Next Up in Valpo Basketball: After spending the bulk of this past week on the road with away games at Ohio State and Western Michigan, the Valparaiso University men's basketball team will return home for a pre-Christmas matinee against Calumet College of St. Joseph on Sunday at the Athletics-Recreation Center. The nonconference finale will also represent Christmas at the ARC, featuring free photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, mystery Christmas presents and more.
 
Last Time Out: Valpo trailed 69-47 with 6:51 remaining, and miraculously rallied over the final seven minutes to beat Western Michigan 76-73 on Friday afternoon in Kalamazoo. Incredibly, Valpo outscored Western Michigan 29-4, 24-2 and 11-0 down the stretch, leading to a Justus McNair buzzer-beater from nearly halfcourt to snap a 73-all tie with all zeros on the clock. Valpo's first lead of the game came as the final horn sounded. Cooper Schwieger at one point scored 14 straight Valpo points and finished with a team-high 19, 17 of which came after halftime.
 
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brian Jennings (analyst) 
Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Leo Staudacher
X updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
 
Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (13-30) is in his second season as the head coach of the Valpo men's basketball program. After helping guide Gonzaga to a 121-13 record during his four seasons as an assistant coach, Powell returned to Valpo, where he was part of head coach Bryce Drew's staff from 2011-2016 and led the team to 124 wins in five seasons, including a program-record 30 victories and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title game appearance in 2015-16. He was part of head coach Mark Few's Gonzaga staff as the Bulldogs reached the 2021 national championship game after winning their first 31 games of the season. During Powell's first season on staff in 2019-20, Gonzaga was 31-2 at the time the NCAA college basketball season was halted due to COVID-19. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of his final three seasons on staff, including two Elite Eight appearances and the aforementioned trip to the 2021 national title game. Prior to his arrival at Gonzaga, Powell served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt University under Bryce Drew from 2016-2019. During his stint as an assistant at Valpo, he was part of four Horizon League regular-season championships in a five-year period while also leading the 2012-13 and 2014-15 squads to Horizon League tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. A product of Joliet West High School and a native of Joliet, Ill., Powell capped a prolific collegiate playing career at Illinois with a national title game appearance in 2005 before going on to a successful professional playing career.
 
Series Notes: This will mark the second matchup between these two teams and first since an 84-65 victory for head coach Homer Drew's team to open the season on Nov. 11, 2006.
 
Poetic Justus – Buzzer-Beating Beacons

• The Valpo basketball program has a long and storied tradition of last-second shots, the latest of which came from Justus McNair from nearly halfcourt to seal a 76-73 victory over Western Michigan on Dec. 20.
• McNair's game-winner was Valpo's first in the final five seconds since Nick Edwards drove to the basket for the game-winning layup in the closing seconds of an 81-79, overtime victory over James Madison on Nov. 17, 2022 in Savannah, Ga.
• This marked the program's 23^rd game-winner in the final five seconds since the start of the 1992-93 season. A full list can be found below.
• Although Edwards, Eron Gordon (2020 MVC Tournament vs. Loyola) and Javon Freeman-Liberty (2019 vs. Toledo) had game-winning shots in the closing seconds, there was time left on the clock in those instances. This marked Valpo's first true buzzer-beater since Markus Golder hit from 50 feet on Jan. 2, 2019 vs. Illinois State, capping a comeback from down 10 over the final two minutes.
• In the last 30 years of Valpo basketball, there have been eight true buzzer-beaters – Jamie Sykes, Bryce Drew (twice), Greg Tonagel, Erik Buggs, Ryan Broekhoff, Markus Golder and now Justus McNair.

