Valpo Hoops Trivia

[Just Sayin]

All of us can learn from failure
http://www.newspressnow.com/opinion/editorials/all-of-us-can-learn-from-failure/article_79497112-6839-11e9-8799-6383a71badb4.html

In 1989, Missouri Western took a chance on a men's basketball coach with a .378 winning percentage at Valparaiso in Indiana. Three decades and 600 wins later, Tom Smith is a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the MIAA Conference Hall of Fame.

Next season, Whitaker will coach on what is now known as Tom Smith Court. It seems like an appropriate start to her career with the Griffons.

I did not know that. Interesting story about Tom Smith.

[IndyValpo]

All of us can learn from failure
http://www.newspressnow.com/opinion/editorials/all-of-us-can-learn-from-failure/article_79497112-6839-11e9-8799-6383a71badb4.html

In 1989, Missouri Western took a chance on a men's basketball coach with a .378 winning percentage at Valparaiso in Indiana. Three decades and 600 wins later, Tom Smith is a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the MIAA Conference Hall of Fame.

Next season, Whitaker will coach on what is now known as Tom Smith Court. It seems like an appropriate start to her career with the Griffons.

I did not know that. Interesting story about Tom Smith.

This article missed a key factor in the Tom Smith hiring. He was extremely successful D2 coach at Central Missouri before taking the Valpo job. His career at both schools was impressive. As unsuccessful as he was at Valpo he was a step up from Rochlitz.

[valpotx]

Wow, talk about a small world.  Many of you probably don't know that Candace White Whitaker was a Valpo Assistant Coach after she graduated from TTU, while I was on campus.  Her husband, Matt Whitaker, was a baseball player at TTU, and was a volunteer coach for our baseball team during that season.  I played summer ball with him before that school year, and he was very good. 

[M]

I played with a Matt Whitaker at PNC...he'd come from Texas someplace after having some arm trouble. Wonder if it's the same guy? This guy could hit a baseball a very long way!

[usc4valpo]

I am not sure Smith was a step up from Rochlitz. Rochlitz was also a successful JUCO coach in Wyoming. Both coaches had limited resources during their tenures.

At the end, Valpo basketball did not really improve under Smith. His 1983-84 season with Rob Harden was a disaster which at most schools would have resulted in unemployment.

[valpotx]

I played with a Matt Whitaker at PNC...he'd come from Texas someplace after having some arm trouble. Wonder if it's the same guy? This guy could hit a baseball a very long way!

Sounds like the same guy, what year was it for you?  This was going into my last season, which was 2003-2004, so summer of 2003.  He was originally from Midland, TX, but was last at Texas Tech before arm/back troubles got him.  He hit several HRs for our Michigan City Stars team, which was the season we won our IL/IN region to go to some type of broader regional tourney in Cincinnati.  There were several of us Valpo players on that roster: me, Tom Starck, Mike Schroeder, Matt Gillikin, etc, in addition to some Butler and St. Joe's guys.

[M]

Yup, same guy. He only DH'd for us. Won the CCAC tourney and advanced to whatever postseason tournament NAIA teams play in for probably the first time in school history that year. Our offense was real good...our pitching was real average.

[valpotx]

That is so odd, as I thought that he was out of eligibility from his time at TTU.  That does explain why he disappeared a few months into the school year.

[M]

A lot of the things that occurred that baseball were odd.

[craftyrighthander]

Frankly, when Tom Smith was at Valpo, the program was supported financially like a mid-level DII program, at best.  At Central Missouri, which funds athletics at a high level for DII, he had success.  Smith goes back to DII at Missouri Western and wins.  I was at Valpo during the Smith era, and while I didn't think he was much of a coach while he was there, I think he proved that he could win in two other good  situations.  Tip of the cap to Tom.

[usc4valpo]

Early on, it was difficult for Valpo to understand what it took to be a program at the Div. 1 level. If you think the ARC is bad, Hilltop was a different bad.it reminded me of the gym In the movie Fast Break with Gabe Kaplan.

[covufan]

Early on, it was difficult for Valpo to understand what it took to be a program at the Div. 1 level. If you think the ARC is bad, Hilltop was a different bad.it reminded me of the gym In the movie Fast Break with Gabe Kaplan.

Was first at Valpo in fall of '83. Played a pickup game on the Hilltop floor, was dribbling, then hit a dead spot. Couldn't believe this was a Division I gym, most grade school gyms had better floors. ARC was huge upgrade a year later.


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[4throwfan]

I first played in Hilltop in 99.  Dead spot was still there. 

[IndyValpo]

Early on, it was difficult for Valpo to understand what it took to be a program at the Div. 1 level. If you think the ARC is bad, Hilltop was a different bad.it reminded me of the gym In the movie Fast Break with Gabe Kaplan.

Was first at Valpo in fall of '83. Played a pickup game on the Hilltop floor, was dribbling, then hit a dead spot. Couldn't believe this was a Division I gym, most grade school gyms had better floors. ARC was huge upgrade a year later.

