Valpo at Oakland Friday 1/2/2015 7:00 p.m. EST/6:00 p.m. CST O'rena

[bbtds]

No better way to start the conference season than to beat Oakland at the O'rena. Go Crusaders!

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Other than a home game against an inebriated UIC, No better way to start the conference season than to beat Oakland at the O'rena. Go Crusaders!

fixed it for you

[hailcrusaders]

No better way to start the conference season than to beat Oakland at the O'rena. Go Crusaders!

I don't know, three years ago we knocked off Butler (the preseason favorite) in Hinkle to start league play. That was pretty sweet. But I guess we'll just have to settle for Bader-less Coach Kampe and Co.

I'm a little skeptical yet on this one. We never seem to play well against Oakland. On the other hand, if we come out guns ablazin like yesterday, it could get ugly. In a good way.

[valpotx]

Petros sucks.

Valpo 71
Oakland 64

[bbtds]

Just a quick reminder that this game is on ESPN 3.

http://www.horizonleague.org/schedule.html

http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index#type/upcoming/sport/basketball/startDate/20150102/

[LaPorteAveApostle]

WHAT IS WITH THE DEMISE OF THE HL NETWORK?

WAS CONVENIENCE TOO MUCH TO ASK OF oh right $.

[HC]

Valpo by 14, 82-68.

I like the ESPN3 deal. More fun watching on the big screen then on this iPad screen.

[a3uge]

DirecTV just struck a deal with ESPN3, so that's good news.

[WiscoCrusader]

A couple predictions:

Valpo 71
Oakland 55

16 point lead by halftime which holds.  This team is special, and that will become evident on Friday with the start of the Conference season, if it hasn't already become obvious!

I'm not expecting much of a challenge from the conference.  I've followed RealTime RPI for years, and normally their prediction system is nearly spot on for predicting the HL conference outcome.  They've got Valpo at 15-1 with a loss by 3 at GB.

If we can win our next 2, we will be 15-2 (12-2 official), and either in the top 25 or right on the verge. 

Fun season so far!

[LaPorteAveApostle]

16 point lead by halftime which holds. 

Reminds me...one of the things I was most proud of about Monday night is that we had a 24-pt lead at halftime.  And we won the 2nd half comfortably too, rather than give them even that. 

In fact it was almost about to be the score of last year (81-49) before a late miss on our part and the late three on theirs made it 79-52.

To me, that's the sign of a good team playing well, that there is no "off the accelerator" moment we've been accustomed to in seasons past, where the opposition makes a threatening run after we've had a 20-something point lead.

[classof2014]

Alec Peters is gonna score 37 points in this game as we blow away Oakland. Petros will be no match for Vashil and Felder will have fits with KC, thus there offense will be decimated and they don't play defense so I think we win by 25.

Us - 85

Them - 60

[Kyle321n]

Guys, I hate to break it to you but this isn't going to be an easy game. I've said that before, but this time it's legitimately going to be a tough game. We have never gone to Oakland and won "easily" even when we had a tournament team.

In our last 10 games against Oakland we are 4-6 and 2 of those wins were on the road. One game was decided by double digits, January 2, 2006, a 31 point win at home for us (it should be noted we lost the rematch later that season at the O'rena 95-89). The average margin for the rest of the 9 games is 4 points. In 2012-13, our best year in recent history, we lost at the O'Rena to a team that finished 10-6 in a very bad Summit League and later went on to lost to YSU (7-9 in conference play that season) in the first round of the CIT.

I wouldn't be shocked if we lose this game, but I think we come out with a single digit victory and later in the season we say "How did we only win by 5 points". I say 79-77 Valpo.

Year	Day	Location	Result	Valpo	Oakland	Pt Dif
2014	Sun, Feb 9	Home	W	63	60	3
2014	Sat, Jan 4	Away	L	70	75	5
2013	Mon, Dec 17	Away	L	68	70	2
2012	Sat, Dec 17	Home	L	80	82	2
2011	Tue, Dec 21	Away	W	103	102	1
2007	Thu, Jan 11	Home	L	76	81	5
2007	Sat, Feb 10	Away	L	61	64	3
2006	Mon, Jan 2	Home	W	95	64	31
2006	Thu, Jan 26	Away	L	89	95	6
2005	Mon, Jan 10	Away	W	87	78	9

[wh]

16 point lead by halftime which holds.

