Saturday, 1/27 9pm @Illinois State ESPN2

[VUGrad1314]

I've reached the point where I can't even get upset or frustrated anymore. We won't be playing in any postseason tournaments this year  so don't worry about that. I'll still watch and go to games because that's what you do when you're a fan but my mind has officially made the transition to hoping for better results next year. I hope Lottich uses the final month for development purposes. At 2 games +head to head behind Evansville we're locked into a play in game  anyway so let's play the younger players more try some new lineup combos and see what works and who has a future in the program. I appreciate the effort this team gives especially on the defensive end until the lack of offense destroys their confidence but it's time to punt and play for 2018-19 and beyond. I just hope the fanbase\community have the patience to see this process through and won't start hurting the program by not showing up. As critical as I've been I still think there is hope for Lottich and this program and that we will be competing in the MVC sooner rather than later. Go Valpo!

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/957479304207749120
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/957489389239758848
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/957489944997580801

[VU2014]

I have so many mixed emotions after these games. Part of me is angry, frustrated & totally disappointed but another part of me comes up with a list of "excuses" (there are some legit excuses). But I'm going to be real honest I'm tired of watching this product. This is a bad team. I'm just sick of watching them but as a fan I'm so invested in them emotionally.

Too many players aren't contributing or even playing. That falls on the coaches for recruiting too many busts or freshman non-contributors. Parker can't even earn a minute. Marty is no where to be found and it's not even like Sorolla has been killing it. Mileek seems like a nice project who can get some minutes but still is a liability out there. Micah blows. And I'm sorry but it's pathetic that John Kiser is getting big minutes. He's a sophomore former walk-on who struggles to score but the other guys stink so we have to play him! John Kiser has played 71 total minutes in the last 3 games and hasn't scored a damn point!! Are you F'ing kidding me!!?

[bbtds]

John Kiser has played 71 total minutes in the last 3 games and hasn't scored a damn point!! Are you F'ing kidding me!!?

You forgot that John is just coming off injury--that fits in your legitimate excuse file--doesn't it?

[nkvu]

I like Kiser. I do. He gives everything he's got every minute he's in there. I'm glad for him that he's earned a scholarship. But the fact that he is more than an end of the bench guy is very telling. Let's face it. He isn't big enough to guard a half decent 4 and he isn't quick enough to guard a half decent 3. And he has zero offensive game. Yes he's a "glue guy" but you have to have some talent to glue together and unfortunately I don't think we have that now.

So what does that tell us about the talent level of this team?  Not really up to MVC conference level. Can these guys get there in a year or two?  Smits might get there on the offensive side. Long way to go on defense though.  Sorolla is a tree. So far he has shown no improvement from last year. Maybe in three or four years he might be able to play in one of the lower European leagues.  Evelyn maybe.  He hasn't shown me he is quick enough at the point yet, and his defense has a ways to go.  Golder's game has potential but major holes. He is totally right hand dominant.  Bradford either has to show he can hit threes this year as well as free throws, or he doesn't belong.  As for the three freshman bigs I'll researve judgement until after their 2nd year.  Malik has shown some potential. Linssen has shown desire and hustle. Hazen has shown absolutely nothing.

We are putting a lot of faith in our one commit for next year, even projecting him as our starting 2. I hope he can handle it.

We know our transfer is a shooter, but can he play inside and defend at the 4?  I think that if he could he would have gotten enough pt where he was that he wouldn't have transferred. Has he improved enough in these areas in this transfer year?  We shall see. I hope so.

I hope we can land a home run with one of our two remaining scholarships for next year. We need to raise the level of all our recruits but we desperately need a Rowdy or Alec level player to move the program up to respectability in the MVC.

[VU2014]

John Kiser has played 71 total minutes in the last 3 games and hasn't scored a damn point!! Are you F'ing kidding me!!?

You forgot that John is just coming off injury--that fits in your legitimate excuse file--doesn't it?

If someone is healthy enough to get 71 minutes they're out of excuses. He should even have fresh legs and by tonight should have been able to shake the rust off by now. If you want to be a scholarship player you need to be better then that. He's no longer a "cute story". But it's sad how much we need to depend on a sophomore former walk-on in the first place. I hate to dog on the kid because a good dude and exceptional student and seems to be a very well respected teammate in that locker-room but those stats are unacceptable he's far from the only one on this team underachieving.

[VU2014]

Crusaders lose fifth straight game for first time since 2008
Paul Oren Times Correspondent  2 hrs ago

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/basketball/college/crusaders-lose-fifth-straight-game-for-first-time-since/article_e1138186-7c4a-5b8f-a480-47ec9e42c185.html

[oklahomamick]

Bruce and powelll always out recruited the rest of the league.  They were able to do that without facilities.....I know recruiting is a big part of the job and my first question about Lottich was his recruiting ability.  Basically I was told to pipe down that he was going to be a good recruiter.  After all He recruited Alec to stay...no the nba scouts told him to stay.  I must be in one of those moods but it looks like I was spot on in regards to recruiting and Bradford.  I have not posted my discontent with th sophomore guard because I did last year and knew it was going to be like this. 

