Drake Wednesday, January 10 at 7pm

[M]

Come on team extend my game thread streak to 2!  I've got a coach my middle school squad this night, hoping to have a victory to watch on replay when I get home!

Valpo 72-67 win.

[talksalot]

2 NOV 17 FRI  FloHoops.com vs 116  Wake Forest 8-7 W 77 - 74
3 NOV 18 SAT  FloHoops.com vs 70  Colorado 10-6 L 81 - 86
4 NOV 19 SUN  FloHoops.com vs 239  Drexel 6-9 W 90 - 88
5 NOV 26 SUN    294  Chicago State 0-16 W 79 - 67
6 NOV 29  WED   @ 227  Omaha 3-12 L 73 - 75

MVC/MWC Challenge - Laramie, WY
7 DEC 2 SAT   @ 73   Wyoming 9-5 L 89 - 96

8 DEC 6 WED   @ 102   South Dakota 11-5 L 65 - 93
9 DEC 9 SAT    227   Omaha 3-12 W 93 - 74
10 DEC 11 MON   @ 76   Minnesota 13-4 L 67 - 68

Hy-Vee Classic - Des Moines, IA 
11 DEC 16 SAT  vs 173  Iowa 9-8 L 64 - 90

12 DEC 19 TUE   @ 61   South Dakota State 9-5 L 74 - 87
13 DEC 22 FRI    245   Maryland Eastern Shore 3-12 W 81 - 57
14 DEC 28 THU    110   Bradley 11-5 W 66 - 64
15 DEC 31 SUN   @ 148   Southern Illinois 9-7 W 69 - 67
16 JAN 3 WED    82   Illinois State 7-7 W 87 - 62
17 JAN 6 SAT   @ 179   Indiana State 5-9 W 75 - 72

they are 4-0... wins by 2, 2, 25 and 3; best OOC win was the opener Neutral court win over Wake Forest

[valpotx]

This is a tough one to gauge, but since it is at home:

Valpo 76
Drake 68

[talksalot]

0  C.J. Rivers  G 6-2 187 Sr.  Cahokia, Ill. / Cahokia
1  Samm Jones  G 5-11 180 R-Fr.  Minneapolis, Minn. / De La Salle
2  Jalen Gibbs  G 6-3 180 Fr.  Waldorf, Md / North Point
3  Graham Woodward  G 6-0 182 R-Sr.  Edina, Minn. / Edina
4  De'Antae McMurray  G 6-2 170 Sr.  Alton, Ill. / Alton
11  Antonio Pilipovic  F 6-7 205 Fr.  Cologne, Germany
12  Reed Timmer  G 6-1 185 Sr.  New Berlin, Wis. / Eisenhower
14  Noah Thomas  G 6-2 180 Fr.  Sydney, Australia
22  Casey Schlatter  F 6-10 220 R-Jr.  Iowa Falls, Iowa / Iowa Falls Alden
23  Ore Arogundade  G 6-3 185 Sr.  Chicago, Ill. / St. Viator
25  Connor Gholson  G 6-3 170 Fr.  Newton, Iowa / Newton
32  Kory Kuenstling  F/C 6-11 234 R-Jr.  Dunkerton, Iowa / Dunkerton
35  Nick McGlynn  F 6-8 223 Jr.  Stoughton, Wis. / Stoughton


