Non-Conference games 2020/2021 season

[valpo64]

If the basketball season is affected, which it shouldn't be,  you are going to have a lot more to worry about than sports.  The viability of some colleges and universities  will be hanging in the balance. and some will close their doors if students do not return to campus in the Fall.  This close down has to end soon or this country is in deep doo-doo.  As long as some of the press, some academia and some in the public health sector keep promoting shut down instead of concern for getting the economy back up and running, people are going to run scared.   What are we going to do in the Fall when the regular flu season returns on it's annual basis?  Shut downs, masks, social distances, gloves , etc. every time someone sneezes,  coughs, or has a fever?  Many seem to be oblivious to common sense these days.  While some precautions need to be practiced right now,  lets not blow this all out of proportion.

[vu84v2]

College basketball is definitely going to be affected. No way that 350 teams are going to be flying all around the country, which will drive a need for scheduling changes. No way that stadiums are going to be allowed to fill up without a vaccine. I hope that is where we end up, because that is the realistic best case scenario.

As for everything else (i.e. opening universities), data and facts (and in my opinion, the ability to test in large volumes in a very quick manner) are going to be the major drivers.

[valpo04]

Moved the subsequent, non-non-conference related discussion to the Coronavirus thread on the off topic board.

[VUGrad1314]

Will we be doing a home and home with Grand Canyon? It seems logical that we would. We could add a buy game with Arizona or Arizona State or start a series with another mid major out west and make it a really good trip.

[valpo4life]

Will we be doing a home and home with Grand Canyon? It seems logical that we would. We could add a buy game with Arizona or Arizona State or start a series with another mid major out west and make it a really good trip.

I'm going to just go ahead and shut this down right now with a 0% possibility this happens.

[valpo64]

After playing at Grand Canyon last year will they be coming to the ARC this coming season as part of a home and home deal?

[VUGrad1314]

My understanding is we played them on a neutral floor as part of a MTE. I don't remember any H and H agreement between VU and GCU.

[VALPO LI]

Correct GCU was the opening round game Valpo played in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas last year.
This year Bradley is in the that same Tournament.

[oklahomamick]

Old Mid-Con foe, ORU, was able to get Okie St. to a home and home. 

https://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/college/oru/men-s-basketball-osu-oru-schedule-home-and-home-series/article_6fa451bf-ceba-590d-98ee-468cb3f51133.html

We have to start finding alternative ways to get a better schedule.  I know it's difficult but I think other mid-majors have done a better job than we have in this area. 

[bbtds]

http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/2019-20/19528/valpo-keeps-wins-coming-with-team-effort-to-top-grand-canyon/


FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2019


Valpo Keeps Wins Coming with Team Effort to Top Grand Canyon


Daniel Sackey has 12 points and six rebounds in Friday's win.

The Valparaiso University men's basketball team continued to find ways to win on Friday afternoon in the opening game of the Paradise Jam at the Sports and Fitness Center on the campus of the University of the Virgin Islands, beating a quality Grand Canyon team 78-74 in an entertaining affair. Four starters finished in double figures to help Valpo hold the last lead in a game that featured 18 lead changes. Daniel Sackey (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada / Thornlea) entered the game with a season free-throw percentage of just 53.8, but he calmly swished in four free throws down the stretch that allowed the Brown & Gold to clinch the team's fourth win in five games.

How It Happened

Valpo set the tone with defense in the early going, swiping four steals in the first five minutes of the game against an Antelope team that had turned the ball over four times total in its last game on Tuesday against Montana State. Javon Freeman-Liberty (Chicago, Ill. / Whitney Young) had a pair of steals in the early going.

Despite turning the ball over at a high rate, Grand Canyon (2-4) kept pace with Valpo thanks to hot shooting. Throughout the afternoon, the team hit impressive, contested shots. The Lopes scored eight of the game's first 11 points before Mileek McMillan (Merrillville, Ind. / Merrillville) knocked down a triple to cut the deficit to two. That sparked an 8-0 run that put Valpo up 11-8.

Eron Gordon (Indianapolis, Ind. / Cathedral [Seton Hall]) came off the bench to contribute a fastbreak layup followed by a tip-in midway through the opening half to lift his team ahead 23-22. Another significant basket off the bench came with 6:05 left in the half as freshman Emil Freese-Vilien (Copenhagen, Denmark / Falkonergardens Gymnasium) connected on a topside 3-pointer to put his team ahead 30-28, his first collegiate make from beyond the arc.

