Let’s Speculate! Potential Valparaiso head basketball coach candidates

[VULB#62]

Ben fouled out again.

Question(s):

Is Ben just trying to do too much himself?
   Or
Is he defensively unskilled/too slow/has lead feet?
   Or
Are teammates lax in defense forcing Ben to overcompensate?
   Or
As the go-to guy, are teams targeting him?
   Or
Has he been placed in a position (or out of position) that puts him too much in foul jeopardy?
   Or
What???

So....... How does our best player wind up fouling out so much, or why has he sat many a first half with 2 fouls?  I can't remember Rowdy or AP coming close in PFs per game.   We need him on the floor, but I'm probably overreacting.

[David81]

Ben fouled out again.

Question(s):

Is Ben just trying to do too much himself?
   Or
Is he defensively unskilled/too slow/has lead feet?
   Or
Are teammates lax in defense forcing Ben to overcompensate?
   Or
As the go-to guy, are teams targeting him?
   Or
Has he been placed in a position (or out of position) that puts him too much in foul jeopardy?
   Or
What???

So....... How does our best player wind up fouling out so much, or why has he sat many a first half with 2 fouls?  I can't remember Rowdy or AP coming close in PFs per game.   We need him on the floor, but I'm probably overreacting.

Look at his minutes played. This not only exposes him to committing more fouls simply because of time on the court, but also when you're tired the likelihood of an exhausted foul increases markedly.

Also, while I don't think he's trying to do it all, he's always giving it a maximum effort on a team with a modest talent ceiling. For a guy who isn't naturally super quick and fast, it means constantly hustling. Fouls will follow.

I hope he has a great pro career. He's grown his game every year, he gives it 150%, and he's been loyal to his school.

[AB]

The last call was pretty terrible. You could see all ball by Kirkke's arm and I am not being a homer. The announcers tried to compare it the foul one of the racers had a play earlier. Their guy clearly fouled Krikke.  By the letter of the law Kirkke brought his arms down so they called a foul. couple fouls in the first half very ticky tacky on him. A couple of penetrators initiated the offense and went into to him to "draw contact" Kobe should have had atleast one and one in the second half and Krikke as well. Once again team played not too loose when things got tight. Had opportunites to extend the lead when Murray went cold for 5 6 minutes.

[wh]

People who took the above comment personally.

Was nothing personal. Just what's been collected from board, enrollment, general discussion of school decisions, branding, etc.

Yes. I am sure there are still people ou there who bleed brown and gold. I am one of those few. But I believe it's also fair to say Valpo is far from its Apex in terms of alumni support.

Agree $302,000,000 endowment campaign is very successful.

Knowing that there was a critical need for new nursing facilities, a new basketball venue, competitive dorm facilities, and who knows what else, the university opted to conduct a $300M endowment campaign that can't be used for capital expenses. So now it has a big, fat savings account it can't touch, a checking account with no money to do anything but pay bills, and a tapped out donor base. Good luck.

[David81]

People who took the above comment personally.

Was nothing personal. Just what's been collected from board, enrollment, general discussion of school decisions, branding, etc.

Yes. I am sure there are still people ou there who bleed brown and gold. I am one of those few. But I believe it's also fair to say Valpo is far from its Apex in terms of alumni support.

Agree $302,000,000 endowment campaign is very successful.

Knowing that there was a critical need for new nursing facilities, a new basketball venue, competitive dorm facilities, and who knows what else, the university opted to conduct a $300M endowment campaign that can't be used for capital expenses. So now it has a big, fat savings account it can't touch, a checking account with no money to do anything but pay bills, and a tapped out donor base. Good luck.

Most major fundraising campaigns are built around a mix of endowment gifts and capital gifts, with a good share of the money coming in over time and as bequests. The "big, fat savings account it can't touch" is how other universities build their endowments, which, in turn, generate monies every year in virtual perpetuity. It's how you create ongoing scholarships to attract & support more students, chaired professorships to cover salaries of high-quality academics, and funds for campus events -- as well as unrestricted funds that can be used every year at the Board's discretion. If VU had played this long-term game back in the day, then it would be in much better financial shape today. But it wasn't until the Schnabel presidency in the 80s that a more sophisticated ground game of fundraising started to develop.

That said, I can't imagine that VU would've said no to any donor willing to immediate put up millions to upgrade residence halls, build a new sports facility, etc. Some universities have alumni/ae bases where such gifts are possible. VU apparently does not, at least right now. If it did, then today you'd be reading about some alum who has offered to buy the O'Keefe painting for $15m cash up front and donate it back to the museum for display indefinitely as part of their family art collection.

