Arch Madness 2019

[vu72]

we - as he made a point of emphasizing - "won" the second half.

You are probably way to young to remember, but that is a line straight from a Valpo legend...wait for it...Homer Drew, after getting humiliated by Arizona in Bryce's first NCAA tournament.

[VUGrad1314]

This doesn't sound like a team that's breaking up...

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1104130219647078401

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1104129869544374274

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1104111514133454848

MLB stands by Matt

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1104126913902247936

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1104127672026845186

Lavender's father endorses Matt:

https://twitter.com/DLavenjr/status/1104114498460360704

Porter Moser advocates patience with Matt:

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1104117162288005120

[bigmosmithfan1]

The fact of the matter is that Lottich has turned in the only two back-to-back losing seasons that featured losing conference records since the 92-93 season. That's a quarter-century of success thrown away. After inheriting a completely loaded roster in season one. Anyone not at least asking the question as to whether we should make a change is someone who cares more about optics than results, or is too chummy with the people involved to view the program objectively (and this includes our local media complex, which has always had far too much deference to VU officials and coaches and have historically seemed to want to preserve access rather than asking tough or even pointed questions about accountability for the state of the program).

Our administration isn't serious enough about winning or investing in this program to cut their losses when they should, so I know we're going to battle with the same coaching staff next year. But if there's not a "win or else" ultimatum going into next season, we should just drop out of the Valley and go back to AMCU days. Because that's what we're on the verge of if this ship doesn't get righted in a hurry.

[VUGrad1314]

In all honesty things could be a lot worse... We could be Illinois State right now... All those preseason expectations and they didn't do any better than we did... We even swept them this year... If you're mad today it means you expected to beat Loyola and that is pretty unrealistic... Valpo did what they needed to do down in St Louis. This trip was a success and gives us something to go on for next year which is more than we could say after the Evansville game. Let's treat this win over Indiana State as the turning point where we learned how to close and how to finish have a strong offseason stay together and prove once and for all that we belong in the MVC! Let's approach next year like we're going to contend let that be our mindset and win. If we do that all of the pain we felt this year learning to close will have been well worth it! Go Valpo!

[VUGrad1314]

Murphy twins get it done in a big way for Drake.

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1104201399267741696

[NativeCheesehead]

Our student fan base will be better off with Happening Hoops off somewhere else. Good Flipping Riddance.

[FieldGoodie05]

Our student fan base will be better off with Happening Hoops off somewhere else. Good Flipping Riddance.

Kid is complete tool, I'd love to not see his tweets posted on the forum any longer.  Out of sight, out of mind.

[vu72]

In all honesty things could be a lot worse... We could be Illinois State right now... All those preseason expectations and they didn't do any better than we did... We even swept them this year... If you're mad today it means you expected to beat Loyola and that is pretty unrealistic... Valpo did what they needed to do down in St Louis. This trip was a success and gives us something to go on for next year which is more than we could say after the Evansville game. Let's treat this win over Indiana State as the turning point where we learned how to close and how to finish have a strong offseason stay together and prove once and for all that we belong in the MVC! Let's approach next year like we're going to contend let that be our mindset and win. If we do that all of the pain we felt this year learning to close will have been well worth it! Go Valpo!

A much more realistic view than Mosmith.  Look, we started the year with 10 scholarship players eligible.  We played the last game with 9, two of which were freshman.  Beyond that we had one very unproven sophomore and one guy new to the system as of August.  When we were at full strength (10 eligible players) we won five in a row, many on the road.  $hit happened, we were still dealing with a second year head coach.Come on guys, we are adding A BUNCH next year.  I will pledge this-----IF, we don't finish top 3 next year, regardless of circumstances, I will lead the charge to oust Matt.  Until then...GO VALPO!! (it looks like we have a pretty good softball and baseball team!) 

[VUGrad1314]

Our student fan base will be better off with Happening Hoops off somewhere else. Good Flipping Riddance.

Kid is complete tool, I'd love to not see his tweets posted on the forum any longer.  Out of sight, out of mind.

No problem. Sorry for even bringing it up.

[FieldGoodie05]

Our student fan base will be better off with Happening Hoops off somewhere else. Good Flipping Riddance.

Kid is complete tool, I'd love to not see his tweets posted on the forum any longer.  Out of sight, out of mind.

No problem. Sorry for even bringing it up.

You have no reason to be sorry.

[valpolaw]

Did someone really say the trip to St Louis was a success??? If so, I want and need what they're smoking. Beating a bottom team in Indiana State and then not competing with Loyola is a success???!! In what world? Our standards have really fallen far.  This team has been wildly inconsistent and Lottich has been extremely disappointing. The guy makes more excuses than a teenager. It drives me nuts. He just never says "our performance is unacceptable and we must improve" or something along those lines. Excuse after excuse and frankly I'm very tired of it. I'm glad the season is over because I need a break from being disappointed by valpo basketball. I can't take it any more until next year. If I were in charge, I'd make a coaching change now. I've seen enough to know this isn't working. I really hope Lottich succeeds and proves that wrong but I have a feeling we will be in this same position next year.

