overall and air balls. We should beat these guys absent Neese and we are on a path to make it either look hard or fail miserably.
Need more ball movement on offense and better perimeter defense if we want to win this one!
I wonder why ISU rebranded their main athletics logo the other year....I liked the one they used to have.
90% of graphics and logo rebrands are a waste of time and money imo
We were up 2 at the last media time out. ISU finished the half on 13-6 run. Same old, same old. Frustrating!
I don't want to knitpick turnovers because we are actually a pretty decent turnover team, but I have never seen a team catch the ball out of bounds so much. Isn't the basketball court the same size at every arena???
Up 7 with 7:59 To go , let's get to 3-5 and on our way out of the Thursday game ! The talent is there, let's go PO'
This is the least clutch team ever. My goodness.
Krikke with an absolutely bone-headed pass. Seriously, do these players think that the opposing team is always going to let them do the same thing every time? Fake the pass to your teammate, if you have been automatically throwing it back to him every single time you touch it on that inbounds play! Good lord...
Krikke redeems his crappy pass with a bail out basket. Tough and good win. I will take solid FT shooting and limited turnovers, regardless of how we shoot overall, every single game.
Almost gave this one away, but amazingly we didn't. Good defense on that last possession. Good to pull another one out.
Yay! Krikke delivers the win! That's two in a row! Hopefully we can continue to build on this but that's three strong showings (and two wins) in the last four games most of them were against upper tier MVC teams and this was a road win. Things might be looking up! We'll see. The next couple of games are going to tell us a lot but we have GOT to finish better than that. We've had teams on the ropes now several times only to choke away the Loyola game salvage the win against UNI in OT and hang on to beat ISU by the skin of our teeth. We need to learn how to close out games but we'll take the results and the overall trend they are showing. Good to see.
Should have been easier. Hope that Anderson and Kithier will be ok for next time out.
Credit to Ruedinger, Deaveiro, and Anderson as the trio combined for 52 minutes of play and 0 turnovers. Thus far, Ruedinger has played 165 minutes for Valpo and committed only 2 turnovers. Also, another excellent game at the free throw line (16-17). Together, these proved the difference in a nearly blown 2-point game.
No Kithier last ten minutes. Hopefully it isn't a severe injury. No Anderson second half. Team appears to have found some chemistry on offense, trusting the process instead of going one on five. Freshman PG's are getting valuable minutes. A win is a win on the road.
Thought for sure we were going to blow it during that 3:00 min scoreless drought down the stretch. ISU is no good this season but we needed that win and got it. Rarely easy to win on the road regardless. Two in a row, let's hope we can build on this momentum!
I would not have been a happy camper had they blown it, but they didn't. All wins are good wins! On to the next one!
When TK didn't return it effected us big time. Hope he can bounce back quickly.
Glad we called a timeout on the last play.
Winning and competing is good.
We need Anderson in the lineup, hope the back thing improves. While D DeV has played well in general, he needs to be a scoring threat.
Good win. Two more and we .500.
Quote from: valpo64 on January 22, 2022, 02:32:42 PMWhile D DeV has played well in general, he needs to be a scoring threat.
Agree. He is listed as 6'0" 170 lbs. Is that even close? He looks tiny on offense and microscopic on defense.
ISU comeback falls short in loss to Valparaiso
Sycamores lose fourth in a row
By Todd Aaron Golden Tribune-Star
https://www.tribstar.com/sports/local_college_sports/isu_sports/isu-comeback-falls-short-in-loss-to-valparaiso/article_d079050a-819d-50e2-aaba-22caaf4c7a0f.html
We have only 1 1/2 pages of comment after an exciting and important road victory. Have we accepted that this team has too many functional issues (defense-rebounding) to really explode? I should add Trevor to our problem list. He is our best 1 and our best 2 while physically only able to play 26 minutes instead of the 80 minutes needed. Also can Kobe finish this season as one of the 10 best players in the Valley?
Meanwhile Drake put in a fantastic defensive effort to come back at UNI (with Green) for an overtime win. I watched SIU-Bradley also for more good basketball. How did we lose to the Salukis again? Yes I know I was in the ARC and watched but even shorthanded we seem to match up well with both them and Bradley.
Quote from: justducky on January 23, 2022, 08:13:25 AMWe have only 1 1/2 pages of comment after an exciting and important road victory.
