Valpo MBB at UIC Credit Union One Arena 2/19/23 Sunday 2:00 pm

[VULB#62]

David, that kinda puts things in perspective, huh?

Personally, I'd rather live or die with Ben in the last few seconds than any of our other players - Including King. Can't we set 47 screens for him to get a free shot?  Excuse me, but we did that for AP and Rowdy; and Ben, while maybe not yet as accomplished, is the very best we have.

And......... here's my real tactical (coaching!) concern. We are among the worst MVC tre shooting teams. We're one down with am0le time, so we shoot a freakin three?  Go to the damn basket and score or draw a foul. OR Shoot an easy jumper and crash the damn boards for a OR.  Jeez!

APOLOGIES TO THE COACHING STAFF FOR MY MISINFORMED OPINIONS ABOVE.

I only went by the LiveStats account and was not watching the feed. Then I read Paul's TVB account and quotes from Ben. The ball did go to Ben as planned. He, however, chose to dish off to a very open Maximus for the shot. Yes, he was beyond the arc, but, as Ben said, he made one just before so he had confidence in him. Unlucky is all.

Of course that's just focusing on the last several seconds. A game is 40 minutes.

[JD24]

I wish I could say that I'm angry at this loss. Instead, I just shake my head. From a talent perspective, this team should be better than 5-13. But here we are.

Indeed, how can a team with the MVC's #1 (Krikke) and #7 (King) PPG scorers and the MVC's #2 APG & #5 SPG (Edwards) be one of the conference's worst?

The team is not talented. It has some talent on the roster. Two different things. One guy is really good for his level. Another guy is pretty good. The PG is no threat offensively which hurts the rest of the offense. One guy shows up once ever 3 or 4 games.  Everyone else is a bunch of everyone else's. A different coach might win a few more games with the roster. The biggest thing another coach will need to bring is a better roster. Too much emptiness with this roster.

I think there's enough talent here, all else being equal, for this to be a .500 squad. And the toll of transfers and injuries adds up: Add Ognacevic and Clay and a healthy Kithier to this team, for example, and maybe there's sufficient talent to contend for a CBI tourney spot. It's a woulda, coulda, shoulda thing, but a reminder of how close VU is to regaining some respectability.

I don't understand this. You want to count players not on the roster as part of the talent on the roster? That makes no sense at all.

[David81]

I wish I could say that I'm angry at this loss. Instead, I just shake my head. From a talent perspective, this team should be better than 5-13. But here we are.

Indeed, how can a team with the MVC's #1 (Krikke) and #7 (King) PPG scorers and the MVC's #2 APG & #5 SPG (Edwards) be one of the conference's worst?

The team is not talented. It has some talent on the roster. Two different things. One guy is really good for his level. Another guy is pretty good. The PG is no threat offensively which hurts the rest of the offense. One guy shows up once ever 3 or 4 games.  Everyone else is a bunch of everyone else's. A different coach might win a few more games with the roster. The biggest thing another coach will need to bring is a better roster. Too much emptiness with this roster.

I think there's enough talent here, all else being equal, for this to be a .500 squad. And the toll of transfers and injuries adds up: Add Ognacevic and Clay and a healthy Kithier to this team, for example, and maybe there's sufficient talent to contend for a CBI tourney spot. It's a woulda, coulda, shoulda thing, but a reminder of how close VU is to regaining some respectability.

I don't understand this. You want to count players not on the roster as part of the talent on the roster? That makes no sense at all.

I think you've misunderstood my point: I'm not counting departed players as part of the current roster. Rather, I'm merely speculating about what kind of team we might have, had recent transfers and injuries not depleted the roster. Hey, call me a sports fan for engaging in that kind of what-if imagining! 

[JD24]

I wish I could say that I'm angry at this loss. Instead, I just shake my head. From a talent perspective, this team should be better than 5-13. But here we are.

Indeed, how can a team with the MVC's #1 (Krikke) and #7 (King) PPG scorers and the MVC's #2 APG & #5 SPG (Edwards) be one of the conference's worst?

