2018-19 VU Schedule

[VU2014]

Makes sense on Ole Miss I counter by saying that there might still be a chance given that they are coached by a man fresh from a mid major that got seriously snubbed and that that staff honored their commitment to Illinois State when they didn't have to . All I'm saying is it doesn't hurt to ask.

I hope so but I'm pessimistic. Kermit Davis railed against the system being stacked against mid-majors a month before taking the Ole Miss job so you never know. He'd be a serious hypocrite if he refused to schedule mids in the future.

[VUGrad1314]

Same with Bryce if he never comes through with that series we were promised.

[VUGrad1314]

Some VU (and MVC) schedule musings:

Here's a thought that I'm not sure has been listed before: could our second nonconference Sweet 16 opponent be Syracuse? I have no source and I've heard no rumors, I'm just putting together some dots that make sense. On December 9, there is a non-exempt event in New York called the Holiday Festival. Syracuse has not been connected to this event to my knowledge, but as a P5 school in the area they might make sense for an event like this. The other game pits a mid major (Princeton) against a Big East school (St. John's) so maybe we'd fit the profile of the kind of opponent they're seeking for the regional heavyweight (the home team could be another team from the area, I'm just using Syracuse  because they're the only team that makes geographic sense for this event that made the Sweet 16). Syracuse lost 69-65 to Duke in the Sweet 16 this past season and it seems like a time in the schedule where we might play a big opponent. We played Northwestern on that date last year.

https://www.bloggingthebracket.com/2017/11/27/16671208/2018-19-college-basketball-early-season-tournaments-events-mte-neutral-site-showcases-thanksgiving

The more I look at it though the more I think it's second game is another buy game at Purdue. Come on Boilers. Give us a 2 for 2. Or even a 2 for 1. Do it for Sasha.

Honestly, the New York idea makes a lot of sense for Loyola. They were already looking to set up a similar game in Newark with Mississippi State on December 8, so the date and location match what they were already looking for, plus they're a hot enough name to sell to local fans coming off their Final 4 run, AND they could offer the east coast team a return game in Chicago in 2019 at the UC. It just makes so much sense and would be great for the MVC.

If Loyola ever does put something like this on, we should get in on it. Though I imagine some larger school like DePaul Northwestern or Illinois would crowd us out. I know the idea has been floated before but a Hy-Vee style even for Chicago and the surrounding area would be so cool. It's such a shame the one in Iowa is being discontinued.

[VUGrad1314]

https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops
Eastern Michigan is looking for a home and home Should we consider them? It would be a close game for Bakari and here are their RPI numbers the past several years:

17-18: 116

16-17: 175

15-16: 112

14-15: 139

13-14: 84

Looks like a solid potential opponent for a series.

[wh]

OOC scheduling has been the program's biggest Achilles heel for a very long time. A collection of mediocre opponents, a home schedule front-loaded with non-D1's, and the standard "scheduling is hard" excuse. Rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat.

We got away with this routine in the Horizon and Mid Con, but it doesn't play in the 8th-ranked conference in college basketball. Scheduling is hard? Deal with it. Nobody good wants to come to the ARC? Deal with it. It's hard to find enough quality D-1 opponents to fill out the schedule without adding non D-1's? Deal with it.

[oklahomamick]

I remember there was talk about Eastern Michigan dropping football and joining the HL. 

My vote is yes.  Schedule them.  But better win

[ValpoDad89]

WH, My hope is playing in a better conference wil no longer force us those "opportunities"to play less than D1schools. Just like us, the bottom D1schools want to play better non conference schedules, whether it means extra cash for them or raise their respective (conference) RPIs. I think everyone knows the "new"landscape of the NCAA and that's playing a tougher schedule throughout even if it means canabalizing each other.

[talksalot]

Three of my grandchildren were born in Ypsilanti... and still live nearby... I believe I can make that road game...

and I promise not to call them the "Hurons"...again.

[historyman]

Same with Bryce if he never comes through with that series we were promised.

It depends on how much Vandy will pay Valpo to get out of that clause in Bryce's Valpo contract.

[VUGrad1314]

Same with Bryce if he never comes through with that series we were promised.

It depends on how much Vandy will pay Valpo to get out of that clause in Bryce's Valpo contract.

The payment regardless of the amount doesn't change the inherent hypocrisy of a coach that just a couple years ago wailed and lamented to the highest heavens about the perils and pitfalls of mid-major scheduling--even going so far as the complain about his plight on Chicago sports talk radio--ducking a prearranged agreement with that same mid-major program after bolting to a P5 school and assembling a stacked recruiting class. He could give Valpo 2 years of his Vanderbilt salary--one for each missed game--and it still wouldn't alter the optics of that move one iota.

[NativeCheesehead]

You mean Bruce?