[JD24]

Ben fouled out again.

It's not like he fouled out with 5 mins left in the game. He fouled out on essentially the last play of the game in OT and 41 mins on the court.

I sometimes think Valpo doesn't foul enough. That can be read as I don't think the team plays aggressive enough defense. I think it was the previous game where they only had 10 fouls in the game. I don't know how you do that if your playing defense.

...and while I'm soapboxing...how does Darius DeAvario end up taking the final shot in regulation? A good coach gets the ball in his best players hands at the end of the game and/or the best players make sure they have the ball in their hands at the end of the game. That would not be the backup point guard who's shooting a stunning .200 from 3 this season.

[nkvu]

Ben fouled out again.

It's not like he fouled out with 5 mins left in the game. He fouled out on essentially the last play of the game in OT and 41 mins on the court.

I sometimes think Valpo doesn't foul enough. That can be read as I don't think the team plays aggressive enough defense. I think it was the previous game where they only had 10 fouls in the game. I don't know how you do that if your playing defense.

...and while I'm soapboxing...how does Darius DeAvario end up taking the final shot in regulation? A good coach gets the ball in his best players hands at the end of the game and/or the best players make sure they have the ball in their hands at the end of the game. That would not be the backup point guard who's shooting a stunning .200 from 3 this season.

This team has no rim protector that would allow aggressive defense in the front court. Further, three main players, Nelson, Barret, and even Krikke are not very quick. Their defense is more positional, not one that leads to turnovers. Krikke is actually a pretty good one on one defender. He gets in trouble when he has to switch off on smaller players who get into his body going to the rim. He also gets in trouble when he has to act as rim protector cause he hasn't got the body for it.

And yes, this team is terrible at getting the ball to their best offensive players in the final seconds of games. But really, teams know that if they double Krikke and force the team to the perimeter, chances are pretty good that Valpo will miss any kind of three point shot.  Valpo just does not have any players that can take that shot and knock it down at the end of a game

[valpo64]

One should not be alarmed that Ben fouls out often...he plays more minutes than anyone...he is the best threat to beat our opposition so the best way to get him off the floor is to go right at him when one gets the chance.  That approach is nothing new.  It has worked for years and with no other support for Ben, he is very vulnerable for our opponents to attack when Ben is on the floor.  I can't remember another Valpo player who had to carry a load like he has done the last couple of years.  He has been a great representative for VU both on and off the floor during his career.  I would love to see him back next year.

[VU2014]

I've heard some people speculate that Lottich will remain because it will be the only way to entice Krikke to stay if he opts into his 5th year rather than going Pro. Personally I think Krikke will transfer regardless of Lottich's status with the Team.

I think keeping Lottich for another year for 1 players eligibility status is not a wise decision. But I personally think Lottich is staying due to the contract situation regardless.

I've never heard so much open support to move on from Lottich in my time as a Valpo Fan. Everyone knows it's time to move on and it's not working but we're being held we're potentially going to be held hostage by a contract.

A fan and alum brought up an interesting point on Twitter yesterday. His thought process was that AD Small never would have taken the Valpo AD job without knowing the contract status of Lottich and if he could have been able to opt out of it and get "his guy" in the job. No AD wants to tie their career success to someone they didn't hand pick. I get that thought process at large schools with huge Athletics Dept budgets, but at Valpo I feel like we need to work with the hand you're dealt and you work to fix the issue until you can make a hire yourself.

It's an interesting theory. I just don't think we have a way out of this contract unfortunately. Lottich is not going to walk away from that $ and he's an insanely competitive guy.

I really wish I had a better sense of what will happen in the coming weeks. If we can't get out of the deal, I want to know for sure if we are stuck with him until the 24-25 season. Is there absolutely no opt outs and I think we know as a group the University won't pay him to go away....

https://twitter.com/valpo_hoops/status/1629985072035123200?s=46&t=Pqe0bsn1a0E1WcgtZngXYA

[historyman]

People who took the above comment personally.

Was nothing personal. Just what's been collected from board, enrollment, general discussion of school decisions, branding, etc.

Yes. I am sure there are still people ou there who bleed brown and gold. I am one of those few. But I believe it's also fair to say Valpo is far from its Apex in terms of alumni support.

Agree $302,000,000 endowment campaign is very successful.

