2018--19 Team Requiem

[justducky]

I don't know what has happened, but I suspect that bits and pieces may trickle out for months or years.

If anyone wants to speculate on why the whole program has exploded lets put it here. Looks to me that multiple conflicts might have been ongoing.

Golder played like trash during Feb. Was it injury or foot dragging related?

[oklahomamick]

This could be dangerous because there is a lot of speculation and little facts.  I do wonder what is going on behind the scenes. 

If I had to guess, Lottich more of a drill Sargent who push and pushed but did not teach or break things down.  Without the assistants we had last year, there was no comfort or voice of reasoning.  Lottich's "work harder" more "gritt" solution to all the problems led to injuries and disgruntlement. 

The players don't believe or have confidence in Lottich and that's why many are leaving.

Again, I'm not in the gym but this is my guess.  Via bakari, It sounds like there were conversations on the bus rides.  No wonder Lottich didn't like the travel.

[NativeCheesehead]

I mean we can speculate and speculate but it actually doesn't matter the reasons. It is what it is.

This isn't the NBA.  There's not a GM to blame for roster construction. While a head coach obviously doesn't get every player he wants, he is in complete control as to who he chooses to bring into the program. Whether Lottich ran them off with his attitude or he didn't understand the mentality when he offered them a spot, it's on him.

[VUGrad1314]

I think we owe VU2010 an apology:

VU2010 if you're reading this you were right and I'm sorry for doubting you...

[JD24]

Speculation is dangerous so I'll speculate.....

[GoldenCrusader87]

Sadly, I think some folks - at this point - are in a state of hibernation. Stepping away from the blogs and such. Just painful to observe what's going on right now. As for me, it's therapeutic.

[VUGrad1314]

Sadly, I think some folks - at this point - are in a state of hibernation. Stepping away from the blogs and such. Just painful to observe what's going on right now. As for me, it's therapeutic.

You like to see Valpo suffering?

I'm here right now because I'm pissed. I should step away but I can't. I care too much. Sadly people with actual power don't. Too bad.

[justducky]

This isn't the NBA.  There's not a GM to blame for roster construction. While a head coach obviously doesn't get every player he wants, he is in complete control as to who he chooses to bring into the program. Whether Lottich ran them off with his attitude or he didn't understand the mentality when he offered them a spot, it's on him.

Some or all of the blame will fall on Lottich and the guy who needs to figure everything out is Mark LaBarbera.

This is obviously a critical juncture and you can't go forward until you fully understand what just happened. The AD needs to talk at length with everybody. This includes departing players, returning players, and the fathers, mothers and guardians of all of them. Don't forget assistant coaches, media gossips  , and he should probably spend a couple of full hours with Deion Lavender. The background and insight that Deion could provide might explain volumes. Matt should probably be interviewed last. Then he should make the call and share little or none of it with us.

[bbtds]

Sadly, I think some folks - at this point - are in a state of hibernation. Stepping away from the blogs and such. Just painful to observe what's going on right now. As for me, it's therapeutic.

You like to see Valpo suffering?

I'm here right now because I'm pissed. I should step away but I can't. I care too much. Sadly people with actual power don't. Too bad.

All I can say is I'd hate to be around you if your car were to break down or your HVAC would go out. You'd whine and moan so much but you would never get anything done but trash the HVAC or push the brokedown car off a hill/mountain. At some point you realize what you have and that you must make the best of the situation because you either have the money to buy a new HVAC unit or a new car or you get the brokedown car repaired or the HVAC unit repaired as best as it can be. Does whining and moaning get you anywhere at all? NO! Not one thing does whining and moaning get you. You just keep repeating the whining and moaning and you have no power to replace the car or HVAC unit.

[VUGrad1314]

That's what I've been saying This is a time for leadership. We need the people in charge to step up and lead us now and all we've gotten is a statement from Lottich. We don't even know if the outflow of transfers is over yet. Nobody has given us any plan or timetable for facility upgrades or asked us for or told us how we could help in any meaningful way. It could be and probably is true that everyone from top to bottom cares  about the situation but what could be a lot of effort behind the scenes but is resulting in no concrete action or campaigns looks to us like they're doing nothing and don't really care. If they started a grassroots campaign collecting money at games for specific athletics purchases in 1998 after The Shot I bet at least some if not most of these problems would be solved by now with just spare change. We can't help or do anything if we don't know their goals their expected timetable and how much the cost is. They're just waiting for a big donation without telling us how big it needs to be. Again they give a strong indication that they don't care much about athletics. That's probably not true nor is it their intention but that's the way it looks. I know my generation we're not patient people. Many won't wait or even be as patient as I have. I at least gave Lottich 2.5 years and as mad as I am I'm not jumping ship but we all know something needs to be done and fast. You talk about fixing the system or the car. I'm here with tools. Let's get fixing. Tell me how to employ what little I have and I will help however I can. That's all I ask. Let's make a plan and execute it instead of all this high minded talk.

