Game #10 - @Geo Washington - Sat Dec 8 - 3pm - ESPN+ - the Payback continues

[talksalot]

In the rematch of the NIT title game a few years ago...

For a "WarmUP" game for GW, they get Towson State tonight....

It's 1-5 Towson vs 1-7 GW tonight.

NOV 6  TUE  #91  Stony Brook 6-1 L 74 - 77
Basketball Hall Of Fame Tip-Off - Campus Game - Charles E. Smith Center (Washington, DC)
NOV 8 THU  #198  Siena 3-5 L 61 - 69
NOV 11 SUN   @ #30  Virginia 8-0 L 57 - 76
Basketball Hall Of Fame Tip-Off - Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, CT)
NOV 17 AT # 4  Michigan 9-0 L 61 - 84
NOV 18 vs #243  South Carolina 4-3 L 55 - 90
NOV 24 #341  Manhattan 2-5 W 70 - 43
NOV 28 #80  Vermont 5-3 L 53 - 69
DEC 1  @ #320  Princeton 3-2 L 52 - 73

They have only one player who has started all 8 games.
They have three players averaging 10+ per game.  THEIR #13 is leading at 13.4 ppg.

They are losing just about every statistical category, as you would expect.

https://gwsports.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&year=2018

Payback.

76-60 was that final at MSG...

[covufan]

This could be a close game on their floor.  If we have tired legs from flying, maybe we need to bus the whole way.

Valpo  71
GWU   66

[M]

That is a solid cure for tired flight legs. 

Valpo by a nickel.  73-68

[VU2014]

Valpo needs a pick me up game right now. Need to win this one. GW isn't very good.

[EddieCabot]

Valpo needs a pick me up game right now. Need to win this one. GW isn't very good.

GW is 255 in KenPom; High Point was 257 prior to last night's win.   

[wh]

This could be a close game on their floor.  If we have tired legs from flying, maybe we need to bus the whole way.

Valpo  71
GWU   66

Frankly, I don't understand the tired legs excuse. This isn't the NBA where teams are constantly flying here, there and everywhere. Even if it is an issue, good teams find a way to overcome it. Bad teams use it as an excuse.

[FieldGoodie05]

This could be a close game on their floor.  If we have tired legs from flying, maybe we need to bus the whole way.

Valpo  71
GWU   66

Frankly, I don't understand the tired legs excuse. This isn't the NBA where teams are constantly flying here, there and everywhere. Even if it is an issue, good teams find a way to overcome it. Bad teams use it as an excuse.

I'd have to agree, tired legs applies to games in a certain number of days.  Travel is taxing, but not for 21 and under top level athletes.  Next excuse coach . . .

[vufan75]

This could be a close game on their floor.  If we have tired legs from flying, maybe we need to bus the whole way.

Valpo  71
GWU   66

Frankly, I don't understand the tired legs excuse. This isn't the NBA where teams are constantly flying here, there and everywhere. Even if it is an issue, good teams find a way to overcome it. Bad teams use it as an excuse.

I'd have to agree, tired legs applies to games in a certain number of days.  Travel is taxing, but not for 21 and under top level athletes.  Next excuse coach . . .

[emoji106]...there are no excuses in my book. Tubby outcoached us and HP players rose to the occasion with less talent on the roster. Another year and yet another unexplainable loss. Hope the excuses don't carry forward to the GW game.



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

[valpotx]

GWU 79
Valpo 65

[valpolaw]

Hope we win, but I'm going to predict another close loss.

[VUGrad1314]

I hope we start winning so I don't have to hear anymore milquetoast aw shucks at least we tried excuse laden postgame press conferences Trust the process and we're improving only has merit when that process/improvement is readily observable from game to game. The more I watch of him the more I fear that we have a recruiter in charge of Xs and Os  who is completely overwhelmed by the concept of actually coaching. At most I think he's got one year. If we're still searching for answers in March 2020 it's probably time to go another direction.

[talksalot]

GW beat Towson, 69-65 at home.

