MBB 2021-2022

[valpopal]

I know preseason ratings are useless, but if anyone wants to see a bit more optimistic view, Sports Illustrated's rankings are out and show the MVC as the 10th best conference, Valpo is ranked #131, and VU is forecast to be 5th in the conference standings:
https://www.si.com/college/2021/11/02/ncaa-basketball-rankings-every-team-daily-cover

[Just Sayin]

I know preseason ratings are useless, but if anyone wants to see a bit more optimistic view, Sports Illustrated's rankings are out and show the MVC as the 10th best conference, Valpo is ranked #131, and VU is forecast to be 5th in the conference standings:
https://www.si.com/college/2021/11/02/ncaa-basketball-rankings-every-team-daily-cover

Over at Valparaiso (No. 131), a quartet of names Big Ten fans may recognize (Wisconsin's Kobe King, Trevor Anderson and Joe Hedstrom; Michigan State's Thomas Kithier) will look to help push the newly renamed Beacons forward.

[Just Sayin]

T-Rank Projections, Valpo168
https://barttorvik.com/?&begin=20201101&end=20210501&conlimit=All&year=2021&top=0&quad=5&rpi=#

Methodology for Preseason Projections

http://adamcwisports.blogspot.com/2015/09/t-rank-2016-preview-nuts-and-bolts.html

[tjjvalpo]

After looking at all the posts for the MVC Top Returners, and what value there is in returner group of players, I can see why we are picked to be 7th in the conference. The good thing is that we get the non-conference schedule to get our act together. If we had to play conference games right out of the gate, we would be at huge disadvantage to many of the top MVC teams. With talent we have this will be a huge test for Matt coaching ability. I hope he is up to the challenge. Hopefully, as a conference, the teams that have a lot returning players will get big non-conference wins. As for Valpo, hopefully, these two exhibition games will help us improve quickly to be more competitive in our non-conference schedule. I'm looking forward to see our improvement from Saturday's game.

[wh]

Does anyone know anything about Connor's injury situation? I can't even recall what's wrong with him, so if someone could start there, I would appreciate it.

[crusader05]

He was out with a shoulder injury and per paul's podcast he got hurt in practice so I don't know if it's a dislocation or just a bad bruise or wrench.

[JD24]

Purdue's football program showed more ball movement than Valpo's basketball team on Saturday.

[VUSupport]

No dislocation for Barrett. He'll probably be back soon, but not for tomorrow against Toledo

[wh]

No dislocation for Barrett. He'll probably be back soon, but not for tomorrow against Toledo

Thank you for the update. How about Ben tomorrow night?

[VU0331]

Kobe King will be the difference maker this year. All the shooting and ball movement that recent teams have lacked is finally out there. Kobe's athleticism and ability to create offense is the missing puzzle piece to a very well constructed team.

[vok22]

I was watching this UNI-Vermont game and noticed that there was pretty much a lack of any crowd or student section. No energy in the building at all which I find surprising for a team with really high expectations, a history of recent success, a fairly enthusiastic fan base, and great facilities. I dig deeper and looked at the opening day attendance numbers across the Valley home teams. Valpo (2850) drew more than Drake, Northern Iowa, and Illinois State, while only barely trailing Loyola (2900, including 1400 students). Missouri State blew everybody else out of the water with over 4000. I'm really surprised, honestly. I would expect most Valley teams to draw over 3000 for their home openers, especially teams with title aspirations like Drake and Northern Iowa. I felt like 2850 for us was a little higher than I was expecting considering we lost 2 exhibitions to D-2 teams at home. I was expecting attendance numbers to be higher after not being able to attend games last year, but I guess not. I haven't looked at past valley attendance averages so I don't know if this is up or down compared to normal, but thought it was interesting. 

[elephtheria47]

I'm fearful the numbers will not rise much further than that. Cases in Indiana are up 40% in the last week and too many people simply don't want to be inside with hundreds/thousands of other people. Attendance for college football games is down and that's sitting outside. I'm glad that there will be *some* fans and I hope that they bring tons of energy...just not going to put too much stock into numbers either way and hoping by next year we can be more of a "return to normal" ??

