NCAA College Basketball Talk

[oklahomamick]

3 coaches in the National Championship game tonight with Valpo ties.

S. Drew, J. Nuness, R. Powell.

Really hoping Valpo gets a mention because of it.....Or Baylor wins the game with the Pacer play.  Something to give us some attention.  Wish we were good.

[covufan]

We need Scott Drew and Jared Nuness to give a defensive clinic at some VU basketball camp this summer.


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[justducky]

Struggling to think of a recent basketball team that could have beaten Baylor tonight.      They were that good! 

[VUGrad1314]

Wow... That was utter domination... Gonzaga had zero answers for Baylor and Baylor was ridiculously good on the glass and from deep. It's clear who the best team in college basketball is this year. Congratulations to Scott Drew Jared Nuness and the Baylor Bears on an incredibly well-deserved championship! I hope Mark Few will get his title some year but it was not to be this year. They ran into--I believe and felt this way before the tournament started--the team most equipped and most likely to beat them and we all see the results.

[VUGrad1314]

The effects of winning in March on enrollment are mentioned here. What could have been for Valpo is what is and has been for Gonzaga. I hope if Valpo makes another run somehow it learns its lesson and does a better job capitalizing on it.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/31201277/gonzaga-faltered-rise-remains-one-college-basketball-amazing-tales

[valpotx]

Scott Drew will join Homer in the Hall of Fame, once he is finished.  What he has done at Baylor over the last 18 years, is nothing short of remarkable.  Great to see both he and Jared Nuness win it all!  Hopefully Roger Powell gets a shot at being a HC somewhere next season, but an Assistant Coach at Gonzaga is a nice consolation prize.  I also hope to see Nuness continue his coaching career ladder ascent. 

[JD24]

The effects of winning in March on enrollment are mentioned here. What could have been for Valpo is what is and has been for Gonzaga. I hope if Valpo makes another run somehow it learns its lesson and does a better job capitalizing on it. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/31201277/gonzaga-faltered-rise-remains-one-college-basketball-amazing-tales

This is a "could have" which is an extreme longshot. Gonzaga is an outlier. Other programs have attempted to follow their model from the late 90's and it has not worked.

[VUGrad1314]

Scott Drew will join Homer in the Hall of Fame, once he is finished.  What he has done at Baylor over the last 18 years, is nothing short of remarkable.  Great to see both he and Jared Nuness win it all!  Hopefully Roger Powell gets a shot at being a HC somewhere next season, but an Assistant Coach at Gonzaga is a nice consolation prize.  I also hope to see Nuness continue his coaching career ladder ascent.

A name to consider if Lottich can't turn it around perhaps?

[Pgmado]

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/friends-flock-to-indianapolis-to-support-former-valparaiso-coach-scott-drew/article_4e4200b1-f26c-5f2f-adbf-6cd872654282.html

[VUGrad1314]

The University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio is getting a site visit from the WAC apparently. We could see another defection from the Southland and one that threatens their autobid in many sports. I wonder how the Southland will approach trying to recover from all of these defections. You have to believe they will go the route the WAC went previously and try calling D2 schools interested in moving up. They could find receptive ears in some of the Texas schools of the Lone Star Conference such as Angelo State West Texas A&M and perhaps some of the Texas A&M affiliates in that conference.

https://twitter.com/KatFansDotCom/status/1379946640153411588

[valpotx]

Who would have thought that the WAC would recover, while hanging on with a bunch of crap schools for several years?  West Texas A&M used to be D1 many years ago, and seems to be a solid D2 program that the SL would turn to.

[oklahomamick]

Cincinnati fires Brannen.  Maybe Cincinatti hires Lottich.  Remember when we used to have to worry about other programs taking our coach.  I would like to have that same problem again.  That means that we are currently successful and that other programs want what we have......

[wh]

Cincinnati fires Brannen.  Maybe Cincinatti hires Lottich.  Remember when we used to have to worry about other programs taking our coach.  I would like to have that same problem again.  That means that we are currently successful and that other programs want what we have......

We gotten rid of some dead weight. We have some quality recruits and transfers chomping at the bit to take those minutes and make us all proud. You'll be singing a different tune at this time next year.

You'll never see the great things ahead if you're always focused on the rear view mirror.

[VUGrad1314]

Cincinnati fires Brannen.  Maybe Cincinatti hires Lottich.  Remember when we used to have to worry about other programs taking our coach.  I would like to have that same problem again.  That means that we are currently successful and that other programs want what we have......

We gotten rid of some dead weight. We have some quality recruits and transfers chomping at the bit to take those minutes and make us all proud. You'll be singing a different tune at this time next year. You'll never see the great things ahead if you're always focused on the rear view mirror.

Let us also remember however that newer is not always better. Anderson has to stay healthy and Taylor has to prove he can hack it at this level. I wouldn't be so quick to call our team upgraded until we see what we have on the wings in Clay's absence and how we address the (likely) departure of JO. The point guard position? Yes. The rest of the roster? TBD.

[JD24]

Yeah. Lets not have any optimism on the board. Better to walk around with the "kick me" sign pinned to our backs.

[VUGrad1314]

Yeah. Lets not have any optimism on the board. Better to walk around with the "kick me" sign pinned to our backs.

I fail to see what's wrong with giving the roster an "Incomplete" grade until all the work is done is such a bad thing. I've even acknowledged that our point guard spot is upgraded. The guard play should be better and that will help a lot, but there are questions about the wings and the frontcourt that we need to see how Matt chooses to address. I don't know why that's such an awful disagreeable take to you. I don't know what you want from me or why you keep singling out my posts but keep doing you I guess.

