High Point vs Valpo, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m.

[FieldGoodie05]

I think Golder should sub for Bakari sometimes instead of Ryan all the time.

That could be an interesting lineup, I think Bakari is acting a little selfish offensively (tossing early shot clock 3's) and just generally whining too much for my preference.  He seems to be our main "go-to-guy" or at least one of them offensively so results like last night will happen when he is not on.

My main concern with Golder for Bakari is that Golder is absolutely a poor ball handler.  I think a line-up like that could be even more stagnant and lack the ability to drive to the basket or break a press . . .

Golder needs floor time, absolutely.  But I think his skill set restricts him to more of a 3rd guard or SF when playing good defensive teams.  In my view High Point was a solid defensive team that look other-worldly because we couldn't get used to body contact during our drives.  I liked the no-calls by the refs last night, so I am not complaining.  But it's clear that none of our guards (other than Bakari) have developed the smart drive and pivot that HP ate us alive with.

The reason Bakari can be effective is that he has mastered the lost art of using his pivot foot when driving the lane (see the probing of Lavender as well).  But our young Padawan Freeman has not yet mastered this drive . . . fake, and then pivot under.  I think that is partly what made the experienced duo of Kamga and Proctor so deadly last night.

In particular, Señor Smits has really perfected this foot work and made him deadly underneath.  Either way, Golder really and truly might be lost in the role of 2nd guard as mentioned above.  This run on dialogue with myself was really intended only to drive home that point.  I think it's quite obvious at this point that I am on my home laptop and not my phone (as is my usual device).

[nkvu]

I'm just going to throw this out and wait to be told I'm wrong.  In the second half HP began to double Smits. Now the advantage to going inside out is when the post player recognizes the double team and kicks the ball out for an open shot. Either to the perimeter or to a cutter. What I think I saw was Smits taking a bit long to recognize the double team and kicking the ball out. Now sometimes the first player the ball is kicked to doesn't have the shot so he should quickly pass to the next player and so on. It seemed to me that we were slow to pass the ball around the perimeter. Once someone got the kick from Smits it seems they were looking to dribble before they finally passed. By that time the defense had recovered and there was no open shot. Nor did I see any cutters when Smits was double teamed.

I noted a number of times when we double teamed the post they were able to quickly hit a cutter for an easy basket. Given Smits development it seems to me he will see a lot of double teams this year. Yet we don't seemed to have developed an offense to take advantage of this.

Also, the play we ran to get Fazekus the shot to tie the game at the end. Where was that or something similar the rest of the game?  It seems clear to me that he can't create his own shot. Why aren't we running plays that give him looks like he got at the end of the game?  Our guards seem to spend lots of the clock looking to dribble drive yet none of them have shown that they are consistently good at it. When that fails we need to have a plan B and I don't know what that is.

[VU2010]

Umm coaching?? Always making excuses. Look at our free throw shooting. Atrocious! Shooting? Horrific. Rotations? Nonexistent! I've yet to see anything indicating we are on a positive trajectory. Other than utilizing transfers and thinking of the ceiling a guy line Freeman has, where's the player development?


And, what's the little sheet of paper Lottich always looks at? What's on there? Neither Big takes a shot in the second half against HPU. Is that the game plan? And why do our coaches have to huddle up every time out? Talk during the game. Coach them up during time outs. Sorry but frustrating.

[M]

I love the last part of this...Valpo has to be about the only ones I've seen (I know I know UC Riverside did it too) huddle up the coaches between timeouts. Mind boggling.

[VUfan]

At

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[FieldGoodie05]

UIC 94 Illinois St 75
ISU predicted 3rd in MVC, right???

So maybe any team on any night?

[EddieCabot]

UIC 94 Illinois St 75
ISU predicted 3rd in MVC, right???

So maybe any team on any night?

Horizon teams will always be "up" to play MVC teams ... it's like their Super Bowl.

[VUGrad1314]

For UIC to be doing this to Bradley and Illinois State really undermines the HL's claim that Valpo's departure caused damage to  the league.

[EddieCabot]

For UIC to be doing this to Bradley and Illinois State really undermines the HL's claim that Valpo's departure caused damage to  the league.

They might get some wins against the MVC, but without Valpo, the Horizon League will continue to be a one-bid league that doesn't win any NCAA tourney games.

[wh]

I love the last part of this...Valpo has to be about the only ones I've seen (I know I know UC Riverside did it too) huddle up the coaches between timeouts. Mind boggling.