[wh]

Kobe King will be the difference maker this year. All the shooting and ball movement that recent teams have lacked is finally out there. Kobe's athleticism and ability to create offense is the missing puzzle piece to a very well constructed team.

IMO the biggest difference in the Toledo game was they had a go-to guy that took over down the stretch, and we didn't. There's times when you absolutely need to have that one player that can get to the hoop and score or get fouled. The last player we had like that was Javon Freeman-Liberty. I'm hoping Kobe becomes our new Javon.

[VALPO LI]

I was watching this UNI-Vermont game and noticed that there was pretty much a lack of any crowd or student section. No energy in the building at all which I find surprising for a team with really high expectations, a history of recent success, a fairly enthusiastic fan base, and great facilities. I dig deeper and looked at the opening day attendance numbers across the Valley home teams. Valpo (2850) drew more than Drake, Northern Iowa, and Illinois State, while only barely trailing Loyola (2900, including 1400 students). Missouri State blew everybody else out of the water with over 4000. I'm really surprised, honestly. I would expect most Valley teams to draw over 3000 for their home openers, especially teams with title aspirations like Drake and Northern Iowa. I felt like 2850 for us was a little higher than I was expecting considering we lost 2 exhibitions to D-2 teams at home. I was expecting attendance numbers to be higher after not being able to attend games last year, but I guess not. I haven't looked at past valley attendance averages so I don't know if this is up or down compared to normal, but thought it was interesting. 

The bigger surprise is that UNI could go 1-5 for the month of November.
Re Valpo's home opener attendance, 2,850 was a larger crowd then Valpo's home opener in 2019 vs. Toledo (2,412).
Not since 2016 has Valpo had a larger crowd on opening day (3,560 Southern Utah).

[vok22]

I remember that Southern Utah game vividly because SU had some guy Randy O that scored 35 on us. Looking back at the box score I see we shot 4-18 from three, 37% overall, had an opposing player go for 35, and we still won by 14. Really gets me thinking about what wins games and the difference between our dominant teams from that era and now. They found ways to win even when they were having off shooting nights and they knew exactly what to do to win. They got to the free throw line 37 times that game and made 33 of them. They knew that if they weren't able to hit their shots that had to get some free throws and they did just that.

[NativeCheesehead]

I was at the game Tues. No chance in hell there was 2850 there.

[VALPO LI]

I was at the game Tues. No chance in hell there was 2850 there.

I thought the same thing.  I just assumed most people were on line for a nice cold beer!

[IndyEIT777]

I was at the game Tues. No chance in hell there was 2850 there.

I thought the same thing.  I just assumed most people were on line for a nice cold beer!

I was at the game as well, no chance in hell there were more than 2000 in that building. There might as well have been 200 people there, you could hear a pin drop. Not sure if it was the exhibition losses, it being a Tuesday game, or some combination of other factors, but that was the worst home crowd I've experienced in my time being a Valpo student/alum. Zero energy from the student section as well, but I'm sure we've beaten that drum to death by now. Really hope we start getting some wins so maybe some life can come back to the ARC.

[JD24]

Since we've played 9 "games" at this point 7 + 2 exhibitions, is Kobe King due back now?

[VUGrad1314]

No I don't believe the exhibitions count towards that number.

[valpopal]

[tweet]1467878439919112199[/tweet]

[wh]

[tweet]1467878439919112199[/tweet]

Keep winning on the road and with double digit scoring margins. NET will take care of itself.

The NET includes more components than just winning percentage. It takes into account game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses.

[Just Sayin]

#MVCHoops teams in the first NET Rankings: Pomery Rankings in Bold
25. Loyola-Chicago  28.
87. Drake  69.
128. Mo State  78.
135. Southern Illinois 135.
148. Indiana St  179.
215. Valpo  212.
240. Bradley 185.
246. UNI 129.
272. Illinois St 239.
280. Evansville 226.

[oklahomamick]

Don't want to be negative because it seems like a lot of my post are just that.....

But those numbers seem more like the HL when we left, than the MVC that we joined....just saying. 

[valpotx]

Don't want to be negative because it seems like a lot of my post are just that.....

But those numbers seem more like the HL when we left, than the MVC that we joined....just saying. 

Great, compare them to the HL now, and be appreciative that we left