2017-18 VU Schedule

[talksalot]

in that case, the Eagles may be a little tired... a little... they take on the Bradley Braves on November 1st in Peoria.  and we get them on 2nd.  (bradley is on their schedule, we are not)

[VU2014]

A couple thoughts from the podcast. When Paul and Coach Gore were talking about the Horizon Leagues Conference scheduling you could almost hear the frustration in his voice. The Horizon League was terrible not only for travel but also for the fans and the players. It was literally all over the place.

Paul mentioned that he heard the MVC Conference schedules should be out soon (around Labor Day). One thing I personally enjoy about th MVC scheduling is that we will actually have the chance to play in Saturday's!! The Non-Conference home games might not be the best next season but the Conference games will be so much better then what we had in the Horizon. Something I'm looking forward to.

[crusadermoe]

Yes, Friday games for ESPN was a funky night of the week. And townies had HS games to attend in Indiana. 

[NativeCheesehead]

The challenges in putting together a schedule on our level are legit. There are many reasons, covered at length on this board.

But that doesn't really matter to me, as a fan who pays good money to attend these games, and pays more to avoid the awful parking situation the University has put themselves in. I pay the same to see Western Ohio A&M Tech State as I do for Rhode Island. I accept as a season ticket holder the trade off there. But there's no trade off this year. This leaves me, as someone who lives about 30 min away, in the mindset of potentially not renewing my season tickets and just grabbing some GA seats to the 3-5 conference games that really interest me.

I think this really saps a lot of the momentum we could have had in local interest gained from the conference move.

[VULB#62]

The challenges in putting together a schedule on our level are legit. There are many reasons, covered at length on this board.

But that doesn't really matter to me, as a fan who pays good money to attend these games, and pays more to avoid the awful parking situation the University has put themselves in. I pay the same to see Western Ohio A&M Tech State as I do for Rhode Island. I accept as a season ticket holder the trade off there. But there's no trade off this year. This leaves me, as someone who lives about 30 min away, in the mindset of potentially not renewing my season tickets and just grabbing some GA seats to the 3-5 conference games that really interest me.

I think this really saps a lot of the momentum we could have had in local interest gained from the conference move.

Severely discount non-D-I games?

[NativeCheesehead]

Free Admission with a Valpo Schools (and/or Chesterton, BG, MT, WT et al.)  ID to non D-I games. Get em hooked before they understand what a crappy opponent is on the court.

[valpo64]

Another thought is a reduced season ticket package with possible discounts , include some of the "bad" games with the good, or whatever.  Maybe some creative thinking as to season ticket programs should be looked at in depth in order to improve overall attendance, as many schools do.   I must admit that this coming season is a new experience for VU and we should be open to some new creative thinking now that we are in the MVC with respect to markekting, season ticket sales, etc.

[VU2014]

I'm not going to lie I'd personally be a little disappointed with the Non-D1s if I was a season ticket holder.

Just purely from a fan perspective I will be more interested in watching the Non-d1 games this season than I was last season just because this is a completely new era of Valpo Basketball. Last year we knew the core of the team (AP, Shane, Jubril, Lexus, Tevonn, etc) & we somewhat knew what to expect so there wasn't much intrigue for those particular games against lesser competition.

But this team has a new core to the roster & the only known player is Tevonn. I will be watching these games much more closely because we really don't know what to expect from guys like Joe & Bakari, who we are all hoping can be impact guys of this team. It will be interesting to see the lineups the coaching staff will put out. Many question marks on this team. Will Micah, Jay & Smits take the next step? Also I want to see how Markus Golder & the Freshman look. Against these non-d1s you'd hope & think the freshman should get some playing time, which will give us our first look at this new team.

I will personally be excited to watch those games because it will be our first look at this new era of Valpo Basketball. From a coaching perspective I assume its pretty nice to have these games to begin the season to build team chemistry on the court & see how the new guys react to in game play.

I don't think these games take away from the momentum or local interest of Valpo's first season in the Valley at all.

