Oakland @ Valpo - Sunday 2/8/15, 2PM CT

[LaPorteAveApostle]

A bunch of those guys were transfers, but he also likes to redshirt undersize guys, like Bader, and give them a chance to grow into the game.  It's a smart move--what was better, Bader at 18 or at 23?  I wish we'd do it more.

Downside is you are spending the money -- and the spot -- on someone not helping that year.  But if you can, you do it.

First time this year we had 6 in double figures against a D1 opponent (6 against IUSB, KC instead of EVN).  Had 5 against UIC.

[wh]

In case this wasn't shown on TV, Oakland players walked on the court first for the opening tip. They stood there alone for probably 30 seconds before Valpo starters walked out. Not 1 Valpo player offered a hand for a handshake, or a fist for a fist bump.  No one even made eye contact with any Oakland player. I don't think I have ever seen that before, not even with Detroit after the little ray nonsense.   

[Valpofan00]

So keith.. what are his chances of playing Friday?

[oklahomamick]

In case this wasn't shown on TV, Oakland players walked on the court first for the opening tip. They stood there alone for probably 30 seconds before Valpo starters walked out. Not 1 Valpo player offered a hand for a handshake, or a fist for a fist bump.  No one even made eye contact with any Oakland player. I don't think I have ever seen that before, not even with Detroit after the little ray nonsense.   

It worked.  We came out the gates firing.   

[wh]

Vashil was sent to the far end at half court so that if he was fouled it would've been an intentional.

When they fouled Peters under the Oakland basket, Vashil was nearby.  I know I'm beating a dead horse, just trying to stand up for the accuracy of my original point.

Anyways, I'm sure I'm oversimplifying how difficult it is to subtly foul a guy away from the ball in the heat of the game.

GO VALPO

You are correct.  I wondered exactly the same thing you did and breathed a sigh of relief that they didn't "intentionally" foul him again when they had the opportunity.

[crusadermoe]

True.  We started great.   Almost strangled them with a big lead of 11-2 or something like that.  But we missed 2-3 easy shots in that run.

I like one thing about Green Bay in our next game .  They travel to Youngstown for a Wednesday game then on to Valparaiso.  Worst trip in the Horizon.  Can't hurt.

[wh]

So keith.. what are his chances of playing Friday?

Gore said in the post game radio interview that they hope to play KC against GB.  He said he's been itching to get back, but simply hasn't been ready until now.  My guess is that they'll play him in spots behind EVN and see how he does.

[HC]

That was on the defensive end when Peters grabbed a rebound. I think instincts say foul the guy with the ball immediately. I was speaking to the time before that when they fouled EVN. Drew sent Vashil to the far side and we went 4-4.

[valpotx]

In case this wasn't shown on TV, Oakland players walked on the court first for the opening tip. They stood there alone for probably 30 seconds before Valpo starters walked out. Not 1 Valpo player offered a hand for a handshake, or a fist for a fist bump.  No one even made eye contact with any Oakland player. I don't think I have ever seen that before, not even with Detroit after the little ray nonsense.   

Not sure why we would do such a thing?  Our players have always been known for their class, and I wouldn't want that to change, even if we win. 

[LaPorteAveApostle]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/sports/ct-ptb-mens-basketball-oakland-valparaiso-st-0209-20150208-story.html

Really, Tex?  I don't have a problem with it.  In the words of the late great Jerome Brown--points to you if you know exactly what I'm talking about--"Did the Japanese sit down and eat with Pearl Harbor before they bombed them? No. We're outta here."

[wh]

In case this wasn't shown on TV, Oakland players walked on the court first for the opening tip. They stood there alone for probably 30 seconds before Valpo starters walked out. Not 1 Valpo player offered a hand for a handshake, or a fist for a fist bump.  No one even made eye contact with any Oakland player. I don't think I have ever seen that before, not even with Detroit after the little ray nonsense.   

Not sure why we would do such a thing?  Our players have always been known for their class, and I wouldn't want that to change, even if we win. 

Uh, before someone writes a blog article about how our players disrespected Oakland and their amazing coach, I should note that their players ignored ours, as well.  It wasn't like any of them tried to initiate a handshake or fist bump either.  They just stood there motionless while the Valpo players positioned themselves around the center circle. 

