A Reintroduction For Valpo Basketball

[just ducky]

We think the dust has settled so here goes.

Gone---Mileek McMillan Western Michigan
Daniel Sackey New Orleans
Nick Robinson Western Carolina
Jacob Ognacevic Lipscomb
Steve Helm Indiana Tech (NAIA)
Zion Morgan retired and looking for a career in music?
Sigurd Lorange and Goodnews Kpegael Both still looking for a home!
That leaves----Donovan Clay as perhaps the only transfer slightly up.

Returning------Eron Gordon 6'th, Emil Freese-Villien Jr, Sheldon Edwards So, Ben Krikke Jr, and Connor Barrett So

Transfers In-------Trevor Anderson 5'th yr Wisconsin G 6'3"
Thomas Kithier Sr Michigan St F 6'8"
Kevin Taylor 5'th yr Winona St (D-2) G/F 6'5'
Joe Hedstrom So Wisconsin C 7'0"

Incoming Freshmen-------- I'll try to post more in the recruiting category but briefly they are Darius DeAveiro P/G Orangeville Prep Ottawa Canada. Trey Woodyard F of London Ohio and International Sports Academy
AND 2 who might contribute quickly
Cam Palesse G 6'5" Waukesha Wisconsin (second team all state)
Keyondre Young G 6'8" Del City Oklahoma Super 5 POY who also high jumps 6'8"



This is a lot to sort out but I'd be almost shocked if this isn't a better team than the one that just stampeded for the exits.

[siudawgs]

What are they going to do at PG?

[just ducky]

What are they going to do at PG?

Valpo unofficially sits at 13 immediately eligible scholarship players and they could go to 14 if a perfect fit decides to jump aboard. I'm personally doubting the need or value of having that many players watching from the sidelines.

So --PG? In no particular order Anderson, Gordon, Edwards, Palesse and DeAveiro. Lottich likes big ball handlers so lots of people could be bringing it down the floor including Young and Taylor to the list above.
Valpo had a collective PG 3 point shooting % that couldn't have much exceeded 20% last year. That number should skyrocket.

Defense? Clay, Morgan and Sackey could all disrupt but I don't see much if any over all decline. Time will tell.

[just ducky]

What are they going to do at PG?

Valpo unofficially sits at 13 immediately eligible scholarship players and they could go to 14 if a perfect fit decides to jump aboard. I'm personally doubting the need or value of having that many players watching from the sidelines.

So --PG? In no particular order Anderson, Gordon, Edwards, Palesse and DeAveiro. Lottich likes big ball handlers so lots of people could be bringing it down the floor including Young and Taylor to the list above.
Valpo had a collective PG 3 point shooting % that couldn't have much exceeded 20% last year. That number should skyrocket.

Defense? Clay, Morgan and Sackey could all disrupt but I don't see much if any over all decline. Time will tell.

Kobe King just jumped aboard for that last scholarship. This could be big for Badgerland South (Valpo) but I'm just spreading the word until we all get a better grasp of the full impact. I don't think King is a point guard either but I am beginning to wonder if it matters?

[BEARZ77]

Hard to tell on guys like King; obviously well regarded coming out of HS, did start and average 10 ppg for half a year as a Jr at Wisc., but then quit . Since then more has come to light about possible problems at Wisc being pervasive, but always gives ya pause, and King didn't find what he thought in professional opportunities and has been out a year and a half. Good size and supposedly excellent going to the rim, streaky from the outside with a poor %[ 25% from 3 in 19-20] and not a pg [ 1 assist per game for career] but again supposed excellent range. Can't hurt to have 3 guys from a BIG team, although Wisc guys are often more system types, but that might fit for Valpo as well.

[Blers]

Hard to tell on guys like King; obviously well regarded coming out of HS, did start and average 10 ppg for half a year as a Jr at Wisc., but then quit . Since then more has come to light about possible problems at Wisc being pervasive, but always gives ya pause, and King didn't find what he thought in professional opportunities and has been out a year and a half. Good size and supposedly excellent going to the rim, streaky from the outside with a poor %[ 25% from 3 in 19-20] and not a pg [ 1 assist per game for career] but again supposed excellent range. Can't hurt to have 3 guys from a BIG team, although Wisc guys are often more system types, but that might fit for Valpo as well.

Honestly the current Valpo roster just reminds me of some of Fords first two rosters. Lots of high level transfer athletes, but a lot of questions around team fit. I also never trust a team in year one with that many new players... so hard to gel that quickly (it's why i think Drake, MSU, UNI, LUC, and maybe even SIU will have a decent sized gap between the bottom half of the league). I do love Gordon and Krikke though.

[Dawgbit]

Hard to tell on guys like King; obviously well regarded coming out of HS, did start and average 10 ppg for half a year as a Jr at Wisc., but then quit . Since then more has come to light about possible problems at Wisc being pervasive, but always gives ya pause, and King didn't find what he thought in professional opportunities and has been out a year and a half. Good size and supposedly excellent going to the rim, streaky from the outside with a poor %[ 25% from 3 in 19-20] and not a pg [ 1 assist per game for career] but again supposed excellent range. Can't hurt to have 3 guys from a BIG team, although Wisc guys are often more system types, but that might fit for Valpo as well.

Honestly the current Valpo roster just reminds me of some of Fords first two rosters. Lots of high level transfer athletes, but a lot of questions around team fit. I also never trust a team in year one with that many new players... so hard to gel that quickly (it's why i think Drake, MSU, UNI, LUC, and maybe even SIU will have a decent sized gap between the bottom half of the league). I do love Gordon and Krikke though.

Yeah, maybe even SIU.

[just ducky]

The expanded and extended NCAA eligibilities should make the great majority of D-1 teams deeper, more talented, and more experienced than they have been in any recent years. The MVC specifically seems to have more than held its own in retaining or recruiting from this greatly expanded pool of players. Having said this I think that Valpo may have been struck by lightning not just once but repeatedly!

What can Matt Lottich do with BIG talent? Good question and I join you in asking it! Just keep in mind that Valpo might (maybe 15% chance) be just as good as they show on paper and if so don't sell them short.

[BEARZ77]

I'm not selling them short, but I think they'll have a hard time avoiding Thursday night in STL. The teams ahead of them have more returning talent, more experience playing together, and more talent overall. Also Lottich has had talent and at times Valpo has looked like a program ready to advance, but he hasn't been able to field a consistent winner or retain his good young players. I could change, but right now I'd have a hard time picking Valpo above 7th/8th. But as we see every year in the Valley, the difference from 4-8 is usually thin and easily influenced by a number of factors that play out.

[siudawgs]

I'd say Valpo is about as much of an X-factor as any team in the league this year with all the roster turnover: could challenge for upper-half even in a solid year for the MVC, or could be 8th or worse. Adding Kobe King is intriguing, but it might also take them time to recalibrate when he joins after missing most or all of the non-conference.

I do think they have added enough pieces to be pretty good with Edwards and Krikke returning, but I go back to my earlier question about their PG situation and also am skeptical about their coaching/ability to sustain winning basketball for consistent stretches.