MBB 2018-19

[EddieCabot]

He will likely be a better rebounder at Valpo than he was at Providence simply because he'll likely be asked to do it more.  I don't consider that to be a hole in his game.  I also think if he plays the 4 rather than the 3 he will be fine defensively.

In looking at returning minutes by position, the biggest void is clearly at the 4.  I consider Golder a 3, but he played most of his minutes last year at the 4 because Valpo normally played 3 true guards.  With the addition of Lavender (20 mpg for his career) and the 2 freshmen guards, minutes at the 1/2/3 will be scarce again. 

Because of the depth in the backcourt, Fazekas/Golder/Kiser will all see plenty of minutes at the 4 spot.   Those guys are all undersized at the 4, however, I'm not concerned because Valpo a). covers them by playing zone, or b). double teams immediately when the ball is passed into the post.   

McMillan is only going to play the 4, and he is not undersized for a 4.

I didn't mean to say McMillan was undersized ... sorry if my wording wasn't clear.  However, he played 10 MPG last year and unless he plays 40 this year, others (possibly Fazekas/Golder/Kiser) may need to play some minutes at the 4.

Also, if those 3 guys don't get minutes at the 4 spot, then you have a total of 120 minutes to allocate to Evelyn/Bradford/Lavender/Freeman/Sackey/Golder/Fazekas/Kiser.  That's not very many minutes for many very good players.

Luckily, Lottich showed last year that he was smart enough to get his best players on the floor, even when it meant going small and playing guys out of position (Max at the 3 and Golder/Kiser at the 4).  I'm sure he'll do the same this season. 

[elephtheria47]

Fazekas is gonna be a baller. I thought who on the team was going to score more than him?  And then I thought of golder. And I like golder.  And I really like Bakari. So, I'm going to say fazekas has the chance to be a game changer (highest upside), but all 3 will be similar ppg over the season and whoever the other teams try to eliminate will depend on who has the better nights!

[VUBBFan]

Update on Parker Hazen
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1045469839492620288

[VULB#62]

Update on Parker Hazen
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1045469839492620288

Strange? 

[VULB#62]

Fazekas is gonna be a baller. I thought who on the team was going to score more than him?  And then I thought of golder. And I like golder.  And I really like Bakari. So, I'm going to say fazekas has the chance to be a game changer (highest upside), but all 3 will be similar ppg over the season and whoever the other teams try to eliminate will depend on who has the better nights!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 is an arbitrarily (and traditional) assigned bunch of positions on the floor. Why can't we be a 1, 2, 3, 3 (or 3+), 5?   Why get hung up. Throw out the stereotypes and use your best however they contribute.

Personally, I want to see Marcus and Ryan on the floor together A LOT. I want the better of the two defensive bigs on the floor with them also a lot (we desperatly need rim protection). I want to see the best distributor/defender at the PG (who is?) and I want a shoot your eyes out at the SG (who is that?) who can also shut down their SG. Do we have that combination?

[FieldGoodie05]

Fazekas is gonna be a baller. I thought who on the team was going to score more than him?  And then I thought of golder. And I like golder.  And I really like Bakari. So, I'm going to say fazekas has the chance to be a game changer (highest upside), but all 3 will be similar ppg over the season and whoever the other teams try to eliminate will depend on who has the better nights!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 is an arbitrarily (and traditional) assigned bunch of positions on the floor. Why can't we be a 1, 2, 3, 3 (or 3+), 5?   Why get hung up. Throw out the stereotypes and use your best however they contribute.

Personally, I want to see Marcus and Ryan on the floor together A LOT. I want the better of the two defensive bigs on the floor with them also a lot (we desperatly need rim protection). I want to see the best distributor/defender at the PG (who is?) and I want a shoot your eyes out at the SG (who is that?) who can also shut down their SG. Do we have that combination?

I think the 1, 2, 3, 3+, 5 system overlooks our biggest weakness.  We will probably give McMillan 15-18 mpg and play a ton of 3+ lineups BUT we still have to successfully play in a PF system when the opponent / matchup calls for it.

I think we all agree Fazekas + Golder will be fun, probably will get 60% of the minutes.  However, I persist with PG/SG/SF/PF/C because we need a solid hunk of minutes with that lineup being productive.

