2015-16 Season

[vu72]

At 6-10/260 Vashil is up 15 lbs. 

Derrik Smits is listed at 7-1.  Never taller than 7 foot in height stats I have seen before.  Is it possible he's still growing? 

From Derrik's Twitter page:

Been measured at 7'1 three times now but they only put 7'0 on the website

[Valpofan00]

Just looked up a video of Chandler. Even thought the video was from 2 years ago, he looks very good for a walk on!

[agibson]

From yesterday
[tweet]626894116287291392[/tweet]

So, yes, I think it's still possible. Who knows?

[agibson]

Ah, here it is from Aaron
[tweet]627134117608615936[/tweet]

[wh]

[tweet]626812808655687681[/tweet]

[wh]

Derrik Smits easing into new home at Valparaiso

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/basketball/college/derrik-smits-easing-into-new-home-at-valparaiso/article_7c3f40ad-c14c-5416-82d8-5449cda5bf86.html

[wh]

A couple of random thoughts (neither of which may have any validity):

---I wonder if the athletic department will appeal to get another season for KC.  He essentially lost a year and a half of eligibility while certain others in similar situations did not, and still others were allowed to play immediately after transferring based on the mostly bogus "family need" excuse.

---I wonder if someone will be redshirted this year.  The most likely candidate IMO would by Max.  In all probability he will be playing behind KC, Lexus and EVN at the point and get little more than mop up minutes.  Redshirting him would put him on the same track with Derrik and position him to play a major role in his final two years. I think he has a lot of potential and investing another year in him could prove to be a win-win.   

[valpopal]

Projecting Valparaiso basketball playing time

http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/projecting-valparaiso-basketball-playing-time/article_229e617a-3731-11e5-a7e9-b7052ebde8f9.html?mobile_touch=true

If we follow Paul's projection of playing time, that would suggest the five on the first squad to be Carter, T. Walker, D. Walker, Peters, and Fernandez. The second squad by playing time would be split among Nickerson, Skara, Hammink, Adekoya, and Smits (and Williams if healthy). Joseph, Davidson, and Levingston-Simon would be at the end of the bench and get few minutes. With this thinking, and assuming Lexus is 100% healthy, it might be worth considering redshirting Joseph as wh suggested. Also, I am thinking our second squad could have competed with a number of past starting Crusader squads, especially when you consider the heights of the second squad would be 6'8", 6'8", 6'7", 6'7", & 7'1".

[wh]

A couple of random thoughts (neither of which may have any validity):

---I wonder if the athletic department will appeal to get another season for KC.  He essentially lost a year and a half of eligibility while certain others in similar situations did not, and still others were allowed to play immediately after transferring based on the mostly bogus "family need" excuse.

---I wonder if someone will be redshirted this year.  The most likely candidate IMO would by Max.  In all probability he will be playing behind KC, Lexus and EVN at the point and get little more than mop up minutes.  Redshirting him would put him on the same track with Derrik and position him to play a major role in his final two years. I think he has a lot of potential and investing another year in him could prove to be a win-win.   

To expound on my point about KC, he left st. Louis at the end of the 1st semester of his freshman year and transferred to Valpo.  Thereafter, he sat out 2 semesters and began playing in the 2nd semester of his 2nd year.  The issue is why at that point was he considered a 2nd semester sophomore instead of red shirt freshman?  why did he lose a year of eligibility just because he transferred at the end of the first semester when he would have been granted an extra year had he transferred at the end of the 2nd semester?  This never made any sense to me, and it never will. 

[SanityLost17]

In my opinion, to go more than 10 deep would be a huge coaching mistake.  Going more than 10 deep will interrupt rhythm, and even going that deep is pushing it!  Players need to be in long enough to get a feel for the game. 
 
