Union Street Hoops

[bbtds]

If he lays into the fans unfairly you can bet I'll have a comment on it pretty similar to when I went in on his comments about the schedule.

Ooooooh! A fan comment. I'm sure PO is shaking in his shoes. Gym shoes. Bought in Wisconsin. At a real shoe store with those sliding width foot measuring devices, someone to lace up the shoe before you try it on and walk around the store. Paul will say "I'll take it." The sales person will say "do you want to wear them out (oooot) or should I put them in the shoe box for you." And Paul will pay for them and walk out of the store thinking "new shoes, I love the smell of new shoes "

[EddieCabot]

Really enjoy USH and Paul's take on things. But if this is some BS clickbait.......

If it's clickbait that's not cool but I guess that's par for the current media era we're in. Regardless I don't see him laying into the coaching staff. That leaves the players, school or fans. I'm ruling out the school and I think he will say the injuries are an "excuse" for this teams play so that leaves the fans. Do we expect too much from a injury riddled team in its second year in the Valley? Maybe but I think the fans angst with the state of the program goes further than wins and losses right now. Or maybe Paul was just trolling us all to get us to listen. Mission accomplished you have peaked our interest but I'd be listening regardless. I think many fans would like the media to start acknowledging the fan-bases discontent with the state of the program. This fan-base is prideful and tired of the poor play.

The MVC is now rated #17 by KenPom, one spot ahead of the mighty Horizon League.  I think the "playing in a much better conference" excuse needs to be put on a shelf for now.  That's not the issue.

[VU2010]

Not going to be click bait. Paul's going to deliver. I've got faith.

[bbtds]

Not going to be click bait. Paul's going to deliver. I've got faith.

I know one thing. It's inevitable that Paul will disappoint someone because he won't be as scorched earth as someone will want him to be.

[IrishDawg]

The MVC is now rated #17 by KenPom, one spot ahead of the mighty Horizon League.  I think the "playing in a much better conference" excuse needs to be put on a shelf for now.  That's not the issue.

True - but the MVC is closer to being in 10th place as a league than 18th if you look at the conference scores themselves.  I do think this year is probably going to be closer to "normal" for the league going forward where they'll be in that higher tier of mid-major leagues, but somewhere in the 10-15 range in terms of a ranking on kenpom.  For the Horizon, IMO, they'll be in that tier just below the MVC's where they'll normally be anywhere from about 18-25 or so.

I think last year the league as a whole overperformed, and this year much of the league is underperforming, so my guess is they'll settle somewhere in the middle of these last couple of years.

[bbtds]

The MVC is now rated #17 by KenPom, one spot ahead of the mighty Horizon League.  I think the "playing in a much better conference" excuse needs to be put on a shelf for now.  That's not the issue.

True - but the MVC is closer to being in 10th place as a league than 18th if you look at the conference scores themselves.  I do think this year is probably going to be closer to "normal" for the league going forward where they'll be in that higher tier of mid-major leagues, but somewhere in the 10-15 range in terms of a ranking on kenpom.  For the Horizon, IMO, they'll be in that tier just below the MVC's where they'll normally be anywhere from about 18-25 or so.

I think last year the league as a whole overperformed, and this year much of the league is underperforming, so my guess is they'll settle somewhere in the middle of these last couple of years.

The difference between 10-15 and 18-25 is it really that big of a deal? Yes, the MVC is slightly better and most people will agree with that but sometimes because we moved from one to the other we make much too big a deal of it all.

[VU2010]

Best part of the cast is when Paul says: "I don't know anything." This was said in response to folks on here who have commented that they think Paul knows something about potential transfers.

Other than that, he scorches fans - like myself - who have expressed our opinions and thoughts about the coaching woes.

Guess those of us with better expectations than 7/8 down the stretch and 4 straight home losses need to gain perspective. Hope it felt good, Paul. Hoping they're right and I'm an idiot who is overly emotional about it things.

[crusader05]

Demanding that all people see things the exact way we do, and have the exact emotional reaction to it is creating a destiny of eternal disappointment for ourselves.

