Coach Lottich

[elephtheria47]

Now that the season has come to a disappointing end, what are your thoughts on the coaching? Impressed? About what you thought? Disappointed? Or too early to give an opinion with all thats happened this year??

[NativeCheesehead]

Generally impressed, but way too early to tell. Despite the score we had a good effort yesterday with all that went against us this year, and that is a positive reflection on the coaching staff. But this offseason is one of the most important we've had in years. How we take the floor in November will tell us a lot.

[M]

I'm impressed with what he did this season! With all the crap he was dealt he kept the team competitive all year long.

Hopefully he and the rest of the staff will continue to impress throughout the offseason. I think they will.

[FieldGoodie05]

Coaches are made over a career, not a season.  He's shown himself competent and we have some decent recruits eligible and incoming.  Now he has to prove he can mold boys into men, and more than anything, keep team unity.  Cohesion is a top priority in today's transfer rich environment.

B+ for Coach.

[VUOR63]

Matt Lottich is going to be successful.  It's a matter of how successful.  I sincerely hope, for his sake, that he gets to be so good that he's gone in 5 years tops.

[a3uge]

I think Lottich was limited in what he wanted to do this year after the loss of Jubril. We were a much faster paced team when Jubril was on the court because we were playing more small-ball offense.

I'm not 100% sure where he's trying to take the program, but it seems like he's recruiting a bunch of athletic guys that will push the ball up in transition a bit more. I'm not sure we'll see 300 high ball screens a game anymore with these new recruits.

[FWalum]

I think Lottich was limited in what he wanted to do this year after the loss of Jubril. We were a much faster paced team when Jubril was on the court because we were playing more small-ball offense.

I'm not 100% sure where he's trying to take the program, but it seems like he's recruiting a bunch of athletic guys that will push the ball up in transition a bit more. I'm not sure we'll see 300 high ball screens a game anymore with these new recruits.

This years Alabama game is up on Youtube, I listened to that game on the radio when it was played so I thought that watching it would relieve some of the frustration I was feeling after the Milwaukee loss.  That game really hit home what we were missing with Jubril gone and what this team could have been.

I think that Matt did a great job keeping things going up until Jubril's suspension became final, which really took the wind out of the team's sails. Yes, we still tied for the conference without him, but it seemed to be a struggle after that announcement.

[usc4valpo]

I treat this evaluation similar to how it is applied to business. Based on the circumstances, Lottich was successful and I would give him a"B" grade. For areas of improvement, he needs to enhance power forward and center development. Smits is not meeting expectations.

[VU2014]

I treat this evaluation similar to how it is applied to business. Based on the circumstances, Lottich was successful and I would give him a"B" grade. /quote]

Agreed. Successful under the circumstances but still need to see his recruiting for an extend period or time.

For areas of improvement, he needs to enhance power forward and center development. Smits is not meeting expectations.

We didn't really have any power forwards at the end of the season. Jubril looked great at the beginning of the season and got suspended. And Alec got hurt.

Smits definitely NEEDS to improve. He needs to improve rebounding and defense! If he can become just adequate thats a win for the coaching staff. He has a pretty solid upside on the offensive end. He has moves but he awful at absorbing contact (needs to get stronger and learn to finish a play). Bigs won't get the same calls that guards get in the post, especially in the Horizon League. He needs to stop complaining about every play no call! It's basketball! Play and learn to work the ref. The refs will be less likely give him the benefit of the doubt on those 50-50 calls if the player is complaining about every single no-call. Check the emotions. It sounds critical but Smits has potential and he is well within grasp of become a good offensive mid-major center if he puts in the work with the coaches and goes the extra mile.

[bbtds]

I treat this evaluation similar to how it is applied to business. Based on the circumstances, Lottich was successful and I would give him a"B" grade. For areas of improvement, he needs to enhance power forward and center development. Smits is not meeting expectations.

Which, I assume, falls under coach Gore's duties with Lottich having played guard during his career and Gore having been a big man.

[Mc]

I'd give him a solid B grade.  I felt like he was outcoached in some games.  He's still new, so it will take time for him to develop.  He might end up being a substantially better strategist than Bryce.  We will see if his assistants and he can recruit at a higher level than past Valpo coaching groups. 

I can say that he excels in his judicious use of timeouts.  A+ in that category, but that grade may be a bit inflated in light of timeout use at Valpo during the recent past.   

[VU2014]

Which, I assume, falls under coach Gore's duties with Lottich having played guard during his career and Gore having been a big man.

Yep definitely a separation of duties of coaching.

Coach Gore has a great track record of developing big men. Coach Gore did an amazing job with Vashil, Helped improve Moussa's game in the year he was here, Kevin Van Wijk developed into a very good player, and Jubril got better every single year.

So there is a good track record of developing bigs in with Coach Gore. These guys were only freshman.

[oklahomamick]

I don't see pushing the tempo with the two centers we have.  They can run the floor?

[vu72]

I don't see pushing the tempo with the two centers we have.  They can run the floor?

What Lottich has done is add size and speed.  I agree that running the floor won't fit with Derrik or J on the floor but, when you have guys like Hazen and McMillan out there at 6'7" and 6'8" plus guys like Burton at 6'6", you have plenty of size on the floor together with speed and athleticism.  My see some different combos next year.

[SanityLost17]

I don't see pushing the tempo with the two centers we have.  They can run the floor?

What Lottich has done is add size and speed.  I agree that running the floor won't fit with Derrik or J on the floor but, when you have guys like Hazen and McMillan out there at 6'7" and 6'8" plus guys like Burton at 6'6", you have plenty of size on the floor together with speed and athleticism.  My see some different combos next year.

I really think we are going to have to be creative to have any shot next year.   Perhaps a small lineup and a big lineup.  Make teams adjust to us.  For 5 minutes we go small, run and gun and full court press.  Then when they are getting a breather we go big with Smits/J in there where we slow it down, run it through the post or hope for 2nd chance points with two bigs in there trying to tip in misses.   

We are going to be 4th or 5th in the league talent/experience wise.  Lottich/Gore going to have to show off their coaching skills for us to move up.

Advantages to the big lineup.  Either J or Smits will be posting up a 4 man instead of a 5 man.  Swing the ball around the perimeter and find the mismatch.   Have at least 2 3 point shooters in the game in case they double.  Teach the bigs to pass to each other or out to the perimeter.  This is all assuming both can effectively post-up (was questionable to end the year, but we saw flashes).   

Advantages to the athletic lineup.  Much like West Virginia, if we are not a good 3 point shooting team we can make up for that with some steals and transition baskets. 

I think we are going to have to utilize both at different times of the season in order to have any sort of success.  Will be lots of growing pains with a young roster.     

[vu72]

I doubt very much that we will be 4th or 5th, talent wise. Experience wise we will be inexperienced playing with this group as a team. That is where coaching will show up...or not.

[valpo64]

Experience in the backcourt is probably most important and we will have some veteran players back in that area.  Perhaps a new approach and offensive set will bring forth some exciting results.  I think it will be interesting with Coach L having a year under his belt and  really getting into his own ideas of how and what direction the program will go.  Especially with some of his own recruits.

[tiny707]

Disappointed.