MBB 2018-19

[valpospartan]

Personal aside: 30+ years ago, my daughter was married in the chapel and I walked her down that long aisle  (a lot farther than this photo).

[talksalot]

192'   My father-in-law counted it out 37 years ago when he walked my wife down the aisle... and I confirmed it when I walked my daughter down there 10 years ago...  it is a beautiful walk.

[FieldGoodie05]

Evansville freshmen, Deandre Williams not eligible this year.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/24951229/evansville-purple-aces-deandre-williams-declared-ineligible-ncaa

[Chairback]

The season ticket night was a dull event. Not much planning went into it to make it fun.  A very seasoned crowd.  It's like they had it to just have it.   

Here are my 2 cents:
-I don't have the enthusiasm for the team that I had after seeing them at this "practice".  They seem to lack a leader.  They look just average.  Almost a mix up of players who haven't found their way anywhere else and ended up at Valpo.
- Sackey is fast but his shoot is below average
-Mileek looks like the best player on the court.  Kid looks focused.  excited to see him progress.   
-Javon should start. 
-stalling has an awkward odd looking shot.  Almost like he was never taught how to shoot correctly.  I can't see him getting any PT ever.
-if our bigs have another season like last year we are in trouble.

[VUBBFan]

They where just shooting around, having a little fun.

https://twitter.com/AlBillets/status/1050913745806024705

[VUBBFan]

https://twitter.com/valpoathletics/status/1050937368566484992

[VULB#62]

The season ticket night was a dull event. Not much planning went into it to make it fun. A very seasoned crowd.  It's like they had it to just have it.   

Here are my 2 cents:
-I don't have the enthusiasm for the team that I had after seeing them at this "practice".  They seem to lack a leader.  They look just average. 

I have never been to one of these events, but I'm disappointed in the lack of planning observed above.  This, like the Hammond Civic Center open practice coming later, needs to be well choreographed  to appeal to the audience that attends.  I assume the goal of both open practices is to develop some fan excitement and create a closer bond between the fans and the players on the team. It sounds like this could have been done better.  Season ticket holders should send some feed back to Matt, Mary and MLB  to help them better plan for the HCC event.  To my mind, going forward the HCC event has great potential for positive exposure (but also has the risk of being a dud if not done right).

However, the website release paints a slightly different and more positive picture.  http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/2018-19/18511/valpo-basketball-hosts-season-ticket-holder-open-practice/

[VUBBFan]

I don't understand all this negativity about the open practice. Basically it's a dinner for the season ticket holders to watch the players shoot hoops while they eat and pick up their tickets. They were never going to go through a "real" practice drill or scrimmage in front of "outside" people.

This event is really a thank you dinner for the season ticket holders' support for the team and an opportunity to interact with the coaches and team members.

I took the time to speak to the players and ask them questions while getting their autographs. I found out a little about what they did during the summer and what they planned on doing this season. This was an opportunity to go one on one with players and coaches that I took advantage of and enjoyed. This amount of close interaction with coaches and players is not usually afforded to most fans, and this was the aspect of the night that I found most satisfying to me.

I talked to Marcus about his time in Brazil, the 25 days Derrick spent in Europe and Jay going back to visit Spain. Fun facts to me and something you would get if you didn't try.


For the players it was just having fun hooping and getting introduced to the fans.

https://mobile.twitter.com/AlBillets/status/1050910452853686272

[IrishDawg]

I don't understand all this negativity about the open practice. Basically it's a dinner for the season ticket holders to watch the players shoot hoops while they eat and pick up their tickets. They were never going to go through a "real" practice drill or scrimmage in front of "outside" people.

This event is really a thank you dinner for the season ticket holders' support for the team and an opportunity to interact with the coaches and team members.

I took the time to speak to the players and ask them questions while getting their autographs. I found out a little about what they did during the summer and what they planned on doing this season. This was an opportunity to go one on one with players and coaches that I took advantage of and enjoyed. This amount of close interaction with coaches and players is not usually afforded to most fans, and this was the aspect of the night that I found most satisfying to me.

I talked to Marcus about his time in Brazil, the 25 days Derrick spent in Europe and Jay going back to visit Spain. Fun facts to me and something you would get if you didn't try.


For the players it was just having fun hooping and getting introduced to the fans.

https://mobile.twitter.com/AlBillets/status/1050910452853686272

Agreed - Not sure how anyone is going to tell anything positive or negative (outside of physical appearance from the previous year) from an event like that.  Even a single actual practice or exhibition isn't always going to mean a lot.

[M]

Wishnevski valpo would do a midnight madness type event. Charge a few bucks for public admission, season ticket holders, students, staff/faculty in for free. Dunk contest and maybe a Brown vs Gold scrimmage.

[bigmosmithfan1]

Agreed - Not sure how anyone is going to tell anything positive or negative (outside of physical appearance from the previous year) from an event like that.  Even a single actual practice or exhibition isn't always going to mean a lot.

Exactly. Fans trying to extrapolate stuff from even a live, closed practice is always aggravating. For one thing -- good coaches usually spend more time working on a team/player's weaknesses during practice than strengths. And even if they are working on strengths, a good coach is usually going to set up drills to try and foil those strengths, so you are almost never going to see a team looking like world-beaters in practice. By design. And that's at a practice where no one is watching. For a public-facing, glorified shootaround? Come on. Drawing conclusions from that is silly.

[FWalum]

Exactly. Fans trying to extrapolate stuff from even a live, closed practice is always aggravating. For one thing -- good coaches usually spend more time working on a team/player's weaknesses during practice than strengths. And even if they are working on strengths, a good coach is usually going to set up drills to try and foil those strengths, so you are almost never going to see a team looking like world-beaters in practice. By design. And that's at a practice where no one is watching. For a public-facing, glorified shootaround? Come on. Drawing conclusions from that is silly.

