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Post by valpo84 on Mar 5, 2011 23:19:20 GMT -5
This may be best to wait until morning, but overall did this season meet your expectations, overachieve or exceed your expectations or was it below expectations?
The answer may depend on whether we get a post-season berth. I would say met expectations with a plus if they make post-season. We finished one game back of the leaders. Won two conference playoff games, an in season tourney and the consolation bracket of another in season tourney, played through injuries. Beat Butler, Oakland and Missouri State.
What is disappointing is the "woulda, coulda shouldas of the season. Hopefully, that makes the younger guys hungry for that and for what they need to work on. In a lot of ways, we are where we wanted to be after moving to the Horizon and going through some of the upheaval associated with that. First year we had some seniors and had a good run and a CBI. The next year was pure rebuilding, last year we improved markedly and this year we challenged for the upper tier of the league. With health and everyone back, plus the new guys, this is a contending club for the next few years. Isn't that what we wanted when we joined the conference.
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nkvu
Bench Warmer
Posts: 202 
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Post by nkvu on Mar 5, 2011 23:45:02 GMT -5
Going into the season, I thought they could be competitive and they were. I didn't expect them to win, and though they didn't, they came closer than I thought they would. All in all, I am pleased with the season. More so if they get an NIT bid, though I think it is more likely to be one of the other tournaments.
Unless Valpo can find a good post player under a rock somewhere, I don't have higher expectations for next year. Yes, we have lots of good guards coming back, but unless Kevin finds a miracle cure for his back somewhere, we are going to be major hurting when we have to play any team with a legit post player. By this time I don't see Witt as a contributor, and I'm afraid Vukic is going to be another McCloud. Tall, but not a player.
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Post by stlvufan on Mar 5, 2011 23:45:35 GMT -5
This may be best to wait until morning, but overall did this season meet your expectations, overachieve or exceed your expectations or was it below expectations? The answer may depend on whether we get a post-season berth. I would say met expectations with a plus if they make post-season. We finished one game back of the leaders. Won two conference playoff games, an in season tourney and the consolation bracket of another in season tourney, played through injuries. Beat Butler, Oakland and Missouri State. What is disappointing is the "woulda, coulda shouldas of the season. Hopefully, that makes the younger guys hungry for that and for what they need to work on. In a lot of ways, we are where we wanted to be after moving to the Horizon and going through some of the upheaval associated with that. First year we had some seniors and had a good run and a CBI. The next year was pure rebuilding, last year we improved markedly and this year we challenged for the upper tier of the league. With health and everyone back, plus the new guys, this is a contending club for the next few years. Isn't that what we wanted when we joined the conference. Since I predicted 12-6, I guess I have to say we met expectations  I agree that it can't help but be disappointing to come so close to the top and then fritter it away like that. At the same time, what I've been seeing lately is that the league has caught up with us somewhat. The low-post double team is no longer working, because other teams have seen it before and are better prepared for it, and because we're really not quite as good at the necessary weak-side help as we need to be. The gimmick is over. This happens in conference play. Teams learn about each other and it comes down to who is strongest. I think we played above our level for a good portion of the season and ended up as a shaky 4 seed. Still, we almost made it to the championship game. Same as 3 years ago, but this year we improved on 2008 by 3 games, and I call that progress. I also think that Cory Johnson was exposed as a weakness. I do *not* agree that he was worthless -- far from it. I'll miss Mike Rogers and Howard Little. They both had outstanding senior seasons (and hopefully it's not quite over). I look forward to one more year of Brandon Wood (though I won't blame him if he decides to go pro), 2 more years of Ryan Broekhoff, Matt Kenney, Kevin Van Wijk, and Erik Buggs, and 3 more years of Jay Harris. I do think we need more size in the post, as long as there's Andrew Smith and Anthony Hill type players in the HL. I am hopeful that Homer can restock the bench with enough talent to build on this year, but I don't know enough to have a level of confidence about that, one way or the other. I think this is the first year we were legitimate contenders for the championship. There's no reason to think there'll never be another chance for that. |
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Post by cmack on Mar 6, 2011 0:06:53 GMT -5
I may take a beating for this, but this has to go down as the most disappointing season of my 14 as a season ticketholder. Even the losing season ranks below this one. To simply give it all away when it was in the palm of our hands, is hard for me to get past. We gave up a lot of recognition, recruiting fodder, money, etc. Whether we expected it back in November or not, we cannot discount what a monumental let down the end of the year turned out to be.