5- Vashil/Smits
4 - Peters/Jubril
3 - D.Walker/Skara/Hammik
2 - T.Walker/Nickerson
1 - Carter/Lexus       

I see 11 names listed above.  1 of these guys is simply not going to play any meaningful minutes, not including Joseph who should definitely redshirt if possible.  Of course, this is assuming Lexus is healthy.  The "fat" seems to be at the 3 position.  All the 1's and 2's are interchangeable.  The 4's and 5's are in my mind a given and also somewhat interchangeable.  So one of those guys on the 3 line is the odd man out.  Who is it going to be?  Only other 2 people I think could be the odd man out are Jubril or Lexus.  Everyone else seems pretty safe if healthy. 

Perhaps this could be a poll question.  Who is the odd man out for game time (other than cleanup minutes and minutes against non D1 opponents?)  Lexus/D.Walker/Hammik/Skara/Jubril

[vu72]

In my opinion, to go more than 10 deep would be a huge coaching mistake.  Going more than 10 deep will interrupt rhythm, and even going that deep is pushing it!  Players need to be in long enough to get a feel for the game. 
 
5- Vashil/Smits
4 - Peters/Jubril
3 - D.Walker/Skara/Hammik
2 - T.Walker/Nickerson
1 - Carter/Lexus       

I see 11 names listed above.  1 of these guys is simply not going to play any meaningful minutes, not including Joseph who should definitely redshirt if possible.  Of course, this is assuming Lexus is healthy.  The "fat" seems to be at the 3 position.  All the 1's and 2's are interchangeable.  The 4's and 5's are in my mind a given and also somewhat interchangeable.  So one of those guys on the 3 line is the odd man out.  Who is it going to be?  Only other 2 people I think could be the odd man out are Jubril or Lexus.  Everyone else seems pretty safe if healthy. 

Perhaps this could be a poll question.  Who is the odd man out for game time (other than cleanup minutes and minutes against non D1 opponents?)  Lexus/D.Walker/Hammik/Skara/Jubril

Much of the questions you raise will be answered by who our opponents play.  Matchups, pure and simple.  If we need bangers then its Skara and Jubril.  If we need speed and athleticism its Hammink, Nickerson and the Walkers.  The regulars in most situations will be Lexus/Carter, Peters and Vershil.  Still, fouls will also dictate combinations. 

It will be a challenging coaching situation, but certainly no more difficult then most Big Ten programs...

[FWalum]

If we follow Paul's projection of playing time, that would suggest the five on the first squad to be Carter, T. Walker, D. Walker, Peters, and Fernandez. The second squad by playing time would be split among Nickerson, Skara, Hammink, Adekoya, and Smits (and Williams if healthy). Joseph, Davidson, and Levingston-Simon would be at the end of the bench and get few minutes.

5- Vashil/Smits
4 - Peters/Jubril
3 - D.Walker/Skara/Hammik
2 - T.Walker/Nickerson
1 - Carter/Lexus 

I have a real problem with the lineup for the 3 spot.  I know that at the beginning of last year D. Walker was a big "go to" person for us as T. Walker, Skara and Nickerson got adjusted to the college game and in the case of Nickerson, actually playing again after a long lay off.  As the year went on I felt that there were games in which he really pressed and for some reason thought that he had to score, taking some quick and bad shots, when that was no longer the case at that time of the season with Peters and T. Walker now our primary threats.  I think that if Hammik is as good as advertised, his physical advantage over D. Walker is going to make it hard to keep him off the court.  We saw that already in some situations last year with Skara.  It is going to be hard to keep Hammik and Skara off the court so I think that D. Walker could be the odd man out at the 3 spot.

[Pathfinder]

To expound on my point about KC, he left st. Louis at the end of the 1st semester of his freshman year and transferred to Valpo.  Thereafter, he sat out 2 semesters and began playing in the 2nd semester of his 2nd year.  The issue is why at that point was he considered a 2nd semester sophomore instead of red shirt freshman?  why did he lose a year of eligibility just because he transferred at the end of the first semester when he would have been granted an extra year had he transferred at the end of the 2nd semester?  This never made any sense to me, and it never will.

