Game #9 - #1 Kentucky Wednesday Dec 7 7pm (CT) Rupp Arena Lexington, KY

[atkins]

My revised prediction post-UCLA:  Valpo loses by 30.  It won't even be close.  Kentucky will dunk on us 15 times. 

[historyman]

UCLA wins. Makes Wednesday's game even more interesting. Who comes out to play with more fire, Valpo or Kentucky? I'm sure Cal will have his guys ready. I want to see a good game on Wednesday, not just Valpo going for the paycheck.

Oh, so when the Wildcats were beating teams by 40 plus they were weren't concentrating and just on cruise control? Come on. Because they lost to UCLA they will suddenly concentrate more and beat Valpo by 60 plus? This puts doubt in their minds. Let's face it, no one was going to pick Valpo and now this makes my lone Valpo pick look so much better. Still not a great chance but if this Valpo team is close at the end I see some great termination battling to the end and chasing the boys from Lexington all the way to the finish line.



No more getting blown out this year for Valpo!

[VU75]

I would guess that this would be the first time Valpo has played the #1 ranked team in both men's and women's basketball in the same season, let alone the same week.

[talksalot]

Kentucky had not played anyone with an RPI better than 87...until today (UCLA was 16)

SFAustin 295
Canisius 121
Michigan State 87
Duquesne 153
Cleveland State 182
Tennessee Martin 96
Arizona State 167

Maybe John Cal was right... "We don't know how good we are"...

Here's the UCLA Box score

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gametracker/boxscore/NCAAB_20161203_UCLA@UK

Got out-rebounded, missed 9 free throws, took 80 shots from the floor...

[talksalot]

I would guess that this would be the first time Valpo has played the #1 ranked team in both men's and women's basketball in the same season, let alone the same week.

Don't think KY will hold the #1 slot...

UCLA, Baylor and Nova are still undefeated..... Florida and Kansas have the same record with better SOS.

[EddieCabot]

I think Kentucky may have been looking ahead to Valpo.

[vufan75]

I think Kentucky may have been looking ahead to Valpo.

😉.. $$ will be good regardless. Seriously think Kentucky wins easily. Too many athletes for us to match up with, especially with short bench we have shown. Would love to eat crow and be wrong.

[Smj]

With Kentucky coming off a loss I think we are going to have a pretty difficult game....

Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk

[usc4valpo]

Another great moment for the Pac 12, the Conference of Champions!

[valpo84]

What UCLA did to UK was very interesting from a VU perspective:

1. Outrebounded UK.  UK had a size advantage and struggled against better rebounding position and aggressiveness by UCLA.  Leaf and Welsh were able to get bounds.  They also had 11 ORebs which minimized UK on the break and open floor. 

2. Made UK shoot from outside.  UCLA did not give up much in the interior and forced outside shooting.  41.3% w 33.3% from 3.  VU has to concentrate on forcing jumpers and getting rebounds.  They showed good rebounding position vs URI.  Oregon not so much.

3. UCLA was on fire from outside.  Ball and Leaf were fantastic.  Leaf reminded me of Peters. Peters would have to have the same type of game. 7/12, 13 rebs 17 pts (Peters will need his average).  Ball reminded me a bit of Tevonn and Shane.  Shane has to be aggressive and score.  He will need 17 for VU to have a chance.  Tevonn has to hit his shots.   Welsh's midrange game is what I hope Smits/Sorolla become.  Jubril has to stay out of foul trouble. "Don't go in and jab around the ring to see if you belong. You're 8-0. You're playing well. Trust that you belong. Alford"

4. UCLA only played 8. Anigbogu was very impressive off the bench with Welsh in foul trouble most of the game. Sorolla/Smits give you 10 fouls and one or both need to score (and use fouls) when in there as well as rebound.  They will need to combine for 20 mins of good basketball.

5. UCLA handled full court pressure most of the 2d half and benefitted from closely called perimeter.  Not sure we'll see that down the middle reffing in this one. 

