2014-15 Season

[classof2014]

The 2014/15 season will soon be upon us, hard to believe that the first exhibition game tips off in under a month. Like last years team there are plenty of unknowns surrounding this team, with Yeo opting to be a big fish in a little pond and the recent injury to Lexus it creates some opportunities for some of the new guys, as well as what is happening with Hammink?

I do believe that Valpo will finish top half of the HL, I think KC will be much improved and will be able to find the consistency that eluded him last season and Alec will be a finalist for PoY, when all is said and done.

Anyways here is my depth chart for the season.

1: Lexus, KC, Max Joseph
2: Darien Walker, Tevonn Walker, Nick Davidson
3: Alec, Nickerson
4: Jubril, ?Hammink?, David Skara
5: Vashil, David Chadwick, Skara

There are a ton of questions on who will play where this year, with the injury to Lexus and the departure of Yeo really makes it difficult to figure who will play what and the questions surrounding Hammink's eligibility, will Nickerson and Chadwick be able to stay healthy throughout the year? What freshmen will step up?

I do believe we are much better than last year, I think Nickerson will play a big role off the bench and a Walker will have a terrific season. We should finish in the upper half of the HL and a first place finish isn't out of the question with the returning talent we have. Last year's freshmen class performed above and beyond my expectations so I have no reason to believe why this year's class will be any different. 

[vu72]

It is really hard to say with so little knowledge of so many new players.  I think your depth chart looks about right.  It could go 10 deep, more early on with the need to play different combinations.  If Hammink can play it could be the difference maker.  The Canadians come in with big reputations as Walker was ranked as the 8th best in all of Canada and Joseph was ranked 22nd.

The biggest thing is the experience the sophomores gained last year and the comfort gained by Keith.  Remember that LaVonte looked a lot like Keith when he joined the team mid-year.  He went on to be a 1st Team All Conference player.  Not saying Keith will do that but I do expect him to be a lot more consistent.  Should be fun.

Final thought:  If we "are much better than last year" what do you expect? We went 18-16 and finished finished fourth by 2 games over 5th.  So, "top half" doesn't really get us to "much better"!   

[vu72]

I wonder if we are over reacting to the loss of Lexus.  A rising star no doubt but Keith seems to have gotten a bad rap as amking too many mistakes etc.  Perhaps the hype concerning him coming in was not fair to begin with.

Looking at the stats from last year Keith and Lexus were very similar concerning Assists and turnovers per game or per minute.

Lexus had 2.38 assists per game and .102 per minute.  He had 1.37 assists per turnover.
Keith had 2.32 assists per game and .125 per minute.  He had 1.38 assists per turnover.

Keith averaged 5.7 ppg while Lexus had 6.5.

Dority had the worst turnover to assist ratio amoung the three but his role was that of a scorer which he sometimes took too seriously.   

[classof2014]

I wonder if we are over reacting to the loss of Lexus.  A rising star no doubt but Keith seems to have gotten a bad rap as amking too many mistakes etc.  Perhaps the hype concerning him coming in was not fair to begin with.

Looking at the stats from last year Keith and Lexus were very similar concerning Assists and turnovers per game or per minute.

Lexus had 2.38 assists per game and .102 per minute.  He had 1.37 assists per turnover.
Keith had 2.32 assists per game and .125 per minute.  He had 1.38 assists per turnover.

Keith averaged 5.7 ppg while Lexus had 6.5.

Dority had the worst turnover to assist ratio amoung the three but his role was that of a scorer which he sometimes took too seriously.   

I agree about the Keith statements, from watching him last season you saw flashes of a great player and he definitely has the skills to do great things. Like I previously said I think he'll have more consistency in his game than he did last year, towards the end of the season I thought he began to play much better as well.

