NCAA College Basketball Talk

VU2014 · March 10, 2017, 11:44:13 AM

Just a thread to discuss anything about college basketball. I would normally put this thread in a Non-Valpo Basketball Board but those boards on this site don't get that much traffic or views.

VU2014 · March 10, 2017, 11:47:55 AM

Looks like Bobby Knight is still holding that grudge...
https://twitter.com/SBNationCBB/status/840251922095443968
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVhqHd9iDiE

Bobby Knight on Indiana administration that fired him: 'I hope they're all dead'
Knight told Dan Patrick on Friday morning that he has no plans of ever going back to Indiana.
by Jim Lohmar@jimlohmar Mar 10, 2017, 12:22pm EST

Bobby Knight became an infamous figure in the world of college basketball for his chair-throwing temper tantrums and reports of emotional abuse of his players. His tumultuous relationship with the Indiana administration boiled over in 2000 when video of Knight choking Neil Reed during practice three years earlier surfaced. That, coupled with an accusation by a student that the coach grabbed his arm, prompted the university to fire him and Knight has not stepped foot in Bloomington since.

On Friday morning, Knight was interviewed on The Dan Patrick Show in advance of the premier of a Showtime documentary about the Hoosiers legendary 1976 season that saw the team go undefeated on its way to a national championship.

Knight's long-held bitterness toward Indiana higher-ups is well-known, with some fans and writers calling for the university to cool on its overtures to and veneration of the former coach.

In the course of Knight's interview with Patrick, the question of a ceremonial return to the program's campus he helmed for 20 years came up. Knight had some off-putting things to say about Indiana and university history. Patrick asked why "we" — do we? — want Knight to return to Assembly Hall so much. Here's the coach's response:

"Well, I think I've always really enjoyed the fans, I always will ... On my dying day, I will think about how great the fans at Indiana were. And as far as the hierarchy at Indiana University at that time, I have absolutely no respect whatsoever for those people. With that in mind, I have no interest in ever going back to that university."
Knight wasn't finished, though, as Patrick leaned in to point out that most, if not all, of those in the university's administration at the time are no longer there.

"I hope they're all dead," said Knight, sitting petulantly on a 16-year grudge that he caused in the first place. "Well, some of them are ..." replied Patrick, to which Knight abruptly interjected, "Well, I hope the rest of them go."

https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/840241805358710784

Yes, Bob Knight coached some legendary Indiana teams for 20 years. Yes, Bob Knight won the university three national championships in basketball. Yes, former players still sing his praises, with Isiah Thomas most recently petitioning him to return to Assembly Hall in late November 2016. But it's probably time for the university and fans to venerate other former Indiana players and coaches, and let Knight stew in peace.

M · March 10, 2017, 01:19:58 PM

I'm a Purdue alum who dislikes Purdue (mostly because of Mitch Daniels)....it was pretty sweet just watching them lose in OT.

valpo4life · March 10, 2017, 01:42:22 PM

Would you rather be a Kansas or Purdue who won the more important conference championship then lost early in the tournament or a Iowa State or Michigan who now have chances to the conference tournament title? Discuss.

IndyValpo · March 10, 2017, 02:07:41 PM

Quote from: VU2014 on March 10, 2017, 11:47:55 AMLooks like Bobby Knight is still holding that grudge...

Ah the world biggest living hypocrite. Is there a smaller man in the world? I will cherish the day that people stop talking about him. He is a waste of everyone's time.

VU2014 · March 10, 2017, 02:15:10 PM

QuoteAh the world biggest living hypocrite. Is there a smaller man in the world? I will cherish the day that people stop talking about him. He is a waste of everyone's time.

It's just so petty. I don't understand it all. He is one of the greatest basketball coaches of all-time.

Don't do it for the University, but reconcile for your former players and fans that adore you.

VU2014 · March 10, 2017, 02:27:33 PM

QuoteWould you rather be a Kansas or Purdue who won the more important conference championship then lost early in the tournament or a Iowa State or Michigan who now have chances to the conference tournament title? Discuss.

