Butler @ Valpo (2/24) Game Thread

[FWalum]

Earlier in the season ESPN called KVW "Van Broekhoff". Now that'd be a player to recon with!

That is priceless and yes that player would be a beast of an inside outside player!

[valpo84]

By the way, Buggs stepped up to line and knocked em down. fT shooting is less stressful this year. Congrats on the HL Championhsip and 3 in a row over Butler.

[MattCarter]

Towards the end of the game with Butler making the run a rebound bounces out about 12 feet, Rowdy and two Butler players go for the rebound and Rowdy tips the ball to Kevin standing under the basket for the easy put back. HUGE play that will not be in the scorebook.

I asked about his arm on Twitter and he said "it is perfectly fine I'll be ready to go".  I believe him.

I presume that you're reporting about Kenney, not Rowdy...

yes. sorry

[rink]

Will this game be available on HLN?  Currently, I don't see it posted on either HLN or ESPN3.  Sounds like a heckuva game, wish I would have known that it was on ESPNU.

Now, hopefully we don't have to play BU again in the tournament.  Very difficult to beat a team like Butler three times in a season.

[crusaderguy08]

Very difficult to beat a team like Butler three times in a season.

Not if you're better than them!   

[wh]

New NWI Times article (noon today):

Van Wijk shines in VU's regular-season finale

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/basketball/college/van-wijk-shines-in-vu-s-regular-season-finale/article_370c2224-21e9-532b-9f4a-62292baa59bd.html

[vuweathernerd]

i watched the game from my little hole in the ground up here in dak-land. and it was perhaps the most glorious two hours i've ever spent watching espn from underground. and i was highly amused when they called kvw "keith."

so proud of the guys and the way they came to play last night. i kept hoping that we'd find the gas pedal and run them out of the gym, but the game played out well regardless. we looked SO much better than we did tuesday against loyola. this was a great way to end the regular season, and i really hope we can harness this and bring it back next weekend. SO SO SO SO SO SO pumped for next weekend and the chance to watch the guys play again!!!!!

hopefully kenney's shoulder wasn't hurt too badly - it looked like he was barely moving his arm last night after he finally got back up and went to the bench.

[agibson]

Valpo's calling it a sell-out at 5,237.  Last year's sell-out when Butler visited was 5,432.  Missouri State was 5,328 (not sure if they called that one a sell-out).

[ValpoHoops]

The capacity of the arc might be 5500, but there aren't that many actual seats. So, a sellout can mean all the seats were sold, with student tickets/standing room accounting for others.

[vuweathernerd]

one thing i noticed and was happy to see - the students didn't rush the court after the win. at least not that i saw on tv. maybe they waited until after the tv broadcast had ended?

[humbleopinion]

There were ropes holding them back, and they had been urged to stay in their seats for the awarding of the trophy.  The team went to the fans instead of the fans coming to the team.

[vuweathernerd]

There were ropes holding them back, and they had been urged to stay in their seats for the awarding of the trophy.  The team went to the fans instead of the fans coming to the team.

gotcha. at least we were spared the embarrassment of another needless court-rushing.

[letsgovu]

one thing i noticed and was happy to see - the students didn't rush the court after the win. at least not that i saw on tv. maybe they waited until after the tv broadcast had ended?

why would that be bad?  Don't we want the students to be excited about their team and be more involved?  As long as they are not hurting anyone / damaging property, obviously...

isn't the footage/ photos from the students on the court after last years bracketbuster still in promos / highlights?

[valporun]

I've heard said that the students didn't rush the floor because of it being Senior Night, and the significance of this night to Nick. Yes, the same could have been said for Nathan, but he'd only been on the team a short time, compared to Nick's four years. I certainly would not have had issue with the students storming the court, but I agree with how they handled it. Also, it seems like a smart decision to rope off the baselines, though that doesn't always stop the students either.

I have been fumbling around the thought in my head though...the ONLY way that schools/conferences could possibly avoid the whole court storming "event" is to have a floor like you see at Williams Arena at University of Minnesota, where it is elevated about 5 feet up from the base of the foundation for the seating area. It would take students a lot more time to rush after climbing onto the court that they would eventually give up on the whole idea.

[vuweathernerd]

one thing i noticed and was happy to see - the students didn't rush the court after the win. at least not that i saw on tv. maybe they waited until after the tv broadcast had ended?

why would that be bad?  Don't we want the students to be excited about their team and be more involved?  As long as they are not hurting anyone / damaging property, obviously...

isn't the footage/ photos from the students on the court after last years bracketbuster still in promos / highlights?

i'm all for getting the students excited. hell, those were some of the most fun times i had at basketball games. but there are right and wrong times to rush the court. beating butler for the first time in a long time, while they're in the midst of a pair of title game runs is one thing. winning the conference title (albeit against a team like loyola) is acceptable. beating a ranked team on our floor is definitely reason for doing so. but the conference leader beating butler with nothing more on the line on our end, and for the third straight time, is not a valid reason to rush the floor.

[wh]

one thing i noticed and was happy to see - the students didn't rush the court after the win. at least not that i saw on tv. maybe they waited until after the tv broadcast had ended?

why would that be bad?  Don't we want the students to be excited about their team and be more involved?  As long as they are not hurting anyone / damaging property, obviously...

isn't the footage/ photos from the students on the court after last years bracketbuster still in promos / highlights?

