Game #26 MVC #15 - Northern Iowa #1 ARC Valentines Day 7pm

valpopal · February 14, 2024, 09:18:46 PM

Another blowout, this time at the hands of a team without its leading scorer. There weren't high expectations for this season, only that the team would be competitive and show improvement as the season moved forward, as a result the ARC attendance would grow in numbers and enthusiasm. However, during the past seven straight losses even those low bars have been too difficult to achieve as the team seems to be deteriorating rather than improving, and in the last three games Valpo has not even been competitive.

justducky · February 14, 2024, 09:33:14 PM

Quote from: valpopal on February 14, 2024, 09:18:46 PMHowever, during the past seven straight losses even those low bars have been too difficult to achieve as the team seems to be deteriorating rather than improving, and in the last three games Valpo has not even been competitive.

The Valley now knows exactly what we can and can not do. With that knowledge all of our weaknesses are being exploited.

Very pain-full to watch!

VULB#62 · February 14, 2024, 10:00:40 PM

Quote from: justducky on February 14, 2024, 09:33:14 PM
The Valley now knows exactly what we can and can not do. With that knowledge all of our weaknesses are being exploited. Very pain-full to watch!

Spot-on Ducky - again look at opponent FG% and points in the paInt. This together with the growing mental fatigue associated with boys vs. men night after night has finally taken its toll. Not a slam on our players. They play hard but are over matched at this point. No way we surprise anyone anymore. This is where Roger will earn his pay — keeping the kids' spirits up, together and focused for the rest of the season. It's also important that he maintains team discipline and does not permit individuals to go off on their own tangent. We saw what that did to previous teams.

valpopal · February 14, 2024, 10:01:47 PM

Quote from: truth219 on February 14, 2024, 07:09:44 PM
The attendance has to be under a 1000. I've never seen such a poor turn out.

The official attendance is generously listed at 1031.

JD24 · February 14, 2024, 10:26:21 PM

Barrett with the monumental feat of 5 fouls in 11 mins including fouling out on an in bounds play in which the ball never got inbounded. He's got no feet and, as mentioned above, just can't defend.

When Cooper went out, the game was non competitive even if the score was close for a bit. That was because Valpo threw in a few 3's for a change but the game quickly reverted back to normal.

Regarding the roster now and into next season, we may be seeing the end of Edwards career at Valpo. Coach has made some references towards him recently not in a flattering way, he hasn't played well recently and didn't play much today although with a bug going around maybe that was the reason.

Right now I'm with Darius, Cooper, Williamson and maybe Sepp as keepers. They'll be more kept but everyone else can be replaced IMHO. Team needs some rugged inside players.

usc4valpo · February 15, 2024, 05:38:47 AM

When a team is 6-20 in any sport, it is very difficult to get high attendance - unless you're the Chicago Cubs who could pack Wrigley Field even if there's not even a game there.

vu72 · February 15, 2024, 08:45:36 AM

I think there is one very big difference between how Lottich and Powell are handling defeat. Lottich is like "OK, see ya next season"! and Powell is, "we're building a program of winning, this is the lowest we will be"! Watch the Presser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DD5BwZPN4k

vu72 · February 15, 2024, 09:09:19 AM

OK, I'm looking for bright spots! Here are a couple of interesting (at least to me!) comparisons of today's players versus a couple of guys who ended up being pretty good players at Valpo and beyond:

Alec Peters 6'9" Freshman stats: 12.7ppg and 4.8 rpg in 29.6 mpg

Cooper Schwieger 6'9" Freshman stats: 12.1ppg and 5.4 rpg in 29.2 mpg

Jubril Adekoya 6'7" Freshman stats: 5.76 ppg and 3.44 rpg in 19.1 mpg

Caspar Sepp 6'7" Freshman stats: 4.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg in 19.5 mpg

Coincidence or a bright future??

usc4valpo · February 15, 2024, 10:45:04 AM

Great objective postgame speech. I appreciate the honesty and lack of fluff. This team will get better and they will win. They need much more talent.

Valpo89 · February 15, 2024, 11:57:18 AM

I haven't watched the "press conference" yet, but I'm wondering who was there from the "press?"
PO was sick and couldn't make it. No one was sitting in the media area.
Guess it was all for video?

