why isnt this team clicking

[bbtds]

Probably that time we hung 138 points on Muhlenberg.  It was awesome.  9 years prior to my conception.  But awesome. 

http://www.muhlenberg.edu/pdf/main/athletics/mbbguide10.pdf

Points against (game)
138 by Valparaiso, 1968-69

Scroll down several pages of the Muhlenberg Mules Men's basketball media guide. It's the 8th record in first column of page 16 under "scoring."

This record is mostly due to Valpo scoring machine, Bruce Lindner.

"Who is Muhlenberg," you may ask. They're one of those Div.III powers that everyone is talking about all the time. They are in the same conference as Johns Hopkins.

[truth219]

Here's a question, we are 11 games into the season. Have we improved?

[HC]

I'll say maybe, but at least now they are all playing their natural positions.

[valporun]

It's hard to say based on the last 3 games, mostly because of time inbetween games, with finals break and scheduling. I'm sure the schedule being spaced out now either helps later in the season, or was time for the guys to get class work focused on without game distractions? Prior to that, it was also not easy to see if we improved because of injuries, Capo's recovery from surgery, still waiting on Dority, and finding out what the rotations would be. We also had a lot of guys on this roster that were still getting fit into the offense, rotations, and game play that Bryce uses.

[truth219]

This team wil not host the horizon league tournament

[atkins]

Because our guys seem to be perpetually sick, hurt, lethargic and/or out of energy, I am wondering whether our strength-and-conditioning program is a part of the disfunctional equation?  Sure sounds like it.  Maybe we need some new energy in that position?  Of course, it is possible that our guys are having to study instead of spending their time on cardio because Valpo does not have an underwater basketweaving program.  However, schools like Butler (a comparator to Valpo but more highly regarded in academic circles than Valpo) manage to find a way to condition their athletes despite rigorous academics, so I doubt that academics are a legitimate reason/excuse. 

[valpotx]

If Bob Brooks is still like he was when he worked with me/our baseball team, it is not his problem.  He works your a$$ off in all ways, but again, this was 9 years ago when I last played.  I was in the best shape of my life because of him, and still use a lot of what he had us do to keep in shape now.

[vuchicago]

Nope he is not

If Bob Brooks is still like he was when he worked with me/our baseball team, it is not his problem.  He works your a$$ off in all ways, but again, this was 9 years ago when I last played.  I was in the best shape of my life because of him, and still use a lot of what he had us do to keep in shape now.

[StlVUFan]

This team wil not host the horizon league tournament

Because this team is 0-1 in conference play and the tournament doesn't start tomorrow.

The team that plays in March may or may not, and none of us knows whether it will or not.

[crusadermoe]

We beat Murray St. on the road.
We lost to Loyola at home.   

Hopefully, our season will see us do more of the former and less of the latter.   But I do fear that the scouting of Buggs by familiar teams and think we will land at 10-6 for the conference year.    Yeah, I drank the kool-aid and said 7-1 in January.    We spent that one.   

It is baffling that a team with a probable median age of 21.5 years old can look so out of sync. 

Two two key recruits watched our Loyola loss and it was played in front of dozens of sleeping fans.   Hope neither one de-commits.

[wh]

It's hard to say based on the last 3 games, mostly because of time inbetween games, with finals break and scheduling. I'm sure the schedule being spaced out now either helps later in the season, or was time for the guys to get class work focused on without game distractions? Prior to that, it was also not easy to see if we improved because of injuries, Capo's recovery from surgery, still waiting on Dority, and finding out what the rotations would be. We also had a lot of guys on this roster that were still getting fit into the offense, rotations, and game play that Bryce uses.

As far as I know they have finals at Oakland and Loyola, too.  I don't think anything you mentioned is unique to Valpo.

[crusaderjoe]

This team wil not host the horizon league tournament

Sadly, this is probably the correct answer.

I heard during the Loyola/DePaul game that Loyola is the sixth youngest team in D-I right now...the sixth youngest, and yet Valpo got punched in the mouth like they were in the YMCA summer league--with five seniors no less, at home.

The road for the HL championship will either go through Chicago or Detroit, not through Porter County.   

[historyman]

The road for the HL championship will either go through Chicago or Detroit, not through Porter County.   

It seems extremely early in the conference season to be making absolute statements like this. As StLvuFan stated earlier no one knows right now where the HL tournament will be played including HL commissioner Jon LeCrone.

[talksalot]

OK, actually, if the tourney is in Chicago.... detroit, cleveland and youngstown will have to go through Porter County to get to the site.   sorry... just had to say that.   (of course, if it's in Detroit, GB, UWM, UIC and LUC would also have to go through porter county).

Personally, I hope they have to stop in the ARC for a few days in March.

