MBB 2018-19

[FieldGoodie05]

Spot on!

If they raise the $$ with at least 50-75% donation, then go BIG!  Not in the sense of expanding seating but improving experience.  I'd like to see expansive windows (let nature in) like in the Drake picture but on steroids.  Maybe make the vast majority of the track level and up (chair back side) become picture windows.  Bump out the concession side and more picture windows above the track level surrounding a new concession area in the front right corner.

Keep the track IMO but improve the surface.  AC of course and improved lighting/speakers and call it a day.  The above could be phase 1 ($10,000,000??).

Phase 2 would be other non revenue generating upgrades like staff offices and third level gym etc.

[VULB#62]

You put your finger on the one thing we on the forum have little info on:  the stuff behind the scenes that is not readily visible to the basic fan
 
Having said that, I would want colorful  chairbacks on three sides in the lower bowl, benches for the Valparaiszone at one end. Replace the current bleachers on the upper Hilltop side with upgraded benches that scream Valpo brown and gold. Build it so that it is a hated place to play if you are not Valpo. Obviously improve sound, AC, and lighting. The designers would also need to incorporate easily accessible concessions in the equation at multiple levels. Damn, I wish I had that consulting contract 

The ARC has the potential to be a mega-migraine to every MVC opponent if we do it right.

And if we do it right, it will draw locals like crazy because of the wild experience. Goal:  make  Valpo basketball THE event to follow.

Oops. Sorry,  I was dreaming.

[VU2014]

Spot on!

If they raise the $$ with at least 50-75% donation, then go BIG!  Not in the sense of expanding seating but improving experience.  I'd like to see expansive windows (let nature in) like in the Drake picture but on steroids.  Maybe make the vast majority of the track level and up (chair back side) become picture windows.  Bump out the concession side and more picture windows above the track level surrounding a new concession area in the front right corner.

Keep the track IMO but improve the surface.  AC of course and improved lighting/speakers and call it a day.  The above could be phase 1 ($10,000,000??).

Phase 2 would be other non revenue generating upgrades like staff offices and third level gym etc.

Natural light from Windows? Yes please!

I know I threw this idea out there a while ago but I think it would be cool pay homage to Chapel in the ARC improvements in some way like having on the upper walls above the track have a glass wall like the Chapel's but put the Crusader logo in the middle and it could tower over the court. If they could do it right, it could possibly look pretty cool. It would definitely make the ARC unique and different, as well as being impressive for recruits. They'd probably need to use a stronger type of glass but I'd leave that up to the engineers/architects to figure out. Thoughts?

[M]

I just want to throw this out there and if it's been discussed already (or maybe I'm misremembering altogether) then please forgive me....

I wonder if Golder will be as effective as a starter as he was as a 6th man.  I don't think he will be, and suspect he will be back being effective coming off the bench (and in the game at the end which is more important then starting) by the time conference season rolls around.  I recall Matt Kenney (I think it was) being a real good option off the bench and not being nearly as effective when he was inserted as a starter. 

I'm real excited for the season to get here and can't wait to see how all the players, and coaches, have improved and are implemented.

[FieldGoodie05]

I just want to throw this out there and if it's been discussed already (or maybe I'm misremembering altogether) then please forgive me....

I wonder if Golder will be as effective as a starter as he was as a 6th man.  I don't think he will be, and suspect he will be back being effective coming off the bench (and in the game at the end which is more important then starting) by the time conference season rolls around.  I recall Matt Kenney (I think it was) being a real good option off the bench and not being nearly as effective when he was inserted as a starter. 

I'm real excited for the season to get here and can't wait to see how all the players, and coaches, have improved and are implemented.

You make a very interesting point.  What about Golders' game makes you think he is a better 6th man then a starter?  I guess I would benefit from hearing the generally accepted logic behind this phenomenon as well.  I have heard players comment about a 6th man getting a chance to observe the flow of the game and critique how best to execute based on how the game starts.

What else is an important differentiator between Starting -vs- Coming Off the Bench?