Without a serviceable true 4 we will have some difficulty.  I think we'd be far less concerned if we had a two headed monster set of PF who could be 4+ rather than 5's.  But as we stand, we have two C only and only one PF only.  McMillan may be one of the most important pieces for us to take a step forward this year.  If we can get + minutes out of him without foul trouble that's critical.

[VU2014]

Fazekas is gonna be a baller. I thought who on the team was going to score more than him?  And then I thought of golder. And I like golder.  And I really like Bakari. So, I'm going to say fazekas has the chance to be a game changer (highest upside), but all 3 will be similar ppg over the season and whoever the other teams try to eliminate will depend on who has the better nights!

I'm hoping Fazekas is the scorer we hope he can be. But is he one dimensional? Is he just a shooter or has he developed more of a offensive arsenal because  if he's just a shooter it will limit what we can do with him on the court. Hopefully he's more polished in more facets of his game.

[vu72]

Fazekas is gonna be a baller. I thought who on the team was going to score more than him?  And then I thought of golder. And I like golder.  And I really like Bakari. So, I'm going to say fazekas has the chance to be a game changer (highest upside), but all 3 will be similar ppg over the season and whoever the other teams try to eliminate will depend on who has the better nights!

I'm hoping  is the scorer we hope he can be. But is he on dimensional? IFazekass he just a shooter or has he developed more of a offensive arsenal because  if he's just a shooter it will limit what we can do with him on the court. Hopefully he's more polished in more facets of his game.

Sorry about the screwed up wording, my finger slipped!  As for Fazekas just being one dimensional, i.e. a three point shooter, the same  could be said initially about Rowdy or Alec.  Granted, they were freshman, but Ryan is a senior, grade wise, and we have to assume that he has matured into an all around player.  We will see.

[VU2014]

Fazekas is gonna be a baller. I thought who on the team was going to score more than him?  And then I thought of golder. And I like golder.  And I really like Bakari. So, I'm going to say fazekas has the chance to be a game changer (highest upside), but all 3 will be similar ppg over the season and whoever the other teams try to eliminate will depend on who has the better nights!

I'm hoping  is the scorer we hope he can be. But is he on dimensional? IFazekass he just a shooter or has he developed more of a offensive arsenal because  if he's just a shooter it will limit what we can do with him on the court. Hopefully he's more polished in more facets of his game.

Sorry about the screwed up wording, my finger slipped!  As for Fazekas just being one dimensional, i.e. a three point shooter, the same  could be said initially about Rowdy or Alec.  Granted, they were freshman, but Ryan is a senior, grade wise, and we have to assume that he has matured into an all around player.  We will see.

I haven't watched Ryan enough at Providence to make a full assessment of his game. It also needs to be pointed out that he was struggling with illness and injury with his time at Providence and it hampered him. But I'd argue that Alec certainly showed more dimensions of his game than just being a 3 pt shooter his freshman year. Rowdy didn't play a huge role his freshman season but he flashes and was a pretty competent rebounder if I remember correctly. It sounds like Ryan is an elite shooter but to be a elite scorer he'll need to be more than just jump shooter. I'm wondering if he'll be able create his own shot. With his height and length, he shouldn't need to have great athleticism to get his shot off. I'm hoping he'll be an effective player in high pick and roll situations. Side Note, but Jay/Smits NeeD to be better at setting picks for our wings this season. I haven't seen a Valpo center set an effective pick since Vashil was here. Part of that comes with experience and chemistry but it needs to happen to get our wings some separation and better looks.

[humbleopinion]

Without a serviceable true 4 we will have some difficulty.  I think we'd be far less concerned if we had a two headed monster set of PF who could be 4+ rather than 5's.  But as we stand, we have two C only and only one PF only.  McMillan may be one of the most important pieces for us to take a step forward this year.  If we can get + minutes out of him without foul trouble that's critical.

Remembering the number of fouls that Smits/Sorolla gave up last year, Mileek better be prepared to be a 4+.

[FieldGoodie05]

Fazekas is gonna be a baller. I thought who on the team was going to score more than him?  And then I thought of golder. And I like golder.  And I really like Bakari. So, I'm going to say fazekas has the chance to be a game changer (highest upside), but all 3 will be similar ppg over the season and whoever the other teams try to eliminate will depend on who has the better nights!