To expound on my point about KC, he left st. Louis at the end of the 1st semester of his freshman year and transferred to Valpo.  Thereafter, he sat out 2 semesters and began playing in the 2nd semester of his 2nd year.  The issue is why at that point was he considered a 2nd semester sophomore instead of red shirt freshman?  why did he lose a year of eligibility just because he transferred at the end of the first semester when he would have been granted an extra year had he transferred at the end of the 2nd semester?  This never made any sense to me, and it never will.

May not make sense, but the NCAA counts playing in a season as a season. So Carter played his freshman year at St. Louis (one semester), his sophomore year as a Crusader (one semester), his junior year as a Crusader. That's just how they do it, and it happens a lot. For example, Brandon Kearney last year at Detroit: freshman year and soph fall at Michigan State; sat spring/fall semester, played 1 semester at Arizona (junior year), then senior year at Detroit - 6 semester total, over 4 seasons.  It happened with Lavonte Dority, too, remember. The handful of games he played with South Florida before transferring during his sophomore year counted as a full season, and so he only played 1 1/2 seasons at Valpo.


The NCAA maybe should have a mid-season transfer redshirt, kind of like if you are injured and have played in fewer than 6 games you don't count that season. Bu they don't have that, and Carter's not in the least unique.

[Pgmado]

I've asked about Carter in the past. I'd be shocked if he got another year. He's a senior, plain and simple. I always felt there was a good chance that Vashil could get a year back and I continued to ask questions about that. St. Louis wasn't very helpful during Carter's transfer process. They could've helped a bit, chose not to.

[nkvu]

If we follow Paul's projection of playing time, that would suggest the five on the first squad to be Carter, T. Walker, D. Walker, Peters, and Fernandez. The second squad by playing time would be split among Nickerson, Skara, Hammink, Adekoya, and Smits (and Williams if healthy). Joseph, Davidson, and Levingston-Simon would be at the end of the bench and get few minutes.

5- Vashil/Smits
4 - Peters/Jubril
3 - D.Walker/Skara/Hammik
2 - T.Walker/Nickerson
1 - Carter/Lexus 

I have a real problem with the lineup for the 3 spot.  I know that at the beginning of last year D. Walker was a big "go to" person for us as T. Walker, Skara and Nickerson got adjusted to the college game and in the case of Nickerson, actually playing again after a long lay off.  As the year went on I felt that there were games in which he really pressed and for some reason thought that he had to score, taking some quick and bad shots, when that was no longer the case at that time of the season with Peters and T. Walker now our primary threats.  I think that if Hammik is as good as advertised, his physical advantage over D. Walker is going to make it hard to keep him off the court.  We saw that already in some situations last year with Skara.  It is going to be hard to keep Hammik and Skara off the court so I think that D. Walker could be the odd man out at the 3 spot.

A few thoughts. First, players are going to get dinged up during the season and all players will not be available for every game. That will free up minutes. Second, this is a very versatile team with a number of players able to play more than one position. Jubril will see minutes at the 5 as well as the 4. Scara will get time at the 4 and the 3.  Nickerson and D Walker could see time at the three and the 2. Bryce will have the flexibility to go big or small depending on the match ups.  As long as the players buy into winning as a team versus padding personal stats or sulking over playing time, this could be a really exciting year.

[justducky]

I doubt if a game will go by without Nickerson seeing a few minutes at point. This is an option that Bryce will want to always threaten and occasionally exploit to our benefit. That said I am sure Bryce will be picking his spots to do so carefully.

Bryce will have the flexibility to go big or small depending on the match ups.

Yes and we are no longer a slow team incapable of applying effective full court pressure. I know in the past that was never Homer or Bryce's style but it could now (with our incredible depth) be an option worth experimentation. Let us hope Bryce adds some press strategies to his trick bag. That could also help keep more people involved with important roles.