[historyman]

Same with Bryce if he never comes through with that series we were promised.

It depends on how much Vandy will pay Valpo to get out of that clause in Bryce's Valpo contract.

The payment regardless of the amount doesn't change the inherent hypocrisy of a coach that just a couple years ago wailed and lamented to the highest heavens about the perils and pitfalls of mid-major scheduling--even going so far as the complain about his plight on Chicago sports talk radio--ducking a prearranged agreement with that same mid-major program after bolting to a P5 school and assembling a stacked recruiting class. He could give Valpo 2 years of his Vanderbilt salary--one for each missed game--and it still wouldn't alter the optics of that move one iota.

I think in these situations it's the AD that is making the decisions about scheduling the coach's former team as dictated in the coach's former contract. The AD who hired the coach doesn't want to play that game but had to agree to it in order to hire the new coach. For P5 schools the AD will then do anything including offering large amounts of money to not have to play the game. When Vandy finally gets to the point where Valpo needs the money being offered more than playing the game mlb will let them out of the contract requirement. I know we think Bryce is a better man than that but in the end he did take the much larger salary and the coaching job at Vandy so he wouldn't have to deal with situations where P5 schools would not play his mid-major team. No matter the optics in the end Bryce went for the money and the prestige of the Vandy coaching position. If it wasn't this way mid-majors would not have these issues with P5 schools. Bryce wants to think he is a better person but in the end he took the money and the prestige of the P5 coaching position. Something his father, Homer, did not do.

[VUGrad1314]

If they agree to fund our arena renovations, or maybe at least the new rec center, or a sustainable solution to the parking situation, then I'd consider letting them out of that portion of the agreement. That's how much money MLB should be asking for if Vanderbilt wants out. I'm tired of seeing teams throw money around to duck competition or break agreements. Either they pay enough that the university gets something meaningful to move the program forward or they march their butts to Valpo and play us like they said they would. Simple as that.

[IrishDawg]

If they agree to fund our arena renovations, or maybe at least the new rec center, or a sustainable solution to the parking situation, then I'd consider letting them out of that portion of the agreement. That's how much money MLB should be asking for if Vanderbilt wants out. I'm tired of seeing teams throw money around to duck competition or break agreements. Either they pay enough that the university gets something meaningful to move the program forward or they march their butts to Valpo and play us like they said they would. Simple as that.

How much money do you think that is to do any one of the items above?  The numbers I'm thinking of is tens of millions of dollars, which no school would ever agree to, and no court would ever require a payment for.

I know I'm going to get hated on for this, but it's ironic that when Valpo tries to work its legal magic to get out of having to pay the Horizon League an exit fee most are all for that, but if Drew doesn't want to immediately honor the agreed-upon terms of his exit with Valpo for a return game (and what coach really would right after the fact?), offense is taken.  Give it time for the guys he recruited and coached to cycle out of Valpo, maybe another coaching change to occur, and then he'd probably be more comfortable with coming back.

Mike Brey, before taking his current job at Notre Dame coached at Delaware until 2000.  Notre Dame just played at Delaware this year, nearly 20 years later.  Thad Matta left Butler in 2001 and didn't give Butler a game at Hinkle until 2008 (after his assistant that Butler hired left for Iowa).  Even Shaka Smart waited until this past season (3 years and another coaching change) to play at VCU, and waited until they had their worst team in over a decade to do it.

[VUGrad1314]

If they agree to fund our arena renovations, or maybe at least the new rec center, or a sustainable solution to the parking situation, then I'd consider letting them out of that portion of the agreement. That's how much money MLB should be asking for if Vanderbilt wants out. I'm tired of seeing teams throw money around to duck competition or break agreements. Either they pay enough that the university gets something meaningful to move the program forward or they march their butts to Valpo and play us like they said they would. Simple as that.

How much money do you think that is to do any one of the items above?  The numbers I'm thinking of is tens of millions of dollars, which no school would ever agree to, and no court would ever require a payment for.

I know I'm going to get hated on for this, but it's ironic that when Valpo tries to work its legal magic to get out of having to pay the Horizon League an exit fee most are all for that, but if Drew doesn't want to immediately honor the agreed-upon terms of his exit with Valpo for a return game (and what coach really would right after the fact?), offense is taken.  Give it time for the guys he recruited and coached to cycle out of Valpo, maybe another coaching change to occur, and then he'd probably be more comfortable with coming back.

Mike Brey, before taking his current job at Notre Dame coached at Delaware until 2000.  Notre Dame just played at Delaware this year, nearly 20 years later.  Thad Matta left Butler in 2001 and didn't give Butler a game at Hinkle until 2008 (after his assistant that Butler hired left for Iowa).  Even Shaka Smart waited until this past season (3 years and another coaching change) to play at VCU, and waited until they had their worst team in over a decade to do it.

