11/25/11: Valpo at #3 Ohio State Game Thread

[sectionee]

SectionEE hit a personal milestone this month.  So we are giving away a prize! Who doesn't love prizes? http://sectionee.blogspot.com/2011/11/who-doesnt-love-winning.html

[valporun]

I'm watching the VMI-Ohio St. game, and I hope this game continues at the kind of pace that VMI's modified Grinnell system has. The fast transition, shoot often, score a lot, could really keep Ohio St. on its toes, meaning it could help us Friday night, if this Grinnell-like system really helps wear down the Buckeyes. Granted, with 3:58 left in the 1st half, OSU leads 45-31, but that's still a possibility that they could get worn out.

[bbtds]

An Ohio State board poster lamenting the fact that OSU plays 3 games in 5 days:

Both VMU and Valpo could beat Ohio State. 

VMU is 3-1 with only loss at a an above-average Air Force.  And, they've got a senior laden backcourt -- 4 senior guards in their 7-man rotation.  They were picked third in the league.  The team picked #7?  Presbyterian -- who just beat a Top 25 Cincinnati team.

And Valpo's not qualified good.  They're just good.  A borderline NCAA tournament team who's 3 top players are very experienced on the international basketball circuit (World University Games, etc) with legitimate interior size and a bunch of experienced transfers from other D1 schools.

Bad, bad, bad decision by someone in the Atheletic Director's office.


Some responses to the above post:

First, it's the coaching staff that puts the schedule together. They work with the university around scheduling for the facility, obviously, but it's the staff that puts together the dates generally speaking.

Second, I think you're overrating Valpo a bit. They're OK but they're not an at-large caliber team by any stretch of the imagination. They were picked fourth in the preseason conference poll, and that's probably about where they'll finish.

Third... I think Ohio State needs to be able to have this kind of high-pressure turnaround. Do you think they're going to catch any breaks playing in the Big Ten Tournament or NCAA Tournament? They'll need to be able to play against quality opponents in a short amount of time.


Getting to watch games and play games is better than practice...and these are 3 patsies...as long as we show up, we'll win each by 20 or more


3 games in 5 days....how brutal.

All of these preseason tournaments where all these teams play 3 games in 3 days without any problem....in Hawaii or Puerto Rico no less.  OSU has 3 games....at home...in 5 days....how will they ever survive?

Sorry OP....but you crazy.


In the NCAA Tournament they could play Friday, Sunday, following Thursday and Saturday.  That is 3 games in 7 days and 4 games in 9 days.  What better way to teach a young team what and how they need to prepare, and take care of their bodies than this weeks test?


I feel the opposite. I think they should play more games during the break, or like this week with the holiday days off, and less when classes are in session. 3/5 during thanksgiving is fine. They are ALL HOME games and against teams that shouldn't be that tuff. Then they play dook at home next Tuesday and a patsy Sat before finals week.

The scheduling/game I don't like much is playing Kansas AWAY, our first road test of any kind, the weekend right after finals week. That will be a tuff game to win given the circumstances.

Playing a lot of home games when you don't have classes is EASY. Playing road games with classes or right after the stress of finals - not so easy.


I think they do it more because they like to keep open finals week so the team can focus on their tests during that time.  So, they need to front load some of the games so that they can open that week up.  I believe that is the week-long break from December 3rd to December 10th.  Also, it gives the players the feel of the NCAA tournament, which really isn't a bad thing either.

If we lose to North Florida or VMU, then we have lots of issues to be worried about - more than just the AD who scheduled the games .

Valpo will be a much tougher test and I could see that being a tight game, especially being on the end of 3 games in 5 days.


Big 10 sets the conference schedule, and basketball COACHES SET the OOC schedule other than Big 10-ACC Challenge.

How many days of school did they have this week?

Not a big deal. Caliber of opposition will let Thad play plenty of people, and there's three days off before Duke visits, am I right?


Hahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahaha!


Two down, one to go!

[valpotx]

I would love to see us win, just don't see it happening with the short bench unfortunately.

[wh]

Crusaders take five-game men's basketball winning streak to Ohio State

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/valparaiso-university/crusaders-take-five-game-men-s-basketball-winning-streak-to/article_5e5edd28-e251-512b-b0da-87677f8608dc.html

[valpopal]

I see the Vegas odds currently have Ohio State favored by 24 points. We have beaten the spread in every game thus far, so I will say we do so again, which will be good enough for me.

Valpo  64
OSU    82

[agibson]

Crusaders take five-game men's basketball winning streak to Ohio State

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/valparaiso-university/crusaders-take-five-game-men-s-basketball-winning-streak-to/article_5e5edd28-e251-512b-b0da-87677f8608dc.html

I like the discussion of Ohio State's vs. our version of the series history.  It really seems like you should leave losses on your record, when games are vacated because of NCAA violations.

The quotes from Bryce, on scheduling, were interesting too.

"We've been trying to schedule a lot of local games, but our team has played against so many top-five teams in the country that they really enjoy these opportunities."

