Game #5 - Mon Nov 21, Alabama at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas 11pm CT

[talksalot]

I wanted to get this up right away after I washed my hands following Duck Soup.  Time for a Day at the Races in Vegas.

Tide rolls in 1-1, beating Coastal Carolina and Losing to Dayton (at home).  Friday night at home against Ball State

Here's the Bama stat sheet:

http://www.rolltide.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&year=2016

4 guys averaging double figures. 67% free throws, got out-rebounded by Coastal Carolina. 

[atkins]

A game we should, on paper, win.  But we are playing such flawed basketball right now.  We seem lost like a deer in the headlights more often than we should.  I predict Valpo loses by 7 after playing a close game.  Hope I am totally wrong. 

Alec should not have to carry the team on his shoulders inside and outside, and that's what he's having to try to do.  Obviously, there is far too much inconsistency elsewhere.  We are now 4 games in, and the pattern is not positive.  Hopefully we can go on a streak in a positive direction. 

[covufan]

How this team bounces back from the Oregon game could give us a preview of the rest of the season.  If we are anywhere near previous years 3-pt shooting percentage, we have a chance.  If we continue our shooting woes, we'll lose.  We can't be out rebounded again, especially on their end of the court. 

Our FT shooting would indicate that as a team we have the ability to improve our 3-pt shooting.

Valpo  71
'Bama 67

[justducky]

I wanted to get this up right away after I washed my hands following Duck Soup.  Time for a Day at the Races in Vegas.

Horse Feathers! This comparison is unfair even if the Oregon second half looked exactly like a Marx brothers skit. Wait!!  Send Chef down to the novelty shop to get the whole team Groucho getups. Maybe with the big noses, eyebrows and cigars we will be better equipped to focus on the game. Either way Alabama will be difficult so we will need to avoid any Monkey Business.

[Kyle321n]

One thing is for sure in this game. Alabama will be well coached with Avery Johnson at the helm.

[valpotx]

Unfortunately, we need some more time to work out our shooting woes.

Alabama 74
Valpo 67

[valpo64]

Inconsistent shooting?  It's not only the "other" guys, AP has been in the same funk.  It is bound to turn around, but the question is when.  Let's hope the free throw shooting holds up.  It has been a long time since we have been this good in our free throw shooting.

[valpo04]

From a writer from bamahoops.com:

Hi, I am one of the writers for an Alabama basketball blog, bamahoops.com (I'm "DJC" there).  We do a feature where we invite writers from upcoming opponent's blogs to give us a bit of perspective from the other side.  If you are interested, please respond and tell me a bit about the Valpo team and your thoughts on the matchup, and I will post it to our blog and of course give you credit along with a link back to your site.  I hope to hear back from you.  Thanks, and good luck!

If anyone is interested, you can send me a PM with your write up and I will email it to him or you can email him directly: jcarruth@bham.rr.com

Thanks!

[M]

Valpo 75-71 winners.  Our big guys need to get better, fast!

[vu84v2]

This is a really telling game of what may happen during the season. Unlike the Oregon game, I am somewhat optimistic. Offense will run well and the team will hit more of their open shots. Assuming the inside game will be serviceable and that Valpo may benefit from some neutral refs.

Valpo 72
Alabama 70

[valpo64]

Alabama beat Ball State by 18 last night.

[agibson]

The Athletics page will fill us in sooner or later. But, anyone have ideas about TV or video coverage?

[EddieCabot]

The Athletics page will fill us in sooner or later. But, anyone have ideas about TV or video coverage?

Championship game on ESPN2.  Other three games live streaming on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdfNhq-imTE

[bbtds]

I wanted to get this up right away after I washed my hands following Duck Soup.  Time for a Day at the Races in Vegas.

