NCAA College Basketball Talk

[crusadermoe]

Interesting idea.  Do you trade sun tan lotion for snowshoes? 

I do hope he gets a Power Five offer again. But I can't imagine he ditches the Lopes that fast. It's a really fun energetic new campus even if the new business model is a bit sketchy. Very unique as it is all pretty much built since 2010.

[wh]

I heard a rumor that DePaul wants Moser.   Not saying he's leaving, but moving within town for double the money may be appealing.  We will have to see what happens once Loyola is out.

I'm not as enamored with Moser as most people seem to be. Giving him his due, he's had 2 NCAA appearances in the past 4 seasons, including an incredible final 4 Cinderella story. In contrast he had only 3 winning records in his previous 10 seasons. So, the question becomes how did he suddenly go from years of mediocrity to excellence? Did he have an epiphany, or did he find lightening in a bottle with Cameron Krutwig? Time will tell.

BTW, some MVC fans have tried to make a similar case about Valpo having caught lightening in a bottle with Alec Peters, citing that we've been bad ever since he graduated. It's going to be up to Matt and crew to prove them wrong. Not to call anyone out, but I recall a few on this board agreeing with them.

[oklahomamick]

Out of the 68 NCAAT coaches.  Scott is the second worse as a player.  And Bryce is the third best only behind J. Howard and Patrick Ewing.

67. Scott Drew, Baylor Bears -- Drew's playing days ended with the JV team at Valparaiso (Indiana) High School. Though his brother, Bryce (also coaching in this tournament), played in the NBA, Scott Drew was a tennis player (he played on the team but didn't letter) and basketball manager at Butler.

[valpotx]

I heard a rumor that DePaul wants Moser.   Not saying he's leaving, but moving within town for double the money may be appealing.  We will have to see what happens once Loyola is out.

I'm not as enamored with Moser as most people seem to be. Giving him his due, he's had 2 NCAA appearances in the past 4 seasons, including an incredible final 4 Cinderella story. In contrast he had only 3 winning records in his previous 10 seasons. So, the question becomes how did he suddenly go from years of mediocrity to excellence? Did he have an epiphany, or did he find lightening in a bottle with Cameron Krutwig? Time will tell.

BTW, some MVC fans have tried to make a similar case about Valpo having caught lightening in a bottle with Alec Peters, citing that we've been bad ever since he graduated. It's going to be up to Matt and crew to prove them wrong. Not to call anyone out, but I recall a few on this board agreeing with them.

If Moser is going to make a move, this season is the one to do it.  He loses Krutwig, who is a beast of an all-around player.  There is no certainty going forward, and he probably saw the potential in Krutwig to carry the flag after the last run.  Who carries it for them going forward?  No slam dunks.

Technically, we caught lightning in a bottle back-to-back with Rowdy and AP.  You can't argue with 5 regular season championships, over a 6 year period.  For those in the MVC that are making this argument, I get it.  However, we have a history of sustained success over the last 25 seasons, that is hard to match.  We have 3-4 losing seasons during that time period? 

[VUGrad1314]

It's not set in stone that Krutwig and Williamson are leaving is it? I mean they COULD come back if they wanted to. And if they did Loyola would be loaded again. Moreover, Porter is at a financially loaded school that can pay him whatever he wants where he is beloved and revered. Why give that up? I'm not sold that he's going to leave and I'm not sold that Loyola is some flash in the pan. They've committed to succeeding in basketball and I think they are here to stay. I really hope Matt can prove everyone (including me) wrong and that we can compete in this league on a consistent basis and reach the heights in the MVC other programs have reached. I think we can do it if this class is as good as advertised but it's getting to the point where for the sake of the program Matt has to get it right here. I think the next year or two are beyond critical to define who we are and who we will be in the MVC and I hope we are able to be consistently competitive. We don't have to win the league every year but we need to be in the conversation much more often than we're not for me anyway.

[vu72]

I heard a rumor that DePaul wants Moser.   Not saying he's leaving, but moving within town for double the money may be appealing.  We will have to see what happens once Loyola is out.

I'm not as enamored with Moser as most people seem to be. Giving him his due, he's had 2 NCAA appearances in the past 4 seasons, including an incredible final 4 Cinderella story. In contrast he had only 3 winning records in his previous 10 seasons. So, the question becomes how did he suddenly go from years of mediocrity to excellence? Did he have an epiphany, or did he find lightening in a bottle with Cameron Krutwig? Time will tell.

BTW, some MVC fans have tried to make a similar case about Valpo having caught lightening in a bottle with Alec Peters, citing that we've been bad ever since he graduated. It's going to be up to Matt and crew to prove them wrong. Not to call anyone out, but I recall a few on this board agreeing with them.

If Moser is going to make a move, this season is the one to do it.  He loses Krutwig, who is a beast of an all-around player.  There is no certainty going forward, and he probably saw the potential in Krutwig to carry the flag after the last run.  Who carries it for them going forward?  No slam dunks.

