VU 2016-17 Schedule

[bbtds]

Nov. 11 Coppin St. @ Valpo

From the Coppin State website, this game is November 14th

I guess I assume people saw the schedule in my post

Nov. 14 at Valpo
Nov. 16 at Coastal Carolina in Conway, SC (guess what? It's near the coast by Myrtle Beach.)
Nov. 17 at BYU in Provo, UT
Nov. 18 at Utah in Salt Lake City (not part of the Men Who Speak Up Event)
Nov. 21 vs Ball State in Las Vegas

[talksalot]

4,324 miles... Baltimore to valpo to Conway to Ogden to Las Vegas... hopefully no flight delays

[Valpower]

Should not hurt too much (??) With Kentucky, Oregon and URI on schedule along with Bama and BYU/SLU...I hope.

In absolute terms, it hurts the same regardless of who our opponent is.  In relative terms, it may not sink us if we have otherwise strong scheduling, but when have we ever had that, especially when you consider our conference?  We live on the edge as far as RPI, and that's why we get upset about every low RPI game.

[zvillehaze]

Las Vegas tournament now finalized, per Blogging The Bracket.  Valpo's 4th game is Southern Utah at the ARC on November 11.

http://www.bloggingthebracket.com/2015/11/30/9810744/2016-17-college-basketball-early-season-tournaments-events-MTE-neutral-site#MGM

[justducky]

Las Vegas tournament now finalized, per Blogging The Bracket.  Valpo's 4th game is Southern Utah at the ARC on November 11.

Correct me if I am wrong but it looks to me like one more game could be added before we are done. Any D-1 rumors afloat or might we add a local non D-1 home game? That trip to Oregon (11-17) followed by a 3 day gap before playing at Las Vegas (11-21 and 11-23) still has me wondering.

[wh]

Las Vegas tournament now finalized, per Blogging The Bracket.  Valpo's 4th game is Southern Utah at the ARC on November 11.

Correct me if I am wrong but it looks to me like one more game could be added before we are done. Any D-1 rumors afloat or might we add a local non D-1 home game? That trip to Oregon (11-17) followed by a 3 day gap before playing at Las Vegas (11-21 and 11-23) still has me wondering.

This from Paul Oren:

http://www.twitter.com/NWIOren/status/765284825104261120

Sounds like possibly we're still trying to find a D-1 opponent with Trinity being a fallback.

[valpotx]

Let's put a nice beat down on SUU.  They have been in the cellar of the Big Sky since joining that conference.  We will forever owe them a beat down, due to Jeff Monaco and Fred House stealing our NCAA bid in 2001.

[justducky]

Let's put a nice beat down on SUU.  They have been in the cellar of the Big Sky since joining that conference.  We will forever owe them a beat down, due to Jeff Monaco and Fred House stealing our NCAA bid in 2001.

I still have some memories of a competitive rivalry but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since its heyday. Their RPI for the last 3 years has been 346, 304, and 336. It may be difficult for the team to not take them lightly. Nobody in the ARC (except our elderly fan base) will remember when they were considered a real challenge.

[ValpoHoops]

The only thing I can recall about SUU is that we had an eight-point possession against them one year at the ARC.

[bbtds]

Let's put a nice beat down on SUU.  They have been in the cellar of the Big Sky since joining that conference.  We will forever owe them a beat down, due to Jeff Monaco and Fred House stealing our NCAA bid in 2001.

I still have some memories of a competitive rivalry but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since its heyday. Their RPI for the last 3 years has been 346, 304, and 336. It may be difficult for the team to not take them lightly. Nobody in the ARC (except our elderly fan base) will remember when they were considered a real challenge.

Can we take a poll here and see how many remember the competitive rivalry with SUU and don't consider themselves part of the elderly fan base. I'm in that group.

[crusadermoe]

I don't see myself as elderly.  ButAARP thinks otherwise. 

Who remembers Fred House the guard who led them to the MidCon title that year in Fort Wayne when half the VU team was sick or injured?  He got a tryout with the NBA and then farmed out somewhere, right?  They had another really good player that year, but I forgot his name.  They always seemed to knock out ORU or maybe it was just once.  Also, the road trip from Valpo was a nasty long bus ride to O Hare, fly to Las Vegas, then bus a good ways to Utah. 

[valpospartan]

 
[/quote]
I still have some memories of a competitive rivalry but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since its heyday. Their RPI for the last 3 years has been 346, 304, and 336. It may be difficult for the team to not take them lightly. Nobody in the ARC (except our elderly fan base) will remember when they were considered a real challenge.
[/quote]

This elderly fan remembers SUU, but since I am elderly, not many details.

