12/17: Valpo @ Oakland Game Thread

[HC]

http://sectionee.blogspot.com/2012/12/pps-preview-oakland.html

Another opportunity at another road win.  Any win on the road is a good one.  Lets get this one then two at home to end out the week.

[govalpogo]

It's all about the W's, baby.  Just WIN...pretty win...ugly win...the record doesn't care...just win.

[wh]

NWI Times game day story:

Crusaders have lineup options with added depth

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/valparaiso-university/crusaders-have-lineup-options-with-added-depth/article_1fa6ea85-3c3f-56bf-b9f8-b1820fe7ae45.html

Kampe video preview:

"Grizz Vision" with Greg Kampe 12/16/12

Oakland Press game day story:

Oakland returns from break to host former conference rival Valparaiso

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2012/12/16/sports/grizzlies/doc50ce73b445ccb342586593.txt

[VUfan]

Vary Winnable VU 72 OU 60 learning to win on the Road!!!

[wh]

Early line Valpo by 3.5

[78crusader]

The W over Mo State was not impressive...ORU beat these guys by 20.  So, my prediction for Oakland is:

Valpo loses by 5...a thoroughly disappointing and baffling season continues....

Paul

[HC]

a thoroughly disappointing and baffling season continues...

What exactly has been thoroughly disappointing and baffling?  Our 7-3 record?  Our one questionable loss to Nebraska?  Or are you referring to the continued poor play by several of our guys who really weren't that great last year anyways?

[78crusader]

I guess if I had to boil it down to two things, I would say, first, that a senior-laden team such as ours, which includes an All-American, usually plays better than the previous year, if for no other reason than there are seasoned players who have been around for several years and know what to expect, how to handle the pressure, how to play together, etc.  This is not the case this year -- we look lost and tentative much of the time, with way too many turnovers and what I will simply call silly mistakes.  I very much doubt we will match last year's 22-12 record.  Second, I had hoped this year's squad, with all of the seniors, would finally be the team that would get a win or two against a BCS team.  That did not happen either.

Paul

[HC]

I will agree with some of what you're saying.  Way too many turnovers, Kenney and Buggs are you listening?  Matt, Ben, and Will have just been awful, which means they can only get better right?  I look at this way, with as poorly as we've played at times this year we have a very respectable record and our guys are learning to win when they aren't at their best. Like in MLB when a pitcher doesn't have his best stuff and just has to survive.  LVD brings this team into a whole new dimension with his apparent offensive capabilities.  I think the fun is just about to start in Valpo.

[bbtds]

I will agree with some of what you're saying.  Way too many turnovers, Kenney and Buggs are you listening?  Matt, Ben, and Will have just been awful, which means they can only get better right?  I look at this way, with as poorly as we've played at times this year we have a very respectable record and our guys are learning to win when they aren't at their best. Like in MLB when a pitcher doesn't have his best stuff and just has to survive.  LVD brings this team into a whole new dimension with his apparent offensive capabilities.  I think the fun is just about to start in Valpo.

Possible, not probable.

Valpo wins by playing good defense. They don't win by improved ball handling or making more FT's.

Valpo     66
Oakland  60

[crusaderjoe]

a thoroughly disappointing and baffling season continues...

What exactly has been thoroughly disappointing and baffling?  Our 7-3 record?  Our one questionable loss to Nebraska?  Or are you referring to the continued poor play by several of our guys who really weren't that great last year anyways?

Nice spin.  If Nebraska was a "questionable loss", then Kent was certainly a "questionable win." 

As for OU, now that the pieces appear to be in place, I just hope that if we get out to a lead that we maintain it, and if we have a chance to stomp on their neck and go for the kill at some point that we actually do it so game momentum has no chance of shifting. I didn't see this at Kent and didn't see this at Missouri State either. On the road we either curl up into a ball or offer no killer instinct when we're actually in a game which ultimately makes VU have to rely on the other team's weaknesses in order to win, IMO.  This has got to change for League play.

[crusadermoe]

Very winnable and understably favorites.   But also a big trap for many reasons.   

Thank god for Dorrity who gives me more confidence that we won't run dry for long spells or give up 5-6 turnovers in a row.

Oakland and Kampe get very jacked up to play Valpo.   Long-timers know that the streak of OU losses to Valpo went on forever even though the games were often close.   The O-rena is tiny and really rocks when games come down to the wire.    I don't know the Oakland roster at all and the big guy there is gone so it seems we really should win this one. 

But we need a "take charge" physical guy in games like this to get out in front and choke off the crowd.    I think Van Vijk and his put backs are the key.   He's been quiet lately in the box scores. 

