My guess is:
Valpo 88
CCSJ 65
Of note, we have both Jason Hawkins returning to the ARC for the 7th season in a row (previous few years while at Trine), and Zion Morgan is back?? That guy has found a way to play for as long as he can, so more power to him (2016 HS grad)!
When playing a team like this, my coaching instinct is to first emphasize shut down defense. Crushing D totally demoralizes a lesser talented team. Just playing O gives a lot lesser talented bunch of players opportunities to hit a few shots that can give them some confidence. First priority: deny any confidence.
I just checked for Zion Morgan overlap but Darius arrived the year after Zion left with Connor Barrett being the only teammate connection from last season. Great to hear that Morgan found a way to advance his education while getting a little basketball exercise. 
McNair should start and Coulibaly and Scroggins should both be given huge minutes. I also want to see Carson Schwieger take as many 3 point shots as he can so that he can remind his brother how to hit them.
Great human interest piece about Zion Morgan (and Matt Lottich) by Paul in The Victory Bell:
https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/the-valparaiso-brotherhood
One could say that VU should've beaten Calumet College by 50, so no big deal. But in recent seasons, this game might've been much closer. Furthermore, VU didn't wait until the 2nd half to start running up the score, so no buzzer beater let down from Friday. They dominated while spreading the minutes around, like a legit D1 team should do when playing an NAIA opponent.
VU is heading into conference play on a hopeful note.
I'm generally pleased with our game performance but Coulibaly played only 3 minutes and has a mere 32 for the season. As Valley play progresses his floor time might increase but only when foul troubles hit Cooper and Kaspar. How long will he want to stay if he never sees the floor?
Diamond Head Classic on ESPN at 8CST features Murray St and Nebraska. Good opportunity for us to watch a Valley team that we can and very much want to beat.
For anyone in attendance or who watched.....What did we learn today and how if at all, did this prepare us for our next game? Also did the Bears game or Christmas shopping keep the attendance down? Hah
Nice article on Zion Morgan, and good for him. I forgot that he did graduate from Valpo, and wrote that "goodbye" note to basketball, versus coming back for his final year. He had spurts while at Valpo, where he showed what kind of player he could be, but it wasn't consistent enough to get the playing time he was apparently blaming Lottich, rather than himself and his play. Nice to see that he gets a Master's degree out of his time as CCSJ, and has made peace with his time at Valpo. I had also forgotten that he originally committed to Valpo in 2015, before rescinding and going to UNLV, and was recruited by Powell. Amazing how things come full circle!
For anyone in attendance or who watched.....What did we learn today and how if at all, did this prepare us for our next game? Also did the Bears game or Christmas shopping keep the attendance down? Hah
Chair backs were quite empty. Lower bleachers were quite full. Ellis played very well. For once this season 3 point shooting was lights out. Coop played a good game as well early on. No scoring droughts from what I remember.
Overall attendance wasn't too different from what the ARC normally sees. Despite Kris Kringle stopping by
We are at a pivotal point everyone.
If we win only one more game this season, we will have surpassed our 23-24 win total of seven. That next win will introduce the concept of +1 progress.
But seriously, there is a real possibility of taking 7 wins in the next 19. Would that be a positive indicator of forward momentum for the program? Where could those wins come from? In the past, any home game could be a win, with the ARC 3000 +/- going bonkers. Not now. The players have to win games on their own now. Can this young team rise to the/each occasion? They have shown the grit to do so, and they have also not shown up as expected. I’m hoping they have found their purpose and will show up for every game.
Lower bleachers were quite full....Overall attendance wasn't too different from what the ARC normally sees.
Sorry, but I see the lower bleachers as not even half full, and the official attendance was the lowest of the season, barely getting into four digits: 1050.
https://twitter.com/ValpoBasketball/status/1870913831339180125
@valpopal sorry for being more focused on the action rather than scanning my surroundings for fans. Was pretty full where I was sitting. But if you want more fans to show up. Win. Simple as that. Valpo fans still exist. Look at all the supporters showing their faces after the comeback against w Michigan
Why is it we can shoot lights out v. schools like CCSJ at the ARC but can’t hit the side of a barn with even good, open looks against DI teams?
Good defensive teams just aren't giving us many wide open 3 point shot attempts. Specific to Coop I'm thinking his release may have both flattened and slowed. Without carefully studying their mechanics did it appear that Carson releases his shot a little higher? Either way a sticky 3 point defense can greatly affect the Schwieger shooting style. If anyone watched that Nebraska- Murray St game yesterday then you'll understand why the Racers weren't taking or making 3 pointers. Hoiberg vs Prohm? I'll give every round to Hoiberg.Why is it we can shoot lights out v. schools like CCSJ at the ARC but can’t hit the side of a barn with even good, open looks against DI teams?
@justducky I can understand some of what you are saying, and I should have emphasized “at the ARC” better. On the road, the variables increase so a lower %age is to be expected. But at home, the friendly confines, familiar backgrounds, a neutral (at worst) to rabid (at best) Valpo crowd all should reduce anxiety, yet there have been numerous times at the ARC this season where the open looks are there for both twos and some threes, yet we are missing those shots - the same shots we hit yesterday.
@vulb62 if yoy were to ask my brother he would tell you I was co.plaining about the same exact thing. However to your point on the ARC, it's more of a church league setting as opposed to home. The fans do nothing. They just sit there while the crickets provide some semblance of noise. It cant be too difficult to say " OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" while the away team has the ball. For how bad the ARC is l. It's one redeeming quality is thst it can retain noise really well. That's how you beat big teams like Notre Dame in a bad gym. So my note to the fans is "DO SOMETHING DAMMIT"
