Valpo at Illinois State on ESPN+ Series Thread

[vok22]

I guess I'll start the thread. Don't want to jinx it but it looks like we might have a few positive things to talk about for the first time in a few weeks.

[Valpofamfan]

Yeah we are ahead after a quarter of a game! But the 2 redbird bigs are quite effective at stopping our drives to the rim so if we go cold from 3 we're doomed. Good to see our freshmen stepping up and people diving around the floor! Great effort from the team so far

[NativeCheesehead]

Live by the three, die by the three. Tonight we live.

[Valpofamfan]

We may yet die by the 3

[oklahomamick]

Man this place is dead......

Good shooting leads us to our 1st MVC win this season.  We will see them tomorrow same time same place. 

[tjjvalpo]

Nothing like an embarrassing loss to get them to come to play tonight. There was much more life in the team than the other night.

[VALPO LI]

VALPO WINS!!!!!
VALPO WINS!!!!!
Glad we got that off our chest

[nkvu]

That was nice. Team played well. Was a bit nervous when Sackey had delusions of height when he tried to jack up a three over a defender there toward the end and got it swatted back in his face. He needs to be reminded that the only thing he can shoot over is the floor varnish. Still, a well played game & the team had an answer for every time Ill State made a run. Hope we can build on this & take the second game tomorrow.

[wh]

It's only 1 game, but I'm highly encouraged. The guys did a lot of things well at both ends as a team. A really good job of getting Donovan the ball in a position to score. If Ben has a better offensive game tomorrow, we could pull off the back-to-back, which would be a huge confidence builder.

[justducky]

As a recovering men's basketball addict I will confess to you that I backslid and actually watched part of this game.    Hope that doesn't mean that I will become a slave to this program again.

What is it again when you score more points than the other team? Wen? Wan? Wim? I know it is something like that. Anyway we just did it. 

[VU2014]

Honestly couldn't blame him given the way we were playing.

https://twitter.com/yinzerstillinoh/status/1353038350186373128?s=21

[VU2014]

Very good team win today. The ball movement was night and day better, compared to the last few games!

They played together and made the extra passes today. Words can not describe how comforting it was to see that ball movement today.

[vu72]

Live by the three, die by the three. Tonight we live.

We had 27 of 69 points from the 3.  They had 21 points from the 3.  I would call that good balance with Clay getting the points in the paint.  If he and Krikke can develop consistent shooting from the 3 then everything will be coming up roses!  Not so much now.

[vok22]

Live by the three, die by the three. Tonight we live.

We had 27 of 69 points from the 3.  They had 21 points from the 3.  I would call that good balance with Clay getting the points in the paint.  If he and Krikke can develop consistent shooting from the 3 then everything will be coming up roses!  Not so much now.

We also only shot 31% from three tonight, so it's not like we won because we shot lights out...

[wh]

Something else encouraging. It looks like Matt has finally settled on a starting lineup (better late than never) and cutting down the rotation to something more workable. 4 of today's starter's played more than 30 minutes and only 2 backups played more than 10 minutes.

[IndyEIT777]

I'll start with the positives. Donovan was terrific tonight. It's a little frustrating that he hasn't played this well since Toledo, but maybe now he'll get into a groove after a few games have been played since the Covid stoppage. I really like what Conner Barret has done this season. He seems to have a very strong basketball IQ for a freshman and makes the hustle plays. Also I acknowledge I have been particularly hard on the Junior/Senior classes, but I'll grant Eron Gordon that he is trying out there and does seem to want to play so props to him.

That said, we beat probably the weakest team in the league tonight. If we can sweep them tomorrow, I'll try to be a little more positive, but right now, I won't hold my breath. Sackey looks like he continues to regress every game. Mileek continues to make me frustrated every time he takes the floor, and what is he doing trash talking and getting a technical foul for??? We have no room to be trash talking as a last place team. And finally, he responded the next day after I was critical of him last week, but only 4 minutes and 0 points from Ognocovic tonight... I know he's a freshman and he's going to have on and off nights, but he definitely looks like he continues to struggle. I'm hopeful he can improve, but I have not been particularly encouraged by his play. I apologize if my remarks are a little harsh after a win, but one win against a bottom tier conference team isn't raising my optimism for this team...at least not yet.

[sliman]

As someone pointed out after the Loyola mess, we have not been moving without the ball.  Tonight that was much better and Clay got several shots under the basket when he kept moving and someone (often Sackey) found him.  Loved the movement most of the game.

[valpotx]

Nice to be out and about, while following the stats on my cell, not having the stomach to watch this one live after the last game.  Just finished watching the replay, and glad to see the energy from the guys, and encouraging each other on just about every play.  PO even brought this up in the last post-game interviews, mentioning that the energy just wasn't there from the bench.  I think that sunk in with Lottich, as other teams create that energy from the bench, without any fans in attendance.  Let's hope for a sweep tomorrow, and I may just watch again...

[wh]

Watch now: Valparaiso leads all the way as Illinois State can't follow up big win against Bradley
Jim Benson  9 hrs ago

"Right now the locker room is silent. We're in kill mode," said Fleming of the Redbirds' mindset for Sunday's game. "We expect to come out and play 110% better than we did today."

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-state/watch-now-valparaiso-leads-all-the-way-as-illinois-state-cant-follow-up-big-win/article_e7bac3a4-6be4-525f-89fc-9fe8630968f2.html

[Valpofamfan]

I think a reason JO isn't scoring much is he's being asked to play inside and post up but he doesn't have the muscle yet to do that well against MVC bigs. His best scoring threat at the moment is from 3 but when Krikke gets in foul trouble he's going to have to be used inside.

[oklahomamick]

We have illinois state's number.  I think we have won 5 of the last 6 against them.

[vu72]

We have illinois state's number.  I think we have won 5 of the last 6 against them.

True, but, will it continue?  They have their entire team returning including two guys 6'10" and a couple of 6'9" guys.  Obviously we had trouble stopping those guys. We lose Mileek and don't have anybody considered a "big" coming in?  We are truly playing small ball with a bunch of guys who are shooting the three, as a team, at 27.6%.  That won't get it done.

[RS]

According Paul Oren, Zion Morgan is suited up for game today.

[SanityLost17]

Anybody else think all the uncertainty surrounding Nick Robinson played a part in our "lack of effort" for about a month there?   

Now that that situation has resolved itself all of the sudden we are playing hard again.   

Maybe Illinois State comes back and wins this one, but it is clear the team is playing harder.   They did not play hard against Loyola and Depaul.   

[oklahomamick]

We own Illinois St.