[valpotx]

It's a joke that they don't list their losses from years where they cheated.  If we beat them when they cheated, it should count.  I sure as heck remember that game, and it is sad that future OSU fans won't know that they lost to us because of this record book.  Well, maybe we can add another this year to go up 2-1 on them :-)

[bbtds]

Here we go Crusader Nation. Just keep playing this cheer over and over again until the 6:30 pm (eastern)/5:30 pm (central) game time to fire yourself up for tonight's game at Columbus, OH against the Buckeyes:

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/39091/coolest-chant-in-the-country-began-at-navy

[wh]

It's a joke that they don't list their losses from years where they cheated.  If we beat them when they cheated, it should count.  I sure as heck remember that game, and it is sad that future OSU fans won't know that they lost to us because of this record book.  Well, maybe we can add another this year to go up 2-1 on them :-)

This from Wikipedia about former OSU bb coach Jim O'Brien:

In September 1998, Coach O'Brien was recruiting Alex Radojevic, a foreign national from Yugoslavia. Coach O'Brien sent $6,000 to Radojevic's mother. Radojevic ultimately did not play for Ohio State after signing a contract to play professional basketball, and Coach O'Brien did not share the facts of the loan with Ohio State's athletic director, Andy Geiger, until April 24, 2004.[2]

At 8:30 a.m. on June 8, 2004, without any prior discussion, Mr. Geiger handed Coach O'Brien a letter notifying him of his immediate termination. The conduct that the University identified as justifying its conclusion that he had violated an NCAA rule and thereby materially breached the Agreement was his provision of financial assistance to the Radojevic family. The letter did not address the rules violations involving another player on the team, Boban Savovic, which were not known at the time but would eventually lead to the severe NCAA sanctions and O'Brien's ban from coaching.

Savovic was also from Yugoslavia, but actually played for the Buckeyes from 1999 to 2002. He was later found to have received improper benefits and to have committed academic fraud. The NCAA in 2006 gave Ohio State three years' probation and ordered it to pay back all tournament money earned from 1999-2002 when Savovic was on the Buckeyes' roster. In addition, Ohio State was forced remove all references to team accomplishments from those years and vacate all team wins.

I guess technically losses could also be construed as "team accomplishments."  Kind of like an F could be called an academic accomplishment?    Rather than wiping out anything, they should have to keep every reference and simply add the word "forfeit" after every win.   


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_O'Brien_(basketball,_born_1949)

[bbtds]

How about using words like these....despite cheating the Buckeyes lost to Valparaiso.

Maybe they should have to emphasize their losses. They couldn't even win while cheating. 

[vu72]

We're a 22.5 point dog according to this mornings USA Today.  Take the points and bet heavily!

[justducky]

What we saw last week was a group of underclassmen playing like seniors. If Edwards can come back tonight and contribute 20 minutes of solid controlled basketball then it is very difficult to argue with 72's conclusion. My best guess is OSU by 13 and a down to the wire finish could happen. So make the bet and cross your fingers.

[agibson]

Looks promising for streaming video.  It's available, depending on cable provider.  If my parents have an account and password for their dishnetwork...

[rink]

I'll predict Valpo loses a close one:

OSU - 71
VU - 66

[Arbus]

Good Luck Crusaders!

[agibson]

No love on the BTN streaming video - only works if you literally get the BTN at home.  But, the larger world of pixelvision doth provide.

[sectionee]

Down 4 af the break. Need to get some turnovers and get KVW going.

[okinawatyphoon]

Terrible start to the second half....typical Valpo style. And still no free throws? on the plus side our 3-point shooting isn't that bad.

[valpofan56]

To be in this game we needed a great game from Kevin and he has been absolutely awful tonight.

[agibson]

To be fair, KVW's had a certain amount of competition under the basket.

[valpofan56]

To be fair, KVW's had a certain amount of competition under the basket.

Not saying he didn't, but we had people on here comparing him to Bryce, Graf, and Oppland after 4 games. None of those guys would have disappeared this badly no matter the competition.

[okinawatyphoon]

Textbook second half collapse by valpo against a good team. Extremely embarrassing overall. Sloppy play, Easy baskets missed, no defense. 1 steal to their 12 steals, and 18 turnovers. Decent 3 point shooting, but only two free throw attempts? Will we ever have a shot against a top 25 team?

[govalpogo]

Friends, I only saw the last 15 minutes of the game...well minus the final 2 minutes which were  turned off due to viewer disgust.  It was utterly pitiful and infuriating to watch.  How was this a 4 point game at half time?  What did Valpo do in the first half that disappeared in the second?  This reminded me of watching the Kansas game last year: "Oh, there's an open layup...no.  Oh, there's an open layup...no.  Oh, there's an easy put back...no."  sigh...

Oh well...the good news is a 40 point loss is no more a loss than a 1 point loss (minus rpi, pride, and reputation) it's all 1 in the L column.  Still going into a big game against a beatable Butler!  Go get that W! 

[StlVUFan]

What did Valpo do in the first half that disappeared in the second?

Played against a strong team that was struggling to find their rhythm.