[classof2014]

The odd man out at the 3, if everyone remains relatively healthy throughout the season, Darien would be the odd man out most of the time. I'm sure though for the most part it will be an in-game decision. If Skara is having an off night, maybe Darien gets more time, or if EVN is having a big game, somebody doesn't see the court as much. That's the luxury of being so deep. Just about anyone on the team can have a 20+ point performance. We don't need to rely on one or two guys for the bulk of our scoring. Just look at the championship game, Alec had an off night, yet we still won the game rather easily because a guy like Skara stepped up; while GB basically relied on Sykes for the scoring and he was having issues and they had nobody else to fall back on.

[wh]

Terker's Top 50 Previews: #44 Valparaiso Crusaders

http://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/3f02e8/terkers_top_50_previews_44_valparaiso_crusaders/

EDIT: 2 days after this article was posted, Valpo center and reigning Horizon Defensive Player of the Year Vashil Fernandez was granted a final year of eligibility.  His return will anchor the Valpo frontcourt and erase any doubts about this team's ability to defend and rebound.
With this news, I am moving Valpo up to #25 in my projections for this season. Seriously. Fear Valpo: they're loaded


Bryce Drew will soon be known as more than just that kid who made the incredible game-winner; more than just Homer's son. He's awakened the sleeping giant that is Valpo hoops, and the Crusaders' opponents have been served notice. This is a mid-major with vast potential - on the big stage.

[classof2014]

Looking back over the past few seasons, everything panned out the way I was hoping for. Bryce and the rest of the coaching staff were able to use the Rowdy teams as a stepping stone into the future. The 12/13 team made it back to the tourney for the first time in 9 seasons, and during those 9 seasons there were some pretty lean years mixed in.

Without that team would the coaching staff been able to convince Alec to come to Valpo, he had a choice of many different schools, many that held more weight at the time than Valpo. Bringing in transfers like EVN, KC, and Hammink. Getting able to get guys like Tevonn and David to come in. As well as the latest big name in Smits. Everything went as planned after the 12/13 team. The 13/14 year was a down year but you knew the talent was there for the future and without Rowdy, KVW, Buggs, and Kenney; a team of this quality would simply be just a dream.

The coaching staff has done an absolutely phenomenal job recruiting. Arguably when Alec's 4 years are up he could easily be the greatest player to grace the court in a Valpo uniform. Vashil is the best defender in school hisotry. I'm sure many teams are kicking themselves for passing up on Tevonn, who is one of the best players in the HL, heck even kids like Skara and a little known transfer in Darien Walker come out of nowhere.

All in all, I want to thank the 12/13 team. For without that team none of this talk of a potential top 25 team would be possible. As painful as it was to see them be simply outmatched against Michigan State in the tournament, knowing an era was coming to an end. At the same time that was the beginning of a new chapter in Valpo basketball.

Anyways, is it November yet?

[covufan]

To expound on my point about KC, he left st. Louis at the end of the 1st semester of his freshman year and transferred to Valpo.  Thereafter, he sat out 2 semesters and began playing in the 2nd semester of his 2nd year.  The issue is why at that point was he considered a 2nd semester sophomore instead of red shirt freshman?  why did he lose a year of eligibility just because he transferred at the end of the first semester when he would have been granted an extra year had he transferred at the end of the 2nd semester?  This never made any sense to me, and it never will.

To expound on my point about KC, he left st. Louis at the end of the 1st semester of his freshman year and transferred to Valpo.  Thereafter, he sat out 2 semesters and began playing in the 2nd semester of his 2nd year.  The issue is why at that point was he considered a 2nd semester sophomore instead of red shirt freshman?  why did he lose a year of eligibility just because he transferred at the end of the first semester when he would have been granted an extra year had he transferred at the end of the 2nd semester?  This never made any sense to me, and it never will.

