Horizon League Championship -- Tuesday 6 pm CST

[crusader05]

What struck me was just How READY the crowd was to go nuts.  My husband said: The crowd is ready to just power this team through, the team just needs to give them the catalyst.  When Carter finally hit the 3 for the lead it was just non-stop from then on and you could see both the overwhelmed faces of the Green Bay Players and the energy coursing through the Valpo Team

[valpopal]

A key score in the closing section of the game came when Nickerson lost control of the ball on his drive but somehow managed to guide it toward and into the basket. At that point, I felt the good fortune was on Valpo's side.


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[justducky]

One thing that maybe didn't come across on TV - Nickerson played like some someone had just stole his wallet.

Yes well ok so maybe somebody did. Then just maybe somebody planted some circumstantial evidence to suggest that Sykes was the culprit. But thats all I know about it. Honest!   

[talksalot]

John does a great job. But, on this occasion, I didn't mind in the least not being able to hear the PA.

mumble mumble... I think there is a compliment in that sentence somewhere... so thank you.   The announcers were in seats 3 and 4 from the end of the scorer's table near the VALPO bench... which was right near the UWGB "Student Section"... I did not see the usual crowd-mic's around the arc... I think the only audio from the gym was coming through their headset.  I thought the place was LOUD (starting about the 10:00 mark in the second half... thank you KC for that deep triple.

[valpopal]

John does a great job. But, on this occasion, I didn't mind in the least not being able to hear the PA.

mumble mumble... I think there is a compliment in that sentence somewhere... so thank you.   The announcers were in seats 3 and 4 from the end of the scorer's table near the VALPO bench... which was right near the UWGB "Student Section"... I did not see the usual crowd-mic's around the arc... I think the only audio from the gym was coming through their headset.  I thought the place was LOUD (starting about the 10:00 mark in the second half... thank you KC for that deep triple.

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[ValpoHoops]

That was the loudest I have ever heard the ARC, even going back to the days when I was on campus.

I think the Marquette game in 2006 was louder at times. But it was nowhere near the constant noise level of last night. Last night was, without a doubt, the longest the place has been going crazy like it was that I've seen.

[valpo84]

Great Energy from the crowd. My son texted me that Calhoun said "Artistic Execution No; Competitive Execution YES" about the time of the back and forth fast breaks in 2d half. KC last night was a warrior and gave everything. At one point he came to the bench for a TO and had both hands on his knees. Since 1998 team not sure there has been a tougher, grind it out team. Congrats to them!!! Now, 3-0 in conference championship games at the ARC. The wife was a bit nervous, but I was generally calm. My seats were almost the same as the 1995 Championship game and so there was a peace about it. There is nothing like cutting down the nets.

[a3uge]

I was a bit disappointed by the audio levels on ESPN, as well.  I suppose it's good, and professional, that the broadcasters are plenty loud.  But, after that, they seemed to have the cheerleaders miced (Green Bay cheerleaders?).  And not much on the crowd.  If you were listening for it, you could tell that the crowd was being rather continuously noisy.  But, it didn't have a _drop_ of the energy that was present in the room.  It would have been nice to have some more noise from the ARC included at a reasonable level.  Maybe I'll throw a cell phone video up to give some sort of a feel for the noise.

Think about the loudest you've ever heard it at the ARC, and then double it. For much of the last 10 minutes and all of the last 5 minutes it was literally deafening.  I had problems hearing people in my own family sitting right next to me.  It was absolutely crazy!

Louder than the HL semi-final game against Butler in 2011-2012?  That was the loudest I have ever heard the ARC, even going back to the days when I was on campus.  It was a constant pissing match between Butler and Valpo fans

I remember that being crazy for most the first half and early second. The crowd seemed to feed of the Butler fans there. The second half was just depressing for Buter, and wasn't nearly as loud.

Last night you couldn't hear whistles in the second half. Crazy atmosphere. Imagine if the students WEREN'T on spring break!

The Missouri State bracketbuser game was crazy, as well as every Butler game. The loudest, craziest game though had to have been the CIT game vs Iona.

[govalpogo]

I was a bit disappointed by the audio levels on ESPN, as well.  I suppose it's good, and professional, that the broadcasters are plenty loud.  But, after that, they seemed to have the cheerleaders miced (Green Bay cheerleaders?).  And not much on the crowd.  If you were listening for it, you could tell that the crowd was being rather continuously noisy.  But, it didn't have a _drop_ of the energy that was present in the room.  It would have been nice to have some more noise from the ARC included at a reasonable level.  Maybe I'll throw a cell phone video up to give some sort of a feel for the noise.

Think about the loudest you've ever heard it at the ARC, and then double it. For much of the last 10 minutes and all of the last 5 minutes it was literally deafening.  I had problems hearing people in my own family sitting right next to me.  It was absolutely crazy!

Louder than the HL semi-final game against Butler in 2011-2012?  That was the loudest I have ever heard the ARC, even going back to the days when I was on campus.  It was a constant pissing match between Butler and Valpo fans

I remember that being crazy for most the first half and early second. The crowd seemed to feed of the Butler fans there. The second half was just depressing for Buter, and wasn't nearly as loud.

Last night you couldn't hear whistles in the second half. Crazy atmosphere. Imagine if the students WEREN'T on spring break!

The Missouri State bracketbuser game was crazy, as well as every Butler game. The loudest, craziest game though had to have been the CIT game vs Iona.

LOL, seconded.

