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Post by shooting the J on Feb 12, 2015 21:57:35 GMT -6
Green Bay (20-5,9-2) @ Valparaiso (22-4, 9-2) When: Friday, 6:00 PM CST Where: ARC, Valparaiso TV: ESPN2 Radio: WNFL 92.1 FM 1440 AM
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Post by GBPhoenix1 on Feb 13, 2015 7:08:45 GMT -6
Valpo is a very tough place to play. A small amount of people in the building can get really loud and I would expect a large amount of people at this game so I don't think the environment will be easy.
Valpo has solid defensive stats but I don't feel like they are a great defensive team. When I have watched I have seen them play a sagging zone with Fernandez protecting the hoop compared to being a team that really applies ball pressure but doesn't get beat off the dribble. Their style seems like a good strategy to play against GB if the Phoenix are settling for jumpers. Which version of Sykes plays, the one who is playing on the 3 point line or the one who can go in strong against anyone? Can GB keep the ball moving around quickly to move the defense, be able to penetrate at least enough to dish to open guys and will our big guys operate down low against their defense?
I know Valpo fans are talking about their PG situation. I noticed in the past they have a lot of set play calls from the bench in the half court. They have one coach writing the names of plays down on a white board. I guess my comment is when you have set plays having a playmaker might not be as important as everyone on Valpo is on the same page. If Carter plays does that interrupt the good chemistry they have had recently?
Finally I don't think the pressure is on GB. One team is at home, has been waiting for a week and just picked up a big win to push Oakland out of the mix. GB on the other hand is on a short turn around, on the road and coming off of a close win to a bad team. If Valpo loses they are way behind in the standings as GB would have a tie breaker and they need to win out with 2 harder games on the road while hoping GB loses while playing at home. When GB lost to CSU they bounced back quickly at WSU on two days rest. When GB lost to Oakland they bounced back on two days at a bigger crowd for Detroit. When GB lost to Georgia State they bounced back on two days at Miami. They played like they lost at YSU so hopefully their bounce back ability on short rest in a tough game shows up again tonight! This is the type of game where the GB juniors and seniors have to show their experience.
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Post by gbbrl97 on Feb 13, 2015 7:44:36 GMT -6
If GB can pull off the upset, it will loosen up the logjam at the top even more and make the HL title run a 2-horse race with CSU coming to the Resch next Friday.
A loss won't kill them, but we will need some help from CSU as they host Valpo within the next couple weeks.
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Post by phearthephoenix on Feb 13, 2015 8:37:20 GMT -6
I agree with the pressure being on Valpo to hold serve at home. Here's what Wardle said after the game on Wednesday about tonight's game: "We have nothing to lose. We're going in there and hoopin', I love it. The pressure's been on us every game in conference. This is the first one where I feel we have no pressure. We're going in there to play and we're going to go in there and be aggressive. They have pressure. They have to win this game at home and on national television." "I'm very excited to get in there and see how our guys compete. Do we have to play better? No doubt we do. We just have play a little bit smarter at times. We'll go in there and play our hearts out on Friday night."
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Post by gbalum2007 on Feb 13, 2015 8:37:40 GMT -6
Last game they played mostly man defense to keep Fouse on Peters, and he was held to a season-low 9 points on 4/11 from the field. Green Bay got lucky in giving up only 6 points off of 14 offensive rebounds, but that may say more about Valpo's lack of a true low post threat.
I do expect the offenses to play much better than they did at the Resch. Sykes and Love were a combined 7/25. Green Bay is much better when they're sharing the ball, and 11 assists on 22 made FGs doesn't cut it.
Hopefully Sykes can emerge from this mini-slump he's been in. As much as I tend to dislike isolation sets on offense after watching Kowalczyk run them for the better part of a decade, it may be a good time to run some iso for Sykes to get him in a groove.