[Valpower]

The challenges in putting together a schedule on our level are legit. There are many reasons, covered at length on this board. But that doesn't really matter to me, as a fan who pays good money to attend these games, and pays more to avoid the awful parking situation the University has put themselves in. I pay the same to see Western Ohio A&M Tech State as I do for Rhode Island. I accept as a season ticket holder the trade off there. But there's no trade off this year. This leaves me, as someone who lives about 30 min away, in the mindset of potentially not renewing my season tickets and just grabbing some GA seats to the 3-5 conference games that really interest me. I think this really saps a lot of the momentum we could have had in local interest gained from the conference move.

Goooo WOAMTSU! I think their mascot is an Elephino.

[crusadermoe]

Good acronum.   

Maybe start a new thread for hardest team and college to print on sweatshirts.  IUPUFW Mastodons is the gold standard so far. 

Our past schedules have to have other good candidates.

[VU2014]

I think our Horizon League "replacement" IUPUI (AKA: OOEE-POOEE) takes the cake. 

[EddieCabot]

The challenges in putting together a schedule on our level are legit. There are many reasons, covered at length on this board.

But that doesn't really matter to me, as a fan who pays good money to attend these games, and pays more to avoid the awful parking situation the University has put themselves in. I pay the same to see Western Ohio A&M Tech State as I do for Rhode Island. I accept as a season ticket holder the trade off there. But there's no trade off this year. This leaves me, as someone who lives about 30 min away, in the mindset of potentially not renewing my season tickets and just grabbing some GA seats to the 3-5 conference games that really interest me.

I think this really saps a lot of the momentum we could have had in local interest gained from the conference move.

I agree with this.  The best game at the ARC before MVC starts is Utah State, who went 14-17 last year.  The MVC also has several teams I won't pay to see.  Buying single game tickets seems like the way to go this year.

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/904025310672322560

[bbtds]

Good acronum.   

Is that when you see so many initials you get numb?

[bbtds]

The challenges in putting together a schedule on our level are legit. There are many reasons, covered at length on this board.

But that doesn't really matter to me, as a fan who pays good money to attend these games, and pays more to avoid the awful parking situation the University has put themselves in. I pay the same to see Western Ohio A&M Tech State as I do for Rhode Island. I accept as a season ticket holder the trade off there. But there's no trade off this year. This leaves me, as someone who lives about 30 min away, in the mindset of potentially not renewing my season tickets and just grabbing some GA seats to the 3-5 conference games that really interest me.

I think this really saps a lot of the momentum we could have had in local interest gained from the conference move.

I agree with this.  The best game at the ARC before MVC starts is Utah State, who went 14-17 last year.  The MVC also has several teams I won't pay to see.  Buying single game tickets seems like the way to go this year.

My relatives will buy season tickets but I see your point. I would think about buying single game tickets and missing the non-Div. 1 games. Of course I would see them (non-Div. 1) on the computer/HDMI connection to my TV.

[wh]

The challenges in putting together a schedule on our level are legit. There are many reasons, covered at length on this board.

But that doesn't really matter to me, as a fan who pays good money to attend these games, and pays more to avoid the awful parking situation the University has put themselves in. I pay the same to see Western Ohio A&M Tech State as I do for Rhode Island. I accept as a season ticket holder the trade off there. But there's no trade off this year. This leaves me, as someone who lives about 30 min away, in the mindset of potentially not renewing my season tickets and just grabbing some GA seats to the 3-5 conference games that really interest me.

I think this really saps a lot of the momentum we could have had in local interest gained from the conference move.

I agree with this.  The best game at the ARC before MVC starts is Utah State, who went 14-17 last year.  The MVC also has several teams I won't pay to see.  Buying single game tickets seems like the way to go this year.

I've already said the OOC home scheduling sucks, and that I think it will negatively affect attendance. That said, it doesn't excuse us diehards from being there for every painful minute. Think or thin, good or bad, exciting or not, our support is unwavering.

[VU2014]

I've already said the OOC home scheduling sucks, and that I think it will negatively affect attendance. That said, it doesn't excuse us diehards from being there for every painful minute. Think or thin, good or bad, exciting or not, our support is unwavering.

I completely agree the OOC home schedule isn't great but I don't think the Non-D1s will be as painful or hard to watch as they normally would be because there are so many new guys & question marks with this team next season, we'll actually have something interesting to watch for. Last season the game vs Trinity was just absolutely brutal to watch because we knew the Core of our team was proven/strong and there was just a blatant "tune-up" game for better competition down the road. You could tell the guys weren't excited to play them & it showed on the court in the first half.

