Valpo at Green Bay 2/20/14 Thursday 7:00 p.m. CT game thread

[historyman]

I believe GB is more scared of losing this game than Valpo.  Valpo 80, GB 74.

[a3uge]

Last time we were in GB we played the best game in a number of years. Hope Peters will look like Kenny from last year.

[HC]

I don't ever pick against our team, so I will say Valpo wins a close one 63-61

[valpotx]

I will go with my road trend that has led to victories, and pick GB:

GB 75
Valpo 71

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I will ... pick GB:

[VULB#62]

I predict that our three bigs take turns muscling and generally disrupting Brown's game throughout the first and into the second half.  He will take his bruised body and retreat to the perimeter where, alas, he will personally alter their game plan, thus keeping us in the game.  Unfortunately our bigs will, one at a time,  foul out by the 6 minute mark of the 2nd half.  Yet, we will win with our "small" lineup out-hustling the Phoenix over the last 4 minutes.  We win on FTs in the last 1:30.

[wh]

I don't know if well ever see a repeat of what happened at Milwaukee. 15 fouls by our 3 bigs in only 39 total minutes. I still can't believe it.

[VULB#62]

WH, you were there, right?  I was too.  I can't believe it either. If you were 6'10" or taller, all fouls close to the basket were attributed to you -- whether you did it,  or were even in close proximity to the a ball, or were even on the floor. 

BTW would have liked to meet you, but alas........

[classof2014]

Should be a good game. Valpo matches up well with GB. Will be interesting to see how Brown handles the size. Perhaps we can get him into foul trouble early.

[wh]

BTW would have liked to meet you, but alas........

Same here '62. We want to come up again next season. Maybe then...

[valpo84]

Does the Horizon still permit/pay for one chartered flight per conference season (NCAA Tourney money) and did we choose this game to be that flight (which would have been my suggestion -- thursday, 6 hour drive, home game Sat)? If we bus this game, we lose by almost 20 -- 72-53. If it's a flight, we lose by 5 with GB hitting FTs the last minute to clinch -- 72-67. Remember first team to 70 usually wins Horizon games. Upset keys, however, our bigs have to score in total 11 or more and block 6 shots (Moussa and Vashil), we have 10+ offensive rebounds and Peters scores 15, oh and <15 turnovers.

[chipper955]

Does the Horizon still permit/pay for one chartered flight per conference season (NCAA Tourney money) and did we choose this game to be that flight (which would have been my suggestion -- thursday, 6 hour drive, home game Sat)? If we bus this game, we lose by almost 20 -- 72-53. If it's a flight, we lose by 5 with GB hitting FTs the last minute to clinch -- 72-67. Remember first team to 70 usually wins Horizon games. Upset keys, however, our bigs have to score in total 11 or more and block 6 shots (Moussa and Vashil), we have 10+ offensive rebounds and Peters scores 15, oh and <15 turnovers.

My guess is that we would have used the flight when we played in the "Holiday Classic" in Orlando back in December.  I know I as well was a little worried about a Thursday night game away followed by a Saturday afternoon game back at home.

[classof2014]

Overall I'm not that concerned with the travel. Green Bay isn't that far, there is no time change, and all they do is sit on a bus and study, listen to music, talk with one another. They're not the ones driving. Sitting on a bus or in a dorm is really no different. All it does is take away time from practice on Friday.

[Pgmado]

I believe the team is flying.

[valpotx]

Overall I'm not that concerned with the travel. Green Bay isn't that far, there is no time change, and all they do is sit on a bus and study, listen to music, talk with one another. They're not the ones driving. Sitting on a bus or in a dorm is really no different. All it does is take away time from practice on Friday.

Have you ever been a passenger on a bus ride of 6 hours, then played a competitive sport the next day?  It may sound easy to do, but long bus rides can definitely take a toll on both your mental and physical conditioning.  You already have that feeling of not being at peace in your own bed working against you, then adding a long commute makes it even worse.  It can be hard to get over that initial weird feeling of feeling out of place when at practice on the road. 

[VULB#62]

Overall I'm not that concerned with the travel. Green Bay isn't that far, there is no time change, and all they do is sit on a bus and study, listen to music, talk with one another. They're not the ones driving. Sitting on a bus or in a dorm is really no different. All it does is take away time from practice on Friday.

Have you ever been a passenger on a bus ride of 6 hours, then played a competitive sport the next day?  It may sound easy to do, but long bus rides can definitely take a toll on both your mental and physical conditioning.  You already have that feeling of not being at peace in your own bed working against you, then adding a long commute makes it even worse.  It can be hard to get over that initial weird feeling of feeling out of place when at practice on the road.

Yep!  I regularly drive the leg from Milwaukee to just south of GB -- believe me,   it's not intellectually stimulating ....   look a farm!  And I am 6'1" --  not 7' or even 6'5''.  Those buses are not designed for BB players.

[classof2014]

I really don't think the travel will effect them Saturday. If anything it would be fatigue and nagging injuries after playing a game a two days prior. If the YSU game was Friday night instead then maybe. Saturday though it will have no effect. Like I said, I don't think sitting on a bus will effect their play at all. What will effect the game will be nagging injuries following the GB game much more than a few hour bus ride on Friday morning.

[chef]

The Horizon League pays for one charter a year. Valpo is using that to fly to GB.

[wh]

Glad to hear that.

While we're on the subject, long, non-intellectualy stimulating road trips would be a much bigger topic on this board had we moved to the MVC.

[valpo84]

Thanks Chef. Using it on this trip is a great move. For Co2014, as someone who has been cramped on planes and other transportation for many hours at a time, getting off said mode and trying to play basketball at a high level is effected, especially crawling onto a cramped bus with insufficient leg room and riding for 6 hours after playing. For the players to be home 2 hours after a game (or so) and a full night's rest in your own bed does wonders. Fatigue and nagging injuries are exacerbated by long bus rides.

[humbleopinion]

So does the charter leave form Porter County Airport?  If not, they have a ninety minute ride to the airport on a bus, wait at the airport for another hour or two,  then however long the plane sits on the ground plus the time of the the flight, and then the bus ride to the gym or hotel.  I suppose that's a bit better than just taking a bus.

[VULB#62]

When the FB team flew charter they flew out of Gary.

[Pgmado]

Porter County.

[VUfan]

This game sets the tone for the rest of the season, win here the rest of the games become Important. A loss and we are playing for 3ed or 4Th. The team responds and puts a body on Brown using at least 12 fouls. and MR Dority runs Mr Sykes off the court. The rest of the team flies all over the court with out reservation.

Valpo 74 UWGB 66. We win three more and stay Home for two more games!!!!!!    

[valpotx]

Even if we lose, we are not out of second.  We would have one more loss than CSU, and would still play them at home.  We own the tiebreaker against them if we beat them and end up with the same conference record, since the next tiebreaker is best record against top seed (we would be 1-1 against GB, and they would be 0-2).