Valpo Basketball Game-Winning Shots in Final Five Seconds
Date                Player                          Opponent        Score
12/20/24          Justus McNair*           at WMU          W 76-73
11/27/22          Nick Edwards             v. James Mad. W 81-79(ot)
3/6/20              Eron Gordon               v. Loyola         W 73-73(ot)
11/5/19            Javon Freeman-Liberty Toledo          W 79-77
1/2/19              Markus Golder*          Illinois State    W 58-56
2/28/16            Shane Hammink         at Green Bay   W 70-68
3/9/13              Ryan Broekhoff*        Green Bay       W 70-69
11/20/12          Kevin Van Wijk         at Kent State   W 88-83(ot)
1/6/12              Erik Buggs*                at Detroit         W 73-71
12/31/09          Brandon McPherson   Milwaukee      W 55-54
3/1/08              Shawn Huff                 Wright St        W 75-73(ot)
2/1/07              Shawn Huff                 Oral Roberts   W 70-67(ot)
1/24/02            Lubos Barton              at IUPUI          W 74-73(ot)
2/12/00            Ivan Vujic                   Oral Roberts   W 60-59
1/11/99            Greg Tonagel*            Belmont          W 71-68
12/5/98            Lubos Barton              UMKC             W 66-63
3/13/98            Bryce Drew*               v. Ole Miss      W 70-69
11/17/98          Bryce Drew*               Buffalo            W 82-80
1/4/98              Bill Jenkins                 Northeastern Ill. W 72-69
11/30/97          Jamie Sykes*              v. Pacific         W 75-73
1/11/97            Bob Jenkins                at Northeastern Ill. W 82-80
11/13/96          Craig Brunes               at CCSU          W 79-76
3/1/93              Lance Barker              at Western Ill. W 104-100(ot)
*-true buzzer-beater (no time on clock)
 
Craziness in Kalamazoo

• The 22-point comeback to beat Western Michigan 76-73 after trailing 69-47 with 6:51 on the clock on Dec. 20 represented Valpo's biggest comeback since also rallying from 22 down on Jan. 17, 2013 at Detroit Mercy, an 89-88 win. In that one, the Titans' largest lead came with 17 minutes remaining, compared to just seven minutes remaining with Valpo facing a 22-point deficit against the Broncos.
• The 22-point rally tied for Valpo's largest comeback on record.
• According to NCAA Director of Media Coordination/Statistics David Worlock, Valpo pulled off the second-latest comeback in NCAA Division-I history when trailing by 22 points or more behind Milwaukee coming from 24 back with 6:26 left in March 2021 to beat Wright State in overtime. Valpo set the NCAA Division-I record for the latest comeback from 22 or more down to win in regulation. Valpo assistant coach Pat Baldwin was on the bench for both of the latest comebacks of 22 or more in NCAA history, as he was the head coach at Milwaukee for the aforementioned rally against Wright State.
• The surge tied for the third largest nationally this season behind only Arkansas State (27 vs. UAB) and Cal Poly (23 vs. Denver) and even with Radford (22 vs. Evansville). Valpo joined Radford as the only teams nationally this season to come from 22 or more down and win in regulation.
• The 22-point comeback also tied for the fifth largest in Missouri Valley Conference history and was the second largest by a Valley team since 2005. See below for more details.
• According to ESPN, Valpo had a win probability of 0.1 percent with under seven minutes remaining. KenPom was a bit more optimistic, giving the Beacons a 0.3 percent chance to win. This tied for the lowest win probability in a victory nationally this season according to KenPom, joining North Dakota State vs. Santa Clara and UTSA vs. Merrimack.
• Prior to the comeback for the ages against the Broncos, Valpo last erased a double-figure deficit to win on Jan. 20, 2024 vs. UIC (12). The team had not come from more than 15 down to win since March 6, 2020 in the MVC semifinal vs. Loyola (18).

Biggest Comebacks in Missouri Valley Conference History
Date                Team                           Opponent                    Largest Deficit             Final
1/27/77            New Mexico State      Bradley                       28                                117-109
3/6/05              Missouri State             SIU                              23                                65-61
1/27/01            Evansville                   Bradley                       23                                70-67(ot)
1/17/24            Bradley                       SIU                              23                                70-69
11/25/07          Missouri State             Winthrop                     22                                73-69
12/20/24          Valparaiso                   Western Michigan      22                                76-73
Going Viral

• Valpo men's basketball made SportsCenter's Top 10 plays for the second time this season on Dec. 20 when Justus McNair hit a buzzer-beater from nearly half court to lift the Beacons over Western Michigan 76-73. The play was featured at No. 1 on SportsCenter's Top 10 that evening.
• McNair's play and the 22-point comeback also received significant social-media buzz, as the play was featured prominently on the homepage of ESPN.com and was posted by the following social media accounts - @espn, @MarchMadnessMBB, @TheFieldof68, @mid_madness and more.
• The story was featured on Yahoo Sports, MSN, the Washington Post, TSN and more. Of course, we can't forget "The Victory Bell," which wrote about it here and here.
• The finish was highlighted prominently on the Friday night SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt that followed the highly-watched Notre Dame vs. Indiana College Football Playoff game. It was the first segment not related to Notre Dame vs. Indiana and was SVP's "Best Thing I Saw Today." The story was once again featured on the next edition of SportsCenter, SC Los Angeles, and finished that edition with the top play honors.
• The play was also all over Chicago newscasts, including GNSports on WGN-TV, the Friday night NBC 5 Chicago news and the Saturday morning NBC 5 Chicago news, hosted by former Valpo football and track & field student-athlete Patrick Fazio.

