Vanderbilt In Conference

Just Sayin · January 17, 2020, 05:58:20 AM

So far, they are 0-3 and it doesn't look like they will win another conference game.

It was a good thing they replaced Bryce.

Brought the homie in.

usc4valpo · January 17, 2020, 06:34:30 AM

Perhaps Bryce will be coaching at Valpo next year.

Just Sayin · January 17, 2020, 06:52:40 AM

Quote from: usc4valpo on January 17, 2020, 06:34:30 AM
Perhaps Bryce will be coaching at Valpo next year.

Don't bet on it anytime soon. Too much bad blood. Perhaps down the road.

VUGrad1314 · January 17, 2020, 07:36:46 AM

Quote from: Just Sayin on January 17, 2020, 05:58:20 AMBrought the homie in.

I sincerely hope you're referring to a close friendship\relationship between Stackhouse and the Vanderbilt AD, and not what I think you're referring to...

Quote from: Just Sayin on January 17, 2020, 06:52:40 AM
Quote from: usc4valpo on January 17, 2020, 06:34:30 AMPerhaps Bryce will be coaching at Valpo next year.
Don't bet on it anytime soon. Too much bad blood. Perhaps down the road.

I've heard a lot of that bad blood has cooled down. It's very possible Bryce could make a return. But he can have the Valpo job anytime he wants. He's got what? Two more years of Vanderbilt checks waiting for him? He has zero incentive to come back until those checks stop clearing. I'd be willing to give Lottich a one year extension to 1. Give him a chance to prove he can lead us or 2. Coincide with the end of Bryce's Vanderbilt checks so he can seamlessly transition back into coaching here if he wants to and things don't work out with Lottich. If things do work out with Lottich then we've proven we can be successful without the Drews and we give Lottich the long-term extension he would richly deserve in that scenario.

Just Sayin · January 17, 2020, 08:04:48 AM

QuoteI've heard a lot of that bad blood has cooled down.

Hearsay. Until I hear it from MLB or a spokesman from Valpo, I'm not believing any of it.

usc4valpo · January 17, 2020, 08:24:52 AM

Am I missing something? Bad blood?

Just Sayin · January 17, 2020, 08:41:04 AM

Quote from: usc4valpo on January 17, 2020, 08:24:52 AMAm I missing something? Bad blood?

Anyone who knows the Drew family knows that they are all class. When Bryce made his announcement to take the job at Vanderbilt (know one knows what the conversation was between the university and Bryce before making the announcement) I expected that the university would have a going away party for Bryce to honor his major contribution to the school and the basketball program and to wish him well in his new job. That would have been the classy thing to do. It seemed fitting don't you think? But what we got was complete silence from the university. Nothing from Bryce either. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure our that something went wrong. Don't know what, but something went wrong.

So yes, it's more than reasonable to infer that there was bad blood between Bryce and someone. Who that someone is, I don't know. It might be more than just one person.

Speculation:

1. If it was the President, he' gone and the hearsay that things are better now may be referring to that. In that event, and if he had no beef with MLB, perhaps he would be open to coming back.

2. If it's MLB, he's still here and I doubt that Bryce would return given how his departure was handled by the MLB and the university. I like MLB and don't think he would alienate one of the individuals who has put Valpo on the map. But who knows?

wh · January 17, 2020, 10:00:28 AM

Quote from: usc4valpo on January 17, 2020, 06:34:30 AM
Perhaps Bryce will be coaching at Valpo next year.

First off, for this to become reality this year's team would have to implode and/or Matt do something egregious between now and the end of the season. Not going to happen. Matt is pushing all the right buttons to turn this program around. He got rid of the deadwood and mercenaries he inherited and is building the program the right way - from the ground up. He has managed to recruit 3-star-level talent despite all the recent negativity around the program. He has brought back one of our successful staples from the past - international recruiting. He has everyone returning next year, sans John and an injured Ryan.

