Valpo in the Polls (and the HL too)

[valpotx]

It was good to see that Cleveland State will be playing WIU.  Even though WIU's RPI is low, it would be good for a middle pack CSU team to beat one at the top of the Summit.

[valpopal]

 StatSheet Horizon 6th Man of the Week: Valparaiso's Bobby Capobianco
Senior Bobby Capobianco, a 6-9 forward, played an average of 17 minutes over  two games for the Crusaders. In an 80-68 loss to Youngstown State, Capobianco got 3 points and 4 rebounds. During a strong 71-40 win over Milwaukee, he racked up 8 points and 9 rebounds.

This is the second StatSheet Horizon 6th Man of the Week honor for Bobby Capobianco. Jerran Young, a junior forward from Wright State, is runner up. Evan Bruinsma, a junior forward from Detroit, earns honorable mention. Including this week, Valparaiso has 4 StatSheet Horizon Player of the Week wins this season.

http://valpodaily.com/valparaiso-basketball/conf-potw/bobby-capobianco-wins-statsheet-horizon-sixth-man-week-february-4th-2013

[StlVUFan]

It was good to see that Cleveland State will be playing WIU.  Even though WIU's RPI is low, it would be good for a middle pack CSU team to beat one at the top of the Summit.

I'm thinking very much of catching that game on my way back from the Valpo-EKU game (CSU-WIU is in the evening), since I have no warp drive to get me all the way down to Murray in time to catch Nate Wolters (crap!  ).

[agibson]

Hmm.. can we pass BYU today?  Maybe.

It'll be hard to pass a lot of these small conference teams - playing relatively weak schedules from here on out.  Maybe some will stumble in the Bracketbuster.  (Of course, our schedule was relatively weak in the non-conference, so our RPI is low compared to some of these teams polling as our peers....).

[valpopal]

Ryan is Horizon League Player of the Week for the 4th time this season, and Bobby is Newcomer of the Week: Congrats!

http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/valpos-broekhoff-capobianco-and-wsus-young-collect-weekly-honors.html

[oklahomamick]

I know a lot of games remain, but surely Ryan is the heavy favorite for HL player of the year. 

[valpotx]

Unless there is a drastic change over the last 5 games, it would be a travesty if Rowdy does not get it for the second year in a row.  I can all but guarantee that Ray Sr plays Ray Jr so many minutes in ridiculous blowouts, in order to pad the stats for his son, and possible NBA draft position. 

[talksalot]

You are assuming that Ray Sr has any say in who plays ... Am I the only one who thinks Ray Sr is coaching his last year at UDM?

[oklahomamick]

You think they will fire Ray Sr?  The man took them to the tourney last year and has a chance at doing it again this year. 

[Kyle321n]

You are assuming that Ray Sr has any say in who plays ... Am I the only one who thinks Ray Sr is coaching his last year at UDM?

Why would they fire the guy who led them to their first NCAA appearance in 15 years? I mean the whole Asst. Coach/AD scandal probably won't touch him since it was technically over his head.

[valporun]

Kyle, you bring up a good point, but as is the case with changes in the AD's office, it often means changes in the coaching staff for the money sport at the institution.

[bbtds]

You are assuming that Ray Sr has any say in who plays ... Am I the only one who thinks Ray Sr is coaching his last year at UDM?

I think he's only coaching at UDM until his son either leaves the program or exhausts his eligibility. Of course that will be up to the new Athletic Director when UDM names a permanent one. Jason Horn is the current interim AD. Although I'm sure Horn is getting a lot of oversight from the president's office after the scandal that put Horn in the interim position.

[chef]

Indications are Ray Jr. will forego his Sr. year of eligibility and enter the NBA draft after this season.

[a3uge]

If Ray Sr. leaves, then Detroit may lose the monopoly of scummy players in the Midwest who consistently get technicals, run up the score, dunk while up 20 on the final possession, or write songs about thrift shops.

[oklahomamick]

I think he's only coaching at UDM until his son either leaves the program or exhausts his eligibility.

Where does he plan on going afterwards? 

[HC]

I think he is gone when his son leaves.  Here is an article on Jr. http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/50395/damian-lillard-ray-mccallum-and-the-key-to-nba-success-for-mid-major-point-guards

I don't think they mention his disappearing act in the game against Valpo earlier this year.  Maybe they are just going with the idea that he was defended by an NBA caliber defender in Erik Buggs. #BeatDetroit

[valpotx]

Give me a break, wow!  Did he only watch the one game against UWM?  Very impressive that he kept his poise against a team that is 5-20...because he sure as heck had absolutely 0 poise against us in helping Detroit blow a 22 point lead.  Saying Ray is impressive in interviews means zilch, as he is less than impressive overall on the court.  He becomes a black hole for the ball at certain points in a game, and disappears the next.  What a joke 

[LaPorteAveApostle]

If Ray Sr. leaves, then Detroit may lose the monopoly of scummy players in the Midwest who consistently get technicals, run up the score, dunk while up 20 on the final possession, or write songs about thrift shops.

I have had inklings of this before, but this settles it:  you, sir, are someone I can see myself having a beer with at pass times or something.  whatever they call it these days anyway.  well done.

and the best part:  Jr. is the leading scorer in the HL, at 18.5 or something.  Ryan is second at 16.8, but I calculated the exact numbers today, and because of the vast disparity in their minutes, Ryan scores 21.13 per 40 and Ray 21.06 / 40.  So he can't even claim to be the best scorer.