• That marked the second time this season that Valpo men's basketball has been featured on SportsCenter. Devon Ellis threw down a poster dunk with 6:33 left in the first half on Nov. 30 vs. Northern Illinois, a play that was featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 that evening as the No. 1 play of the day on the popular ESPN countdown.

• McNair's heroic shot marked the sixth time in the last five years that Valpo men's basketball has been featured on SportsCenter Top 10. Furthermore, Valpo Athletics has produced six #SCTop10 plays in the calendar year of 2024. See below for the full list.
• Valpo has been featured on #SCTop10 16 times spanning six sports since joining the Missouri Valley Conference in 2017.

Player             Sport               Date                Opponent/Details
Leah Earnest   WBB               2/4                   buzzer-beater at UIC
Alex Ryan       Baseball          4/28                 robbed grand slam at UIC
Caron Tyler    Football           9/7                   leaping TD at YSU
Gary Givens III Football        11/23               game-winning TD catch at 0:00 vs. Davidson
Devon Ellis     MBB               11/30               poster dunk vs. NIU
Justus McNair MBB               12/20               buzzer-beater at Western Michigan
 
Reunion Week Continues

• Each of Valpo's three games this week has featured at least one member of one team who was previously affiliated with the opposing team.
• First, Valpo took on Ohio State and head coach Jake Diebler, a Valpo alum and former Valpo player and assistant coach. Diebler and Valpo head coach Roger Powell Jr. coached together as assistants under Bryce Drew at both Valpo and Vanderbilt. In addition, Ohio State assistant coach Luke Simons is a former Valpo staff member.
• Then, Valpo junior guard Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro played against his former team on Friday as De La Cruz Monegro spent two seasons at Western Michigan, playing in 63 games and making 61 starts before arriving at Valpo this year.
• Now, there are multiple reunion storylines for Sunday as Valpo and Calumet College of St. Joseph clash. CCSJ head coach Jason Hawkins graduated from Valpo with a degree in history in 2003, played for the Brown & Gold from 2000-2003 and later spent time as a Valpo assistant coach.
• This marks the seventh straight year Valpo has played a team coached by Jason Hawkins, as he served as the head coach at Trinity Christian for each of the last six seasons and Valpo faced the Trolls in each of those seasons.
• In addition to Hawkins making a return trip to the ARC, CCSJ starting guard Zion Morgan played at Valpo in 2020-21 and 2021-22, seeing action in 42 games over the two seasons. Morgan, who graduated from high school in 2016, also spent time at UNLV at Wabash Valley College before arriving at Valpo. Entering Saturday, Morgan has started all 10 games and is averaging 10.4 points per game.

Scouting the Crimson Wave

• Located in nearby Whiting, Ind., CCSJ beat Grace Christian 83-75 on Tuesday in its most recent game prior to Saturday at Holy Cross.
• The Crimson Wave have played two other Division-I opponents this season, falling 87-57 at Loyola Chicago and – strangely enough – by the same score of 87-57 at Eastern Illinois.
• Entering Saturday, the Crimson Wave are led in scoring by Colby Wiggins at 16.6 points per game.
• Last season, CCSJ went 10-17 overall and 8-12 in the CCAC.

