MBB 2019-2020

[VULB#62]

I just read Os"s interview on Twitter with ML. I can't paste all of the responses to Os's questions, but what jumps out at me is how ML's ambivalent, neutral and "possible" his responses were.

ML: Do we think we will be better next year?  It's possible.

ML:  We want to get rid of the me attitude and get to us as a team.

WHAT?  WAIT!   This next season is the one everyone has pointed toward and...... it's possible that we will be better?  And looking back over the last several seasons, the unique characteristic of Valpo teams, IMO, is how bonded and unselfish our teams were. Suddenly we have to become a team that is fighting to become a team? Most of these guys have been together for 2-3 years.

What the heck is going on?

[VU2014]

Maybe he's trying lower expectations? Not sure but if he is that's just bizarre but I understand that the train of thought as not wanting to set expectations "too high", maybe?

Next year is huge and extremely important in the eyes of fans and rightfully so.

[VUGrad1314]

I suddenly have a very bad feeling about next year... Team walks off arm in arm in St Louis and he says we're not a team. Is he talking about shot selection and prsuit of stats\not sharing the ball enough? Because then I'll agree... But it's stuff like this that really makes me question if he knows what he's doing or if he'll ever learn. I know one thing's for sure: this team better_____________________ing be better and it better_____________________ing win assuming we aren't eviscerated by transfers which is certainly possible.

[VULB#62]

I disagree 2014. He is setting the stage for another poor performance in an effort to save his job.

He said he hasn't heard any of the fan discontent. BS.

I was a solid ML backer from the start. I saw the reasons for our HL tourney failure from the start and the early obstacles that were thrown in our and ML's path were significant. But we are past all that and even in dealing with the press he lacks the experience that is necessary to move this program forward.  Dang! it's a new season ahead and it is only possible we will be better. He just stated he probably can't take this team to the next level. I probably need to take another day to think this through, sorry. Too emotional.

[VUGrad1314]

If he performs poorly he should be gone. If that happens and he is not gone I might be until he either is gone or learns to coach and turns it around

[justducky]

I know one thing's for sure: this team better_____________________ing be better and it better_____________________ing win

I couldn't have said this better.

assuming we aren't eviscerated by transfers which is certainly possible.

If everybody wants to transfer that should also tell us all we need to know.

[VULB#62]

The # one freaking job a HBB coach has is to pull 12 - 13 kids into a cohesive unit. That is task number one from day one - regardless of talent. Now, after three years at the helm, we find out that this has not been a focus and they still have to find away to come together.

[wh]

I don't know about "team player," but Derrik is not a good teammate. He gives a halfhearted effort on defense, while his teammates are working their asses off. On offense he parks his butt in the low post waiting for the ball, while everyone else is running non-stop through patterns designed to open up the middle. If he has a good scoring game, the reason he gives is his teammates did a good job of finding me, which implies that if he has a poor scoring game, his teammates did a bad job of finding him. He's the last one to lumber over when the group in the game huddles up when the clock is stopped for FT's, etc. It only takes 1 or 2 guys like that to destroy team chemistry.

BTW to the person I no longer remember who once said I never have a good thing to say about Derrik, you're right again - I absolutely don't.

[VULB#62]

I can't do it right now, but 2014 you are good at it please post the Osipoff twitter string.  I can't find much that is positive.

[VU2014]

I can't do it right now, but 2014 you are good at it please post the Osipoff twitter string.  I can't finf much that is positive.

https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105581483845185540
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105581588761493505
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105581923529834499
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105582451936686080
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105582731289862150
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105583163823321089
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105583418421772288
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105583746521141249
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105584164932329473
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105584427118284800
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105584636095287299
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105585328440532993
https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/1105585610713108489

[VUGrad1314]

I hate the whole "one bid league" line It's just a cover to schedule like crap. Murray State can't get here soon enough. Hopefully that will change some of the thinking around the conference to have a team that is in the tournament or on the bubble each year. Belmont went for it Lipscomb went for it Furman went for it ISUr SIU and UNI did too. Why won't\can't we? Why always this defeatist aw shucks gee whiz attitude when it comes to competing for bids? If everyone stays this is a year to go for it and they'd better go for it. Also is he implying that we still don't have the right pieces? That's a big problem at this point in time.

