Looking to Feburary

wh · January 30, 2012, 10:39:26 PM

We are currently 8-3 with 7 conf. games remaining:

Feb 2 Detroit ARC
Feb 4 WSU ARC
Feb 9 at CSU Cleveland
Feb 11 at YSU Youngstown
Feb 14 UIC ARC
Feb 21 Loyola ARC
Feb 24 Butler ARC

wh · January 30, 2012, 10:51:29 PM

I'm predicting 5-2 in Feb. and 13-5 for the season. I'm thinking we may well lose both the CSU and YSU road games, but win all 5 home games. To this point in the season, we have shown a lot of vulnerability on the road. That record should earn us the 2 seed, with a slight chance for No. 1.

vuweathernerd · January 30, 2012, 11:15:01 PM

i agree with the record, but my picks for losses are csu and (yes, again) loyola after the bracketbuster. while the travel is less of an issue this year because the majority of games are at home besides the bracketbuster, flying out to cali and back is a long trip. needless to say, i hope i'm wrong. but i just see the team coming out flat against loyola.

though there is the possibility of beating loyola and losing to butler. that's my second choice for a 5-2 record.

valpo84 · January 30, 2012, 11:50:04 PM

I'm sorry a 4 hour flight to Cali is not that long. And they have plenty of days off before Loyola. No excuses!!

vu84v2 · January 31, 2012, 12:47:53 AM

I am afraid of being positive, because this team has outperformed in conference vs. my expectations of 8-10 or 9-9 at the beginning of the season. However, I will predict 5-2 (hopefully I am being too negative again). Losses at CSU plus one of the home games. I also predict that this will get Valpo the #2 seed in the conference tournament, with CSU getting the #1 seed.

vuweathernerd · January 31, 2012, 01:05:53 AM

Quote from: valpo84 on January 30, 2012, 11:50:04 PM
I'm sorry a 4 hour flight to Cali is not that long. And they have plenty of days off before Loyola. No excuses!!

i ask you this: have you ever made that flight from chicago to la? sure, 4 hours clock time isn't that long. but that is a long flight. i've done it a few times, and regardless of the clock time, it's still draining.

VUfan · January 31, 2012, 01:30:48 AM

They sweep at home and split on the road. Lose to Loyola.
the trip to LA is is an 8 Hour trip with getting to the airport.

valpo84 · January 31, 2012, 04:32:23 AM

Oh W-nerd, the point was that I don't want to hear excuses about travel. Yes, travelling is a pain. But, they're in the US, they're young, they have principally school and hoops to worry about, and they will have enough time on both sides of the trip to recover and rest. Last year the games were on top of each other and there was not much rest in between, and frankly they still had two wins slip through their fingers, and then crashed, yet managed to put together a near flawless game against Missouri State. That was last year, that's the past. We hope they have learned lots of lessons and will finish strong, game by game as each is as important as the next.

And as to the flight from Chi-LA, without particulars, I understand very well what air travel means. I've made that flight, but now most of my travel is 2-3 times the trip to LA. But, I'm expected to perform at the highest levels usually within 2-12 hours from landing. As you know, we don't get to have excuses. Now, I would readily agree that I don't have to play in a physically demanding hoops game when I arrive, but I have played hoops immediately after ariving after overnight flights and I am twice our guys' age. I readily admit it is tough to get loose and that the legs can feel like lead, but motivation and passion for the game is from within whether playing in a dungy gym, or in a college arena in a nationally-televised game in LA, home of Lob City and Showtime at the Forum. What's important is when you're back in the ARC playing against the other Loyola you come out and play with just as much intensity. What's the old adage, how do you play/practice when no one is watching?

78crusader · January 31, 2012, 07:50:14 AM

We are one game back of Cleveland State, so to me this next month boils down to three words: "At Cleveland State." Win that one, and the rest of the month will take care of itself.

This Bracketbuster deal just isn't worth it. If Feb 17th rolls around and we have a chance to win the conference, I don't think anyone on this board will be in favor of a long trip out to LA.

Paul

StlVUFan · January 31, 2012, 10:19:03 AM

Quote from: 78crusader on January 31, 2012, 07:50:14 AM
We are one game back of Cleveland State, so to me this next month boils down to three words: "At Cleveland State." Win that one, and the rest of the month will take care of itself.

This Bracketbuster deal just isn't worth it. If Feb 17th rolls around and we have a chance to win the conference, I don't think anyone on this board will be in favor of a long trip out to LA.

Paul

OTOH, if we can win conference *and* paste LMU in the middle of it, I shudder to think what we could accomplish in the NCAA tournament.

cmack · January 31, 2012, 12:53:55 PM

4-3, Wright St. completes the season sweep. Cleveland St. ices home court. Butler gets their revenge.

valpotx · January 31, 2012, 01:10:53 PM

I picked 5-2, with losses to Cleveland State and either Youngstown State/Butler. I don't see us losing to Wright State at home, as they are even more up and down than we are.

historyman · January 31, 2012, 01:18:02 PM

5-2. Valpo wins at Cleveland State, Youngstown State, against Wright State, against Loyola, against Butler and loses to UIC and Detroit at home.

Who would have thought Valpo would beat both Butler and Cleveland State in the 1st half of the season and lose to Wright State and Milwaukee?

It doesn't seem that far fetched that the Crusaders would lose to Green Bay, Detroit and UIC and beat Cleveland State, Butler and Milwaukee in the 2nd half of the season.

valpopal · January 31, 2012, 02:17:11 PM

My preseason prediction was that Valpo would be 12-6 in the conference, which would mean a 4-3 conference record in February. I hope I was wrong and that we hold home court to go 5-2 the rest of the way, ending up at 13-5.

valpofan56 · January 31, 2012, 05:01:47 PM

I don't see a way that we can win at CSU because when you give them the home court advantage their incessant fouling will be called even less than it does on the road. I predict it will be close, but we are undoubtedly going to get jobbed by the refs.

milldew72 · February 01, 2012, 08:31:05 AM

4-3 with losses at CSU, home to UDM and to Butler

covufan · February 01, 2012, 05:12:29 PM

I guessed 5-2 for February - but hoping that we can pull another one out!

sliman · February 01, 2012, 05:32:15 PM

Youngstown doesn't seem to want to go away as Milwaukee discovered. A split on that road trip would be great, but not likely. If we don't win two this week, I fear we could be looking at a 4-loss month.

StlVUFan · February 01, 2012, 05:49:42 PM

Quote from: sliman on February 01, 2012, 05:32:15 PM
Youngstown doesn't seem to want to go away as Milwaukee discovered. A split on that road trip would be great, but not likely. If we don't win two this week, I fear we could be looking at a 4-loss month.

If this was Detroit we were talking about, I'd be more on board with them being a bona-fide contender. I watched last night's game and YSU looked just as undisciplined as they always do. They are more dangerous than past years, but they are just as sloppy. I still think we have a decent chance of sweeping them.

wh · February 25, 2012, 03:03:07 PM

Congratulations to the 5 super optimists who predicted we would go 6-1 in conf. in Feb. to finish 14-4. As one of the other 26 who predicted 2 or more losses, all I can say is I'm glad I was wrong.

Go Valpo!

Looking to Feburary

What will our final regular season conference record be?

historyman

valpofan56