My story on Isaiah Shaw on the Valpo Athletics site is recommended reading, if I do say so myself. He was great to talk to... when I call our signees it's normally a few minutes but he and I talked for 30+ min. I think fans and those of us around the program are going to really enjoy Isaiah.
removed link
You have to be careful with this Brandon. I tried to say the same thing and I was laughed at.
I don't want to pile onto this conversation any more as I am a subscriber and look forward to reading whenever any basketball articles come out. That being said, as much as we enjoy the stories about players off the court, when a new player transfers into the program the first thing us fans want to know is what is the projection for their role on the court. With all the hype that was surrounding the signing at that time, the article contained a lot of fun stories about the relationship between Powell and the Drew family, but didn't include much about what his role might be on the floor other than the typical transfer-speak "I wanted to play a bigger role" and "be a piece of what Powell is building". For a guy that played 7 minutes a game, that could mean just about anything. It made it appear that the hype was just surrounding the fact it is a Drew relationship. The only basketball related intel we had yet were his stats.
After the uproar online, you came on here and said: "Just wanted to chime in here. Call it B&G colored glasses or call me crazy, but I've talked to a couple of people and Shaw isn't the typical 2.6 ppg transfer coming in. The expectation is this kid is coming in and will not only be a starter, but has a chance to be special. The word from someone not affiliated with Valpo/GCU/Drew is he is an immediate impact player for Valpo."
Once people heard some more opinions on his play from "people in the know", the tone started to shift back to excitement. I think if the article stated some of that follow-up info about how people think he could come in and start and possibly develop into a special player at Valpo, the reaction would have been much different. A lot of our recruits are under the radar and don't have much tape. It is very difficult for us as fans, without any inside knowledge, to determine what roles the staff sees these guys playing. For that, we rely on The Victory Bell articles and the over/under podcast near the start of the season. I don't expect Powell to tell you the starting lineup 5 months in advance to send out in your article, but maybe an inside opinion or hint like what you posted on the board, except in the article, would have yielded a different initial reaction.
Appreciate you continuing through providing Valpo content when all the local papers dropped it. Your content really is very good and without you we'd have nothing. Just wanted to throw out that suggestion.
Final addition to the roster finally confirmed. Jefferson de la Cruz Monegro from Western Michigan.
My story on Isaiah Shaw on the Valpo Athletics site is recommended reading, if I do say so myself. He was great to talk to... when I call our signees it's normally a few minutes but he and I talked for 30+ min. I think fans and those of us around the program are going to really enjoy Isaiah.
removed link
You have to be careful with this Brandon. I tried to say the same thing and I was laughed at.
I don't want to pile onto this conversation any more as I am a subscriber and look forward to reading whenever any basketball articles come out. That being said, as much as we enjoy the stories about players off the court, when a new player transfers into the program the first thing us fans want to know is what is the projection for their role on the court. With all the hype that was surrounding the signing at that time, the article contained a lot of fun stories about the relationship between Powell and the Drew family, but didn't include much about what his role might be on the floor other than the typical transfer-speak "I wanted to play a bigger role" and "be a piece of what Powell is building". For a guy that played 7 minutes a game, that could mean just about anything. It made it appear that the hype was just surrounding the fact it is a Drew relationship. The only basketball related intel we had yet were his stats.
After the uproar online, you came on here and said: "Just wanted to chime in here. Call it B&G colored glasses or call me crazy, but I've talked to a couple of people and Shaw isn't the typical 2.6 ppg transfer coming in. The expectation is this kid is coming in and will not only be a starter, but has a chance to be special. The word from someone not affiliated with Valpo/GCU/Drew is he is an immediate impact player for Valpo."
Once people heard some more opinions on his play from "people in the know", the tone started to shift back to excitement. I think if the article stated some of that follow-up info about how people think he could come in and start and possibly develop into a special player at Valpo, the reaction would have been much different. A lot of our recruits are under the radar and don't have much tape. It is very difficult for us as fans, without any inside knowledge, to determine what roles the staff sees these guys playing. For that, we rely on The Victory Bell articles and the over/under podcast near the start of the season. I don't expect Powell to tell you the starting lineup 5 months in advance to send out in your article, but maybe an inside opinion or hint like what you posted on the board, except in the article, would have yielded a different initial reaction.
