Valpo at Bradley Game Thread, Wed., Jan. 29th, 6:00p, ESPN+

wh · January 29, 2020, 06:57:11 PM

The one thing we did do well is create 10 TO's. We might be down 20 otherwise. A little better shot selection and finding a way to get Ryan the ball more, and we might climb back into this. I'm feeling optimistic.

NativeCheesehead · January 29, 2020, 06:57:53 PM

Live look at our offense:

GoldenCrusader87 · January 29, 2020, 07:07:40 PM

Idk about the rest of you but I'm in complete shock that we dug ourselves into a hole that we'll now work our way out of only to likely have it be too little too late.

bbtds · January 29, 2020, 07:10:12 PM

He miss these FTs

I tried.

bbtds · January 29, 2020, 07:19:16 PM

That's it Javon. Make it ~~hurt~~ count.

bbtds · January 29, 2020, 07:27:00 PM

Quote from: GoldenCrusader87 on January 29, 2020, 07:07:40 PM
Idk about the rest of you but I'm in complete shock that we dug ourselves into a hole that we'll now work our way out of only to likely have it be too little too late.

I think the run is over. Without Javon (and only partially) and Fazekas we won't take shots and when we do we don't make 'em.

Clay proving me wrong.

bbtds · January 29, 2020, 07:34:08 PM

John needs to pull Ryan aside and give him the "not lose your cool" speech.

I guess Ryan being a senior wouldn't take to that.

bbtds · January 29, 2020, 07:37:29 PM

I used to go to the Bixby Eye Center.

bbtds · January 29, 2020, 07:52:39 PM

Guess I better start going back to the Bixby Eye Center. His name wasn't Bixby though.

nkvu · January 29, 2020, 08:00:18 PM

Sucked in the first half, made a game of it in the second only to come up short again

Same old same old.

valpotx · January 29, 2020, 08:00:43 PM

Great effort to get back to within 2, but absolutely dumb a$$ shot selection every single possession after that point.

bbtds · January 29, 2020, 08:01:39 PM

Can't have the shooting droughts we have had to finish better in conference.

valpopal · January 29, 2020, 08:06:32 PM

Same old

!

govalpogo · January 29, 2020, 08:06:42 PM

I could literally copy and paste any post after a loss this year to express my feelings. I will say that it's hard to come back when simply looking at the opponent results in a foul.

Really though, there was not a scenario in my head where Valpo wins this one. Now pressure is on to win on Saturday. Do that.

tiny707 · January 29, 2020, 08:16:09 PM

Now sure of the line up Lottich has in the game at times. Mixes it up a lot.

crusadermoe · January 29, 2020, 08:49:33 PM

Clay has a knack and he seems comfortable in crunch time. Not normal for a freshman big.

He moves his feet well on defense, almost as well as JFL. We'll get there!

valpolaw · January 29, 2020, 08:51:44 PM

Another close moral victory, the norm under Lottich

bbtds · January 29, 2020, 09:09:47 PM

Quote from: crusadermoe on January 29, 2020, 08:49:33 PM
Clay has a knack and he seems comfortable in crunch time. Not normal for a freshman big.

He moves his feet well on defense, almost as well as JFL. We'll get there!

Needs to keep his head in the game all the time. Too many times our team makes mental mistakes that cost us possessions or points in a close game.

PlumStreetBum · January 29, 2020, 09:35:35 PM

Just finished watching the replay. Brutal 1st half defense, no surprise there.

But I have to say, I nearly turned it off several times not because of our play, but because the refs made the game an unbearable slog. Total ump show tonight. If I'd paid for a ticket, I'd ask for a refund.

(Not that it made a difference in the outcome, we lost that one fair and square.)

NativeCheesehead · January 29, 2020, 10:05:50 PM

All I'm going to say is there's been very few games this year where I thought the opposing team had more talent than we did.

valpopal · January 29, 2020, 10:58:37 PM

All five home teams won tonight, again showing how important defending home court can be in this conference. Valpo should be able to do that Saturday, but next Wednesday will be a real test, perhaps the night for a surprising upset special!

VUGrad1314 · January 30, 2020, 02:05:47 AM

We are now eighth in the standings and our path out of the PIG while still alive doesn't look great right now. At least we have head to head over both 5-4 teams right now. We HAVE to beat Illinois State. If we can beat Missouri State at home when we play them later it will help a lot but those road games in Terre Haute and Des Moines just took on an absolutely critical importance as we are now two games out of 5th. We need to have both to avoid Thursday it looks like. We're improving year to year but are we improving enough? I really don't know the answer to that to be honest...

VUGrad1314 · January 30, 2020, 04:04:19 AM

Forget what I said about the upcoming schedule and being a factor in the conference race. I don't care about that anymore this year. It's just not feasible. The only games that matter for this team are Illinois State (X2) @Indiana State Missouri State and @Drake. Oh and the home games because losing at home is the surest route to Thursday. That's it. Full stop. We MUST avoid Thursday. It is critical for the future of the program and the Lottich era itself.

Just Sayin · January 30, 2020, 05:58:31 AM

Quote from: valpopal on January 29, 2020, 10:58:37 PMAll five home teams won tonight, again showing how important defending home court can be in this conference. Valpo should be able to do that Saturday, but next Wednesday will be a real test, perhaps the night for a surprising upset special!

The MVC is second among all conferences for the best W-L% at home.

bbtds · January 30, 2020, 08:01:30 AM

Quote from: VUGrad1314 on January 30, 2020, 02:05:47 AM
We are now eighth in the standings and our path out of the PIG while still alive doesn't look great right now. At least we have head to head over both 5-4 teams right now. We HAVE to beat Illinois State. If we can beat Missouri State at home when we play them later it will help a lot but those road games in Terre Haute and Des Moines just took on an absolutely critical importance as we are now two games out of 5th. We need to have both to avoid Thursday it looks like. We're improving year to year but are we improving enough? I really don't know the answer to that to be honest...

As I said before the decision on whether to keep Coach Lottich will be a tough one. The record will be better but not a lot better. But it wasn't as horrible as some predicted when last year's large number of transfers happened (the obvious over reaction). We are so close to winning but many times bad shooting and mental mistakes let us down just enough to change the outcome of the game. I think our AD will give Lottich a four year extension based on their coach employment history. I was really disappointed when they gave the previous WBB coach an extension but that is the Valpo Way. Let's hope Coach Lottich can figure it out and that if he doesn't by another 4 years Greg Tonagel would want to make the move to his alma mater and spend more than 6 years at this school.

BTW, I thought the game announcers on ESPN went out of their way, almost going beyond neutral, to be fair to Valpo, when calling the game on the ESPN+ video.