Not The Season of Giving

• With the holiday season underway, Valpo has said "bah humbug" in the best way possible, limiting the giveaways to 10 or fewer in eight of the team's 11 games including six of the last seven. 
• Valpo turned it over just eight times in the Dec. 20 victory over Western Michigan.
• Valpo is averaging just 9.8 turnovers per game, the fewest in the MVC and 22^nd fewest nationally. 
• After losing the turnover battle in the season opener against Liberty, Valpo has won or tied the turnover battle in 10 straight games.
• The Beacons committed just four turnovers on Nov. 27 vs. Northern Illinois, the team's fewest in a game since Nov. 28, 2014 (four in a 66-46 victory over Drake)

Freebie Frenzy

• Entering Dec. 22 vs. CCSJ, Valpo is shooting 81.4 percent at the free-throw line this season, ranked seventh nationally and first in the Missouri Valley Conference. Valpo had a rare tough day at the line at Western Michigan on Dec. 20, going 13-of-19 (68.4 percent)
• On Dec. 17 at Ohio State, both teams were stellar at the free-throw line, as Valpo went 20-of-23 (87 percent) and Ohio State went 23-of-27 (85.2 percent).
• This was only the seventh game nationally in the NCAA this season where each team shot better than 85 percent from the free-throw line with a minimum of 20 attempts. This was the first such Valpo game since Nov. 29, 2013.
• The game against Ohio State marked Valpo's second straight shooting at least 87 percent at the stripe.
• Valpo shot 79 percent or better at the free-throw line in the first six games this year and eight out of 11 games overall.
• Valpo has posted a better free-throw percentage than its opponent in 10 out of 11 games this season. 
• Valpo put together yet another stellar showing at the stripe on Dec. 14 vs. Central Michigan, going 28-of-31 (90.3 percent). That marked the first time Valpo shot 90 percent at the charity stripe with a minimum of 30 attempts since Nov. 29, 2013 vs. Mercer (29-32, 90.6 percent).
• Valpo went 23-of-25 at the free-throw line on Nov. 24 vs. Eastern Illinois for a season-best 92 percent at the stripe, then made a season-high 35 free throws on 44 attempts on Nov. 27 vs. Northern Illinois, hitting at a 79.5 percent clip.
• There is a lot of season left to be played, but for reference, the modern program record for team single-season free-throw percentage is 77.5 percent in 2016-17 followed by 77.4 percent in 1992-93.
• Tyler Schmidt made his first 20 free throws of the season before finally missing with 19 seconds left in the first half on Nov. 27 vs. Northern Illinois. His free-throw percentage of 91.2 ranks 34^th nationally. 
• Valpo's 35 made free throws on Nov. 27 vs. Northern Illinois were the team's most in a game since going 36-of-44 on Jan. 15, 2014 at Detroit Mercy. The 44 free-throw attempts were the team's most since Jan. 10, 2017 vs. North Park (46).
• The Beacons and Huskies combined for 57 made free throws and 74 free-throw attempts. This was the first Valpo game where both teams had at least 30 free-throw attempts since Jan. 3, 2018 at Bradley.

50/50/90 Club

• Redshirt senior Tyler Schmidt is shooting 56.6 percent from the field (43-76), 51.7 percent from 3 (15-29) and 91.2 percent from the free-throw line (31-34).
• Schmidt is one of two players nationally (minimum 10 3-point attempts, minimum 20 free-throw attempts) shooting 50 percent from the floor, 50 percent from 3 and 90 percent from the free-throw line.
• He joins Chance McMillan (Texas Tech) as the only players in that elite club.

Notes Wrapping Up Dec. 20: Valpo 76, Western Michigan 73

• Sophomore Cooper Schweiger finished with a game-high 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting despite going 1-of-2 for two points in the opening half. He scored 19 points or more for the third time this season and had 16 or more for the second straight outing.
• Schwieger also pulled down six rebounds, his eighth time in 11 games with six boards or more.
• Schwieger led four Beacons in double figures, including hero Justus McNair, whose game-winner gave him 13 points, his second-highest output of the season and his third double-figure scoring output as a rookie. McNair shot 5-of-7 from the field and drained a pair of 3s while also squeezing a season-high four rebounds.
• Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro, who was playing against his former team after appearing in 63 games and making 61 starts over the last two years at Western Michigan, continued his consistent play with 13 points. He has tallied at least nine points in all 11 games this season including three straight with 13 or more. He grabbed a season-high four rebounds on Friday.
• Freshman All Wright finished with 10 points, his third straight double-figure scoring output and sixth of the season.
• Fifth-year senior Tyler Schmidt battled through a blow to the face that caused a dental injury, limiting him to 28 minutes as he missed part of the first half. He still scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting.

