3/18/14 - 7:05pm CT: Valpo vs. Columbia Game Thread - First Round CIT

[valpo04]

The Valparaiso men's basketball team's fourth straight postseason appearance will begin at the ARC against Ivy League foe Columbia in the first round of the 2014 CollegeInsider.com Tournament on Tuesday, March 18 at 7:05 p.m.

Valparaiso enters the CIT with an 18-15 record overall this season, including a 9-7 mark in Horizon League play – Valpo's fifth straight season over .500 in one of the nation's top-12 leagues. The Crusaders are led by First Team All-Horizon League selection Lavonte Dority (Chicago, Ill./Foreman [USF]), who averages 16.0 ppg and shoots 43.2% from the 3-point line, while All-Freshman Team choice Alec Peters (Washington, Ill./Washington) paced Valpo with 47 points in its two HL Championship games.

Columbia brings a 19-12 mark into the CIT, including an 8-6 record in Ivy League play. The Lions are led by junior forward Alex Rosenberg, who averages 16.2 ppg and hits at a 43.1% clip from 3-point range. Rosenberg also gets to the free throw line better than eight times a game and is an 82.6% shooter from the stripe, leading the Columbia squad to a top-10 spot nationally in team free throw percentage (77.0%). Sophomore guards Maodo Lo (14.5 ppg, 44.9% 3PT%) and Grant Mullins (11.7 ppg, 89.9% FT%) also average in double figures for the Lions.

The Crusaders and Lions have had no common opponents this season. Valpo and Columbia have met twice previously on the hardwood, with the Lions earning a 66-64 win on Dec. 30, 1957 and the Crusaders winning 71-55 on Dec. 21, 2001 in Laie, Hawaii. The last time Valpo hosted an Ivy League squad was on Dec. 18, 1993, when the Crusaders defeated Dartmouth 100-54.

Tickets are available now for Tuesday night's game by visiting ValpoAthletics.com, calling 877-MY-VU-TIX or 219-464-5233, or by visiting the ticket office, located in the main lobby of the ARC.

http://valpo.streamlinetechnologies.com/mbasketball/news/2013-14/13517/crusaders-to-host-columbia-in-cit-first-round-game-tuesday-evening/

[vu72]

A very intriguing matchup.  They played a very good Harvard team close at home but then were destroyed by 33 at Harvard. They have size but appear very young with no seniors and 10 members of the roster being freshman or sophomores.

[valpotx]

This is definitely a very winnable game for us.  I would say that our game against Iona 3 years ago was much more difficult competition than we will be facing this time.  I remember the last time we played them in the Hawaii tournament in 2001, and we handled them pretty easily.  Though they have a good record, I am not fearful of this team...

A hearty congratulations to Columbia though, as I just read on their release that this is their first postseason action in 46 years!!!

http://www.gocolumbialions.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9600&ATCLID=209432734

[HC]

I don't know, Valpo by 6.

[78crusader]

Though they have a good record, I am not fearful of this team...

This is the kiss of death if ever there was one.  I still have flashbacks of our absolutely disastrous outing against Iona.  We will have to play much, much better than we have been playing to have a chance to win this game.

Paul

[valpotx]

Yes, it can be the kiss of death, but Iona was a much better team than Columbia is.  It appears that their bigs are all 3 point shooters, so I am assuming that they pretty much play everyone around the perimeter for much of the game.  Only one guy averages more than 4 rebounds per game as well (another has 4.0 exactly), so it is a combined effort in their +3.0 rpg.  I say that we win:

Valpo 71
Columbia 64

[govalpogo]

Ionagate, I'm sad to say, was the last Valpo game I attended before graduating and moving back to the east coast.  What an awful homestretch that season turned out to have.  It was the only game in which I ever sat down in the student section during play...not that it mattered...there were only about 6 of us....just a terrible way to end my student section career.  Anyway, that team was incredibly disappointed to not at least be playing in the NIT, let alone the NCAA's ergo they did not take the "PB&J Tournament" (as one Michigan State transfer called it) seriously.  The 07-08 team took the CBI more seriously because it was their first postseason action in several years (and they played more reputable teams).  This team loaded with freshmen, and never really having NIT hopes, will hopefully take the game/tourney more seriously. 

[Chairback]

I say under 1K in fans.  I'm struggling to see any value at all in participating in this.  The team came out with a thud in the horizon tourney so I don't expect them to be mentally into this game.

It's very hard for a fan to get pumped up for Columbia in the CIT so I think having a pep rally is laughable.

How many games do you have to win to be CIT champs? Also, how much cash do we have to shell out to play in this game?  Hopefully we are not at a net loss cash wise for playing.

Off to fill out my CIT bracket!

[a3uge]

Ionagate, I'm sad to say, was the last Valpo game I attended before graduating and moving back to the east coast.  What an awful homestretch that season turned out to have.  It was the only game in which I ever sat down in the student section during play...not that it mattered...there were only about 6 of us....just a terrible way to end my student section career.  Anyway, that team was incredibly disappointed to not at least be playing in the NIT, let alone the NCAA's ergo they did not take the "PB&J Tournament" (as one Michigan State transfer called it) seriously.  The 07-08 team took the CBI more seriously because it was their first postseason action in several years (and they played more reputable teams).  This team loaded with freshmen, and never really having NIT hopes, will hopefully take the game/tourney more seriously.

Was definitely one of those 6 people in the student section, along with Drewsaders that posts occasionally here. That's half of us, I guess. I think there were under 300 people total there. That season ended super abruptly... the stupid bracketbuster breaking up the Wisconsin trip, the missed layup, the OT loss to GB, the loss to Loyola at home, the loss vs Milwaukee after destroying Detroit... Not surprised the team didn't want to be there (except Jay Harris, oddly enough).

