JD I wholeheartedly disagree with this assessment. Yes, the game plan turned more individualistic, but this was only AFTER Evansville strung up a string of impossible shots and the team seemed to get in their own head. Most of the first half makes from Evansville were prayer shots that were highly contested. Last night they lost their composure and losing that composure turned into a ballooning lead for a bad team. If the team had kept their composure, the score would be different. There was a set game plan, and when that game plan was executed, shots were made. I know we are frustrated about Cooper not getting the ball down low, but he is being doubled by help side zone by almost everyone in the league. Its hard for a guy who isnt really a big to create space on that kind of defense. I don't think people have a "Blind Faith" in Powell. He is a good coach and certainly has done great things for publicity in only 1 year of service time. Look at how this board was praying for Louth against Drake, and for the 3+ minutes he was in he didn't look that great. Powell has legitimate reasons for not playing guys. What those reasons are is up to discussion.
Here’s how bad yesterday’s loss was. I stopped watching after the first half. When you’ve got a diehard fan turning the game off, things are not good.
We obviously have holes in our roster. I’d be ok with that if the team was playing a tight, fundamental game. But this team is also becoming sloppy. Lack of talent and sloppy play is the kiss of death.
The era of a multi year rebuild is gone. Good coaches can have instant results. You should be judged on the things you can control. And I’m not liking what I see so far…
@rezynezy I couldn’t watch. And the Box Score doesn’t reflect game management too well (the tactical use of time outs, for instance).
So I’m gonna ask a related question. When the sky started falling early in the first half, did Roger call time out, regroup and cut off the spiraling momentum? Did he make any adjustments or did he just wait and let the guys play through it? I understand conserving time outs in the second half for end of the game tactics, but leaving time outs on the table going into the halftime locker room is a waste of an asset. And using the time outs is not, IMO, over-coaching — especially when you’re getting hammered so early.
JD I wholeheartedly disagree with this assessment. Yes, the game plan turned more individualistic, but this was only AFTER Evansville strung up a string of impossible shots and the team seemed to get in their own head. Most of the first half makes from Evansville were prayer shots that were highly contested. Last night they lost their composure and losing that composure turned into a ballooning lead for a bad team. If the team had kept their composure, the score would be different. There was a set game plan, and when that game plan was executed, shots were made. I know we are frustrated about Cooper not getting the ball down low, but he is being doubled by help side zone by almost everyone in the league. Its hard for a guy who isnt really a big to create space on that kind of defense. I don't think people have a "Blind Faith" in Powell. He is a good coach and certainly has done great things for publicity in only 1 year of service time. Look at how this board was praying for Louth against Drake, and for the 3+ minutes he was in he didn't look that great. Powell has legitimate reasons for not playing guys. What those reasons are is up to discussion.
This isn't a surprising response at all. You see things through some of the rosiest colored glasses I've run into on any message board.
No matter the situation, it's a positive. Maybe that's a good thing for how you see life. But as to assessing a current basketball program, I have my doubts.
The era of a multi year rebuild is gone. Good coaches can have instant results. You should be judged on the things you can control. And I’m not liking what I see so far…
This needs to be repeated over and over. It's unlikely that players will be collectively on the same roster year to year to any great degree and that's with any program. That method of putting together a program is in the past. We'll be recruiting, potentially, a new roster every year. So, hopefully there are more siblings of current players and relatives of the Valpo program's more glorious past available in the portal when this season is over.
In the meantime, lets hope things get better this season but it is headed in the other direction at the moment.
Valpo still needs more overall talent, and Powell is doing an admirable job. They are getting better, but anyone believing they would compete at the top of the MVC is delusional.
if only Valpo has a D2 transfer like Bennett Stirtz…
The problem isn't with competing at or with the top of the MVC. I also don't think anyone thinks that should be the case at all.
This isn't a surprising response at all. You see things through some of the rosiest colored glasses I've run into on any message board.
Are we sure they aren’t being paid by Valpo to post on this board?
And some here see things through the muddies colored glasses I've ever seen. Id rather be an optimist than an old miser groveling
I like objectivity, and Powell has a difficult job providing a competitive team given limited support. IMO the product has improved to some extent and better coached.
however, 5 straight losses and a home blowout loss to Evansville is concerned and criticism is justified. The team is inconsistent in their play, and checkers to chess comparison to Drake coach Ben McCollum is an excellent analogy.
Be objective, say the good and address the bad. Don’t be like the Valpo athletics Facebook posting which tends to put lipstick on a pig.
When we were 3-2 in MVC play I was upbeat and ready to watch each game. It seemed like we had a shot at 11-12 wins in conference play. One of the more difficult tasks in coaching is getting consistent good play from young men and women. I believe we are better than last few years, but this E’Ville game has us taking a step back.
I also believe that Powell and this team will right this ship and be ready for Arch Madness. Or maybe I’m just mad (crazy)
FWIW, for our 5 game skid, here are the half by half scoring differentials
First ½ Second ½ Final
Murray -5 -6 -11
Belmont -10 +3 -7
UIC even -7 -7
Drake -14 +4 -10
EU -18 +8 -10
The obvious (to me) trend is that our first half readiness to play is steadily declining. We all sensed it. These numbers just empirically confirm that.
It’s pretty easy to see how you stop the skid — you don’t start games with the score board already reading: Opponent 9.4, Valpo 0.0 (our average deficit at the end of the first half). And that average deficit doesn’t even reflect some of the even deeper holes the team started to claw its way out of in the first 20 minutes.