[vuny98]

I just want to throw this out there and if it's been discussed already (or maybe I'm misremembering altogether) then please forgive me.... I wonder if Golder will be as effective as a starter as he was as a 6th man.  I don't think he will be, and suspect he will be back being effective coming off the bench (and in the game at the end which is more important then starting) by the time conference season rolls around.  I recall Matt Kenney (I think it was) being a real good option off the bench and not being nearly as effective when he was inserted as a starter. I'm real excited for the season to get here and can't wait to see how all the players, and coaches, have improved and are implemented.

For Valpo to have a good year, Golder needs to be solid as a starter, playing starter minutes. I see no reason why he can't do that.

[FWalum]

You make a very interesting point.  What about Golders' game makes you think he is a better 6th man then a starter?  I guess I would benefit from hearing the generally accepted logic behind this phenomenon as well.  I have heard players comment about a 6th man getting a chance to observe the flow of the game and critique how best to execute based on how the game starts.

What else is an important differentiator between Starting -vs- Coming Off the Bench?

Matchups can make a huge difference.  If you have a 6th man of that caliber who can come in when the opposition has had to substitute or has a different type of player in the game based on who we started, then that matchup can be a big difference in the flow of a game. 

Golder played starter minutes for the most part last year, whether he starts or not he will be a major contributor to this team. 

[IrishDawg]

Some players do actually benefit from coming off the bench because of matchups, watching the flow of the game, nerves, etc., but generally I think players who play a lot wind up in the starting lineup eventually and I'd expect Golder to be one of the starting 5.  He's the 2nd most valuable returner (according to http://www.barttorvik.com/), so it would be silly to not start him in my opinion.

[FieldGoodie05]

Some players do actually benefit from coming off the bench because of matchups, watching the flow of the game, nerves, etc., but generally I think players who play a lot wind up in the starting lineup eventually and I'd expect Golder to be one of the starting 5.  He's the 2nd most valuable returner (according to http://www.barttorvik.com/), so it would be silly to not start him in my opinion.

Solid points, I'd have to say that we don't have a wealth of talent to play him off the bench (minutes wise).  So I'd imagine he will start 2/3 of the games and 1/3 will be discipline or matchup changes.

Though starting means so very little in the grand scheme of things.

[wh]

Some players do actually benefit from coming off the bench because of matchups, watching the flow of the game, nerves, etc., but generally I think players who play a lot wind up in the starting lineup eventually and I'd expect Golder to be one of the starting 5.  He's the 2nd most valuable returner (according to http://www.barttorvik.com/), so it would be silly to not start him in my opinion.

The old adage "it only matters who finishes, not who starts" gets way more credence than it deserves. If we expect to compete for a conference championship, Marcus will have to start and play well for 25-30 minutes. That said, for the many on this board and PO who think we're not ready to compete for a championship in the big bad Missouri Valley Conference, I guess it doesn't really matter.

[justducky]

Some players do actually benefit from coming off the bench because of matchups, watching the flow of the game, nerves, etc., but generally I think players who play a lot wind up in the starting lineup eventually and I'd expect Golder to be one of the starting 5.  He's the 2nd most valuable returner (according to http://www.barttorvik.com/), so it would be silly to not start him in my opinion.

The old adage "it only matters who finishes, not who starts" gets way more credence than it deserves. If we expect to compete for a conference championship, Marcus will have to start and play well for 25-30 minutes. That said, for the many on this board and PO who think we're not ready to compete for a championship in the big bad Missouri Valley Conference, I guess it doesn't really matter.

I will not argue that with some improvement in his ball handling Golder should be a far better 3 than a 4 or 2 but that doesn't tell us much about starting assignments. On paper our 3 best players all have made their biggest contributions to date at the 3 position. Sooooooo? Looks to me more like finding successful rotations will trump starting assignments. I really hadn't been much worried about Evelyn needing to improve at the 1 and both Evelyn and Golder needing improvement at the 2 but the logjam for playing time at the 3 might require some adjustments. I still suspect that McMillan may start at the 4 with Fazekas at the 3. A few minutes in Mileek will sit, Ryan rotates to the 4 and Golder probably comes off the bench.      The experiments with rotations could really get interesting.