Appreciate you continuing through providing Valpo content when all the local papers dropped it. Your content really is very good and without you we'd have nothing. Just wanted to throw out that suggestion.
Great stuff here. I do want to be careful about overhyping players. I once wrote that Parker Hazen might be the next Alec Peters. I did this because I bought into all the hype surrounding the player. Hype that I heard from others and hype that I witnessed myself. Hazen was most definitely not the next Alec Peters.
Well, with 13 scholarship players and 4 walk-ons (per The Victory Bell's super helpful roster tracking chart), at least we know they'll always be able to do 5-on-5 scrimmages, even if a bunch of guys are banged up.
But more seriously, that's a lot of players to be coaching and deploying at practice every day. It will be a challenge to keep everyone focused and engaged, because roughly half of them will not see meaningful minutes.
Please! Can we just call him Jeff?Final addition to the roster finally confirmed. Jefferson de la Cruz Monegro from Western Michigan.
Will we run gun and platoon OOC to find some players opportunities for experience? I ask because the quality difference between starters and backups doesn't appear to be huge.
Monegro is kind of a last minute "oh yeah him too" mention but he looks like he could be a big help. There should definitely be some competition for playing time.
Just checked Bronco stats and find for 23-24 98 assists, 61 turnovers, 21 steals and 105 (6' 4") rebounds. Those are numbers that put him in the mix for minutes. I'm seeing some good players standing in line to get minutes.
Every day my optimism seems to grow.
My story on Isaiah Shaw on the Valpo Athletics site is recommended reading, if I do say so myself. He was great to talk to... when I call our signees it's normally a few minutes but he and I talked for 30+ min. I think fans and those of us around the program are going to really enjoy Isaiah.
removed link
You have to be careful with this Brandon. I tried to say the same thing and I was laughed at.
I don't want to pile onto this conversation any more as I am a subscriber and look forward to reading whenever any basketball articles come out. That being said, as much as we enjoy the stories about players off the court, when a new player transfers into the program the first thing us fans want to know is what is the projection for their role on the court. With all the hype that was surrounding the signing at that time, the article contained a lot of fun stories about the relationship between Powell and the Drew family, but didn't include much about what his role might be on the floor other than the typical transfer-speak "I wanted to play a bigger role" and "be a piece of what Powell is building". For a guy that played 7 minutes a game, that could mean just about anything. It made it appear that the hype was just surrounding the fact it is a Drew relationship. The only basketball related intel we had yet were his stats.
After the uproar online, you came on here and said: "Just wanted to chime in here. Call it B&G colored glasses or call me crazy, but I've talked to a couple of people and Shaw isn't the typical 2.6 ppg transfer coming in. The expectation is this kid is coming in and will not only be a starter, but has a chance to be special. The word from someone not affiliated with Valpo/GCU/Drew is he is an immediate impact player for Valpo."
Once people heard some more opinions on his play from "people in the know", the tone started to shift back to excitement. I think if the article stated some of that follow-up info about how people think he could come in and start and possibly develop into a special player at Valpo, the reaction would have been much different. A lot of our recruits are under the radar and don't have much tape. It is very difficult for us as fans, without any inside knowledge, to determine what roles the staff sees these guys playing. For that, we rely on The Victory Bell articles and the over/under podcast near the start of the season. I don't expect Powell to tell you the starting lineup 5 months in advance to send out in your article, but maybe an inside opinion or hint like what you posted on the board, except in the article, would have yielded a different initial reaction.
Appreciate you continuing through providing Valpo content when all the local papers dropped it. Your content really is very good and without you we'd have nothing. Just wanted to throw out that suggestion.
Great stuff here. I do want to be careful about overhyping players. I once wrote that Parker Hazen might be the next Alec Peters. I did this because I bought into all the hype surrounding the player. Hype that I heard from others and hype that I witnessed myself. Hazen was most definitely not the next Alec Peters.