I don't see that we drop next year. Unfortunately, as has been stated, or paper thin frontcourt is going to be a major problem. I am a big Van Wijk fan. Witt is not the answer and Vucic should never have been offered a scholarship as a ball boy, much less a basketball player.
I like the players who are returning, but I think we lack a true go-to star player. (Again I will get beat up for this.) Brandon Wood is very talented and I want him on my team, but when did he have a player consistently stepping up in big games and big moments making big plays (ala, Bryce, Zoran, Raitis, Lubos, Dan, Brandon) These guys made plays in the big moments every time even if we didn't end up winning the game, they made their presence felt.
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Post by stlvufan on Mar 6, 2011 1:13:41 GMT -5
Brandon Wood is very talented and I want him on my team, but when did he have a player consistently stepping up in big games and big moments making big plays (ala, Bryce, Zoran, Raitis, Lubos, Dan, Brandon) These guys made plays in the big moments every time even if we didn't end up winning the game, they made their presence felt. That is *exactly* what Brandon Wood did. I don't know what Brandon Wood you were watching, but I saw a different one, if you don't think he fits that description. |
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Post by justducky on Mar 6, 2011 2:21:16 GMT -5
My preseason thought was for a 12-6 record and an RPI between 90 and 55, so on that score they met my expectations. But two weeks ago I was looking for much much more. I will miss Howard Mike and Cory, they have been fun to watch. I have suspected all season that perhaps Cory's feet have bothered him more than he wanted to admit. Certain aspects of his game just appeared to be less fluid.
Our greatest team weakness has been having to play Cory at the 5. The team has really struggled against good teams with a solid post player, not his fault -just the facts. In fact if this were a pro team and we could have traded this years Cory for a senior Raitis Grafs we might well be headed for an NCAA run and have an RPI in the 30's.
But, the team has done a great job, Homer has done a great job and I am hopeing that an opportunity for a post season run still exists. Perhaps Baylor will be waiting for us somewhere this year? Stranger things have happened.
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Post by blackpantheruwm on Mar 6, 2011 2:30:26 GMT -5
If you don't make the NIT, will you guys take a spot in the CBI or CIT?
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Post by humbleopinion on Mar 6, 2011 9:00:58 GMT -5
Eleven times I walked out of the ARC with Valpo defeating a Div 1 team.
I was able to watch more games than ever on the TV or internet, and I was more likely to yell epithets at the screen because it froze than I was because of the play of the team.
We won close games, we lost close games. We overcame large deficits, and leads rarely felt secure. Games were exciting.
Players blundered, played through injuries, never seemed to give up, and gelled as a team. They represented the university well.
I can't say that I am pleased with the direction that the game is going -- if there is any argument about what happened to Cory at the end of the half being a foul, the game is devolving more quickly than I had feared.
I miss going to the NCAA tourney, but, as a fan, I was well entertained this season (and some of the entertainment was reading the posts on this board).
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Post by kl31ny on Mar 6, 2011 10:57:40 GMT -5
Overall, I was satisfied with the season. I predicted an 11-7 HL record, 4th place regular season finish, and a HL quarterfinals appearance. Results: 12-6, 4th, Semifinals. Glad to see them work so hard and perform so well. Still disappointed at some of the missed opportunities at the end, but you can't get all the luck all the time.
Hopefully there's some more basketball coming up this month. Whether or not there is, thanks to Mike, Cory, and Howard for their time at VU. I'm going miss all of them. Great people to know and not just good players. Let's see where the future sends us and hope that next year's team builds off this year's success...