Wow!!! This could develop into a really good 5 guard spot pressure defense. Of course we will have to fall behind before we will need it.

[VULB#62]

What has not been lost on me in the last 12 months is that, subtlely over time, the VU athletic admin has been promoting and publicizing Marcus over every other roster player. He has grown to be the face of Valpo MBB going into this season. He has presence.  Why wouldn't he start?

[wh]

What has not been lost on me in the last 12 months is that, subtlely over time, the VU athletic admin has been promoting and publicizing Marcus over every other roster player. He has grown to be the face of Valpo MBB going into this season. He has presence.  Why wouldn't he start?

He also represented the team at the MVC media event. Of course he's going to start.

[humbleopinion]

He has grown to be the face of Valpo MBB going into this season.

If this is the case, I hope that he has matured emotionally over the year. 

[FieldGoodie05]

He has grown to be the face of Valpo MBB going into this season.

If this is the case, I hope that he has matured emotionally over the year.

I agree whole heartedly with your sentiment.  Though it did seem Markus matured (emotionally) as the in conference season continued.  He had some really questionable reactions early on.

Do you think the observed maturation was real or just us getting used to antics?

[FWalum]

He has grown to be the face of Valpo MBB going into this season.

If this is the case, I hope that he has matured emotionally over the year. 

I would expand this a little bit.  I thought that both Bakari and Markus had some attitude issues, especially early in the season and even the practice I attended with some local coaches. I hope and believe we will see that both men have matured and grown in to their roles as players and leaders representing Valparaiso University.

[vu72]

I spoke with Derrik Smits at Homecoming and he told me he expects Lavender to be in the starting lineup. So maybe its Derrik or J, Lavender, Golder, Fazekas and Bakari? He expects to see 11 getting action.  He looks good, still slim but also still 7'2"!!

[crusader05]

I've heard from others that the team's attitude has become much more mature and positive over the year and that they believe a lot of the turmoil over the last two years has been shrugged off. I've also heard people comment on how the team and coaching staff seem to really understand more about how they need to be engaged with campus and asking for support in ways they hadn't prior.

We had a rough two years getting our sea legs. Didn't help that Lottich and the younger classmen really took control when we were in a heavy storm. Hopefully they have leveled off and we can see real growth as a team this year, even outside of what our win-loss record.

[VULB#62]

What has not been lost on me in the last 12 months is that, subtlely over time, the VU athletic admin has been promoting and publicizing Marcus over every other roster player. He has grown to be the face of Valpo MBB going into this season. He has presence.  Why wouldn't he start?

He also represented the team at the MVC media event. Of course he's going to start.

And then there was Marcus winning a medal in Brazil this summer and the promotion that resulted.

And then there is Marcus as the poster figure for season ticket sales.

[IrishDawg]

I've heard from others that the team's attitude has become much more mature and positive over the year and that they believe a lot of the turmoil over the last two years has been shrugged off. I've also heard people comment on how the team and coaching staff seem to really understand more about how they need to be engaged with campus and asking for support in ways they hadn't prior.

We had a rough two years getting our sea legs. Didn't help that Lottich and the younger classmen really took control when we were in a heavy storm. Hopefully they have leveled off and we can see real growth as a team this year, even outside of what our win-loss record.

Growing pains are going to happen when you jump up in weight class and don't necessarily have the talent or experience to handle it.  Valpo should be in a much better spot this year and next year especially assuming all the pieces stay in place.  Key will be to continue getting transfers from power leagues as they have done and to continue finding diamonds in the rough on the recruiting trail as I think this coaching staff has also done.  Future is bright, IMO.

[justducky]

I spoke with Derrik Smits at Homecoming and he told me he expects Lavender to be in the starting lineup. So maybe its Derrik or J, Lavender, Golder, Fazekas and Bakari? He expects to see 11 getting action.

