Valparaiso - 01/21/2023 - 6:00 PM - ESPN3

[Humdinger]

They’ve regularly done solid out of bounds plays.

No offense 2011 but we've been HORRIBLE out of timeouts. Maybe "the designed plays" are fine but I seriously question it. I have watched this closely and I bet our scoring rate out of all timeouts is less than 5%. Not exaggerating. And our turnover rate out of TO's is alarming.

It's a by-product of our offensive effectiveness. Which ain't effective. VERY little cohesiveness...once again, 6 assists for the game. Now I like and root for all of our guys and I'm with DP...we're not as bad as the final 30 minutes yesterday...but we're getting close to Feb and Bradley is NOT a good match up for us becase they'll beat the living daylights out of us on the defensive end. We've got no one who can truly break down a defender and the ball doesn't move EFFECTIVELY. This is my conclusion after 20 games.

Maybe we'll pull one off but don't be surprised if we get sloshed in Peoria. Shame on me, but I'm expecting it. I hope I have to eat Hulka's crows.

 

[Birdfriend72]

So it’s Pedon’s fault we miss 3 layups in one possession? Pedon’s fault our bigs combine for 4 pts and 8 boards in 40+ mins? Our entire front court outside of Petrakis is Muller.

Pedon can’t execute for them. And really after Lewis there really isn’t an inside D1 fit! You can plug and play- but to be successful won’t work most of the time!

 

[Humdinger]

Losing never is a good feeling. Remember though all winners lose first. I know I’m new to the program, it’s fans and this message board but even in the programs hay day losing still had to come first. That’s in every aspect of life too. We all need to be fair and realistic in our expectation.

Pops you're right and I thought .500 would be a good year. But here's the deal. It's not the winning or losing necessarily. It's the clawing and fightng. It's DECREASING. This is what alarms me the most and it cannot be accepted.

 

[Birdfriend72]

There’s no substitute for a big who stays four years and grows into his frame while also learning the nuance of how to use it effectively. Krikke now reminds me of Seth Tuttle years ago at UNI, or “Pink Shoes” Echenique at Creighton. Shaq Morris at Wichita had the body from Day One, but took some time to learn how use it.

We have never had a big body that had the projection to grow into it and stuck around. Muller ran off Threloff after his first year, and we have not had one since. Jackie Carmichael and Phil Fayne were solid post players, but Jackie was undersized and Phil was too lean to bang with the true fives. Hawkins was the best of both worlds, but he spent half his time on the perimeter.

Here’s hoping Pedon brings in the bodies to allow the Birds to play his way.

Those days are gone my friend. Good luck finding the guy that will stay for the entire 4 years. The rules make it easy to move to the next level- and unless you are willing to pay the bucks for a great coach…you probably have to figure out a way to work through the portal and juco route.

 

[Tpguy]

now would be a good time to give Pedon a long term contract while we can get him cheap

 

[dpdoughbird06]

If Pedon can’t get it done by year three, blow up the program and steer any money geared for MBB into moving the football team to FBS.
By “getting it done”, I’m talking about 20+ wins and an appearance in the Valley title game.

Concept of marginal gain per NIL dollar comes into play here. I hope Pedon turns MBB around, but the truth of the final five years of Muller was that we could have gotten the same results paying a lot less into the program.

If you did a cost-benefit analysis of where additional NIL monies could best be spent, I’d be curious to see the result. Our collective is probably tiny compared to the schools we want to overtake in both sports.

But where are we closer to being able to turn the corner? And which sport brings more excitement and prestige to the university? NIU made that call and went all-in on Football. For us the only way to put all the eggs in the football basket is by committing to go FBS and not look back. The goal can’t even stop at the MAC.

MBB has fallen behind competitively, but costs less in terms of scholarships. Already playing at the highest level helps, but I don’t know which sport you commit to - if we chose to reallocate at all.

 

[dpdoughbird06]

Those days are gone my friend. Good luck finding the guy that will stay for the entire 4 years. The rules make it easy to move to the next level- and unless you are willing to pay the bucks for a great coach…you probably have to figure out a way to work through the portal and juco route.