Technically, we caught lightning in a bottle back-to-back with Rowdy and AP.  You can't argue with 5 regular season championships, over a 6 year period.  For those in the MVC that are making this argument, I get it.  However, we have a history of sustained success over the last 25 seasons, that is hard to match.  We have 3-4 losing seasons during that time period? 

One could point to a lot of teams that had unexpected success because of getting the right personnel.  Think back to the team from Indianapolis. They got Matt Howard, then two guys who play in the NBA.  Not hard to get to a Final Four with that talent. However, since joining the Big East 10 years ago they haven't had one championship and finished 10th out of 11 this year.  Coaching is certainly part of it but talent is talent.

[vu84v2]

It's not set in stone that Krutwig and Williamson are leaving is it? I mean they COULD come back if they wanted to. And if they did Loyola would be loaded again. Moreover, Porter is at a financially loaded school that can pay him whatever he wants where he is beloved and revered. Why give that up? I'm not sold that he's going to leave and I'm not sold that Loyola is some flash in the pan. They've committed to succeeding in basketball and I think they are here to stay. I really hope Matt can prove everyone (including me) wrong and that we can compete in this league on a consistent basis and reach the heights in the MVC other programs have reached. I think we can do it if this class is as good as advertised but it's getting to the point where for the sake of the program Matt has to get it right here. I think the next year or two are beyond critical to define who we are and who we will be in the MVC and I hope we are able to be consistently competitive. We don't have to win the league every year but we need to be in the conversation much more often than we're not for me anyway.

While Loyola's endowment is pretty strong, I would not jump to the conclusion that they are financially loaded. Prior to the pandemic, they were looking to make cuts just like many other universities (especially private ones). Then with the pandemic, they were having to deal with major budget shortfalls (I think I saw $50M as their shortfall in a previous article). Thus, coupled with no serious TV revenue for the MVC, I don't see Loyola being able to offer Power 5+1 money to Moser...but I do see other schools offering Moser that type of money. I would avoid going to DePaul regardless of the money.

[IrishDawg]

One could point to a lot of teams that had unexpected success because of getting the right personnel.  Think back to the team from Indianapolis. They got Matt Howard, then two guys who play in the NBA.  Not hard to get to a Final Four with that talent. However, since joining the Big East 10 years ago they haven't had one championship and finished 10th out of 11 this year.  Coaching is certainly part of it but talent is talent.

You aren't wrong about personnel making the difference, but comparing championships in the Horizon League to the Big East is nowhere near an apples to apples comparison.  Heck, comparing them from the Horizon League to the MVC isn't even apples to apples. 

Yes, this was a bad year for Butler, but if 8-12 in a down year for the Big East which is still rated the 4th best league in college basketball considering all the injuries and youth on the team is the worst it gets, I'll take it.  They've also finished 2nd twice in 8 years, made the tournament 4 times (and would have last year if there was one) and made the Sweet Sixteen, which yeah is a long way from the Final 4, but it's not bad considering Butler financially the smallest fish in their current pond.  Plus when you're in a conference with Villanova, not winning the conference championship isn't exactly awful.

[vu84v2]

One could point to a lot of teams that had unexpected success because of getting the right personnel.  Think back to the team from Indianapolis. They got Matt Howard, then two guys who play in the NBA.  Not hard to get to a Final Four with that talent. However, since joining the Big East 10 years ago they haven't had one championship and finished 10th out of 11 this year.  Coaching is certainly part of it but talent is talent.

You aren't wrong about personnel making the difference, but comparing championships in the Horizon League to the Big East is nowhere near an apples to apples comparison.  Heck, comparing them from the Horizon League to the MVC isn't even apples to apples. 

Yes, this was a bad year for Butler, but if 8-12 in a down year for the Big East which is still rated the 4th best league in college basketball considering all the injuries and youth on the team is the worst it gets, I'll take it.  They've also finished 2nd twice in 8 years, made the tournament 4 times (and would have last year if there was one) and made the Sweet Sixteen, which yeah is a long way from the Final 4, but it's not bad considering Butler financially the smallest fish in their current pond.  Plus when you're in a conference with Villanova, not winning the conference championship isn't exactly awful.

Two points on Butler's two teams that made the finals
1. Talent may be talent, but the coach is responsible for getting, effectively utilizing, and retaining that talent. Stevens deserves a lot of credit for doing that at a small private university.
2. Don't undervalue the other talent on those two Butler teams that made it to the finals. Howard, Hayward and Mack were great, but they also had other complementary talent that made it all work.

To the other point, Butler has been very impressive in the Big East. While their record was down this season, they also have a lot of young talent.

[wh]

One could point to a lot of teams that had unexpected success because of getting the right personnel.  Think back to the team from Indianapolis. They got Matt Howard, then two guys who play in the NBA.  Not hard to get to a Final Four with that talent. However, since joining the Big East 10 years ago they haven't had one championship and finished 10th out of 11 this year.  Coaching is certainly part of it but talent is talent.