Bryce consistently huddled with the coaching staff at the beginning of full timeouts. Matt is simply carrying on the tradition.

[VUGrad1314]

For UIC to be doing this to Bradley and Illinois State really undermines the HL's claim that Valpo's departure caused damage to  the league.

They might get some wins against the MVC, but without Valpo, the Horizon League will continue to be a one-bid league that doesn't win any NCAA tourney games.

Just like they were without Butler?

[SanityLost17]

I'm just going to throw this out and wait to be told I'm wrong.  In the second half HP began to double Smits. Now the advantage to going inside out is when the post player recognizes the double team and kicks the ball out for an open shot. Either to the perimeter or to a cutter. What I think I saw was Smits taking a bit long to recognize the double team and kicking the ball out. Now sometimes the first player the ball is kicked to doesn't have the shot so he should quickly pass to the next player and so on. It seemed to me that we were slow to pass the ball around the perimeter. Once someone got the kick from Smits it seems they were looking to dribble before they finally passed. By that time the defense had recovered and there was no open shot. Nor did I see any cutters when Smits was double teamed.

I noted a number of times when we double teamed the post they were able to quickly hit a cutter for an easy basket. Given Smits development it seems to me he will see a lot of double teams this year. Yet we don't seemed to have developed an offense to take advantage of this.

Also, the play we ran to get Fazekus the shot to tie the game at the end. Where was that or something similar the rest of the game?  It seems clear to me that he can't create his own shot. Why aren't we running plays that give him looks like he got at the end of the game?  Our guards seem to spend lots of the clock looking to dribble drive yet none of them have shown that they are consistently good at it. When that fails we need to have a plan B and I don't know what that is.

I second everything said in this post!   All absolutely true of the HP game.  Smits is going to get doubled and the next evolution of our offense needs to be quick ball movement out of the post when that happens to get a wide open shot.  We did not get wide open shots against HP.  Also, Fazekas needs set plays to get him open for spot up shots as well as he is not a create his own shot kind of guy.   

[oklahomamick]

I said that too.  I'll say it again, it doesn't appear we run plays to get open looks.  Alec was a great shooter but he also had plays designed to get him open or another teammate open.

[78crusader]

By the way the big and little Crusaders are gone. Deemed not PC.

The blow up ones in the corner of the ARC? Or the mascot? And is that the official explanation?

I can't speak about what happened to the blow-up Crusader in the corner, but I do know the mascot person was sick this week; however, I'm not sure why we don't have an understudy to sub when needed.

I spoke to a faculty member at the game that was rather happy the Crusader was gone and said some of the faculty had finally got some alumni to join them in getting rid of the offense mascot. Then I noticed that the dance team has new uniforms that now say Valpo instead of Crusaderetts.  They are going under the radar hoping no one notices the change.

There was supposed to be an event in the Chapel earlier this semester, and it was switched to another location. When I asked why, a faculty member told me it was felt that "the Chapel is not a welcoming place." 

This last post is, to me, the most upsetting and depressing thing about VU I've ever read on this board.  If this is true, the culture war at VU has been lost to the PC mob.  As mentioned by another poster on the board, the next step is for the mob to go after any sign of the Christian religion on this campus.

Paul

[may know]

Glad someone (FG) took the words out of my mouth on BE. Just didn't want to be the one to say it.

[may know]

Huge credit and congrats to Smits for his play of late. Most valuable player on the team right now.

[FWalum]

And why do our coaches have to huddle up every time out? Talk during the game. Coach them up during time outs. Sorry but frustrating.

I love the last part of this...Valpo has to be about the only ones I've seen (I know I know UC Riverside did it too) huddle up the coaches between timeouts. Mind boggling.

You have got to be kidding me... This is frustrating and mind boggling?

Bryce consistently huddled with the coaching staff at the beginning of full timeouts. Matt is simply carrying on the tradition.

As wh says, not only did Bryce do the same thing as did Homer, but practically every other coaching staff in the country.  It may not happen every timeout, but certainly frequently especially during fulls.

[valpo4life]

And why do our coaches have to huddle up every time out? Talk during the game. Coach them up during time outs. Sorry but frustrating.

I love the last part of this...Valpo has to be about the only ones I've seen (I know I know UC Riverside did it too) huddle up the coaches between timeouts. Mind boggling.

You have got to be kidding me... This is frustrating and mind boggling?

