Game #26-Youngstown State Saturday February 11 7pm ARC Hall of Fame

[wh]

Just want to point out that Oakland had one of its best teams in school history last year with Kay Felder...and their supposed home court advantage led them to a grand total of 0 wins in the Horizon League tournament last year.

But keep beating that dead horse into the ground.

It unquestionably was an advantage. The fact that they pissed the advantage away doesn't change that fact.

Now, fast forward to this year's tournament. Let's suppose that Oakland and Valpo meet in the championship game. You don't think that Oakland's 4 or 5 thousand fans compared to Valpo's 4 or 5 hundred fans gives them an advantage?  Why do you think Oakland lobbied so hard to get the tournament moved there?  That was nothing short of a coup - a complete power shift orchestrated by the Oakland athletic department and supported by a bunch of lazy HL programs tired of Valpo's success.

Not an advantage?  Please...

[usc4valpo]

The Joe is a pretty beat up arena, and perhaps the HL got a sweet deal to rent it out for the tournament.
Detroit has some excellent Greek food.

[oklahomamick]

Wh, wel said. 

Let's add that's it's a huge advantage in recruiting. 

Besides a couple of NIT games at home, the best environment has been valpo HL semi and championship games at the ARC.  Im sure we had recruits in the house for those.

There's nothing more than winning a tournament championship.  Except when it's on your home floor, in front of a packed arc your senior year. 

I only wish our athletic department was more vocal and condescending about the move as we are. 

This was pushed by Oakland and wouldn't surprise me if they even created the idea.

This is one reason I dislike Oakland.  i have more...but will put on the Oakland game thread....haha

[talksalot]

for the sake of posterity...

VALPARAISO, Ind. -- Shane Hammink scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Valparaiso beat Youngstown State 82-72 on Saturday night.

Hammink was 8 of 14 from the floor for the Crusaders (21-5, 11-2 Horizon). Alec Peters added 22 points and seven rebounds, Tevonn Walker had 14 points and six rebounds and Lexus Williams chipped in 11 points.

Valparaiso went on top early and led all the way, building to a 43-33 advantage at the break.

The Crusaders maintained the lead throughout the second half. Youngstown State cut it to one, 65-64, on a Cameron Morse 3-pointer with 6:48 to go but Peters replied with a 3 of his own and Hammink turned a defensive rebound into a dunk to make it 73-64 with 2:59 left. Youngstown State never threatened after that.

Morse finished with 25 points to lead the Penguins (10-17, 4-10) who have lost four straight.

[agibson]

Just want to point out that Oakland had one of its best teams in school history last year with Kay Felder...and their supposed home court advantage led them to a grand total of 0 wins in the Horizon League tournament last year.

But keep beating that dead horse into the ground.

As they say in the sciences, the plural of anecdote isn't data (let along the singular!).

It was a strange tournament last year, beyond doubt. The home court advantage isn't the same for Oakland as if the game were in Rochester, sure. But, I well imagine Valpo would jump at the chance to play in Rosemont or even at UIC instead of Detroit. Hopefully bring a thousand fans or more instead of hundreds.

[humbleopinion]

If the tournament were an hour away, I'd be there; two hours away, I'd try to make it; four hours just isn't possible.

[M]

WH right on! It's absolutely an advantage and your either ignorant or blinded by your sport love of Kampe if you can't see that.

[crusadermoe]

Maybe we move this thread to the Horizon League section?   

The site is a huge blow to Valpo...likely from envy as we've said. And the optics are horrible on TV.

But geography has crept east on us and Oakland leveraged that.  Indiana used to be the center.  But we have replaced Butler and Loyola with Oakland and Northern Kentucky.  Pull out a map and look at how far west we sit now with UIC and the Wisconsins.  We now have an Ohio-centric MAC footprint. 

Hate it!   

[oklahomamick]

MLB must make a statement regarding jubril and if indeed the athletic department is as unhappy as we are about motor city madness than that Needs to be expressed as well. 

[bbtds]

Barring one of those games where we lay an egg, I don't see this game being close. 

Was it close? We won by 10!