AB · February 15, 2024, 12:42:18 PM

Objective is a good way to describe the press conference. How about refreshing. You can tell he's clearly frustrated in the moment, offers up fair excuses about injuries and depth, rim protector red shirting and being hired late. He still manages to instill confidence in the future of the program. Outmanned sums it up. Now it's a question of who he wants back after the season. That will be separate thread in March I assume! I like the fact he's not sacrificing wins for culture. As painful as it is for all of us this year..... You have to believe Cooper is the face of the program moving forward and they will do everything to keep him and surround him with good players. The comp to Alec is fair, but Alec had a better team his freshman year and a little more to play for. The buzzer beating loss to Columbia in the CBI.

Chairback · February 15, 2024, 12:52:33 PM

We no doubt have the right coaching staff. I have complete confidence in them.

valpotx · February 15, 2024, 02:02:14 PM

While I get the Alec Peters comparisons, we need to put it in perspective that Cooper is really the only other option to Stafford, whereas Peters was on a team that could share the ball a bit more, so he didn't get as many touches. Peters could go off at any time, even in his FR year, but we also had Dority, Jubril, Lexus, Bobby C, and Jordan Coleman (when he wanted to play to his ability). Much different depth discussion, and touches that could be distributed a bit more. If Peters was on the current team as a FR, he would probably average 15-20 ppg.

Whomever said something to Coach Powell or the players at the end of the game, as Roger mentioned, is an idiot. Everyone that pays attention to the program and what Powell inherited with a limited time window, knew that this was going to be a very tough season.

NativeCheesehead · February 15, 2024, 02:07:55 PM

I am still mystified on aforementioned rim protector red shirting. Seems incredibly short sighted given the CBB landscape. The odds of any player staying 5 years at a school (not named Drake) is very low. Hell, it's 50/50 Powell will be here in 5 years, either moving up or moving out. Would think some real game experience would do him good and let the staff know exactly what they have going into what is their first FULL offseason as a group.

usc4valpo · February 15, 2024, 02:20:34 PM

Regarding a limited time window to get talent, there may be a lesson learned here. With the more liberal transfer and recruiting rules, if you are certain to sack a coach, do NOT wait! Have the interim coach take over, and start the search for a new coach. My feeling is they were going to sack Lottich but wanted to wait until the season ended.

I know Valpo does not do that traditionally, but this tradition needs to be broken. For the women's program there's no question Evans needs to be dismissed a month ago.

Chairback · February 15, 2024, 02:28:00 PM

The $ didn't arrive until later for the coaching change to be made.

usc4valpo · February 15, 2024, 03:28:40 PM

what money are you referring to?

tiny707 · February 15, 2024, 04:01:53 PM

These press conferences are no longer about what happened in the actual game and what they needed to do to win..

usc4valpo · February 15, 2024, 05:30:49 PM

I appreciate those long term comments, as during the game they pretty much got smoked.

valpopal · February 15, 2024, 05:35:14 PM

Coach Powell has repeatedly declared he will be bringing extraordinary stud players to Valpo next season through the portal. Therefore, this promise has consciously raised expectations to very high levels he now will need to meet.

Valpo89 · February 15, 2024, 06:33:45 PM

Great "press" conference. Good thing Roger is a great speaker considering there were no actual reporters at the game.

valpotx · February 16, 2024, 02:03:17 AM

Powell is no longer speaking about this season. He is sending a message to all of his players both inside the locker room and publicly, that they are playing for their scholarships at Valpo. Deion Sanders approach, and I do believe that it makes sense, given the ridiculousness of transfers and NIL nowadays. If you would have asked me 5 years ago about a coach sending this type of message, I would have a different response. Now that there is no loyalty to the school by both players and coaches that can leave for more lucrative offers elsewhere, all players should expect to be playing on year-to-year scholarships.

covufan · February 17, 2024, 02:39:39 PM

Quote from: valpotx on February 16, 2024, 02:03:17 AM
Powell is no longer speaking about this season. He is sending a message to all of his players both inside the locker room and publicly, that they are playing for their scholarships at Valpo. Deion Sanders approach, and I do believe that it makes sense, given the ridiculousness of transfers and NIL nowadays. If you would have asked me 5 years ago about a coach sending this type of message, I would have a different response. Now that there is no loyalty to the school by both players and coaches that can leave for more lucrative offers elsewhere, all players should expect to be playing on year-to-year scholarships.

We need a Valpo, all sports, NIL slush fund.

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