3/9/13, 7:30pm - ESPNU: Green Bay @ Valpo HL Tournament Game Thread

[valporun]

I was surprised at seeing Bryce getting so caught up at one point during the GB game, and actually getting on an official about a call. Homer seemed to only do that when it seemed the team needed some kind of energy they didn't have. Bryce is very energetic, and has been just the impact coach we've needed.

[a3uge]

I was surprised at seeing Bryce getting so caught up at one point during the GB game, and actually getting on an official about a call. Homer seemed to only do that when it seemed the team needed some kind of energy they didn't have. Bryce is very energetic, and has been just the impact coach we've needed.

I know a lot of it had to do with pumping his team back up, but that call had to have been one of the worst non-calls Valpo has had this season. It's absolutely pathetic  that the refs missed that trip.

They did, however grant Valpo a makeup call the next possession with the 5-second call. The ref wasn't even counting too fast. You could see his arm wave about 3 times. I think everybody on GB realized the refs were evening it back up and didn't protest.

[FWalum]

Has Bryce been T'd up yet as head coach?  Homer use to pick his spots and get the occasional T when it was needed.  I have thought a couple of times this year that Bryce could a should a gotten one to pump up the team.  The first Loyola game comes to mind.

[Kyle321n]

Has Bryce been T'd up yet as head coach?  Homer use to pick his spots and get the occasional T when it was needed.  I have thought a couple of times this year that Bryce could a should a gotten one to pump up the team.  The first Loyola game comes to mind.

The first Detroit game also comes to mind. I don't remember him being T'd this year.

[FWalum]

Broekhoff, Barton and Buzzer-Beaters
http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/broekhoff-barton-and-buzzer-beaters/article_40602bd6-8a3f-11e2-ad5a-001a4bcf887a.html

Great piece - very inspirational.  Might even sell a couple of tickets.

Barton played in four Mid-Con title games and went to the NCAA tournament three times. Losing the 2001 championship game against Southern Utah is one of Barton's most vivid memories of his four years at Valparaiso.

"We played terribly, always a step behind everywhere," Barton said. "We were getting embarrassed out there...it wasn't meant to be. We didn't deserve it"

Much like the Crusaders last year, the 2001 team was led mainly with juniors, but there was still a trio of seniors who ended their careers with a loss to the Thunderbirds. It was those players who Barton thought of as he prepared for his senior season.

"I remember the feeling after the game," Barton said. "I felt so bad for our seniors Marko Punda, Jason Jenkins and Dwayne Toatley. It was over for them! No trip to the NCAAs. Over. I felt bad and happy that I still had one more shot."

Barton and his senior teammates made the most of their last chance and throughout the season they displayed resiliency when their backs were against the wall.

Was on the bench for both the 2001 and 2002 tournaments.  The 2001 championship tournament/game was very strange as Lubos says.  That was the infamous Mono tournament, Toatley had just been cleared to play but Stovall had not.  We met with the doctors every day with no success so I had to sit next to a very scary and upset Milo Stovall for  the whole tournament.  The next year the feeling was completely different and so of course was the result.  Lets hope that this years team parallels the 2002 team culminating in a tournament VICTORY.  I think winning in front of a packed ARC and home crowd would make things even that much better.  I am praying that the boys play to the best of their God given abilities and if that happens we should be dancing!

[valpotx]

Wasn't Gomes also out with an injury for that SUU game?  I remember that we were missing some key cogs, in addition to Milo.  The best/most embarrassing part of that game was that the ESPN cameras were focused on myself and one of my teammates for around 10 seconds, because of his sign that he was holding.  Well, it was also the time that I was yelling at Jeff Monaco, who was chest-thumping throughout the game.  You can see some 'not so nice' words coming out of my mouth  .  Memories of being a Sophomore/19 year old lol. 

[70zboy]

I'd like to say how impressed I was with Ryan in this game. Not because he hit the game winning shot, because we all know that was great, but because he forced things a little bit when it was necessary. He hit some tough shots, but more importantly he took some tough shots. Ryan will have to play like that the rest of the way if Valpo's going to continue having success (define that however you choose). This team is better when he's just a tiny bit selfish.