Freeman-Liberty continued to show off his improved shooting ability that has been evident throughout the season in the first half of this one. He buried his third triple of the half with 2:06 to go, tying the game at 35. Grand Canyon's Carlos Johnson responded with a go-ahead 3, but then Nick Robinson (Chicago, Ill. / Kenwood [Saint Joseph's]) came right back with a game-tying trey of his own.

It appeared Valpo would have the chance to hold for the final shot of the half while already owning a 40-38 edge, but a missed shot followed by a baseball-style pass led to a fastbreak basket for the Lopes, tying the game at 40 at the break.

The first half alone featured 16 lead changes, and GCU's Johnson went 8-of-11 from the field for 20 points before the break.

Valpo scored the first five points of the second half thanks to another Freeman-Liberty 3, then a steal and score by Sackey. A 10-3 spurt to start the half was capped by a traditional 3-point play by Freeman-Liberty, and with 17:29 to go in the second half, Valpo suddenly owned a 10-point lead.

This wasn't the type of game where a lead like that would hold, as a quality GCU squad responded by scoring 11 of the game's next 15 points to make it 57-54 with 12:52 to play. The Lopes came all the way back to take a 63-62 lead with 9:48 remaining. 

Robinson buried a huge 3-pointer to put Valpo back up 68-67 with 7:15 to go, then John Kiser (Noblesville, Ind. / Noblesville) knocked one in from distance to extend the edge to four.

Johnson nailed his fifth 3 of the game to cut the Valpo lead to one with 1:35 left, but the Brown & Gold coupled good defense with perfect free-throw shooting the rest of the way.

Valpo made its final five free throws, with the last four coming from Sackey.


Probably a good thing we aren't playing GCU this coming season. Bryce is already stocking up.

https://gculopes.com/news/2020/4/15/mens-basketball-drew-adds-Wichita-State-7-footer-Midtgaard.aspx

Grand Canyon head coach Bryce Drew began work on bolstering his first Lopes roster with the addition of Asbjørn Midtgaard, a 7-foot transfer from Wichita State.

At 7 feet and 267 pounds with a 7-4 wingspan, Midtgaard brings stature as a rim protector, post defender, rebounder and screener. He won Wichita State's Most Improved Player for his sophomore season, when he averaged 3.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocked shots in 11.3 minutes per game and helped the Shockers to the 2019 NIT semifinals by averaging 5.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks during the tournament.

[valpo84]

The ORU series is not just about a mid-major getting someone at "home."  The Mabee Center hosts almost 11,000.  OSU is not gambling much with playing ORU "on the road" as that place will be orange when they play.

Plus there is a long tradition between the two schools coaching staffs. Current OSU assistant Scott Sutton was ORU HC for 17 years and its all-time winningest coach.  Scott's brother and "HOF" were HCs at OSU.  Even "analyst" Barry Hinson was an ORU HC at one time in his long coaching career.

It is a sign of the current environment because it's not a long trip, and it's good for the mid-major.  But, don't read too much into it. 

It still points out that DePaul, NW, Notre Dame, Purdue and Marquette should be pairing up with other solid programs (like Valpo, Loyola) for at lease home games or H&Hs over the next couple years to save costs and reduce air travel.  If Mike Brey had any guts, he'd invite us over every year.  But, I'm sure he'll find some traditional Big Least foes like Quinnipiac, Loyola MD and Hofstra, to come to ND.

[Valpo2013]

After playing at Grand Canyon last year will they be coming to the ARC this coming season as part of a home and home deal?

Drew crew would never agree to play Valpo ever.

[vu84v2]

Old Mid-Con foe, ORU, was able to get Okie St. to a home and home. 

https://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/college/oru/men-s-basketball-osu-oru-schedule-home-and-home-series/article_6fa451bf-ceba-590d-98ee-468cb3f51133.html

We have to start finding alternative ways to get a better schedule.  I know it's difficult but I think other mid-majors have done a better job than we have in this area. 

ORU is in Tulsa, OSU is in Stillwater. My guess is that OSU wants to increase interest from their alumni base in Tulsa. Thus, you cannot easily compare this to Valpo.

[VALPO LI]

Old Mid-Con foe, ORU, was able to get Okie St. to a home and home. 

https://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/college/oru/men-s-basketball-osu-oru-schedule-home-and-home-series/article_6fa451bf-ceba-590d-98ee-468cb3f51133.html

We have to start finding alternative ways to get a better schedule.  I know it's difficult but I think other mid-majors have done a better job than we have in this area. 