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Post by phearthephoenix on Feb 13, 2015 9:03:20 GMT -6
There could be some casual sports fans tuning in tonight as the sports on TV schedule is pretty light for this evening. Here's what is on tonight in the 6:00-8:00 window (according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
BASKETBALL
5 p.m. (CBSSN) — Columbia at Harvard
5 p.m.(ESPNU) — Kent State at Toledo
6 p.m.(ESPN2) — UW-Green Bay at Valparaiso
7 p.m.(ESPNU) — Cleveland State at Detroit
HOCKEY
5:30 p.m. (BTN) — College: Wisconsin at Ohio State
6:30 p.m.(NBCSN) — College: Providence at Notre Dame
7 p.m. (CBSSN) — College: St. Cloud State at Minnesota Duluth
NBA 6 p.m. (ESPN) - NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
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Post by phearthephoenix on Feb 13, 2015 12:34:45 GMT -6
Some reading while the hours tick by before tip-off, a cool feature Paul Oren of the Northwest Indiana Times has been running this week: Valparaiso/Green Bay: Defining a Rivalry Number 5Number 4Number 3Number 2
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Post by shooting the J on Feb 13, 2015 19:27:52 GMT -6
Keifer is just murdering his own team right now. Tough to watch. I feel bad for the other players.
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Post by shooting the J on Feb 13, 2015 19:41:12 GMT -6
Nix sit Sykes and go on an 8-0 run, but then they bring him back and start going backwards again.
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Post by knightlyfe920 on Feb 13, 2015 20:17:46 GMT -6
Absolutely embarrassing. Honestly I have no hope for the winning the tournament, let alone hosting it. Sykes has been garbage the second half of this season. Wardle can't find a way to beat the zone at all. I couldn't think of a better word other than pathetic, there are literally no positives to take away from this game except the gaudy block totals, which still didn't do us any good. GB was simply out coached and out played. We couldn't rebound, shoot, or have any coherent possessions on offense it seemed like. I hope we honestly don't make the NIT because that tournament itself is a slap in the face and the players don't want to be there either (see last season). It sucks because this season had so much promise and it really has been waning the last two months, it feels like the guys have no fire whatsoever. Getting embarrassed on national TV tonight won't help moving forward either. I thought that we would honestly be a better team this year with the absence of Brown, because despite his shooting and blocking he just seemed like a liability out there (I don't care if he was drafted, that proves nothing other than he is a 7'2'' three point shooting anomaly). I thought the maturation of Love, Fouse and even McKinnie would make us a deeper, more effective team, but apparently we still can't execute when it matters most. No, the season isn't over yet but judging by the way we've played on the road in conference, which we certainly will be doing in the tournament, we will suffer a similar fate and the season will end. Here's to looking forward to next year I guess, excited to see what Okafor, Pittman and Torres can bring to the team!
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Post by fightphoe93 on Feb 13, 2015 20:22:07 GMT -6
When Sykes plays that poorly, GB just isn't strong enough elsewhere to beat a strong team like Valpo on the road. That was a heck of an effort at the end of that game though.
Who knows, the Phoenix may have to come back to Valpo 1 more time. If these teams meet again, more patience on offense is essential, and Sykes will need to step it up like we know he can. Hopefully Sykes makes a full recovery from the ailments he has right now.
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Post by fightphoe93 on Feb 13, 2015 20:24:43 GMT -6
Come on Knight, Alec Brown a liability? No way!!!
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Post by knightlyfe920 on Feb 13, 2015 20:35:30 GMT -6
Come on Knight, Alec Brown a liability? No way!!! I don't know man, from what I saw, yes he would hit the three and block shots, but he turned the ball over like it was his job, he also spent half the time rolling around on the ground because he had no coordination. You would think with that height he could have been a monster rebounder and a force in the post both offensively and defensively, but he wasn't at all. To me, liability is the right word, but I would also be comfortable with the more friendly term "overrated". The past is the past however and its time to look forward to next season.
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Post by shooting the J on Feb 13, 2015 21:12:53 GMT -6
Actually, I thought there was one huge positive in this game. The team was outstanding when Sykes was out. If they sit Sykes more in this game, they win. Lots of players played well, just not enough to overcome Sykes being so brutal over so many minutes.
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Post by fansincebuss on Feb 13, 2015 21:48:52 GMT -6
Returning from Florida to Green Bay, my wife and I made it a point to take a small detour to Valpo. One thing very apparent to me how much physically stronger the Valpo players appeared. They seamed to out muscle Green Bay for every loose ball. Very physical game favored the stronger team.
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