[NativeCheesehead]

His tone toward the fans was a little disappointing. I understand where he was coming from but it could have been expressed better. Paul's a good journalist and a great writer. I think part of it is most of us, Paul included, have never seen a Valpo MBBHC fired for performance. Or really even doubted his ability. This is uncharted waters for all of us.

There are several beat reporters for other MVC schools who are much harsher on their coaches. Is that good? Are they too harsh? I have no idea.

I would like a little clarification on the comments about fans wanting Bryce back. I remember one comment on here that was shouted down pretty quickly by the rest of the board. Has he really received that many messages to that effect?

The 'scorched earth' was definitely clickbait though.

[EddieCabot]

I laughed when the Robbie guy said people weren't really expecting much from the team this year.  He needs to go back to the USH when Paul did pre-season predictions with the radio guy ... I came away thinking a Sweet 16 was not only possible, but likely.

[crusader05]

Paul did take some ownership for that. he talked about how they did the preview and were way too hyped on people and maybe creating a false expectation.

Robbie was also the one who was equally dismissive of Lottich being fired as he didn't think it was a disaster. His lack of connection to Valpo probably is a good insight to have as Paul has a tendency to get super hyped up about the program, especially before the season and Robbie was basically like "it hasn't been a disaster, they're probably finishing better than last year and they basically have the same team" 

[M]

I'm only 25 minutes in and have only heard Game recaps and that Mileek doesn't do anything with his minute(s). Here's a stat for ya: Smits averages a turnover every 10.5 minutes while Mileek he's one every 11.4 minutes.
They want to talk block shots...in conference play Kizer has 1 (played about 2.5 times more minutes), Lavender has 1 (played nearly 4x as many minutes) and Fazekas has 1(has 30 more minutes despite being out for quite a few games). So stuff the stats up your @$$ as to why Mileek doesn't play more.

Can't wait to hear the rest....

[FieldGoodie05]

I'm only 25 minutes in and have only heard Game recaps and that Mileek doesn't do anything with his minute(s). Here's a stat for ya: Smits averages a turnover every 10.5 minutes while Mileek he's one every 11.4 minutes.
They want to talk block shots...in conference play Kizer has 1 (played about 2.5 times more minutes), Lavender has 1 (played nearly 4x as many minutes) and Fazekas has 1(has 30 more minutes despite being out for quite a few games). So stuff the stats up your @$$ as to why Mileek doesn't play more.

Can't wait to hear the rest....

I appreciate having a guest on your Podcast Paul, it's good to hear back-n-forth.  I'd welcome Robbie as a weekly co-host if that is feasible.  I think many of us understand this is unpaid so it's even more appreciated knowing the time you dedicate. 

Keep up the good work, though boy you were guilty of click bait on "scorched earth"!!! haha  You even admit this as the podcast progresses.  Ever considered adjunct professor of Marketing?!?!?  I'd be interested to know what % increase (downloads) you saw with this episode based on "scorched earth" tweet?

[VUGrad1314]

A fair and levelheaded assessment of our current situation and a strong and well-put-together defense of Lottich that is sensible and has really helped calm me down. Good job Paul and Robbie! I feel better now, Go Valpo

[GoldenCrusader87]

At the end of the day, this is what fandom is all about - no matter what, we'd be barking about something. If undefeated, we'd be complaining about minutes or what have you. Ya know? Just what makes it fun for old folks like us and/or those of us (like me) who couldn't make the high school team lol.

[bbtds]

I know one thing. It's inevitable that Paul will disappoint someone because he won't be as scorched earth as someone will want him to be.

I'm only 25 minutes in and have only heard Game recaps and that Mileek doesn't do anything with his minute(s). Here's a stat for ya: Smits averages a turnover every 10.5 minutes while Mileek he's one every 11.4 minutes.
They want to talk block shots...in conference play Kizer has 1 (played about 2.5 times more minutes), Lavender has 1 (played nearly 4x as many minutes) and Fazekas has 1(has 30 more minutes despite being out for quite a few games). So stuff the stats up your @$$ as to why Mileek doesn't play more.

