Loyola @ Valpo Women Tues 19'th ESPN3 Men Wed 20'th ESPN+ 6PM For Both

[valpotx]

I appear to be in the least popular camp, which is that I like Lottich as our coach.  Watching our players throughout the last few games, there is only so much that you can do as a HC, to get them to care about a game and their teammates.  Matt appears to stay engaged throughout each game, tries to encourage them, even when down by 30.  Having been an athlete, I can tell you that these types of things are all on the athletes.  I don't see our players diving for loose balls like our prior teams, I don't see them trying more than 1 move to get open away from the ball, when they are covered by a defender, etc.  JFL was a fantastic player, but he set us back as a team, in having so much of the offense run through him, that these other players are still figuring out how to trust each other.

[VUGrad1314]

Yep When your top 1-2 options turn you down the "hire from within" model doesn't work and you need to look outside the program. I'm amazed MLB didn't understand this and now we're all paying for it in ways that are very damaging to everything this program has built over the previous 20+ years prior to Lottich. I genuinely wonder if this program will ever recover and become what it was under the Drews at this point. If it doesn't I fear that MLB's legacy will be more that he tanked the program rather than advanced it despite presiding over two beneficial conference moves that should have moved the department and program forward and made it more prominent.

[valpo95]

Let's not overreact here, either on the coach or especially on our AD. I've made the case elsewhere why the end of last season, Lottich was clearly deserving of being continued as coach. It was almost a no-brainer given all of the uncertainty about hiring someone else. Let's keep in mind the following:

1) Valpo has played two of the top three teams in conference, who are collectively 20-4 and 11-2 in conference. Lots of teams have and will struggle against Loyola and Missouri State.

2) For those of you putting this on Coach Lottich, Northern Iowa is 3-10 and 2-6 in conference. Ben Jacobson didn't forget how to coach, yet losing a star player to injury is a blow. BTW, in UNI's last game, they lost to Loyola 88-46.

3) So far, Darian DeVries has been good at Drake. He has one year at 12-6 and one year at 8-10 in conference. This year, of course, Drake is unbeaten. Their first game win against KSU is a good win, yet not amazing: KSU is currently 5-10 and 1-6 in conference. Yet for those of you advocating hiring outside, the AD doesn't know if the next coach will be Darian DeVries or Walter McCarty. Would you want to have hired the latter?

4) Beyond that, the two scoring leaders and minutes leaders right now are Krikke and Clay, both sophomores. Both have potential for sure, yet someone like Krikke is a fine #2 option right now, and could develop into an excellent player. Krikke is averaging 11.7 ppg and just above that in conference. He's being called on to be the #1 scoring threat, which isn't his game right now. Even some of the best forwards in VU history were more uneven as freshmen and sophomores and grew into excellent roles as upperclassmen. For reference, Dan Oppland (15.7 ppg as a sophomore, 19.8 as a senior.) Alec Peters (16.8 as a sophomore , 23.0 as a senior. ) Casey Schmidt (2.8 as a sophomore at Arizona, 16.9 as a senior).

The AD will evaluate the season when it is over. Would I be shocked if there was a coaching change? No. Would I be shocked if there was no coaching change? No. It remains to be seen how the rest of the season plays out, what recruits are coming in, and a whole range of things that we as fans cannot see.

[vuny98]

Let's not overreact here, either on the coach or especially on our AD. I've made the case elsewhere why the end of last season, Lottich was clearly deserving of being continued as coach. It was almost a no-brainer given all of the uncertainty about hiring someone else. Let's keep in mind the following:

1) Valpo has played two of the top three teams in conference, who are collectively 20-4 and 11-2 in conference. Lots of teams have and will struggle against Loyola and Missouri State.

2) For those of you putting this on Coach Lottich, Northern Iowa is 3-10 and 2-6 in conference. Ben Jacobson didn't forget how to coach, yet losing a star player to injury is a blow. BTW, in UNI's last game, they lost to Loyola 88-46.

3) So far, Darian DeVries has been good at Drake. He has one year at 12-6 and one year at 8-10 in conference. This year, of course, Drake is unbeaten. Their first game win against KSU is a good win, yet not amazing: KSU is currently 5-10 and 1-6 in conference. Yet for those of you advocating hiring outside, the AD doesn't know if the next coach will be Darian DeVries or Walter McCarty. Would you want to have hired the latter?

