2012-2013 Schedule?

[valpopal]

I understand Valpo's game at Nebraska will be part of an exempt tournament.

[milanmiracle]

Obviously I am enthusiastic about our team next year.  We will be as loaded as any mid-major.  My point is that we need to schedule teams from major conferences that we can beat, not make us look like another patsy.  Indiana falls into that category while Penn State or Nebraska do not.  Let's get some quality wins before we win the Hroizon, then we can talk about seeding like they do on the Butler board.

I can understand that....I just think we should be careful to not schedule too many of those. It's nice to give ourselves an opportunity for a big win. But anything beyond 2 or 3, and then I think it begins to hurt you because I don't believe a loss to a high-major is as good as a win against a mid-major.

While I agree with the theory, you leave yourself little margin for error this way. Unless by "mid major" you are thinking about Gonzaga or Butler, the Mid Major's just don't carry the same prestige that beating a BCS team does. Beating Oakland is nice, and their RPI might be higher than let's say Nebraska, but beating a Big 10 opponent has more overall value.

If you're going to schedule this way, then the at large birth is out the window. Rememeber they were talking about Cleveland State at 20-4 as a bubble team for the NCAA's. If you chose to go that route, you're gambling a whole season on 2 Horizon League tournament games. We saw how that worked last year.

While this is true, when was the last time we were in a position to schedule big BCS schools regularly and actually have a chance to gain an at-large berth? I mean, don't we always have to "gamble" every year on the HL tournament? Only now (it's been a while) are we good enough to start considering trying to set up a schedule that might be good enough for an at-large.

I'll leave it at this...I think they should schedule to get an at large birth every year, however unlikely. If not scheduling this way, you're telling your team they aren't good enough for the NCAA's. Then you have to ask the question, why are they scheduling Duke, North Carolina and Ohio State?

[vu84v2]

I agree with MilanMiracle that scheduling every year should be with the intent of making the NCAAs via an at large birth.  Even if the team is not in position to make it as an at-large, a strong schedule that is played well (for the most part) is going to yield a better seed in the tournament.  Beyond that, MilanMiracle's points about sending the right message to the team are right on target.

[vufan75]

I understand Valpo's game at Nebraska will be part of an exempt tournament.

A little bit of info as to some other teams participating in the Nebraska exempt tournament. Scroll down to find the info shown.

http://www.bloggingthebracket.com/pages/2012-college-basketball-early-season-tournaments-and-events

[valpotx]

If those are correct, that is a very winnable tournament for us: Tulane, Nebraska, Nebraska-Omaha, Kent State, and us

[DMvalpo18]

If those are correct, that is a very winnable tournament for us: Tulane, Nebraska, Nebraska-Omaha, Kent State, and us

I agree. Winning a tournament like this should be some kind of resumé builder as well.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

That can't be it, can it?  A tourney with 5 teams? (not 4, 6, 8 etc.?)


Trust me, Mrs. Bryce is rooting for an at large berth, not an at large birth--just like my wife currently is...

[zvillehaze]

That can't be it, can it?  A tourney with 5 teams? (not 4, 6, 8 etc.?)

The link lists this as a "round robin" event, so my guess is that each team will play the other 4 teams.  By playing 4 games in this "exempt tournament", Valpo will be able to play an extra two games.  (The limit is 29 regular season games or 27 plus an exempt tournament.)

The wording also makes it sound like all the games involving Nebraska will be played there.  The games not involving Nebraska will likely be at another site ... either as individual games worked out between the participants or it could be 3 days of doubleheader games at a central location, like when Valpo hosted the 2K Sports Classic games last year.

If that's the case, it gets Valpo a road game against a beatable BCS team (Nebraska was 150+ RPI), a good matchup with Kent State (106 RPI) and two wins against Tulane and Neb-Omaha. 

[bbtds]

That can't be it, can it?  A tourney with 5 teams? (not 4, 6, 8 etc.?)


Trust me, Mrs. Bryce is rooting for an at large berth, not an at large birth--just like my wife currently is...

Ouch! What really hurts is there will be another Apostle running around!!!   

Just kidding of course. Congrats, Apostle!