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Valpo by 3. 

RPIForecast puts spread at 3.3 (the .3 are probably one of Buggs' rimming free throws) with a 61% chance of victory; RealTimeRPI says VU 69-67 with a 54.1% chance.  We'll see!
...
On a somewhat-related note, LVD (note to MSU color:  does not stand for "Laverne").  If this is his junior year of eligibility, doesn't he effectively lose a whole year of playing time--as though the transfer never hit "pause" for a year?

Something about the "semester" deal confuses the issue.  With Capo, for example, it's easy.  He played 2 years (four semesters), sat out the 1, and has 2 yrs left.

Hear me out: LVD played 3 semesters at USF (fall 10, spring 11, fall 11) and if truly a junior, 3 at VU (spring 13, fall 13, spring 14).  He would only get 6 semesters = 3 years of eligibility instead of 4.  What gives?

If transferring mid-year meant that you lost that entire year, why would anyone do it, unless they were truly miserable?  Basically you're getting to play at a different school a semester before you otherwise would, but you're sacrificing one whole year of eligibility to do so when you wouldn't if you just toughed out a few more months.

Basically, I'm saying I want him around for another year.  Even truth219 couldn't disagree with that.

[zvillehaze]

Hear me out: LVD played 3 semesters at USF (fall 10, spring 11, fall 11) and if truly a junior, 3 at VU (spring 13, fall 13, spring 14).  He would only get 6 semesters = 3 years of eligibility instead of 4.  What gives?

If transferring mid-year meant that you lost that entire year, why would anyone do it, unless they were truly miserable?  Basically you're getting to play at a different school a semester before you otherwise would, but you're sacrificing one whole year of eligibility to do so when you wouldn't if you just toughed out a few more months.

I see your point, but the NCAA allows a player four "seasons of competion".  Except in the case of injury, a player uses a "season of competition" once they participate in a single game.  In Dority's case, his four seasons will be '10-'11, '11-'12, '12-'13 and '13-'14.

You are correct on effectively losing a season's worth of games by transferring mid-year, but that's the way it works (same thing happened with Ben Boggs, if you recall).  The only other option for these guys would be to sit out the entire season to have two full seasons left.  Not an option with Dority, because he's obviously needed.  But if you look back, there was some discussion of holding Boggs out last year so he would have two full seasons ('12-'13 and '13-'14) left. 

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Somehow I don't remember being as concerned last year


thanks for the clarification.

[truth219]

I like dority. He is a talented player. He is more of a key player than a role player

[valpopal]

Speaking of Dority: he was just named a Horizon League Newcomer of the Week. That didn't take long!

http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/uics-barnes-loyolas-turk-and-valpos-dority-pick-up-weekly-awards.html

[valpotx]

Good to see us split the 2 games while on my cruise.  It sounds like we are still sloppy at times, but I believe we pull this one out in the end.

Valpo 68
Oakland 59

[covufan]

I'm far from disappointed with the season at this time.  About where I would have expected prior to the start of the season.

Valpo  72
Oak     65

[wh]

Good to see us split the 2 games while on my cruise.  It sounds like we are still sloppy at times, but I believe we pull this one out in the end.

Welcome back!  Did you visit St. Thomas (wh's home away from home - and paradise on earth I might add )? 

[crusadermoe]

Let's drink a champagne toast to tradition after a VU victory. 

The Champagne brothers, Dan and Jon, were forwards on early Oakland teams and Jon got into a pretty serious fight with us at the ARC one time.  Dan was a much better player.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Didn't take too much to get those guys to pop their cork.

[valpotx]

Good to see us split the 2 games while on my cruise.  It sounds like we are still sloppy at times, but I believe we pull this one out in the end.

Welcome back!  Did you visit St. Thomas (wh's home away from home - and paradise on earth I might add )? 

I will do the Eastern Caribbean next time, as this one was Western (Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica (Falmouth), and Labadee (Royal Caribbean's private portion of Haiti)). Definitely a good respite from work, but I was sad to not have any real Internet/phone access to do live stats 

[agibson]

Looking a little at Oakland's schedule.  It's been pretty brutal.  By RPI SOS the 60th most difficult in D1.  Just one win, and a couple of bad losses.  But, also blowing a big lead at Pitt.  And tough competition elsewhere.  This will be their first D1 game at home.  And then they go back on the road for four more, including a couple more reasonably tough non-conference games.

I won't be surprised if we find a hungry Oakland team, and tough competition.

[vu72]

other than paying has anyone found a free site to watch this game?