vs #10 Evansville - 2024 MVC Tournament First Round - Thursday, 3/7/2024 - 6 pm - Bally Sports

[ScoreboardDotRace]

Nick Zeisloft went to Indiana. Jon Ekey went to Illinois. Both went to P5s and contributed (with lesser eligibility and statistics at ISU then Johnny Kinziger has now). I doubt many foresaw those.

Hoping it doesn't happen, but all it takes is that one opening ...

Or let’s hope Pedon doesn’t have a desire to be an assistant coach again and skips town and takes the young PG with him.

Kidding with that one. I think Johnny stays

 

[redbirds2000]

We all hope so, but once those P5’s start dangling all that NIL money, along with playing regularly for a winning program on national TV, he may start singing a different tune.

I stand by my original comment. Book it for 24-25!

 

[MadBird]

I got a kick of out this paragraph! If we had a King of KingA**hole...in the history of The Valley...who would win? Donewald has to be in consideration, don't you old timers think? Maybe not a winner, but a candidate...

Might be harder to judge our own guy vs. the others. To me, Versace and Richardson were much bigger jerks toward the "outside world" than Donewald. Donewald might have been a jerk to the locals (and I think I've written here before, I corresponded with him more than once, back when writing a note was in vogue, and he answered very graciously each time so I'm not so down on him), but I always thought the other two were pompous jerks to us. Now, if you were in Peoria or Tulsa, you might have thought Donewald was a jerk.

 

[MadBird]

So in addition to dogging the HC and calling for his head, now we're gonna go thru weeks or months of predicting which promising ISU player might skip out? I'm hating this "new era" of college sports more and more everyday!

 

[BirdGrad2011]

So in addition to dogging the HC and calling for his head, now we're gonna go thru weeks or months of predicting which promising ISU player might skip out? I'm hating this "new era" of college sports more and more everyday!

Who’s calling for his head?

 

[91Bird]

Is it just me or does the attendance at the MVC tournament look really sparse?

 

[redbirds2000]

So in addition to dogging the HC and calling for his head, now we're gonna go thru weeks or months of predicting which promising ISU player might skip out? I'm hating this "new era" of college sports more and more everyday!

This "new era" is probably more likable if you win. Others are figuring it out.

 

[redbirds2000]

Is it just me or does the attendance at the MVC tournament look really sparse?

I would expect Saturday to be rocking. Life has gotten expensive. If your team isn't at the top or doesn't have a chance, there are better things to do.

 

[CaliRdBrd]

I’m sure there have been successful D2 HCs who moved up to this level and face planted, too. There’s no right answer when it comes to hiring a program leader.

The Valley has had successful a**holes (Wardle, Greggg) and sweethearts (Barry). Their backgrounds have varied and pretty much all of them have eventually lost their luster - even the mighty Jake is wearing out his extended stay in Frostbite Falls.

As we’ve seen with player movement, success is ever more fleeting today, and this so are absolutes in saying “we need ‘X’ type of coach” to win.

Anyway, sorry for the flood of five separate replies. Just sitting here on a couch in the Galleria watching my fiancé shop - which is what we’ve become accustomed to doing the last few years thanks to the Redbirds’ repeated Thursday exits.

Next year I’d like to have some adrenaline flowing on Friday or - dare I dream - all weekend long.

I’d kill for an a-hole coach that could get us to the tourney.

 

[ISU86]

So in addition to dogging the HC and calling for his head, now we're gonna go thru weeks or months of predicting which promising ISU player might skip out? I'm hating this "new era" of college sports more and more everyday!

Jay Bilas (and probably Billy Packer in the hereafter) are loving it.

 

[dpdoughbird06]

Or let’s hope Pedon doesn’t have a desire to be an assistant coach again and skips town and takes the young PG with him.

Kidding with that one. I think Johnny stays

If history repeats, Thad Motta returns to tOSU and makes Pedon his HCIW. Pedon gets on WJBC and says gosh, gee, nobody is going anywhere. Next day: done deal. A week later: Jonny B Gone.

 

[dpdoughbird06]

I would expect Saturday to be rocking. Life has gotten expensive. If your team isn't at the top or doesn't have a chance, there are better things to do.

A whole weekend in STL will hit your pocket pretty hard. We all will gladly hand over our money when our team is likely to play in Saturday and roll the dice for Sunday.

But the last few years we’ve had to have a Plan B and be able to audible away from Downtown if/when we lose. Turns out the Forrest Park/Clayton/Delmar Loop area is a fun alternative.

I’d love to get back to where it’s worth spending an entire weekend downtown, though…

 

[ScoreboardDotRace]

If history repeats, Thad Motta returns to tOSU and makes Pedon his HCIW. Pedon gets on WJBC and says gosh, gee, nobody is going anywhere. Next day: done deal. A week later: Jonny B Gone.

at least it would be a Big10 HCIW

 

[Birdfriend72]

I keep perhaps 7 players. Two recruits coming in. Need minimum of three athletic transfer/ JC players. Problem is we are so bad who would want to come here. I disagree on kinzinger. I don’t want him to be the point guard. I want him at the 2. Pence and Walker both freshman so I keep them. Foster is the real deal. Unfair for Darius at this point because of the injury but I keep him if he wants to return as he’s the one guard who can get points on his own. Every team needs one. I keep Poindexter cause he’s talented, just has to regain his confidence. Banks a backup at best. Just doesn’t have point guard instincts.