[justducky]

The only thing I can recall about SUU is that we had an eight-point possession against them one year at the ARC.

Thats it! We need an Eight-Point Possession Commemoration Night. We will need players from the game, snippets of newspaper and or available video coverage, maybe Todd can give us a replication of his call. Bring Homer in for the Commemoration post game interview.

Think BIG!!! Action, Action, Action. Put them in a special 3 game ticket package with Indiana St and Rhode Island! How else are we going to get any non regulars sucked in for this event??? Wait a minute!  I don't remember any eight- point possession game. Are you sure any of this really happened? Is it your alzheimer's kicking in or is it mine? 

[FWalum]

I don't see myself as elderly.  ButAARP thinks otherwise. 

Who remembers Fred House the guard who led them to the MidCon title that year in Fort Wayne when half the VU team was sick or injured?  He got a tryout with the NBA and then farmed out somewhere, right?  They had another really good player that year, but I forgot his name.  They always seemed to knock out ORU or maybe it was just once.  Also, the road trip from Valpo was a nasty long bus ride to O Hare, fly to Las Vegas, then bus a good ways to Utah. 

Remember that game very well.  I had to sit next to Milo Stovall who was out with Mono and man was that a treat... NOT

[bbtds]

They had another really good player that year, but I forgot his name. 

Jeff Monaco, the fiery point guard. See, I'm not that elderly that I can't remember.

[crusaderjoe]

Valpo should ask Tom Douple to visit from Elmhurst and be its guest at the game.  IIRC, he was the AD at SUU before he became Mid-Con commissioner, so both schools have a history with him.  If nothing more, this would at least give Rick from the old message board the opportunity to complain in person about Tulsa and ORU hosting the Mid-Con tournament 10 years ago.

[wh]

Sasha Stefanovic is rated 3 stars by Rivals:

http://www.rivals.com/content/prospects/172600

[FWalum]

Sasha Stefanovic is rated 3 stars by Rivals:

http://www.rivals.com/content/prospects/172600

Am I reading it right that we have not made an offer to him yet?

[wh]

Sasha Stefanovic is rated 3 stars by Rivals:

http://www.rivals.com/content/prospects/172600

Am I reading it right that we have not made an offer to him yet?

First, let me apologize for posting the Rivals 3-star comment on the wrong thread. I think the doctor called it early onset dementia . In answer to your question, the Rivals list is incomplete. Verbal Commits has the whole list, and his top 5 (including Valpo).

[VULB#62]

It also doesn't mention NIU, or Loyola or SJU as even in the mix, but they are in his top five along with us and Evansville. I think WH was focusing on the 3* more than the rest of the stuff.  If he listed Valpo in his top five, we can be pretty sure an offer has been extended, don'tcha think?.

[wh]

http://www.verbalcommits.com/players/sasha-stefanovic

Click on "Open" to see his final 5. Click on "Closed" to see his other 17 offers.

[HailVU2014]

FYI, Rhode Island released their non-conference schedule last week... and they will be coming to the ARC on Tuesday, November 29.

http://www.gorhody.com/sports/m-baskbl/2016-17/releases/20160815l3pm2s

I will say that I am excited that they are indeed coming to the ARC, but the Tuesday after the Thanksgiving holiday doesn't scream "well attended game" to me. Given the Tuesday night time after the college football regular season and decent matchup, I would hope that this gets ESPN coverage and that would help things out. But, I'm disappointed. I was hoping for a Friday or Saturday Night game for Rhody and I already know I cannot make the trek for a Tuesday night game... 

Updated Non-Conference Schedule:

Friday, November 11: Southern Utah at Valparaiso (Home Opener/MGM Grand Main Event Undercard Game)
Saturday, November 12: Trinity International at Valparaiso ("Tentative")
Monday, November 14: Coppin State at Valparaiso (MGM Grand Main Event Undercard Game)
Thursday, November 17: Valparaiso at Oregon
Monday, November 21: Alabama vs. Valparaiso in Las Vegas (MGM Grand Main Event Heavy Weight Bracket Semi-Final)- 11pm CT
Wednesday, November 23: BYU or Saint Louis vs. Valparaiso in Las Vegas (MGM Grand Main Event Final/Consolation)- 8:30 or 11pm CT
Tuesday, November 29: Rhode Island at Valparaiso
Wednesday, December 7: Valparaiso at Kentucky
Saturday, December 10: Valparaiso at Missouri State
Saturday, December 17: Indiana State at Valparaiso
Thursday, December 22: Santa Clara at Valparaiso

Missing: Home vs. Ball State? (Was Saturday after Thanksgiving last year in Muncie... Date still available this year...)
Home vs. Chicago State?
(Making for 13 Non-Conference plus 18 Conference for 31 Regular Season Games... we had 31 last year.)