More Than Just Alright

• The play of freshman All Wright has been more than alright of late, as the rookie guard recently poured in 20 points or more in back-to-back games, including 22 on Dec. 17 at Ohio State.
• Wright went 8-of-15 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line against the Buckeyes.
• Wright did the bulk of his damage over the final 20 minutes, scoring 20 of his 22 points after halftime.
• The Durango, Mexico native poured in a personal-best 26 points to help Valpo beat Central Michigan 93-77 on Dec. 14. His point total doubled his previous career high of 13 that occurred on Nov. 27 vs. Northern Illinois.
• Wright went 8-for-8 at the free-throw line while draining four 3s against the Chippewas.
• Over the last 16 seasons, Wright became just the fourth different Valpo freshman to score at least 26 points in a game, joining Cooper Schwieger (twice), Javon Freeman-Liberty, Alec Peters (three times) and Matt Kenney. Freeman-Liberty and Peters both went on to play in the NBA, while Schwieger and Wright are on Valpo's current roster.
• Wright's 26 points were the most scored by a Missouri Valley Conference freshman in a game this season. The last freshman on any Valley team to score at least 26 points in a game was Cooper Schwieger on March 3, 2024 vs. Illinois State (28).
• Wright's performance was just the 13^th time nationally that a freshman scored at least 26 points in a game this season and he became just the 10^th different freshman in the nation with a 26-point performance this year.
• The only mid-major rookies in the country who have scored 26 points or more in a game in 2024-25 are Wright and San Francisco's Tyrone Riley IV (twice).
• Wright, who was born in Durango, Mexico before moving to Carthage, Mo. at age 2, is the son of Joe Wright, who played at Kansas State from 1984-1986. His legal name is Andre All Wright Vargas but he goes by All Wright. His brother Always Wright is a member of the University of Rhode Island men's basketball program.

Rookie Rewards

• Wright was named the MVC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season on Dec. 16 following his 26-point effort vs. Central Michigan. That marked the second time he has earned that honor this season, the third time a Valpo player has won that award in 2024-25 and the ninth time that the program has boasted an MVC Freshman of the Week since head coach Roger Powell Jr. arrived at Valpo prior to the 2023-24 campaign.
• Justus McNair was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week on Nov. 26 after averaging 9.5 points per game, going 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) from the field and going 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) from 3 as Valpo went 2-0 against Lindenwood (Nov. 21) and Eastern Illinois (Nov. 24).
• His biggest showing came in the Nov. 24 game against the Panthers, as he poured in 16 points and made four 3s to help Valpo to a 28-point win.
• The following week, Wright was named the MVC Freshman of the Week on Dec. 2 after tallying in double figures in both contests that week with 13 in a win over Northern Illinois and 10 at DePaul.

Notes Wrapping Up Dec. 17: Ohio State 95, Valpo 73

• Ohio State's Devin Royal was the key player in the game, finishing with career highs in both points (31) and rebounds (15). He had the highest scoring output by a Valpo opponent since Tucker DeVries on Feb. 4, 2023 (32 in 2OT) and the highest by a Valpo opponent in a regulation game since Isiaih Mosley of Missouri State had 32 on Jan. 15, 2022.
• In addition to the aforementioned 22 points from All Wright, Valpo received 16 apiece from Cooper Schwieger and Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro. Schwieger has scored 16 or more in four of his last seven and went 5-of-9 from the floor, 4-of-4 from the line and 2-of-3 from 3 on Tuesday. The Valpo sophomore squeezed a team-high eight rebounds including five on the offensive glass.
• De La Cruz Monegro has scored at least nine points in all 10 games this season including a season-best 16 in each of his last two outings. He was a combined 15-for-15 at the free-throw line in those two games against Central Michigan and Ohio State including 7-for-7 against the Buckeyes.
• Devon Ellis had his highest scoring output in the last four games, going 3-of-5 from the floor and turning in eight points.
• While both teams shot it well from the charity stripe, neither side had good success from 3, where Valpo was 5-of-24 (20.8 percent) and Ohio State was 6-of-19 (31.6 percent). Three of Valpo's five 3s came in the first five minutes of the game.