##  SUMMARY  GP  GS  Min/G  FG%  3PT%  FT%  Reb/G  Ast/G  Stl  Blk  Pts/G 
12  Timmer, Reed   17  17  33.9    .472   .481   .886  3.4  2.9  11  1  19.4 
04  McMurray, De'Antae   17  17  30.4    .422   .400   .766  4.4  3.1  13  1  12.0 
35  McGlynn, Nick   17  17  20.9    .538   .143   .730  5.5  1.1  5  18  10.8 
03  Woodward, Graham   17  6  24.7    .421   .427   .840  2.6  1.8  12  0  10.1 
23  Arogundade, Ore   17  11  24.6    .423   .419   .769  3.2  1.3  16  2  7.4 
00  Rivers, C.J.   17  17  27.8    .529   .313   .560  5.6  3.2  20  4  5.5 
22  Schlatter, Casey   17  0  16.1    .507   .600   .571  3.5  1.1  4  4  5.1 
02  Gibbs, Jalen   15  0  11.7    .460   .333   .636  1.9  0.5  7  0  4.1 
14  Thomas, Noah   17  0  13.0    .347   .283  1.000  1.4  1.1  14  2  4.0 
32  Kuenstling, Kory   12  0  4.7    .167   .000   .700  0.7  0.1  1  3  0.8 
11  Pilipovic, Antonio   4  0  1.5    .000   .000   .000  0.0  0.0  0  0  0.0 
01  Jones, Samm   3  0  2.0    .000   .000   .000  0.7  0.0  0  0  0.0 
25  Gholson, Connor   1  0  0.0    .000   .000   .000  1.0  0.0  0  0  0.0 
TM  TEAM   17  0  0.0    .000   .000   .000  2.9  0.0  0  0  0.0 
   Total..........  17       .455   .404   .776  34.6  16.1  103  35  78.4 
   Opponents......  17       .455   .333   .709  35.9  15.0  95  62  74.9 


DRAKE:
ATTENDANCE  15727  27284 
   Home games-Avg/Game  6-2621  7-3650 

VALPO
ATTENDANCE 18492 37247
Home games-Avg/Game 7-2642 8-4527

"IF YOU BUILD IT... THEY WILL COME..."... this is Iowa afterall...

The Knapp Center, already a premier Division-1 facility, recently went through many upgrades, including the installation of new LED scorer's table and video boards, the best lighting system in college basketball and, most notably, the addition of Ron Pearson Court.

After a generous donation from Hy-Vee, Drake officials unveiled the new "Ron Pearson Court" to the public on Sept. 18, 2010. The court which was repainted over the summer to feature the Hy-Vee logo on the floor and the designation "Ron Pearson Court" on both end lines, is named for the former Hy-Vee CEO and Drake alumni.

The Knapp Center also received and aesthetic upgrade in the spring of 2011. New graphics adorn the walls of the facility and fresh colors from floor to ceiling greet the eyes of fans. In addition, the MVC's instant replay project outfitted the building with a cutting-edge replay system that will capture every moment of every game.

Many have praised the Knapp Center for its excellent design and versatility. Boasting a seating capacity of 7,152 that puts the fans right on the court, the Knapp Center provides 112,000 square feet on two levels. It includes five universal courts for basketball, volleyball and badmitton; four racquetball and handball courts; a 5,800 square-foot strength training area; a four-lane 200-meter track circling the upper level and team locker rooms.

The structure contains offices and locker rooms for the Drake basketball and volleyball teams, along with other support areas for all of the Drake athletic teams, including a weight training facilities, athletic training room and equipment room.

William Knapp, chairman of Iowa Realty and a member of the University's Board of Govenors, played a key role in making the Knapp Center dream become possible. Knapp made a $3 million gift to construction of the center and a $100,000 gift for the construction of the Drake Tennis Center.

Still today, the Knapp Center is one of the true collegiate athletics arenas that brings its fans right into the game.

[oklahomamick]

Should we expect a large crowd Wednesday?  The current leader in the MVC coming to town, we are fresh off a win, Drake is a similar school competing for the same students. 

Over/Under butts in the stands
2,750

[agibson]

The current leader in the MVC coming to town, we are fresh off a win, Drake is a similar school competing for the same students. 

First day of classes, so a chance for a pretty decent student turnout.

Not sure about regular fans on a Wednesday night - luckily 7 PM and not later. But, it'd certainly be good to knock Drake down a peg, and keep on the winning track, after an improbable start to conference play.

Game time forecast is 48 degrees and rising. Some showers, but should be warm.

[VU2014]

Andy Katz ranks Drake the 36th best team in the nation...  They are strong but not that good, imo.



Andy Katz's Power 36: Who's in the NCAA tournament? (Jan. 8)
Andy Katz | NCAA.com Correspondent
Last Updated - Jan 8, 2018 11:33 EST

..........

