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Post by govalpogo on Mar 6, 2011 15:52:16 GMT -5
Over my four years of Valpo fandom, this year surely had the most upside it was also the most "disappointing" and heartbreaking because of the way it ended. It is so hard for a team to be successful for an entire season and beyond. I love this team, I love the Valpo style of basketball, and I love being a fan of a Mid major team with such potential for success...and failure. It makes everything so much more exciting. In the end though, following Valpo Basketball is like having a high school sweet heart; We had some incredibly fun times and some terrible spats, we may have occasionally dreamed of this being more, but how did we really think it was gonna end? Somebody was bound to get hurt. That's the nature of the beast. CBI champions anyone?
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Post by cmack on Mar 6, 2011 20:44:52 GMT -5
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. I don't see Vucic ever being ready to help. His only real skill is being tall and he is very good at that.
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Post by crusadermoe on Mar 7, 2011 15:16:37 GMT -5
My wrap-up is less personal and less in-depth. I am very proud of this team and how players stretched their abilities. The Mo. State game showcased all of its strengths and did it on national TV vs. a Top 50 RPI team.
I have praised Cory a lot and everyone has praised Brandon. Some more good news. 1) Great ball movement this year 2) All hustled all game long to get open on offense and cover shooters on defense 3) Ryan B. has gotten much better shooting on the move 4) Jay Harris hit a lot of clutch 3s and kept us in some games while we re-grouped 5) Kenney and Howard Little played the tough physical defense you need in the HL
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Post by stlvufan on Mar 7, 2011 17:28:27 GMT -5
My wrap-up is less personal and less in-depth. I am very proud of this team and how players stretched their abilities. The Mo. State game showcased all of its strengths and did it on national TV vs. a Top 50 RPI team. I have praised Cory a lot and everyone has praised Brandon. Some more good news. 1) Great ball movement this year 2) All hustled all game long to get open on offense and cover shooters on defense 3) Ryan B. has gotten much better shooting on the move 4) Jay Harris hit a lot of clutch 3s and kept us in some games while we re-grouped 5) Kenney and Howard Little played the tough physical defense you need in the HL Excellent points, many of which I wish I had thought of when I was responding to this thread. 1 and 5 especially resonate with me.
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Post by lowposter on Mar 7, 2011 17:32:21 GMT -5
This year was like a couple of dates I had a few years ago....everything went great until near the end when the cell phone would ring, she would answer, and you realized someone far more important was on the phone. We got close this year, but at the end the more important ones showed up. Like many have discussed earlier, our weakness in the middle was exposed. Cory is not a low poster, but was asked to do so and did so at a high level. Too many times, he collected fouls as a magnet collects iron. Not so much by contact, but more so of positioning. Lots of ticky tack fouls. Our seniors provided considerable contributions. Howard Little had a very solid year and had an unfortunate travel call in Green Bay. Mike Rogers seemed to understand his role and made solid contributions. Like the earlier comment about "by his senior year..." It never quite happened for him, but he was solid. About those two missed shots at Milwaukee... We just simply have to find and develop low posters. Kevin, unless his off season rehab works, will give us exactly what we need, but only for 15 minutes per game. That guy is a LOAD. I have maintained that since Scott left this has been a guard centric team with the inability to either recruit or the lack of desire to recruit post players. While the HL is loaded with talented guards, there seems to be a movement back towards talent in the middle. It was a great year for the most part, but i dont see us in the NIT. Hopefully we are. lowposter
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Post by stlvufan on Mar 7, 2011 18:04:00 GMT -5
This year was like a couple of dates I had a few years ago....everything went great until near the end when the cell phone would ring, she would answer, and you realized someone far more important was on the phone. We got close this year, but at the end the more important ones showed up. Like many have discussed earlier, our weakness in the middle was exposed. Cory is not a low poster, but was asked to do so and did so at a high level. Too many times, he collected fouls as a magnet collects iron. Not so much by contact, but more so of positioning. Lots of ticky tack fouls. Our seniors provided considerable contributions. Howard Little had a very solid year and had an unfortunate travel call in Green Bay. Mike Rogers seemed to understand his role and made solid contributions. Like the earlier comment about "by his senior year..." It never quite happened for him, but he was solid. About those two missed shots at Milwaukee... We just simply have to find and develop low posters. Kevin, unless his off season rehab works, will give us exactly what we need, but only for 15 minutes per game. That guy is a LOAD. I have maintained that since Scott left this has been a guard centric team with the inability to either recruit or the lack of desire to recruit post players. While the HL is loaded with talented guards, there seems to be a movement back towards talent in the middle. It was a great year for the most part, but i dont see us in the NIT. Hopefully we are. lowposter Another stellar recap. Well done, sir.