[atkins]

We beat Murray St. on the road.
We lost to Loyola at home.   

Hopefully, our season will see us do more of the former and less of the latter.   But I do fear that the scouting of Buggs by familiar teams and think we will land at 10-6 for the conference year.    Yeah, I drank the kool-aid and said 7-1 in January.    We spent that one.   

It is baffling that a team with a probable median age of 21.5 years old can look so out of sync. 

Two two key recruits watched our Loyola loss and it was played in front of dozens of sleeping fans.   Hope neither one de-commits.

I tend to agree with everything that you posted.  I suspect that Yeo (and Peters) wished that they could have jumped onto the floor and taken control of the ball.  I think Valpopal posted a light-hearted comment to that effect in another thread. 
My brother-in-law has seen Yeo play numerous times.  Yeo, of course, plays at a small school, so the sample size is not necessarily indicative of how he will perform in college.  However, according to the annecdotal reports I've heard, Yeo is fearless and welcomes the opportunity to take over the game when it is on the line.  Nobody on Valpo's present squad has demonstrated the ability to do that consistently.  Ryan is a quiet leader, but it seems like this team is craving a more-vocal leader and/or a more-aggressive scorer who wants the ball when the game is on the line.  That's no fault of Ryan.  It is obvious that this team has depended far too heavily on him during his tenure. 

[crusaderjoe]

The road for the HL championship will either go through Chicago or Detroit, not through Porter County.   

It seems extremely early in the conference season to be making absolute statements like this. As StLvuFan stated earlier no one knows right now where the HL tournament will be played including HL commissioner Jon LeCrone.

I think you're missing the context of my comment.  I'm not talking about a physical brick and mortar geographical location for the tournament.  The "road" to the BCS national title has gone through Tuscaloosa for probably the last three or four years.  The "road" to the B1G title will go through Bloomington or Ann Arbor this year.  The "road" to the MVC title will go through Omaha or Wichita.  The PAC 12 tournament will be held in Nevada but it's road runs right through Tucson.

For the HL, that "road" will go through Detroit or Chicago this year, IMO.

[StlVUFan]

The road for the HL championship will either go through Chicago or Detroit, not through Porter County.   

It seems extremely early in the conference season to be making absolute statements like this. As StLvuFan stated earlier no one knows right now where the HL tournament will be played including HL commissioner Jon LeCrone.

I think you're missing the context of my comment.  I'm not talking about a physical brick and mortar geographical location for the tournament.

Neither one of us misunderstood the context of your comment.  We're just not interested in premature epitaphs, that's all.

[FWalum]

I wish I had a time machine... that probably wouldn't work because I don't think there was an internet forum during the "97"-"98" season, but man would it have been interesting to see what some of the posters would have been writing about when what most Valpo fans consider to be the best team in at least the last 40 years started the season 10-9, and 3-3 in conference. I can't imagine the gnashing of teeth that would have occurred.  The team and players would have been lambasted in this the final season of the greatest player in Valpo history, and an experienced squad to boot that had such high expectation.  Would any of you have expected them to go on a 13-1 run and get to the sweet 16?  I doubt it.

1997-1998 23-10 (13-3)
Mid-Continent Conference (1 st /9)
Head Coach: Homer Drew
Date Opponent W/L Score
Nov. 15 Bethel L 85-75
Nov. 17 Purdue L 73-56
Nov. 28 vs. Montana W 70-58
Nov. 29 vs. Stanford L 70-65
Nov. 30 vs. Pacific W 75-73
Dec. 6 Elmhurst W 85-70
Dec. 9 at Green Bay L 60-52
Dec. 13 at UIC L 72-51
Dec. 20 at UMKC W 80-68
Dec. 22 at Belmont W 78-62
Dec. 31 at Western Illinois L 63-62
Jan. 3 Chicago State W 82-62
Jan. 4 Northeastern Illinois W 72-69
Jan. 8 at Southern Utah W 79-70
Jan. 10 at Oral Roberts L 68-60
Jan. 17 Buffalo W 82-80
Jan. 21 Northern Illinois W 87-73
Jan. 24 Youngstown State L 69-66
Jan. 26 at Saint Louis L 77-66
Jan. 29 at Northeastern Illinois W 88-82
Jan. 31 at Chicago State W 102-74
Feb. 5 Oral Roberts W 90-68
Feb. 7 Southern Utah W 66-56
Feb. 11 at Buffalo W 73-64
Feb. 14 Belmont W 95-61
Feb. 19 at Youngstown State W 70-68
Feb. 23 UMKC W 75-65
Feb. 25 Western Illinois W 66-56
Mar. 2 vs. Buffalo W 84-73
Mar. 3 vs. Youngstown State W 67-48
Mar. 13 vs. Mississippi W 70-69
Mar. 15 vs. Florida State W(ot) 83-77
Mar. 20 vs. Rhode Island L 74-68

[bbtds]

I remember watching the Valpo at N.Eastern Illinois game on TV. It was a double OT game in their IUPUI sized gym up on the northside of Chicago. I think it was the next season that N.E. Illinois dropped out of the Mid-Con conference and out of the college athletics world altogether. The N.Eastern Illinois University board voted to drop sports totally because they couldn't compete with all the other colleges in Chicago for the athletes they needed to be successful. 