Can't wait to hear the rest....

[VU2014]

I'm only 25 minutes in and have only heard Game recaps and that Mileek doesn't do anything with his minute(s). Here's a stat for ya: Smits averages a turnover every 10.5 minutes while Mileek he's one every 11.4 minutes.
They want to talk block shots...in conference play Kizer has 1 (played about 2.5 times more minutes), Lavender has 1 (played nearly 4x as many minutes) and Fazekas has 1(has 30 more minutes despite being out for quite a few games). So stuff the stats up your @$$ as to why Mileek doesn't play more.

Can't wait to hear the rest....

I appreciate having a guest on your Podcast Paul, it's good to hear back-n-forth.  I'd welcome Robbie as a weekly co-host if that is feasible.  I think many of us understand this is unpaid so it's even more appreciated knowing the time you dedicate. 

Keep up the good work, though boy you were guilty of click bait on "scorched earth"!!! haha  You even admit this as the podcast progresses.  Ever considered adjunct professor of Marketing?!?!?  I'd be interested to know what % increase (downloads) you saw with this episode based on "scorched earth" tweet?

I have a friend who actually took Paul's social media class lol. Not sure what the name of the course is.

I thought it was a pretty good episode. enjoyed him and Robbie going back and forth. I think Paul is sometimes at his best when he has someone else to bounce ideas and dialogue off of.

[Pgmado]

My original intent when I tweeted out "scorched earth" was to do the episode alone and have a passionate defense of Lottich. The target of that was not going to be this message board, but really the recent talk I've heard away from the board about wanting Bryce to get fired and then have him replace Lottich.

We had a very interesting media availability with Lottich yesterday (which Robbie and I never really got around to discussing). Lottich walked us through some plays from the Drake game as he was watching film when we went in his office. He showed us good plays and he showed us bad plays. It was fascinating. Never did he throw anyone under the bus. I came away from the experience with a new appreciation for what coaches go through.

I read some of the comments this morning and knew that if I vehemently defended Lottich, it would come off as dismissive of passionate fans, and who the hell am I to do that? So I called Robbie and I knew we'd have a more thoughtful discussion that would be more centered and less fire and brimstone.

I appreciate Robbie's outside-in way of looking at the program, so I knew we'd have a good discussion.

Apologies if I clickbaited you. That wasn't the intent. Much thanks to all of you who listen to this passion project of mine. I'm looking forward to a fun final few weeks of the season.

[GoldenCrusader87]

Paul, I get where you're coming from. But, other than Robbie's initial comment where he was a tiny bit critical of ML, it wasn't hardly an opportunity for two parties with different perspectives to talk about what a part of the fan base is feeling right now. Honestly, it was as one-sided as a Saturday Night Live take on a political issue. 95% one direction. It would've made for a much different feel if you at least played devil's advocate and entertained the thought of where many folks are coming from in regards to comments about Bryce coming back OR perceived concerns regarding ML's leadership of this team. Instead, it was a pure defense of his leadership. Which is fine. But, it didn't do much for those of us in fandom who don't get the opportunity to do a sit down with the coach. Instead, you flirted an idea out there at the end - though - that maybe this time next week on USH you could hypothetically be skeptical of his leadership and the trajectory of this team. So, 2 games would change everything you said? Doubtful. Wasn't sure why you threw that out in the end. I respect clickbait - I mean it works for a reason. At least upon clicking on your link I wasn't told that I won an iPad or had to spin a wheel. So, I'm thankful for that.

[M]

I did like Robbie being on there, except his mic was much louder or something -hopefully that's an easy fix.

I think my favorite part from I heard was the back and forth about whether or not Lottich was making excuses. Least favorite part was mentioned a few posts ago, lol.

Thanks for giving us more to talk about! Go Valpo!

[SanityLost17]

Paul obviously thinks Lottich has a future and knowing Paul gets a more behind the scenes look at coaches and players than we do maybe we should trust him for now.

