VASJ Vikings Basketball 2019-20

C'Town216

Well-known member
Although it’s only June, I thought it was appropriate to open up the thread for the upcoming 19-20 season as the new enrollment figures have been released. Here is some good news and some bad news.

The good:
VASJ remains in D-II and will very likely be placed back at Lakeside with Lake, Harvey, Perry, and Glenville.

Also Benedictine has been bumped back up to D-I for this season. Outside of the matchups during the year, the Vikings will not see Benedictine at any point in the postseason.

The bad:
Pending on what happens in the Canton District tournament D-II, it will be a pick your poison of who you want to see in the Canton Regional, last years defending regional champ Akron Buchtel will return a talented squad but standing in not only their path but also possibly the Vikings, will be the return of St.Vincent-St.Mary after a year in D-I. Unless something crazy happens, expect Buchtel or St.V in Canton.

Another will be a talented Lutheran East squad being bumped to D-II from D-III as they represented NEOH in Columbus last year. Pending on where they are placed (hopefully in Stow and not Lakeside) it is a possibility of seeing Lutheran East in Canton.

Thoughts, the postseason run will still have to run through an Akron team assuming the Vikings advance to Regionals for the 8th year in a row. I’ll post back later as the schedule is posted this fall.


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2019-20 schedule (NOT FINISHED). (via VASJ.com events calendar)
JV starts at 5:30pm unless noted
#no JV, !Triple Header, *NCL game

11/30 vs Hawken @ Cleveland Hts 7pm
12/6 @ *Gilmour Academy 7pm
12/12 vs *Benedictine 7pm
12/13 TBA 7pm
12/20 @ *Hoban 7pm
12/21 vs Cornerstone Christian 7pm
12/26 @ Neosho Holiday Classic (MO) 6pm#
12-27 @ Neosho Holiday Classic (MO) 6pm#
12/28 @ Neosho Holiday Classic (MO) 6pm#
1/10 vs *Lake Catholic 7pm
1/17 @ *Central Catholic 7pm
1/24 @ *Benedictine 7pm
1/31 vs *Hoban 7pm
2/8 vs *Warren JFK 7pm
2/14 @*Lake Catholic 7pm
2/17 @ Mentor 7:30pm
2/21 vs *Central Catholic 7pm
2/22 vs St.Edward 7:30pm
 
Here is the finished 2019-20 Basketball schedule. Shaw, Hawken, Eastlake North, Lake Catholic 2x are new additions from last seasons schedule.
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I noticed this when scrolling Facebook, the HS page posted pics during the annual rosary prayer service and noticed something missing. The center court scoreboard was taken down over the summer leaving just the two scoreboards on the wall as the center court scoreboard was installed in 2002 as a part of the gym enhancements that also saw new hideaway baskets, scores table, and chairs. In its place, the state title banners now hang over center court.
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NCL Structure for 2019-20 moves away from the 3 tier division in place from last season with Trinity and Aquinas leaving at the start of the 19-20 school year. Keep in mind this is the last season that there are two divisions in the NCL for all sports as the new structure consists of 8 round robin conference games starting in 20/21 school year.

Tier 1
VASJ Vikings
Central Catholic Ironmen
Hoban Knights
Benedictine Bengals
Lake Catholic Cougars

Tier 2
NDCL Lions
Gilmour Academy Lancers
Padua Bruins
Warren JFK Eagles
Walsh Jesuit Warriors
 
I agree with not playing SVSM. They are now back in D2 and in the same regional. I would not play Lake either - but they have to (twice).
 
I agree with not playing SVSM. They are now back in D2 and in the same regional. I would not play Lake either - but they have to (twice).
I don't agree with this logic. In my mind, play the toughest schedule possible. Not only will it better prepare them team for what's down the road, but it also is better for the fans to watch who come out to watch during the regular season. While the playoffs are great, to me, I prefer the atmosphere of playing in the smaller arenas of the high schools. Whether it is at home in front of our fans or on the road against a hostile crowd, to me it is more entertaining. To see the teams play when there is nothing more on the line than bragging rights is pretty cool, as well. Plus, some fans cannot make the trip to Canton or Columbus during the playoffs, but they would certainly enjoy the opportunity to see the Irish come up to play at VASJ.
 