The most enjoyable/fun game I attended at the ARC was the MO St. bracketbuster because Dickie V, Pretty performance, big crowd, game in hand.  The best game was the breaking of Butler's streak over us!  That was loud and exciting!  ...Then I went to a few conference games at Cameron Indoor.  For the most part a packed ARC can hold its own, but the Crazies have another gear that's ridiculous.  I love games when the student section is as tired as the players after the game!

[govalpogo]

"I don't care who you are, if you don't get excited about this kind of basketball, then you don't love the game."  -Jim Calhoun

[covufan]

There is nothing like cutting down the nets.

Especially at home!

[valpopal]

There is nothing like cutting down the nets.

Especially at home!

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[a3uge]

Here was my view last night. Took this before second half tipoff:

[VULB#62]

Here was my view last night. Took this before second half tipoff:

Great shot.  From this view, it is clear to me that three upgrades could make this arena a really good college venue:  (1) full end line bleachers on the right like those on the left, (2) North side lower level chair backs (unless the chair backs are there already -- then put chair backs on the south side), and (3) Expanded upper level bleachers above the north lower level. Number three requires the addition referenced in the 30 year plan though. The bowl-like configuration would be even more intimidating than it is now when we have a good crowd and a tight game going on.

BTW, last night I had to chuckle at all of our previous posts about the ARC being HS level.  Did any of you see the Robert Morris/St. Francis championship venue? The ARC is so much more impressive.  And I believe that the NEC, along with many second tier mid-major conferences, play in facilities just like that with capacities in the 2500-3000 range.

[vu84v2]

Missouri State Bracketbuster game, Marquette 2006 game, and regular season OT Butler game are the best/loudest environments that I have seen at the ARC. If I had to pick one, I would go with the Missouri State game for the same previously stated reasons.

Since goValpogo raised Cameron, I would comment that Allen Fieldhouse has probably two other levels that the ARC (and most other places) can't reach. Still, I think that the environment at Valpo is really really good when the place is full and the crowd is really into it. As another poster said, the crowd has the ability to will Valpo to a win.

[valpopal]

I have posted a photo album at the following link with nearly 20 images from the Crusader Club Pep Rally before the Championship game, where I once again enjoyed speaking with some forum members: enjoy!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/96208998@N05/sets/72157648980887613/

[vu72]

"I don't care who you are, if you don't get excited about this kind of basketball, then you don't love the game."  -Jim Calhoun

It was great to see that the game warranted having a Hall of Famer like Jim Calhoun coming to the ARC.  I know that Bryce had him address the team before the game.  He did a very solid job.

[StlVUFan]

I listened to the entire replay as I drove home immediately after the game, and I was pleasantly surprised by the pbp.  What I was bracing for was the unprofessionalism I heard from Vern Lundquist in 2013 (when Valpo stole the ball from MSU and then gave it right back to them), but instead I heard a very respectful commentary.

By the way its amazing what upgrading your phone to a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 can do to the quality of such things.

My only complaint with Calhoun was that he swallowed some of his words, he talked so fast at times.

[classof2014]

I listened to the entire replay as I drove home immediately after the game, and I was pleasantly surprised by the pbp.  What I was bracing for was the unprofessionalism I heard from Vern Lundquist in 2013 (when Valpo stole the ball from MSU and then gave it right back to them), but instead I heard a very respectful commentary.

By the way its amazing what upgrading your phone to a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 can do to the quality of such things.

My only complaint with Calhoun was that he swallowed some of his words, he talked so fast at times.

As far as the national ESPN games go, this was by far one of the better commentating crews I've listened to. It was nice to have a coach giving us insight on what may be going on in the huddle, although he wasn't a great speaker in terms of pronunciation but he's a coach first, commentator second.

I do think they were a bit biased towards Green Bay in the second half but if Valpo were playing from behind in the final 10 minutes I think they would've been pulling for Valpo.

They're no Todd Ickow but did a fantastic job and didn't talk about Duke, Kentucky, Virginia, etc... really at all.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

BTW, last night I had to chuckle at all of our previous posts about the ARC being HS level.  Did any of you see the Robert Morris/St. Francis championship venue? The ARC is so much more impressive. 

TOTALLY thought the same thing!  I flipped over to that briefly to show my mother, a retired VU prof, and she agreed, "they think WE are high school?  THAT is high school!" and my dad was like "not back home. back in indiana that's middle school."

Any of you who remember Boucher Gym at Ben Franklin (the old VHS) would agree.  What a great old barn.  Even having to run bleacher laps in it!

[Valpofan00]

Did Darien suffer a concusion that I was not aware of? I read some article saying he did. maybe the person who wrote it has no idea what they're talking about?

[hailcrusaders]

I would think that if Darken was concussed, the trainers would have checked for that almost immediately and he would not have returned to the game for as little as he did play. Have not heard anything of the sort, but cannot refute for sure.

I was perusing the GB board (more out of curiosity than schadenfreude) and came across this gem of a quip:
"I would rather watch the 2015 NFC championship, the "4th&26" game, the Valpo buzzer beater and the Belmont game last year before even considering rewatching the second half of this one."

To be fair, I'd be pretty upset too if my football team and basketball team choked in the same manner.

[HC]

Darian hit his nose...he wasn't concussed. Keifer took it just above his eye(ya know because he is so much shorter) he was more likely to get the concussion.

I'm sure his eyes were pretty watery after breaking his nose, watching the second half warm ups most of his shots weren't even close.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Damien

Darian

Derrick

Darken

Darien

[Pgmado]

Bryce said in postgame presser that Darien "wasn't himself." The word concussion was never mentioned.