Knowing that there was a critical need for new nursing facilities, a new basketball venue, competitive dorm facilities, and who knows what else, the university opted to conduct a $300M endowment campaign that can't be used for capital expenses. So now it has a big, fat savings account it can't touch, a checking account with no money to do anything but pay bills, and a tapped out donor base. Good luck.

You never thought you were the most positive guy at Valpo but your negativity has gone to a new level. I know I want to sound many alarm bells about how serious the financial situation is at Valpo but there is light at the end of this tunnel because no matter what Valpo has always had quality people and very loyal people. VALPO WILL SURVIVE!!!

[JD24]

The mass exodus of football program coaches has me wondering two things:

1. Is money normally allocated to the football positions being moved to cover the costs of a buyout (they won't be equal but can help).

2. Are things so bad that not only can the school not get rid of Lottich because of finances but they can't hold on to the football staff nearly in any way.

[VU2014]

The mass exodus of football program coaches has me wondering two things:

1. Is money normally allocated to the football positions being moved to cover the costs of a buyout (they won't be equal but can help).

2. Are things so bad that not only can the school not get rid of Lottich because of finances but they can't hold on to the football staff nearly in any way.

The Valpo Football program is a stepping stool for Coaches. I don't mean that in a degrading way. Valpo offers a good opportunity for young coaches to leap frog into higher profile gigs.

I wouldn't read too much into the coaching departures. Valpo losing coaches to programs that are scholarship programs is almost a compliment. Obviously you'd love for Coaches to stay long term, but as long as Valpo remains in the Pioneer League (non-scholarship) this will always happen, especially if the program sees a decent amount of success.

[valpofb16]

I assume most, if not all of the posters on this board are concerned alumni.

The final buyout is much larger than what has been discussed on this form. It is not the 345k number.

Unless he steps down (unlikely) , or a donor walks in to cover the buyout (unlikely). Lottich will be the basketball coach moving forward.

It is not a University that is unwilling to move, it's a University that is unwilling to cripple itself for its basketball program.

The highly praised Homer Drew went :

1990: 4-24
1991: 5-22
1992: 5-22

Then turned the ship around. Lottich inherited a 30-7 team. He went 24-9 year one and they made a major conference jump.

I get they were 11-20 this season. It's not like he slept and forgot how to coach.

It's a changed landscape in a much harder Conference. And frankly Valpo may not have the infrastructure or NIL support to compete immediately in the MVC.

[tiny707]

Valpofb16, when did Bryce start playing at VU? 1993?

[VU2014]

I assume most, if not all of the posters on this board are concerned alumni.

The final buyout is much larger than what has been discussed on this form. It is not the 345k number.

Unless he steps down (unlikely) , or a donor walks in to cover the buyout (unlikely). Lottich will be the basketball coach moving forward.

It is not a University that is unwilling to move, it's a University that is unwilling to cripple itself for its basketball program.

The highly praised Homer Drew went :

1990: 4-24
1991: 5-22
1992: 5-22

Then turned the ship around. Lottich inherited a 30-7 team. He went 24-9 year one and they made a major conference jump.

I get they were 11-20 this season. It's not like he slept and forgot how to coach.

It's a changed landscape in a much harder Conference. And frankly Valpo may not have the infrastructure or NIL support to compete immediately in the MVC.

I think you are correct, we are stuck with Lottich for 2 more years.

I will say, that the University and Athletics Dept owe it to Fans and Alums to nip this conversation in the butt, if they know for a fact he's going to be the Coach for 2 more seasons. They don't have to give their reason or be completely transparent. But they need to signal to a Reporter like Paul Oren that they are committed to him for 2 more years. We'll know it's because the $, but you don't have to outright say it.

[Valpo89]

Valpofb16, when did Bryce start playing at VU? 1993?

Bryce was a freshman in 1994-95. At the time, David Redmon was a senior and the Mid-Continent Conference lost its automatic bid because the "big boys" at the time bolted for what would become the Horizon League. Wright State, Cleveland State, UIC, Northern Illinois, Green Bay and Milwaukee led the exodus. All of them were traditionally better than Valpo at the time.
Due to that exodus, the Mid-Con tournament champion did not get the automatic NCAA bid OR get to play in the NIT. Valpo ended its season with a dramatic triple-OT win over Western Illinois at the ARC. Bryce and David both shined.

[valpofb16]

I agree the University / Small / Padilla could come out and say Matt is our guy.

If my memory serves correct Valparaiso has fired one coach "prematurely" in the 12 years I have followed the school.