An interesting question. Kansas & Purdue obviously have the better rosters but Iowa State & Michigan could have be hot team going in the tourney.

I don't like Kansas this year for winning it all. Bill Self seems to have clunkers in the Tourney and their best player is a 1 & done (which don't always perform in those win or go home environment). I like Purdue's roster the most for a Tourney run with Swanigan.

vu84v2 · March 10, 2017, 03:14:43 PM

While Kansas' depth (especially upfront) is certainly an issue, it would be hard to say that Josh Jackson is a better player right now than Frank Mason. Mason will rightfully be college player of the year and is a fourth year senior. While it is not good for their spirit to have lost to TCU, it won't hurt them to have Frank Mason rest for a full week before the tournament. He is like the college running back who carries 40+ times per game....he is beat up.

vu72 · March 10, 2017, 04:13:12 PM

Quote from: vu84v2 on March 10, 2017, 03:14:43 PM
While Kansas' depth (especially upfront) is certainly an issue, it would be hard to say that Josh Jackson is a better player right now than Frank Mason. Mason will rightfully be college player of the year and is a fourth year senior. While it is not good for their spirit to have lost to TCU, it won't hurt them to have Frank Mason rest for a full week before the tournament. He is like the college running back who carries 40+ times per game....he is beat up.

Sound a lot like a guy named Peters from a school known as Valpo!

usc4valpo · March 10, 2017, 08:55:52 PM

Bill Walton is bizarre...

FieldGoodie05 · March 10, 2017, 08:58:52 PM

Quote from: usc4valpo on March 10, 2017, 08:55:52 PM
Bill Walton is bizarre...

And then some. But the most self involved by far is Jay Bilas, hard to stomach him at times.

usc4valpo · March 11, 2017, 08:11:08 AM

Jay Bilas is a pompous jerk. Here is the thing about Walton - as goofy and hippiesque as he is, he knows the game of basketball, He was one of the smartest players I ever watched in college and the pros. His presense as a 6th man with the Celtics in 1985-1986 was beautiful to watch, as his skills and basketball IQ contributed to one of the best teams ever. As an announcer - well, you may need to enjoy some herbs while listening, it's different.

I love Dick Vitale - if you get away from the goofiness, the guy is a pure basketball geek. He was in Des Moines last year working with businesses for the V foundation and they said he was good to work with.

Dan Dakich is also good - he has some good stories during the Northwestern-Rutgers blowout on 80's basketball that was fun to listen to.

valporun · March 11, 2017, 09:39:50 AM

Bill Walton is definitely a strange bird on the mic. Near the end of the regular season, the WatchESPN app had games where cameras were focused on him and Dave Pasch, while side-by-side with the game action. It was funny to watch at times what Walton was doing, instead of watching the game itself, regardless of how good the matchup was.

talksalot · March 11, 2017, 10:03:08 AM

Be fun to give Walton a Striped Shirt and whistle and have him officiate a game to determine what was a foul and what wan not a foul.

valpo64 · March 11, 2017, 10:50:29 AM

Put an official's shirt on Dan D also...then there would not be any mistakes by a ref because he knows it all/just ask him...if he knows so much like he thinks he does he would not have lost his BGU job, or he would be on a staff somewhere. I have heard that his son was a real jerk(like his Dad)/that's why he was a walk-on at Uof M. Dan's radio show in Indy has been controversial also. He has had to "take back" a number of his comments about people and situations... which is about par for the course for a person who knows it all.

valpolaw · March 11, 2017, 10:58:52 AM

Not sure what thread this belongs in but figured I'd put it here.

www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2017/03/10/rexrode-vanderbilts-bryce-drew-deserves-credit-ncaa-tournament-bid/99027792/

Bryce is having quite the success in his first season at Vandy. A win today would take them to the SEC championship tomorrow. I sure do miss Bryce. I hope he continues to do well there.