May not make sense, but the NCAA counts playing in a season as a season. So Carter played his freshman year at St. Louis (one semester), his sophomore year as a Crusader (one semester), his junior year as a Crusader. That's just how they do it, and it happens a lot. For example, Brandon Kearney last year at Detroit: freshman year and soph fall at Michigan State; sat spring/fall semester, played 1 semester at Arizona (junior year), then senior year at Detroit - 6 semester total, over 4 seasons.  It happened with Lavonte Dority, too, remember. The handful of games he played with South Florida before transferring during his sophomore year counted as a full season, and so he only played 1 1/2 seasons at Valpo.


The NCAA maybe should have a mid-season transfer redshirt, kind of like if you are injured and have played in fewer than 6 games you don't count that season. Bu they don't have that, and Carter's not in the least unique.

I scratch my head as well with the Dority and Carter situations.  It also amazes me that kids still transfer after that first semester, rather than riding it out one more semester. 

[Valpofan00]

If we follow Paul's projection of playing time, that would suggest the five on the first squad to be Carter, T. Walker, D. Walker, Peters, and Fernandez. The second squad by playing time would be split among Nickerson, Skara, Hammink, Adekoya, and Smits (and Williams if healthy). Joseph, Davidson, and Levingston-Simon would be at the end of the bench and get few minutes.

5- Vashil/Smits
4 - Peters/Jubril
3 - D.Walker/Skara/Hammik
2 - T.Walker/Nickerson
1 - Carter/Lexus 

I have a real problem with the lineup for the 3 spot.  I know that at the beginning of last year D. Walker was a big "go to" person for us as T. Walker, Skara and Nickerson got adjusted to the college game and in the case of Nickerson, actually playing again after a long lay off.  As the year went on I felt that there were games in which he really pressed and for some reason thought that he had to score, taking some quick and bad shots, when that was no longer the case at that time of the season with Peters and T. Walker now our primary threats.  I think that if Hammik is as good as advertised, his physical advantage over D. Walker is going to make it hard to keep him off the court.  We saw that already in some situations last year with Skara.  It is going to be hard to keep Hammik and Skara off the court so I think that D. Walker could be the odd man out at the 3 spot.

A few thoughts. First, players are going to get dinged up during the season and all players will not be available for every game. That will free up minutes. Second, this is a very versatile team with a number of players able to play more than one position. Jubril will see minutes at the 5 as well as the 4. Scara will get time at the 4 and the 3.  Nickerson and D Walker could see time at the three and the 2. Bryce will have the flexibility to go big or small depending on the match ups.  As long as the players buy into winning as a team versus padding personal stats or sulking over playing time, this could be a really exciting year.

Sounds like Bryce is going to have some Calipari problems this year.

[valpotx]

The team that beat us by 3 in the NCAA tourney just a few months ago is the early favorite to be pre-season #1:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/13369291/maryland-terrapins-north-carolina-tar-heels-lead-no-longer-way-too-early-top-25

[justducky]

The team that beat us by 3 in the NCAA tourney just a few months ago is the early favorite to be pre-season #1:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/13369291/maryland-terrapins-north-carolina-tar-heels-lead-no-longer-way-too-early-top-25

Impressive list but we could hold our own with them.

My opinion--- take any random dozen of that 25--- play every one of them as a true road game for our OOC schedule, annnnnd we still win minimum 3, fair chance at 4 and a possibility of 5.

Have fun!   

[Kyle321n]

The team that beat us by 3 in the NCAA tourney just a few months ago is the early favorite to be pre-season #1:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/13369291/maryland-terrapins-north-carolina-tar-heels-lead-no-longer-way-too-early-top-25

Impressive list but we could hold our own with them.

My opinion--- take any random dozen of that 25--- play every one of them as a true road game for our OOC schedule, annnnnd we still win minimum 3, fair chance at 4 and a possibility of 5.

Have fun!   

I think we do better than that. The bottom 6 or 7 are very beatable and I would argue we should be ranked above most of them.

[atkins]

Um...don't we actually have to win a game against an actual large conference program before we can predict a victory against a top-25 team?  A narrow loss to Maryland does not a competitor make.