[a3uge]

Carter had a team best 5.0 assists per 40 and 2.4 steals per 40. He also had a higher 12.4 points vs 11.2 for Lexus. While his turnover numbers were bad, he was more efficient than Lexus in a variety of categories, including 3pt% (higher than Peters), FG%, FGs, rebounding and blocks.

His defense was noticeably better, and in my opinion, was the best defender on the team. His defensive rating of 100.8 was the 2nd best on the team (Moussa at 1) and his steal % was the best on the team at 3.4%.

I'm not suggesting KC was outright better than Lexus... moreso that I don't necessarily think we're losing 3-4 more games as Commissioner suggests without Lexus. Lexus had some great moments, but he also had the lowest PER out of anyone on the team, and I think Carter's athleticism and frame make for a higher ceiling than Lexus.

The expectations for Carter were pretty ridiculous, but I do think he'll look a lot better with him being a starter and having lots of minutes.

[wh]

My starting lineup guess has peters at the 4, Nickerson at the 3, and Jubril playing a major role off the bench.

[FWalum]

Sorry that Lexus tore the ACL. I am sure we all pray for his full recovery. He was a huge surprise last year and performed way beyond just about everyone's expectations especially my own.  I think his high level of performance early in the season added to the pressure on Keith and influenced the style of play that we expected to see from KC.  I think Carter really puts it all together this year, much like LaVonte did last year. As a3uge eluded to, Carter strikes me as the type of player that needs minutes, the more minutes the better he will play.  Most likely this year he will not be looking over his shoulder as often to see someone else filling his spot, allowing him to play loose and instinctive.  Keith's increased comfort level should lead to better offensive numbers across the board.

Agree wholeheartedly with a3uge's defensive assessment of  KC.  LOVE his ball pressure and how he stays in-front.  Constant ball pressure can just wear an opponent out and we all know what happens when you get tired. We had a saying at IT that "ball pressure is a b!#ch". Our guards loved to harass our opponents and hated it just as much when it happened to them. Loved watching Keith play defense, forget all the offensive expectations, defense was the first thing that I noticed about him.

I also don't buy the Commissioner's thought train that the sky is falling because Lexus is injured. To suggest that we lose 3-4 more games because of his absence seems a little extreme to me.  I think we will have enough capable guard play to give KC a blow when needed.

With the likely improvements to Peter's, Adekoya and Vashil along with the addition of Nickerson and perhaps Hammink, we will be much more experienced than last year and should expect improvement rather than decline.

[justducky]

As an open question who will play the most minutes at backup center? Will it be Skara, Adekoya, or Chadwick? Right now I am leaning towards Jubril but I hope that one of the other two are good enough to beat him out.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Wondering why you would hope that--other than the obvious "that means we have even more good players"...so that Jubril can get a breather?

I'm thinking we might see a "small" lineup in the absence of Vashil--with Jubril and Alec or E-Victor/Hammink.  Two of the three of them gives you a couple 6-7+ guys, and three of them?  Not too many in the HL can roll 3 of those anyway, let alone in a "small" lineup.

[ValpoFan]

I have a feeling that Jubril will be the nicest surprise to all of us this year. With a year under his belt, the game will slow down a bit for him and he will have a breakout season. Mark my words!

[justducky]

Wondering why you would hope that--other than the obvious "that means we have even more good players"...so that Jubril can get a breather?

I have a feeling that Jubril will be the nicest surprise to all of us this year. With a year under his belt, the game will slow down a bit for him and he will have a breakout season. Mark my words!

For Jubril to have a breakout season his 3 point shooting has to significantly improve. His maneuverability both with and without the ball will increase dramatically if he has to be guarded out to the 3 point line. This is equally true if he is playing the 4 or as a backup small center  for Vashil.

My worst nightmare is Jubril being clearly better at the 5 than Skara or Chadwick but not shooting the 3 well enough to draw out a defender. That is the reason (as well as depth) that I hope the other 2 potential centers can emerge. On top of this I am not certain that Jubril has any desire to play the 5 other than it might be what the team needs most.

