Loyola at Valpo 2/10: Sunday Showdown

[VU2014]

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

I don't even think Vegas odds makers couldn't predict our students section turnout from game to game. I will say I've been much more impressed with the turnout the last 2 home games. I'm thinking about 85 Loyola students will show up. I think we'll edge them out but it seems like Porter is trying to create a Miller Park home game for Cubs fans type of deal. I'd be lying if I said it didn't annoy me but I respect it. I wish our students could show the same passion one day.

[VUGrad1314]

It's amazing what having a dominant year in an upper tier conference and then making a final four run can do for a program.

[VUSWIM08-12]

I think the student section will be close to full, students are a few weeks into the semester and need a place/time to let loose! Valpo has an interesting dynamic though, someone walk over to the library at halftime and see how many kids are studying versus how many are at the game. I was the type who would use any possible excuse to get away from studying, I did VERY little(and my grades reflected it). Hopefully they are rowdy and engaged. If we don't get down early the crowd will help us win the game!

[VALPO LI]

My 
Final score: 79-75 overtime win for Valpo
Attendance: 4,680 best crowd all season.
Student section full with band.
As we will see a fair amount of scarf wearing fans Sunday afternoon at the end Valpo Gold will drown them out!!!!
Fazekas will not dress
Evelyn will have a break out game.  He is due!!! GW game was too long ago!!!

[vu72]

Attendance: 4,680 best crowd all season.

Just checked, 41 seats available in chairbacks, 9 on the reserved side.  More importantly, ONE seat left in CC!!!

[bbtds]

Fazekas will not dress

Yes, but RF is progressing VERY nicely!

That has to mean something.

[wh]

Good info from the Loyola board:

Hopeful:
Loyola is coming off another strong home showing against Drake on Tuesday night, showing complete dominance at certain key points in the 86-64 win. But home games haven't really been the problem—the problem for the Ramblers has been inconsistent performances on the road. Loyola is 2-3 in conference on the road, with an average offense in the losses of 46.7 points, 37.5% field goal shooting, and 19% three-point shooting. In the road wins, Loyola shot 58.3% from the field and 53.8% on threes, but won by an average of only 9.5 points.

Troublesome:
Valpo has lost their last two home conference games, scoring less than 60 points in each game. Valpo is 1-7 on the year when scoring fewer than 60 points, the one exception being the win on the half-court miracle shot against ISU. Loyola has held opponents under 60 points eight times, and under 50 points five times (including four in a row). When the Ramblers hold opponents under 60, they're 6-2.

Sounds like the stage is set for a low scoring slugfest.

[crusadermoe]

I'm optimistic about the students, chiefly by trusting that fraternity to come through again and possibly challenge others to do it.  They are a name opponent to the remaining Valpo students who are American and who actually watch the news or March headlines.   

I'm wary of the game outcome though.  Freeman needs to come up big again at least in terms of creating with drives to the hoop.  If he is shooting well again that opens up so much for us. 

My biggest concern is in the post where Krutwig just has too many polished moves to keep our bigs out of early foul trouble.  Smits will have a chance to show how much he has improved in his footwork and intensity(and I concede it is great improvement around the basket.)   Rise up and fight!

[usc4valpo]

This is a huge game for many reasons. It is turf war for recruiting, 2 Chicagoland teams with past success, and Harry Potter wannabes all about. an important game in the wild MVC.

cmon guys, time to make Valpo great again! no excuses.

[SanityLost17]

Box Score from last game:
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=401089274

1. We let them shoot over 50% from 3.  Obviously can't let that happen again.
2. Sorolla/Lavender/Bakari/Kiser were basically no-shows. Obviously can't let that happen again.
3. We let their freshman, Kaifes, play one of his best games of the season.  He lives and dies by the 3, he must be pressured. 
4. We let their sophomore Uguak have one of his better games of the season.  This is where a healthy Fazekas would help at the 4 spot.   
5. Smits only played 19 minutes with foul trouble.       

With Williamson out the big issue for Loyola is depth.   Uguak and Kaifes are "the other 2 guys" after the big 3.  We at least need to stop them and if they are going to beat us it is because Krutwig/Custer/Townes.   I can live with their big 3 having a game and beating us.  I will be upset if they win because their supporting cast lights us up. 

Crazy coaching move that just might work:
Krutwig is playing 27 minutes a game.   Start Sorolla instead and insert Smits in a pattern of when Krutwig is getting tired and towards the last few minutes of his typical shift and about to sub out.  Have our best offensive post player play krutwig when he is tired or against his backup.   Let Sorolla take care of the defense when Krutwig is fresh to start the game and when he comes in off of breaks.     

[VUSWIM08-12]

Line opens with Loyola at -3, I think I'll buy a point and take Valpo at +4! Might be worth taking Valpo on the moneyline but it hasn't come out yet. O/U is 121, first meeting went over but who knows...

[VU2014]

Question: Is the athletics dept. marking the tickets sold to the women's game as tickets already sold for the men's game? Because they're running that promotion for tomorrows game.

[VU2014]

Is tomorrows game the biggest in our time since joining the Valley?

https://twitter.com/Valpo_Hoops/status/1094402471643041794

[nkvu]

Box Score from last game:
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=401089274

1. We let them shoot over 50% from 3.  Obviously can't let that happen again.
2. Sorolla/Lavender/Bakari/Kiser were basically no-shows. Obviously can't let that happen again.
3. We let their freshman, Kaifes, play one of his best games of the season.  He lives and dies by the 3, he must be pressured. 
4. We let their sophomore Uguak have one of his better games of the season.  This is where a healthy Fazekas would help at the 4 spot.   
5. Smits only played 19 minutes with foul trouble.       