Anyways, I wonder if this will be streamed somehow.

[talksalot]

I put this article on the other CIT thread... Here's Columbia's take on this:

NEW YORK – The Columbia University men's basketball program has accepted a bid to play in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT), Dr. M. Dianne Murphy, Director, Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education announced today.

"We are thrilled to participate in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament," Murphy said.  "We are so proud of the season our men's basketball team had.  I can think of no better way to cap off a wonderful season than by participating in a great postseason tournament."

The Lions will travel to Valparaiso, Indiana to play Valparaiso on Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 7:05 p.m. Central Time for Columbia's first post season appearance since the 1967-68 season.

Columbia is 1-1 all-time vs. the Crusaders, earning a 66-64 win in 1957 and losing to Valparaiso 71-55 in 2001.

Columbia enters the CIT at 19-12, 8-6 in the Ivy League, marking the most wins since 1969-70 and the most Ivy League wins since 1992-93.

"We are excited for this opportunity to play in the CIT," head men's basketball coach Kyle Smith said. "It has always been our goal to play in the postseason.  It is fantastic to see our team reach one of their goals."

[LaPorteAveApostle]

WE ARE GONNA HAFTA HAVE A CIT BRACKET CONTEST

anyway.  this dude gets to the line over 8 times a game.  that is certifiably insane.  his season would be far and away the top FT making season at VU (in Bruce Lindner's Insane In The Membrane Season he made 177) -- Rosenberg's over 200 made.

aaaaaand i would expect nothing less than for the Top-10 FT% in the country to be filled with Ivy Leaguers, except that it's not, and they shoot "only" 74.5%, not 77 according to bbstate.

still, don't foul 'em, i guess.  there's your scoutin' report.

here's your scoutin' music:
"Bull-dogs run around New Haven,
Harvard paints old Cambridge red;
Even poor old Philadelphia
Really has a college, it is said;
Williamstown belongs to Williams;
Princeton's tiger stands at bay;
But old New York won't let
the world forget that
There's a college on Broadway."

Anyways, I wonder if this will be streamed somehow.

Someone said HLN up above...

[bbtds]

Here's the HLN feed website for the CIT game versus Columbia:

http://www.horizonleague.org/live/11349

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Here's the HLN feed website for the CIT game versus Columbia:

I'll be honest--I clicked on it hoping to see some kind of pregame or something. 

Need my fix.

[valpo04]

Here's the HLN feed website for the CIT game versus Columbia:

http://www.horizonleague.org/live/11349

It is the same HLNValpo feed that is embedded with the chat window in the "Game Day" section of this forum.

http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?board=13.0

[valpo4life]

I watched Columbia have Michigan State on the ropes in East Lansing. I think everyone here is overlooking these guys, this one should be a very tight one.

[govalpogo]

Columbia also has a lot more reason to "get up" for this game than our guys do with this being their first postseason game in many years.

[valpotx]

On the other end, they could be very nervous, as no one on their team has experienced such a feeling in the postseason.

[govalpogo]

Very true, Let's hope that is the emotion that shows up on their end...although they showed up for their big game against MSU.

[classof2014]

I'm guessing our guys will have a better showing than the Iona debacle a few seasons ago. We are a freshmen heavy team, who in their first season are playing in a post-season tournament. It's not like a bunch of seniors that were disappointed in not being able to get into the NCAA's especially looking so good during the season.

I'm guessing the freshmen and the team will be excited to have this opportunity to salvage what was a mediocre season.

Unfortunately this is one of the few games I'm gonna have to miss. Really hope they win so I at least have another opportunity to see them at the ARC before November.

[historyman]

How many games do you have to win to be CIT champs? 

There are 32 teams so 1 or 2 less games than the NCAA tournament. Win 5 games and you win the CIT.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

There's only ever been one extended non-Dance postseason run in school history--the 2002 WNIT.  I would say the 3-game run in that really helped the team in the next year, right?  This could really be something.  But we have to get past a tough team too.

(I was at the Michigan game.  Had no qualms rooting against my soon-to-be alma mater for the sake of Jeanette & co.)

[valporun]

I agree with that, LAA. I only saw a small part of the WNIT game vs. Houston because of class. I missed Michigan and Ball State because of a track trip to California, also meaning I missed the game in St. Louis against Kentucky for the same reason. It was a fun day trip to West Lafayette to play Purdue in the Women's NCAA, followed by the 2004 trip to Williams Arena in Minnesota with them.

[justducky]

I'm guessing our guys will have a better showing than the Iona debacle a few seasons ago.

I think if I were tied-up to a chair with a gun to my head and given the choice of watching either that Iona game or the March 6 2012 HLT beat down by Detroit at the ARC, then the later game followed by the infamous Ray McCallum Jr. ESPN camera dance might be the better choice. Another good option would be for the gunman to just go ahead and pull the trigger.

[valpotx]

That WNIT run was quite fun, and I was at the Houston game hosted at the ARC.  That was the only time I have seen the women's game filled with spectators, and it was a great environment.  It definitely set us up for the NCAA appearances the next two years.

[usc4valpo]

Columbia won't be nervous - they will be playing at the ARC, not Rupp Arena or Pauley Pavillion.  They also won 19 games and played a very good Harvard team close in an OT loss.   You guys are underestimating the Ivy League and the geek squad schools.  I have to wonder if the Crusader will be up for this.