2015-16 Season

[vusupporter]

I'd say Cory Johnson was a star who transferred down.

[justducky]

Like many have said Oakland doesn't have a good history with bringing in good people.

This is the year I hope they strike gold. If they turn out top notch it will be great for them, great for the HL, and potentially very helpful to us as well.

[a3uge]

I'd say Cory Johnson was a star who transferred down.

And then he forgot how to shoot and forgot what traveling was.

[FWalum]

I'd say Cory Johnson was a star who transferred down.

Cory did play better his Junior year, but still averaged 5.1 RPG and 14.85 PPG over his career, I think you would call that a very successful transfer down. I think we would be very happy if Shane Hammink approaches those numbers.

[VULB#62]

Speaking of Shane, I hope that when the final schedule is released, the first two games are not against iron teams and that we can survive them without Shane and Jubril.

[vu72]

Speaking of Shane, I hope that when the final schedule is released, the first two games are not against iron teams and that we can survive them without Shane and Jubril.

I may be wrong but I think Jubril served his timeouts last year.

[VULB#62]

Whew!  You're right.

[4throwfan]

A web-site called College Sports Madness has predicted that Valpo will once again be a 13 seed, and they rank Valpo as 67th in the country, out of 144 teams ranked.  It doesn't make sense to have the same seed as the previous year considering that the team is replacing Chadwick with Hammink and Smits.  However, the 67 may be realistic.  The good news is that the site ranks Valpo ahead of some traditionally solid programs.

[VULB#62]

Here's the link:

http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/mens-basketball/top-144-previews

A web-site called College Sports Madness has predicted that Valpo will once again be a 13 seed, and they rank Valpo as 67th in the country, out of 144 teams ranked.  It doesn't make sense to have the same seed as the previous year considering that the team is replacing Chadwick with Hammink and Smits.  However, the 67 may be realistic.  The good news is that the site ranks Valpo ahead of some traditionally solid programs.

[vu72]

Hard to say about seeds.  We won 28 games last year and got a 13.  It has to do with RPI and such and the level of competition.  The ranking is a different matter.  I'd be disappointed if we aren't in the top 25, particularly in the Coaches Poll.  67 is a joke.

[covufan]

Hard to say about seeds.  We won 28 games last year and got a 13.  It has to do with RPI and such and the level of competition.  The ranking is a different matter.  I'd be disappointed if we aren't in the top 25, particularly in the Coaches Poll.  67 is a joke.

We may get Top 25 votes, but we won't be in the top 25 at the beginning of the season.  If we win all of the games we are supposed (favored) to win, and pick up an extra win or two, we might get into the Top 25 at some point during the season.  For the rankings/ratings, we need to win games we are supposed to win. 

The 67 ranking may be a little low for some, but is more likely a reflection of where we finished last season.  I'd like to think we are right near 50th to start the season.

[vu72]

Hard to say about seeds.  We won 28 games last year and got a 13.  It has to do with RPI and such and the level of competition.  The ranking is a different matter.  I'd be disappointed if we aren't in the top 25, particularly in the Coaches Poll.  67 is a joke.

We may get Top 25 votes, but we won't be in the top 25 at the beginning of the season.  If we win all of the games we are supposed (favored) to win, and pick up an extra win or two, we might get into the Top 25 at some point during the season.  For the rankings/ratings, we need to win games we are supposed to win. 

The 67 ranking may be a little low for some, but is more likely a reflection of where we finished last season.  I'd like to think we are right near 50th to start the season.

We finished last year ranked 68th in the Sagarin's

[VULB#62]

Another way to look at this:

68 - Georgia State
69 - VCU
70 - Memphis
71 - Arkansas
72 - Evansville
73 - Illinois
74 - Florida State
75 - UNLV

These are the 8 ranked below us.  How would our team fare if these 8 games (4 home , 4 away) were on our schedule as 2015 OOC games?  After 8 games, what would be our record?  Would #67 still be a joke?

My point is that this ranking is a joke.

[StlVUFan]

Any ranking based on a rigged scheduling "game" is a joke.

[chef]

Based on what took place last year and based on what Valpo has coming back this season, it's safe to say there are not currently 66 teams better than the Crusaders. Common sense tells us that.

[wh]

Based on what took place last year and based on what Valpo has coming back this season, it's safe to say there are not currently 66 teams better than the Crusaders. Common sense tells us that.

Speaking of which, with what we have coming back we should start the season as good or better than we finished last year and build from there.  We are talented, experienced and deep.  Bryce has said repeatedly that the players have great chemistry on and off the court.  We have had the benefit of an extra 10 practices and 5 exhibition games. We should expect to win every game regardless of the opponent and be highly disappointed when we don't.  Think Wichita State.   