VU2624 · March 11, 2017, 11:25:47 AM

Quote from: valpolaw on March 11, 2017, 10:58:52 AMNot sure what thread this belongs in but figured I'd put it here. www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2017/03/10/rexrode-vanderbilts-bryce-drew-deserves-credit-ncaa-tournament-bid/99027792/ Bryce is having quite the success in his first season at Vandy. A win today would take them to the SEC championship tomorrow. I sure do miss Bryce. I hope he continues to do well there.

For all the complaining about the Horizon League tournament being in Detroit at the JLA, how about Vandy hosting the SEC tournament at the Vandy facility? My SEC fan friends (none from Vandy) are not happy with this circumstance.

VU2624 · March 11, 2017, 11:28:14 AM

Quote from: usc4valpo on March 11, 2017, 08:11:08 AMJay Bilas is a pompous jerk. Here is the thing about Walton - as goofy and hippiesque as he is, he knows the game of basketball, He was one of the smartest players I ever watched in college and the pros. His presense as a 6th man with the Celtics in 1985-1986 was beautiful to watch, as his skills and basketball IQ contributed to one of the best teams ever. As an announcer - well, you may need to enjoy some herbs while listening, it's different. I love Dick Vitale - if you get away from the goofiness, the guy is a pure basketball geek. He was in Des Moines last year working with businesses for the V foundation and they said he was good to work with. Dan Dakich is also good - he has some good stories during the Northwestern-Rutgers blowout on 80's basketball that was fun to listen to.

Play by play and analyst taste is like trying to critique a person's musical taste. There is no right and wrong. For me, Dakich is mute button annoying. Vitale has become a caricature of himself..."Ohhh....Ohhhh....OHHHHHHHHHH....he's a STARRRRRR BABBYYYYYYY". I don't like or dislike Bilas. Walton is a gem. Different to the point of being interesting.

FieldGoodie05 · March 11, 2017, 11:48:49 AM

Quote from: VU2624 on March 11, 2017, 11:28:14 AM
Quote from: usc4valpo on March 11, 2017, 08:11:08 AMJay Bilas is a pompous jerk. Here is the thing about Walton - as goofy and hippiesque as he is, he knows the game of basketball, He was one of the smartest players I ever watched in college and the pros. His presense as a 6th man with the Celtics in 1985-1986 was beautiful to watch, as his skills and basketball IQ contributed to one of the best teams ever. As an announcer - well, you may need to enjoy some herbs while listening, it's different. I love Dick Vitale - if you get away from the goofiness, the guy is a pure basketball geek. He was in Des Moines last year working with businesses for the V foundation and they said he was good to work with. Dan Dakich is also good - he has some good stories during the Northwestern-Rutgers blowout on 80's basketball that was fun to listen to.

Play by play and analyst taste is like trying to critique a person's musical taste. There is no right and wrong. For me, Dakich is mute button annoying. Vitale has become a caricature of himself..."Ohhh....Ohhhh....OHHHHHHHHHH....he's a STARRRRRR BABBYYYYYYY". I don't like or dislike Bilas. Walton is a gem. Different to the point of being interesting.

It's why Baskin Robbins has 31-flavors of 🍦

valpopal · March 11, 2017, 04:04:19 PM

John Groce has been fired at Illinois. I hope they consider Roger Powell as a replacement.

valpotx · March 11, 2017, 04:32:23 PM

How long do we think that Lottich will stay at Valpo?

VU2014 · March 11, 2017, 07:19:01 PM

QuoteHow long do we think that Lottich will stay at Valpo?

Asking the question nobody wants to hear but we are all privately thinking to ourselves. I've been thinking about it too since the end of the season.

Coach Lottich did a really nice job this year especially under the circumstances of K Carter ruling, Skara transfer, Jubril NCAA ruling, AP injury, all his bigs being freshman for most of the season. Tied for 1st place in Conference not bad. He's proven he has coaching chops and the staff is pretty impressive.

Yet to be determined:
-Recruiting: Bakari and Joe sound like nice transfer pick up but yet to be determined. Marcus Golder looks like has some real potential, tbd.

-Recruiting HS: Parker Hazen & Mileek McMillan look like some relatively high upside guys. 2 more scholarships to be determined. Kiser seems nice also.