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Post by wh on Mar 6, 2011 11:03:18 GMT -5
Brandon Wood is very talented and I want him on my team, but when did he have a player consistently stepping up in big games and big moments making big plays (ala, Bryce, Zoran, Raitis, Lubos, Dan, Brandon) These guys made plays in the big moments every time even if we didn't end up winning the game, they made their presence felt. That is *exactly* what Brandon Wood did. I don't know what Brandon Wood you were watching, but I saw a different one, if you don't think he fits that description. IMO Brandon even now is the 2nd best player to ever wear a Crusader uniform. I loved the other guys on cmack's list, but the level of competition Brandon plays against is completely different. His overall development from last year to this was amazing. |
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Post by wh on Mar 6, 2011 11:17:04 GMT -5
I don't know who said that Cory is "worthless," but that is an unfair slap in the face. Yes, I know he had 2 or 3 bad performances down the stretch, but we would not have been in the position we were without Cory's numerous contributions. He has had a great 2 year career as a Crusader and deserves to be praised on his way out the door - not trashed.
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Post by vuweathernerd on Mar 6, 2011 11:34:11 GMT -5
I don't know who said that Cory is "worthless," but that is an unfair slap in the face. Yes, I know he had 2 or 3 bad performances down the stretch, but we would not have been in the position we were without Cory's numerous contributions. He has had a great 2 year career as a Crusader and deserves to be praised on his way out the door - not trashed. absolutely. he really played his heart out while getting pounded over and over again by the likes of eli holman, andrew smith, matt howard, alec brown, etc. but he found ways to work anyway. |
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Post by crusaderjoe on Mar 6, 2011 12:01:30 GMT -5
While I wouldn't say for me personally that this was the most disappointing season in my years following Valpo basketball, I have to say that it ranks right up there and I agree generally with your comment. If someone told me that this team was going to implode and lose four conference games in the month of February after that OT thriller win against Butler, I would not have believed it. To that end, getting blown out at home against Loyola when the #2 was giftwrapped after losing control of our own destiny will go down for me as one of the worst loses in VU basketball history.
At any rate, the team won 20 games, made a strong run in the HL tournament and should be congratulated for those accomplishments. We should also thank the seniors for their contributions as student athletes and as fine representatives of Valparaiso University.
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Post by vu72 on Mar 6, 2011 12:51:24 GMT -5
Anyone who says Cory showed "weakness" isn't looking at it from the correct viewpoint. Here is the correct view: Cory is "maybe" 6'7" with his shoes on. How big is Andrew Smith? How about Eli Holman? Alex Brown?
What he did for two years is battle like a true warior while playing out of position. So, if being asked to battle guys who are four or five inches taller is weakness, then so be iit. I would add that the coach of the year has to be Homer for keeping this team ready while being undersized all the way. We simply can't rely on the 3 to win games and until we add size, we will only go so far before teams understand and change defenses. This was Cory's second year. Does anyone actually think teams didn't have a much better plan to stopping us on the inside? With that said, our overall talent level carried us, coupled with sheer determination and guts by guys like Cory and Kevin.
As for next year, we add Richie Edwards, who from what I've read and seen, is a bigger version of Mike Rogers. At about 6'8" and athletic, he should add scoring and defense, but not rebounding. Boggs will help make up for the loss of Howard as Homer told me he is a "Jake Diebler" type, only better.
So that leaves us with the hope that Vucic will be ready and Cam gets well, adds some weight and comes ready to compete. If Brandon decides to leave (please Lord give us one more year) then we would still have two slots open. Guys like Kevin were added late so I wouln't give up hope. I also think Vucic will be ready to help.
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Post by a3uge on Mar 6, 2011 15:28:05 GMT -5
Is there a rumor that Wood is going to pull a Haanpa or something? I would be shocked if he left to play in Europe or something like that.
