Game #25- MVC #14 - Belmont in the ARC - Hall of Fame Game

[JD24]

Agree JD24: John Kiser, Draymond Green, Dennis Rodman get after it type player...

Copobianco, Van Wijk wouldn't take the pushing around Valpo is receiving.

Between the ISU game, yesterday's game where the team just got manhandled with no resistance and the Evansville game in which they shot 3 free throws as the home team, I wonder about the...un.....intestinal fortitude....of the roster.

I'd call it something else. I think Roger Powell's PC after the game yesterday would indicate he would call it something else as well.

[usc4valpo]

Please don't tell me the talent is there overall, it's not. Most of these guys are sub ham and eggers. I would presume Powell is on the recruiting trail and going to the deck to improve his hand.

[AB]

No disagreements on the press conference. It's the right tone. No excuses made like the last coach. We will take our licks this year, will pay off the next few years if they stay together. Sounds as if he still has control of the locker room.

[mj]

Please don't tell me the talent is there overall, it's not. Most of these guys are sub ham and eggers. I would presume Powell is on the recruiting trail and going to the deck to improve his hand.

I'm not sure that it's accurate to say that most are sub ham and eggers. It's more question marks than an obvious lack of talent. And the upside of a few of the players on the roster is obvious.

Powell has already said that he's going to try and bring in more experienced transfers.

[vu72]

It seems to me that our guys are just beat up and tired.  It has been a long season of playing skinny kids against five year men.  Coach Powell has made it known that if you don't play hard you won't be back.  Clearly Connor, Jerome and Anthony are gone so there's three openings if everyone else returns. Probably one other will see the handwriting on the wall and be gone.

[valpo64]

The post-game presser with Coach hit the nail on the head.  As for the game, When Belmont hit its first 8 shots which included 6 3's, the kids were beat.  I think Belmont is a MUCH BETTER team than their record shows.

[VULB#62]

It seems to me that our guys are just beat up and tired.  It has been a long season of playing skinny kids against five year men.  Coach Powell has made it known that if you don't play hard you won't be back.  Clearly Connor, Jerome and Anthony are gone so there's three openings if everyone else returns. Probably one other will see the handwriting on the wall and be gone.

Agree. So many of our players are in the year one transition from HS/Prep to DI college basketball where teenagers are playing against grown men game in and game out.  IMO, our kids have hit the proverbial wall. They've given all they have and have  just run our of energy reserves.  They've played 25 games and have 6 left before Arch Madness with no gas left in the tank. Simple as that.

[JD24]

Some of what's posted here appears to me to be excuse making and/or simply retaining some hope for the future. IOW....it can't possibly be this bad.

The team had no rebounds in the first 5 minutes of the game. Granted, the other team didn't provide many opportunities for those rebounds but there was no effort from Valpo. It was embarrassing. Defense and rebounding are sourced from effort with a little design. The effort wasn't there and the coach said the design was and wasn't followed. He's clearly looking for effort from his team and his comments indicate he's not happy with what he's seeing as far as effort is concerned.

We still see the same early game struggles we saw last year. We still see the same horrific 3 point defense we saw last year.

What we also see is a coach who, at least more publicly, is going to look to change that with the makeup of the future roster.

That is the hope...the only hope.

[valpopal]

IMO, our kids have hit the proverbial wall. They've given all they have and have  just run our of energy reserves.  They've played 25 games and have 6 left before Arch Madness with no gas left in the tank. Simple as that.

I am not buying this. These are superb athletes roughly between 18-22 years old with finely tuned bodies who are coached and closely guided on health, strength conditioning, and nutrition. "They've played 25 games" but in 100 days. They play two games a week in which only two team members are averaging more than 30 minutes, and in between they are trained to maintain peak performance ability. They "have 6 left before Arch Madness"; however, that is about 4 weeks away and should not be a burden. On top of that, the biggest problem with falling behind the opposition usually occurs in the opening segment of a game when all should be fully energized and prepared to play. If they have hit a wall, it is because they are facing the reality that they aren't as good yet as they had hoped. The expected evidence of progress has been lacking in recent games with a demoralizing six straight losses and the last two opponents scoring a total of 197 points!   

[valpo64]

Copobianco and Van Wyck were big more mature guys ...the kind we at this point do not have.  You cannot compare those veteran guys with our freshmen...get real!  As stated earlier we are too young and lack strength and experience and as was mentioned these kids have hit a wall.  Give them a break.  Alec Peters got pushed around too when he was a freshman.  Along with Coach Powell, the future is bright.

[mj]

Also need to give other teams credit for scouting us well. They've locked down on Stafford and forced other players to step up.

[JD24]

Copobianco and Van Wyck were big more mature guys ...the kind we at this point do not have.  You cannot compare those veteran guys with our freshmen...get real!  As stated earlier we are too young and lack strength and experience and as was mentioned these kids have hit a wall.  Give them a break.  Alec Peters got pushed around too when he was a freshman.  Along with Coach Powell, the future is bright.

I think with what we see on the court and combined with the coach's comments that the REALity of the situation is closer to what me and a couple of others have pointed out over the string of excuses seen from others.

The roster needs to be turned over to a great degree with only a couple of keepers in terms of players who should be significant future contributors. The reality of the transfer portal makes whatever the coach can cobble together for next season the great unknown since it is every bit possible that the team loses more than it gains. We just don't know.

[tiny707]

If the young guns have hit a brick wall play Team Captain Palm and Connor Barrett more. Seemed to work second half last game.

