Reached a new low? No game thread post for tonight's showdown v. Southern Ill.?

[AlaskaCrusader19]

From a player retention standpoint, this might also be a good time to change.  We lose four starters (almost certainly), with no one else being a game changer, or anywhere near to a D1 starter.  A new coach could bring players along with him (like at indiana State) and be able to recruit a fair amount from the portal, based on his reputation.  There isn't an Alec Peters to worry about retaining.

72, there is the tiniest, smallest, almost minuscule chance that, with a Covid year in his future, Ben might decide to stay an extra year — IF a new guy impresses him enough to want to stay. I mentioned that in a previous post. It's a l-o-n-g reach, but can't be totally dismissed. And, as I mentioned before, any such new guy has to charm the heck out of him and back it up with great coaching chops.

Krikke could have a sound, performance-related reason to stay at VU an extra year: To hopefully develop a 3-pt shot that he had hoped to do this season. A better outside game probably wouldn't turn him into an NBA prospect, but it would make him a much more valuable international commodity. And he's not going to get that opportunity at a P5 school.

Recall that Alec Peters stayed for a final year in part because he got feedback that he needed to work on aspects of his game to become draft-worthy.

Ben Krikke has been an excellent player at Valparaiso, and it's a shame he will be remembered as the best player on lousy teams. However, you don't keep Matt Lottich because you want Krikke to come back for another season. That can't be part of the calculus here when Valpo has been "decent" in one of Krikke's four seasons.

[Dr. T]

As I've stated, ML owes Krikke a part of his salary IMO. The last thing that should happen is Ben Krikke's potential choice to stay around one more year, factoring into ML keeping his job. Krikke has done more than enough for ML & Valpo.

[David81]

From a player retention standpoint, this might also be a good time to change.  We lose four starters (almost certainly), with no one else being a game changer, or anywhere near to a D1 starter.  A new coach could bring players along with him (like at indiana State) and be able to recruit a fair amount from the portal, based on his reputation.  There isn't an Alec Peters to worry about retaining.

72, there is the tiniest, smallest, almost minuscule chance that, with a Covid year in his future, Ben might decide to stay an extra year — IF a new guy impresses him enough to want to stay. I mentioned that in a previous post. It's a l-o-n-g reach, but can't be totally dismissed. And, as I mentioned before, any such new guy has to charm the heck out of him and back it up with great coaching chops.

Krikke could have a sound, performance-related reason to stay at VU an extra year: To hopefully develop a 3-pt shot that he had hoped to do this season. A better outside game probably wouldn't turn him into an NBA prospect, but it would make him a much more valuable international commodity. And he's not going to get that opportunity at a P5 school.

Recall that Alec Peters stayed for a final year in part because he got feedback that he needed to work on aspects of his game to become draft-worthy.

Ben Krikke has been an excellent player at Valparaiso, and it's a shame he will be remembered as the best player on lousy teams. However, you don't keep Matt Lottich because you want Krikke to come back for another season. That can't be part of the calculus here when Valpo has been "decent" in one of Krikke's four seasons.

FWIW, I wasn't even hinting that VU keeps Coach Lottich as incentive for Krikke to return. In fact, it's clear that the current system isn't helping Krikke develop his outside game. Rather, a new HC who can help him show range from deep could be a reason to stay.

[VULB#62]

That would be deja vu all over again.

My memory could be way off, but going back to the Bryce departure strings on this forum, amid all the speculations flying around then, wasn't  a backdoor part of the MLB's rationale for hiring Matt, rather than doing a national search, to "keep the band together" or, in other words, keep AP happy with a coach he knew and with a bunch of bros who he loved?  Cuz there also were rumors that Alex, who could take the grad xfer route, kinda influenced the band thing???

[The following is wuddah, cuddah, shoudda]

In 20/20 hindsight, wasn't  it penny-wise/dollar foolish? Yeah, we got another good year from that group that helped with the MVC migration.  But what if MLB went national? We were hot at that time. Might he have found a great next Bryce with experience, a winning record, great system, etc., that would have convinced Alec to stay even though the staff would turn over?  And so, what if Alec left?  ........  maybe the record that year would've been a building year, but by that time our slot in the MVC was almost assured anyway (see UIC along with, of course, Murray & Belmont).  Would we have had so many years of mediocrity and unfulfilled expectations?

Just wondering about what might have been. 

[Dr. T]

VULB#62 - great take. We'll never know but one thing is for certain ... MLB also didn't have to renew ML's contract thereafter. Also, he could've been strategic in how the contract terms were written to protect VU should ML not pan out. Instead, VU seemingly doubled down after mediocrity became the norm ...