Totally agree. I am very much looking forward to seeing this team play an actual game.

[agibson]

Was Jay participating at the practice? Spotted in a boot and on crutches on campus today. Anyone have the story?

[VU2014]

Was Jay participating at the practice? Spotted in a boot and on crutches on campus today. Anyone have the story?

Yikes. Hopefully it's not too serious. Typically when big guy need to wear the boot it's for a stress fracture or a very serious ankle sprain. Hopefully no ligament damage or broken bones.

[valpospartan]

Jay hobbled into the VB game, tonight, on crutches with a bare foot.  He hopped up to a third row seat.

[VU2014]

If anyone is planning on attending the open practice today at the Hammond Civic Center ask around about Jay's injury and see if you can get any info on recruiting from the coaching staff.

[VU2014]

VALPARAISO MEN'S BASKETBALL: Crusaders focused on turnover woes
Robbie Weinstein robert.weinstein@nwi.com 219-933-4198
Oct 19, 2018 Updated 3 hrs ago 

https://www.nwitimes.com/sports/basketball/college/valparaiso-men-s-basketball-crusaders-focused-on-turnover-woes/article_a603d7fb-4017-5492-9589-11e09674b483.html?utm_content=buffercb75a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=LEEDCC


https://twitter.com/nwi/status/1053722552248532992

[FieldGoodie05]

That was not a practice, complete waste of time....

Glad I was listening to the Michigan vs Michigan State game with my headphones.

[VU2014]

That was not a practice, complete waste of time....

Glad I was listening to the Michigan vs Michigan State game with my headphones.

Really? What was the issue with it?

If you ask one of the coaches they might let you sit in on a real practice where they're going hard in practice.

[FieldGoodie05]

That was not a practice, complete waste of time....

Glad I was listening to the Michigan vs Michigan State game with my headphones.

Really? What was the issue with it?

If you ask one of the coaches they might let you sit in on a real practice where their going hard in practice.

Admittedly our group arrived 20-minutes after the "alumni" portion began, so we might have missed the most abridged "practice" of all time. 

They lazily mingled with locals and watched as 5-year olds air balled shots.  It felt like halftime @ the ARC of late.  Disorganized and meaningless.  I won't be driving 90-minutes each way for less than open gym quality play again.  Most of the players never took off their sweat shirts.

The limited info gleaned from the mess was:

1) No Sorolla sighting unless he was hiding in a corner
2) Nick Robinson was in a walking boot?  Best I could tell it was him
3) Eron Gordon has a beard
4) Mileek is a legit 6'8" and no more baby face
5) Ryan Fazekas can type fast on his phone
6) Micah Bradford doesn't even shoot during "practice", heck maybe that's good news!
7) Javon Freeman looks like Kobe Bryant (physically) and is shifty and going to be fun!
8) Daniel Sackey is FAST and tiny
9) Hammond is a bit ghetto
10) Neither coach even picked up the microphone in the 60-minutes we were there

[wh]

Attendance - what is your guess?

[FieldGoodie05]

Attendance - what is your guess?

Minus players and staff...maybe 50 ppl?  It's really a guess because most ppl were staff/players in one regard or another.  There were ~10 of us in the stands not on the court.  Picture the ARC with the floor level bleachers missing.  So the 10 of us were in the mezzanine and maybe ~40 ppl including children on the floor with the men's and women's team.

We started our way up to the mezzanine level and a staff member tried to direct us to the court.  We weren't interested in mingling because we expected a semi-scrimmage in the hour.

Just horribly organized, I was wholly dissatisfied.  Maybe I'm the fool for thinking "Practice" meant drills and possibly scrimmage.

[VUCPB alum]

An email was just sent out tonight from the pep band director to all current members and alumni stating that the music department was taking over the running of the pep band. A new director is being hired and the current director is stepping down after Thanksgiving break.

[VU2014]

Attendance - what is your guess?

Minus players and staff...maybe 50 ppl?  It's really a guess because most ppl were staff/players in one regard or another.  There were ~10 of us in the stands not on the court.  Picture the ARC with the floor level bleachers missing.  So the 10 of us were in the mezzanine and maybe ~40 ppl including children on the floor with the men's and women's team.

We started our way up to the mezzanine level and a staff member tried to direct us to the court.  We weren't interested in mingling because we expected a semi-scrimmage in the hour.

Just horribly organized, I was wholly dissatisfied.  Maybe I'm the fool for thinking "Practice" meant drills and possibly scrimmage.

I was planning on making the trip earlier today but a family thing came up last minute. I'd be a little disappointed also if it was just a shootaround, but we're diehards and want to actually see the team compete. Maybe they were just trying some community outreach. A lot of times it takes consistency and persistence to build momentum with these types of events. I appreciate the Athletics Dept mixing it up and trying new things.

Love hearing this news.

An email was just sent out tonight from the pep band director to all current members and alumni stating that the music department was taking over the running of the pep band. A new director is being hired and the current director is stepping down after Thanksgiving break.

[talksalot]

Sorry you missed the first half of the event.  After the teams were introduced, Coach Lottich took the microphone and invited everyone down to the court.  And he explained a bunch of defensive drills. 

He then had all the children take part in a shoot out with the help of the players. 

All the while the women's team ran through their usual drills, in full uniform. 

The players mingled with the crowd and folks left.  The venue is a neat place,but not being an official size court, makes it hard to have a real game.  There was talk about having a scrimmage, but that didn't happen. 

We'll probably try again next year.

This came about through a Hammond city councilman suggesting it to Mark labarbara.