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I think having a conference home really helped them. 10 wins this year is amazing for where they've been historically. That victory over Auburn was also their first victory over an SEC team in program history.

Sigh... Bad loss by the Flames... They've shown real flashes to start the year but very inconsistent. Still I like what they're doing so far considering I thought they would be a terrible addition basketball wise and I think they will eventually get it right and contribute well.

I think we'll be fine in this one. The biggest reason for our loss (Lottich) is NOT returning so we should be good.

I thought that with IUPUI and was hoping for more against CMU. We just need to get better each week.  Maybe we can also get healthy this week

I am TRYING to either be optimistic or not post at all. It's hard right now. Pretty disillusioned and beaten down from the past several years including the start to this year. Yes there are signs of hope and growth but losing to IUPUI and Central Michigan is absolutely unacceptable even in a rebuild. I'm maintaining my distance until I see a reason to come back. I had high hopes for year one of the Powell era and then the IUPUI loss really killed that for me because it made me feel like it was just more of the same. I hope this team proves me wrong as the season wears on but I won't hold my breath. Hope to get back and reinvest emotionally at some point but right now it's just not productive for me.

I think we'll be fine in this one. The biggest reason for our loss (Lottich) is NOT returning so we should be good. That said I am happy for Chicago State that they have found a D1 conference home in the NEC. Their D1 existence has truly been a wild ride being members of a defunct conference (Great West) a western league (WAC) and an eastern league (NEC). Sounds like they have been given full membership this time so they don't have to worry about being kicked out when they are no longer needed but I hope this is a springboard for them into a more geographically sensible league in the future.

Sigh... This doesn't bode well for year one of the Powell era... if we could stop being the anchor of the MVC sometime soon that'd be great... Every MVC team won tonight except us including two victories over the A-10. This game felt like a Lottich special. I don't want to see this ever again. We need to come ready to play against teams we can and should beat home or away.

Losing a lot will do that to a program especially at the mid major level.




I'm encouraged by what I've seen from Valpo so far considering it's year one and Powell inhereted a program in dire need of... well... everything that makes a program successful. But still, hanging with teams for a half before losing is disheartening. Hopefully we see these efforts begin to bear more fruit towards the end of the year and certainly in year 2. I'd love to see an Evansville or UIC level surprise turnaround where Valpo is hanging with and beating good teams especially at the mid major level. Speaking of UIC, they are looking like a surprisingly strong basketball add and that is GREAT for the conference. If the MVC can get Murray Belmont and us back to  the levels we were all once accustomed to the league will be in terrific shape.

Also that was certainly much better than the exhibition, but then again, as has been pointed out already, the caliber of opponent was not the same. Still, the Beacons were supposed to blow this team out; and they did, so that's good.

Good night for the conference though. Bradley beat UAB who I think was the NIT Runner Up last year, Belmont beat Georgia State and Evansville beat Miami(OH). Seems like UIC gave Cincinnati a good effort and Missouri State almost got West Virginia. If they had been able to finish that game it would have been a true banner night. Still, I'll take this performance and hope the league (and the Beacons) keep it up.

The Big 10 though--woof-- Michigan State lost to James Madison Rutgers lost to Princeton and Ohio State got all it could handle from Oakland. Doesn't exactly portend good things for them. Still though they'll probably do very well indeed come March because that's how the game works.

Across town, Valpo HS football versus Merrillville for the regional title.

Across the county line in Merrillville not VHS but that doesn't change a whole lot.

I'd go to the Regional final if it were my choice. If Valpo can't win at home against the same IUPUI team that got pushed to the limit by a non D1 in their home gym then this team is in serious trouble. The Regional Final will be much more important and probably a much better game.

Being pushed by an NAIA team like they were in the exhibition doesn't exactly inspire confidence going into the season. Hopefully they'll do a better job tonight.

With the B10 expanding to an 18-team super conference, Purdue and IU have nothing to gain by continuing to play Butler and ND, both of which have fallen on hard times. Butler, especially, is regularly getting out recruited inside the state. They're mired in mediocrity in the BE. Why put your advantage at risk with head-to-head matchups? High risk, low reward.

Well then the path forward is simple: Powell takes Valpo to prominence as a consistent force in the MVC. Butler takes notice realizing they can't get Purdue and IU anymore. Butler puts us back on the schedule and the rivalry is restored! Everyone's happy!

This same general thought briefly crossed my mind as well. The problem with it is that even if Butler remains mediocre and we rise quickly to MVC prominence it would likely take 7 or 8 years for even a slim chance to see them back on the schedule. Never say never but it will take coach Powell a lot of work to get our program back into the annual at-large conversation. Meanwhile our only hope is taking a buy game with them in a season where we have no reasonable expectation of winning. Like this year? 

Well I for one think it would be great to have them cut us a check so that we can go into Hinkle Fieldhouse and beat them. But that's just me.

With the B10 expanding to an 18-team super conference, Purdue and IU have nothing to gain by continuing to play Butler and ND, both of which have fallen on hard times. Butler, especially, is regularly getting out recruited inside the state. They're mired in mediocrity in the BE. Why put your advantage at risk with head-to-head matchups? High risk, low reward.

Well then the path forward is simple: Powell takes Valpo to prominence as a consistent force in the MVC. Butler takes notice realizing they can't get Purdue and IU anymore. Butler puts us back on the schedule and the rivalry is restored! Everyone's happy!

I still don't understand why the Big XII hasn't gone after San Diego State and Memphis yet. Decent football. Solid to great basketball. New markets. Sadly I doubt it happens anymore with the PAC schools joining. There's little chance either school cuts the mustard academically with them. Moreover it's probably true at this point that not even Memphis moves the needle for them in basketball anymore. I feel really bad for both Memphis and SDSU to be honest. They're as deserving as any program of a seat at the big table and they just for whatever reason haven't gotten it yet.