It's kind of like when you're at the grocery store and see someone at the other end of the aisle that you don't want to talk to.  You just keep walking and gazing at the groceries, hoping they don't notice you.  Of course unbeknownst to you, they're probably doing the same thing. 

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I do want to say that Paul's previous blog post--the Duke/Virginia game--was, I think, his best writing yet (other than his in-depth historical research, of course).  It was a great lede, an important point often overlooked (that every game matters), and a comprehensive 1000-foot view of the remainder of the season.

In case you missed it:
http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/twas-the-month-before-madness-horizon-league/article_f3281130-ac24-11e4-958e-13f868bbf856.html

[vu72]

Was very pleased with the broadcast, effort, win and sharing the ball.  First, on the broadcast.  I thought it was first class with great camera work and full HD.  Love the fact that when they are on break they actually talk about our game versus an ESPN broadcast which immediately reverts to covering Duke.  As for the game itself, I thought both teams played their butts off.  They were shutting down Alec and the other guys stepped up.  Not sure we had that ability a few years back if Rowdy was shut down. Six guys in double figures speaks for itself. Felder is the REAL deal.  I wonder how it might have come out if Keith or Lexus or both had played.  As for Petros, he played a great game.  No knock on him. Huge win and now the big kahuna!

[SanityLost17]

If Carter comes back against GB, are we just assuming he takes all of Max's minutes or will Bryce find a way to continue to use Max this season?  I will once again ask Max to stay patient if he struggles to get minutes the remainder of this year and into next year.  Max, you will get all the playing time you want as a junior and senior and will be a solid contributor to very successful teams!  Valpo fans appreciate your contributions and we see your potential! 

Hayes, Tevonn, Skara, and Daniels were great tonight.  Max also held his own while he was out there.  Talk about youth on display. 

Both Oakland and Valpo have highly rated big men coming in next season.  Oakland is getting some good transfers and Valpo will be getting Lexus back.  These teams will both be very good for the foreseeable future.  Oakland needs to drop 2-3 teams from their ridiculously hard schedule and Valpo needs to add 2-3 tough teams to their ridiculously easy schedule, that way going forward both teams will have very good RPI's going into conference!  That's right, there is a happy medium when it comes to scheduling, and we BOTH need to find it!   

[valpopal]

You have to credit Kampe for his game plan and Oakland for their play. Kampe spoke in the postgame press conference about the need to limit Alec's shots, which his team did. In fact, it was frustrating to watch Peters unable to get open most of the game, but it was rewarding to notice how mature he is in such circumstances. Alec never forced a shot, and he took what they gave him, making 3 of his 4 field goal attempts and all 4 free throws, while he pulled down 9 rebounds, coming just short of a very quiet double-double. However, when the game was on the line Alec made the big three-point shot, his only attempt of the game. As Kampe later candidly said: "That was a championship play!" Here is my photo of Alec's shot:

[Pgmado]

Knew I'd get killed for the pro-Kampe viewpoint. Was just trying to point out that a guy who Valpo fans consistently say they hate is actually a big fan of the program. I also enjoy interview Kampe after games. He talks a lot. He, along with Donlon, it makes me job easier

I didn't catch the stuff at the opening tip, but given that Rocky IV is one of the best movies of all-time, I like the cold shoulder at the beginning. Was a great game today. Too bad the students weren't there to see it.

[SanityLost17]

The 1st time we played Oakland this season, and lost, we were all wondering how we could lose to a team that got beat by Western Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Georgia, State, and barely beat Morehead State on the road. 

Well guess what....This Oakland team is not the same team that played early in the season.  No really, look at this box score from the their Western Carolina game.  Hayes with only 5 minutes in a game that went into 2 overtimes!  Nick Daniels doesn't even see the floor!  Kampe made some major changes to this lineup since their early struggles.     

http://espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400589093

[wh]

Usually a high scoring game when it's Oakland and Valpo.  Complete opposite from the hand check CSU games. 

Good win, but if everyone holds their own at home and Oakland wins out including the last game at GB, they will host the tourney. 