[truth219]

This team lost to high point, ball state, indiana state twice, Evansville twice, our 3 games against power 5 schools (which we're all bad teams), and our exhibition game (which we had a healthy roster for). I don't feel there has been success at all this year...besides the string we put together in early January. I would start a coaching search...at least it would say valpo cares about winning.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[VUGrad1314]

What did you expect? Did you think we were going to beat this Loyola team? We got trucked in Chicago without Fazekas and the only reason we almost won at home was because we fed off a raucous spirited high energy crowd. This team this year isn't good enough to beat Loyola on the road or a neutral floor and to believe otherwise requires the smoking of some very high quality stuff.

[truth219]

This team couldn't beat university of Indianapolis

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[VUGrad1314]

You're making my point for me...

[jloose128]

Trashing fellow fans, now I remember why I don't post here often. 

[VULB#62]

One thing that has been brought up is that Valpo is paralleling the progress made by Loyola in growing into its role and eventual  championship last year.  Moser, despite his extensive headcoaching experience, was struggling. But he had an ace in the hole:  the Loyola administration and alumni.

Moser needed to attract a higher level of recruit. What could contribute to that three years ago beyond the then " new" Gentile facility?  How about two things:  (1) a MBB budget that now doubles the next closest MVC program and (2) schematics and architecural renderings of a new practice facility and other physical improvements to show incoming recruits at that time that would be completed during their years of attendance — not sometime within the next 30 years (maybe).

So what can ML use to compete against that?  We are in the lower half of the conference in budget (remember, we are a private institution with high cost of attendance and, yet, we are still in the lower half). Valpo is currently under the conference average budget by $300K annually. We are going into year three of MVC membership with essentially the same outdated and outmoded arena, some AC and cosmetic changes to Hilltop, and some new paint and cosmetics to the BB offices and lockers. There are no plans on paper for any major upgrades.

The young man was hired, despite his lack of experience, with a hope that he would grow into the job - fast.  Can't help but believe that hope was the operative philosophy...........  Because.................  When you hire a rookie anything (coach, manager, CEO) and entrust that person with tremendous responsibility right out of the gate, you have to give that person every possible form of assistance to facillitate that person's success. Can we say that has been the case at Valpo?

[Added] One could argue that the new coach was hired to coach a team in the HL, not the MVC, so he wouldn't necessarily have need of Moser-like support. But we all knew that joining the MVC was the holy grail of our athletic program and that membership was just a year or two away, anyway. This line of thought reminds me of "we are playing MVC ball with HL players."  As I recall, as an HL member, Valpo's MBB budget was in the top quartile and our success reflected that financial commitment. What makes us think we do not need to do that in the MVC and still be a championship caliber program. When you make a major commitment, like joining the MVC, which is clearly way above the HL in exposure, class, talent, management, commitment and demands, you need to do your homework, understand the new level of commitment that requires and either go all-in or don't go at all.

[may know]

Barry Hinson is a lot better man than I. If fans said those things to me, I would've taken matters in my own hands.

That was one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever seen at/following a basketball game.

[Just Sayin]

Barry Hinson is a lot better man than I. If fans said those things to me, I would've taken matters in my own hands.

That was one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever seen at/following a basketball game.

What happened?

Barry is done.

https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/2019/03/09/barry-hinson-steps-down-at-southern-illinois/

[NativeCheesehead]

Boy,  anyone thinking we've been railing on Matt pretty hard this year needs to go look at the comments about Hinson on MVCFans or the SIU board.

[FieldGoodie05]

Trashing fellow fans, now I remember why I don't post here often. 

I'd appreciate your thoughts and opinions and encourage diversity of opinion.  Don't let a few anger monkeys dissuade you.  I'll admit that I'm a pessimist too, but some posters here bring my head out of my _____ with nice comparative program data and history.

[FieldGoodie05]

Boy,  anyone thinking we've been railing on Matt pretty hard this year needs to go look at the comments about Hinson on MVCFans or the SIU board.

Nice doesn't cut it after awhile.  Let's hope Matt doesn't test our fan base for much longer.  I'm good with 2 more years and then hit refresh if necessary.

I will say that it's nice to see Lavenders dad's tweets about Valpo program having INTEGRITY.  Coming from a parent that means more than most, considering most parents chide coaches that don't give their son the start.

[JD24]

Valpo should've been the team - under these conditions - that came out in a rhythm after a good performance last night. Loyola - by comparison - should be the team that came out a bit rusty. 

Could you possibly be more loudly wrong?

I'm thinking no, but feel free to try.

[JD24]

happeninghoops appears to be a collection (maybe of one) of entitled Valpo fan(s). "We"? "sign up"?

If you decided to attend Valpo because of the basketball program and you aren't a player, you "signed up" for the wrong reasons.

[JD24]

Our student fan base will be better off with Happening Hoops off somewhere else. Good Flipping Riddance.

Kid is complete tool, I'd love to not see his tweets posted on the forum any longer.  Out of sight, out of mind.

I wouldn't be surprised if he's a non-lurker on this board.