Excellent point. I've felt at times when the team is in a bit of a funk Rowdy should force things just a bit to shake things up.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I've felt at times when the team is in a bit of a funk Rowdy should force things just a bit to shake things up.

So true, but it's not in his personality the way it is in (for example) Kobe Bryant.  For better and/or worse!  LVD has that attitude, for sure (just not the shooting percentage yet).

There have been a number of games where Matt Kenney (who seems to have that character trait more, if not quite the ability to go with it) played in such a manner, and Rowdy been (for want of a better word) more "polite", that I wondered aloud three or so times in our gameday chats whether the two had switched jerseys!

[FWalum]

Wasn't Gomes also out with an injury for that SUU game?  I remember that we were missing some key cogs, in addition to Milo.  The best/most embarrassing part of that game was that the ESPN cameras were focused on myself and one of my teammates for around 10 seconds, because of his sign that he was holding.  Well, it was also the time that I was yelling at Jeff Monaco, who was chest-thumping throughout the game.  You can see some 'not so nice' words coming out of my mouth  .  Memories of being a Sophomore/19 year old lol. 

Gomes did not play that game, I seem to remember that he had an ankle or knee injury???  Not sure it would have made a huge difference if Gomes had played, but we were missing our third and sixth leading scorers in that game.

[StlVUFan]

Has Bryce been T'd up yet as head coach?  Homer use to pick his spots and get the occasional T when it was needed.  I have thought a couple of times this year that Bryce could a should a gotten one to pump up the team.  The first Loyola game comes to mind.

He got T'd up at Bankers Life Stadium last year when we played IUPUI.  Can't remember any others.

[VULB#62]

Has Bryce been T'd up yet as head coach?  Homer use to pick his spots and get the occasional T when it was needed.  I have thought a couple of times this year that Bryce could a should a gotten one to pump up the team.  The first Loyola game comes to mind.

He got T'd up at Bankers Life Stadium last year when we played IUPUI.  Can't remember any others.

I was thinking about bench behavior at the very beginning of the second half.  The contrast in styles between Bryce and Donlon was dramatic. I noticed how intense he was and you could see the energy flow to his players.  And we all saw what happened.  Scared the snot out of me until the last few minutes and Rowdy's dagger.  Bryce's behavior was same as ever, even under stress -- pretty level.  Team personalities reflect the personality of their coach. For us, sometimes that works against us (e.g., the Detroit loss this year), but other times "not-too-high-not-to-low" works too, like last night.  But there are times when my personality would like to see Bryce occasionally get in players' faces, yell at them a bit, maybe even drop a "darn" or  "dang."  Cuz sometimes when things appear to be going south, 'coaching' or reasoning doesn't snap a kid's head out his butt, but a raised voice does.

[valpopal]

Has Bryce been T'd up yet as head coach?  Homer use to pick his spots and get the occasional T when it was needed.  I have thought a couple of times this year that Bryce could a should a gotten one to pump up the team.  The first Loyola game comes to mind.

He got T'd up at Bankers Life Stadium last year when we played IUPUI.  Can't remember any others.

I was thinking about bench behavior at the very beginning of the second half.  The contrast in styles between Bryce and Donlon was dramatic. I noticed how intense he was and you could see the energy flow to his players.  And we all saw what happened.  Scared the snot out of me until the last few minutes and Rowdy's dagger.  Bryce's behavior was same as ever, even under stress -- pretty level.  Team personalities reflect the personality of their coach. For us, sometimes that works against us (e.g., the Detroit loss this year), but other times "not-too-high-not-to-low" works too, like last night.  But there are times when my personality would like to see Bryce occasionally get in players' faces, yell at them a bit, maybe even drop a "darn" or  "dang."  Cuz sometimes when things appear to be going south, 'coaching' or reasoning doesn't snap a kid's head out his butt, but a raised voice does.

Bryce did get into the players' faces during timeouts in the second half. In fact, during the first timeout of the second half I think he shocked some around the bench with his anger, especially when he slammed the clipboard to the floor while sitting and facing the team. The sound of the clipboard echoed throughout the ARC.

[VULB#62]

That's great!  That snippet wasn't available on ESPN or I missed it.  Glad to know it happened.