Perhaps it is because a well-prepared team that holds on to win a game causes cognitive dissonance for many of the posters.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this game. It's interesting how Matt is choosing to use Sheldon. Sheldon has a lot of talent, but he does not always corral his enthusiasm. We are still trying to decide who our go-to guy is. At the beginning of the season we all seemed to think that it would be Kobe, but that hasn't materialized. Yesterday it was Krikke at the end. A couple weeks ago it was Kevion. At Loyola, Sheldon was picked at the end of the first overtime. Sadly, Kithier has been missing at the end of too many games. Maybe it's a good thing for opposing teams to wonder who will be chosen. It also means that games are exciting when the choice matters down the stretch.
Quote from: justducky on January 23, 2022, 08:13:25 AM
We have only 1 1/2 pages of comment after an exciting and important road victory. Have we accepted that this team has too many functional issues (defense-rebounding) to really explode? I should add Trevor to our problem list. He is our best 1 and our best 2 while physically only able to play 26 minutes instead of the 80 minutes needed. Also can Kobe finish this season as one of the 10 best players in the Valley?
Meanwhile Drake put in a fantastic defensive effort to come back at UNI (with Green) for an overtime win. I watched SIU-Bradley also for more good basketball. How did we lose to the Salukis again? Yes I know I was in the ARC and watched but even shorthanded we seem to match up well with both them and Bradley.
Didn't take the time to break down defensive rebounds versus offensive, but in total, we have out-rebounded our opponents in four of the last five. As for Kobe, I don't think he is a top 10 player, maybe a top 25 player. He just seems to disappear from time to time and I don't think he is being used properly. Our offense runs through Ben and Thomas. Kobe might be the fourth option after a guy like Sheldon.
The people on this board like to think we should win every game which in the Valley just isn't going to happen. Loyola lost yesterday, UNI lost yesterday. Valpo is one game out of fifth place and we have a LONG way to go.
Watched most of the second half yesterday. Liked the offensive efficiency for most of the half, with the ball going through Krikke more. For King, I think he gets many good looks - he just can't get the ball into the hole sometimes. My guess is that will change over time, but not sure.
Hopefully, Kithier is OK. For this team this year, I think playing Kither and Krikke together is a good strategy. This is especially true when King is in the lineup, since the guy guarding him is likely to be undersized.
The team is still struggling to close out games. I would like to see better execution and discipline down the stretch. Taylor's three in the last minute was a bad decision. But I did like that once it got tied they went back to Krikke.
Again, there was no article about the Valpo win over ISU in this morning's NWI Times, just a brief summary statement in the "Sports Digest" section. Clearly, the hometown newspaper has abandoned any focused coverage of the team.
Quote from: humbleopinion on January 23, 2022, 08:33:20 AM
Quote from: justducky on January 23, 2022, 08:13:25 AMWe have only 1 1/2 pages of comment after an exciting and important road victory.
Perhaps it is because a well-prepared team that holds on to win a game causes cognitive dissonance for many of the posters.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this game. It's interesting how Matt is choosing to use Sheldon. Sheldon has a lot of talent, but he does not always corral his enthusiasm. We are still trying to decide who our go-to guy is. At the beginning of the season we all seemed to think that it would be Kobe, but that hasn't materialized. Yesterday it was Krikke at the end. A couple weeks ago it was Kevion. At Loyola, Sheldon was picked at the end of the first overtime. Sadly, Kithier has been missing at the end of too many games. Maybe it's a good thing for opposing teams to wonder who will be chosen. It also means that games are exciting when the choice matters down the stretch.
Only on this board would someone use "cognitive dissonance" as a descriptor in a bb game thread. MVC alpha board. :thumbsup:
Quote from: humbleopinion on January 23, 2022, 08:33:20 AMQuote from: justducky on January 23, 2022, 08:13:25 AMWe have only 1 1/2 pages of comment after an exciting and important road victory.
The problem is we just barely beat two teams that didn't have their best player. I didn't watch the game live and watched it later, but the fact is that we can't hit layups consistently and cry about not getting a foul called going up and missing each time. To me, that tells me our players are soft.
We have to win the next three home games for there to be any discussion about trying to avoid Thursday. Even if we do that, I still am not seeing any real progress with running actual offensive sets and giving up way too many wide open 3s (we also give up way too many uncontested layups). I hope we see some improvements in those areas before long because right now no matter which round we play in St. Louis, I see us as a one and done.
Quote from: humbleopinion on January 23, 2022, 08:33:20 AMPerhaps it is because a well-prepared team that holds on to win a game causes cognitive dissonance for many of the posters.
Cognitive smognitive! Could we dumb it down a little for the good of the masses? I mean my thinking is already clouded and my speech muddled so I am far too stupid to engage in harmonized silence to preserve any remaining dignity. :)
Quote from: vu72 on January 23, 2022, 08:38:31 AMAs for Kobe, I don't think he is a top 10 player, maybe a top 25 player.
