Talked to Brandon Wood yesterday!

vu72 · February 23, 2012, 03:11:52 PM

Brandon got me a couple of tickets for the Michigan State-Minnesota game which happened yesterday here in Minneapolis. Although he didn't start, he played 29 minutes and our local paper, the Star-Tribune, called him the "Player of the Game". He had 13 points I believe and played very well including incredible defense. A couple of steals and breakaway dunks to boot. Late in the game, with Minnesota ahead, Brandon kinda "took over the game". His outside shot wasn't falling so he drove to the basket and made a few key buckets to turn the tide. Classic Brandon.

After the game I got to see and talk with him for a few minutes. What a classy kid!

He is doing well in school and, as always was a gentleman. I was so happy to have had the chance to see him again.

Another example of the kind of kids Valpo has playing/played for them. Bright, talented and respectful.

covufan · February 23, 2012, 03:18:56 PM

Quote from: vu72 on February 23, 2012, 03:11:52 PM
Brandon got me a couple of tickets for the Michigan State-Minnesota game which happened yesterday here in Minneapolis. Although he didn't start, he played 29 minutes and our local paper, the Star-Tribune, called him the "Player of the Game". He had 13 points I believe and played very well including incredible defense. A couple of steals and breakaway dunks to boot. Late in the game, with Minnesota ahead, Brandon kinda "took over the game". His outside shot wasn't falling so he drove to the basket and made a few key buckets to turn the tide. Classic Brandon.

After the game I got to see and talk with him for a few minutes. What a classy kid!
He is doing well in school and, as always was a gentleman. I was so happy to have had the chance to see him again.

Another example of the kind of kids Valpo has playing/played for them. Bright, talented and respectful.

Well said. Thanks for the story. Brandon is everything we should expect from our graduated athletes.

Valpo89 · February 23, 2012, 03:29:37 PM

72, I thought about you when I was watching some of this game. In my mind, I was billing it as Chris Halvorsen vs. Brandon Wood.

lowposter · February 23, 2012, 03:51:36 PM

BW played great down the stretch.

Minnesota just evaporated the final 5 or 6 possessions. No one wanted the ball.

lowposter

vu72 · February 23, 2012, 04:25:38 PM

Quote from: Valpo89 on February 23, 2012, 03:29:37 PM
72, I thought about you when I was watching some of this game. In my mind, I was billing it as Chris Halvorsen vs. Brandon Wood.

LOL! I thought about the same thing. Were they on the same team for one year? The Halvorsen thing is a big mystery to me. clearly he didn't get on the gopher's team to gain more playing time! I honestly think it was home sickness or a girlfriend or some such nonsense. If he wanted to play and be near home he could have gone to several D3 schools in the area. Cost may have been a factor as at Valpo he was on scholarship and at Minnesota his dad is a prof so presumably he gets a free education? Who knows...

Valpo89 · February 23, 2012, 06:25:43 PM

Quote from: vu72 on February 23, 2012, 04:25:38 PM
Quote from: Valpo89 on February 23, 2012, 03:29:37 PM
72, I thought about you when I was watching some of this game. In my mind, I was billing it as Chris Halvorsen vs. Brandon Wood.

LOL! I thought about the same thing. Were they on the same team for one year? The Halvorsen thing is a big mystery to me. clearly he didn't get on the gopher's team to gain more playing time! I honestly think it was home sickness or a girlfriend or some such nonsense. If he wanted to play and be near home he could have gone to several D3 schools in the area. Cost may have been a factor as at Valpo he was on scholarship and at Minnesota his dad is a prof so presumably he gets a free education? Who knows...

I was thinking Brandon's junior year would have been Halvorsen's freshman year. This is probably Halvorsen's second year at Minnesota.

sectionee · February 28, 2012, 08:15:27 PM

Wood 0 points 7 boards tonight in a loss at IU. 0-5 fg 0-2 ft (including an Andrew Smithesque airball). Hopefully can play a little better in the tourney. Go Hoosiers!

Valpo10 · February 28, 2012, 10:48:02 PM

Quote from: vu72 on February 23, 2012, 04:25:38 PM
Quote from: Valpo89 on February 23, 2012, 03:29:37 PM
72, I thought about you when I was watching some of this game. In my mind, I was billing it as Chris Halvorsen vs. Brandon Wood.

LOL! I thought about the same thing. Were they on the same team for one year? The Halvorsen thing is a big mystery to me. clearly he didn't get on the gopher's team to gain more playing time! I honestly think it was home sickness or a girlfriend or some such nonsense. If he wanted to play and be near home he could have gone to several D3 schools in the area. Cost may have been a factor as at Valpo he was on scholarship and at Minnesota his dad is a prof so presumably he gets a free education? Who knows...

Its a public school, therefore it cannot offer free education for educators' children.

agibson · February 28, 2012, 11:57:48 PM

Really? I thought a tuition benefit for faculty families was pretty standard, public or private.

I guess my first two examples are private, but are you sure?

valporun · February 29, 2012, 09:35:07 AM

Quote from: agibson on February 28, 2012, 11:57:48 PM
Really? I thought a tuition benefit for faculty families was pretty standard, public or private.

I guess my first two examples are private, but are you sure?

Not sure about a FREE education, but maybe some discounts, like free room and board or a percentage of tuition reduced, is more likely, especially when states aren't paying the money to the education sources in the public schools?

agibson · February 29, 2012, 01:18:22 PM

Googling a little bit, it seems that these benefits are, indeed, less universal than I had assumed.

I still don't think there are any _rules_ about what a public school can or can't provide: this is an employee benefit not dissimilar from salary, health care, etc. Maybe there are differences about how the accounting works at public or private universities (does money have to move from one pot to another, or is the tuition simply waived?), but I don't think there are any prohibitions against this category of expense.

But, maybe, a tuition benefit is more common, or more generous, at private schools.

The University of California has been agitating for a benefit, the current situation's unclear. Baylor's like Valpo in offering full tuition to dependents, after the faculty member (at Valpo it's staff too) has been around a while. Valpo, like many other private schools, is a member of a tuition exchange consortium that allows the possibility of applying the benefit not _only_ at Valpo, but also at one of the other member schools (Butler, etc.)

IU, Colorado State, Minnesota, Missouri, and Oregon all other tuition benefits to dependents - but it's not 100%. It's a certain number of credit hours, etc.

Others offer a benefit to faculty or staff, but not to dependents (UT, Kansas, Iowa State, etc.).

So, indeed, 100% tuition for dependents is not as universal as I had assumed. And benefits may be more generous, in general, at private schools. But, they definitely also exist at public schools. Maybe as a discount, if not a 100% tuition waiver.

humbleopinion · February 29, 2012, 05:55:40 PM

The compensation packages for public universities would vary from state to state, and they may differ from one level of faculty to another.

Talked to Brandon Wood yesterday!

sectionee