Bryce consistently huddled with the coaching staff at the beginning of full timeouts. Matt is simply carrying on the tradition.

As wh says, not only did Bryce do the same thing as did Homer, but practically every other coaching staff in the country.  It may not happen every timeout, but certainly frequently especially during fulls.

Yea this a pretty standard practice during a TV timeout. Coaches get the chance to have all 4 or 5 together for a quick discussion and decide on their main talking points when going back to the players and allows everybody to be on the same page. It's a really nice thing to have, a lot of people don't realize how fast a game happens in a coach's eyes (I don't think Lottich has gotten up to speed on this, think he would be an amazing asset as an assistant currently but don't see the head man ability yet, key word is yet).

[agibson]

There was supposed to be an event in the Chapel earlier this semester, and it was switched to another location. When I asked why, a faculty member told me it was felt that "the Chapel is not a welcoming place." 

This last post is, to me, the most upsetting and depressing thing about VU I've ever read on this board.  If this is true, the culture war at VU has been lost to the PC mob.  As mentioned by another poster on the board, the next step is for the mob to go after any sign of the Christian religion on this campus.

Paul

This whole sub-thread smells funny to me.

I'm skeptical about such "welcoming place" language being used to reschedule an event at VU. (I'll admit that thoughts about how appropriate the Chapel is for some groups have occasionally come to mind, e.g. when brainstorming places that Muslim Student Association might gather for prayer.)

I'm also skeptical about suggestions that changes have already been made to the mascot, e.g.
" some of the faculty had finally got some alumni to join them in getting rid of the offense mascot"

And I'm writing as a faculty member who would be happy to get rid of the mascot. Such changes don't seem to come quickly or easily. I'll be surprised if they come quietly.

[valpopal]

There was supposed to be an event in the Chapel earlier this semester, and it was switched to another location. When I asked why, a faculty member told me it was felt that "the Chapel is not a welcoming place." 

This last post is, to me, the most upsetting and depressing thing about VU I've ever read on this board.  If this is true, the culture war at VU has been lost to the PC mob.  As mentioned by another poster on the board, the next step is for the mob to go after any sign of the Christian religion on this campus.

Paul

This whole sub-thread smells funny to me.

I'm skeptical about such "welcoming place" language being used to reschedule an event at VU. (I'll admit that thoughts about how appropriate the Chapel is for some groups have occasionally come to mind, e.g. when brainstorming places that Muslim Student Association might gather for prayer.)

I'm also skeptical about suggestions that changes have already been made to the mascot, e.g.
" some of the faculty had finally got some alumni to join them in getting rid of the offense mascot"

And I'm writing as a faculty member who would be happy to get rid of the mascot. Such changes don't seem to come quickly or easily. I'll be surprised if they come quietly.

I can address both issues with knowledge. I was there and heard the comment by a respected faculty member that the venue was changed since it was felt "the Chapel is not a welcoming place because it is not inclusive." The faculty member's statement was made in a tone that indicated a lack of agreement with the decision. As for the mascot: I spoke today with someone who knows, and the person who dons the mascot outfit is currently sick. However, perhaps the comment about some of the faculty contributing to getting rid of the offensive mascot is in reference to the large blow-up Crusader, which definitely has been removed. 

[vu72]

We need to "rain" emails on the Marks, LaBarbera and Heckler.  This is silly to have removed the blow up mascot.  Mine is going out now.

[valpolaw]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I'm glad the blow up mascot is gone. Made the place look like a circus and child's playground in my opinion.

[VUBBFan]

I spoke to a faculty member at the game that was rather happy the Crusader was gone and said some of the faculty had finally got some alumni to join them in getting rid of the offensive mascot. Then I noticed that the dance team has new uniforms that now say Valpo instead of Crusaderetts.  Seems they are going under the radar hoping no one notices the change.

I should have been more clear. My conversation was about the blow up 30ft Crusader. Absence of the human mascot and the Crusaderetts were my observations and my thought that getting rid of the big Crusader is a first step in trying to drop the Crusader name.

[FieldGoodie05]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I'm glad the blow up mascot is gone. Made the place look like a circus and child's playground in my opinion.

If we bought it, we should continue to use it.  But I'd agree it's quite a silly spend item that I'd not have thrown in on.

[VU2014]

Tbh I didn't care much for it either but I don't care if it's being used or not. I'm indifferent to the blow up crusader this athletics dept has bigger issues to worry about.

I thought I remembered seeing it for football games at brown field in the past.