He is barely on our radar thus not even a blip on the Valley screen. Not what I was expecting but maybe he and or Matt can further adjust his roles?
Quote from: humbleopinion on January 23, 2022, 08:33:20 AMIt's interesting how Matt is choosing to use Sheldon. Sheldon has a lot of talent, but he does not always corral his enthusiasm.
Early season I expected Sheldon to wrestle minutes from Kevion but it hasn't happened. FG% and 3 point % are much of it but Taylor also has a superior maturity of judgement (usually ;)) that 3 extra years of college basketball have provided. I continue to think Sheldon might or maybe could catch up by season end?
Perhaps just ducky with the vast vocabulary is Moira Rose in disguise...
We also need to see more from young Sheldon
Quote from: usc4valpo on January 23, 2022, 11:04:29 AM
We also need to see more from young Sheldon
Yes! Go to TBS for that instead of ESPN.
You guys must be watching something different in the games, versus what I see. Kobe has, by far, the most overall polish on the team, on offense. No one else has the composure when closely guarded within the arc (Trevor is fairly similar), or has the repertoire of moves to get to the basket. Ben and TK can do so, but it is really the same moves every time. There is a reason that he often gets the ball as the shot clock is winding down. He is one of our only guys that can work his way to the basket, without needing screens. Yes, he has several times not completed the moves, with the ball just rimming out, but you can tell that he is high level.
Of 130 scholarship players in the MVC, Kobe is:
• 8th in scoring
• 9th in 3-Pt. Pct.
• 22nd in 2-Pt. Pct.
• 22nd in rebounding
Not bad for a guy who was moving furniture for a living a year ago at this time and hadn't played or practiced for over a year.
Quote from: wh on January 23, 2022, 04:47:11 PM
Of 130 scholarship players in the MVC, Kobe is:
• 8th in scoring
• 9th in 3-Pt. Pct.
• 22nd in 2-Pt. Pct.
• 22nd in rebounding
Not bad for a guy who was moving furniture for a living a year ago at this time and hadn't played or practiced for over a year.
Ok. Since cherry picking is legal I'll point out that in MVC play his field goal % trails Ben by 9, Kevion by 2, Thomas by 4, Eron by 7 and only leads an injured Trevor by a couple. Also his Valley A to TO numbers are better only when compared to Gordon. ;) Your turn to search for low hanging fruit. ::) To date his MVC highlight reel isn't matching what he produced at Wisconsin thus my hopefully temporary disappointment.
Kobe is getting better and better each game. I agree he isn't at the form he was at when he left Wisconsin, but he is making huge strides in getting there.
If a couple of those baskets drop that he missed it would be faster, but he is getting there.
I have yet to see someone stop him when he drives. He's only stopping himself at this point.
I can totally see some dominant performances coming soon if Matt and team can incorporate him in the offense better. There was a stretch in the ISU game where they couldn't contain him.
Quote from: justducky on January 23, 2022, 05:38:42 PM
Quote from: wh on January 23, 2022, 04:47:11 PM
Of 130 scholarship players in the MVC, Kobe is:
• 8th in scoring
• 9th in 3-Pt. Pct.
• 22nd in 2-Pt. Pct.
• 22nd in rebounding
Not bad for a guy who was moving furniture for a living a year ago at this time and hadn't played or practiced for over a year.
Ok. Since cherry picking is legal I'll point out that in MVC play his field goal % trails Ben by 9, Kevion by 2, Thomas by 4, Eron by 7 and only leads an injured Trevor by a couple. Also his Valley A to TO numbers are better only when compared to Gordon. ;) Your turn to search for low hanging fruit. ::) To date his MVC highlight reel isn't matching what he produced at Wisconsin thus my hopefully temporary disappointment.
I have no idea why you have a bug up your butt about Kobe King. He's our leading scorer, and your superfluous comparisons aside, he's clearly our most consistent offensive performer. He has been in double figures in 9 of 11 games without the wild swings from one game to the next that that are common with our other main players.
King has, at least so far, been a "let's the game come to him" player. That's not a bad attribute but sometimes I'd wish he'd be more aggressive and be the lead dog a bit more because he seems to have that ability and the team needs it.
I cannot name a Valpo player in the last 20+ seasons, who could consistently create his own shot when given the ball with 10 seconds or less left on the shot clock, at the top of the key, as Kobe can do. Maybe Brandon Wood? We've had guys that take largely contested shots while trying to create their own shot, guys who when given space by a screen, will absolutely knock down the open shot every single time, but it's been a long time since we've had someone with the moves that he has. Peters could back in and hit a fall away or post up with ease, Rowdy could create enough space to take a long shot or get an uncontested layup, but not like what Kobe is doing with many moves in his repertoire.