You weren’t alone, Paul. As I recall, he had a big shooting game early in non-conference that had everyone buzzing, myself included. Once he came back down to earth, Bryce replaced him in the starting lineup with Mileek McMillan, and we all started overhyping him. lol
Please! Can we just call him Jeff?Final addition to the roster finally confirmed. Jefferson de la Cruz Monegro from Western Michigan.
Will we run gun and platoon OOC to find some players opportunities for experience? I ask because the quality difference between starters and backups doesn't appear to be huge.
This is a great point and one that the staff emphasized. Last year, unfortunately the difference between most of our starters and bench was nominal because most were inexperienced and just not that good. When the staff looked down the bench for subs, the roster just seemed bare (and some starters weren’t too good either lol). This year things should be different. We have 2pgs now who have started 100+ games between them, and quite frankly the freshman (All Wright) may be the best of the bunch. Playing 2 pgs as Paul mentioned in his article is very possible (and what Gonzaga has done for years).
We have our starting SG back, can slide any of our PGs when Stafford subs out, or play Justus. We have size in the backcourt so 3 guards can play when Shaw or Ellis take a break. Ellis will also play a small ball 4. Powell played that role, we excelled when Jubril played that role, and Gonzaga thrived with guys like Kispert and Strawther there.
All of that said, our front court should be the biggest difference (it stunk last year). All indications are that Scroggins looks really good. He will have growing pains but his D is beyond a plus and he is a great lob threat. Cooper is terrific. Louth worked out with the guys on his visit. Other possible transfers were there as well (including a former top 100 PF kid) and Louth was terrific at his role. Screen, dive, dunk, rebound, be physically imposing. With Ellis playing some 4 as well, that makes Sepp our 5-6th big as opposed to a starter sometimes last year.
someone asked for insight so I am trying to give it above. Let’s be honest guys, in this NIL environment, we are not at the level of being able to land power 5 transfers. When the season ended there were several “wow” transfers that the staff had an awesome chance with. Now that money matters, I know of 2 of those transfers that are now with former Pac12 (now Big10) teams. A third and 4th ended up with a lot of money from power mid majors. That is not to say that staff does not prefer who we ended up with. The goal is to build a program, not have guys here for 6 months. So, the staff sorted through 500+ possibilities and built a roster that they think really fits well at Valpo. The trick will be keeping them around as only Stafford and Deaverio are out of eligibility after this year. I think the staff is very pleased and surprised with how well the pieces may fit but only time will tell. It should be fun!
good read mr. backagain.
It works well for my Mavs with Luka and Kyrie, as well. Hybrid PG/SG on the court is a huge benefit, as you don't always have to go the same guy to create some offense, when it is late in the shot clock.
3 guards with Stafford, Darius and Monegro is a possibility as well. Perhaps more of a probability. May give Powell a chance to press as much as I've thought he wants to but didn't last year due to roster constraints.
Some of these additions may have more effect defensively than offensively. It's nice to score but I thought the real big problem last year was defense, rebounding and a general lack of aggressiveness when the offense did not have the ball.
OK, now’s when I need some help putting this whole process together in my head.
>> We return our top two scorers, three starters (and top three minute players)
>> We lost some D-I game experience to the portal and graduation. However, posters here seem to agree that some of that experience was couched in inconsistent performance.
>> We appear to have upgraded our natural, raw talent across the roster via some transfers and first-year signings — i.e., we have deeper talent at all positions, so little or no drop-off going to the bench.
On the surface (but thinking in the past) this is certainly the way to build a stable, solid, long-term improving program. In that old scenario, the younger players understood there would be some waiting involved as they developed and matured. The older players’ roles were two-fold: carry the playing burden while mentoring the guys behind them on the depth chart. Preseason is a joy, filled with excitement. The stars are aligning.
Fast forward to the 2024 -25 season.
>> Our level of competitiveness enjoys a noticeable leap. The wins start coming.
>> As our experienced players gain strength, skill and experience, they become more attractive to stronger programs (i.e, higher level, more NIL, etc.)….. So the temptations to move up at season’s end increase manifold.