36. Drake (NR): Time rewards winners. And Drake is winning — on the road. The Bulldogs are 4-0 in the Missouri Valley with two road wins, including at Southern Illinois. Look, Drake doesn't have the profile for an at-large berth. But Drake is now the team to beat in the Valley. I saw this team in November. Loved them then. I haven't fallen out of love. Grit. Determination. Shooters. Niko Medved. Reed Timmer. Follow this crew. Des Moines is all on board.

Up next: at Valparaiso, Wednesday; Evansville, Saturday.

http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2018-01-08/andy-katzs-power-36-whos-ncaa-tournament-jan-8

https://twitter.com/TheAndyKatz/status/950371778819485696

[covufan]

We need to continue the success started against Southern Illinois.  In league play we need to somehow get some rebounding from other than our seniors. 

We are three games back in the 'L' column - we need to make it two!

Valpo  77
Drake  68

[VULB#62]

Should we expect a large crowd Wednesday?  The current leader in the MVC coming to town, we are fresh off a win, Drake is a similar school competing for the same students. 

Over/Under butts in the stands
2,750

Hit almost 3,000 on Saturday with no students.  Students are back and classes have just begun so no pressure to study.   I'm going OVER.

[VU2014]

Should we expect a large crowd Wednesday?  The current leader in the MVC coming to town, we are fresh off a win, Drake is a similar school competing for the same students. 

Over/Under butts in the stands
2,750

Hit almost 3,000 on Saturday with no students.  Students are back and classes have just begun so no pressure to study.   I'm going OVER.

Greek Life recruitment ramps up this 1st week back, particularly for sororities. Nobody wants to hear the excuse but its a reality. It will be interesting to watch student attendance during these next few weeks.

https://www.valpo.edu/greek/sorority-life/how-to-join/
-Women's Primary Membership Recruitment period will be January 8–14, 2018 and each potential new member must complete the Primary Membership Recruitment Registration form by January 8, 2018 at 11:30 p.m. in order to participate. The registration form can be found by clicking here.

https://www.valpo.edu/greek/recruitment/fraternity-recruitment/
"Men's recruitment for new students is held from January 13–26, 2018, and a full listing of events will also be posted on the fraternity and sorority calendar. All recruitment events are open to all interested men. Details of the events are included on the calendar."

[valpotx]

Seriously?  Come on, man, that is a terrible excuse.  Why don't the Greek Life folks schedule an event that includes the game?  I have no idea what goes on in Greek Life, as I steered clear of it while I was in school, but they always seemed to be gung ho for athletic events in the past...

[underdawg]

The key for every MVC team: play defense like it's a championship game and you will win

[vu72]

Seriously?  Come on, man, that is a terrible excuse.  Why don't the Greek Life folks schedule an event that includes the game?  I have no idea what goes on in Greek Life, as I steered clear of it while I was in school, but they always seemed to be gung ho for athletic events in the past...

I would think that the Phi Psis would be out in force to support Brother Smits!

[valpo64]

You can always count on the Phi Psis!!     

[VU2014]

Seriously?  Come on, man, that is a terrible excuse.  Why don't the Greek Life folks schedule an event that includes the game?  I have no idea what goes on in Greek Life, as I steered clear of it while I was in school, but they always seemed to be gung ho for athletic events in the past...

Greek Life is one of the biggest groups who support of Valpo Athletics but recruitment/pledging/rushing goes head to head with many home games and also factor in there are more fraternities then even a few years ago, means more competition for days of recruitment events. Once you get invite to a fraternity/sorority you have to go through the initiation process which often takes many weeks where they have to be down at the house "learning" or whatever each individuals who process is. It seemed to be an issue last year too. The student attendance noticeably picked up after of the recruiting/rushing was done for a few weeks.

https://www.valpo.edu/greek/calendar/

Fraternity/Sorority recruiting events that clash with games:
JAN 13 WED, 7 p.m. Drake - ESPN3
-Sorority Recruitment for all sororities

JAN 21, SUN, 3 p.m. Loyola: ESPNU - Gold Out - Pediatric Cancer Awareness Day

Phi Kappa Psi Recruitment Event: Phi Psi Paint Up
When: Sun, January 21, 2pm – 6pm
Where: The ARC
Description: Come along with the brothers of Phi Kappa Psi in support of our Men's Basketball team. Go Valpo!