[usc4valpo]

There is optimism and there is reality. Being optimistic is good as long as you are not buffing a turd.

Getting new players is great, and we will see what happens. I hope Valpo is holding Lottich responsible for successful results. The problem I have seen with Valpo athletics is being overly patient and being hesitant in making decisions. I do not want to see a situation where we should be satisfied with mediocrity and 0.500 seasons.

[JD24]

Yeah. Lets not have any optimism on the board. Better to walk around with the "kick me" sign pinned to our backs.

I fail to see what's wrong with giving the roster an "Incomplete" grade until all the work is done is such a bad thing. I've even acknowledged that our point guard spot is upgraded. The guard play should be better and that will help a lot, but there are questions about the wings and the frontcourt that we need to see how Matt chooses to address. I don't know why that's such an awful disagreeable take to you. I don't know what you want from me or why you keep singling out my posts but keep doing you I guess.

All the poster asked was for some optimism which you, predictably, chose to fight. The reason you get singled out, and not just by me, is because you are incredibly negative in your posting style. There is "reality" and then there is not only finding every dark cloud behind a silver lining but expecting everyone else to follow along.

[VUGrad1314]

Hmmm.... With Tommy Lloyd being hired at Arizona one has to wonder if perhaps Roger Powell will get a long look one day as Mark Few's successor if he wants the job and another opportunity doesn't come up for him... I would love to see a Valpo connection leading Gonzaga as it might lead to scheduling opportunities for Valpo. Hey I can dream can't I?

[VUGrad1314]

Check out this weird clause in Eric Musselman's extension with Arkansas

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2021/4/16/22388225/eric-musselman-san-diego-arkansas-extension-ncaa-tournament-basketball-coach-razorbacks-toreros

[covufan]

Check out this weird clause in Eric Musselman's extension with Arkansas

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2021/4/16/22388225/eric-musselman-san-diego-arkansas-extension-ncaa-tournament-basketball-coach-razorbacks-toreros

He did it for the burritos!


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[valpotx]

Hartford is the first D1 program to move down to D3 in quite a few years.  Was Birmingham-Southern the last?  Edit: might be Centenary 11-12 years back.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/31402209/hartford-athletics-transitioning-division-division-iii

[VUGrad1314]

Sad and puzzling to understand why they did this... They are in an academically prestigious conference with a pretty tight footprint and just made their first NCAA Tournament appearance. Interesting move. Probably won't help attract students but that's just my guess. Wonder who the AE will tab to replace Hartford.

[IrishDawg]

Sad and puzzling to understand why they did this... They are in an academically prestigious conference with a pretty tight footprint and just made their first NCAA Tournament appearance. Interesting move. Probably won't help attract students but that's just my guess. Wonder who the AE will tab to replace Hartford.

Not super puzzling:

https://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-sp-university-of-hartford-goes-div-iii-20210507-jva2n5pi5nfvvnt2wyr2cz3jde-story.html

Thursday's vote came after a consulting firm's report, commissioned by UHart president Gregory Woodward and published publicly April 15, recommended the school transition to Division III to reduce aid to athletes, coaches' salaries and athletic department operating costs. The report said UHart's athletic department would save more than $9 million annually from such a move, though critics have argued the true savings would be more modest.

Other have pointed to UHart's declining enrollment and resulting financial troubles as justification for a potential shift to Division III. According to figures from the university, undergraduate enrollment at UHart dropped about 14% from the fall of 2015 to the fall of 2020, and total enrollment was down about 6.5% during that period.

This kind of thing honestly will likely start happening more and more, and smaller D3 schools will probably close shop completely.  It's unfortunate, but it's a financial reality in a lot of places.

[vu72]

Sad and puzzling to understand why they did this... They are in an academically prestigious conference with a pretty tight footprint and just made their first NCAA Tournament appearance. Interesting move. Probably won't help attract students but that's just my guess. Wonder who the AE will tab to replace Hartford.

Not super puzzling:

https://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-sp-university-of-hartford-goes-div-iii-20210507-jva2n5pi5nfvvnt2wyr2cz3jde-story.html

Thursday's vote came after a consulting firm's report, commissioned by UHart president Gregory Woodward and published publicly April 15, recommended the school transition to Division III to reduce aid to athletes, coaches' salaries and athletic department operating costs. The report said UHart's athletic department would save more than $9 million annually from such a move, though critics have argued the true savings would be more modest.

Other have pointed to UHart's declining enrollment and resulting financial troubles as justification for a potential shift to Division III. According to figures from the university, undergraduate enrollment at UHart dropped about 14% from the fall of 2015 to the fall of 2020, and total enrollment was down about 6.5% during that period.

This kind of thing honestly will likely start happening more and more, and smaller D3 schools will probably close shop completely.  It's unfortunate, but it's a financial reality in a lot of places.

I would think that they could have just eliminated some sports but they actually sponsor the same number of men's teams as Valpo (seven) but two fewer on the women's side.  They do sponsor men's soccer which has to be very expensive with players coming from all over the world.  I guess being in a much better conference is really helping as the money coming into the Valley from basketball has got to be a lot bigger than what's coming into the American East.  Enter the football debate!  They don't play football.  We do.  We'll get $240,000 guaranteed for playing ND State next fall.