2018-19 VU Schedule

[VULB#62]

As of right now the 2018-19 Schedule looks like:

-Ball State (H)
-SIUE (H)
-UC Riverside (H)
-3 games Myrtle Beach Tourney (WVU, Wake Forest, UCF, WKU, SJU, Cal State Fullerton, TBD) (N)
-West Virginia November 24 (A)
-(?) Oral Roberts (rumored series starting against them)
-MVC/MWC Challenge (UNLV, Fresno State, Colorado State, Air Force, or SJSU) (A)

So far........ The road trips sound challenging and help our RPI. Good exposure too.  But do the home games get season ticket holders excited and game day fans in the seats?  Looks like < 3k non con home game av. attendance year so far, yes?

[M]

Probably depends on the days those home games fall on.

[VUGrad1314]

Depends on the days. Ball State may push or get over 3K and we may get close with the others if they're on weekends. Maybe the SIUE and UCR games can be promotional nights like the non-D1s have been in the past. They aren't great games but they sure beat non-D1s. If they're early in the season we may get around 3K to those as well. Home games so far are better than last year  or at least no worse and the overall schedule appears way ahead of last year right now. Great work so far!

[valpotx]

I have to think that the locals will remember the battles with ORU, though we should easily handle them in this one.

[bigmosmithfan1]

Maybe a few. Doubt anyone has any strong feelings about a team from Oklahoma that we haven't been paired up in a conference with for 13 years. I feel way less enthused about an ORU series than I do about even playing Oakland, and I could care less about ever playing them again. If we're playing ORU because we need a home game, fine, but let's not kid ourselves that it's going to bring any additional interest than any other random Summit League team.

[VUGrad1314]

If we're going for a Summit League team why not go for SDSU and bring Mike Daum to the ARC.

[VU2014]

Maybe a few. Doubt anyone has any strong feelings about a team from Oklahoma that we haven't been paired up in a conference with for 13 years. I feel way less enthused about an ORU series than I do about even playing Oakland, and I could care less about ever playing them again. If we're playing ORU because we need a home game, fine, but let's not kid ourselves that it's going to bring any additional interest than any other random Summit League team.

I'm not sure ORU will bring a larger then normal crowd to the ARC. Maybe slightly larger than usual.

If we're going for a Summit League team why not go for SDSU and bring Mike Daum to the ARC.

For die-hard CBB fans maybe that would be a sell but I'm not sure Mike Daum brings foot traffic.

[VUGrad1314]

I really think there's a strong possibility that we're connecting a game against GW to that trip to Morgantown which would start a series and we'd get the return next year. As for who the Sweet 16 team is my mind keeps saying it might be Nevada or Purdue bit here's another possibility that I haven't heard discussed yet but makes some sense based on where we're traveling: Clemson. Maybe right before or after Myrtle Beach.

[justducky]

I really think there's a strong possibility that we're connecting a game against GW to that trip to Morgantown which would start a series and we'd get the return next year.

The WV game is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This would make a connecting trip and game with GW much less likely on that weekend. Because we have no top quality OOC home games yet I would think we might want GW to start the series here. That way we have a shot at a good road win in 19-20 with our better team.

[valpotx]

Maybe a few. Doubt anyone has any strong feelings about a team from Oklahoma that we haven't been paired up in a conference with for 13 years. I feel way less enthused about an ORU series than I do about even playing Oakland, and I could care less about ever playing them again. If we're playing ORU because we need a home game, fine, but let's not kid ourselves that it's going to bring any additional interest than any other random Summit League team.

Oh, I care!  I flipping hate ORU!  Damn good baseball team to go against for several years.

[valpo84]

Chicago Tribune pumping Northwestern to open new arena with Loyola. They state in the article that it would be two Chicago schools who had been in tourney past 2 years.  If they go back a couple more years they can add a Chicago area school who was NIT runner-up and an NCAA tourney team.  They also are talking about ND being initial game, they like opening arenas.  They do except in 1988...