You aren't wrong about personnel making the difference, but comparing championships in the Horizon League to the Big East is nowhere near an apples to apples comparison.  Heck, comparing them from the Horizon League to the MVC isn't even apples to apples. 

Yes, this was a bad year for Butler, but if 8-12 in a down year for the Big East which is still rated the 4th best league in college basketball considering all the injuries and youth on the team is the worst it gets, I'll take it.  They've also finished 2nd twice in 8 years, made the tournament 4 times (and would have last year if there was one) and made the Sweet Sixteen, which yeah is a long way from the Final 4, but it's not bad considering Butler financially the smallest fish in their current pond.  Plus when you're in a conference with Villanova, not winning the conference championship isn't exactly awful.

You'll get no argument from me.

[valpotx]

I don't think that Minnesota is a valid option for Bryce, as the public schools would crack down on his God-speak.  We've had this discussion many times, and I think that he will only be comfortable at private schools.  With that being said, I have to believe that the Marquette role would appeal to Bryce greatly.

[vu84v2]

I don't think that Minnesota is a valid option for Bryce, as the public schools would crack down on his God-speak.  We've had this discussion many times, and I think that he will only be comfortable at private schools.  With that being said, I have to believe that the Marquette role would appeal to Bryce greatly.

I see Moser as a much more likely candidate for Marquette than Bryce. I am also not so sure that Marquette would welcome Bryce's brand of god-speak.

[valpotx]

That's 2 wins for the MVC!  Again, someone tell me why we want to be in a one bid conference that usually is just happy to participate...

[vu84v2]

That's 2 wins for the MVC!  Again, someone tell me why we want to be in a one bid conference that usually is just happy to participate...

While I don't disagree with your point, one of Valpo's former conferences also had a win (the Summit, formerly the Mid-Continent). Heck, Cleveland State has a chance to win as well.

[FWalum]

While I certainly HATED ORU when we were in the MidCon/Summit, I loved watching them take down THE Ohio State University this afternoon. I feel sooooo sorry for those B1G whinners.... NOT

[valpotx]

We better hope that not too many mid-major upsets happen in this tourney.  It will expose the truth that P5 programs mainly win because they buy home games in front of their fans.  It could make the P5 form that separate postseason tournament that has been rumored for years. 

F ORU

[justducky]

While I certainly HATED ORU when we were in the MidCon/Summit, I loved watching them take down THE Ohio State University this afternoon. I feel sooooo sorry for those B1G whinners.... NOT

I only caught the end but was it only 6 TO's for ORU? If you can hit shots and control the ball you always have a chance.

[vu72]

So Purdue and Ohio State goes down.  So much for the BIG. Any chance Newman or Stefanovic see the light and want to play for Dear Old Valpo? The team's been turned over to freshman Ivey.

[FWalum]

So Purdue and Ohio State goes down.  So much for the BIG. Any chance Newman or Stefanovic see the light and want to play for Dear Old Valpo? The team's been turned over to freshman Ivey.

I was really wondering the same thing watching Stefanovic sit most of the second half. Next year there is a good chance that he will not see the minutes he is use to playing.

[elephtheria47]

MVC 2-0.


When has that ever happened.


A) Moser shouldn't and won't go to DePaul. If he wants to leave he could do a lot better and Marquette just opened up. If he leaves, I see it happening this year.

B) Bryce will get another chance of coaching  a major team sometime if he wants. Now that he has made even more money, he can be more selective of his next landing spot.

C) did I say the MVC is 2-0? Not only did we put two teams in, but we have more wins than the Big10 right now. No need to go out and rush adding another team or two. MVC has now confirmed its a 2 bid league and with success. Personally I don't want to add another team unless it makes us a 3 bid league. While Murray State and potentially Belmont was attractive at one point in time, they are not enough to push us to a 3 bid league but are good enough to beat drake or Loyola and prevent a 2 bid league. There was a window and it closed. Hard pass right now.

D) the mvc is 2-0 again. A minimum of 4 units. In one year. That would have taken 4 years in the horizon league.

[VU75]

So Purdue and Ohio State goes down

In common The and Purdue  were knocked out by former Scott Drew assistants.  Paul Mills, Oral Roberts coach and Grant McCasland at North Texas both came off his Baylor staff.

[usc4valpo]

Big 10 teams are dropping like flies, while the Conference of champions is undefeated! Hopefully SC can keep playing well after destroying Drake.

[justducky]

While not a fan of the Big Ten I would like to see Rutgers bump Houston.

[justducky]

Big 10 teams are dropping like flies,

I hate when Kelvin Sampson teams win,  but I love when Big Ten teams lose. 

[VUGrad1314]

Just three left after 9 bids... Michigan Iowa and Maryland...