If you knew the nature of Valpo's initial agreement with the Horizon League when they first joined you would understand Valpo's side of the exit fee argument much better. Mine may also be incomplete and if so somebody please help fill in the gaps. Here's the basic gist: They agreed to a ridiculously high "equity buy-in" and received at the end of like 5-7 years I forget which a rolling mutual option. At the point of Valpo's acceptance into the MVC, they were essentially playing with the HL on a series of one year contracts with as I understand it, no exit fee or perhaps whatever exit fee existed at the time. Unless you new agreement contained specific language that it was meant to supersede all other agreements, Valpo has a case. Without that all-important superseding language, whatever Valpo voted for or even proposed while acting in the interest and capacity of a league member is irrelevant. Furthermore, if my memory serves, the HL by-laws also stipulated arbitration on such matters for departing members which--to the best of my knowledge of the case--was never conducted or even offered. If that's true, the league failed to honor its agreements or fulfill its obligations to Valpo, yet it seeks to hold Valpo to agreements to which they may not even be bound. And if that's true, then the very lawsuit itself is being brought forth by a party knowingly misrepresenting the facts of the case for its own gain.If everything I've put forth here is true, then that's some pretty low-down dirty pool if you ask me.

[VU2014]

There was a rumor that we may have had Oral Roberts on our OOC schedule. We don't appear on their non-conference schedule.

https://twitter.com/ORUMBB/status/1017065962573647872

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1017104774439882752

https://espnevents.com/myrtle-beach-invitational/bracket/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=a5rhq4Iyhpw

https://twitter.com/valpoathletics/status/1017116370616676354

[EddieCabot]

I thought they would put WVU and Valpo in opposite brackets.  Fairly likely now that Valpo will play WVU twice in 8 days. 

[justducky]

I thought they would put WVU and Valpo in opposite brackets.  Fairly likely now that Valpo will play WVU twice in 8 days. 

This is about the worst setup that we could have been handed. That said I'm looking forward to our first ever match with the Hilltoppers.

[IndyEIT777]

I thought they would put WVU and Valpo in opposite brackets.  Fairly likely now that Valpo will play WVU twice in 8 days. 

This is about the worst setup that we could have been handed. That said I'm looking forward to our first ever match with the Hilltoppers.

I'm fairly pleased with the hand we were dealt. I think WKU is definitely a winnable game for us. Even if we don't beat WKU, we probably would get to play Monmouth which is one of those mid-majors I have wanted to Valpo matched up against for the last couple of seasons. If we do beat WKU, we then get 2 cracks at WVU. Any additional opportunities for our team to play power conference schools (let alone perennial sweet 16 teams), I'll take it. It will be good for us recruiting, and it will help set us up for the tough competition in the MVC. One of the things Valpo needs to improve at is ball handling and there are few if any teams that will test you in that aspect more than Press Virginia. Looking forward to seeing Valpo participate in this tournament.

[bigmosmithfan1]

I remember there was talk about Eastern Michigan dropping football and joining the HL.

Yeah, that was before the MAC signed a $100M+ contract with ESPN, based in large part on their midweek football games, and before their football team went to a bowl game in the Bahamas. EMU ain't going anywhere anytime soon.

They were a tough out last year -- gave 'Cuse everything they could handle for 35 minutes at the Carrier Dome. Would be a good, competitive series. Wouldn't do much for fan interest. Would probably be no worse than RPI-neutral. But worlds better than scheduling Chicago State or a non-D1.

[mjg100]

Hi. WKU fan here. Looking forward to playing you guys for the first time. Any questions about our team, let me know? We are very excited this year.

[vufan75]

Welcome to the Valpo fan board! Thanks for stopping by. Looking forward to the WKU vs. Valpo game as well.  Should be a good one on a neutral court!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

[vu72]

Hi. WKU fan here. Looking forward to playing you guys for the first time. Any questions about our team, let me know? We are very excited this year.

Welcome.  I think we Valpo folks are just hoping Mr. Bassey has freshman jitters when we play!  I know we have faced 5 star players before but I'm not sure when the last time was, probably when we played Duke and North Carolina or perhaps when we played Carmelo. Now that I think about it Dwayne Bacon was a five star with Florida State.  Still hoping for an exciting game!

[mjg100]

Without Bassey we have a really good recruiting class. With him, Rivals has us ranked 19th. We have four kids that were ranked 4* coming out of high school and a 3* (Taveion Hollingsworth) that played like a 5* last year. Taveion broke the freshman scoring record held by Courtney Lee. On paper this team has the depth to go nine deep without much drop off and looks like some of our teams from the 70's. Will have to see if we have the chemistry of a good team, but from the tweets and video I have seen, they are having fun. This is the most excited I have been for our team in 20 plus years.