4) Beyond that, the two scoring leaders and minutes leaders right now are Krikke and Clay, both sophomores. Both have potential for sure, yet someone like Krikke is a fine #2 option right now, and could develop into an excellent player. Krikke is averaging 11.7 ppg and just above that in conference. He's being called on to be the #1 scoring threat, which isn't his game right now. Even some of the best forwards in VU history were more uneven as freshmen and sophomores and grew into excellent roles as upperclassmen. For reference, Dan Oppland (15.7 ppg as a sophomore, 19.8 as a senior.) Alec Peters (16.8 as a sophomore , 23.0 as a senior. ) Casey Schmidt (2.8 as a sophomore at Arizona, 16.9 as a senior).

The AD will evaluate the season when it is over. Would I be shocked if there was a coaching change? No. Would I be shocked if there was no coaching change? No. It remains to be seen how the rest of the season plays out, what recruits are coming in, and a whole range of things that we as fans cannot see.

Pretty good recap of how I feel. I have serious concerns over Lottich and this team, but also not in the over reacting phase just yet. Still a lot of basketball left this year. Let's see how the team responds, let's see if Clay can get out if his slump, let's see if Krikke can improve, let's see if the Freshmen can show us something to be hopeful for.  I was never too high on the Juniors/seniors left on the team, so I am not surprised the team is struggling,  although the drop off has been far greater than I expected.

[oklahomamick]

K-state lost to Hayes St........

[vu72]

Let's not overreact here, either on the coach or especially on our AD. I've made the case elsewhere why the end of last season, Lottich was clearly deserving of being continued as coach. It was almost a no-brainer given all of the uncertainty about hiring someone else. Let's keep in mind the following:

1) Valpo has played two of the top three teams in conference, who are collectively 20-4 and 11-2 in conference. Lots of teams have and will struggle against Loyola and Missouri State.

2) For those of you putting this on Coach Lottich, Northern Iowa is 3-10 and 2-6 in conference. Ben Jacobson didn't forget how to coach, yet losing a star player to injury is a blow. BTW, in UNI's last game, they lost to Loyola 88-46.

3) So far, Darian DeVries has been good at Drake. He has one year at 12-6 and one year at 8-10 in conference. This year, of course, Drake is unbeaten. Their first game win against KSU is a good win, yet not amazing: KSU is currently 5-10 and 1-6 in conference. Yet for those of you advocating hiring outside, the AD doesn't know if the next coach will be Darian DeVries or Walter McCarty. Would you want to have hired the latter?

4) Beyond that, the two scoring leaders and minutes leaders right now are Krikke and Clay, both sophomores. Both have potential for sure, yet someone like Krikke is a fine #2 option right now, and could develop into an excellent player. Krikke is averaging 11.7 ppg and just above that in conference. He's being called on to be the #1 scoring threat, which isn't his game right now. Even some of the best forwards in VU history were more uneven as freshmen and sophomores and grew into excellent roles as upperclassmen. For reference, Dan Oppland (15.7 ppg as a sophomore, 19.8 as a senior.) Alec Peters (16.8 as a sophomore , 23.0 as a senior. ) Casey Schmidt (2.8 as a sophomore at Arizona, 16.9 as a senior).

The AD will evaluate the season when it is over. Would I be shocked if there was a coaching change? No. Would I be shocked if there was no coaching change? No. It remains to be seen how the rest of the season plays out, what recruits are coming in, and a whole range of things that we as fans cannot see.

Pretty good recap of how I feel. I have serious concerns over Lottich and this team, but also not in the over reacting phase just yet. Still a lot of basketball left this year. Let's see how the team responds, let's see if Clay can get out if his slump, let's see if Krikke can improve, let's see if the Freshmen can show us something to be hopeful for.  I was never too high on the Juniors/seniors left on the team, so I am not surprised the team is struggling,  although the drop off has been far greater than I expected.

Very good points.  The Northern Iowa situation is particularly on point.  They were picked 1 or 2 and now have lost to Loyola most recently by 42.  They lost one first team all conference player but (to my limited knowledge) had several starters back and still got blown out.  We lost one first team all conference player plus two other starters one of which was the greatest three point shooter in Valpo history.

It is going to be a long season.  We'll know how long after we play a team closer to our level this coming weekend.  Remember, we hung very tough with Purdue but, teams that know us best also know how we play and who does what.  That makes it more difficult.  With very little senior leadership, again, last year we had Kiser and Fazekas, it's going to be tough.

[valpo64]

well said, vu72

[valpotx]

Krikke is going to be awesome.  He has shown a ton of improvement over the last year.  He was primarily camped around the 3 point line last year, and would have some post-up work.  He has shown an excellent feel for the ball, and the necessary moves to take it to the rim.  I would say that he is going to be more critical to our program, versus Clay, even if both stick around.