The 300 Club

• Senior point guard Darius DeAveiro became the 15^th player in program history to reach the 300-assist threshold, doing so on Nov. 21 vs. Lindenwood. The milestone came with 9:48 left in the first half on a basket by Cooper Schwieger.
• He became the first Valpo player to surpass 300 assists since Keith Carter in 2016. DeAveiro, who had a season-best nine helpers in the win over the Lions, had five at DePaul on Nov. 30 and is up to 322 for his career, 12^th in program history, entering Sunday vs. CCSJ. He climbed over Tracy Gipson (1989-93, 316) and Brandon McPherson (2005-10, 316) on the all-time list during the game against the Blue Demons.
• The Canada native finished last season second in the MVC and 30th nationally with 170 assists and ranked second in the MVC and 36th nationally in assists per game at 5.3.
• In addition, the point guard scored in double figures 12 times after not having done so at all over his first two collegiate campaigns. His scoring numbers took a significant junior jump, as outlined below.
• DeAveiro is coming off a junior season where he dished out 170 assists, the third-most in a single season in program history behind only John McIlvain (197, 1982-83) and Ali Berdiel (185, 2003-04).  

Valpo Career Assists – No. 10-15
Rank    Player                          Years               Assists
10        Matt Kenney               2009-13           330
11        Rob Cavanaugh          1990-94           329
12        Darius DeAveiro         2021-pres.       322
13        Tracy Gipson              1989-93           316
            Brandon McPherson   2005-10           316
15        Keith Carter                2013-16           301
 
DeAveiro's Junior Jump
2022-23           2023-24           Increase
Overall PPG                1.8                   7.9                   6.1
MVC PPG                   1.4                   9.3                   7.9
 
Hall Call

• Legendary Valpo player and coach Bryce Drew will be inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame on March 19, 2025, as announced by the group's Board of Directors on Nov. 26.
• Drew scored a then-record 2,142 career points (currently still second in program history), averaging 17.2 points per game while also pulling down 380 rebounds and handing out 626 assists in keying the team to an 88-36 record.
• Drew, currently the head coach at GCU, went 124-49 in five seasons as Valpo head coach. His nephew, Isaiah Shaw, is a member of this year's Valpo team.

Schwieger Back for More

• After being named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, Cooper Schwieger is back in a Valpo uniform for his sophomore campaign.
• Schwieger has hauled in several preseason accolades, being named to the Preseason All-MVC First Team and the Blue Ribbon Magazine Preseason All-MVC First Team.
• Schwieger was tabbed to the 2023-24 Kyle Macy Freshman All-America Team and a finalist for the Kyle Macy Freshman of the Year Award by CollegeInsider.com last season.
• By earning the MVC Freshman of the Year Award, he became just the fourth Valpo rookie to win a league Newcomer/Freshman of the Year distinction, joining Lubos Barton (1998-99), Bryce Drew (1994-95) and Lance Barker (1991-92). He was the first to do so in a quarter of a century and the last two are members of the Valpo Athletics Hall of Fame.
• Schwieger was just the fourth MVC freshman since 1992-93 to average at least 13.0 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game, joining three other Freshmen of the Year – Southern Illinois' Marcus Domask (2019-20), Creighton's Doug McDermott (2010-11) and Tulsa's Shea Seals (1993-94).
• Also a member of the MVC All-Freshman Team, Schwieger led all MVC rookies in the following categories – overall points per game (13.2), overall rebounds per game (5.4), MVC-only points per game (14.6) and MVC-only rebounds per game (5.7). He also had 11 steals, 28 blocks and 31 assists while shooting 50.2 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from 3 and 78.9 percent from the free-throw line. In league play, he shot 51.9 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from 3 and 82.2 percent from the free-throw line.
• Schwieger finished the season as the only freshman in the nation averaging double figures in scoring and shooting 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line in league play.
• He was one of only six players in the MVC to average double figures in scoring and shoot at least 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the line in league play, joining Robbie Avila (All-MVC First Team), Malevy Leons (All-MVC First Team), Cade Tyson (All-MVC Second Team), Jayson Kent (All-MVC Second Team) and Ja'Kobi Gillespie (All-MVC Second Team).
• The freshman sensation finished the season with 409 points, tied with Belmont's Cade Tyson's 2022-23 season for the 23rd most points by a freshman in the long and proud history of the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Schwieger was one of nine freshmen nationally to average 13.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg. He became just the third Valpo freshman to average over 13.0 points per game since 1992-93, joining Lubos Barton (13.8, 1998-99) and Bryce Drew (13.4 ppg, 1994-95), both Valpo Athletics Hall of Famers.
• Schwieger became the third Valpo freshman since 1992-93 to average over 5.0 rebounds per game, joining Raitis Grafs (1999-00, 5.8) and Lubos Barton (1998-99, 5.6), both Valpo Athletics Hall of Famers.
• He was named the MVC Freshman of the Week a league-high five times – Nov. 27, Jan. 15, Jan. 24, Feb. 12 and March 4.
• Schwieger scored in double figures 20 times and had six games with 20+ points including a season-high 28 points in a March 3 win over Illinois State, the highest scoring output by a Valpo freshman since Alec Peters in March 2014. He had back-to-back double-doubles on Jan. 14 at Illinois State and Jan. 17 at Evansville including a season-high 13 boards in the Jan. 14 win in Bloomington-Normal.
• The rookie ranked 19th in the MVC in scoring average at 13.2 ppg, 20th in rebounding at 5.4 rpg, ninth in field-goal percentage at 50.2, ninth in blocked shots per game at 0.9 and 10th in offensive rebounds per game at 1.94. In league-only play, he ranked 14th in scoring average at 14.6, 19th in rebounding average at 5.74, seventh in field-goal percentage at 51.9, tied for 14th in blocks per game at 0.74 and tied for ninth in offensive rebounds per game at 2.0.

