The Game:
I guess there is a reason these games are called exhibitions, since they are not exactly perfect. Thursday night the Crusaders welcomed the visiting Augustana Vikings, a Division 3 school that is nationally ranked in the preseason polls. The game was not as close an affair as the Crusaders’ last time out against Hillsdale. The Crusaders came out playing pretty good defense, but did not come out rebounding well. Augustana pulled down a total of 16 offensive rebounds in the contest, outrebounding Valpo by a margin of 6. The Crusaders did move the ball pretty well throughout the night as they racked a total of 15 assists. In the early going, Matt Kenney showed signs of improvement from beyond the arc, hitting 2 of them. Overall the Crusaders shot 11-25 from the 3 point line, much improved from Saturday’s game against Hillsdale. At the half, Ryan Broekhoff and Kevin Van Wijk were leading the way offensively with 9 points each. So far, in these two games Broekhoff and Van Wijk appear to be to be the strongest offensive presences for the Crusaders.
In the second half, Valpo begin to take control of the game, playing consistent defense. Erik Buggs was playing his usual tight defense, and Bogan and Edwards appeared to be staying with their guys much better as well. Valpo began to pull away during a sequence in which Buggs beat his man to the basket for a layup, followed up by a steal that Broekhoff was able to clean up for a layup. On the next possession the ball was once again poked loose, leading to a Broekhoff dunk, Augustana timeout, and and excited crowd. The game continued on without Augustana getting too close. Valpo ends up winning by a respectable 74-65.
The Positives:As mentioned before, the Crusaders ball movement was pretty good, racking up 15 assists. Production from Richie Edwards was also substantially higher, shooting 4-9 from the field and scoring 14 points. He also shot 2-4 from the 3 point line. Matt Kenney played much better offensively, scoring 13 on 5-9 shooting. He went 3-6 from 3 point range, which is a good sign from him. Also, he had 4 assists. Will Bogan shot well from the 3 point line, going 3-4. For a guy labeled as a shooter, it’s good to be seeing him knock down shots. Scoring was pretty balanced overall, with Edwards being the high point man and Broekhoff once again putting in a solid effort (13 points 5 rebounds). Team shooting was a bright spot as well, shooting 42% overall and 44% from 3 point range. Team defense was pretty solid for the game, ending up with 7 steals, and forcing 22 Augustana turnovers.
Needs Improvement:Despite playing good defense, the Crusaders did not rebound as well. They were outrebounded 37-30 on the night. Turnovers were also a big story, and many of them were ugly. I recall several unforced turnovers were someone was trying to force a pass into traffic, not catching a pass, and even one teammate knocking another out of bounds after a rebound. I hate to single out a guy, but Will Bogan did poorly in this area. He shot well, but led the team with 5 turnovers and only had 2 assists. It is early on, so we can only hope it won’t be long before he gets comfortable playing with the team and doesn’t have as many unforced turnovers. The Crusaders are going to have cut out all of the unforced turnovers, and need to improve upon a 15/20 assist to turnover ratio. With the Arizona game looming on the horizon, there is still some work to do with gelling with each other. Overall, it was an enjoyable game, with the crowd never really doubting the outcome. Coach Bryce Drew gets his second win, and Valpo gets more experience before opening up the regular season at Arizona on November 7th.
"The Game", "The Positives", and "Needs Improvement" written by Valparaiso University Freshman Danny Mosco
Up Next:
The Crusaders take to the road for their season opener. The opening round of the 2k Sports Classic Benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer matchup with #16 Arizona awaits the team on November 7th. Look for our preview to come out Saturday.