[mj]

Looking forward to seeing Valpo play in person. First game since the 2015 NCAA tournament in Columbus.

[tiny707]

Look out for DJ Williams at GW. He is from Simeon and an Illinois transfer. Good young head coach at GW also.

[valpo64]

It is time to quit giving the tired legs, traveling, etc. excuses and get these guys to start playing ball like they are capable of doing, including getting the right guys on the floor to get the job done  We are well into the season now and some of the problem areas should start to be shaken out.  Come on, coaches!  Also, with all the off-season and pre-season hype about McMillen , what is going on there??  So far he is totally a non-contributor.  Maybe we should ask, who's fault is that?  Just sayin'.

[crusadermoe]

The McMillen thing feels like Hazen in a way.  The big difference is that we have seen Mileek show some very good offensive skills.   

His late growth spurt certainly is an issue.  But last year he looked better than this year.....other than clearly working hard in the weight room..

[VU2014]

Mileek has shown light-years more potential than Parker (at least on offense). What's interesting is that early on in Mileek's college career the narrative was that he was always going to be a project but the likely stronger side of the ball would be defense. I'm certainly not giving up on him. I still think his future could be bright but he's been a defensive liability when he's played this season. He just needs to learn not to foul so much. I understand it's easier learn by playing but we're not currently in a position to absorb those mistakes in some of these games. Ex: coach probably didn't feel confident in playing him in the HP game because we were struggling to put together offense in a close game. Probably couldn't risk putting them on the free throw line because they would go after him. Hindsight is 20/20 but maybe we should have redshirted Mileek last season. He's still a work in progress and hopefully he's showing development in practice even if he hasn't been able to play the last few games.

[VUSWIM08-12]

Valpo beats GW in a too close for comfort game, then we come home and have 8 days to prepare for Ball St. We lose because Taylor Persons lights us up(or Brachen Hazen channels his brothers anger and scores 20+, he is averaging 18mpg so not out of the question lol), in the post game press conference Lottich says finals were a distraction. Then we go to College Station, hit 12/21 3s and beat the Aggies!

[M]

This sounds frustratingly accurate. Will we beat PNW?

[VU2014]

Mileek has shown light-years more potential than Parker (at least on offense). What's interesting is that early on in Mileek's college career the narrative was that he was always going to be a project but the likely stronger side of the ball would be defense. I'm certainly not giving up on him. I still think his future could be bright but he's been a defensive liability when he's played this season. He just needs to learn not to foul so much. I understand it's easier learn by playing but we're not currently in a position to absorb those mistakes in some of these games. Ex: coach probably didn't feel confident in playing him in the HP game because we were struggling to put together offense in a close game. Probably couldn't risk putting them on the free throw line because they would go after him. Hindsight is 20/20 but maybe we should have redshirted Mileek last season. He's still a work in progress and hopefully he's showing development in practice even if he hasn't been able to play the last few games.

Update on why we haven't seen Mileek in the game the last few games. Seems reasonable. I just didn't like seeing him at Center (but understand they needed to play him there because of the Sorolla injury) PF is where he'll be most successful.

https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1070794285480624130

[crusader05]

I actually wonder if he's cautious of not doing to Mileek what he did with Parker, ie start him for half the season and then bench him. If Mileek is struggling and they can afford to have him sit maybe it's better to do so now and work at practice on the fundamentals he needs. I'm sure he will see more game time as the season progresses but if the trial by fire isn't working it might be time to let him focus on his own game more and not playing time it can be frustrating to not play but it can also be frustrating to consistently be put out there to struggle and mess up. The one thing I think it both good and bad about Lottich is that he seems to have a level of patience to let things play out but the problem is when it finally does it can feel jarring.

[crusadermoe]

Fair enough.   It sounds like sound reasoning to me.

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/ValpoBasketball/status/1071217588825399297

[may know]

If you're a sucker for schadenfreude, Northern Iowa losing 50-40 to Dubuque.

[oklahomamick]

Watching the game.  Doesn't look good.