Early on, it was difficult for Valpo to understand what it took to be a program at the Div. 1 level. If you think the ARC is bad, Hilltop was a different bad.it reminded me of the gym In the movie Fast Break with Gabe Kaplan.

Fast Break an incredibly far fetched basketball movie, despite that it was a decent film. I prefer the Robbie Benson
classic One on One also starring a young Annette O'Toole.

[cornonthe]

I remember dead spots all over the place!!! Still, it has a classic look...did they fix the dead spots with the latest refurbishment???

[usc4valpo]

Robbie Benson leading a hoop team was so unrealistic. G.D. Spradlin was great as the a**hole coach.

[bigmosmithfan1]

I am not sure Smith was a step up from Rochlitz. Rochlitz was also a successful JUCO coach in Wyoming. Both coaches had limited resources during their tenures.

Apples to oranges a bit, because Rochlitz was the coach as we transitioned to D-1, so that's a much tougher gig, plus we were independent, so we had to play more road games. But Smith had us competitive a few years at least.

Favorite Rochlitz memory of the "it was a different time" variety: I remember him getting teed up by a ref in one game for stomping his foot. Once. He didn't say anything audible (you could hear easily in old Hilltop if he had back then). Just one stomp out of frustration on a no-call and the ref whistled the T.

[usc4valpo]

I think Smith rolled the dice much with recruiting but most of the time it did not pay off. I am not sure the program got better with him at the helm. Maybe it was boosted to a reduced level of bad. Also, his personality was not exactly engaging.

[bigmosmithfan1]

Smith pretty much had to roll the dice with guys, given the state of our program at that time. VU had no academic advising resources dedicated to basketball at the time and there was zero investment in the program at the time. (Smith was interviewed shortly after the Sweet 16 year by a local reporter and he basically relayed how he was told he couldn't put up ads in the ARC because the university didn't want the building to "look cheap." He apparently had a couple of local corporate sponsors that he and a few boosters had lined up that would have helped our financial situation greatly but the deals fell apart when the sponsors were told they couldn't have an ad in the arena). It'd be interesting to see how he would have done with the resources and sponsorship Homer's teams had.

[usc4valpo]

Valpo went into Division 1 basketball in 1977 at a time when they had a president, Robert Schnabel, who for the most part did not care about athletics. It was a struggle for Rochlitz and Smith to get some respect from the higher ups. I though both coaches, particularly Smith, had deficiencies in their coaching and handling of players. Schnabel was very good on the academic end, which was important at the time. But to get more funding, forget it.

[VULB#62]

Schnabel came to Valpo from, what I consider, a very limited frame of reference:  Concordia Bronxville, NY. It was a 500 student JC that evolved into a small 4 year college (it still is). I know cuz I taught and coached there for 4 years back in the late 60s early 70s.  Everything there was done on a shoestring and athletics was supported piecemeal.   No reason to believe that a president of a small institution like that would understand the huge ramifications of being a nationally recognized institution. Academics and curriculum were his strong suit. He had little concept of marketing, branding, public relations, yaddah, Yaddah, because in NY it was never a consideration.

[78crusader]

Schnabel was selected in 1978. My uncle, who was the Dean of the School of Science at San Jose State (and a 1948 VU grad), was one of four finalists for the job. His final interview was held in March of my senior year in 1978. The selection of Dr. Schnabel was considered something of an upset, a "safe" pick when many on campus advocated a bolder selection.

Paul

[usc4valpo]

I will say this - Hilltop was the Division 1 facility I ever saw in the life time, and I saw some inadequate places - the old Loyola Alumni gym, Northwestern McGaw hall, Chicago State's old gym, Western Hall at WIU.

[vu72]

Schnabel came to Valpo from, what I consider, a very limited frame of reference:  Concordia Bronxville, NY. It was a 500 student JC that evolved into a small 4 year college (it still is). I know cuz I taught and coached there for 4 years back in the late 60s early 70s.  Everything there was done on a shoestring and athletics was supported piecemeal.   No reason to believe that a president of a small institution like that would understand the huge ramifications of being a nationally recognized institution. Academics and curriculum were his strong suit. He had little concept of marketing, branding, public relations, yaddah, Yaddah, because in NY it was never a consideration.

I think I've told this story before but I'll do it again as it is apropos to this discussion.  I knew Tom Smith, he is a fraternity brother.  He was one of the most electric point guards we have ever had.  He learned coaching at the feet of Gene Bartow.  He was given ZERO support from Dr. Schnabel. 

So I ran into Tom in Minneapolis at, I think, was a final four, many years ago.  This was after Homer was in charge.  Tom told me that he had a conversation with Schnabel about Cleveland State's (a conference mate at the time) success in the NCAA tournament and how that success equated to Valpo getting some share of the funds.  Schnabel response was priceless.  He said:  "Well let's hope Cleveland State continues to be successful".  True story.

[usc4valpo]

I am sure that is a true from my meetings with Schnabel. Back then <Valpo went Div. 1 for the sake of being Div. 1