Here are some examples for the upcoming season: 
Virginia @ James Madison
Cal @ UC San Diego (new to D1)
UNC @ Hawaii
Cincinnati @ NKU
Notre Dame @ Howard
Cal @ Pepperdine
Alabama @Yale
Missouri @ Missouri St.
VCU @ Old Dominion

[nkvu]

Old Mid-Con foe, ORU, was able to get Okie St. to a home and home. 

https://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/college/oru/men-s-basketball-osu-oru-schedule-home-and-home-series/article_6fa451bf-ceba-590d-98ee-468cb3f51133.html

We have to start finding alternative ways to get a better schedule.  I know it's difficult but I think other mid-majors have done a better job than we have in this area. 

Here are some examples for the upcoming season: 
Virginia @ James Madison
Cal @ UC San Diego (new to D1)
UNC @ Hawaii
Cincinnati @ NKU
Notre Dame @ Howard
Cal @ Pepperdine
Alabama @Yale
Missouri @ Missouri St.
VCU @ Old Dominion

Cincinnati played their home games at NKU's arena a couple of years ago when the Fifth Third Arena was being renovated. That and the fact their coach left NKU for Cincinnati last year might have something to do with their agreeing to play there. They always used to play NKU early in the non conference season when NKU was D2 but I think they usually played at UC. Regardless, being only 10 miles or so apart I expect most of the crowd will be from UC.

[FieldGoodie05]

So let's suppose that we cannot play in front of fans for the first semester this coming season.  Just a mental exercise, not looking to debate whether or not it will happen.  But what type of revenue is the men's team going to lose by not having fans in the stands?

If we average 3,050 attendees a game for home games . . .

Chairbacks ($25 ea?) x 200 = $5,000
Lower Bowl Bleachers ($15 ea?) x 500 = $7,500
Upper Bleachers ($10 ea?) x 2,300 = $23,000
Students (free) x 50 = Free

Total $35,500 before concessions/parking/misc

Last year it appears we had (5) home games before conference so -$177,500 for conversation sake.  Is that akin to (2) coaches salaries not covered?

[vu72]

So let's suppose that we cannot play in front of fans for the first semester this coming season.  Just a mental exercise, not looking to debate whether or not it will happen.  But what type of revenue is the men's team going to lose by not having fans in the stands?

If we average 3,050 attendees a game for home games . . .

Chairbacks ($25 ea?) x 200 = $5,000
Lower Bowl Bleachers ($15 ea?) x 500 = $7,500
Upper Bleachers ($10 ea?) x 2,300 = $23,000
Students (free) x 50 = Free

Total $35,500 before concessions/parking/misc

Last year it appears we had (5) home games before conference so -$177,500 for conversation sake.  Is that akin to (2) coaches salaries not covered?

I think you are off a bit, though I couldn't find an actual seating chart, my memory is that the lower seating is at least 750 per side.  If I'm right, there would be a lot more chairbacks sold per game as they are the ones with money and also very loyal.  As for $177,500 covering two coaches, think again. That might be Luke's salary but Matt makes A LOT more than that.

[VUBBFan]

So let's suppose that we cannot play in front of fans for the first semester this coming season.  Just a mental exercise, not looking to debate whether or not it will happen.  But what type of revenue is the men's team going to lose by not having fans in the stands? If we average 3,050 attendees a game for home games . . . Chairbacks ($25 ea?) x 200 = $5,000 Lower Bowl Bleachers ($15 ea?) x 500 = $7,500 Upper Bleachers ($10 ea?) x 2,300 = $23,000 Students (free) x 50 = Free Total $35,500 before concessions/parking/misc Last year it appears we had (5) home games before conference so -$177,500 for conversation sake.  Is that akin to (2) coaches salaries not covered?

I think you are off a bit, though I couldn't find an actual seating chart, my memory is that the lower seating is at least 750 per side.  If I'm right, there would be a lot more chairbacks sold per game as they are the ones with money and also very loyal.  As for $177,500 covering two coaches, think again. That might be Luke's salary but Matt makes A LOT more than that.