Lavender in a starting role would suggest that our freshman need a lot of seasoning. His numbers at UAB were only fair at the 2 and backup quality at the 1. So who starts at the point? Evelyn really struggled in his 17-18 point guard attempts, his play as a backup 2 was limited, and many of you seem to have conceded to Golder  22 or more minutes as our backbone 3. I'm just wondering if Bakari with 31.4 minutes and 12.6 points per game will struggle to hold on to those numbers. I don't think that it is a given if he is now to be our starting 2 playing some 1. Worse yet might be if he is our starting 1 playing some 2.

I don't want any of you to interpret my concerns to be a prediction of doom but this would seem to reinforce my expectation that this team might take some time before it really starts to click.

[FieldGoodie05]

I spoke with Derrik Smits at Homecoming and he told me he expects Lavender to be in the starting lineup. So maybe its Derrik or J, Lavender, Golder, Fazekas and Bakari? He expects to see 11 getting action.

Lavender in a starting role would suggest that our freshman need a lot of seasoning. His numbers at UAB were only fair at the 2 and backup quality at the 1. So who starts at the point? Evelyn really struggled in his 17-18 point guard attempts, his play as a backup 2 was limited, and many of you seem to have conceded to Golder  22 or more minutes as our backbone 3. I'm just wondering if Bakari with 31.4 minutes and 12.6 points per game will struggle to hold on to those numbers. I don't think that it is a given if he is now to be our starting 2 playing some 1. Worse yet might be if he is our starting 1 playing some 2.

I don't want any of you to interpret my concerns to be a prediction of doom but this would seem to reinforce my expectation that this team might take some time before it really starts to click.

You make a solid point, other than PF, the PG position remains the other huge question mark.

It's not for a lack of available options, but mainly for a lack of proven ability to run the offense / not be a liability on defense.

Best defender (PG)?
Best assists guy (PG)?
Best scoring (PG)?
Best crunch time knows the offense (PG)?

[vu72]

I spoke with Derrik Smits at Homecoming and he told me he expects Lavender to be in the starting lineup. So maybe its Derrik or J, Lavender, Golder, Fazekas and Bakari? He expects to see 11 getting action.

Lavender in a starting role would suggest that our freshman need a lot of seasoning. His numbers at UAB were only fair at the 2 and backup quality at the 1. So who starts at the point? Evelyn really struggled in his 17-18 point guard attempts, his play as a backup 2 was limited, and many of you seem to have conceded to Golder  22 or more minutes as our backbone 3. I'm just wondering if Bakari with 31.4 minutes and 12.6 points per game will struggle to hold on to those numbers. I don't think that it is a given if he is now to be our starting 2 playing some 1. Worse yet might be if he is our starting 1 playing some 2.

I don't want any of you to interpret my concerns to be a prediction of doom but this would seem to reinforce my expectation that this team might take some time before it really starts to click.

I don't get the concern about Lavender being the starting point.  My guess is that that is exactly the role he will play--a reliable, mature, strong point, who doesn't turn the ball over.  Bakari ends up at the 2 where he performed very well once he didn't have to be the ball handling distributor. Golder at the 3 and Ryan at the 4.  I like it.  The freshman come off the bench where they can get used to the speed of the college game.  Later in the year perhaps they can get into a starting role. We'll see.

[VULB#62]

And, hopefully, Smitts and Jay have grown into their roles as true 5s.

[justducky]

I don't get the concern about Lavender being the starting point.

It is ok for you not to be concerned about Lavender. I can assure you that I have plenty enough concern on my own to cover for the both of us.

Ok- that was an obvious overstatement so there is no need for you to shift into counterattack mode. 

Lets talk turnovers. Last year was as bad as it gets and this year should be significantly better. We have lost 2 with more assists than turnovers (Walker, Joseph), retained 3 (Evelyn, Bradford, Kiser) and added Sakey, Freeman, and Lavender who all should have neutral to somewhat positive numbers. On top of this we have Golder with improved ball handling skills and Fazekas who will be a shooting guard playing mostly the 4 position. Also our centers have another year of experience under their 7 footer belts. Fewer turnovers mean more shots and those shots will be taken by what looks to be an improved shooting team. I like it. Even if Matt ups the offensive pace our turnovers should decline and that decline should be reflected in our win-loss totals.