>> As our more evenly balanced lineup gets into the season and minutes become more and more contentious, potential dissatisfaction can rear its ugly head. Sadly……… the temptations to move on at season’s end increase manifold.
Here’s my conundrum.
Back in the day, Roger’s assembly of the roster we have today, May 5th, would forecast a MVC championship by 2026, maybe 2027 latest.
But, in the new world of college basketball, we are almost guaranteed to lose some top end and significant bench talent every season, so it’s almost like two steps forward and one (maybe even two) steps back.
A Gonzaga, with decades of excellence behind it, can adjust and still remain relevant. But what about Valpo after six out of seven years of losing? It’s not about adjusting. Roger is starting from zero. How do you build a strong program when, every year, you face unknown and improbable variables — most of which are out of his control?
OK, now’s when I need some help putting this whole process together in my head.
>> We return our top two scorers, three starters (and top three minute players)
>> We lost some D-I game experience to the portal and graduation. However, posters here seem to agree that some of that experience was couched in inconsistent performance.
>> We appear to have upgraded our natural, raw talent across the roster via some transfers and first-year signings — i.e., we have deeper talent at all positions, so little or no drop-off going to the bench.
On the surface (but thinking in the past) this is certainly the way to build a stable, solid, long-term improving program. In that old scenario, the younger players understood there would be some waiting involved as they developed and matured. The older players’ roles were two-fold: carry the playing burden while mentoring the guys behind them on the depth chart. Preseason is a joy, filled with excitement. The stars are aligning.
Fast forward to the 2024 -25 season.
>> Our level of competitiveness enjoys a noticeable leap. The wins start coming.
>> As our experienced players gain strength, skill and experience, they become more attractive to stronger programs (i.e, higher level, more NIL, etc.)….. So the temptations to move up at season’s end increase manifold.
>> As our more evenly balanced lineup gets into the season and minutes become more and more contentious, potential dissatisfaction can rear its ugly head. Sadly……… the temptations to move on at season’s end increase manifold.
Here’s my conundrum.
Back in the day, Roger’s assembly of the roster we have today, May 5th, would forecast a MVC championship by 2026, maybe 2027 latest.
But, in the new world of college basketball, we are almost guaranteed to lose some top end and significant bench talent every season, so it’s almost like two steps forward and one (maybe even two) steps back.
A Gonzaga, with decades of excellence behind it, can adjust and still remain relevant. But what about Valpo after six, now seven years of losing? It’s not about adjusting. Roger is starting from zero. How do you build a strong program when, every year, you face unknown and improbable variables — most of which are out of his control?
Well a couple things Powell is doing to try to turn us into a Gonzaga
1. The Fan Base
You build a fan base to support you financially and mentally. Back in he day, the ARC was a must see gym, not because of how nice it is, but because the fans were so passionate about the team. Until about 7-8 years ago, the ARC was considered one of the toughest places to play in the country. That fanbase has dwindled because of the lack of success and the various controversies, the donor base has dwindled as well for these reasons. I guarantee once the team proves they can win, and maybe get 1 or 2 tournament berths in the next 10 years, the support for the team could go back to the early days. Also, people will be willing to overlook some of the financial concerns if you have the facilities to support them. Valpo does sit inside the largest market in the MVC, and with the sox, Hawks, and Bulls, leavbing NBC Chicago in order to invest in their own channel (Much like the cubs did with Marquee). This opens the door for teams like Valpo and UIC to start getting TV deals that directly supports the NIL fund and the fanbase improvements.
2. Faith Based Talent
There is a reason the new guys in Paul's interviews put a big emphasis on their faith being a major talking point for Powell and why they chose this school. Faith based talent is more likely to overlook NIL and facility concerns to play at a school with a string sense of faith. Loyola, Gonzaga, Baylor, St. Mary's to name a few are all schools who put an emphasis on faith in order to attract their guys. Faith based athletes are also more likely to stay at a faith based institution and not care as much about money, as we have seen from Coop and Zai. Had they not been Christian athletes, they probably would have been long gone.
