First up for GCU is Valparaiso. They’re 3-1, with wins over Toledo (3-1), SIU (1-3), and North Dakota (2-2). They lost to St Louis (3-1).

Not seeing a Vegas line for this one yet, but the ESPN predictor suggests GCU has a 57.7% probability of winning. I’m not sure how much I trust that took, but I appreciate their confidence in a 2-3 squad with a D2 loss taking out a 3-1 team with no bad losses.

In my admittedly biased opinion I think they are right of course. I hope GCU pulls out the win! They’d get the winner of Fordham and Nevada. If the Wolfpack takes care of business as predicted, then it sets up a nice rematch from last year's close game. Neither team is as strong as they were last year, so who knows.

Let’s hear everyone’s thoughts!

Below are the KenPom rankings for the eight teams in the Paradise Jam. GCU is actually rated above Valparaiso and not too far behind Nevada. While unlikely, it is possible we win two games and then have a chance of possibly playing Cincinnati on Monday.
Of course, it is also possible (and probably more likely) that we lose two games and end up playing Illinois State on Monday in the battle of the losers.

Nevada – 122
Grand Canyon – 143
Valparaiso – 190
Fordham – 198

Cincinnati – 24
Western Kentucky – 83
Bowling Green – 102
Illinois State – 205

Finally saw the Vegas line for the game... Lopes are a 1 point favorite. Sounds to me like this one is a toss up game even to the best prognosticators out there.

Found out we can see the games at FloSports. Requires a 12.50 monthly subscription that you can cancel anytime. I really don’t like paying to watch games but that price spread out over a couple or three games isn’t too awfully terrible.

My concern is the lack of depth, yet again. Playing back to back to back will strain even a deep team.

(11-22-2019 08:41 AM)Country_Wisdom_359 Wrote:  Finally saw the Vegas line for the game... Lopes are a 1 point favorite. Sounds to me like this one is a toss up game even to the best prognosticators out there.

Found out we can see the games at FloSports. Requires a 12.50 monthly subscription that you can cancel anytime. I really don’t like paying to watch games but that price spread out over a couple or three games isn’t too awfully terrible.

My concern is the lack of depth, yet again. Playing back to back to back will strain even a deep team.

Yes, our lack of depth is going to hurt us. Hopefully, we win the first game today so we do not need to play again until Sunday. That would give us the best chance of winning two of the three games. I have no confidence we would win three.

40-40 at the half. Carlos Johnson has 20 points already. Second half starting. Hoping to keep it up.

Too many turnovers. That’s the reason we will lose if we don’t fix it.

Tough loss. Carlos Johnson needs to avoiding the showboating when he does his breakaway jams. At that point in the game those two points were crucial.

(11-22-2019 02:56 PM)ProfScott Wrote:  Tough loss. Carlos Johnson needs to avoiding the showboating when he does his breakaway jams. At that point in the game those two points were crucial.

I have a lot more problems with the way Ale collapsed at the end than a missed dunk from Los.

Yeah. They played hard. I think it was a good effort. A few crucial turnovers. The refs were blowing calls against each team. Carlos has an awesome game but unfortunately that missed dunk was at the worst time and let Valpo keep the lead and go up by four.

(11-22-2019 03:02 PM)gleadley Wrote:  

(11-22-2019 02:56 PM)ProfScott Wrote:  Tough loss. Carlos Johnson needs to avoiding the showboating when he does his breakaway jams. At that point in the game those two points were crucial.

I have a lot more problems with the way Ale collapsed at the end than a missed dunk from Los.

Agreed. After that offensive foul he was out of sorts and you could tell he wasn’t able to focus and buckle down. Disappointing. But that’s the theme of his play the last two years.

(11-22-2019 03:03 PM)Country_Wisdom_359 Wrote:  Yeah. They played hard. I think it was a good effort. A few crucial turnovers. The refs were blowing calls against each time. Carlos has an awesome game but unfortunately that missed dunk was at the worst time and let Valpo keep the lead and go up by four.

Blaming refs is for losers. Both teams have to play with bad officiating. Too many turnovers. Lost focus in the stretch.

No I wasn’t trying to blame them; I see the typo. I meant to say they blew calls against each team. As in... it evened out.

Well... 4 minutes to go and we are down 10. Don’t see the Lopes pulling into the win.

Majerle opted to start the duo of Bryce and JJ over Carlos and Lorenzo today. Looks like they are getting full starter minutes too. Hopefully this is the shock that this GCU team needs.

(11-25-2019 01:38 PM)JustALopesFan Wrote:  Majerle opted to start the duo of Bryce and JJ over Carlos and Lorenzo today. Looks like they are getting full starter minutes too. Hopefully this is the shock that this GCU team needs.

And it worked. They won a few minutes ago. I was surprised to see them as bench players on the box score but it probably got the message through to the seniors who weren’t producing.