I'm hoping  is the scorer we hope he can be. But is he on dimensional? IFazekass he just a shooter or has he developed more of a offensive arsenal because  if he's just a shooter it will limit what we can do with him on the court. Hopefully he's more polished in more facets of his game.

Sorry about the screwed up wording, my finger slipped!  As for Fazekas just being one dimensional, i.e. a three point shooter, the same  could be said initially about Rowdy or Alec.  Granted, they were freshman, but Ryan is a senior, grade wise, and we have to assume that he has matured into an all around player.  We will see.

I haven't watched Ryan enough at Providence to make a full assessment of his game. It also needs to be pointed out that he was struggling with illness and injury with his time at Providence and it hampered him. But I'd argue that Alec certainly showed more dimensions of his game than just being a 3 pt shooter his freshman year. Rowdy didn't play a huge role his freshman season but he flashes and was a pretty competent rebounder if I remember correctly. It sounds like Ryan is an elite shooter but to be a elite scorer he'll need to be more than just jump shooter. I'm wondering if he'll be able create his own shot. With his height and length, he shouldn't need to have great athleticism to get his shot off. I'm hoping he'll be an effective player in high pick and roll situations. Side Note, but Jay/Smits NeeD to be better at setting picks for our wings this season. I haven't seen a Valpo center set an effective pick since Vashil was here. Part of that comes with experience and chemistry but it needs to happen to get our wings some separation and better looks.

Smits is terrible with picks.  Sorolla on the other hand does fine.  He and Micah's pick and rolls last year were one of the high lights of the season to me.

I'm hoping we get burned less on the double teams when Smits is in!!!

[IrishDawg]

I haven't watched Ryan enough at Providence to make a full assessment of his game. It also needs to be pointed out that he was struggling with illness and injury with his time at Providence and it hampered him. But I'd argue that Alec certainly showed more dimensions of his game than just being a 3 pt shooter his freshman year. Rowdy didn't play a huge role his freshman season but he flashes and was a pretty competent rebounder if I remember correctly. It sounds like Ryan is an elite shooter but to be a elite scorer he'll need to be more than just jump shooter. I'm wondering if he'll be able create his own shot. With his height and length, he shouldn't need to have great athleticism to get his shot off. I'm hoping he'll be an effective player in high pick and roll situations. Side Note, but Jay/Smits NeeD to be better at setting picks for our wings this season. I haven't seen a Valpo center set an effective pick since Vashil was here. Part of that comes with experience and chemistry but it needs to happen to get our wings some separation and better looks.

Even having watched him while he was at Providence, there's no way that someone could make a full assessment of where he'll be as a player unless they've been at practice.  As you said, he was dealing with Mono and injury while he was at Providence, which obviously would have hampered him.  Additionally, he wasn't asked to be as much of a rebounder as I assume he will be at Valparaiso just because of him playing at the 3 most of the time at Providence.  He also wasn't asked to do much outside of being a jump shooter, which, if you look at any of his statistics or highlights from high school or college, that's mostly what he did.  Can he do more?  We'll find out.

Comparing him to Peters really isn't fair because outside of maybe a few, I don't think anyone expects him to be a guy that's one of the greatest in school history or go to the NBA.  My expectations for him are to be a threat from the outside, which should help clear the lane for the guards, and to be one of the team's primary rebounders.  Not sure if they'll play him at the 3, but I will say he was ranked last in individual defensive efficiency ratings during conference play his sophomore season.  His freshman year was better, but he still ranked 3rd to last in that same scenario, which is why I think playing him at the 4 is the smarter move for Valpo.

[justducky]

Even having watched him while he was at Providence, there's no way that someone could make a full assessment of where he'll be as a player unless they've been at practice.  As you said, he was dealing with Mono and injury while he was at Providence, which obviously would have hampered him.  Additionally, he wasn't asked to be as much of a rebounder as I assume he will be at Valparaiso just because of him playing at the 3 most of the time at Providence.  He also wasn't asked to do much outside of being a jump shooter, which, if you look at any of his statistics or highlights from high school or college, that's mostly what he did.  Can he do more?  We'll find out.