Be interesting to see freshman pic of Krikke and fifth year pic of Krikke side by side. Hugh difference I am sure. Weights..

[vu72]

Copobianco and Van Wyck were big more mature guys ...the kind we at this point do not have.  You cannot compare those veteran guys with our freshmen...get real!  As stated earlier we are too young and lack strength and experience and as was mentioned these kids have hit a wall.  Give them a break.  Alec Peters got pushed around too when he was a freshman.  Along with Coach Powell, the future is bright.

Truth.  And being a "finely tuned body", as valpopal suggests, will only get you so far.  Belmont out weighted us by (over the top 8 players) by an average of 19# per guy.  After our top five starters, we bring in 6'1", 6'2" and 6'7"(200#).  They bring in 6'4", 6'5" and 6'9" (240#)!  We have been out rebounded over the last two games by 17 and 23!  Our kids are trying but they are getting roughed up.  You don't win street fights by being young and inexperienced.  We have been in a street fight the last two times out and we were more than a little bit bloodied when the final clock went off.

[wh]

Copobianco and Van Wyck were big more mature guys ...the kind we at this point do not have.  You cannot compare those veteran guys with our freshmen...get real!  As stated earlier we are too young and lack strength and experience and as was mentioned these kids have hit a wall.  Give them a break.  Alec Peters got pushed around too when he was a freshman.  Along with Coach Powell, the future is bright.

Truth.  And being a "finely tuned body", as valpopal suggests, will only get you so far.  Belmont out weighted us by (over the top 8 players) by an average of 19# per guy.  After our top five starters, we bring in 6'1", 6'2" and 6'7"(200#).  They bring in 6'4", 6'5" and 6'9" (240#)!  We have been out rebounded over the last two games by 17 and 23!  Our kids are trying but they are getting roughed up.  You don't win street fights by being young and inexperienced.  We have been in a street fight the last two times out and we were more than a little bit bloodied when the final clock went off.

Great comments. I love our guys, win or lose. They are young warriors.

[usc4valpo]

Again Valpo needs better talent and grow from this.

[David81]

The floor keeps getting lower for some of these players. It's possible we've seen their ceiling already, I mean for this season. I was holding out for a late season surge, but now I know those hopes were misplaced.

And yet I still believe that VU has a young core of 5-6 players who, if they can be persuaded to stay, will be among the centerpieces of a strong team within a year or two. Schwieger, Williamson, Edwards, Sepp, Weatherspoon, and Ajiboye have all had their very good moments (and then some). Add Scroggins and Manyang (both of whom, fingers crossed, are lifting weights like crazy), bring in some new talent, and it's possible that we've got at least a .500 basketball team next season.

[mj]

The floor keeps getting lower for some of these players. It's possible we've seen their ceiling already, I mean for this season. I was holding out for a late season surge, but now I know those hopes were misplaced.

And yet I still believe that VU has a young core of 5-6 players who, if they can be persuaded to stay, will be among the centerpieces of a strong team within a year or two. Schwieger, Williamson, Edwards, Sepp, Weatherspoon, and Ajiboye have all had their very good moments (and then some). Add Scroggins and Manyang (both of whom, fingers crossed, are lifting weights like crazy), bring in some new talent, and it's possible that we've got at least a .500 basketball team next season.

Assuming our core stays, we're bound to have more talent next season.

Scroggins for Barrett should be an upgrade. McNair for Sciarroni should be an upgrade. Manyang for Palm is a wash at worst (assuming Manyang is healthy to play).

That leaves us at least 2 spots to fill with transfers or freshmen.

I'm hoping the players have bought into Powell's vision and will stick around.

[VULB#62]

The floor keeps getting lower for some of these players. It's possible we've seen their ceiling already, I mean for this season. I was holding out for a late season surge, but now I know those hopes were misplaced.

And yet I still believe that VU has a young core of 5-6 players who, if they can be persuaded to stay, will be among the centerpieces of a strong team within a year or two. Schwieger, Williamson, Edwards, Sepp, Weatherspoon, and Ajiboye have all had their very good moments (and then some). Add Scroggins and Manyang (both of whom, fingers crossed, are lifting weights like crazy), bring in some new talent, and it's possible that we've got at least a .500 basketball team next season.

Assuming our core stays, we're bound to have more talent next season.

Scroggins for Barrett should be an upgrade. McNair for Sciarroni should be an upgrade. Manyang for Palm is a wash at worst (assuming Manyang is healthy to play).

That leaves us at least 2 spots to fill with transfers or freshmen.

I'm hoping the players have bought into Powell's vision and will stick around.

Don't forget our gray beard -- Darius -- for next year as well. He can get even better with more experienced current talent around him as well as some new older/bigger talent xferring in.

A short while ago someone wondered what to expect in terms of what kind of physical changes to expect as players matured and wondered about Ben Krikke as an example. I  checked the rosters for the 4 seasons Ben was at Valpo, and here is the tale of the tape:

19-20 -- 6'9", 220#
20-21 -- 6'9", 230#
21-22 -- 6'9", 235#
22-23 -- 6'9", 235#
@ Iowa -- 6'9". 245#

And just for grins - Alec Peters
2013-14 -- 6'8", 225#
2014-15 -- 6'9", 225#
2015-16 -- 6'9", 230#
2016-17 -- 6'9", 235#
FYI - @ Olympiacos this season 6'9", 234#