Poll: Preseason Conference Predictions & Expectations

[oklahomamick]

Those are favorable rankings and most VU fans will be happy with 17-10 record in a rebuilding year and new conference. 

However, we are used to winning conference championships, being top 10 in the mid-major rankings, getting votes, etc.

Winning 5 out of 6 season titles in the mvc is a much tougher task than the HL.  Will we grow to be unhappy if we don't dominate as we did in the HL?  At what point to we expect to be preseason #1 and get upset if we aren't? 

[vu72]

Those are favorable rankings and most VU fans will be happy with 17-10 record in a rebuilding year and new conference. 

However, we are used to winning conference championships, being top 10 in the mid-major rankings, getting votes, etc.

Winning 5 out of 6 season titles in the mvc is a much tougher task than the HL.  Will we grow to be unhappy if we don't dominate as we did in the HL?  At what point to we expect to be preseason #1 and get upset if we aren't? 

Next year.  Think about it.  We will have a full year under our belts playing with Joe and Bakari.  We lose two guys and one starter but add Ryan Fazekas, an ESPN 4 star, 6'8" guard, as well as a top 5 high schooler from Chicago.  Our seven footers are then juniors our other new guys and current freshman have had a year to get used to the college game.  If we aren't picked to win it we will be very near the top.

[VULB#62]

I think we finish with a 11-7 MVC record. I think we lose both games to Mo State and IL State, take both from Loyola (yes, both games), Drake, IN State and EU and split with Bradley, SIU and UNI.  I also predict that our team steadily improves over the season and that we lose only 2 games (@ SIU and IL State) in the final 8 games of the season and come into Arch Madness as everyone's dark horse.   

Before he posted his ratings, Massey contacted me and I referred him to my October 2nd post on this board.  He evidently agreed with me   

Massey has his pre-season rankings out.  Here is the MVC:

https://www.masseyratings.com/team.php?t=12684&s=298892

Interesting to check this out, which is the most optimistic pre-season ranking I have seen. It looks like he has Valpo 2nd in the MVC behind only Illinois State, and with a #104 national rank. He also predicts Valpo goes 11-7 in the conference, 17-10 overall. Right now, I'd be pleased with these results.

[EddieCabot]

Next year.  Think about it.  We will have a full year under our belts playing with Joe and Bakari.  We lose two guys and one starter but add Ryan Fazekas, an ESPN 4 star, 6'8" guard, as well as a top 5 high schooler from Chicago.  Our seven footers are then juniors our other new guys and current freshman have had a year to get used to the college game.  If we aren't picked to win it we will be very near the top.

I thought about it, and you're right.  I don't see any way other MVC teams can match the talent Valpo will have next year.   

[bbtds]

The same could be said of the ACC.

You must be very careful with those initials. The AAC (American Athletic Conference) is extremely different from the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference), a true P5 conference.

[VULB#62]

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Here are some of Norlander's Valpo-and-above picks (MVC teams in Bold) that have  some sort of a Valpo relationship

14 Northwestern
24 Purdue
25 URI
45 Oakland
46 Vandy
54 Butler
58 Mo State
74 Loyola
90 Belmont
103 Ball State
109 ISUr
119 NKU
122 Northern Iowa
144 UIC
154 Murray
155 SIU
158 Wright State
160 Valpo

[VU2014]

Not bad but I think Valpo should be in the Top 150. Somewhere in the Top 130-150 seems more appropriate, imho.

Valpo's Non-Conference Schedule:
14. Northwestern
24. Purdue
103. Ball State (should be tough opponent. At first I thought this was a bit high for them but after thinking it over it might not be.)
130. Santa Clara Broncos  (I question this one...)
137. Samford Bulldogs
159. UNC-Wilmington Seahawks
170. Kent State Golden Flashes
171. Utah State Aggies (too low, imo)
212. Southeastern Louisiana Lions (too low)
281. California Riverside Highlanders (I wish we could have landed a better opponent for that west coast road trip)
335. SIU-Edwardsville Cougars 

[FWalum]

Don't think I had seen this article posted on here, Valparaiso Basketball: 2017-18 preview for the Crusaders they actually break down who they think are the starters and the reserve players.  They have Linssen pencilled in as the starting 4 which I had not seen before from other sources.  They also have Barkari Evelyn coming off of the bench...

Very nice format with links to all players stats and a short look at the non-conference and conference schedule.

[vu72]

Don't think I had seen this article posted on here, Valparaiso Basketball: 2017-18 preview for the Crusaders they actually break down who they think are the starters and the reserve players.  They have Linssen pencilled in as the starting 4 which I had not seen before from other sources.  They also have Barkari Evelyn coming off of the bench...

Very nice format with links to all players stats and a short look at the non-conference and conference schedule.

As Bakari is only a Sophomore, eligibility wise, I suppose it would be a huge slight for Max not getting the nod in his Senior year.  Linssen was my pick, unseen for the 4 as we have heard about his rebounding which is one of Matt's keys to the game.