If you have 2 guards that can shoot (Johnny and Maybe Poindexter) the rest of the guards need to get better or we need to find guards that can shoot. Their defense isn’t good enough to over compensate for their lack of scoring ability!

 

[jwa123]

Bradley during the Geno Ford years fell about as low as you could go. Enter Wardle and we magically forget just how bad they were not so long ago. We’ll be back…at some point.

Even in the beginning of the Wardle time there were some lean years. Living in Morton, at the time, I was surrounded by Bradley fans many of whom wanted to get rid of Wardle.

 

[MadBird]

If you have 2 guards that can shoot (Johnny and Maybe Poindexter) the rest of the guards need to get better or we need to find guards that can shoot. Their defense isn’t good enough to over compensate for their lack of scoring ability!

Help is on the way. Go check out Dmills recruiting thread, our incoming recruit Cade Norris dropped 37 in today's semi-final. We've got some incoming scorers.

 

[RedbirdSoxFan]

Help is on the way. Go check out Dmills recruiting thread, our incoming recruit Cade Norris dropped 37 in today's semi-final. We've got some incoming scorers.

And that refuse to lose fire he plays with is much needed in a Redbird uniform.

 

[dpdoughbird06]

And that refuse to lose fire he plays with is much needed in a Redbird uniform.

Are you saying our current roster is full of OWWLs? (“OH Well, We Lost”)

 

[Redbird Alum 2004]

The game was rough but it's time to look ahead.

1. Johnny, Chase, Pence, Lieb are locks to come back.

2. Mal and Myles I want to come back I fear they will test the waters.

3. Luke, Burford, Banks are three that will have a tough conversation with coach. I have Burford here because he is undersized and doesn't fit the offense.

4. The rest will have a conversation with coach but I don't think it will be a tough conversation just a hey I think you would be a better fit elsewhere.

We need a four that can play down low but be a threat from distance. Too many teams slacked off Lewis and that caused the lane to get clogged up.

We need a long 6'5" to 6'7" wing like McIntosh was. That would help with the defense a ton. This player needs to be able to slash and hit the three.

I think Pence will put the work in. Not every freshman comes in and lights it up. It was a big jump for him for what he played against in high school. I have confidence he will develop.

JK is going to be a stud and a menace to valley teams the rest of his career.

Chase is still changing his body. The kid already has a different body from when the red shirt was pulled. He will be a force because he can use both hands down low.

Norris coming in should be able to contribute immediately. Coaches son with two older brothers that play DI. He understands what it takes.

I don't know much about Daugherty except that he is 6'8" and can stroke it from deep.

The JC class should have a bunch of talent in it. The extra covid years forced some players to go that route.

I think Pedon adds 4-5 more players through JC and the portal. Now two years of seeing the valley in person I think he knows what he needs to put a top team out there. I think we will like what the team looks like come September.

 

[MadBird]

The game was rough but it's time to look ahead.

1. Johnny, Chase, Pence, Lieb are locks to come back.

2. Mal and Myles I want to come back I fear they will test the waters.

3. Luke, Burford, Banks are three that will have a tough conversation with coach. I have Burford here because he is undersized and doesn't fit the offense.

4. The rest will have a conversation with coach but I don't think it will be a tough conversation just a hey I think you would be a better fit elsewhere.

We need a four that can play down low but be a threat from distance. Too many teams slacked off Lewis and that caused the lane to get clogged up.

We need a long 6'5" to 6'7" wing like McIntosh was. That would help with the defense a ton. This player needs to be able to slash and hit the three.

I think Pence will put the work in. Not every freshman comes in and lights it up. It was a big jump for him for what he played against in high school. I have confidence he will develop.

JK is going to be a stud and a menace to valley teams the rest of his career.

Chase is still changing his body. The kid already has a different body from when the red shirt was pulled. He will be a force because he can use both hands down low.

Norris coming in should be able to contribute immediately. Coaches son with two older brothers that play DI. He understands what it takes.

I don't know much about Daugherty except that he is 6'8" and can stroke it from deep.

The JC class should have a bunch of talent in it. The extra covid years forced some players to go that route.

I think Pedon adds 4-5 more players through JC and the portal. Now two years of seeing the valley in person I think he knows what he needs to put a top team out there. I think we will like what the team looks like come September.

Agree with most of this.

I'm a little more bullish on Burford - nice to have a guy who can break down a defense, hunt his own shot. He might not be a perfect fit, but there are games and times in games when his "game" will be nice to have. Cripes, we can't score, and we're gonna send our leading scorer two seasons in a row packing??

Don't know much else about Daugherty but will remind everyone his dad Sean played for Wisconsin and was pretty solid. So he's got good genes and prolly got some good schooling over the years.

I'm also optimistic and positive about Pence. He'll grow into it, find his place in the system. He'll get there.