2018-19 VU Schedule

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/indianahoopscom/status/938230267193516032
https://twitter.com/Eric_RaceReview/status/938260351031894016

[VUGrad1314]

Possible landing spot for the teams cast adrift by the decision to discontinue the Great Alaska Shootout?
https://twitter.com/boettger_eli/status/944285943376179200

[VUGrad1314]

I also hope the MVC is working on another conference challenge series ... maybe with the A-10, AAC or even the MAC.  The league should be focused on helping teams get better games so the number of non-DI games can be reduced.

I'm for all three of these. This kind of scheduling is the best way forward for mid majors and gives the committee a clearer picture of which mids truly deserve bids come March.

[VU2014]

I also hope the MVC is working on another conference challenge series ... maybe with the A-10, AAC or even the MAC.  The league should be focused on helping teams get better games so the number of non-DI games can be reduced.

I'm for all three of these. This kind of scheduling is the best way forward for mid majors and gives the committee a clearer picture of which mids truly deserve bids come March.

I'd definitely be for a another conference challenge with the A10 & AAC. I'm sure the MVC would be too but I'm not sure the A10 or AAC would be for it though. The MAC I wouldn't be quite as excited about. The MAC isn't a very deep conference.

The A10 vs MVC Challenge probably makes the most sense on paper for both sides, imo.

[usc4valpo]

Agreed vu2014. also note that Chicagoland is not a popular place for college basketball and attendance will be weak.

[VU2014]

Paul Oren mentioned on Union Street Hoops that Oral Roberts might be on the schedule the near future. The ORU vs VU rivalry was a bit before my time but I know some have mentioned it use to be the big rivalry back in the day. I know this will probably excite lots of the longtime fans but tbh it wouldn't do much for me, because I never experienced those games and they haven't been a strong team in recent history (but they caught MSU & FGCU sleeping this season. They play a reallytough schedule this season.).

Oral Roberts Kenpom Rankings (RPI):
2017-2018: 193 (155) Record: 6-11
2016-2017: 236 (292) Record: 6-22
2015-2016: 174    (151) Record: 12-17
2014-2015: 206 (163) Record: 16-14
2013-2014: 188 (170) Record: 15-16

http://www.nwitimes.com/digital/audio/union-street-hoops/podcast-union-street-hoops-valpo-in-the-valley/audio_330854a0-f25d-11e7-8289-e74843b07c14.html

[FieldGoodie05]

Paul Oren mentioned on Union Street Hoops that Oral Roberts might be on the schedule the near future. The ORU vs VU rivalry was a bit before my time but I know some have mentioned it use to be the big rivalry back in the day. I know this will probably excite lots of the longtime fans but tbh it wouldn't do much for me, because I never experienced those games and they haven't been a strong team in recent history (but they caught MSU & FGCU sleeping this season. They play a reallytough schedule this season.).

Oral Roberts Kenpom Rankings (RPI):
2017-2018: 193 (155) Record: 6-11
2016-2017: 236 (292) Record: 6-22
2015-2016: 174    (151) Record: 12-17
2014-2015: 206 (163) Record: 16-14
2013-2014: 188 (170) Record: 15-16

http://www.nwitimes.com/digital/audio/union-street-hoops/podcast-union-street-hoops-valpo-in-the-valley/audio_330854a0-f25d-11e7-8289-e74843b07c14.html

Doesn't excite me either, and I was at VU 2001-2005 during the Mid Con days.

However, I'm not obsessed with RPI and all these rankings.  Win in the MVC and don't play all cupcakes.  That's all I ask for, because at-large is a joke for most all Mid major programs in the country.  And it's certainly becoming more of a joke these last several years.

[valporun]

After Ken Tutt and Caleb Green graduated from ORU, the program went downhill, and Richard Roberts didn't help the school in recent years either. I'd prefer to leave this old rivalry in the past. It wouldn't be a good one for Valpo, considering what the Summit League is as a conference.

[valpotx]

The Summit League is #13 in conference RPI right now.  They are better than the HL.  I would welcome this game, but would prefer it for baseball reasons, instead

[VU2014]

IU just dropped out of the 2018 Jimmy V Classic...
https://twitter.com/ZachOsterman/status/955919925587013633
https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/940672350294626305
https://twitter.com/WVUblue_gold/status/940711827020894208

Hey ESPN,



https://espnevents.com/jimmy-v-classic/mens-matchup/

[justducky]

The Loyola run already has me excited for 18-19 and 19-20. Barring some unpleasant surprise I don't see us being out of MVC championship contention in either season.

Obviously we need solid opponents and a few home games. Cal Riverside and SIU-Edwardsville might be slightly better than non D-1 but not by much. I doubt that either will draw 2600 fans even on a weekend. What are our prospects for an appropriate, respectable OOC SOS at this point?

[VULB#62]

Shouldn't our poor record entice top 100 RPI teams to gamble on scheduling us for an "easy" win?

