Valpo vs Incarnate Word @ The ARC 7pm CST

[VUSWIM08-12]

Starting the thread, we're somehow 16 point favorites. Just win for fricks sake. They're 359/363, we're down to 244. Home court should help in theory...

Valpo 77
Word 64

[vok22]

My flight to Valpo was cancelled this morning. I feel like that was the worlds way of punishing me for having a ticket to this game. I will be there regardless.

[vu72]

If we don't win by at least 20 then we are in deep doo-doo.  Incarnate word lost to North Dakota (on their home floor) by 12.  Then North Dakota lost to Pacific (also on their home floor) by 30.
Enough said.

[vu84v2]

If we don't win by at least 20 then we are in deep doo-doo.  Incarnate word lost to North Dakota (on their home floor) by 12.  Then North Dakota lost to Pacific (also on their home floor) by 30.
Enough said.

In fairness, there is little validity in the "associative theory of predicted performance". Still, IW is another really bad team and even a close win is likely poor performance.

[covufan]

Need some sign of life from this team. A strong defensive effort. Rebound on both ends.

78 - 58

Hope crowd gives ca a nice welcome before the game starts. Then pound UIW


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[VUSERF]

Predictions?

Attendance over under: 1200

Student section over under: 20

[Pgmado]

Predictions?

Attendance over under: 1200

Student section over under: 20

Way too high for student section. It's break. There are no students on campus.

[truth219]

What a start....

[VALPO LI]

Predictions?

Attendance over under: 1200

Student section over under: 20

Way too high for student section. It's break. There are no students on campus.

I count 1 in the student section 

[mj]

We do not have a good basketball team.

[mj]

Did Lottich prepare this team at all for this game?

[truth219]

Maybe Matt has been putting in job applications for seasonal holiday positions.

[usc4valpo]

Well, it is a win...

[mj]

We survived a dogfight against University of Incarnate Word.

That's where the program is at right now.

Terrible.

[covufan]

Well, it is a win...

Yes. A win is a win, right?


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[truth219]

I will be impressed if we win 10 games this year

[justducky]

If the team gels and Matt does a great job of coaching then we still have a chance for a .500 season. 

[valpopal]

Chicago State was ranked #360 by Pomeroy when Valpo played them, and tonight Incarnate Word was ranked #360 by Pomeroy since CSU's victory over VU moved them up a few spots. Therefore, by squeaking past IWU at home, Valpo posts a 1-1 record against two teams ranked near the bottom of the ratings. In addition, the attendance figure for this evening is 1341, many on hand being Incarnate Word fans or northwest Indiana folks there to see Carson Cunningham and Chris Artis. In the immortal words of Clark Griswold: "Nothing to be proud of!"

[valporun]

One basketball and too many pieces trying to figure out where they belong in this program. We might need to use some other parts of the bench a little more, instead of trying to figure out the rotation for the MVC season right now. The transfer portal has definitely hurt the consistency, and it does seem that Lottich has thrown some players out that could have been something here over that time. We spend too much time trying to find shooters from the starting rotation...might need to bring out some of the bench a bit more, or at least see what we have. Is Palesse injured, or has he already fallen off the rotation?

[hckjag]

Palesse did not dress for the Western Michigan game. I saw him with a brace on his wrist during shootaround so must have gotten injured vs Toledo or in practice. One more player who could shoot it in high school we haven't really had a chance to see. Good to see Max make one tonight but hope to get a better look at the new faces in the next few games (what else is there to lose).

[AB]

Nelson plays with a lot poise on the court and should be getting 20 minutes a game. Need more consistently from Nick Edwards. Our two bigs didn't see court time tonight. Odd. Connor Barrett I think at this point it's in his head. Had some injuries. He won't get his confidence back only playing 5, 6 minutes a game. Cunningham had a smart game plan. We had the better athletes and height advantage but they forced us to shoot a lot from the outside. Krikke had to really work to score.
                  Samford has played an absolute joke of a schedule so far!!! Far worse than Valpo's. With that being said, we need show up and play hard from the opening tip or it could be over by halftime again. Any road win is a good one. Agreed we need to develop our bench more!

[covufan]

I will be impressed if we win 10 games this year

They'll do a little better, but no more than 15 before MVC tournament


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[vu72]

I had a friend text me yesterday about the game, wondering if they were any good.  I said "no" and if we don't win by at least 20 the fans may be going to Matt's house with torches and pitch forks. Well, his house seems in tact but my guess is more than a few fans were at a minimum rummaging through their garages last night, looking for their pitch forks.

How is it that every team we seem to play "shoots lights out" and we "have a bad night shooting"?  Could it possibly be we can't defend and they can?  Incarnate Word started 2 freshman, 2 sophomores and 1 senior. Their top player off the bench was also a freshman, all playing ON THE ROAD!  They had 1 guy at 6'11" with the next tallest player being 6'7". THEY OUT REBOUNDED us 34 to 33.

So we had WAY  more experience and WAY more height and were playing at HOME, and we win by 4.

Only one answer here folks. We lack coaching, period, or, the players lack ANY killer instinct and are happy with just a win. 

This is beyond being a "could be an ugly year"--it already is.

[AlaskaCrusader19]

Nothing like squeaking past one of the worst teams in the country. This is going to be a really long season.

[David81]

These initial games are also telling every remaining team once regarded as cupcake opposition for VU that snatching a win against a school at least perceived as a solid mid-major (albeit off of the fumes of yesteryear) is possible.

Stonehill and Trinity Christian, among others, may now see a possible victory. Stonehill -- a liberal arts college outside of Boston in its first year of D1 -- has posted wins over Holy Cross and Army so far, and their non-conference schedule includes UConn, Providence, and Fordham. Living in Boston, I was dismissive about their move to D1, but they sound serious about putting together a competitive MBB program.