The lower bowl seating for chairbacks goes up to I believe  (it's at least row N) row O which comes up to 15 rows per section. The 3 main sections are 17 seats across and the 2 wings are 8 seats across. That comes out to 15x17=255, then times 3=765 and 15x8=120 times 2=240. Added together it comes to a total of 1005  (765+240). Not sure of the bleacher side. They may squeeze in a couple more seats per row, but if not, the lower bowl less the student section would add up to 2010.
Prices last year were $25 chairbacks and $11.50 bleachers (lower & upper). This is before discounts for Teacher/Staff/Recent grad season ticket packages. The main 3 sections of the chairbacks seemed to be sold out 90-95% as season tickets, although a lot of those seats were no shows at times. I think a lot of the no shows were Corporate or individual "donation" purchases that were not die hard fans and just passed on coming to the games. So I would guess sold chairbacks might be around 850-900 per game. I've not taken in to consideration any complimentary tickets issued by the school, so I'll let who ever wants to do the math come up with the dollar amounts.

[vu72]

So let's suppose that we cannot play in front of fans for the first semester this coming season.  Just a mental exercise, not looking to debate whether or not it will happen.  But what type of revenue is the men's team going to lose by not having fans in the stands? If we average 3,050 attendees a game for home games . . . Chairbacks ($25 ea?) x 200 = $5,000 Lower Bowl Bleachers ($15 ea?) x 500 = $7,500 Upper Bleachers ($10 ea?) x 2,300 = $23,000 Students (free) x 50 = Free Total $35,500 before concessions/parking/misc Last year it appears we had (5) home games before conference so -$177,500 for conversation sake.  Is that akin to (2) coaches salaries not covered?

I think you are off a bit, though I couldn't find an actual seating chart, my memory is that the lower seating is at least 750 per side.  If I'm right, there would be a lot more chairbacks sold per game as they are the ones with money and also very loyal.  As for $177,500 covering two coaches, think again. That might be Luke's salary but Matt makes A LOT more than that.

The lower bowl seating for chairbacks goes up to I believe  (it's at least row N) row O which comes up to 15 rows per section. The 3 main sections are 17 seats across and the 2 wings are 8 seats across. That comes out to 15x17=255, then times 3=765 and 15x8=120 times 2=240. Added together it comes to a total of 1005  (765+240). Not sure of the bleacher side. They may squeeze in a couple more seats per row, but if not, the lower bowl less the student section would add up to 2010.
Prices last year were $25 chairbacks and $11.50 bleachers (lower & upper). This is before discounts for Teacher/Staff/Recent grad season ticket packages. The main 3 sections of the chairbacks seemed to be sold out 90-95% as season tickets, although a lot of those seats were no shows at times. I think a lot of the no shows were Corporate or individual "donation" purchases that were not die hard fans and just passed on coming to the games. So I would guess sold chairbacks might be around 850-900 per game. I've not taken in to consideration any complimentary tickets issued by the school, so I'll let who ever wants to do the math come up with the dollar amounts.

So doing the math, and assuming the chairbacks at 90%, that brings in $22,612 per game.  If the other seats (3005 average less 905 chairbacks) is 2100 bleachers. If 95% of those are paying, at $11.50 per seat, that's another $21,735, all before concessions/parking etc. for a total per game of $44,347 X 5 = $221,735.  Probably half of Matt's salary.

[oklahomamick]

I did the math in my head. 

It approximately comes out to be the cost of men's soccer and men's tennis. 

[VALPO LI]

Valpo to host Eastern Michigan Saturday December 5th at the ARC
From
Happening Hoops
@happeninghoops

Time to avenge last year's loss Valpo!!!

[VUGrad1314]

I hope the MVC has at least tried to do this... You have to think that Gonzaga would sign off on playing UNI or LUC, possibly Bradley...

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1264564919682437120

[VALPO LI]

Updated schedule:
@ Toledo Tue. 11/10
@ UIC Sat. 11/14
Challenge in Music City Nashville TN 11/27-29.
*Townson Towson
* Wright St.
*TBD
Eastern Michigan Sat. 12/5
@ Central Michigan Sat. 12/12
Charlotte Mon. 12/21

I could see Valpo playing at Vanderbilt just after their Challenge.  Vandy will be in Brooklyn for the Legends Classics Nov. 23 and 24th and Valpo in Nashville Nov. 27-29th.

[VUGrad1314]

Pretty meh schedule to be honest. Don't see any obvious Q1 games and only Wright State looks like a for sure Q2 game except it's a neutral site game so even that's not a given. Let's get a series with Belmont again. Still 4 slots to fill. Hopefully there are some exciting games. Also it's Towson, not Townson.

[VALPO LI]

Grrr spell check.
*Towson.