[vuweathernerd]

If those are correct, that is a very winnable tournament for us: Tulane, Nebraska, Nebraska-Omaha, Kent State, and us

I agree. Winning a tournament like this should be some kind of resumé builder as well.

i'm with you guys as well. the only problem is that we've only beaten what, one bcs school since our run in 98? which was washington in the cbi in 08. or did i miss something in the early 2000s between periods of paying attention in the late 90s and when i started seriously considering going to school at vu?

[bbtds]

Lubos Barton's team beat Ohio State in Alaska in 2000, I believe, and Barton's first game was a win over South Carolina, I believe.

[Valpo71]

We beat Seton Hall the day before or after South Carolina.

[valpotx]

Ohio State was 2000-2001, my SO year.  Antti Nikkila lit up OSU for around 20 pts, I believe

[vu84v2]

All three of those, plus Washington several years ago have been BCS wins since 1998 tourney.

Barton's first game was the win against South Carolina and his second game was the win against Seton Hall.  Both were in the RCA dome.

[vuweathernerd]

thanks for filling me in, guys!

[chef]

I seem to remember Valpo beating Penn State and West Virginia. Both games were blowouts, and both in Arizona. I believe 4 years apart.

[valpotx]

Yes, I remember PSU and WVU as well.  I think WVU was in the Fiesta Bowl Classic, where we barely lost to AZ as well

[valpopal]

That can't be it, can it?  A tourney with 5 teams? (not 4, 6, 8 etc.?)

The link lists this as a "round robin" event, so my guess is that each team will play the other 4 teams.  By playing 4 games in this "exempt tournament", Valpo will be able to play an extra two games.  (The limit is 29 regular season games or 27 plus an exempt tournament.)

The wording also makes it sound like all the games involving Nebraska will be played there.  The games not involving Nebraska will likely be at another site ... either as individual games worked out between the participants or it could be 3 days of doubleheader games at a central location, like when Valpo hosted the 2K Sports Classic games last year.

If that's the case, it gets Valpo a road game against a beatable BCS team (Nebraska was 150+ RPI), a good matchup with Kent State (106 RPI) and two wins against Tulane and Neb-Omaha. 

Here is some more info to help piece this together: "The [University of Nebraska-Omaha] Mavs will participate in a two-week tournament, traveling to Tulane (Nov. 16) and in-state foe Nebraska (Nov. 18) before facing Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 23) and either Chicago State or Valparaiso (Nov. 24) in Valparaiso, Ind."

UNO lists their schedule for the tournament:

Nov. 16 at Tulane TBD New Orleans, La.

Nov. 18 at Nebraska TBD Lincoln, Neb.

Nov. 23 vs. Bethune-Cookman TBD Valparaiso, Ind.

Nov. 24 vs. Valparaiso or Chicago State TBD Valparaiso, Ind. 

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120709/MAVS/705059883/1707

[bbtds]

So this means that on at least the dates of Nov. 23 & 24 Valpo is hosting a tournament with Bethune-Cookman, Chicago State and Nebraska-Omaha?

Can we hope for any other teams at this Thanksgiving weekend tournament?

[Valpo_Fred]

More scheduling news should be up on Valpoathletics.com tomorrow, Wednesday.

[valpotx]

If those are the teams in it, we should win them all by a good margin...those are some poor teams coming to Valpo

[justducky]

So we would play Chicago State for a chance to play a middle of the pack Bethune-Cookman. That isn't much incentive for me to drive to the ARC (and I live close) unless I want to see Coleman, Kurth and Fernandez in starting roles aong with who, maybe a couple of walk-ons?

[valpo4life]

I have no problem with playing teams of lower caliber as long as they are taking the place of terrible pointless non D-1 games.

[valporun]

I wouldn't say that all of our starters will see significant time conservation during this tournament. Ryan, Kevin, Kenney, and the like might still start, but I don't see them playing 20+ minutes in each game individually. Might see a lot of bench time, but it won't be like the Holy Cross (IN) game when the starters maybe played 5 minutes, and then sat the rest of the day.

[justducky]

Might see a lot of bench time, but it won't be like the Holy Cross (IN) game when the starters maybe played 5 minutes, and then sat the rest of the day.

I will agree that the Holy Cross and IU-Kokomo games of last year will be hard to top (or maybe bottom), but with this years talent I can't say that having Chicago State coming to town is anything but a letdown. I guess I can catch a good high school game that night.