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Post by CO_VU_Fan on Mar 7, 2011 19:01:46 GMT -5
This year was like a couple of dates I had a few years ago....everything went great until near the end when the cell phone would ring, she would answer, and you realized someone far more important was on the phone. We got close this year, but at the end the more important ones showed up. Like many have discussed earlier, our weakness in the middle was exposed. Cory is not a low poster, but was asked to do so and did so at a high level. Too many times, he collected fouls as a magnet collects iron. Not so much by contact, but more so of positioning. Lots of ticky tack fouls. Our seniors provided considerable contributions. Howard Little had a very solid year and had an unfortunate travel call in Green Bay. Mike Rogers seemed to understand his role and made solid contributions. Like the earlier comment about "by his senior year..." It never quite happened for him, but he was solid. About those two missed shots at Milwaukee... We just simply have to find and develop low posters. Kevin, unless his off season rehab works, will give us exactly what we need, but only for 15 minutes per game. That guy is a LOAD. I have maintained that since Scott left this has been a guard centric team with the inability to either recruit or the lack of desire to recruit post players. While the HL is loaded with talented guards, there seems to be a movement back towards talent in the middle. It was a great year for the most part, but i dont see us in the NIT. Hopefully we are. lowposter My thoughts are that it has less to do with Scott leaving, and more to do with the increase in competition for post players (foreign and domestic). Fifteen years ago a mid-major program like Valpo could recruit and develop young foreign talent. The major conference teams are now recruiting and developing this talent. The US talent for post players is focused on NBA, so major programs have trouble competing there. It all trickles down, so to speak. The foreign professional competition for talent has also increased. Just my thoughts.
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Post by vu72 on Mar 7, 2011 19:10:17 GMT -5
I've been told that we should expect contributions from Vucic next year. Even if it is limited, he will only be a sophomore next year. Add another 20 over the summer and he will be a load, as he is a ligitimate 7 footer plus.
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Post by vuweathernerd on Mar 7, 2011 20:13:14 GMT -5
I've been told that we should expect contributions from Vucic next year. Even if it is limited, he will only be a sophomore next year. Add another 20 over the summer and he will be a load, as he is a ligitimate 7 footer plus. that doesn't account for his lack of coordination. that, in my mind, is his single biggest drawback.
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Post by rlh on Mar 7, 2011 22:06:38 GMT -5
I've been told that we should expect contributions from Vucic next year. Even if it is limited, he will only be a sophomore next year. Add another 20 over the summer and he will be a load, as he is a ligitimate 7 footer plus. that doesn't account for his lack of coordination. that, in my mind, is his single biggest drawback. From practices, I don't know that he is uncoordinated....I think he just doesn't get enough practice time to really learn how to play the low post...remember, not only is he young, but in Europe he played outside....
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Post by vuweathernerd on Mar 7, 2011 22:50:20 GMT -5
that doesn't account for his lack of coordination. that, in my mind, is his single biggest drawback. From practices, I don't know that he is uncoordinated....I think he just doesn't get enough practice time to really learn how to play the low post...remember, not only is he young, but in Europe he played outside.... from what i've seen of him, he looks like he doesn't know what to do with his long arms and trips over his own feet. taller than he knows what to do with. and unfortunately, low post players need to be able to control their long extremities.
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Post by fwalum on Mar 8, 2011 0:44:51 GMT -5
Maybe this does not belong here, but I have to get it off my chest.
How many times in the last 5 years have you seen guys rolling or sliding on the floor with the ball and naer a traveling call whistle to be heard. Why this call was made in this situation is almost beyond me. Was it technically the right call? Yes, but the technical intent of this rule has not been enforced properly for quite some time. To have what in most cases has become a "no call" determine the outcome of the game just really irked me.
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