Comparing him to Peters really isn't fair because outside of maybe a few, I don't think anyone expects him to be a guy that's one of the greatest in school history or go to the NBA.  My expectations for him are to be a threat from the outside, which should help clear the lane for the guards, and to be one of the team's primary rebounders.  Not sure if they'll play him at the 3, but I will say he was ranked last in individual defensive efficiency ratings during conference play his sophomore season.  His freshman year was better, but he still ranked 3rd to last in that same scenario, which is why I think playing him at the 4 is the smarter move for Valpo.

Fazekas will easily see more time at the 3 than did Broekoff, Peters or Adekoya who were all once 3 wanna-bees. What portion of his floor time will actually place him there is the open question. I am as much in the dark as the rest of you but I think it is a reasonably safe bet that 65%+ of his minutes are spent at the 4. The only thing that could change this would be a complete Miileek McMillan metamorphosis (that was a mouthful). Mileek making that kind of leap this season is highly unlikely but the 19-20 season might stack up differently. Either way I can see Ryan being a very effective Valley 3 when used there situationally.

[FieldGoodie05]

Even having watched him while he was at Providence, there's no way that someone could make a full assessment of where he'll be as a player unless they've been at practice.  As you said, he was dealing with Mono and injury while he was at Providence, which obviously would have hampered him.  Additionally, he wasn't asked to be as much of a rebounder as I assume he will be at Valparaiso just because of him playing at the 3 most of the time at Providence.  He also wasn't asked to do much outside of being a jump shooter, which, if you look at any of his statistics or highlights from high school or college, that's mostly what he did.  Can he do more?  We'll find out.

Comparing him to Peters really isn't fair because outside of maybe a few, I don't think anyone expects him to be a guy that's one of the greatest in school history or go to the NBA.  My expectations for him are to be a threat from the outside, which should help clear the lane for the guards, and to be one of the team's primary rebounders.  Not sure if they'll play him at the 3, but I will say he was ranked last in individual defensive efficiency ratings during conference play his sophomore season.  His freshman year was better, but he still ranked 3rd to last in that same scenario, which is why I think playing him at the 4 is the smarter move for Valpo.

Fazekas will easily see more time at the 3 than did Broekoff, Peters or Adekoya who were all once 3 wanna-bees. What portion of his floor time will actually place him there is the open question. I am as much in the dark as the rest of you but I think it is a reasonably safe bet that 65%+ of his minutes are spent at the 4. The only thing that could change this would be a complete Miileek McMillan metamorphosis (that was a mouthful). Mileek making that kind of leap this season is highly unlikely but the 19-20 season might stack up differently. Either way I can see Ryan being a very effective Valley 3 when used there situationally.

Mileek McMillan Metamorphosis (TM - Just Ducky)!!!!  I like it . . .

[FieldGoodie05]

I haven't watched Ryan enough at Providence to make a full assessment of his game. It also needs to be pointed out that he was struggling with illness and injury with his time at Providence and it hampered him. But I'd argue that Alec certainly showed more dimensions of his game than just being a 3 pt shooter his freshman year. Rowdy didn't play a huge role his freshman season but he flashes and was a pretty competent rebounder if I remember correctly. It sounds like Ryan is an elite shooter but to be a elite scorer he'll need to be more than just jump shooter. I'm wondering if he'll be able create his own shot. With his height and length, he shouldn't need to have great athleticism to get his shot off. I'm hoping he'll be an effective player in high pick and roll situations. Side Note, but Jay/Smits NeeD to be better at setting picks for our wings this season. I haven't seen a Valpo center set an effective pick since Vashil was here. Part of that comes with experience and chemistry but it needs to happen to get our wings some separation and better looks.

Even having watched him while he was at Providence, there's no way that someone could make a full assessment of where he'll be as a player unless they've been at practice.  As you said, he was dealing with Mono and injury while he was at Providence, which obviously would have hampered him.  Additionally, he wasn't asked to be as much of a rebounder as I assume he will be at Valparaiso just because of him playing at the 3 most of the time at Providence.  He also wasn't asked to do much outside of being a jump shooter, which, if you look at any of his statistics or highlights from high school or college, that's mostly what he did.  Can he do more?  We'll find out.