[justducky]

I don't know about "team player," but Derrik is not a good teammate. He gives a halfhearted effort on defense, while his teammates are working their asses off. On offense he parks his butt in the low post waiting for the ball, while everyone else is running non-stop through patterns designed to open up the middle. If he has a good scoring game, the reason he gives is his teammates did a good job of finding me, which implies that if he has a poor scoring game, his teammates did a bad job of finding him. He's the last one to lumber over when the group in the game huddles up when the clock is stopped for FT's, etc. It only takes 1 or 2 guys like that to destroy team chemistry.

Sometimes I'm leaning toward that conclusion but the problem might already have grown from whatever the original source or sources. Like you just said sloth and me first thinking is contagious, so sometimes less is more. You as a coach have properly asked some very high potential kids to find different interests. You already know how hard that is to do.

Matt will soon be meeting with the team members to sort things out and suggest for the future. There will be some interesting conversations.

[bbtds]

Lottich: "Eron and Nick can play, they've proven they can play. But we have to integrate them back in, it takes time. But we're excited about adding two pieces."

I'm actually finding a lot of positive comments by Lottich.

Lottich: "Eron and Nick can play, they've proven they can play. But we have to integrate them back in, it takes time. But we're excited about adding two pieces."

coach Matt Lottich on the takeaway: "The biggest improvement we made this year, and want to continue to make, is to get rid of the 'me' mentality. To be 'us,' a team.

Lottich: "... Do I like our future? Yeah.

I really think there is too much expectation being put on next year's team by fans on here. I think Lottich is being positive about the team and in the end he recognizes that he needs better shooters and will have a deeper team that can withstand the injuries and improve on what he thought was one of the top three teams in the Valley. There sure is a great deal of negativity on this board lately.

[VUGrad1314]

Our positively abysmal record since last year's 8-0 start will do that to people.

[NativeCheesehead]

I know it's a long offseason, but I really find it hard to get excited or worked up about a coach's comments. Would it really matter if he proclaimed them favorites and talked about them as a 25 win team? I could give two s*&#s if he gave the interview in Swahili.

He wins, he stays and the program is back on track after a bumpy conference transition and some bad injury luck.

He loses, he's gone and we need have some hard questions to face.

I feel like we need to understand the new normal. Though the Drews weren't perfect, they provided unusual stability for a mid major. Going forward, we probably have a new head coach every few years no matter what happens.

[crusadermoe]

I know I lead the cynics on the general university thread.  But I just haven't drowned in despair over the team's future or ML's leadership.  As I've mentioned each player has a key flaw and many didn't shoot well.  But there is still a ton of upside ahead in Javon and Derrik for next year. 

Nick will make a big impact as a 6'5" slasher and a taller good wing defender.  Fazekas is a shooter and a vital one to our offense, but isn't a slasher or defender.  I don't know the x and o's, but strength and depth can only improve us.

[VU2014]

Our positively abysmal record since last year's 8-0 start will do that to people.

Those first 8 games were against weak competition, other than Utah State. I'm not going to lie I knowingly drank the kool-aid after that start because I wanted to believe we were better than we were. I think we were actually a pretty decent team and improving until Tevonn's mono and Burton stopped showing up to class (did he ever really show up?). I know we should never play the "what if" game but I can't help but that what a healthy VU roster with Burton would have looked like this season. I've never heard Coach Lottich get as excited about talking about a player's potential from the post-Peters era than he did about Burton (maybe other than Javon). Oh well, that's all in the past now.

I'd love to sit down with Coach Lottich and have a honest conversation with him about how he'd construct the roster if he could get a do-over. He'd probably add more shooting, although Sasha Stefanovic (now at Purdue) sounded like a priority #1 recruit that was struck out on and things may have been a little different if we landed him. He inherited our two 7-footers that were recruited to be HL players. They both have their strengths and their weaknesses. Would he go after so many transfers instead of 4 year players if he could have a do-over? I personally have no problem with the transfers as long as they are a fit and can be impact talents but I know other have scoffed at the idea. I'll just say nobody complained when Bryce was building his roster that way.