3. Community Outreach and Social Media
Powell and the athletic office have been making an effort to try to get back into the NWI and Valpo community. Zai and Coop both attended the 8th Grade Camp at VHS, a move that was previously unprecedented for the department. Powell also makes an effort to highlight local business with the "Powell Party of 6" series that the school puts out. Opening yourself up to the community will surely open the pocketbooks of the local residents, given that the program receives success of course. Valpo itself is full of some very affluent people. Valpo's elite as a community is comparable to Carmel's elite, but whereas Carmel's elite is known to open their pocketbooks to the community, Valpo's elite is very frugal. When these people see success and a strong sense of community, they are known to donate large sums. Some examples being the payment of the state champion rings for VHS football, which were paid for by donors, and Jeff Samardzija paying for not one, but 2 turf fields in town. His own Samardzija Field, and the new turf football field at the high school were all funded by him. If success is perceived and a good reputation is garnered with the community, we might be able to see the "Family Express Forum" built in a quicker amount of time. And NIL could be in our future.
Well a couple things Powell is doing to try to turn us into a Gonzaga
1. The Fan Base
You build a fan base to support you financially and mentally. Back in he day, the ARC was a must see gym, not because of how nice it is, but because the fans were so passionate about the team. Until about 7-8 years ago, the ARC was considered one of the toughest places to play in the country. That fanbase has dwindled because of the lack of success and the various controversies, the donor base has dwindled as well for these reasons. I guarantee once the team proves they can win, and maybe get 1 or 2 tournament berths in the next 10 years, the support for the team could go back to the early days. Also, people will be willing to overlook some of the financial concerns if you have the facilities to support them. Valpo does sit inside the largest market in the MVC, and with the sox, Hawks, and Bulls, leavbing NBC Chicago in order to invest in their own channel (Much like the cubs did with Marquee). This opens the door for teams like Valpo and UIC to start getting TV deals that directly supports the NIL fund and the fanbase improvements.
2. Faith Based Talent
There is a reason the new guys in Paul's interviews put a big emphasis on their faith being a major talking point for Powell and why they chose this school. Faith based talent is more likely to overlook NIL and facility concerns to play at a school with a string sense of faith. Loyola, Gonzaga, Baylor, St. Mary's to name a few are all schools who put an emphasis on faith in order to attract their guys. Faith based athletes are also more likely to stay at a faith based institution and not care as much about money, as we have seen from Coop and Zai. Had they not been Christian athletes, they probably would have been long gone.
3. Community Outreach and Social Media
Powell and the athletic office have been making an effort to try to get back into the NWI and Valpo community. Zai and Coop both attended the 8th Grade Camp at VHS, a move that was previously unprecedented for the department. Powell also makes an effort to highlight local business with the "Powell Party of 6" series that the school puts out. Opening yourself up to the community will surely open the pocketbooks of the local residents, given that the program receives success of course. Valpo itself is full of some very affluent people. Valpo's elite as a community is comparable to Carmel's elite, but whereas Carmel's elite is known to open their pocketbooks to the community, Valpo's elite is very frugal. When these people see success and a strong sense of community, they are known to donate large sums. Some examples being the payment of the state champion rings for VHS football, which were paid for by donors, and Jeff Samardzija paying for not one, but 2 turf fields in town. His own Samardzija Field, and the new turf football field at the high school were all funded by him. If success is perceived and a good reputation is garnered with the community, we might be able to see the "Family Express Forum" built in a quicker amount of time. And NIL could be in our future.
ReZy, all great thoughts, however, in my mind only your #2 addresses the short-term ramifications of program longevity. Numbers 1 and 3 are incredible first steps by Roger in his first year that lay the foundation for local program support over the long run and will gradually pay increasing dividends. However, they do not address winning here and now, which is my conundrum — how do we retain recruiting gains over the next couple of years in the face of the new recruiting/transfer order? I noted that both #1 and #3 have a winning component as a qualifier. Without winning, they would likely lose momentum.
Back to #2. I think you nailed this one. Roger has a great advantage here and The Rev’s very good at it. The kind of player who responds to this appeal is more likely to display loyalty, commitment, and unselfishness and stand by these values. And there are some great players out there who are people of faith looking for the right home. Valpo can be that place — for longer than a season or two.
