@valpo15 I said Powell was a great hire. I didn’t say she hired him. Presidents don’t hire basketball coaches. As for improvement, check the records. Men’s basketball: 15 wins v. 7; women’s basketball: 13 wins v. 5–and the coach was fired. Softball: 12 wins so far v. 9 all last season. Baseball-off to a slow start but already have wins over Ohio State and Illinois.
Maybe if you actually followed Valpo sports you might not make so many ridiculous statements.
Currently I have nothing to critique on Hosmer’s performance. Given the circumstances, she is making the right decisions to enable success.
as for Powell, I have a bad feeling he may get frustrations with the limitations at Valpo and look for a role at a bigger program. NIL is currently killing Valpo.
the valpo athletics is on the rise comment shows how clueless or just naive you are
100% Totally delusional
I believe that scholarships are just year-to-year, regardless of injury. You have to pay for their rehab and any surgeries, but I don't believe that you have to honor their scholarship for an entire year. I feel like an a-hole saying it, but if we get another situation where someone lights it up, gets hurt towards the end of the season, and needs an injury redshirt year, f them, you lose the scholarship, as you aren't going to stay, once you are healthy. We'll cover your recovery, but not wasting a roster spot or scholarship for someone that is injured.
This terrific video shows how Valpo basketball was something that once exhibited a different level of enthusiasm and enjoyment shared by fans about the university and the program. Interesting to listen to the many comments, which emphasize what has been lost in the time since, not only at Valpo but in mid-major college basketball overall. In fact, when I saw Cory Johnson, I realized what an outlier transfers were then, and with Brandon Wood I remembered how much of a disappointment it was that he left his final year. Also noticeable: baggy shorts, brownish basketballs rather than today's nearly neon orange, and only one player with the rare tattoo.
Tom Izzo has ONE four year player on his roster.
That video was an absolute treasure to watch. Felt like I was going back in a time machine.
Homer had an innate way to make you feel special about yourself.
Tom Izzo has ONE four year player on his roster.
Out on a limb here in saying Tom is going to have a teensy weensy easier time filling the holes on his roster than Roger Powell will.
Unless the NCAA recognizes that the trends are unhealthy for college sports, we can only hope to have two years at best to get to know athletes wearing a Valpo uniform on the floor for men's basketball. Sadly, one of the best recruiting arguments that Roger has is his ability to take unrecognized players and develop them so they can get a big payday with a better financed program. His record of consecutive Freshmen of the Year is a good argument of his success with player development and exposure.
I would expect each year we will have a couple freshmen who show promise, a few DII or DIII transfers, and a few transfer downs who hadn't seen the court on teams. Learn their names quickly.
The Stafford situation from this year stings the most. He could have played in the second half of the season, but he would have only been at 80% -- at that level he could have contributed. Instead, he was held out as it seemed better to wait and get him back at 100%. He will contribute nothing other that provide a scholarship to fill.
Thank you for sharing this.
My heart hurts because it ain’t like it used to be.
Yes, although I enjoyed recognizing all the familiar faces of players, coaches, and assistants, including a young Jake Diebler and my old friend Rod Moore, as always sitting in the corner to watch the practice, there was a wistfulness as well.
One way the transfer phenomena might be cut down is when it is not working for the players. In other words who ends up without a chair to sit in. Of course, likely they'll always be some NIL money available at some program, which still could leave Valpo on the outside looking in.
Roger went all in on trying to do what he could to keep his stars even without NIL Money. Minutes upon Minutes, Scholarship for a brother, letting certain people shoot through dry spots or bad spells and it got him not just them still leaving but also: The brother also leaving, less development time for his players on the bench, and less time or opportunities for others to work through their own slumps. I'm not saying that's why everyone is leaving but it does make me wonder. Now, you have to play the people most likely to get you wins so it feels like a damned if you do , damned if you don't situation either way. Maybe money fixes some of this. But I really don't know how you get basketball out of this death spiral other than waiting on and hoping the bubble pops sooner rather than later. Only 1 seed lower than a 6 in this year's sweet sixteen and it's power conference dominated...
I really don't know how you get basketball out of this death spiral other than waiting on and hoping the bubble pops sooner rather than later. Only 1 seed lower than a 6 in this year's sweet sixteen and it's power conference dominated...
Yes, another signal that the new transfer portal and NIL have had a negative influence. The NCAA has achieved what everyone predicted, a tournament where any mid-major presence is only early window dressing but eliminated by the time the competition reached the serious level of the sweet sixteen and the greater income or national exposure that entails. Even John Calipari, who has benefited maybe the most among coaches, said yesterday he was beginning to regret the current state of college basketball when he was reminded of the ridiculous situation that the transfer portal begins today, while all these teams are still playing.
When I started this thread 2 weeks ago I actually believed that most of the team would return. Should I change the thread title to "Returning Player" For 25-26 Season from "Returning Players" or is even that in question?
Somebody should start a poll for "Returning Fans For 25-26 Season" because I think the vote is getting lopsided. 
