3/18/14 - 7:05pm CT: Valpo vs. Columbia Game Thread - First Round CIT

[usc4valpo]

Apostle, all I am saying is give Columbia a litlle repsect.  They beat the Crusader at the ARC and they are well coached.    I was suprised many on the site before the game thought this would be a prohibitive win.


I think this season was a learning experience and I think the Crusader met expectation this year.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I was suprised many on the site before the game thought this would be a prohibitive win.

That's because we're Valpo fans.  I would hope we'd expect a win.

I said on chat that Columbia is the Little Black Dress of basketball teams.  They know what they got and so they work maximize their strengths and try to hide their flaws. 

We, on the other hand, are a tube top:  high risk, high reward.  We try to cram as much in there as possible and half the time, it just doesn't work.  All our strengths and flaws are hanging out there for all to see.

[usc4valpo]

excellent analogy!!

I root for my beloved Crusader, but I like when the Geek squad teams (Ivies, Stanford, Northwestern) do well.

[setshot]

How about Williams and Amherst playing each other in the D3 semi's. The Ivies and the "little three" put poor old Valpo in the dust both academically and b'ball wise.

[valporun]

The thing Columbia really has going for it is that they'll always have a veteran team on the floor because most often IVY League basketball recruits aren't looking to transfer because they want a better basketball team to play on. They just want to focus on their careers, and basketball is a good way to apply patience, especially when running some modification of the Princeton offense, whether they're spreading the floor or sucking time from the clock.

[usc4valpo]

Agreed.  I also think that Columbia's players will stay there to focus on theor top priority, education.

I saw that Kale Abrahamson at Northwestern is transferring to get more "playing time."  Either Chris Collins wants him to leave, or he is an idiot leaving a top academic school for more playing time at a lower level school.

[valpopal]

After a busy week, I have finally posted a gallery of nearly 40 photos from the game, including the three below, at the following link. These pictures provide a final look at this year's team: https://www.flickr.com/photos/96208998@N05/sets/72157642722014744/

[valpo64]

Is Kale A from Northwestern a possibility for Valpo?  Size?  Class?

[LaPorteAveApostle]

If Kale's not a fit for the ARC, he's a sure fit for Dining Services

[usc4valpo]

Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!!

[valpopal]

Just want to inform everyone that the gallery of photos from this game, as well as all my other Valpo sports images from the past year (approaching 1500 photos), are now also available as user friendly scroll sets at the following. I will be curious to see whether anyone thinks this format seems more enjoyable to follow.

http://flickrock.com/96208998@N05#/96208998%40N05/sets/72157642722014744

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Interesting, 'pal.  It loads quicker but you have to do more scrolling to find what you want. trade-off.

so...Columbia wins at home against a decent Eastern Michigan team.  69-56.  (That's consistent defense for you.)

I suppose the school started digging into its substantial pockets for home games once they proved they could beat the big boys on the road

[LaPorteAveApostle]

more CIT "news":

--EMU actually led by 6 with 7 minutes to play.  1 FG in the last 10 min will do that to you
http://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/23/5538704/2014-cit-eastern-michigan-vs-columbia-recap-lions-69-eagles-56

--EMU drew 373 fans to its opening round game.  No, I didn't miss a digit in there.  It's their first post-season game in 16 years.  Some good articles to make you feel much better about yourself on their blog.

--5th-yr OHIO senior Jon Smith decided not to play in the CIT.  Funny how that makes more news than the coach deciding people won't play in the tourney.
http://www.athensohiotoday.com/sports/ohiouniversity/campbell-lifts-ohio-past-cleveland-state---in-the/article_75fd238a-c765-57aa-8ad0-0e1373be525f.html

yawn.  second-round results:
    
SECOND ROUND
All Times EST    
    
FRIDAY, MARCH 21    
Towson 83, ETSU 77    recap | box
    
SATURDAY , MARCH 22    
VMI 106, IPFW 95    
Ohio 56, Wright State 54    
Yale 71, Holy Cross 66    
Columbia 69, Eastern Michigan 56    
San Diego 77, Sam Houston State 72    
Pacific 89, Texas A&M Corpus Christi 60    
    
MONDAY , MARCH 24    
Nebraska-Omaha (17-14) @ Murray State (19-11) 8:00 pm    

[historyman]

I suppose the school started digging into its substantial pockets for home games once they proved they could beat the big boys on the road

Man's voice: Margaret, why is the athletic dept asking for only $50,000 to host a match? The boys in Cambridge are laughing at us because they beat a rowing team from Michigan State University while our team only beat a side from Val-par-I-so, somewhere in that dreadful state of Indian-ah.

Woman's voice: I didn't know they had rowing in Indian-ah.

Child's voice: They don't. The reason they didn't need much money was because it was for the basket-ball team. The school they beat formerly called itself "the Harvard of the Midwest."

Woman's voice: Oh, how ridiculous! The boys from Cambridge would never allow that. They should have called their school "the Columbia of the corn-fields."

Child's voice: Orville Redenbacher would never have allowed that.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

lol!  man, you are just on a ROLL lately!

(other than that 'mute point' one )