I don't know if having the right recruits is 100% of the answer.  Most are saying we currently don't have the talent.  Regardless, they are never in the right place on defense or offense.  I have seen teams less talented but also have an identity or objective. 

[wh]

Despite the poor inside play, Linssen never got in the game with his hustle and energy. Also, although Hazen was a starter most of the non-conference schedule, once again he doesn't even get a single minute of play during garbage time.

I could not agree more. Linssen is a much more aggressive interior defender and rebounder than either Derrik or Jay. We are way too invested in those 2 guys for the future IMO. As to Hazen, I will be amazed if he doesn't announce he's transferring the minute the season's over.

[a3uge]

Despite the poor inside play, Linssen never got in the game with his hustle and energy. Also, although Hazen was a starter most of the non-conference schedule, once again he doesn't even get a single minute of play during garbage time.

I could not agree more. Linssen is a much more aggressive interior defender and rebounder than either Derrik or Jay. We are way too invested in those 2 guys for the future IMO. As to Hazen, I will be amazed if he doesn't announce he's transferring the minute the season's over.

Why would Hazen give up a D1 scholarship to play D2 or D3 ball?

Bruce and powelll always out recruited the rest of the league.  They were able to do that without facilities.....I know recruiting is a big part of the job and my first question about Lottich was his recruiting ability.  Basically I was told to pipe down that he was going to be a good recruiter.  After all He recruited Alec to stay...no the nba scouts told him to stay.  I must be in one of those moods but it looks like I was spot on in regards to recruiting and Bradford.  I have not posted my discontent with th sophomore guard because I did last year and knew it was going to be like this. 

Before the season we were talking about how this was the highest rated recruiting group in Valpo's history. Burton was 4 stars on some sites, Bakari was 3 stars, Hazen was up to 3 stars, and Golder was one of the top Juco transfers in the country. As Jay Harris infamously taught us: it's not about stars on ESPN's website.

[vu72]

I suspect the team moral is pretty shot.  And it is understandable.  We just don't have the skills necessary to compete.  Joe Burton's loss is turning out to be much bigger than perhaps some of us thought.  His departure makes Tevonn and Bakari easier targets from the defense and where else will the scoring come from?  Derrik continues to improve but he is having a tough time defending the small much quicker guys playing in the Valley.  Mileek is too slow to keep up in a similar way.  Given that he was scoreless, perhaps Parker would be a better option right now against Valley opponents.  He can't score either but his speed and quickness might help.  J has hit the wall it would appear and Kiser and Bradford are not going to shoot us out of trouble.

Very discouraged right now as you may have gleaned from my comments. 

[mj]

Valpo will adjust, but it may take a few years just like the last conference switch.

I'm not sure I can be that optimistic. After 30 seasons, the Drew's had developed a system, networks, recruiting pipelines, etc. When they left, that all went with them. There's no "Valpo Way" where you can plug in some coach and don't miss a beat.

So that all has to be developed. In a conference that is much better than the Horizon League. If Bryce has coached a season or two in the MVC, this program would have been much better off. The name on the jersey is the same but make no mistake, this is not the same program we had a few years ago.

This ship is on fire. We need to be concerned.

[JBC1824]

There is no way that Kiser should be getting more minutes than Golder. This is almost unforgivably short-sighted. Does Lottich project Kiser to be a better player than Golder? And if not, then why invest in Kiser so heavily with the minutes? As pointed out by another poster, Kiser has been given some serious minutes since coming back from injury, but in three games, he hasn't scored a single point. Oh wait, and what is our biggest problem right now? Oh, it's scoring, you say? STOP PLAYING THIS SCRAPPY-DOO LOSER!

And since Kiser came back, Golder's minutes and production have plummeted. Golder has been one of our better scorers this season, has potential, and can actually play basketball right now, as opposed to being at best a "hustle/glue guy." Get a clue, Lottich. Get a clue.

[JD24]

Most are saying we currently don't have the talent.  Regardless, they are never in the right place on defense or offense.  I have seen teams less talented but also have an identity or objective.

The ability to effectively defend is a talent.

[bbtds]

Malik

Mileek, let's be correct on all the players.

[bbtds]

John Kiser has played 71 total minutes in the last 3 games and hasn't scored a damn point!! Are you F'ing kidding me!!?

You forgot that John is just coming off injury--that fits in your legitimate excuse file--doesn't it?