[wh]

I'm not concerned so much about Jubril hitting 3's, but he has to be able to consistently knock down 15-foot baseline jump shots to keep defenses honest. Last year (especially in conference) opponents were leaving him wide open on the baseline in favor of doubling down low or overplaying Alec or LaVonte.  Possession after possession we worked through our progressions with our shooters bottled up, and Jubril wide open.  We already have one handicap on the offensive end with Vashil, who can't score from anywhere other than directly underneath and who has a hard time handling lobs over the top without fumbling the ball.  Hopefully, Vashil's ball handling skills will improve, but regardless we have to have the ability to score from multiple positions if we hope to consistently win close games in conference.   

[wh]

Getting the students engaged:

http://instagram.com/p/uMVOK9jTXx/

[a3uge]

Dark gray shirts will fit in nicely with the 8 different shades of gold shirts they've handed out in the past.

But great idea on the dodgeball tourney.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Too true.  Although seems endemic to anything mass produced.

You never knew there were so many shades of green until attending the Valpo schools' "This Is Our Story" concert.

[wh]

Just received this email from ml re. 4th annual Season Ticket Holder Open Practice:

Dear Season Ticket Holder,

Thank you for purchasing season tickets for the 2014-2015 Valpo Basketball season. We are excited for another thrilling season of Crusader basketball! To show our appreciation for your involvement in the program, you and your family are invited to the 4th annual Season Ticket Holder Open Practice. You'll have the opportunity to connect with men's basketball head coach Bryce Drew, women's basketball head coach Tracey Dorow, as well as both teams!

This exclusive event for season ticket holders will be held at the ARC on Wednesday, Oct. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. and will involve one hour of practice before concluding with a "meet-and-greet" with both teams. You will be the first group to catch a glimpse of your Crusaders as they prepare for the 2014-2015 season. A complimentary light meal will be provided. If you are able to attend, we ask that you RSVP by calling 219.464.6894 or by emailing valpo.athletics@valpo.edu with the size of your party.

Details at a Glance
What: Season Ticket Holder Open Practice, a light meal provided
Where: Arena in Athletics-Recreation Center
When: 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 22

We look forward to seeing you at this event and thank you again for your continued support of Valpo Basketball!

Sincerely,

Mark LaBarbera

[wh]

From Paul Oren:

‏@NWIOren
Good news for @ValpoBasketball. Bryce Drew reports that E. Victor Nickerson practiced for the first time today.

@NWIOren
Nickerson is coming off double hip surgery. Will be big part of the rotation this season.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

In my analysis of unanswered questions, I forgot one...

WHAT DOES THE E STAND FOR IN E VICTOR NICKERSON?

[ValpoFan]

Seeing how he's had multiple hip surgeries... the E. prefix could probably mean "Enhanced".   

[LaPorteAveApostle]

ENHANCED VICTOR NICKERSON IT IS

[a3uge]

But Victor E sounds like Victory.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

A lot, actually.  In fact, tf E. Victor and (Harry) Bell played on the same team...

To E. Victor go the spoils.

[vu72]

Finally got the team picture up.  Unfortunately the "bigs" are sitting down so we can't really tell how tall they are (in comparison to each other!)

http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/roster/#.VFeq9vnF8vw

No doubt we have some big guards.  As examples, Darien Walker is 6'3" and weighs 215.  Max Joseph is 6'1" and weighs 205.  Compare that to Lexus Willims at 6' and 160 or E Victor at 6'8" and 180 lbs. !  Looking forward to these guys driving the lane and dishing out some punishment!

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I particularly enjoy the fact that Shane Hammink is standing rather than sitting.

In the days of Jim Ford and John Becher, he would have been tied for tallest at worst...now he can't even get a chair.

[valpotx]

Hammink is standing, David Skara is the guy sitting .  Any word on whether or not the Dutchman will get to play this year?