[VU2014]

It was interesting to see Max starting. Maybe he could but the assumption is that Bakari will be the starting PG. If Max turns out to be a floor general this year we might want to pair him on the court when the freshman are in the games. He could be a calming presence on the court when we have a young lineup out there. Lexus did a real good job of helping calm the offense with the second unit last year. Valpo has benefited the last handful of season of having true floor generals like Keith Carter and Lexus.

[VU2014]

Valpo Preseason Rank: 127
Offense (rank): 105 (176th)
Defense (rank): 100.6 (94th)
MVC Rank: 4th (behind UNI at 124)

https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/10/31/ncaa-351-team-preseason-rankings-projections-seeds?utm_campaign=si-ncaabb&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&xid=socialflow_twitter_si

MVC Rank:
92 Loyola (#13 seed)
106 MO St
124 UNI
127 Valpo
146 IL St
157 SIU
161 Bradley
173 E-Ville
180 IN St
223 Drake

Valpo's Non-Conference:
17 Purdue
22 Northwestern
118 Samford
136 Utah State
138 UNCW
153 Santa Clara
172 Ball State
181 Kent State
224 SE Louisiana
235 Northern Illinois (Not on the non-conf schedule but we just scrimmaged them)
268 UC Riverside
324 SIUE
339 Chicago State (Charity Exhibition game this weekend)

[VUSWIM08-12]

Received 31 votes in the mid major poll. Samford will be a solid early season test. Valpo is 5th among MVC teams. MSU, Loyola, Northern Iowa, Illinois St. then Valpo. Missouri St. is the only team in the top 25. Two HL teams  in the top 11. Will Oakland and NKU be that good?? I feel like this poll will be drastically different by the end of November!


http://www.collegeinsider.com/mens-mid-major-top-25.php

[VU2014]

Received 31 votes in the mid major poll. Samford will be a solid early season test. Valpo is 5th among MVC teams. MSU, Loyola, Northern Iowa, Illinois St. then Valpo. Missouri St. is the only team in the top 25. Two HL teams  in the top 11. Will Oakland and NKU be that good?? I feel like this poll will be drastically different by the end of November!

http://www.collegeinsider.com/mens-mid-major-top-25.php

Oakland should be good. "bold-prediction": I think OU will actually beats Syracuse during their conference schedule this season. All of OU's best players are seniors & Syracuse is not the Syracuse of old this year but they're still a very big name. That OU team is the textbook definition of tourney or bust this season because its their best shot.

NKU should be good. Drew McDonald is really good and they have some other nice players. I think some people tend to overrate them because there was a stretch during the UK vs NKU tourney game where NKU wasn't pushed over and that surprised people.

[vu72]

Received 31 votes in the mid major poll. Samford will be a solid early season test. Valpo is 5th among MVC teams. MSU, Loyola, Northern Iowa, Illinois St. then Valpo. Missouri St. is the only team in the top 25. Two HL teams  in the top 11. Will Oakland and NKU be that good?? I feel like this poll will be drastically different by the end of November!

http://www.collegeinsider.com/mens-mid-major-top-25.php

Oakland should be good. "bold-prediction": I think OU will actually beats Syracuse during their conference schedule this season. All of OU's best players are seniors & Syracuse is not the Syracuse of old this year but they're still a very big name. That OU team is the textbook definition of tourney or bust this season because its their best shot.

NKU should be good. Drew McDonald is really good and they have some other nice players. I think some people tend to overrate them because there was a stretch during the UK vs NKU tourney game where NKU wasn't pushed over and that surprised people.

I don't know about NKU.  They beat us by 4 at the end of the season, at their place and no Alec or Jabril.  Tevonn outscored McDonald. We will be much better than the team that lost to them that night.

[FWalum]

Took the Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran coaches to VU yesterday and spent the afternoon at practice. Talked to Mark LaBarbera, John Kuka and then to Coach Gore after practice.  Watching one practice can only give you a "first" impression of the team, but it was a VERY favorable one. This is one athletic group of players. A half court 3 man weave with 3 layups had most players throwing it down with ease. Team was divided into Gold and White squads and the competition was fierce and the fight for rebounds almost made me afraid someone would get hurt. I believe that the overall ball handling of the group, especially considering their size, is better than most of our past teams.  It was very obvious that both McMillan and Hazen played out of position on their high school teams, both handled the ball well and a lot. There will be some growing pains, but it was obvious from our conversation with Coach Gore that the staff is excited, he couldn't stop smiling and had really positive things to say about everyone on the team.  Lots of time spent on press break and defense.  Off the break the emphasis was on attacking the basket, coach Lottich did not want the ball pulled back out unless there was absolutely no advantage, we have the players and athletes so finishing should be a strength. Lots of work regarding defensive positioning on screens, Lottich wants us to be in proper position rather than relying on athletic ability, was very detailed about this aspect. Bakari Evelyn handles the ball very well and can get to the rack. Coach Gore said he is VERY accomplished at running the pick and roll. Burton, Golder Evelyn and Walker all showed the ability to hit the 3. I don't know that we have anyone with Alec's skill set, we don't have one player that can replace him, but when everyone finds their place on this team I believe it has the ingredients to be very good.