The team is not talented. It has some talent on the roster. Two different things. One guy is really good for his level. Another guy is pretty good. The PG is no threat offensively which hurts the rest of the offense. One guy shows up once ever 3 or 4 games.  Everyone else is a bunch of everyone else's. A different coach might win a few more games with the roster. The biggest thing another coach will need to bring is a better roster. Too much emptiness with this roster.

I think there's enough talent here, all else being equal, for this to be a .500 squad. And the toll of transfers and injuries adds up: Add Ognacevic and Clay and a healthy Kithier to this team, for example, and maybe there's sufficient talent to contend for a CBI tourney spot. It's a woulda, coulda, shoulda thing, but a reminder of how close VU is to regaining some respectability.

I don't understand this. You want to count players not on the roster as part of the talent on the roster? That makes no sense at all.

I think you've misunderstood my point: I'm not counting departed players as part of the current roster. Rather, I'm merely speculating about what kind of team we might have, had recent transfers and injuries not depleted the roster. Hey, call me a sports fan for engaging in that kind of what-if imagining! 

Fair enough but the assumption is that these players would have all been part of the same roster which is unlikely. As one for instance, would Clay and King both be on the roster or is King on the roster due to Clay's departure. The biggest problem has been the influx of talent to pool on the same roster. Each year it is a significantly flawed group for one reason or another. That can be ability or health.

[FWalum]

One thing I just noticed: Valpo is now shooting below 30% from three on the season (29.7%). That is beyond terrible.

They need something like this: https://www.noahbasketball.com/products

[oklahomamick]

Or maybe an offense that gets people open looks from the perimeter. 

[FWalum]

Or maybe an offense that gets people open looks from the perimeter. 

We do get a decent number of open looks, we just don't hit them. 3 of the players on the floor could take an open 3 almost every possession. We are the worst 3 point shooting team in the conference. Ryan Fazekas, while he didn't play in a lot of games, shot 51.6% in conference play his senior year, we don't have anyone close to that this year or in any of the years since his graduation. Its not rocket science to figure out why we made the late season run that year and why it probably won't happen this year. Percentage wise in conference play our numbers are horrible. Only 3 players shooting better than 30% in conference.

   
• Nelson 42.2% on 64 attempts
• Ben Krikke 35.5% on 31 attempts
• Connor Barrett 31.5% on 54 attempts
• Quinton Green 29.1% on 117 attempts

I would say it is hard to win games in conference when your primary ball handler overall shoots only 32.5%

[historyman]

Or maybe an offense that gets people open looks from the perimeter. 

Or wait till Lottich gets some of the players he really wants instead of players he doesn't want.

[JD24]

Or maybe an offense that gets people open looks from the perimeter.

We do get a decent number of open looks, we just don't hit them. 3 of the players on the floor could take an open 3 almost every possession. We are the worst 3 point shooting team in the conference. Ryan Fazekas, while he didn't play in a lot of games, shot 51.6% in conference play his senior year, we don't have anyone close to that this year or in any of the years since his graduation. Its not rocket science to figure out why we made the late season run that year and why it probably won't happen this year. Percentage wise in conference play our numbers are horrible. Only 3 players shooting better than 30% in conference.

• Nelson 42.2% on 64 attempts
• Ben Krikke 35.5% on 31 attempts
• Connor Barrett 31.5% on 54 attempts
• Quinton Green 29.1% on 117 attempts

I would say it is hard to win games in conference when your primary ball handler overall shoots only 32.5% 

....and his backup/co-point is at 35%

[VUGrad1314]

Or maybe an offense that gets people open looks from the perimeter.

Or wait till Lottich gets some of the players he really wants instead of players he doesn't want.

Why exactly can't he get the players he wants right now?

[VULB#62]

I took that as sarcasm. 

[historyman]

I took that as sarcasm. 

Scarcasm might be a better term for Lottich? Sadcasm?

[VUGrad1314]

I took that as sarcasm. 

Scarcasm might be a better term for Lottich? Sadcasm?

No, the best word to describe Lottich (or rather the basketball program during the Lottich era) is sadchasm. As in there is a sad chasm between where we were when he took over and where we are now.