Valpo sure had some knock out battles with the Golden Eagles (good thing they weren't in the Mid-Con same time as Oral Roberts) and that game on Jan. 29th, 1998 was the best of them. Anybody remember their Mid-Con championship baseball team and their star basketball player, Andrell Hoard?

[chef]

Hoard was given three free throws at the buzzer of regulation on a very questionable foul call against Jamie Sykes, with Valpo up three. Hoard made all three and that forced overtime. Eugene Crawford was the official that made the call, which wasn't surprising considering he liked being the center of attention. The previous year, Hoard tied the game with under ten seconds left, Homer did not call time out, and Bryce Drew threw a 60-foot baseball pass left handed off the dribble to a streaking Bob Jenkins who dunked it with :01 left for a 2-pt Valpo win.

[chef]

Upon further review, let me make a correction. The game in 1998 was not overtime, Valpo won in regulation 88-82. All the previous events happened in the game in 1997 - Hoard's three free throws to tie it and the Bob Jenkins dunk at the end of OT for an 82-80 Valpo win.

[bbtds]

Well the years do kind of all meld together after a while. Bryce must have been a junior the year they won in double OT.

[crusaderjoe]

The road for the HL championship will either go through Chicago or Detroit, not through Porter County.   

It seems extremely early in the conference season to be making absolute statements like this. As StLvuFan stated earlier no one knows right now where the HL tournament will be played including HL commissioner Jon LeCrone.

I think you're missing the context of my comment.  I'm not talking about a physical brick and mortar geographical location for the tournament.

Neither one of us misunderstood the context of your comment.  We're just not interested in premature epitaphs, that's all.

Stating that my comment was a premature epitaph is prima facie evidence of your misunderstanding of the context.

Did I say that the season was over, suggest that VU was dead and buried in January, and/or had no chance of making the NCAA tournament?  Sorry, try again.

[StlVUFan]

The road for the HL championship will either go through Chicago or Detroit, not through Porter County.   

It seems extremely early in the conference season to be making absolute statements like this. As StLvuFan stated earlier no one knows right now where the HL tournament will be played including HL commissioner Jon LeCrone.

I think you're missing the context of my comment.  I'm not talking about a physical brick and mortar geographical location for the tournament.

Neither one of us misunderstood the context of your comment.  We're just not interested in premature epitaphs, that's all.

Stating that my comment was a premature epitaph is prima facie evidence of your misunderstanding of the context.

Did I say that the season was over, suggest that VU was dead and buried in January, and/or had no chance of making the NCAA tournament?  Sorry, try again.

We're not interested in premature epitaphs about VU hosting the tournament.  That's what you were talking about and that's what we were responding to.  Nobody said anything about VU having no chance to make the NCAA tourney.  I don't recall that even being brought up.

I really think you meant to reply to whoever it was that posted a comical retort to your prediction about who would host, but that wasn't either one of us.

[crusaderjoe]

The road for the HL championship will either go through Chicago or Detroit, not through Porter County.   

It seems extremely early in the conference season to be making absolute statements like this. As StLvuFan stated earlier no one knows right now where the HL tournament will be played including HL commissioner Jon LeCrone.

I think you're missing the context of my comment.  I'm not talking about a physical brick and mortar geographical location for the tournament.

Neither one of us misunderstood the context of your comment.  We're just not interested in premature epitaphs, that's all.

Stating that my comment was a premature epitaph is prima facie evidence of your misunderstanding of the context.

Did I say that the season was over, suggest that VU was dead and buried in January, and/or had no chance of making the NCAA tournament?  Sorry, try again.

We're not interested in premature epitaphs about VU hosting the tournament.  That's what you were talking about and that's what we were responding to.  Nobody said anything about VU having no chance to make the NCAA tourney.  I don't recall that even being brought up.

I really think you meant to reply to whoever it was that posted a comical retort to your prediction about who would host, but that wasn't either one of us.

I haven't gone back and forth with someone on this message board like this since the days of Rick. Good stuff.  I was actually responding to Historyman.  Still don't think we're going to make enough waves in the HL to host, but I'll tell you what, if VU hosts the final of the HL tournament, it means I was wrong. If I'm wrong, I'll make a donation of $50.00 in your name to the Miami Children's Hospital-Dan Marino Center.