As to Bryce, I loved him as a player and as a coach. I was as disheartened as the next person when he left. That said, he left Valpo for greener pastures, and he failed miserably. Did things happen beyond his control (injuries, new AD, etc.)? Absolutely. Was he treated unfairly? Maybe or maybe not. To draw a grade system analogy, finishing in last place in a big time conference is an F. Going winless in conference is a zero. I have to be honest, if I were the new AD, I probably would have made the same decision he did. His top priority was to turn the basketball program around. Am I going to roll the dice on my own future and legacy by bringing back the same guy that took a program on the berm and drove it straight into the ditch? Highly unlikely.

Hopefully, Matt becomes successful, then highly successful, and remains at Valpo as long as he wants to. If he were ever to leave somewhere down the road, my vote would go to Ryan Broekhoff. I mentioned as much in a thread a year or 2 ago that wouldn't it be great if Ryan were to join the Valpo coaching staff when his playing days are over. Koala (Ryan's Mum) replied, "Wouldn't that be lovely!" When that day comes, add him as an assistant and let him learn the ropes, a la Bryce and Matt. Somewhere down the road, Valpo becomes the Rowdy show.

usc4valpo · January 17, 2020, 11:12:42 AM

Honestly, I never knew of any animosity of Bryce Drew leaving. People go on to bigger jobs, Valpo I would assume would understand. Bryce did significantly more for Valpo than vice versa.

Just Sayin · January 17, 2020, 11:28:43 AM

Quote from: usc4valpo on January 17, 2020, 11:12:42 AMHonestly, I never knew of any animosity of Bryce Drew leaving. People go on to bigger jobs, Valpo I would assume would understand. Bryce did significantly more for Valpo than vice versa.

Doesn't mean there wasn't any. Like I said.

usc4valpo · January 17, 2020, 11:31:04 AM

Sad to hear that. I think Bryce Drew will find a new job - maybe DePaul.

Just Sayin · January 17, 2020, 11:39:55 AM

Quote from: usc4valpo on January 17, 2020, 11:31:04 AMSad to hear that. I think Bryce Drew will find a new job - maybe DePaul.

I'm not so sure he will return to coaching. He is doing a very good job as a color guy at ESPN. He seems to enjoy it and is having fun. At least when I listened to him recently with Adam Amin.

justducky · January 17, 2020, 11:58:35 AM

Quote from: usc4valpo on January 17, 2020, 11:31:04 AM
Sad to hear that. I think Bryce Drew will find a new job - maybe DePaul.

If so he still owes us a home and home. Just to be on the safe side I would want DePaul to come here first.

Scott can and should find a way to return to the ARC as well. There are no longer any legitimate or manufactured excuses and he has the power.

wh · January 17, 2020, 12:10:54 PM

Quote from: Just Sayin on January 17, 2020, 11:28:43 AM

Quote from: usc4valpo on January 17, 2020, 11:12:42 AMHonestly, I never knew of any animosity of Bryce Drew leaving. People go on to bigger jobs, Valpo I would assume would understand. Bryce did significantly more for Valpo than vice versa.

Doesn't mean there wasn't any. Like I said.

As Crooked Hilary said about the Benghazi fiasco...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEpEiBf8vvo

usc4valpo · January 17, 2020, 12:49:38 PM

Yeah this discussion is a complete nothingburger, whatever that means...
I guess after 4 years of a new coach I just don't have enough patience. I thought Smith should have been let go after 4 years but I think Valpo got him at a KMart price.

Just Sayin · January 17, 2020, 12:57:13 PM

Quote from: usc4valpo on January 17, 2020, 12:49:38 PMYeah this discussion is a complete nothingburger, whatever that means... I guess after 4 years of a new coach I just don't have enough patience. I thought Smith should have been let go after 4 years but I think Valpo got him at a KMart price.

If discussing Bryce Drew is a nothing burger to you, why come here and comment about Bryce Drew? Not everyone agrees with you and there are some people who would like to see him return to Valpo. Geesh, no one can talk about Bryce Drew anymore on a Valpo forum?

vu72 · January 17, 2020, 01:05:38 PM

Quote from: usc4valpo on January 17, 2020, 12:49:38 PM
Yeah this discussion is a complete nothingburger, whatever that means...
I guess after 4 years of a new coach I just don't have enough patience. I thought Smith should have been let go after 4 years but I think Valpo got him at a KMart price.

