Loyola at Valpo 2/10: Sunday Showdown

VU2010 · February 06, 2019, 09:22:53 PM

The Ramblers come to the ARC for a Sunday Showdown. Both teams coming off big wins. Loyola big win over Drake, and Valpo big win over Illinios State. The Crusaders ended their shooting woes by starting off smoking hot from the field. Freeman leaves Illinois with the same sort of stamp he left while playing there before coming to the 219.

Will the Crusaders go on another 3,4, or 5 game run like we opened up Valley play? Or, will Tuesday's big win prove to be an anomaly?

Will we get a chance at redemption over the Ramblers and forge a rivalry that someday could parallel the Bulldogs who aren't willing to come to town? All while on ESPNU and thus a national audience? The dingy gold lights will be on full display. Grab your Culver's custard and give your predictions.

M · February 06, 2019, 09:36:00 PM

This was a risky move...starting this thread. 2014 started the last one and VU won going away...very risky indeed.

First to 55 wins.

VU2014 · February 06, 2019, 09:53:30 PM

Quote from: M on February 06, 2019, 09:36:00 PM
This was a risky move...starting this thread. 2014 started the last one and VU won going away...very risky indeed.

First to 55 wins.

No worries, VU2010 gots this.

VU2014 · February 06, 2019, 10:00:42 PM

I want to win this game not only to put us in a better position to win the Valley this season but I want this to become a heated rivalry. We need to start winning these games to hold up to our end of the bargain.

justducky · February 06, 2019, 10:08:10 PM

Temperature near 30 with chance of snow. I'll take it.

Should easily be the best crowd of the year in front of ESPNU. I'll say between 4300 and 4600.

We need to play like the Ramblers are actually Illinois St.

VU2014 · February 06, 2019, 10:19:57 PM

Porter Moser is sending a bus load of Loyola students again this year for Sunday's game. Hopefully our students show up in numbers

nkvu · February 06, 2019, 11:44:59 PM

I truly hope we learned something from our last game against Loyola , because we were thoroughly out played. We have to hit threes early to get some confidence. Smirolla can't let their center operate freely down low. I don't know how many times I saw him plant his right elbow in the middle of Sorolla's chest and just move him under the basket giving him a short jump hook for a score. Our bigs have to defend this better. We have to anticipate and disrupt their perimeter passing or their outside shooting will be a problem. Bottom line if we play like we did at ISU other than that sucky stretch in the second half, we have a good shot at winning. If we come out tight early, it will be a long afternoon.

VUSWIM08-12 · February 07, 2019, 01:21:37 AM

Yeah hopefully we have 4,000+ Valpo fans in attendance to drown out the Loyola fans, a raucous student section would also be nice! Anybody have word on Fazekas? Could still be another week or two before we see him. It would be great to get a win in front of a national audience and potentially move up to 2nd or 3rd in the league. If we win and ISU(plays Missouri St.) or Drake(plays UNI) loses we move to 3rd if both lose we move to 2nd but WE HAVE TO WIN. Biggest game of the season so far for us. I'm optimistic for some reason...

VU-62
Loyola-57

valpo04 · February 07, 2019, 07:08:08 AM

Quote from: VU2014 on February 06, 2019, 09:53:30 PM
Quote from: M on February 06, 2019, 09:36:00 PM
This was a risky move...starting this thread. 2014 started the last one and VU won going away...very risky indeed.

First to 55 wins.

No worries, VU2010 gots this.

SanityLost17 · February 07, 2019, 07:22:35 AM

They will be without Williamson. They are a different team with him on the floor. He played extremely well in our last matchup with them.

I remember specifically thinking that JFL played a very "nervous" game where he was trying to do too much too fast. I think those jitters will be gone and he will play well.

I am not going to say we are going to win, but I think we play a lot better and we could win. I agree with 2014, I always thought of this as a rivalry when we were both in the HL and we need to get back to a more back and forth series that is a toss up of who wins.

Fazekas needs to come back sometime in the next 3-4 games because he needs at least 4 games to get his rhythm back before Arch Madness otherwise he will actually be a liability because we will end up running sets for a guy whose shot is rusty. BTW.... Lets say he doesn't heal this year for whatever reason. Between his injury this year and I know he had some injuries at his last school. Any chance he gets an extra year? Perhaps Lottich meets with the NCAA and accidentally leaves an envelope filled with green paper on the guys desk upon exiting the room....

ValpoHoops · February 07, 2019, 08:05:23 AM

Quote from: SanityLost17 on February 07, 2019, 07:22:35 AMBTW.... Lets say he doesn't heal this year for whatever reason. Between his injury this year and I know he had some injuries at his last school. Any chance he gets an extra year?

Doubtful. The rule states that a player can participate in 30% of his team's games.

