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Post by valpofan56 on Dec 21, 2010 13:01:34 GMT -5
So, here appears to be the question at hand: Is the third-best team in the Horizon League better than the top team in the Summit ... on their court? Well, Detroit could also be considered the third best team in the Horizon. Also, Wright State beat Oakland in Dayton, but that was early in the year. It'll all come down to whether Valpo can value the ball. If they really cut their turnovers and force Oakland into some to gain extra possessions they should be able to pull out a win. The extra possessions are key as Oakland is undoubtedly going to rule the boards and extra possessions are the only way Valpo can make up the difference.
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Post by dylanrocks on Dec 21, 2010 13:13:22 GMT -5
I'm going by realtimerpi.com and sagarin, which have the Crusaders at Nos. 77 and 118. Wright State, meanwhile, is listed at Nos. 126 and 119.
If you look at Valpo's schedule and performance to date, it tops Wright State's.
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Post by drewsaders11 on Dec 21, 2010 13:27:57 GMT -5
Valpo vs Oakland is the MidMajority's Game!Of!The!Night!. The blurb:
Not on your regular schedule, but an expected eventuality, is this intriguing little matchup between former Mid-Continent Conference pals. It's the championship game of the Lou Henson Award Tournament. What's the award? Here's a hint: it's like a long, sharp scoreboard. And both teams need wins. It's not as if the homestanding Golden Grizzlies (7-6, 2-0 Badlands) are going to get into the NCAA Tournament on the basis of their credentials, what with a 1-4 record against the RPI's top 50. But that single win was a December shocker against Tennessee, which alerted the nation at-large what we Other 25'ers have known for a while: Oakland's pretty good. Especially on the glass. Led by 6-foot-11 NBA scout magnet Keith Benson (18.3 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 3.4 bpg), the double-G's grab 56.4 percent of available rebounds (44th in Division I) and are 21st nationally in blocks per game at 5.5. And it's not just Benson: senior Will Hudson, at 6-foot-9, is chipping in 13.4 ppg and 6.8 rpg as well.
Valparaiso, a team whom last played Oakland back in 2007, are positioning themselves as potential sneaker-spoilers in a Horizon League that is developing a very solid midsection. There are no RLU's or accomplishments to match those of Cleveland State or Butler, but there was that 25-minute hang with Purdue a couple of weeks ago. And there's an 8-4 (2-0 HL) record against a top 100 schedule. It's a team with balanced scoring -- four average in double figures, led by point guard Brandon Wood (14.7 ppg, 2:1 ATO, 4.5 rpg). If there's anything wrong with the Crusaders, it's that they take too many threes and miss too many (Wood, for instance, is 15-for-53 on the year), and they top out at 6-foot-8, so they're going to get outrebounded a lot, especially by a team like Oakland. If they can somehow hold on to the ball tonight and get a few extra possessions, they might keep it close.
Also, a paragraph on the Horizon League from ESPN.com's Mid-Major Watch, that came out yesterday:
The Horizon League will not be Butler (6-4) and a race for second place for everyone else this season. Detroit (7-5) is legit, as I just watched Ray McCallum go for 23 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists in a 74-49 road shellacking of Central Michigan on Saturday night. UIC (5-7) and new coach Howard Moore were not on the preseason radar screen, but they are now, as the Flames knocked off Illinois 57-54 behind Robo Krebs' 15 points and five rebounds. Throw in a good Cleveland State team (12-1), led by high-scorer Norris Cole and add in Valpo with Brandon Wood and Wright State with Vaughn Duggins, and the Horizon League becomes very interesting.
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Post by agibson on Dec 21, 2010 14:08:10 GMT -5
Pomeroy's computer has us as 10 point dogs, 79-69 (with a better chance to win when we host Butler...). Sports Network makes it 73-64. The Vegas line seems to be Oakland by nine, as well.
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Post by agibson on Dec 21, 2010 14:31:32 GMT -5
By the way, did anyone actually pay for the video? If so, would you mind checking to see if there's an archive? Or, if there's one available for other Oakland games?
I have to say, the video on channelsurfing was a bit odd. No commentary at all? But, even so, I'd probably pay $7 to watch the archive of Valpo vs. Oakland - if it's going to exist.
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Post by rlh on Dec 21, 2010 17:10:39 GMT -5
By the way, did anyone actually pay for the video? If so, would you mind checking to see if there's an archive? Or, if there's one available for other Oakland games? I have to say, the video on channelsurfing was a bit odd. No commentary at all? But, even so, I'd probably pay $7 to watch the archive of Valpo vs. Oakland - if it's going to exist. There is an archive and the channelsurfing video was the same, no announcers....hopefully tonight they will have their announcers, although when we were still in the conference Oakland quit having games on the radio...so I don't know...
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Post by CO_VU_Fan on Dec 21, 2010 18:13:59 GMT -5
VU needs to hit the boards, get good looks (and hit them) from 3-pt land, and control the tempo. If we can do that, even just a little better than we've done so far this season, we can win.
VU 73 - Oakland 71
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Post by valporun on Dec 21, 2010 18:51:35 GMT -5
I'm not seeing the game listed on channelsurfing at all. I don't know if it is on a couple of other sites I know, but I will check, and if I find a link, I will post it.
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Post by valpofan56 on Dec 21, 2010 20:20:58 GMT -5
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Post by valpo84 on Dec 21, 2010 20:26:19 GMT -5
Is the foul differential real or is there some home cooking going on?
FTs attempted are somewhat unusual as well.
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Post by vu72 on Dec 21, 2010 20:28:10 GMT -5
Thank you SOOOOO much! I was just listening to the game and hoping...
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Post by valpofan56 on Dec 21, 2010 20:33:29 GMT -5
Well the bigger more aggressive team should shoot more FT, but that difference is suspicious. I only found the link with about 6 minutes left in the half and was finishing up cooking dinner, so I can't really tell how one-sided the officiating was.
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Post by wh on Dec 21, 2010 20:43:15 GMT -5
Three things need to happen in the 2nd half for us to have a chance, only one of which we have any control over: 1. We need to do a MUCH better job on the defensive glass. 2. Oakland needs to quit shooting free throws out of their minds. 3. We need 3 impartial refs. If no. 3 doesn't happen, 1 and 2 don't matter...
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Post by valpo89 on Dec 21, 2010 21:06:07 GMT -5
Holy cow, this is a wild game with 10 minutes to go. Cory and Brandon are lights out.
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Post by valpo84 on Dec 21, 2010 21:06:15 GMT -5
Sounds like Wood and Cory are doing what we expected tonight. Sounds like a fun up and down game, especially if the refs stay out of the way.
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