You're right that any of the top 4 can still win the league, including Oakland.  The problem Oakland now has is they no longer control their own destiny, while all 3 teams ahead of them do.  From a Valpo perspective we took a major step today toward winning the league.  If we continue to take care of our own business, nothing else Oakland does from here on out matters one way or the other.

Personally, my dream finish would be Valpo 1st, CSU 2nd, GB 3rd, Oakland 4th.  Because of Oakland's short bench, playing them in front of a packed house at the ARC 24 hours after they play a knock-down-drag-out-loser-go-home game has to be our best option.  Step #2 toward that goal begins Friday.  I hope we have a packed house.

[justducky]

These teams will both be very good for the foreseeable future.  Oakland needs to drop 2-3 teams from their ridiculously hard schedule and Valpo needs to add 2-3 tough teams to their ridiculously easy schedule, that way going forward both teams will have very good RPI's going into conference!  That's right, there is a happy medium when it comes to scheduling, and we BOTH need to find it!   

As the lesser of two evils I would prefer that our 15-16 and 16-17 schedules were identical to Oakland's 14-15 as opposed to ours. Aggressive scheduling (only slightly toned down from what Oakland has done in the past) is exactly what these 2 teams need for the near term future.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Knew I'd get killed for the pro-Kampe viewpoint love letter

FTFY ; )

[a3uge]

These teams will both be very good for the foreseeable future.  Oakland needs to drop 2-3 teams from their ridiculously hard schedule and Valpo needs to add 2-3 tough teams to their ridiculously easy schedule, that way going forward both teams will have very good RPI's going into conference!  That's right, there is a happy medium when it comes to scheduling, and we BOTH need to find it!   

As the lesser of two evils I would prefer that our 15-16 and 16-17 schedules were identical to Oakland's 14-15 as opposed to ours. Aggressive scheduling (only slightly toned down from what Oakland has done in the past) is exactly what these 2 teams need for the near term future.

The goal should be to win tournament games, not slide in as a 15/16 seed and get slaughtered by Kansas in the opening round because it feels good to play 6 unwinnable games at the beginning of the year.

[historyman]

I'm just embarrassed I thought this team was good. Swept by Oakland it looks like.

You're a relative of rink's? correct?

[valpopal]

As previously mentioned, an interesting moment in the post-game press conference came at the end when Nickerson seemed perplexed by Oren's question about his health. When Paul asked, Nickerson responded that he was not 100% yet. However, that brought back images of E. Victor hobbling on crutches last year, which I contrasted with the athletic individual we now see running the court, slashing into the lane, drawing contact, and jumping over opponents, as well as being placed into the point guard position and defending some of the conference's quickest players. Then in today's game, Nickerson leads the team with 16 points, but also adds 3 assists and a steal while committing only 1 turnover. Look at my photo below of Nickerson leaping high in traffic to score and recall that image of him struggling on crutches this time last year, realizing the hard work he must have put into his rehabilitation. I hope Lexus recovers as fully as E. Victor appears to be doing and we get to see both on the court together next season.
 

[justducky]

The goal should be to win tournament games, not slide in as a 15/16 seed and get slaughtered by Kansas in the opening round because it feels good to play 6 unwinnable games at the beginning of the year.

If you would be happy with a 12 or 13 seed in 15-16 your formula should be fine. Personally I think that next years talent gives us a shot at a 9 or 10 but that type of seed will require some AGGRESSIVE scheduling risks. Nobody wants to come to us so our options are to play it safe or stick our necks out.

My vote and the vote of most ordinary northwest Indiana basketball fans would say "caution to the wind - no guts no glory"!

[agibson]

I thought the ASN broadcast was good, not great.  I enjoyed the post-game coach and player interviews.  And them running the video segment about Valpo players going to Washington, IL to help with tornado damage.  At halftime, I liked the rundown of other mid-major news and notes.

Watching at home, I thought the ARC crowd sounded really tepid and quiet for such a close game.  Anyone else?

I liked the campus shots pre-game, and the Hilltop stuff.

Odd that they left the post-game out of the replay!  Which was posted within ~4 hours.

Decent broadcasts.  Some advantages over HLN or the recent ESPN3 debacle.  But, some disadvantages.