Almost gone, but not completely. Krikke is still at Valpo even after most of their other studs transferred out. Prim stayed at MSU last year. Mast is still at BU. Neese remains a Tree (not a five but still a stud with height). Same with Domask at SIU.

 

[Redbirdfan76]

Looking at minutes played in the last few games, it seems Mal, Luke and Darius are over 30 minutes regularly. As this continues, and given how hard they need to play, I wonder if some of last night was due to tired legs. Have not watched last nights game, so would like some others perspective on the minutes played issue.

On another note, watching Bradley play many times this season, a few items to consider to stay with them come to mind:
Double team Mast as soon as he receives the ball. He is a decent passer, but I would rather take a chance on others shooting than Mast. He is just too good inside.
Get Duke Dean on a switch and have the screener take him into the paint. You’ll either get a good look or get fouled. Get him in foul trouble early. His back up, Weathers plays fast and doesn’t shoot well.
Get Mal open for a lot of 3 point shots. Though Bradley plays very good defense, they get lazy on defending the three point line later into the shot clock. Belmont beat them twice doing this.
Bradley plays physical similar to Mo State. Get them to foul you inside and let’s get in the bonus as quickly as possible. We won’t be able to match them bucket for bucket. We need to have a large difference in made free throws to have a chance.
If we can get Dean out, they like to put Hickman at the point(If Weathers does not play well). He has not scored much when he plays point.
Don’t let Darius Hannah go left!!!
Finally, match their physicality on the boards as much as possible.

With all that said they will come out pissed off at their loss to Belmont and will look to demolish the Birds early. Need to do something we have not done well…… play from the opening tip!!

 

[TIMMY]

I disagree. You don’t have to be strong to get in someone’s way. Mentally stronger yes I would say.

How do athletes grow tougher"mentally"? It's pretty hard to be mentally tough if you are physically weak. Our inside guys are physically weak. Just look at them. They set screens like twigs and cream puffs.

 

[redbirds2000]

If Pedon can’t get it done by year three, blow up the program and steer any money geared for MBB into moving the football team to FBS.
By “getting it done”, I’m talking about 20+ wins and an appearance in the Valley title game.

20 wins and just playing in the title game is not good enough. We've played in that game more times than anyone in the past 15 years. A 7th runner-up is not acceptable.

 

[Scipio]

When an administration allows a program to fall apart; it is going to be a long process to regain legitimacy. Coach Pedon can only deal with what he’s got; and that’s basically a squad made up of players nobody else wanted. And it shows in games like last night’s. We can hope for those special games; when they put it all together. But that’s just fantasy. This is not a good basketball team. No matter how coach tries to mix, match and motivate. It just isn’t there. And I think we all knew that going in. ISU us a desirable University; Coach can get some players. But this year and probably next are gonna be rough.

 

[Buffett1]

How do athletes grow tougher"mentally"? It's pretty hard to be mentally tough if you are physically weak. Our inside guys are physically weak. Just look at them. They set screens like twigs and cream puffs.

Weak and lumbering

 

[Redbird222]

Or, glass half full, you could see this as nobody is currently dominating the Valley like Creighton/Wichita/UNI/Loyola took turns doing.

With so many transfers every year, a rebuild can get you to the top faster than ever. Every roster is built on sand now, so build your best castle before the next wave of transfers washes it away.

If Pedon is a solid recruiter and coach (I’m still hopeful), this current environment should allow him to excel in the next two years.

The flip side: any success will be hard to sustain, as P5 will be looking to poach any of our HS recruits who excel right away or break out as sophomores.

Setting a culture that endures through roster turnover and building a system that transfers can assimilate into quickly is probably the goal these days.

We may never see another freshman stick around for his Senior Day. Maybe Kotov…

Sissoko had been here 4 years including RS freshman year

 

[Popsto4]

How do athletes grow tougher"mentally"? It's pretty hard to be mentally tough if you are physically weak. Our inside guys are physically weak. Just look at them. They set screens like twigs and cream puffs.

Most of the time there is no contact when they try setting them. The other times they get called for fouls because they don’t want contact. That show by sliding over late on purpose. They grow tougher by having thick skin and that all starts upstairs. Being mentally tough is standing there and doing your job taking one for the team. Truth be told Sandage is the toughest of them all and he’s not a giant.