Once the students were on the floor celebrating it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to "reassemble" everyone in order to give our senior players and managers their proper due on senior night.  If not for that, I would agree with your point.     

[KL31NY]

I'll repeat an earlier sentiment that a first place team beating just about anyone is not worthy of a court storming. CS-ing should be reserved when some kind of under dog has a big win (upset of a highly-ranked team, snapping long overall or team-specific losing streak, exciting buzzer-beater finish, etc.)

The only "real" argument I heard from friends who wanted to rush out on Friday was because it's a rivalry game. Some even said it would be fine if Butler fans rushed if they had won.  Sure it's a rivalry, at least on our end, but that does not warrant court storming for every game.

It's like how the audience gives a standing ovation at every theatrical play or recital as common courtesy. An SO used to be for exemplary performances only and not just something we always do to be nice. That's what I think of when I hear people taking about wanting to storm the court for situations like Friday where I don't think it's warranted. Save it for a time when it's truly something to celebrate, not just "yay, we beat a team we used to not beat as much who we call one of our rivals"

Rambling done. Carry on.

[FWalum]

Sure it's a rivalry, at least on our end, but that does not warrant court storming for every game.

Save it for a time when it's truly something to celebrate, not just "yay, we beat a team we used to not beat as much who we call one of our rivals"

I know that the Butler people use to say that you can't call this a rivalry if one team wins every time, but I think we can now officially call it a rivalry because we have won the last three in a row including on their floor, knocked them from the 2 seed down to the 5 and are their oldest competitor in the conference. If they don't think this is a rivalry now then I think they are the ones kidding themselves.

That being said, I am glad we didn't storm the court on Friday.

[KL31NY]

I'll agree with that

[dawgsfan]

Butler will be a preseason Top 10 team next year.

The team will be more dominant than the 09-10 that went 18-0.

Coming in is an all-SEC guard and a another top 50 small forward who is going to win Mr Basketball.  He's the best shooter in the country, hands down.

This is really the last year for about 3 years where there was a reasonable chance of a team knocking Butler off.

[sliman]

Thanks for the warning, dawgsfan.  It's a good thing for Valpo that they make teams play out the schedule rather than simply letting polls decide winners.

[valpotx]

Absolutely no way that Butler goes 18-0 next year.  There is pride in your team, then there is just being blind.  We return EVERY single player that won the title this year.  Your team has shown great weakness this year, so you can add all the people you want, but 2 people won't make you undefeated...

[Nildogg]

No way we are a top 10 team next year, people base that off of the previous year's success and we are off the radar unless something miraculous happens at the end of the season.

I am optimistic that we'll play at the level of a top 25 team though - with our main problem being the lack of an outside threat - and adding one if not two of the best shooters in the country. 
That, and we'll have some interesting options at the point guard position, which at times has been a problem, despite the leadership and experience of Nored.

I don't think 18-0 is possible - it is so rare; but this team may have more pieces to the puzzle than that team, which is what I think he meant.

My hat is off to Valpo for getting it done (so far) this year, but you have to take a look around and realize that the conference is not any good this year, and its as even of a playing field as there has been in years.  Even if you are returning everyone, and bringing in some additional pieces, its going to be a much different year next year with talent and experience around the league.  It will be interesting to see what Capobianco can do... transfers are always wildcards when they have been unproven at another school. 

[vu72]

Butler will be a preseason Top 10 team next year.

The team will be more dominant than the 09-10 that went 18-0.

Coming in is an all-SEC guard and a another top 50 small forward who is going to win Mr Basketball.  He's the best shooter in the country, hands down.

This is really the last year for about 3 years where there was a reasonable chance of a team knocking Butler off.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is hysterical!  Thanks for making my day and solidifying my feeling that Butler fans are delusional!!   Sure the SEC kid will be good and to say a freshman, no matter how good, will be the difference, is truly funny.  Next, the idea that the only reason we won the conference is that it is so bad (Nildogg) is sour grapes at its worst.  The Horizon is ranked 12th right now in the Sagarin's.  Just awful, don't you think?

We bring everyone back.  Who else besides the 5th seed Butler(all most everyone) does that?  CSU?  Nope. Milwaukee?  Nope. YSU?  Nope.  Should I go on??

Ryan Broekhoff is the best player in the league.  Guess what?  He will be again next year, just before he is drafted in the NBA.  Transfers take time to adjust, just ask Will Bogan and Ben Boggs, oh wait, they both be back NEXT year.  Hmmmm, adding another banger and a phenom 6'11" freakish athlete sure will hurt us.  Makes all the sense in the world why Butler will be better (top 10) while I think we will be only a top 25!

Thanks for the laugh.  Don't get me started...

[staxawax]

Butler will be a preseason Top 10 team next year.

The team will be more dominant than the 09-10 that went 18-0.

Coming in is an all-SEC guard and a another top 50 small forward who is going to win Mr Basketball.  He's the best shooter in the country, hands down.

This is really the last year for about 3 years where there was a reasonable chance of a team knocking Butler off.

Thanks for making my evening dawgsfan.  I almost spit up laughing when I read this.  No doubt Butler will be a much better team next year, but NONE of those things are going to happen.