With Williamson out the big issue for Loyola is depth.   Uguak and Kaifes are "the other 2 guys" after the big 3.  We at least need to stop them and if they are going to beat us it is because Krutwig/Custer/Townes.   I can live with their big 3 having a game and beating us.  I will be upset if they win because their supporting cast lights us up. 

Crazy coaching move that just might work:
Krutwig is playing 27 minutes a game.   Start Sorolla instead and insert Smits in a pattern of when Krutwig is getting tired and towards the last few minutes of his typical shift and about to sub out.  Have our best offensive post player play krutwig when he is tired or against his backup.   Let Sorolla take care of the defense when Krutwig is fresh to start the game and when he comes in off of breaks.     

Kind of like the idea of starting Sorolla and bringing in Smits to play against a tired Krutwig and his backup.  For this to be successful we would need to kill it from outside since we would get zero inside scoring from Sorolla. Still whatever our strategy was last time failed miserably, so why not think outside the box? Of course this probably means that it will never happen since real basketball people will see a fatal flaw that I am too dumb to recognize.

[FieldGoodie05]

Is tomorrows game the biggest in our time since joining the Valley?

https://twitter.com/Valpo_Hoops/status/1094402471643041794

Not to sound like a tool, but every game in the MVC this year is the biggest game since joining.  We have to start showing up with W's in order to recruit the 2020/21 class which is enormous to our future.

If we strike out on that class we have some real concerns ahead.  I'd like to see an 11-7 season which means we carry 5-2 to close conference play.

Loyola (L)
Indiana State (W)
@ Drake (L)
Southern Illinois (W)
@ UNI (W) - difficultl
@ Bradley (W)
Evansville (W)

[vu72]

Crowd should be awesome!  Just checked, 20 seats available in chairbacks and a sellout on the reserve side.  CC has one seat left.  I'd say 4800!  GO VALPO!!

[VU2010]

Season ticket holder here. Already have my 6. But, is there a promotion going on today? Just curious because that might encourage folks to show up early too. I'm happy this is a 3:00 start instead of a 1:00 start. That was brutal.

[usc4valpo]

The game is also on ESPNU. Of course this is the most important MVC game ever for Valpo.  A defending final four team is in town. much is at stake in the near and long term for the credibility of this basketball program. This is a must win.

[vu72]

Season ticket holder here. Already have my 6. But, is there a promotion going on today? Just curious because that might encourage folks to show up early too. I'm happy this is a 3:00 start instead of a 1:00 start. That was brutal.
[/quote)



Free T-shirt to the first 1000 at men's game.

[VALPO LI]

First 1,000 peeps in get a free T-Shirt!

[PlumStreetBum]

Box Score from last game:
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=401089274

1. We let them shoot over 50% from 3.  Obviously can't let that happen again.
2. Sorolla/Lavender/Bakari/Kiser were basically no-shows. Obviously can't let that happen again.
3. We let their freshman, Kaifes, play one of his best games of the season.  He lives and dies by the 3, he must be pressured. 
4. We let their sophomore Uguak have one of his better games of the season.  This is where a healthy Fazekas would help at the 4 spot.   
5. Smits only played 19 minutes with foul trouble.       

With Williamson out the big issue for Loyola is depth.   Uguak and Kaifes are "the other 2 guys" after the big 3.  We at least need to stop them and if they are going to beat us it is because Krutwig/Custer/Townes.   I can live with their big 3 having a game and beating us.  I will be upset if they win because their supporting cast lights us up. 

Crazy coaching move that just might work:
Krutwig is playing 27 minutes a game.   Start Sorolla instead and insert Smits in a pattern of when Krutwig is getting tired and towards the last few minutes of his typical shift and about to sub out.  Have our best offensive post player play krutwig when he is tired or against his backup.   Let Sorolla take care of the defense when Krutwig is fresh to start the game and when he comes in off of breaks.     

Kind of like the idea of starting Sorolla and bringing in Smits to play against a tired Krutwig and his backup.  For this to be successful we would need to kill it from outside since we would get zero inside scoring from Sorolla. Still whatever our strategy was last time failed miserably, so why not think outside the box? Of course this probably means that it will never happen since real basketball people will see a fatal flaw that I am to dumb to recognize.

The potential problem I see is that Smits plays the majority of his minutes with our bench guys in this scenario. I'm not convinced Bakari or Lavender can make the entry passes Smits needs to be effective.

Of course, you could totally rearrange the lineups to avoid that problem... But then you're playing unfamiliar lineups, and the defense against the Loyola starters will be poor, inviting a scenario where Smits vs Loyola's second team has to work perfectly just to keep the game close.

[crusadermoe]

Al Davis:  "Just win, baby!" 

[VU2010]

Brilliant idea here: let's advertise the promo with Micah. Because he's a headliner for our program right now. Not like Freeman or anyone. Nah, the guy who hasn't played all year. Soo funny. Brilliant move haha. Should've put a pocket of the guy who started the gritty signs!!!

[VUGrad1314]

24 chairbacks
1 lower bleacher
And a bunch of mezzanine seats (only EE is full). Come on Valpo! Let's make this a sellout.

[VUGrad1314]

Go Valpo, beat Gryffindor!

#ZeroWinsToGryffindor!