[bbtds]

That's what I've been saying This is a time for leadership. We need the people in charge to step up and lead us now and all we've gotten is a statement from Lottich. We don't even know if the outflow of transfers is over yet. Nobody has given us any plan or timetable for facility upgrades or asked us for or told us how we could help in any meaningful way. It could be and probably is true that everyone from top to bottom cares  about the situation but what could be a lot of effort behind the scenes but is resulting in no concrete action or campaigns looks to us like they're doing nothing and don't really care. If they started a grassroots campaign collecting money at games for specific athletics purchases in 1998 after The Shot I bet at least some if not most of these problems would be solved by now with just spare change. We can't help or do anything if we don't know their goals their expected timetable and how much the cost is. They're just waiting for a big donation without telling us how big it needs to be. Again they give a strong indication that they don't care much about athletics. That's probably not true nor is it their intention but that's the way it looks. I know my generation we're not patient people. Many won't wait or even be as patient as I have. I at least gave Lottich 2.5 years and as mad as I am I'm not jumping ship but we all know something needs to be done and fast. You talk about fixing the system or the car. I'm here with tools. Let's get fixing. Tell me how to employ what little I have and I will help however I can. That's all I ask. Let's make a plan and execute it instead of all this high minded talk.

So you have no power to fix the problems with the players or pay for the renovations of the ARC. What tools do you actually have? Nothing really. You don't actually own any of the property on the Valparaiso University campus. You are as helpless as anyone on this message board to actually do anything to help fix the situation except one thing. What can you really do as a Valpo fan that would actually help the situation when you know the same head coach will most likely be back next year. What can you do to actually help the MBB situation at Valpo right this moment on this message board?

[VUGrad1314]

I know what you're trying to say: change the tone of my post and be more positive. That is extremely hard to do when there isn't much to be positive about. I deal in facts and reality and the reality we face is not pleasant right now in the least. Give me something to work with and I'll try to be positive and maybe get back to the optimistic poster you knew before but I need something. I can't lie. It is extremely difficult for me. I can't say everything is okay when it clearly isn't. I can't say I trust our coach and the direction of our program when I really and truly don't.

[GoldenCrusader87]

When I say this is therapeutic for me ... I'm saying it's cathartic. If for no other reason than because we can at least express our emotions here and feel some sense of relief - despite it being on deaf ears or preaching to the choir

[bbtds]

I know what you're trying to say: change the tone of my post and be more positive. That is extremely hard to do when there isn't much to be positive about. I deal in facts and reality and the reality we face is not pleasant right now in the least. Give me something to work with and I'll try to be positive and maybe get back to the optimistic poster you knew before but I need something. I can't lie. It is extremely difficult for me. I can't say everything is okay when it clearly isn't. I can't say I trust our coach and the direction of our program when I really and truly don't.

So the alternative is.........................

[bbtds]

despite it being on deaf ears or preaching to the choir

There in is the issue. Those aren't all deaf ears and some people reading this are not in the choir. Some are possible recruits looking at possibly filling spots on Valpo's MBB team or could be in the future. Robbie Hummel heard a lot of comments about the bad things about Valpo MBB before he made a decision on where to attend college.

[mj]

Those aren't all deaf ears and some people reading this are not in the choir. Some are possible recruits looking at possibly filling spots on Valpo's MBB team or could be in the future. Robbie Hummel heard a lot of comments about the bad things about Valpo MBB before he made a decision on where to attend college.

Are you saying that Robbie Hummel, who went to Valpo HS, didn't attend VU because of anonymous complaints on a message board?

If the message board is really that powerful, then maybe the university should reach out and help assuage our concerns. Because I'm not ok with being quiet and pretending that everything is fine, when it's clearly not.

[NativeCheesehead]

Any player, coach, or administrator who makes a decision based on a message board should have their head examined. This is a place for FANS to react, overreact, joke, kick around ideas, and vent.

[bbtds]

Those aren't all deaf ears and some people reading this are not in the choir. Some are possible recruits looking at possibly filling spots on Valpo's MBB team or could be in the future. Robbie Hummel heard a lot of comments about the bad things about Valpo MBB before he made a decision on where to attend college.