One of McMillan's summer coaches was also there, he is very high on him. I asked if he was surprised to see Mileek handling the ball so much and he said no, he is that good of a player. One other thing about McMillan, he looked bigger than he did when I saw him playing last season. Coach Gore said that he is still growing, has grown an inch since this summer and has a current wing span of about 7' 3".  Ryan Fazekas is still recovering from shoulder surgery in late May and did not participate in any on court activities except shooting and that was all I needed to see, the young man can stroke the ball.

[VU2014]

Interesting to see Ball State getting AP Top 25 votes.  I think they'll be good but wouldn't predict them being Top 25 good.
https://twitter.com/BallStateSports/status/925777160257916928

[VU2014]

Some well thought out breakdowns of each team.

https://twitter.com/mid_madness/status/926114786961772545

Missouri Valley Conference preseason power rankings: The race is wide open with Wichita State gone
by Harry Schroeder@FatherHarry1  Nov 2, 2017, 8:52am PDT

Wichita State is gone and the new era of Missouri Valley Conference basketball begins with Missouri State laying claim to the favorite status. The Bears have the league's best player in Alize Johnson, a deep and experienced squad, and one of the best recruiting classes in recent years.

Last year's co-champion Illinois State has been decimated by graduation and graduate transfers, and an injury to their top recruit. The Redbirds will likely slip back into the MVC pack, while Northern Iowa and Loyola look to be Missouri State's chief competitors.

Valparaiso replaces Wichita as the league's 10th team and its transition from the Horizon League to the MVC should be easier than Loyola's was in 2014.

Preseason Power Rankings:
1. Missouri State Bears
2. Northern Iowa Panthers
3. Loyola-Chicago Ramblers
4. Illinois State Redbirds
5. Valparaiso Crusaders
6. Southern Illinois Salukis
7. Bradley Braves
8. Indiana State Sycamores
9. Evansville Purple Aces
10. Drake Bulldogs

Harry Schroeder did a guest rankings for Mid-Major Madness. He has a really great site dedicated to content about the Missouri Valley & OVC Basketball Conference.
http://www.valleyhoopsinsider.com/category/conferences/missouri-valley/

[EddieCabot]

Interesting to see Ball State getting AP Top 25 votes.  I think they'll be good but wouldn't predict them being Top 25 good.
https://twitter.com/BallStateSports/status/925777160257916928

Seth Davis admitted he mistakenly voted Ball State at #22 instead of Baylor. 

[VU2014]

Easily the most bullish predictions I've seen for Valpo yet.

Vegas Stats & Information Network's Missouri Valley Conference Prediction:
1. Valparaiso
2. Missouri State
3. Northern Iowa
4. Illinois State
5. Loyola Chicago
6. Southern Illinois
7. Indiana State
8. Bradley
9. Evansville
10. Drake
https://www.vsin.com/missouri-valley-topped-by-newcomer-valparaiso-missouri-state/

Valparaiso is the conference newcomer and should make a run at the top spot immediately. The Crusaders have won 22 or more games in six of the past seven seasons and are coming off a 24-9 season.

Their roster has turned over a lot, especially with 6-foot-9 stretch player Alec Peters and 6-foot-7 Shane Hammink out of eligibility. They were the top two players on the team last year in points and assists, with Peters also being the top rebounder.

Those huge losses means it will be Tevonn Walker's team this year, and he's coming off a season in which he had 11.9 points and 5.6 rebounds. The question now becomes, who will pass him the ball? One of the team's main ball-handlers, Lexus Williams, transferred to Boise State during the spring. That leaves it up to senior Max Joseph, who had 5.7 points and 1.8 assists per game as a solid complimentary backcourt piece a season ago.

If the team can get contributions from Nebraska transfer Bakari Evelyn and Oklahoma State transfer Joe Burton, the backcourt should have a good amount of options to choose from to make jumpers. Evelyn did not see much playing time in one season in the Big Ten, while Burton had 4.7 points per game as a sophomore during the 2015-16 season while making 39.7 percent of his 3s.

The team will have plenty of size down low and a world of potential, but not a lot of experience.

Sophomores Jaume Sorolla and Derrik Smits, the son of former NBA center Rik Smits, had a combined 8.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game last year. With those two standing 6-foot-11 and 7-foot-1, respectively, they should discourage many foes from driving into the paint.

If three-star 6-foot-7 stretch player Parker Hazen can either start at small forward or be a priority reserve, Valparaiso will be one of the most dangerous mid-major teams in America.

Crusaders coach Matt Lottich has all the weapons to chase down a fourth straight conference title, and if he can put the pieces of this puzzle together, it should led to a trip to the NCAA Tournament.