[vu72]

Based on what took place last year and based on what Valpo has coming back this season, it's safe to say there are not currently 66 teams better than the Crusaders. Common sense tells us that.

Speaking of which, with what we have coming back we should start the season as good or better than we finished last year and build from there.  We are talented, experienced and deep.  Bryce has said repeatedly that the players have great chemistry on and off the court.  We have had the benefit of an extra 10 practices and 5 exhibition games. We should expect to win every game regardless of the opponent and be highly disappointed when we don't.  Think Wichita State.   

I couldn't agree more.  This is where the rubber hits the road, or, we get run over by another truck.  I think back to the Horizon League Championship game when we managed to hold Green Bay to 44 points, win by 10 while T Walker played a total of 4 minutes, D Walker had a total of 3 points and Alec had 9 points on 3 of 13 shooting and 1 for 8 from the 3.  We have to be better.  NO EXCUSES!!!!

[VULB#62]

Based on what took place last year and based on what Valpo has coming back this season, it's safe to say there are not currently 66 teams better than the Crusaders. Common sense tells us that.

Speaking of which, with what we have coming back we should start the season as good or better than we finished last year and build from there.  We are talented, experienced and deep.  Bryce has said repeatedly that the players have great chemistry on and off the court.  We have had the benefit of an extra 10 practices and 5 exhibition games. We should expect to win every game regardless of the opponent and be highly disappointed when we don't.  Think Wichita State.   

I couldn't agree more.  This is where the rubber hits the road, or, we get run over by another truck.  I think back to the Horizon League Championship game when we managed to hold Green Bay to 44 points, win by 10 while T Walker played a total of 4 minutes, D Walker had a total of 3 points and Alec had 9 points on 3 of 13 shooting and 1 for 8 from the 3.  We have to be better.  NO EXCUSES!!!!

All these assumptions and high expectations scare the heck out of me.   Yes, we almost beat Maryland in the NCAA last year.  But we didn't.  Yes, we should win the HL, but we will not just walk on over because everyone and their mother will be pointing to knock us off plus we will ALWAYS see their best effort, in clouding YSU (and we could easily be upset in the final in     DETROIT ). Given this weight to carry, this team will not have nor can it afford a single off night.  Yes, we return a 28-6 winning record from last year, but lost to Missouri (by 15 away) and New Mexico (at home by 17). The OOC schedule might expose us and we still have got to prove that we can beat better, more established programs which last year's team (i.e., this year's team) did not  (I know, I know, we are one year wiser).

I certainly hope our young men can carry the weighty burden that is building almost two months before the first tip-off and will continue to build into the season.  Right now I'm just waiting (conservatively) despite the excitement I too feel -- I think more out of self preservation and sleeping better.

[bbtds]

Based on what took place last year and based on what Valpo has coming back this season, it's safe to say there are not currently 66 teams better than the Crusaders. Common sense tells us that.

Speaking of which, with what we have coming back we should start the season as good or better than we finished last year and build from there.  We are talented, experienced and deep.  Bryce has said repeatedly that the players have great chemistry on and off the court.  We have had the benefit of an extra 10 practices and 5 exhibition games. We should expect to win every game regardless of the opponent and be highly disappointed when we don't.  Think Wichita State.   

I couldn't agree more.  This is where the rubber hits the road, or, we get run over by another truck.  I think back to the Horizon League Championship game when we managed to hold Green Bay to 44 points, win by 10 while T Walker played a total of 4 minutes, D Walker had a total of 3 points and Alec had 9 points on 3 of 13 shooting and 1 for 8 from the 3.  We have to be better.  NO EXCUSES!!!!

All these assumptions and high expectations scare the heck out of me.   Yes, we almost beat Maryland in the NCAA last year.  But we didn't.  Yes, we should win the HL, but we will not just walk on over because everyone and their mother will be pointing to knock us off plus we will ALWAYS see their best effort, in clouding YSU (and we could easily be upset in the final in     DETROIT ). Given this weight to carry, this team will not have nor can it afford a single off night.  Yes, we return a 28-6 winning record from last year, but lost to Missouri (by 15 away) and New Mexico (at home by 17). The OOC schedule might expose us and we still have got to prove that we can beat better, more established programs which last year's team (i.e., this year's team) did not  (I know, I know, we are one year wiser).

I certainly hope our young men can carry the weighty burden that is building almost two months before the first tip-off and will continue to build into the season.  Right now I'm just waiting (conservatively) despite the excitement I too feel -- I think more out of self preservation and sleeping better.