Valpo should volunteer too for the opening game!

http://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=46eb6576-ff24-4d5c-95ee-f52f6eaa95ed

[VU2014]

It sounds like we're playing UNLV next season in the MWC/MVC Challenge. Depending on the date of the game I might be making a trip out there.

https://twitter.com/happeninghoops/status/992061134478946304

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/Alec_McChesney/status/992073679793205249

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/ValleyHoops/status/992075900660473862

[VUGrad1314]

UNLV is a great scheduling get for us. So much smoke around Nevada as our other Sweet 16 opponent. We're traveling to Vegas They're coming to Chicago depending on the dates we should be able to work something out. They also appear to be looking for a team for a neutral site game in LA but I assume they're looking for a P5 opponent. Wish we would consider buying out the home games against SIUE and UCR  and see if we could get SMC or BYU who I know will be in the area. That would set up a nice Western road trip next year if we make those series.

[VUGrad1314]

They're @Loyola Nov 27 We're @UNLV Nov 28... The plot thickens...  Assuming they have no game in the Chicago area afterwards and come back home immediately, we wouldn't have to wait long to set that game up.

Keep in mind though that we're traveling to Myrtle Beach around the middle of the month a week or so after the season begins. Given the proximity and the presence of Skara still on their roster Clemson is also a real possibility.

[FieldGoodie05]

They're @Loyola Nov 27 We're @UNLV Nov 28... The plot thickens...  Assuming they have no game in the Chicago area afterwards and come back home immediately, we wouldn't have to wait long to set that game up.

Keep in mind though that we're traveling to Myrtle Beach around the middle of the month a week or so after the season begins. Given the proximity and the presence of Skara still on their roster Clemson is also a real possibility.

Skara decided to go pro I thought?

[VUGrad1314]

Did he sign with an agent?

[FieldGoodie05]

Did he sign with an agent?

Good question, the Greenville Online article where I read the announcement didn't say.  It just said "he would forgo his final season of eligibility in order to pursue a pro basketball career."

Didn't ready anywhere that he registered for the NBA draft, so by default a pro career in Europe could mean he has an agent lined up.

[VUGrad1314]

Gotcha. Makes sense. I'd guess he's going to Europe. Which leads me to wonder what the heck he went to Clemson for. He could have gotten just as far from here.

Still Clemson's proximity to where we will be makes them a possibility; but my money is on Nevada if for no other reason than it would hold greater appeal to Valpo as the possibility of starting a series with them exists whereas the Clemson game would just be a oneoff. I have to think these two are the most likely unless we're reupping with Purdue. Could Sasha's presence lure them to the ARC perhaps?

[VUGrad1314]

Quick aside: As one of the more vocal critics of how the Happening Hoops guys have chosen to go about their coverage I have to give credit where it's due: they're doing a great job getting the Valpo content out and covering it and discussing it while not losing sight of what they want to be: a National outlet. Good work guys and keep it up!

[VU2014]

Did he sign with an agent?

Unofficially Maravilla has been his agent for years. It sound like he isn't coming to Clemson. I'd bet he goes pro in Europe somewhere.

Quick aside: As one of the more vocal critics of how the Happening Hoops guys have chosen to go about their coverage I have to give credit where it's due: they're doing a great job getting the Valpo content out and covering it and discussing it while not losing sight of what they want to be: a National outlet. Good work guys and keep it up!

All credentialed MVC media got the same email. He was the first to tweet out what the email said from what I can tell.

[FieldGoodie05]

UNLV is a great scheduling get for us. So much smoke around Nevada as our other Sweet 16 opponent. We're traveling to Vegas They're coming to Chicago depending on the dates we should be able to work something out. They also appear to be looking for a team for a neutral site game in LA but I assume they're looking for a P5 opponent. Wish we would consider buying out the home games against SIUE and UCR  and see if we could get SMC or BYU who I know will be in the area. That would set up a nice Western road trip next year if we make those series.

We better learn how to replace the best defender we have had in quite some time (Tevonn).  UNLV can straight score, we are going to have a hard time keeping up with their pace and still play defense.  This game will help define next years squad quite early because we could play it tight and lose by 6 pts OR get hammered by 25 pts.  Oh boyyyy

[M]

Either way we lose though? Hopefully their entire squad comes down with a stomach ache to give us a fighting chance.

[VUGrad1314]

We've got defenders on this roster. None the caliber of Tevonn but I think we'll keep it close. They're losing a lot of that scoring punch. We'll see how they replace it. We also need to see how our roster looks as we still have three scholarships open. Man UNLV West Virginia The Myrtle Beach Invitational Talk about scheduling up! Keep up the great work! This is what an MVC team needs to do and it will absolutely help us come conference time.