Ryan has played in 16 contests. For that to fall under 30%, they would need to play 59 team games, which I feel is unlikely.

vu84v2 · February 07, 2019, 08:51:05 AM

Ticket sales look good. Just ordered two and it looked like well over 3500 had been sold, with minimal tickets available in the lower sections.

M · February 07, 2019, 11:26:52 AM

I'm bringing my middle school team...so thats 10 extras that aren't normally there. LOL

wh · February 07, 2019, 11:40:11 AM

Quote from: ValpoHoops on February 07, 2019, 08:05:23 AM
Quote from: SanityLost17 on February 07, 2019, 07:22:35 AMBTW.... Lets say he doesn't heal this year for whatever reason. Between his injury this year and I know he had some injuries at his last school. Any chance he gets an extra year?

Doubtful. The rule states that a player can participate in 30% of his team's games.

Ryan has played in 16 contests. For that to fall under 30%, they would need to play 54 team games, which I feel is unlikely.

Fixed the number, albeit your point remains the same.

VUBBFan · February 07, 2019, 01:30:13 PM

Get your tickets now if you haven't already.
The ARC is going to be packed!

https://twitter.com/abby_schnable/status/1093590975044354048

https://twitter.com/AlBillets/status/1093553469615759360

FWalum · February 07, 2019, 01:34:01 PM

Quote from: SanityLost17 on February 07, 2019, 07:22:35 AMBTW.... Lets say he doesn't heal this year for whatever reason. Between his injury this year and I know he had some injuries at his last school. Any chance he gets an extra year?

If Keith Carter couldn't get an extra year Ryan doesn't stand a chance. Keith Carter played the first 2 games of his Freshman year at SLU, injuring himself 4 minutes into the second game. The injury caused him to miss 7 games. His third game he played for 21 minutes and following the game told the coaching staff that he had decided to leave the program. Carter played in 3 games, for a total of 39 minutes for a coach he did not expect to play for due to a death of the previous coach. A senior in Carter's class at VU had the opportunity to play in 129 games during his 4 year career, Carter's entire career at SLU and VU consisted of 85 games The NCAA would not give him an additional year.

vu72 · February 08, 2019, 09:32:16 AM

Quote from: VUBBFan on February 07, 2019, 01:30:13 PM
Get your tickets now if you haven't already.
The ARC is going to be packed!

https://twitter.com/abby_schnable/status/1093590975044354048

https://twitter.com/AlBillets/status/1093553469615759360

If the ticket office sit is accurate it certainly will be a sellout. I counted 54 seats available on the chairback side and 29 available of the reserve side. The more impressive number is upstairs, where there are only 4 seats left in CC!! It is only Friday morning!

vuny98 · February 08, 2019, 10:40:52 AM

These are the type of games that are needed to regain the student excitement and culture... We need a rivalry vs a school that has some national exposure like we did back in the Butler days. Closest we had after Butler left was Oakland and they just weren't there in terms of generating the excitement. Hopefully the team plays well and puts on a good showing for the large crowd and gives us something to build off of.

VU2014 · February 08, 2019, 04:06:35 PM

Quote from: vuny98 on February 08, 2019, 10:40:52 AM
These are the type of games that are needed to regain the student excitement and culture... We need a rivalry vs a school that has some national exposure like we did back in the Butler days. Closest we had after Butler left was Oakland and they just weren't there in terms of generating the excitement. Hopefully the team plays well and puts on a good showing for the large crowd and gives us something to build off of.

For the Love of God I hope the students show up on Sunday. This is a huge game.

I know two alums flying in from California to see this game at the ARC.

VU2014 · February 08, 2019, 04:11:20 PM

Apparently tomorrow is a blackout game.

https://twitter.com/benton_levi/status/1093987886872100864?s=21

JD24 · February 08, 2019, 04:21:10 PM

Mr. Oren with the snappy WIT!!

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1093972559819927552

M · February 08, 2019, 04:43:58 PM

How about Mr Oren with a follow up question?

VU2014 · February 08, 2019, 05:13:49 PM

Maybe it's a smoke screen for Sunday's game. I don't know what to think.

I guess we should take it as an encouraging sign he'll play but I don't understand why he would hint at it so strongly without just saying it. Maybe it's gamesmanship while also want to drive up attendance and hype for the big game on Sunday?

VU2014 · February 08, 2019, 07:23:51 PM

There will be a large Loyola crowd at the game on Thursday. Hopefully not as large as the Drake fans (not really drake fans but more or less friends and family of NWI native drake players).

We need a strong turnout from Valpo fans

NativeCheesehead · February 08, 2019, 07:35:03 PM

Who wants to lay odds on Loyola's students outdrawing ours?