If someone is healthy enough to get 71 minutes they're out of excuses. He should even have fresh legs and by tonight should have been able to shake the rust off by now. If you want to be a scholarship player you need to be better then that. He's no longer a "cute story". But it's sad how much we need to depend on a sophomore former walk-on in the first place. I hate to dog on the kid because a good dude and exceptional student and seems to be a very well respected teammate in that locker-room but those stats are unacceptable he's far from the only one on this team underachieving.

Unfortunately, I was using carsasm.

[valpotx]

Kiser was also one of the only guys who cared to block out and rebound.  Everyone else just appeared enamored every time the ball went up, and must have been fascinated by its spinning motion.  It seriously looked like a reaction of, 'oh crap, I actually have to move to get this one,' on many of the rebounds...

[valporun]

Agreed, offense has no flow.  Appears there is no strategy.  Look at our screens, very seldom do we get open from a screen

Our screens don't even look like screens. They just look like big men standing in one spot so visibly that the man being screened can move around the screen. Our screens suck, and that's why we get called for so many illegal screens. We just walk into a screen, instead of making it a screen that really opens up space for a pick and roll.

[Valpo89]

I watched very little of last night's game. The Golden State-Boston game was much more intriguing in the final minutes.
But I did have the same thought about Kiser, not knowing any of the statistics mentioned on this thread.
My thought: "I know he's a good kid and he tries hard, but if a former walk-on is getting this many minutes on this team, no wonder the record is what it is."

[JBC1824]

Ya, the only problem is that Kiser is bad at all skill-based aspects of basketball. Over the past three games, in which Kiser had gotten more minutes than Golder in total, Kiser had 15 rebounds. Over the same three games, Golder had 14 rebounds. And their rebounding numbers on the year are effectively indistinguishable. Here are the big differentiators between the two players: Kiser is incapable of scoring points and has no potential. Golder on the other hand can score a bit and has potential.

But let's keep giving minutes to Kiser over Markus...

[a3uge]

Ya, the only problem is that Kiser is bad at all skill-based aspects of basketball. Over the past three games, in which Kiser had gotten more minutes than Golder in total, Kiser had 15 rebounds. Over the same three games, Golder had 14 rebounds. And their rebounding numbers on the year are effectively indistinguishable. Here are the big differentiators between the two players: Kiser is incapable of scoring points and has no potential. Golder on the other hand can score a bit and has potential.

But let's keep giving minutes to Kiser over Markus...

I agree - there's a time and place for Kiser; he should be getting 5 minutes when the team isn't trying hard. It's ridiculous that Golder keeps getting benched.

[M]

We have enough guys who can't score that we don't need Parker out there not scoring too.

[oklahomamick]

I'm very happy for Lexus Williams and the fact he didn't spend his last eligible collegiate season in this mess. He wouldn't have deserved this. Good for him

[wh]

We have enough guys who can't score that we don't need Parker out there not scoring too.

Someone going from starter over multiple games to never playing over multiple games is as far in the dog house as I've ever seen anyone go. For whatever reason, Matt has completely given up on Parker. While Parker had a hard time finishing, he was a lockdown defender and aggressive rebounder. The biggest problem this team has after shooting is interior defense. We have 2 stereotypical white centers (heavy feet, limited athleticism, slow reaction time) and an undersized former walk-on that are getting eaten alive by opposing 4's and 5's, yet Parker sits. Even Linssen as no. 3 on the depth chart at center is getting minutes, yet Parker in the same situation at 4 never gets off the bench. Someone is going to have to come up with a better explanation than just "he can't score" to explain this to my satisfaction.

[a3uge]

We have enough guys who can't score that we don't need Parker out there not scoring too.

Someone going from starter over multiple games to never playing over multiple games is as far in the dog house as I've ever seen anyone go. For whatever reason, Matt has completely given up on Parker. While Parker had a hard time finishing, he was a lockdown defender and aggressive rebounder. The biggest problem this team has after shooting is interior defense. We have 2 stereotypical white centers (heavy feet, limited athleticism, slow reaction time) and an undersized former walk-on that are getting eaten alive by opposing 4's and 5's, yet Parker sits. Even Linssen as no. 3 on the depth chart at center is getting minutes, yet Parker in the same situation at 4 never gets off the bench. Someone is going to have to come up with a better explanation than just "he can't score" to explain this to my satisfaction.

He's literally been one of the worst D1 players in the country this year. He is bottom 10 in PER and bottom 15 in turnover %. His rebounding is 8th on the team and his defensive rating is last. He has 1 steal and 1 block in 170 minutes. Your assessment of Hazen being a lockdown defender and agressive rebounder is quite wrong, and even if it was correct, there's no way having a decent rebounder would be worth the black hole on offense. He didn't just have "a hard time finishing" - he's made 4 FG total vs D1 opponents, and hasn't hit a 3 pointer. Even his free throw shooting is bad, at 57%.


I'm not saying that Hazen can't turn it around next year, but when a player is contribing so little, it doesn't make sense to keep him in the lineup this year.