Anyways, about this season, I think with what we got, still lacking a solid inside guy, we definitely exceeded my expectations. We had some great victories this season and got the Butler monkey off our back.
Pluses
Honestely, last season I thought having Ryan Broekhoff as our outside threat was laughable. I liked what he brought on defense and he was a smart basketball player, but I hated when he took contested threes. He could drain them wide open, but I don't remember him hitting a single three pointer with a guy around him. This season he improved his 3pt % all the way from 35% to 45%. That's a drastic improvement, and since Haanpa left, it's something Valpo really needed. I don't remember him wearing a mouthguard last year, but I think it helped. Maybe Buggs should try chewing on one during free throws. Ryan was also able to hit jump shots, and his overall FG% went from 40.9% to 49.2%. His defensive ability doubled in productivity in just about every area and has turned into a decent shot blocker. For Valpo's "three guy" he's definitely no liability on defense. He's good to have.
Kevin "you've been Van Vijked" came out of nowhere and provided the team with a solid bench player. Known as "the scooter guy" or "the guy with the illegible tattoo" on campus, Kevin has become a very likable player. In some games I would say he looked much better than Johnson and his presence was refreshing. You'd never have to worry about him firing a three pointer (he actually did shoot 5 very early in the year) or a stupid shot. He played lights out and intimidated the hell out of small guys who tried to go down low. Sure, he'd get some fouls for doing some rather ridiculous things, but it was for the better. My favorite moment of the season may have been friday when he shoved a Detroit player to the ground because they were trying to gain position. Sure he might be a little dirty, but sometimes you need a player like that. Every hockey team has an "intimidater", so why can't Valpo?
Wood statistically had a season similar to last year. For his consistency, I applaud him. I still wish he would take over games a bit more (like he did against Detroit) because he is that good.
Buggs proved he is the peskiest defender in the league. Bringing the ball up court is a chore for players, and his defensive running around was never ending. He held Norris Cole to 10 points one game (the on he didn't foul out) and proved to be a true shutdown defender. On offense he proved to be effective and ran the offensive with his quick drives. Before you got done saying "what the hell is he doing..." a wide open Valpo player would already be shooting a three pointer. His passing was something else to watch.
Valpo seemed to find out what to do with Rodgers. His minutes got drastically reduced, but was able to contribute in those minutes. He went from a starter to a very good bench player. He had some great games this season, as well as some not so great ones. It seems like four years ago I kept thinking "wow, he's going to be great when he's a senior" and never really ended up taking off. He played with heart and enthusiasm and showed his strength against Milwaukee when he decked one of their players.
Howard "quiet ten" Little had a great career and finished with a great season. He's made some weird decisions at points, but knows his role on the team. When I looked at his minutes per game, I was shocked he was second on the team in this category. His game is scoring easy baskets and finds a way to get open layups. He always gets a quiet, easy ten points.
Minuses
Johnson didn't play very well down the stretch. His numbers were down from last season and proved to be a liability on defense. Early in the year he played with a lot of emotion, which seemed to carry his size disadvantage. In the last month he looked completely lost at times. He stopped controlling the game and being a huge contributer and started being a liability on defense. It's not all his fault, though. Homer asked a lot from him to stand up to guys like Howard and Holman with his size. He just wasn't big enough to fulfill a role of a starting 'big guy'. I am also disappointed with his three point shooting. Last year he actually wasn't bad at the three, and didn't take that many. I don't think shooting every once in awhile is a bad idea to pull a defender closer, but shooting twice as many when your percentage is 22 is unacceptable.
Jay "the emotionator" Harris was kind of a bust this season. He had the lowest FG% on the team and wasn't able to drive into the lane. He had some major gaffs each game, turning the ball over way too much. Homer needs to put a curb on the court for boundary lines so he keeps his feet from going out. Maybe a warning track? It's his court. Not like it'd be any weirder than Oregon's court. He's still young and talented, so the potential is there. I think once he eats a couple of cheeseburgers and can lift his body weight, he'll be a decent contributer.
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