[Kyle321n]

If Ray Sr. leaves, then Detroit may lose the monopoly of scummy players in the Midwest who consistently get technicals, run up the score, dunk while up 20 on the final possession, or write songs about thrift shops.

I have had inklings of this before, but this settles it:  you, sir, are someone I can see myself having a beer with at pass times or something.  whatever they call it these days anyway.  well done. and the best part:  Jr. is the leading scorer in the HL, at 18.5 or something.  Ryan is second at 16.8, but I calculated the exact numbers today, and because of the vast disparity in their minutes, Ryan scores 21.13 per 40 and Ray 21.06 / 40.  So he can't even claim to be the best scorer.

Stacks, and it's pretty awesome.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Although, I should've done this before, but KVW tracks your stacks at 22.3 / 40 (!)

[agibson]

Hmm.. can we pass BYU today?  Maybe.

Exactly this. We pass BYU with their pair of losses.  Otherwise, 7-16 aren't too much changed.

Update: February 11th, 2013

1.    Gonzaga (30)    23-2    774    1    West Coast
2.    Saint Mary's (1)    21-4    719    4    West Coast
3.    Middle Tennessee    22-4    681    6    Sun Belt
4.    Creighton    20-5    643    3    Missouri Valley
5.    Belmont    20-5    627    2    Ohio Valley
6.    Wichita State    20-5    603    4    Missouri Valley
7.    Akron    19-4    578    9    Mid-American
8.    Bucknell    20-4    570    7    Patriot
9.    Louisiana Tech    21-3    543    10    WAC
10.    Stephen F. Austin    20-2    474    11    Southland
11.    Valparaiso    19-6    427    12    Horizon
12.    Montana    18-4    397    14    Big Sky
13.    Lehigh    17-5    359    13    Patriot
14.    BYU    18-8    358    8    West Coast
15.    Murray State    18-5    348    15    Ohio Valley
16.    Ohio    17-6    326    16    Mid-American
17.    Davidson    17-7    257    19    Southern
18.    Indiana State    16-8    209    NR    Missouri Valley
19.    Western Illinois    18-5    197    20    Summit
20.    North Dakota State    19-6    192    17    Summit
21.    South Dakota State    19-7    186    18    Summit
22.    Bryant    16-6    103    21    Northeast
23.    Northeastern    16-8    100    24    Colonial
24.    Vermont    16-7    63    NR    America East
25.    New Mexico State    17-8    50    NR    WAC

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Denver 46, Eastern Kentucky 29, Harvard 26, Northwestern State 24, College of Charleston 20, Elon 16, Stony Brook 16, Robert Morris 15, Santa Clara 14, Utah State 13, Weber State 11, Detroit 10, Florida Gulf Coast 10, Western Michigan 10, North Carolina Central 8, Norfolk State 5, Wright State 5, Jacksonville State 3, Long Beach State 3, Niagara 2, Albany 1, Hartford 1, Northern Iowa 1, Oakland 1, Southern 1.

[wh]

Ryan is Horizon League Player of the Week for the 4th time this season, and Bobby is Newcomer of the Week: Congrats!

http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/valpos-broekhoff-capobianco-and-wsus-young-collect-weekly-honors.html

The article mistakenly says this is the 3rd time Ryan has won the award this year.  4 POW awards in 14 weeks - amazing!  Pre-season POY nominee Ray McCallum has 1.  But who's counting? 

[EddieCabot]

For the Bracket watchers, Valpo still a #14 at ESPN and CBSSports and up to #13 at NBCSports and CNNSI.

Here's one that hasn't been referenced before ... http://www.bustingthebracket.com/2013/02/bracket-breakdown_11.html   Shows Valpo as the most highly rated #14.  Also interesting because it's easy to see the teams currently rated ahead on the #13 and #12 lines, so you know who Valpo needs to pass to get a higher seed.

[agibson]

so you know who Valpo needs to pass to get a higher seed

The usual suspects, I suppose.  His 12 and 13 lines contain six of the nine teams ahead of us in the mid-major poll, for example.

[vu72]

For the Bracket watchers, Valpo still a #14 at ESPN and CBSSports and up to #13 at NBCSports and CNNSI.

Here's one that hasn't been referenced before ... http://www.bustingthebracket.com/2013/02/bracket-breakdown_11.html   Shows Valpo as the most highly rated #14.  Also interesting because it's easy to see the teams currently rated ahead on the #13 and #12 lines, so you know who Valpo needs to pass to get a higher seed.

[/b]

Yeah, if you believe these sources.  Right now in the Sagarin's Valpo is ranked 80th in the 12th highest ranked conference out of 32.  We are currently ranked higher than 14 conference leaders and very slightly behind Belmont and SF Austen.  Those are certainly two we want to get beat in their tourneys. So if my math is right (and I'm still not sure about how the added teams figure into this)  there needs to be 12 teams ranked worse than us for us to get a 13 and 16 to get a 12. With a couple of upsets, and in conferences where the current leader wouldn't get an at-large bid, we have a shot at a 12 (probably need to win out) but a 13 seems fairly safe. Remember, the committee continues to say that rpi isn't the only factor, that's why I think Sagarin's is a better tool.  We'll find out.