[VU2014]

Shouldn't our poor record entice top 100 RPI teams to gamble on scheduling us for an "easy" win?

Maybe for a Power Conference buy games but I don't think it will help us land Home and homes, particularly with good mid-majors. I hope we land a h-&-h with a quality A10 team or MWC team. It seems less likely that the Big East or AAC will do many Home-&-homes with mid-majors these days.

We have a series with Oral Roberts coming up. We also have the Vandy series up our sleeve but they've been pretty tight lipped about when that will start. I have a hunch it will start this upcoming season. Vandy will have two Top 10 recruits and potentially 3 if Romeo Langford commits to Vandy.

If I had to guess we'd play in buy game or 2 this season.

Potential OOC Schedule:
-Southern Illinois-Edwardsville - Home
-MVC/MW Challenge - Away (one of: Air Force, Colorado State, San Jose State, UNLV)
-Ball State - Home
-UC Riverside - Home
-Oral Roberts
-Buy game (?) - Away
*Potential Start to the Series with Vanderbilt

[VUGrad1314]

I've heard pretty strong rumors that we'll be playing GW this year to start a series.

[VU2014]

Some very interesting similarities between GW and Valpo the last few seasons:
- Both teams haven't returned to the high points they were at in the 2015-16 season where they met in the NIT finals
-After that season both coaches left their teams (for different reasons)
-After their previous coaches left the teams after the NIT runs, both schools hired former assistants from within the program: Matt Lottich and
Maurice Joseph
-Both teams returned their stars players for the 2016-17 seasons: Alec Peters (Valpo) and George Washington (Tyler Cavanaugh) and the teams had solid but not great seasons last year. Valpo 24-9 (14-4) GW 20-15 (10-8)
-Both were in somewhat of rebuild mode this season 17-18: Valpo 15-17 (6-12) and GW 15-18 (7-11)

Solid series and one with some interesting recent history that the Programs could sell to their fans.

[mj]

I've heard pretty strong rumors that we'll be playing GW this year to start a series.

Would we be playing in DC next year or the year after?

[VUGrad1314]

I don't know the answer to that, unfortunately.

[VU2014]

I'd think we'd be in a position to give GW the first home game with all the home games we already have lined up next season. If we were playing in DC next season it could potentially make for some interesting options if we make it an extended road trip over a break (ex: California road trip this season). There are a lot of great basketball schools on the east coast.

[vu84v2]

I like the potential GW series. I would decline the return home game against SIU-E. I can think of mid-majors I would much rather have a series with than Oral Roberts...but OK.

Overall, the home non-conference schedule needs major improvement from this season that just ended.

[justducky]

Potential OOC Schedule:
-Southern Illinois-Edwardsville - Home
-MVC/MW Challenge - Away (one of: Air Force, Colorado State, San Jose State, UNLV)
-Ball State - Home
-UC Riverside - Home
-Oral Roberts
-Buy game (?) - Away
*Potential Start to the Series with Vanderbilt

A glance at the MWC final standings shows that UNLV was 7'th, Utah St 8'th, Air Force 9th, Colorado St 10th and San Jose St 11'th. All 5 of these teams played Challenge road games and will host if they play in 2018. Fresno St at 5th did not participate and I don't know how their idle team will be determined. If they loosely match up teams on this years records then we would likely visit San Jose St, Colorado St, or Air Force. If they try to evenly match up expected strength teams then UNLV (or Fresno St) might be our destination.

I think it is interesting that VU, Northern Iowa, SIU and Ind St should all be taking solid teams on the road against what look like beatable opponents. Might Nevada travel to Loyola?  Will Boise St visit the redbirds? Who will Bradley host? Could it be New Mexico?

[bigmosmithfan1]

Might Nevada travel to Loyola?

Unless the MWC and MVC are run by complete fools, I'd almost guarantee you that you'll see a Nevada/Loyola matchup, even if they have to alter the home/road rotation schedule to make it happen. Hell, TV will likely dictate that.

[covufan]

I've heard that we'll have at least two games against Elite Eight teams!

[VU2014]

(Nevada vs Loyola) + (Colorado State vs Drake) + (UNLV vs Valpo) = Great TV and a great Ricky Nolasco story 

Make it happen MVC and MWC!

[VU2014]

I forgot to share this. Paul Oren mentioned the other day that Valpo has a chance to play one of the Sweet 16 teams not name Loyola.
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/976178756401467394

List of possible Teams:
-Kansas State
-Kentucky
-Nevada
-Florida State
-Gonzaga
-Michigan
-Texas A&M
-Duke
-Syracuse
-Clemson
-Kansas
-Texas Tech
-Purdue
-West Virginia
-Villanova

I'm going to guess it's West Virginia. Bob Huggins has played Valpo before and is known to give Mid-Major's opportunities.

[vu72]

A "chance" would indicate Nevada via the Valley-Mountain West Challenge?