Are you saying that Robbie Hummel, who went to Valpo HS, didn't attend VU because of anonymous complaints on a message board?

If the message board is really that powerful, then maybe the university should reach out and help assuage our concerns. Because I'm not ok with being quiet and pretending that everything is fine, when it's clearly not.

No, you missed the point. Robbie heard a lot of negative comments growing up in Valpo when message boards and the internet didn't mean that much. But he heard comments from the fans as a grade school student before Bryce, and the other local Valpo HS grads decided to transfer to VU. He knew the negative stuff because he had heard it over and over until it was second nature to him that Valpo's program could not rise to the level of a Purdue, Indiana or Notre Dame. The negative comments re-emphasized that Valpo would never be a program to play for. Bryce and the other VHS grads who transferred to VU changed that for a while.

Yes, the Valpo program is at a crossroads, the coach will not be changed, what can you do to help the program? It isn't to keep trashing it in front of people that will influence the decisions of youth that could actually change the program and help it build up to be as powerful as Purdue, Indiana or Notre Dame.

[NativeCheesehead]

The timing on that doesn't add up. Robbie wasn't in middle school until Bryce graduated. Born in '89.

[mj]

Oh so we're actually not allowed to say anything negative in public about the program.

Is Valpo basketball some kind of cult now? It can't fail, it can only be failed?

[justducky]

When I say this is therapeutic for me ... I'm saying it's cathartic.

Your selection of words and phrasing are much improved.    Don't backslide.

If for no other reason than because we can at least express our emotions here and feel some sense of relief - despite it being on deaf ears or preaching to the choir

Neither the team or this choir have displayed much recent harmony. Kind of reminds me of the Geico barbershop quartet basketball commercial. Maybe they should be our top recruits?

[bbtds]

The timing on that doesn't add up. Robbie wasn't in middle school until Bryce graduated. Born in '89.

Robbie was 5, 6, 7. It certainly does leave an impression.

as a grade school student

[govalpogo]

Okay...I'm going to try to foray into this shattering glass case of emotions.  I understand the catharsis of having a space to get some of the built up emotions out, truly we are all frustrated with the potential that the team has not lived up to over the last few seasons (starting with the Peters injury)  That said, a couple of you really might want to consider taking a step back from the whole situation for your own sanity.  Pro sports aren't worth getting this worked up about let alone mid major basketball.  If you want to follow along, then do so, but don't go sniffing around on other team's message boards, of course their going to say things that will upset you. We said the same thing about the MVC taking Loyola over us years ago when they finished at the back of the pack and we were solidly atop the Horizon league standings.  Stop torturing yourselves.

I lived through the 08-09 season in the student section.  9-22. 5-13 in the HL (2nd year in the league).  Numerous injuries.  Dissension in the ranks was the word on campus, players did not speak particularly well of Homer.  4 players transferred.  Did you know, Valpo's conference record in it's first 2 HL seasons was 14-22?  Our conference record in 2 seasons in the MVC is 13-23.  Not saying that everything is how we want it to be.  Finishing out this year 2-10 is egregious.  All I'm saying is that we worked our way up to the top of the HL in time and it looked like a dumpster fire after year 2.  Don't trust Lottich to lead the turnaround?  Can't fault the feeling, but I'm not sure it's as bad as is speculated here...we simply don't know.  Again, a few better executed open shots and the team easily has 4 or 5 more wins this year (coulda woulda shoulda).

Here's the reality of the moment.  Add a sharpshooter and a big guy, maybe a glue guy and a sit out transfer and I think you're looking capable.

Senior
Jaume Sorrolla
Ryan Fazekas
John Kiser
Micah Bradford?

Junior
Eron Gordon
Nick Robinson
Mileek McMillan

Sophmore
Daniel Sackey
Langston Stalling

Freshman
Clay Donovan

PG  Daniel Sackey
SG  Eron Gordon
SF   Nick Robinson
PF   Ryan Fazekas
C     Jaume Sorolla

6     Clay Donovan
7     Micah Bradford
8     Mileek McMillan
9     John Kiser
10   Langston Stalling
OPEN
OPEN
OPEN
OPEN
   



 

[M]

When does the other kid from VHS come back from his mission?

[VUBBFan]

When does the other kid from VHS come back from his mission?

Steven Helm is on a two year mission, So he will be out one more year. Though, I believe he will only be an end of the bench guy