That was Dale Carlson , with a 3-43 record. With one game left on the contract

[VULB#62]

Was Tom Smith's contract just not renewed or was he let go prior to the end of his contract?  Anyone from that era know?

[David81]

I agree the University / Small / Padilla could come out and say Matt is our guy.

If my memory serves correct Valparaiso has fired one coach "prematurely" in the 12 years I have followed the school.

That was Dale Carlson , with a 3-43 record. With one game left on the contract

An injustice. He was THISCLOSE to turning it around. 🥴😂

[Dr. T]

Kudos to ML's agent if his buyout is north of $300k. I mean seriously. Consider how hard we have to work for that amount of money. Consider how long it takes most of us (90-95%) to earn that money. Oh, and we act like being an NCAA D-1 basketball coach is the only results-driven industry? Most people (90-95%) who work don't have expectations. Can they not continually offer excuses to justify their lack of production? This is a business. And, it's a game - literally. It has to be about wins & losses to a point. Why do they play? In part, to win. Right? To entertain people, bring in revenue that supports the other athletes & school at large, represent the university with pride, win championships, etc.? It is, after all, a sport. A game. That's why there are wins and losses counted and records kept. That's why banners are hanging from the rafters. That's why courts are named after people.

And, yet, we should feel sorry ... etc.? Like I said, kudos to his agent for sure.

[VUGrad1314]

That Homer Drew comparison is a cop out. Valpo was a different program then. There are expectations now. Expectations Lottich is not meeting and has really never met. Lest we forget that that 24-9 year was a massively disappointing underachievement (albeit for circumstances beyond his control). Also the tougher conference argument which I used ot give a ton of credence to holds no water after we saw what Murray and Belmont just did. Murray and Belmont came from a worse conference than the HL that Valpo left was. They should have been even less prepared to handle the jump than Valpo was and yet...

Belmont went 14-6 in year one tied for 3rd.

Murray State went 11-9 in year one and finished ahead of Valpo.

Murray State also did this with a new coach who took over in the middle of the offseason and after a mass exodus of players. It took Valpo until what? Year 4? Year 5 to even finish .500? A depleted Murray State did it in year one.

Belmont notched a higher finish than Valpo has EVER HAD in the MVC in year one.

Additionally Murray and Belmont went a perfect 4-0 against Valpo.

Even UIC beat Valpo once this year. That's 1-5 for Valpo against the newcomers with a possibility of it becoming 1-6 at Arch Madness.

The numbers don't lie. The Matt Lottich era has been nothing short of an abject failure. He cannot retain his job unless there is simply no money to buy him out.

And if that's the case we are in a lot of trouble.

[valpofb16]

I'm not requesting anyone feeling sorry for Matt. I'm telling the way it is. He will be back.

Can continually gripe, stop supporting or can accept facts and support through rough period ahead.

1314:

Who sets these expectations? Valpo has been in back half of conference preseason poll for a half a decade.

Murray State has had two LOTTERY picks since 2015. And a current top 5 NBA MVP candidate is an alum. Wonder why the uptick in recruiting?

Belmont had a first round pick in 2019. And has a coach that had already turned around Lipscomb before arriving at Belmont.

And to your final point. Yes program is in trouble.

[Valpo89]

Was Tom Smith's contract just not renewed or was he let go prior to the end of his contract?  Anyone from that era know?

I think Smith left on his own, frustrated with a lack of support that was probably promised to him when he took the job.
Or maybe the writing was on the wall, can't remember. I think there was a bit of controversy at the time, but it didn't keep him from being inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fam after he had a successful run at a Division II school in Missouri.

[Chairback]

I cannot imagine having to talk about this for another year.  What would March of 2024 be like if we are all at this point already.  It's exhausting as a fan.   

The good thing is none of us know.  It's all speculation on contract, buyout, available cash, etc..  No one knows the facts. 

[crusadermoe]

You just told the faculty that you sold art for reasons that you need cash.  Now you tell them that you need to pay two basketball coaches simultaneously for two years; at a rate of $345k+ unknown buyout and a new "upgrade coach" who would cost more.

Just bite the bullet, point out the high points of the Lottich years (chiefly March 2020 when they shocked #1 Loyola upset as an #8 seed and reached the Arch Madness finals.) Last week was a great time to say that going into the MVC week and the first full seating tourney since 2020.  Then point to Matt's high character in the mold of Valpo's values. Say nothing more.  You can't fire him. The board and Padilla can't talk out of both sides of their mouth about urgent cash shortages. If Matt were a liability off the court, it's a different story.