Next season we have 2 very talented guys that sat out an entire season & are probably just itching to get in the game again & we also have 4 guys that have never played D1 NCAA basketball before so their adrenalin/emotion will probably be through the roof.

80% of the active roster will be underclassman next season with a lot to prove even if its against non-d1s. Maybe I'm looking for a way to see this as a "glass half full" here but I'll probably be pretty into the game when we're playing even Trinity & North Park just because we as fans have never seen this new core of players before & we don't know what to expect.

[valpo64]

Since when  does who we play determine one's support for the team?  Especially when it it a young, inexperienced team, Valpo nation fan support is even more important...Come on Valpo fans!!!

[ml2]

2015-16 Final KenPom Ranks for 2016-17 D1 Home Opponents
Southern Utah - 342
Coppin State - 333
Ball State - 155
Rhode Island - 82
Indiana State - 168
Santa Clara - 244
Chicago State - 347
Non-Conf Average: 238.7

Oakland - 79
Detroit - 172
Green Bay - 127
UIC - 335
Wright State - 146
Northern Kentucky - 255
Cleveland St - 289
Youngstown St - 281
Milwaukee - 114
Conf Average - 199.7

Overall Average - 216.8

2016-17 Final KenPom Ranks for 2017-18 D1 Home Opponents
Southeastern Louisiana - 231
Samford - 166
Utah State - 130
Non-conf Average - 175.6

Illinois St - 49
Indiana St - 199
Loyola - 97
Bradley - 217
Drake - 258
Southern Illinois - 150
Missouri State - 134
Evansville - 154
Northern Iowa - 169
Conf Average - 158.5

Overall Average - 162.8

[oklahomamick]

Big difference from this year and last year rpi schedule is the Rhode Island home game and the conference schedule.

[VU2014]

ML2 makes a good point. The Non-Conference home schedule really isn't that bad from a RPI & Kenpom perspective. The Non-D1s don't impact the RPI. Strategically its not a bad Non-Conference schedule.

My only issue is that its only 3 D1 home games & 2 of those 3 home games are when students are off campus & at home for break. It really hurts the atmosphere when the students aren't there and its not a good look on TV. Side Note: Thank goodness we don't have to deal with the Horizon League's consistently pathetic scheduling of big rivalry games when students are off campus anymore. I feel like every VU vs OU game recently was when students were off campus for both schools.

I'm ok with the schedule this season for various reason that I've said before but I hope the OOC home schedule will be a little stronger next season. I'm sure it will be.

2018-2019 Return Games or Potential Start of a New Series:
-Pencil in a Non-D1 opponent (I don't mind 1 non-d1. It offers VU a home "tune-up" game and doesn't impact our RPI)
-SIUE    (maybe they'll step it up in the OVC by next season)
-UC-Riverside
-Ball State (Going to be a good in-state rival game. It will be a Hazen vs Hazen Brother Matchup which will be interesting to watch)
-Maybe Vanderbilt (as part of Bryce's Buyout the series is required. A Bryce homecoming game vs a projected good Valpo Team will be standing room only packed ARC and electric environment. We don't know when the series will start though)

[wh]

-Maybe Vanderbilt (as part of Bryce's Buyout the series is required. A Bryce homecoming game vs a projected good Valpo Team will be standing room only packed ARC and electric environment. We don't know when the series will start though)

This is the first I have heard of this.

[VU2014]

-Maybe Vanderbilt (as part of Bryce's Buyout the series is required. A Bryce homecoming game vs a projected good Valpo Team will be standing room only packed ARC and electric environment. We don't know when the series will start though)

This is the first I have heard of this.

Mark LaBarbera I believe mentioned it in his appearance on Paul's podcast Union Street Hoops. I know for sure he went on the record with it in a Q & A with Michael Osipoff.

https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/847994502841348096
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/847994193628758017
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/847993913600352256

[crusadermoe]

Nice! 

Meanwhile...  TAMU-CC ?    Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi. Has to be in the Top 10 "acronyms".   

[VU2014]

Look for some MVC schedules to drop today.