12/17: Valpo @ Oakland Game Thread

[valpotx]

Good lord, not what I wanted to hear.  We took many bad shots during that 5 minute slowdown, all because we didn't start moving until about 10 seconds left on the shot clock!  Put your damn foot on the throat of the opposition, before giving them hope!!!

[valporun]

If we're slowing down in hopes of getting them so frustrated that we get to the free throw line, then drive the lane, and force them to foul, not wait until we're in a hurry-up offense with 10 seconds in the shot clock so we cause turnovers of our own.

[wh]

"We looked at the tape, and if I could go back, I'd do the same thing," Romney said.

"We looked at the tape, and if I could go back, I'd do the same thing," Earhart said.

"We looked at the tape, and if I could go back, I'd do the same thing," every Bills coach since Marv Levy said.

lol

[valpo64]

While Bryce is a very young, inexperienced D-1 coach,  I hope he'll learn from the veteran coaches who have strong teams year in and year out...a good example of keeping after it was last night 's Indiana game, they keep pushing..it seems like we back off.  It's about time we start getting after it - maybe tonight and we can start performing like we should be expected to perform.

[VULB#62]

Maybe it's not quite swagger, but there has got to be a confidence that exudes.  You guys who are close to the campus and attend games -- do you see that?  Talent-wise, isn't that what separates Butler from us? Do they really have the talent to defeat the #1 and the #whatever team in country or is it in-bred attitude?  If it is the latter, then that is what Bryce has got to draw out of the kids in the next couple of weeks. They are old enough and experienced enough to walk onto any court and believe they own it.  But up to now, from a distance, that hasn't been happening.  Or am I out in left field somewhere?

[Smj]

I don't even know what to say....   I guess I will just say

I have ALWAYS hated the slow down offensive.   It is playing not to lose instead of playing to win.   We were pulling away - turned a deficit into a lead. (Obviously we "were" doing something right.  Usually it is the other team wants to "ice" a team.)

[wh]

Maybe it's not quite swagger, but there has got to be a confidence that exudes.  You guys who are close to the campus and attend games -- do you see that?  Talent-wise, isn't that what separates Butler from us? Do they really have the talent to defeat the #1 and the #whatever team in country or is it in-bred attitude?  If it is the latter, then that is what Bryce has got to draw out of the kids in the next couple of weeks. They are old enough and experienced enough to walk onto any court and believe they own it.  But up to now, from a distance, that hasn't been happening.  Or am I out in left field somewhere?

I forget who we hosted at the ARC in the post season 2 years ago (Iona maybe?), but I do remember how they just imposed their will on us from minute one.  Right out of the gate they looked more confident (and more interested), played extremely physically, improvised, took shots when they were there, and in general just looked they knew exactly what they wanted to do and went out and did it.  We never did match their energy level, except in short bursts.  We just looked goofy.  I think that's a pretty good example of exactly what you're talking about.  By the way, that was the same Valpo team that only a couple of weeks earlier dominated 1st place MVC team Missouri State on that same court.  This "mental" inconsistency is a longstanding problem at Valpo.  I don't know what the answer is.  I wish I did.

[valporun]

wh, it was Iona, during the CIT. We just keep going downhill in non-conference games that have some meaning to them. Tonight, you could visibly see IUPUI just fizzle away, but we could have put the game away a lot sooner. The first half struggles were probably with getting used to the new lineup, and how the ball would get passed around, since Ryan and Kevin were used to how Buggs and Bogan would be, now they are getting used to Dority and Kenney starting, that can mentally mess with your head if it's a new rotation 12 games into the season.

[justducky]

I forget who we hosted at the ARC in the post season 2 years ago (Iona maybe?), but I do remember how they just imposed their will on us from minute one.  Right out of the gate they looked more confident (and more interested), played extremely physically, improvised, took shots when they were there, and in general just looked they knew exactly what they wanted to do and went out and did it.  We never did match their energy level, except in short bursts.  We just looked goofy.  I think that's a pretty good example of exactly what you're talking about.  By the way, that was the same Valpo team that only a couple of weeks earlier dominated 1st place MVC team Missouri State on that same court.  This "mental" inconsistency is a longstanding problem at Valpo.  I don't know what the answer is.  I wish I did.

Yes it was Iona, and there were if you remember; those night on the town rumors that I wouldn't confirm even if I could. You might also remember that Iona might have been the first team that totally abandonded Erik and only guarded those on our team where they could score. Cory Johnson was given plenty of room at the 3 point line as well.

If and when this coach and these players figure out what each needs to do to win then this confidence issue could turn on a dime and suddenly it might be the opposing  coaching staffs having the sleepless nights. I still believe that  this group of players (with its talents and limitations) will give us and the world of college basketball a pretty good idea of how good or bad Bryce is going to be at his chosen profession.