Reminds me...one of the things I was most proud of about Monday night is that we had a 24-pt lead at halftime.  And we won the 2nd half comfortably too, rather than give them even that. 

In fact it was almost about to be the score of last year (81-49) before a late miss on our part and the late three on theirs made it 79-52.

To me, that's the sign of a good team playing well, that there is no "off the accelerator" moment we've been accustomed to in seasons past, where the opposition makes a threatening run after we've had a 20-something point lead.

What's even more impressive is that we built the lead in the 2nd half with 6 non-starters playing nearly half the minutes (45 of 100).

[sliman]

Petros looked pretty solid against Pittsburgh and Kampe seems to have our number.  I'll give the edge to Oakland unless we shoot lights out.

[oklahomamick]

Petros sucks.

Valpo 71
Oakland 64

Petros struggles against tall, long athletic guys who play above the rim.  Last year in both games, he consistently was getting his shot thrown back into his face or into the stands. 

[classof2014]

Perhaps this is a game that Vashil can brake his own block record?

[justducky]

Petros struggles against tall, long athletic guys who play above the rim.

If Vashil can battle Petros to a draw or better then we win. So I am hoping for the refs to let 2 of the best centers in the league settle it on the court. If Vashil gets into early foul trouble then getting a win will be much more difficult but still possible. VU by 1.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Last year in both games, he consistently was getting his shot thrown back into his face or into the stands. 

That was moussa's 7 block game last year.  thanks for the memories!

[Chairback]

We lose by 9.

Oakland has played a tough schedule and has gone night after night against top teams.  Some of them they played really well against.  Plus they are at home.

We have 13 wins but the quality of the teams we have played is laughable.  I think everyone is looking past the quality we have played against and just focused on the 13 W's.

I still "see" the team as the ones that lost to New Mexico at home.  That was our last quality opponent and a true measure of where we stand against good teams.

Also, this team cannot function at all without Alec out there.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

We have 13 wins but the quality of the teams we have played is laughable.

the caliber of teams we have played is pretty similar to oakland.  the teams they have played aren't similar to us.  who is better suited?

Also, this team cannot function at all without Alec out there.

how many teams can without their star? ask tom thibodeaux whether that makes a difference.

but besides, it's not as if we've done poorly without him either.  that's how come he's played far fewer minutes this year than last.

[Chairback]

the caliber of teams we have played is pretty similar to oakland.  the teams they have played aren't similar to us.  who is better suited?

I would say Oakland would have 11 wins with our schedule.  Our SOS is 239 and close to being dead last in the Horizon. 

[Valpofan00]

We win by 8. No doubt we will win.

[historyman]

We lose by 9.

Also, this team cannot function at all without Alec out there.

Debby Downer. What makes you think that Alec wouldn't play enough minutes to beat Oakland? We played a poor game last year and still were close through out most of the game and Oakland played a tough schedule last year.

It may stay even for a good portion of the game but I think it will be Valpo that pulls away at the end. The Crusaders are much better than last year.

[Chairback]

Debby Downer

I know...I know...

I think their game plan will be to limit Alex only to shots down low and get Vashil in very early foul trouble.  2 fouls in the first 4-5 mins.  I think they will feed Petros constantly over and over early on.

This game will be the best barometer of how we will do in the conference.  After this game the next 3 are at home and will be W's.  After the road trip the week of 1/17 thur 1/23 we will know if we are going to win the conference or not. 

[Valpower]

I would say Oakland would have 11 wins with our schedule.  Our SOS is 239 and close to being dead last in the Horizon. 

That's a ludicrous supposition, Chairback. Playing power-conference foes somewhat close does not translate into wins against supposed lesser opponents; it just doesn't. Valpo has won most of the games it's scheduled and Oakland has not, which tells us, simply, that Valpo's knows how to win and Oakland doesn't. Once again, because of Kampe's get-paid scheduling, we know little about Oakland's ability to win and, as LaPorteAvenueApostle alluded, the debate over whether this prepares them for conference play rages on.

You're correct that this game will be a barometer of preparedness, though.