UCLA scored 97 and still was a 1 possession game late, although surprisingly Alford missed some FTs.  We would have to play out of our minds and still may not be enough.  Eliminate the UK runs of 10-12 unanswered.  UK is young but it is UK, Rupp and they just lost.  Showcasing Peters versus top 10 ranked opponent should be interesting.  Leaf was very successful so that gives me hope for Alec.  We have to hit some open 3s! Not sure when the last time UK lost 2 in a row at home?  Baylor was last non-conf team to beat them at home and I think that was about 2012.  UK lost 2 in February 2014 at home. They have lost only 5 at home during the Calipari years.  ''We didn't have the energy. I had to call a timeout a minute into the game. I mean, just wasn't the same team. There are great lessons out of this. I wish we would have come back and won. ... But sometimes you need to get hit on the chin, especially at home. Calipari''

For Valpo fans, make sure to enjoy the trip to Rupp, take in the history, maybe do a bourbon distillery visit or two, and watch 2 really good ball teams, one just happens to be ranked #6. 

[crusadermoe]

 All the UCLA loss does is open up the truly slim.....no razor thin..chance that they could choke on the pressure if we bomb 3 points all night and hit 80% after stalling out the clock each time.f the clock.

We have the kind of athletes now who can keep us within 15-20 instead of 35-40 points but that doesn't help a lot. Just have fun guys and hope for a big shooting night.

Can anyone remember a more athletic and versatile combination of three players at Valpo than Alec, Tevonn, and Shane?   Give Shane a right handed shot and no requirements to handle the ball and he would be a monster.

. 

[wh]

Self-made Valparaiso star who plays 'a little angry' will be next test for Kentucky

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article119061543.html#storylink=cpy

[VULB#62]

Self-made Valparaiso star who plays 'a little angry' will be next test for Kentucky

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article119061543.html#storylink=cpy

The embedded video is really worth watching.

[agibson]

The embedded video is really worth watching.

Thanks for pointing it out. I think someone had mentioned it earlier, but I'd never watched it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXGeEVHAT64

[talksalot]

might be a long night for valpo and our opponents...

Wednesday WarrenNolan Predictions:

Akron by 45 at home over Coppin State
Western Michigan by 4 at Cleveland State
Butler by 6 at Indiana State
Northern Kentucky by 6 at home over Eastern Illinois
Toledo by 20 at home over Detroit-Mercy
Missouri State by 8 at SEMO
Kentucky by 30 over Valpo
Loyola-Chicago by 14 at home over Wright State
BYU by 16 at home over Weber State

*the KY-VU spread is the same as UMES @ VaTech and UTSA @ TexTech; all three of us have a 1% chance of winning.

now THERE'S motivation!

[M]

So you're saying there is a chance.

[VUSWIM08-12]

https://www.seccountry.com/kentucky/kentucky-basketball-john-calipari-valparaiso-live-stream

[VUfan]

So Valpo should stay home and not get  embarrassed. That is not this team they work hard they make the other team work hard. If this team plays its game they will make Kentucky work harder then they like and make a game of it. KU 89 VU 84

[wh]

The spread: Kentucky -19

https://www.teamrankings.com/ncb/odds/

[bbtds]

I would guess that this would be the first time Valpo has played the #1 ranked team in both men's and women's basketball in the same season, let alone the same week.

Don't think KY will hold the #1 slot...

UCLA, Baylor and Nova are still undefeated..... Florida and Kansas have the same record with better SOS.

KY #6

[talksalot]

Purdue just routed Arizona State just like Kentucky did.  Florida Atlantic just beat the Buckeyes in OT in Columbus.   Anything is possible!

[wh]

Alec Peters, Valparaiso gear up for litmus test on road against No. 6 Kentucky

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/sports/ct-ptb-mens-basketball-valparaiso-kentucky-st-1207-20161206-story.html

[wh]

Pregame 2-4-7: Kentucky/Valparaiso

http://kentucky.247sports.com/Article/Kentucky-Basketball-vs-Valparaiso-preview-time-TV-and-streaming--49602213

[vu72]

We are now a 20 point dog.  I just looked at their stats and found that four of their top five scorers are 6'4" or less. Only Adebayo at 6'10" is taller.  Obviously with their smaller lineup they will be running big time.  Coach Cal has mentioned going to  bigger lineup or playing two bigs at a time.  That will be pretty easy as they have 3 guys 6'10", 1 at 7' and 2 at 6'9"

If they go big we will be forced to play our freshman.  Let's hope we can run enough to keep their bigs off the floor.  Should be a very solid test!   

[wh]

Something that would quickly turn the tide against us would be Jubril getting into early foul trouble. He has made strides in many areas, but is still prone to committing unnecessary high risk/low reward reach-in fouls. At this stage in their development, I fear that our freshmen bigs will be completely over matched every time they step on the court.