Remember there are 3 other events that Sunday that aren't involved with going to the basketball game at different times.

JAN 24, WED, 7 p.m. Evansville - ESPN3 - Staff/Faculty Appreciation Night

Competing with 4 Fraternity events at the same time.
5:00pm - Phi Delta Theta Recruitment Event: Phiesta and PhiZone
6:00pm - Phi Kappa Psi Recruitment Event: Preference Dinner
6:00pm - Sigma Chi Recruitment Event: Preference Dinner
8:00pm - Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Recruitment Event: Sin"bowl"nia

[crusadermoe]

Well I am glad to see there are no Greek B.S. excuses for the men.  Take names of frat members not attending the Drake game.   And close the library and music practice rooms.

[valpopal]

Seriously?  Come on, man, that is a terrible excuse.  Why don't the Greek Life folks schedule an event that includes the game?  I have no idea what goes on in Greek Life, as I steered clear of it while I was in school, but they always seemed to be gung ho for athletic events in the past...

I would think that the Phi Psis would be out in force to support Brother Smits!

I am going back quite a while (80s & 90s), but I believe there was a time when scheduling fraternity events did take into account basketball games, and sometimes attendance at a game was a requirement, especially to support fellow members.

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/950417958291083264
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/950406300319518721

[agibson]

Greek Life is one of the biggest groups who support of Valpo Athletics

For sure. They're not always the most engaged of fans (maybe socializing more than following the game), but they're often there in big numbers. Sometimes doing dumb things like standing up and walking in or out en masse during the action, obscuring views for a while. But, hey, great to have them at the games.

I'm glad to see that some of them are explicitly including it as part of their recruiting activities.

[VU2014]

I'm not buying what Jay is selling on this one. Getting benched clearly motivated him. A great coaching move by Coach Lottich.
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/950479862669733889

[bigmosmithfan1]

I have never bought the "we don't have time because of rush/chapter/etc." nonsense from students in the Greek system. You're not cramming for finals or prepping for surgery - you're planning social events and such. Which is fine but don't dress it up like it requires some unbreakable time commitment. Show up and support your university's team.

I was on a Big Ten campus one weekend this fall and overheard a student complaining that they "scheduled a football game during rush." Um, the football game in question was scheduled SIX YEARS AGO, kid. Your little social club could've easily bumped your rush activities for a day.

[vu72]

Seriously?  Come on, man, that is a terrible excuse.  Why don't the Greek Life folks schedule an event that includes the game?  I have no idea what goes on in Greek Life, as I steered clear of it while I was in school, but they always seemed to be gung ho for athletic events in the past...

I would think that the Phi Psis would be out in force to support Brother Smits!

I am going back quite a while (80s & 90s), but I believe there was a time when scheduling fraternity events did take into account basketball games, and sometimes attendance at a game was a requirement, especially to support fellow members.

Fellow members?  The Drews didn't allow basketball team members to be in fraternities.  To my knowledge Derrik is the first since Homer took over.

[VU2014]

Jay Sorolla is in a fraternity also. I forget which one. I think it's one of the newer ones on campus.

[VULB#62]

Interesting.  Going back to the Bartow era, just about every member of those great teams were fraternity members -- mainly Phi Psi and Phi Delt   (Football, too, and because there were so many more players involved, Theta Chis, Pikes and others also were represented).  That had a signnificant affect on student attendance at MBB games -- it was all about supporting your brothers.  Other fraternities were drawn into it just to be competitively visible at games.  Fraternity life, IMO, did not have a negative influence on performance as indicated by the records those teams set and the number of players from that era who are in the Valpo HOF.

[agibson]

For the time commitment alone, I can see why coaches would at least be cautious about Greek organizations.

They bring some additional support structures, but it seems like the time commitment is quite significant, on top of athletics, on top of academics.