Game #15 - Oakland Friday Jan 6, 8pm (CT) ESPN2 @ the ARC

[talksalot]

We MUST Hold our own at the ARC.  Period.

Grizz have an RPI of 132 and a strength of schedule at  262

They are 1-1 on the road against D1, Beating Robert Morris and losing the Michigan State.

They only have one win over a team ranked in the top 180... their blowout of Wright State on Thursday night.

[crusadermoe]

I thought they beat Georgia.  Is Ga. ranked that low?

[talksalot]

I thought they beat Georgia.  Is Ga. ranked that low?

whoops... missed that one... the Dawgs are #36...

[valpotx]

Valpo 81
Oakland 69

[M]

Valpo with a 76-70 victory!

[oklahomamick]

Even though this game means so much to kampe and they probably been talking about playing valpo since preseason, crusaders win. 

And Petros still sucks

[M]

Valpo should have Tarrance Price deliver the game ball now that he is back in town.

[bbtds]

Valpo should have Tarrance Price deliver the game ball now that he is back in town.

The look on Kampe's face would be "Price-full" more or less.

[covufan]

We need to send a message to Oakland and the rest of the HL - this team will win at home!

Close, but our experience and FT shooting prevail.

Valpo   78
Oakland 71

[justducky]

They have the talent, depth and sufficient experience to be a major problem. We need to find a way to beat them Friday because they could be a much better team by late in the season. Can Kampe put it all together for a big HL run? Looks to me like the pieces are there for him to have that chance.

Looks like a weather forecast for Friday of clear but cold 15 degree temperatures. Will this be the best crowd of the year?

And Petros still sucks

Not me! I refuse to touch that one.   

[ValpoHoops]

Will this be the best crowd of the year?

Classes don't start until January 11, and the dorms are not open until Sunday.

Don't expect much from the students. There will be some...those who live close enough, off-campus or can find a place to crash, and who understand the magnitude of the game and want to get on TV. There will be many more who simply stay home and watch.

Wish we could go a year or two without playing a big home game on ESPN with the students gone. Seems to happen with our big games an awful lot...

[valpotx]

Even though this game means so much to kampe and they probably been talking about playing valpo since preseason, crusaders win. 

And Petros still sucks

Hey, that's my line!

[valpopal]

Quote from: justducky on December 31, 2016, 11:16:51 PM
"Will this be the best crowd of the year?"



I still feel the same about the Horizon League's poor scheduling of this game as I mentioned when the date was announced at the start of September: "What bothers me more about the Horizon League scheduling is the lack of insight when scheduling important games between likely conference leaders or teams with rivalries. The opening home game for Valpo is against Oakland. These two teams are expected to be fighting for the conference championship, and they have developed a strong rivalry with a history of dramatic games. In addition, that game will likely be covered by ESPN for a national audience. Yet, the Horizon League schedules the game a week before spring semester begins, guaranteeing an absence of students and a lessening of the great atmosphere one would expect at the ARC for a Valpo-Oakland game. In addition, the Valpo game at Oakland will be while school is in session, so Oakland gets the advantage of playing in front of its student body." 

[FieldGoodie05]

Seems to me ESPN probably has bigger and better games to broadcast deeper into the conference schedules.  I don't agree with it, but when your fed the "TV scraps" you eat or starve.

Despite what Bill Potter said on Union Street Hoops, I'm thinking our option for nationally televised games are extremely limited and we adjust accordingly.  My top example is the 4PM start to VU @ UIC...on a Friday.  If not for the idea of "take what you're given" I don't think we would have chosen to play Friday during senior citizens dinner hour!

[ValpoHoops]

Seems to me ESPN probably has bigger and better games to broadcast deeper into the conference schedules.  I don't agree with it, but when your fed the "TV scraps" you eat or

The league has the Friday night time slot every week. Not always on espn2, however.

But, this game could have been any week. The power leagues VERY rarely play on fridays.

[FieldGoodie05]

Man you're not kidding that the P5 don't much like Fridays.  Went through 4 upcoming weeks of Friday and B1G and ACC play zero on Friday.  Geesh.

[M]

Sure be neat if jubril came running out in his jersey for this game.

[EddieCabot]

Quote from: justducky on December 31, 2016, 11:16:51 PM
"Will this be the best crowd of the year?"



I still feel the same about the Horizon League's poor scheduling of this game as I mentioned when the date was announced at the start of September: "What bothers me more about the Horizon League scheduling is the lack of insight when scheduling important games between likely conference leaders or teams with rivalries. The opening home game for Valpo is against Oakland. These two teams are expected to be fighting for the conference championship, and they have developed a strong rivalry with a history of dramatic games. In addition, that game will likely be covered by ESPN for a national audience. Yet, the Horizon League schedules the game a week before spring semester begins, guaranteeing an absence of students and a lessening of the great atmosphere one would expect at the ARC for a Valpo-Oakland game. In addition, the Valpo game at Oakland will be while school is in session, so Oakland gets the advantage of playing in front of its student body." 

Valpo has 1 or 2 league home games every year while the students are away.  Seems very unfair for the HL to do this year after year.  Hopefully, the Valpo community understands the magnitude of the Oakland game and steps up to fill the ARC.

[M]

I thought the crowds for Chicago State and Santa Clara were pretty respectable considering the circumstances. I'd imagine Friday night will be a decent enough crowd.

[Valpo89]

Should be a decent crowd. Valpo High's boys team has a home game against Portage, which may take away a few of the diehard VHS/fringe VU fans. But there's no question which game will be better.

[historyman]

Should be a decent crowd. Valpo High's boys team has a home game against Portage, which may take away a few of the diehard VHS/fringe VU fans. But there's no question which game will be better.

It's too bad that Valpo High's only loss of the season was against Mileek McMillan and TJ Lux's Merrillville Pirates, 62-60, at, of all places, Huntington University, at a Christmas tournament. That tournament also included Valpo High beating Parker Hazen and the Columbia City Eagles rather easily, 54-44.

BTW, VHS finished 3rd in that tournament by beating Huntington North (a battle of teams nicknamed Vikings) on virtually a home court at Huntington U, 46-36. Merrillville and Mileek finished 2nd losing to Hamilton Southeastern 83-75 in the championship game at Huntington North High School.

[VUBBFan]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Warm-up at Hawaiian Beach Night during the @ValpoBasketball game this Friday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. Free themed t-shirts to the first 1,000 fans! pic.twitter.com/UtFwV30vAW</p>&mdash; Valpo Athletics (@valpoathletics) January 4, 2017
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Grizz]

Kampe's preview of Valpo game:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFekObtqPJs

[wh]

Kampe's preview of Valpo game:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFekObtqPJs

What a great promotion of the Valpo/Oakland rivalry! Should be another exciting game! 

[wh]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NOZyb9XC7E