2022-2023 Schedule

[NotBryceDrew]

Nope

[usc4valpo]

Yes, we need better teams on the schedule.

[vuny98]

Ole Miss may be SEC but are certainly not great. You metric on great and good is rather generous.

I was in a generous mood.

[David81]

Stonehill?  D1? Had to google them.  Everyone d1 now.  So many teams have made the jump in the last 5 years

Stonehill College is a well-regarded small, Catholic college here in the Greater Boston area. I would never associate it with big(ger) time collegiate sports, however.

I was unfamiliar with Incarnate Word College before this. I'm wondering if they're on the schedule because their head coach, Carson Cunningham, has a strong region connection (Gary Andrean player and coach; Gary Steelheads CBA player):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carson_Cunningham

Nothing against these schools as academic institutions, but I agree with others that opponents like this will not build VU's hoops street cred. If we beat Incarnate by 30, no one will consider that noteworthy. But if, heaven forbid, we should lose to a school like this, then I'll start having flashbacks to my student days of the late 70s/early 80s. 😳

[historyman]

Hypothetical: if Butler were to offer a one time buy game at Hinkle, would/should Valpo accept?

No, would Valpo do this for DePaul, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Marquette, Creighton? Why do it for Butler?

[usc4valpo]

Disagree. Get a chance to face top opponents, and when we are successful they will do a home and home. We are down right now to successfully request home and home matchups.

[vuny98]

Hypothetical: if Butler were to offer a one time buy game at Hinkle, would/should Valpo accept?

No, would Valpo do this for DePaul, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Marquette, Creighton? Why do it for Butler?

I would like it if Valpo did it for any for those schools you listed actually.

[usc4valpo]

Be aware that there are Valpo alums across the US that would like to engage. Also, it can help promote the school if we do it right. I love to see more Valpo matches against DePaul and Northwestern and other bigger name schools.

[vu84v2]

I like the idea of a one time "buy game" with Butler (or Marquette, Xavier, Georgetown) because it creates the opportunity for alumni events in the associated cities for the games in which alumni are more likely to be enthused. Previous events at schools like SIU-E are ridiculous because the perceived quality of the opponent is very poor (plus, in the case of SIU-E, the school is not in the city or major areas where alumni might live). Take for instance, Milwaukee. If you schedule alumni events around a game with UWM, no one cares because UWM is not considered an option for a strong sporting event. But it is a different story with Marquette.

DePaul is a different case because there will be a conference game in Chicago. Creighton would depend on the number of Valpo alums in and near Omaha (by the way, Creighton should be an excellent team this year).

[usc4valpo]

Valpo needs better facilities and probably a good payout also if we want to demand home and home matchups.

[1LoneBeacon]

Excerpt Copy/Paste from JMU scheduling article ...


Scheduling guru Rocco Miller also reported the Savannah event will feature a six-team field and a four-team field with teams in both brackets guaranteed three games from Nov. 25-27.


I didn't remember seeing the dates for the Savannah Invitational until now.

[VALPO LI]

The driving force behind getting good teams to play you is winning!!!  The ARC could be renovated, the parking can get better and the Crusaders can be Pups it won't matter.  Win and the opportunities will come.  Just ask Belmont and Murray State fans.

[historyman]

(plus, in the case of SIU-E, the school is not in the city or major areas where alumni might live).

I think you might be mistaken where Edwardsville, IL is located. It's definitely the metro east section of St Louis and some Valpo alumni from St Louis have no objection to a game there although Saint Louis U would be the better opponent to get on the schedule.

And I could see Lindenwood in St Charles, MO (just across the Missouri River from St Louis County in St Charles County) could also find their way on the schedule.




Lindenwood University to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville - Google Maps

[vu84v2]

(plus, in the case of SIU-E, the school is not in the city or major areas where alumni might live).

I think you might be mistaken where Edwardsville, IL is located. It's definitely the metro east section of St Louis and some Valpo alumni from St Louis have no objection to a game there although Saint Louis U would be the better opponent to get on the schedule.

And I could see Lindenwood in St Charles, MO (just across the Missouri River from St Louis County in St Charles County) could also find their way on the schedule.




Lindenwood University to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville - Google Maps

OK, perhaps my knowledge of the location of St. Louis population centers might be off - but very few Valpo alums are going to go out to see Valpo play at either SIU-E or Lindenwood. You need quality opponents....and SLU is far and away the best option. After that, Valpo is better spending money on alumni events elsewhere.

[vu72]

This the worst Home OOC schedule I can remember.   

https://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/2022-23/21450/valpo-basketball-reveals-nonconference-schedule/

[VALPO LI]

@ Chicago State....ouch I didn't see that coming.
I would hope Valpo is getting paid to play this game.

[VUBBFan]

https://twitter.com/valpoathletics/status/1565339662712856576

[VALPO LI]

Disappointing schedule. 
2 out of the 8 teams on this schedule had a winning record last season.
Toledo 25-8 (86 NET)
Western Michigan 6-22 (329 NET)
Chicago State 7-25 (340 NET)
Incarnate Word 5-24 (350 NET)
Trinity Christian 11-19 Non-D1
Ole Miss 13-19 (110 NET)
Elon 8-22 (NET 253)
Stonehill 15-12 (New to D-1)

[mj]

That non conference schedule is unacceptable. It's an indictment on the state of our program. Has Lottich developed any relationships with other coaches during his tenure here?

[NativeCheesehead]

The day we joined the MVC should have been the day we told CSU we're never going to their building anymore.

[NotBryceDrew]

The chicago state game is really perplexing other then it's physically very close. It's got to be a H&H but was there really no other school that could fill that slot. It's a guaranteed win but against a consistent bottom ten team in the country I guess the silver lining may be it's at least D1? Couldn't find a horizon or summit league team...

[vu84v2]

This is an awful schedule...awful! Virtually no way to generate any excitement in the program until the MVC schedule.

[valpopal]

On the surface, this non-conference schedule merely seems an attempt to inflate the "W" column before MVC play begins. There certainly doesn't appear much for fan excitement in the six home dates, especially for students since one of the games is an exhibition, another is during Thanksgiving break, and two others occur after fall semester lets out. So the only two games that count with students on campus are W. Michigan (a Sunday) and Trinity Christian (a Tuesday night against an NAIA team during the week final papers are usually due). In other words, only 1 D-1 game for students. I doubt that is enough to build strong momentum of support.

[mj]

This is not going to prepare us for MVC conference play. Maybe Lottich could have scheduled games with some of the high schools in the Region

[David81]

Question for those of you more steeped in scheduling matters: Is this non-conf slate due to looking for easy wins, inability to get better schools to schedule VU, or both?

In any event, it really does remind me of what VU's MBB schedule looked like when I matriculated in the late 70s....