[/b]

Then you were wrong. Tom Smith had zero funding from the University and zero support from the administration. Heck, they had to pay for their own hotel rooms when recruiting. He went on to be a hall of fame coach.

Tom coached 25 of his 38 seasons at Missouri Western, where he compiled a 448–279 record.[3] Smith coached the Griffons to 10 NCAA Division II national tournaments, five MIAA regular season championships and four MIAA postseason tournament titles. Smith has also been named MIAA Coach-of-the-year twice while he was at MWSU. Under Smith's guidance, Western has produced an MIAA Most valuable player, an MIAA tournament MVP, 45 All-MAA selections, six All-Region picks, and three NCAA All-Americans. He currently has a .586 overall winning percentage at the college level, ranking him in the top 20 active coaches, and also is the winningest coach in Missouri Western history.

As for Bryce, it was well known and said out loud by MLB that it was expected that Bryce would leave when the right opportunity came along. That has been the reason why the "promote from within" aka the Butler model has been put in place. The timing of the leaving may have been an issue, not sure, but it certainly wasn't a shock. And as for Bryce giving a lot more than he got, Bryce was the highest paid coach in the conference.

wh · January 17, 2020, 01:16:24 PM

Quote from: Just Sayin on January 17, 2020, 12:57:13 PM
Quote from: usc4valpo on January 17, 2020, 12:49:38 PMYeah this discussion is a complete nothingburger, whatever that means... I guess after 4 years of a new coach I just don't have enough patience. I thought Smith should have been let go after 4 years but I think Valpo got him at a KMart price.

If discussing Bryce Drew is a nothing burger to you, why come here and comment about Bryce Drew? Not everyone agrees with you and there are some people who would like to see him return to Valpo. Geesh, no one can talk about Bryce Drew anymore on a Valpo forum?

People should feel free to talk about Bryce all day long if that's what they want to do. I'm only suggesting that whether Bryce left on good terms or bad terms has no relevance as to whether he might return as Valpo's head coach. There is no coaching vacancy to return to. We have a head coach. His name is Matt Lottich. He's under contract. He isn't going anywhere soon. Short of Matt leaving on his own for some reason (which I highly doubt), the earliest we would have a head coaching is at the end of next season, and that's assuming next year is a disaster (which I highly doubt). That said, anyone that still wants to talk about Bryce coming back, by all means continue.

Just Sayin · January 17, 2020, 02:36:20 PM

Sure hope Vandy loses every conference game. They deserve it.

usc4valpo · January 17, 2020, 06:20:12 PM

Ok, I did intend to call Bryce Drew a nothing burger. I was just following the entry including the video with Hilldog. Bryce is wonderful guy and has tremendous basketball sense.

usc4valpo · January 17, 2020, 06:25:19 PM

Bryce was paid reasonably, but the commitment from Valpo for the program did not match his contributions.

VUGrad1314 · January 17, 2020, 07:36:34 PM

Sounds like that's changing though... Looks like we're getting serious... If it comes to the point where we need him maybe he'll give us another chance after seeing the changes we're making...

bbtds · January 19, 2020, 11:21:35 AM

Vandy just went 0 for 25 from three against Tennessee.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28511073/vanderbilt-34-year-3-point-streak-ends-0-25-night?platform=amp

Will they blame Bryce for this too?

FieldGoodie05 · January 19, 2020, 12:07:55 PM

Quote from: bbtds on January 19, 2020, 11:21:35 AM
Vandy just went 0 for 25 from three against Tennessee.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28511073/vanderbilt-34-year-3-point-streak-ends-0-25-night?platform=amp

Will they blame Bryce for this too?

Some here would blame him as well. I don't concern myself with others' programs but it's not unreasonable.

Just Sayin · January 19, 2020, 01:01:26 PM

Quote from: FieldGoodie05 on January 19, 2020, 12:07:55 PM
Quote from: bbtds on January 19, 2020, 11:21:35 AMVandy just went 0 for 25 from three against Tennessee. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28511073/vanderbilt-34-year-3-point-streak-ends-0-25-night?platform=amp Will they blame Bryce for this too?
Some here would blame him as well. I don't concern myself with others' programs but it's not unreasonable.

If you don't concern yourself with others' programs why would you choose to click on Vandy in Conference and then make a comment?