I agree totally. My expectations are for some poor showings during the conference per the usual. There should only be 3 losses at most during the OOC.

[VULB#62]

It might be another 28-6 record (or it could be 25-9) despite having a better, more experienced and deeper team.  What brought me down to earth was the Carlton loss on the Canadian trip.  From all reports we never showed up and played uninspired basketball.  From a veteran team with so much expected of it, that is unacceptable.  But it could be a tiny insight into this team's personality. I still don't see a shared "step-on-their-throat-when-they're-down" mindset.  But that's why they play the games and I want to be proven wrong.

[a3uge]

It might be another 28-6 record (or it could be 25-9) despite having a better, more experienced and deeper team.  What brought me down to earth was the Carlton loss on the Canadian trip.  From all reports we never showed up and played uninspired basketball.  From a veteran team with so much expected of it, that is unacceptable.  But it could be a tiny insight into this team's personality. I still don't see a shared "step-on-their-throat-when-they're-down" mindset.  But that's why they play the games and I want to be proven wrong.

You mean the exhibition game with a 24-second shot clock we played without the best defensive player in the Horizon last year? We very well may be 28-6 or 25-9, but I don't think an exhibition game down players with different rules, no scouting/gameplan, and inconsistent lineups really tells us anything.

[nkvu]

Disagree a bit. If the team is as good and as deep as it appears to be on paper it should have been a more competitive performance regardless.  However I'm not too concerned as that game could serve as a reminder to the team that games are won on the court not on paper.

For me if this team is as special as we all hope it is I would look to see how it competes against the big names in the ooc games. Beat all the mid majors and Oregon State while playing close with Oregon and Rhode Island and I think we have it. Lose badly to Oregon and Rhode Island, lose to Oregon State and split with Belmont while beating the rest of the mid majors, then I start to think that it is once again a good mid-major team that probably won't do much in the NCAA tournament if it gets there.   

[classof2014]

It might be another 28-6 record (or it could be 25-9) despite having a better, more experienced and deeper team.  What brought me down to earth was the Carlton loss on the Canadian trip.  From all reports we never showed up and played uninspired basketball.  From a veteran team with so much expected of it, that is unacceptable.  But it could be a tiny insight into this team's personality. I still don't see a shared "step-on-their-throat-when-they're-down" mindset.  But that's why they play the games and I want to be proven wrong.

You mean the exhibition game with a 24-second shot clock we played without the best defensive player in the Horizon last year? We very well may be 28-6 or 25-9, but I don't think an exhibition game down players with different rules, no scouting/gameplan, and inconsistent lineups really tells us anything.

I would agree. The last thing you want to do in an exhibition game is get injured. Bryce and the rest of the coaching staff was using this game more or less as practice. It allows them to experiment with lineups and positions that we may never see again. During normal games this season our best players will be on the court 30+ minutes. Not about half the game. Exhibition games need to be taken with a grain of salt. To Valpo it was more or less a practice game. Yes, they want to win but, in the end they all knew these games mean absolutely nothing and the last thing you would want is an injury that could potentially jeopardize the season.

This team will do just fine.

[VULB#62]

Someone once said you play like you practice.  They already had a couple of games under their belt under the new rules.  Missing Alec should have motivated whoever was on the court to take up the slack. My issue was with the approach to the game -- uninspired.  There are 12 guys fighting for minutes and they knew Carlton was the best team they'd face on the trip. Regardless of whether it is off season or not, I would have liked to have seen a tougher spirit.  But that's just me.

[zvillehaze]

Valpo was discussed in a CBS Sports mailbag column.  http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25295814/college-hoops-mailbag-overseas-trips-texas-under-shaka-and-sleepers


Q: Who could be this year's Northern Iowa or Murray State: a non-traditional power that has the talent/team to get a good seed? -- Jordan Kuehne

A: I'll have a preseason Cinderella list when we get closer to the season, but I'll give you two teams now that will definitely appear on it.

Valparaiso gave Maryland all that it could handle last season in the NCAA Tournament, and returns its entire rotation this season after Vashil Fernandez was granted a fifth season of eligibility by the NCAA. The return of Fernandez is massive, as he was the Horizon's Defensive Player of the Year last year and is one of the best returning shot-blockers in the nation. Beyond him, stretch-four Alec Peters returns to be their lead offensive weapon, as do Darien and Tevonn Walker in the backcourt. It's an experienced, defensive-based team that can really shoot, and those are the schools who can give the big boys issues come Tournament time. They went 28-6 last year, and it wouldn't be out of the question for them to win 30 games in 2015-16 and earn an at-large bid.