Comparing him to Peters really isn't fair because outside of maybe a few, I don't think anyone expects him to be a guy that's one of the greatest in school history or go to the NBA.  My expectations for him are to be a threat from the outside, which should help clear the lane for the guards, and to be one of the team's primary rebounders.  Not sure if they'll play him at the 3, but I will say he was ranked last in individual defensive efficiency ratings during conference play his sophomore season.  His freshman year was better, but he still ranked 3rd to last in that same scenario, which is why I think playing him at the 4 is the smarter move for Valpo.

Great data, thanks.  To be clear, that is last in their conference / last on the team / last in the country?  I am assuming conference.

[wh]

We got basically nothing offensively from the power forward position last year. You could never count on points from Parker OOC, nor Mileek in conference. The same for Kiser. The same trio got badly schooled on defense, as well - especially in conference. It was by far the most glaring deficiency we've had in any one position in years. There were times, especially offensively, we were literally playing 4 on 5. If Ryan can average even 13 and 4, that's about 10 and 2 better than last year. If absolutely nothing else improves (and it will), we should be in a position to win several more games. The fact that Ryan is an undersized 4 or isn't as well rounded as our 2 NBA players that played that position, while probably true, is trivial compared to the positives he brings to the equation over last year.

[elephtheria47]

6'8 players who can make it splash from 3? Sign me up. Sure, he may be a liability on defense, however he will also be a mismatch on offense. Play to your strengths and make the other team adjust.

[IrishDawg]

Great data, thanks.  To be clear, that is last in their conference / last on the team / last in the country?  I am assuming conference.

Sorry for not being more clear - he was the worst rated individual defender (of the guys that played regularly) on Providence during league play in 16-17, and was 3rd worst on Providence during league play in 15-16.

[VU2014]

Just a friendly reminder that we are going to be UIndy's superbowl game this season. They're a strong non-D1 program and we'll get their best shot. We heavily recruited one of their players Tate Hall who chose Loyola over us. The guys need to take care of business.

https://twitter.com/UIndyMBB/status/1045842941317705729?s=20

[Phriar10]

You guys got a good one in Fazekas believe me. He had a couple tough injuries at Providence or would still be there. He is a good all around player.

[wh]

You guys got a good one in Fazekas believe me. He had a couple tough injuries at Providence or would still be there. He is a good all around player.

Nice to hear from someone who followed him. Thanks for chiming in. As long as your here, maybe you could shed some light on questions some of us have had. Offensively, do you see Ryan as primarily a spot-up jump shooter, or is there more to his game?  Can he play the 4 without getting outmuscled, backed down, bullied on the boards, etc. Thanks.

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/MikeReingruber/status/1046422092726571010

[VULB#62]

Ya know, after looking at the pics below, the ARC is not that far from looking like a legit D-I bb facility. Upgrades to the bowl seating and additional tweaks present a pretty good game day environment. It will never be a palace but it would be a great place to play (which it is already). I hope MLB and the department bring in designers who can make this place into a real "pit."  Keep the capacity at 5k for now but find ways to make 5k seem like 10.

[VU2014]

Ya know, after looking at the pics below, the ARC is not that far from looking like a legit D-I bb facility. Upgrades to the bowl seating and additional tweaks present a pretty good game day environment. It will never be a palace but it would be a great place to play (which it is already). I hope MLB and the department bring in designers who can make this place into a real "pit."  Keep the capacity at 5k for now but find ways to make 5k seem like 10.

I really hope they put seating on all four sides of the court. It would make the ARC more aesthetically pleasing. Also put chairbacks across the court from the other chairbacks. It would go along way in presentation. The athletics dept could probably get away with charging slightly more per ticket by making those chairbacks. I think they should leave the student section as bleachers.

The renovated version of the Knapp Center is a reasonable presentation of what the ARC could look like with seating improvements. Although I'd like it if we had seating over the walkway onto the main floor. Make it as much seating as possible on the lower bowl.

Whatever the University does I hope they make the seat close to the court so it makes the fans feel like they are on top of the opposing team. It makes the ARC a tough place to play for opposing teams. Make sure fans and students are as close to the court as possible, because it creates a competitive advantage.

[VULB#62]

Spot on!