[VUGrad1314]

Nobody complained because 1. The Drews had built up an almost inexhaustible supply of Goodwill with the fanbase. They had literally built the program.

2. The team was winning both in and out of conference and was taking down some name brand opponents.

Lottich has none of that going for him. That's why we're upset. He has a tough job replacing the Drews and handling everything with the program and it's not fair to him but he is not doing well and that has us not so much upset as anxious. I hope it works out. Go Valpo!

[FieldGoodie05]

Nobody complained because 1. The Drews had built up an almost inexhaustible supply of Goodwill with the fanbase. They had literally built the program.

2. The team was winning both in and out of conference and was taking down some name brand opponents.

Lottich has none of that going for him. That's why we're upset. He has a tough job replacing the Drews and handling everything with the program and it's not fair to him but he is not doing well and that has us not so much upset as anxious. I hope it works out. Go Valpo!

I say give Lottich time, but it's a double edge sword.  Drew's built the house and I'm sure Lottich is reaping the pay rewards taking over the house the Drew's built.  So maybe his feet should be to the fire?  I mean if I'm paid 85% percentile (example not fact) then my rope is taut.

[VU2014]

I just think some people are finding things to be mad about for the sake of being mad.

If we were winning nobody would care if the roster had transfers on it. It's about finding the right fits and talent level and not about 4 yr vs transfers. Townes and Custer seem to have worked out well for Loyola.

I also think we over analyze everything Lottich says at times. It's a lot of trying to read into every little comment and nitpick his statements to death. At certain point it just gets to be a bit much sometimes.

[Valpofan15]

What happens if a few of the key players transfer. Javon, Derick, ect. How does he keep his job? I'm also sick of the excuses. Laundry, injuries, travel. If anyone can use the injury excuse it's Drake and they still managed to win the regular season.

[valpolaw]

Is it really nitpicking though? I've often wondered whether it was nitpicking on Lottichs statements too, but every time I read something he says I typically end up shaking my head. Like the statement about being better next year....how can someone think to respond to that with "it's possible"??  That sounds like setting expections low and lack of confidence.  Our record was 15-18 this year, does he really think fans are happy with that and that it's only possible to get better than that? I don't know maybe we are reading into his comments too much but none of the comments appear to suggest ownership, leadership, or trying to steer this ship in the right direction to me.

[a3uge]

Nobody complained because 1. The Drews had built up an almost inexhaustible supply of Goodwill with the fanbase. They had literally built the program.

2. The team was winning both in and out of conference and was taking down some name brand opponents.

Lottich has none of that going for him. That's why we're upset. He has a tough job replacing the Drews and handling everything with the program and it's not fair to him but he is not doing well and that has us not so much upset as anxious. I hope it works out. Go Valpo!

I'm beating a dead horse here, but part of the reason we've been bad the past two years is that Bryce basically stopped recruiting. We should've had Bryce's juniors and seniors last year and seniors this year. I don't think Skara would have made the team significantly better last year had he stayed.

Lottich, of course, shares the blame blame by plugging the empty scholarships with transfers that didn't work out (Bakari), freshmen that weren't D1 caliber (Hazen), and projects that will never come to fruition (Mileek).

[craftyrighthander]

I find myself picking apart  everything a coach says when the team isn't winning.  If the team was winning more, we'd probably be less concerned about whether ML's interviews are dynamic.   Winning more cures a lot.

The Half Full side of me says that we split with the two teams that played in the MVC Championship game, so maybe we aren't that far off.  Javon is a player who will only get better over the next three years.  The two transfers have good experience.  Clay was a big-time high school player in a big-time conference that is stocked with DI talent.  We will be healthy and deep. We go at least 11-7 in conference play, maybe 12-6.

The Half Empty side of me says that we didn't improve over the course of the year, and that we don't have the depth necessary to play through injuries.  We stand around too much in the half court offense.  We may lose good players to transfer.  We go 6-10 in conference play.

Between now and November of '19, I will spend time on both parts of the glass.  Stay thirsty my friends, the off-season just started!

[JD24]

I also think we over analyze everything Lottich says at times. It's a lot of trying to read into every little comment and nitpick his statements to death. At certain point it just gets to be a bit much sometimes.

Exactly