-Before bigger schools coming poaching they will want to see some postseason success for a few years. Also will need to see consistent regular season success and recruiting success on par with the Drew era.

Overall, I'd say we don't have to start worrying for another 3-4 season unless we see a good postseason run then I'm sure some larger school will start calling for him. Stanford (Coach Lottich's alma mater) just hired a new coach this season and it wasn't great 14–16 (Conf: 6–12). If things don't turn around there and Lottich and we're continuing to have success then thats something to keep an eye on.

VULB#62 · March 11, 2017, 09:32:35 PM

We know what Matt had to deal with this year as a rookie coach. Lesser coaches might have caved in. He did quite well getting through the BS he was handed. However, on paper and in the eyes of a lot of people who don't dig too deeply, he did what he did with BD's players (and AP). No major program will look at him until he has a run of good years like Bryce was able to do. But I think he will do that. Five years is my guess. He is a very smart guy. He will take so much from this season and factor that into next year; and the next and the next.

VU2014 · March 11, 2017, 10:42:13 PM

An interesting read if you get a chance.

https://twitter.com/Jim_Connell_NL/status/840722994452389888

Missouri State braces for aftershocks
By: Jim Connell Published 5:31 p.m. CT March 11, 2017

A week after the end of Missouri State's basketball season — and the announcement that coach Paul Lusk will return for his seventh season on the Bears' bench — emotions still are running high among fans.

The hot takes on social media have continued to be shared among fans, boosters, armchair coaches and administrators.

Now that it's finalized who will be coaching the team, one of the key questions that remain is who will be in the seats at JQH Arena to watch the Bears next season.

Director of Athletics Kyle Moats knows there's work to do for his staff to retain ticket-buying fans and reverse a trend of falling season ticket and attendance numbers.

The number of season tickets sold has fallen in each of the last four seasons, going from 2,985 tickets sold in the 2012-13 season to 2,138 in 2016-17. That's a drop of more than 28 percent.

In that same period, attendance has fallen at an even greater rate, down more than 31 percent, from 6,080 per game in 2012-13 to 4,186 this past season.

After a season with so much promise ended last Saturday night with a 17-16 record, another drop in both numbers is a near certainty.

"Best-case scenario is we hold serve, and that probably would be a good thing," Moats said this week. "But we realize the situation."

It's a situation that could cripple an athletics department already facing budget issues.

For lower-level seats, every season ticket that is not renewed costs the athletic department — between seat assessments and the price of the ticket — anywhere from $670 to $2,870 per seat.

There was a decline of 160 season tickets sold from the 2015-16 to the 2016-17 season. Multiply that by $1,250 per seat — a conservative figure — and a similar drop for next season could mean a $200,000 decline in revenue.

A bigger drop, especially in the high-priced seats in the lower level, could mean bigger problems.

That much of a decline, at a time when the department has been ordered to find ways to cut $750,000 in department expenses, spells out how critical this issue is.

"It's always a concern," Moats said. "We want to increase season ticket sales, and we want to have fans excited. It's always a concern.

"If we had 9,000 there, we'd want to get the last 1,000 in there. It's always a concern when we don't have attendance the way we want to have it."

If the thoughts of three longtime and dedicated boosters interviewed this week are any indication, it's a legitimate concern.

......

Give the rest a click/read

http://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/college/msu/2017/03/11/missouri-state-braces-aftershocks/99034246/

hailcrusaders · March 11, 2017, 11:40:26 PM

Quote from: valpolaw on March 11, 2017, 10:58:52 AMNot sure what thread this belongs in but figured I'd put it here. www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2017/03/10/rexrode-vanderbilts-bryce-drew-deserves-credit-ncaa-tournament-bid/99027792/ Bryce is having quite the success in his first season at Vandy. A win today would take them to the SEC championship tomorrow. I sure do miss Bryce. I hope he continues to do well there.

Understandable how that tournament setup isn't fair, but at least Kentucky doesn't have to win the conference title game to go to the NCAA tournament.