 

[Popsto4]

Pops you're right and I thought .500 would be a good year. But here's the deal. It's not the winning or losing necessarily. It's the clawing and fightng. It's DECREASING. This is what alarms me the most and it cannot be accepted.

It all fall on the players mental. Can they take being yelled and or screamed at, or chewed out? That locker room at halftime wasn’t a nice place and deservingly so. These are young adults but not kids. Take it on the chin dust yourself off and compete. It’s much easier to Coach a more talented team and see results than not. Pedon will get it done. I could be sharing so many things on this board but I won’t. Things will change next year.

 

[Humdinger]

It all fall on the players mental. Can they take being yelled and or screamed at, or chewed out? That locker room at halftime wasn’t a nice place and deservingly so. These are young adults but not kids. Take it on the chin dust yourself off and compete. It’s much easier to Coach a more talented team and see results than not. Pedon will get it done. I could be sharing so many things on this board but I won’t. Things will change next year.

And Pops if you ever share inside info that crosses a line I'll find ya! (understand I'm agreeing with you here on keeping mouth shut) I'll say it again if I were A.D. and ever caught any admin (or say, even, a basketball manager) on one of these boards you'd have to argue a case like My Cousin Vinny in order to not get fired.

 

[Humdinger]

How do athletes grow tougher"mentally"? It's pretty hard to be mentally tough if you are physically weak. Our inside guys are physically weak. Just look at them. They set screens like twigs and cream puffs.

I agree with both of you. Coach Timmy is 100% correct, and Pops is certainly correct...you can be Pee Wee Herman and still set an effective screen. We do NOT do a good job of setting screens. And at least half the time the screener doesn't even roll right and the other half the passer is looking east/west with ZERO look to the rolling screener. I'm sorry to bitch but this is stuff brought to attention in the 6th grade. Well...used to be.

 

[Humdinger]

OK I'll stop complaining. If we beat P-U I'll streak naked through the quad on my way to Fiala Bros. Might be a good idea to have covers on the bar stools.

 

[Popsto4]

And Pops if you ever share inside info that crosses a line I'll find ya! (understand I'm agreeing with you here on keeping mouth shut) I'll say it again if I were A.D. and ever caught any admin (or say, even, a basketball manager) on one of these boards you'd have to argue a case like My Cousin Vinny in order to not get fired.

Lol it’s all good from my perspective being on this board. I really enjoy it. Sports have a way of getting people talking that wouldn’t in any other way. Yes I love it

 

[Popsto4]

Looking at minutes played in the last few games, it seems Mal, Luke and Darius are over 30 minutes regularly. As this continues, and given how hard they need to play, I wonder if some of last night was due to tired legs. Have not watched last nights game, so would like some others perspective on the minutes played issue.

On another note, watching Bradley play many times this season, a few items to consider to stay with them come to mind:
Double team Mast as soon as he receives the ball. He is a decent passer, but I would rather take a chance on others shooting than Mast. He is just too good inside.
Get Duke Dean on a switch and have the screener take him into the paint. You’ll either get a good look or get fouled. Get him in foul trouble early. His back up, Weathers plays fast and doesn’t shoot well.
Get Mal open for a lot of 3 point shots. Though Bradley plays very good defense, they get lazy on defending the three point line later into the shot clock. Belmont beat them twice doing this.
Bradley plays physical similar to Mo State. Get them to foul you inside and let’s get in the bonus as quickly as possible. We won’t be able to match them bucket for bucket. We need to have a large difference in made free throws to have a chance.
If we can get Dean out, they like to put Hickman at the point(If Weathers does not play well). He has not scored much when he plays point.
Don’t let Darius Hannah go left!!!
Finally, match their physicality on the boards as much as possible.

With all that said they will come out pissed off at their loss to Belmont and will look to demolish the Birds early. Need to do something we have not done well…… play from the opening tip!!

Yeah I have to believe kids are really getting tired after halftime probably midway through the 2nd. How could they not? I think Mal is going to really heat up from 3 in this one.