2 overtime games, a 7 minute meltdown, and an injury ridden home game against Drake we were still competitive in.   That is how close we are to talking about winning a conference title.   We are obviously not there yet or we would have won a few of those games, but we are close!  Talent in this league pretty equal so yes, some of it comes down to coaching.   Devries has obviously out coached Lottich but is he coaching so badly that we need to fire him?  NO. 

If we get most everyone back next year and the offense still struggles and he doesn't improve on some of the little things about his coaching and the injuries still pile up (maybe overdoing it in practice?) perhaps then we can re-evaluate.  But for now the Jury is still out and screaming at the top of our lungs that "Our coach sucks" will do more damage to the program than you could possibly imagine.   After all, recruits and their parents love hearing that rhetoric on twitter when a school offers them....   

     

[GoldenCrusader87]

Sanity, I sure hope nobody feels that strongly or would take to social media to yell out that the coach sucks. If so, that's unfortunate. No doubt he wants to win and be successful. No doubt the players - overall - want to win and be successful. But, there's something that's gotta change for that to happen on a routine basis. I felt better about things when thinking of the MVC being way better than the HL. But the comment someone made about the ratings and it only barely slighting the HL is sad to hear. Idk what the problems are stemming from... idk ... even a win here or there won't solve them though. Part of me would feel better if we really could pinpoint what the root of the issue is ... but idk what that may be?...

[wh]

My original intent when I tweeted out "scorched earth" was to do the episode alone and have a passionate defense of Lottich. The target of that was not going to be this message board, but really the recent talk I've heard away from the board about wanting Bryce to get fired and then have him replace Lottich.

We had a very interesting media availability with Lottich yesterday (which Robbie and I never really got around to discussing). Lottich walked us through some plays from the Drake game as he was watching film when we went in his office. He showed us good plays and he showed us bad plays. It was fascinating. Never did he throw anyone under the bus. I came away from the experience with a new appreciation for what coaches go through.

I read some of the comments this morning and knew that if I vehemently defended Lottich, it would come off as dismissive of passionate fans, and who the hell am I to do that? So I called Robbie and I knew we'd have a more thoughtful discussion that would be more centered and less fire and brimstone.

I appreciate Robbie's outside-in way of looking at the program, so I knew we'd have a good discussion.

Apologies if I clickbaited you. That wasn't the intent. Much thanks to all of you who listen to this passion project of mine. I'm looking forward to a fun final few weeks of the season.

That's interesting, but not surprising that Matt would impress when talking about the technical aspects of the game. He is a Stanford grad, after all, with years of playing experience at every level and now several years of coaching experience, as well. He's probably the smartest guy in a lot of rooms.

My specific concern is why after 30 games into the season is there such inconsistency in player energy and effort from 1 game to the next, from 1 half to the next half, from the opening 10 minutes vs. the rest of the game, from 1 player to the next, etc. How did we recently blow out ILS and Muller said they were never ready to match our energy and intensity, then turn around and sleepwalk through parts of the next 2 or 3 games? How did we go from committing to a new hard nosed, "gritty" playing style before the PNW game, and using that "take no prisoners" style to get off to a great start in conference, then suddenly developing a sort of empty souled, zombie look? Why do we constantly have to make line up changes to motivate players to play harder?  How after all this time does the absence of a former walk-in become a primary reason we got off to a "slow start?" 

How frustrating it must be to lead a team whose energy and effort levels ebb and flow randomly like someone with severe biplolor disorder.  I don't know if this is a Matt problem or a player problem, but I do know that it has become so prevalent, so dysfunctional, that it is now part of the team's identity.

[justducky]

I've now accepted that the Fazekas we've seen is the Fazekas we've got.   

This time last year Lottich and the team were competitively battling just for pride, respectability and love of the game.  If we don't see that level of effort going forward then everything and everyone should be open to question.

[crusaderboy]

This is what stood out to me: "You don't fire a coach after three years unless it's a complete disaster. And this is not a complete disaster. They're trending upward."

Wow. Potential back-to-back last-place finishes, not a complete disaster apparently.