Horse Feathers! This comparison is unfair even if the Oregon second half looked exactly like a Marx brothers skit. Wait!!  Send Chef down to the novelty shop to get the whole team Groucho getups. Maybe with the big noses, eyebrows and cigars we will be better equipped to focus on the game. Either way Alabama will be difficult so we will need to avoid any Monkey Business.

I think a lot of you are taking one big Humor Risk when talking about the Oregon and Alabama games. (Look it up, 1921)

Maybe it's time for the team to change up their pre-game diets and throw some Animal Crackers in the mix.

[agibson]

The Athletics page will fill us in sooner or later. But, anyone have ideas about TV or video coverage?

Championship game on ESPN2.  Other three games live streaming on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdfNhq-imTE

Looks like it's free, I guess. Archives of past games are, at least.

It's the first I remember Valpo on YouTube. It's worked well in the past for me, for USL Soccer games.

[VUSWIM08-12]

Vegas giving Valpo 2 points...thought it might be a 5 or 6. Looking forward to watching this one!

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/odds/las-vegas/

[talksalot]

Sagarin's "New Feature"

FAVORITE        Rating Points Gold Recent  UNDERDOG        FAVORITE         WINNER    LOSER SPREAD  TOTAL   UNDERDOG        APPROX
=================================================================================
alabama           6.62    7.94    4.36  4.26    valparaiso          alabama           67.73     -  65.27   2.46       133.00   valparaiso       ~  2.58

Ya know what?   Harken back to the days when Valpo would have been a prohibitive underdog to any power5 team.  Let's do something special.... again.


PS.  feel free to grab any of these others... This game could be "Yours for the Asking"... ... Groucho was a "sun bathing extra"...

Marx Brothers Movies

Humor Risk      (1921)
The Cocoanuts      (1929)
Animal Crackers      (1930)
Monkey Business      (1931)
Horse Feathers      (1932)
Duck Soup      (1933)
A Night at the Opera      (1935)
A Day at the Races      (1937)
Room Service      (1938)
At the Circus      (1939)
Go West      (1940)
The Big Store      (1941)
A Night in Casablanca      (1946)
Love Happy      (1949)

[talksalot]

The Valpo-Bama game is #4 on the docket for the MGM arena today...

Ball State - Coppin on right now, with the Cardinals up 57-52 with 7:20 to play, Cardinals are in foul trouble!
Coastal Carolina - Southern Utah coming up at 5pm Central
BYU - St Louis at 8:30pm
Valpo-Bama scheduled for 11:00pm (actally 10:59PM to get in on the "Tuesday Schedule" on the east coast)

[talksalot]

Coppin State missed a bunny layup at the buzzer to tie... Ball State takes it 79-77.  (Coppin State erased an 11-point lead in the last 2 minutes)...

the crowd in that arena was ... just a minute, let me count them from the freeze-frame picture... yup. 26 people in the arena behind the team benches.

[a3uge]

This midnight start time is insane. I'm already falling asleep.

[talksalot]

Just watched the BYU demolition of SLU... 30 point game as SLU mailed in the last 10 minutes.  Cougars will be a tough out tomorrow night for the Crusaders.

[valporun]

I look forward to watching a good game from Valpo, and want Valpo to beat Alabama. It would be a good win for Valpo and the HL against an SEC school, and another good moment to make my birthday enjoyable.

[valporun]

Neither team is playing a smooth game, and Smits is looking like a fish out of water. He's going to need to be focused on a lot in practice, otherwise he'll be a severe Achilles heel. (I guess start praying that he develops into a Vashil-like 7 footer in junior year.) The rest of the team is looking rough, but we're getting some good shots to fall here.

[valporun]

Valpo takes a 34-31 lead into the break. A lot of turnovers, 10 for Bama, and we got 20 points off of those turnovers, and we couldn't keep the paint closed. Bama got a lot of their points in the paint, instead of extended or from the perimeter. Have a lot of work ahead of us in the second half, if we're going to keep the Tide down.

[a3uge]

Awful sequence to end the half, but terrible call. Should be up 7.