I would say yes because Arizona is a really good program but the other three are basically passable to slightly above average hoops programs most years with Utah probably being the worst at least as of recent history.

Seriously though, I can't believe the Big XII. Their commissioners (past and present) deserve a lot of props for giving us all a master class in how to handle a Crisis. The Pac 12 commissioner (whether it's his fault or the fault of the school presidents in the conference is up for debate) showed us the exact opposite. In a situation like this, strike quickly to get the best pieces you can to stabilize and then you can look for opportunities to strengthen yourself down the road. Of course, it's also true that the Big XII had a huge advantage in their crisis that by and large the other schools were not wanted by anyone else and they had the chance to stabilize. Kansas and Oklahoma State are (I believe) the only schools that another more powerful conference would try to poach and they are behind most of the other targets for the Big 10\SEC because they don't really bring markets. This is also true of the MVC by and large which will work to our advantage and we will stay relatively strong no matter what happens even if our stature keeps diminishing relative to other more powerful conferences. The Pac 12 had markets, (Colorado Arizona\ASU Washington Stanford\Cal even Oregon and Utah to some extent) three solid football programs (Utah Washington Oregon) a strong basketball program  (Arizona) Academic powerhouses (Stanford\Cal and AAU schools (ASU Colorado Utah Washington Oregon) to sell to other conferences. That and the decisions they made but mostly the relative attractiveness of their schools is the reason they were picked apart while the Big XII was left alone with the opportunity to rebuild. And that basketball league... Kansas Baylor Arizona Kansas State Oklahoma State Texas Tech and I'm sure I'm underselling a few more... Good Lord...

I am also a fan of Gonzaga basketball. The Big East is the ideal landing spot obviously if not for the travel. That being said, with the PAC 12 having all but disintegrated (Stanford and Cal are being talked about for the ACC which would be tremendous adds for both schools and conference if geography is truly irrelevant at this point) if the Mountain West (which we must all remember just got 4 teams in the tournament including the national runner up and another into the NIT) adds Washington State and Oregon State I think that is more than enough to convince them to finally make the move. If they look to adopt the old Big East hybrid model (which might actually succeed because where are those western schools going to go at this point without the PAC 12?) and add even more basketball power like St Mary's and possibly Wichita State Grand Canyon or even New Mexico State) then it's a done deal that the Mountain West would be a great landing spot and the best mix of maximization of competition strength and minimization of travel costs. I daresay that a Mountain West with Washington State Oregon State Gonzaga and St Mary's even has the potential to be as good or better than the Big East. I think the Big East is going to have to look to add teams again at some point to strengthen itself which is going to be bad news for the A-10 especially Loyola because the top two targets are likely to be SLU and Dayton followed by VCU and Richmond.

Gonzaga may not be mid major much longer. Some rumors have them joining the Big XII alongside UConn (Olympics only) this on the heels of the Big XII pulling off a massive coup by adding Colorado Arizona Utah and Arizona State. If they can get that done that is going to be an amazing basketball conference. In other news Oregon and Washington will join the Big XII in 2024 for the 2024-2025 Academic Year. The PAC now down to 4 is effectively dead. It remains to be seen whether they merge with the MWC try to pluck the best from the G5 and make a new conference or go to some other conference.

We also landed on our feet too getting Roger Powell. I think he's going to turn this program around and return it to glory and I can't wait!

We'll get there. I really believe in the talent of this roster. I also believe that Powell knows what he's looking for and knows when he's got it when he sees it. Then again I may be so beaten down by how awful Lottich's tenure was I'm willing to believe anything at this point just because Matt is no longer at the helm.

They will save money in a more geographically sensible conference and be in a conference that will make them more competitive in all sports. I'm thrilled for them for making this move because it's long overdue.

It's getting really hard not to be super optimistic about this upcoming season. This list of commits is exciting! I think we're going to really surprise some people in the MVC!

I'm sorry but the APR thing is a huge indictment of Lottich. Not only were they not getting it done on the court they weren't getting it done in the classroom either and that is absolutely not acceptable at a school like Valpo. Hopefully Powell gets Valpo back up to the standards we are used to seeing both on the court and off.

Can't win in this league without solid PG play. I firmly believe that. Having solid two way bigs helps as well. I like the way this roster is taking shape so far. I think Powell is going to do some special things going forward.

I think the biggest thing Roger can do is show us that he has a clue of what he's doing X's and O's wise on the sidelines. We never got that indication from Lottich and it was a persistent question before it became obvious. Do that and we'll know we're in good hands and that the future is secure. That alone will make the first year a success him showing competency (and I am more than confident that he will) as a coach and as a leader which strikes me as a strong suit of his given how he speaks is the most important factor in giving fans the hope I spoke about in my earlier post. As frustrating as it is that we don't have any new players to look forward to yet I just know he'll find the right fits and show right away what a strong coaching acumen he possesses. 

All I'm looking for is something I didn't have in the Lottich era for a long time: Hope. The W-L record can be similar this year but as long as there is hope as in clear signs of the team improving and taking on a vision and an identity--a lasting identity that sticks (something Lottich never had) it won't be a failure. We need to remember that we were at the point where Lottich's performance every year was such a failure that we weren't even considering it a failure anymore. At the point Lottich left us in virtually nothing Powell does in year one can be a failure. It's a total free roll for him.

It's easier to envision success when it comes to high profile coaching hires than it is for high profile recruiting classes. The Lottich era taught us many times that all that glitters is not gold. I'm tempering my expectations until I see the roster they put together and also until I see it in live action a few times. I remain optimistic but I'm still a bit burned and jaded by the early fanfare of the Lottich era.