Personal Thoughts: Very tough Non-Conference schedule for a first year head coach, and a schedule that some would have loved to see last year with more power conference teams. The thing that is missing is a team like Belmont last year, a strong mid-major that will compete for their conference championship. (No the A-10 is not a mid-major for those that believe that Rhody can win the A-10 with E.C. Matthews back.) A strong mid-major would be a great way to compare how we stack up to last year and of course with other good mid-majors this year. So...If we can still somehow ditch Trinity International for something the likes of an Akron, Ohio, Kent State, or similar team I would like that, but that's probably wishful thinking at this point.

[justducky]

I will say that I am excited that they are indeed coming to the ARC, but the Tuesday after the Thanksgiving holiday doesn't scream "well attended game" to me. Given the Tuesday night time after the college football regular season and decent matchup, I would hope that this gets ESPN coverage and that would help things out. But, I'm disappointed. I was hoping for a Friday or Saturday Night game for Rhody and I already know I cannot make the trek for a Tuesday night game... 

We played a Tuesday morning(?) game there last year so a return of like kind does not surprise me.

Even with our recent success Rhode Island still holds an advantage in scheduling power and more of their valuable weekends will be spent at home than us. Should our success continue I would anticipate an eventual return of occasional 2 for 1 or home and aways with the likes of Northwestern, Butler, Purdue, even ND. If or when these do return you could bet that our game would be mid week and they would host us for their choice of maximizing revenue. All of this assumes that we can maintain the highest level of mid major respectability.

[valpotx]

Monaco was player of the year during that season.  I am 35, and very much remember SUU bringing competitive games under Bill Evans.  I taped that game on ESPN, and ended up on TV yelling some 'not nice things' towards Monaco and House lol.  In addition to Milo being out with illness, Kikas Gomes was injured and did not play.

[wh]

FYI, Rhode Island released their non-conference schedule last week... and they will be coming to the ARC on Tuesday, November 29.

http://www.gorhody.com/sports/m-baskbl/2016-17/releases/20160815l3pm2s

I will say that I am excited that they are indeed coming to the ARC, but the Tuesday after the Thanksgiving holiday doesn't scream "well attended game" to me. Given the Tuesday night time after the college football regular season and decent matchup, I would hope that this gets ESPN coverage and that would help things out. But, I'm disappointed. I was hoping for a Friday or Saturday Night game for Rhody and I already know I cannot make the trek for a Tuesday night game... 

Updated Non-Conference Schedule:

Friday, November 11: Southern Utah at Valparaiso (Home Opener/MGM Grand Main Event Undercard Game)
Saturday, November 12: Trinity International at Valparaiso ("Tentative")
Monday, November 14: Coppin State at Valparaiso (MGM Grand Main Event Undercard Game)
Thursday, November 17: Valparaiso at Oregon
Monday, November 21: Alabama vs. Valparaiso in Las Vegas (MGM Grand Main Event Heavy Weight Bracket Semi-Final)- 11pm CT
Wednesday, November 23: BYU or Saint Louis vs. Valparaiso in Las Vegas (MGM Grand Main Event Final/Consolation)- 8:30 or 11pm CT
Tuesday, November 29: Rhode Island at Valparaiso
Wednesday, December 7: Valparaiso at Kentucky
Saturday, December 10: Valparaiso at Missouri State
Saturday, December 17: Indiana State at Valparaiso
Thursday, December 22: Santa Clara at Valparaiso

Missing: Home vs. Ball State? (Was Saturday after Thanksgiving last year in Muncie... Date still available this year...)
Home vs. Chicago State?
(Making for 13 Non-Conference plus 18 Conference for 31 Regular Season Games... we had 31 last year.)

Personal Thoughts: Very tough Non-Conference schedule for a first year head coach, and a schedule that some would have loved to see last year with more power conference teams. The thing that is missing is a team like Belmont last year, a strong mid-major that will compete for their conference championship. (No the A-10 is not a mid-major for those that believe that Rhody can win the A-10 with E.C. Matthews back.) A strong mid-major would be a great way to compare how we stack up to last year and of course with other good mid-majors this year. So...If we can still somehow ditch Trinity International for something the likes of an Akron, Ohio, Kent State, or similar team I would like that, but that's probably wishful thinking at this point.

According to the season ticket order form in the mail, the price for bleacher seats is $10 higher than last year. That leads me believe that we may have 1 additional home game over last year. If so, your tentative schedule is missing 1 home opponent. Of course, the other possibility is that simply raised the price.