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I don't agree with this logic. In my mind, play the toughest schedule possible. Not only will it better prepare them team for what's down the road, but it also is better for the fans to watch who come out to watch during the regular season. While the playoffs are great, to me, I prefer the atmosphere of playing in the smaller arenas of the high schools. Whether it is at home in front of our fans or on the road against a hostile crowd, to me it is more entertaining. To see the teams play when there is nothing more on the line than bragging rights is pretty cool, as well. Plus, some fans cannot make the trip to Canton or Columbus during the playoffs, but they would certainly enjoy the opportunity to see the Irish come up to play at VASJ.

100% seeing VASJ and St.V play has always been a marquee matchup in the area regardless as both teams usually reload real fast. Play the toughest opponents, you don’t have to lose up on cupcakes because everyone makes the playoffs in basketball unlike football. That simple. Give the fans what they want. It was a head scratcher when Iggy was taken off the schedule the past few seasons up until this year.
 
Also via VASJ basketball’s twitter, the patched up uniforms are no more. Here are the new uniforms as Columbia blue returns as the main away jersey. So much better instead of the random red patch on the home jerseys and the god awful black away jerseys.
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Kudos to Athletic Director Elvis Grbac for coming in there and cleaning up that mess with the patches on the jerseys. I was told that Elvis has made a connection with Under Armour because of his NFL contacts and his time with the Baltimore Ravens. That is why they got the new uniforms this year. Now those old timers from Benedictine will have nothing to poke fun of this year and we can all get back to focusing on basketball.
 
New uniforms are sweet. The uniforms last year would have been sweet as well had the administration approved them. I dont think anybody liked the whole situation last year in regards to the uniforms. Excited to see the hoops season start.
 
New uniforms are sweet. The uniforms last year would have been sweet as well had the administration approved them. I dont think anybody liked the whole situation last year in regards to the uniforms. Excited to see the hoops season start.
That’s not entirely true. Mugnmaul thought the uniforms were just fine and there were not patches on them. I recall him being defiant, especially when those couple of Benedictine guys used it as an insult to start the feud on the court last year.
 
Heard there is a big freshman and Dean grew a bit - that being said expect a very quick guard orientated team this year.
 
Heard there is a big freshman and Dean grew a bit - that being said expect a very quick guard orientated team this year.
That is my worry going into the postseason having a lack of size down low when going up against a team like St.V or Buchtel if we are fortunate to return to Canton this season. Hopefully Hameed and Waag have progressed over the offseason as a pair of key playmakers. I’m curious about this freshman, any idea how tall the kid is and any comparison to any Vikings from the past
 
Is the big freshman the kid from down the street at St. Jerome’s? Merle has a couple of duplexes over off of 141st and Lakeshore and he told me that this kid was the best player from the area in quite some time. Mazel tov to Coach Babe for keeping the neighborhood kids in the neighborhood.
 
Not a lot of activity on here so I'm not sure what posts were deleted but I did not see them. I'm looking forward to some lively discussion as the season nears tip off.
 
If my nephew Sid comes by the house this week I will have him show me how to get onto the twitter machine and take look. I only do the internet.
 
I did the Twitter last night and I must say that I haven't had a belly laugh like that in quite some time. Those are some tall tales that are told in those twitters. Also, who in there right mind has the time to put those twitters together.
 
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I did the Twitter last night and I must say that I haven't had a belly laugh like that in quite some time. Those are some tall tales that are told in those twitters. Also, who in there right mind has the time to put those twitters together.
I know right!! Huge time commitment.
 
The question that you need to ask is, Will Brush be District semi-final champions this season?
Thanks for the feedback. I don't want to hijack this thread so if you'd like me to respond please pose that question on the Bush Arcs thread or even the threads about Coach Mason representing our country with USA basketball or the one about Coach Mason changing John Hughley's life. Thank you.
 
Ah yes. Deleting my threads and comments again. LOL the Babe mafia. By the way his brother TJ is a million times better coach than Babe.
 
The program is in good hands. Babe had done an outstanding job. As for TJ being better - not even close. He had is shot a few times to go head to head with Babe - did not fair very well. He was going to build Euclid into a powerhouse - remember. He came and went and Babe is still winning at Joe's. Haters like you will hate.
 
Come on guys, let’s keep it civil. Everyone on here can agree that Coach Babe is a relentless liar but what we should all focus on is the kids. It’s one thing if you lie to adults non-stop but no one can prove that he is lying to the kids. I’m sure the kids simply acknowledge his character flaw and move on. Shoot, the administration has on repeated occasions so why shouldn’t the kids do the same thing. Like Coach Babe always says, the program is about more than winning.
 
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