MVC Freshmen, 13 ppg & 5 rpg (since 1992-93)
Player, Team                           Year                PPG     RPG                MVC Freshman OTY?
Cooper Schwieger, Valpo       2023-24           13.2     5.4                   Yes
Marcus Domask, SIU             2019-20           13.6     5.2                   Yes
Doug McDermott, Creighton 2010-11           14.9     7.2                   Yes
Shea Seals, Tulsa                    1993-94           16.8     6.5                   Yes
 
Freshmen Nationally Averaging 13 ppg & 5 rpg in 2023-24
Player                          Team                           PPG     RPG
Cooper Schwieger      Valpo                          13.2     5.4
PJ Haggerty                Tulsa                           21.2     5.5
Jocob Meyer               Coastal Carolina         15.7     5.1
Carlton Carrington      Pittsburgh                    13.8     5.2
Darren Buchanan        George Washington    15.6     6.6
Tyler Perkins              Pennsylvania               13.7     5.3
Vasean Allette            Old Dominion             17.4     5.7
Garrett Johnson           George Washington    13.4     5.6
 
Valpo Freshmen to Win League Freshman/Newcomer of the Year
Name                          Year                Award
Cooper Schwieger      2023-24           MVC Freshman OTY
Lubos Barton*            1998-99           Mid-Con Newcomer OTY
Bryce Drew*               1994-95           Mid-Con Newcomer OTY
Lance Barker              1991-92           Mid-Con Newcomer OTY
*indicates Valpo Athletics Hall of Famer
 
Stafford Sidelined

• Senior guard Isaiah Stafford returned to the program this season after leading the team in scoring and ranking seventh in the MVC at 16.9 points per game a year ago.
• Stafford is sidelined with an injury for at least the start of the 2024-25 season. It is unknown whether or not he will return by season's end.
• In MVC-only action, Stafford ranked fourth in the league in points per game at 17.6, fifth in steals per game at 1.5 and 11th in made 3s with 37.
• Stafford was one of three players in the MVC with at least three 30-point games, joining Southern Illinois' Xavier Johnson and Drake's Tucker DeVries, the third-place finisher and winner in the Larry Bird Player of the Year Trophy balloting.
• He had 12 games last season with 20 points or more, and was one of six players in the MVC with a dozen or more 20-point games, joining three All-MVC First Team selections (Drake's Tucker DeVries, Southern Illinois' Xavier Johnson and Indiana State's Robbie Avila), an All-MVC Second Team pick (Indiana State's Ryan Conwell) and one All-MVC Third Team pick (Belmont's Malik Dia).

Number of 20-Point Games by MVC Players in 2023-24
Rank    Player                          School             Number of 20-Point Games
1          Tucker DeVries          Drake              19
2          Xavier Johnson           SIU                  18
3          Robbie Avila               Indiana St        14
T-4      Isaiah Stafford            Valpo              12
T-4      Malik Dia                    Belmont          12
T-4      Ryan Conwell             Indiana State   12       
 
Family Legacy

• Redshirt sophomore guard Isaiah Shaw is the grandson of legendary Valpo head coach Homer Drew and the nephew of former Valpo head coaches Scott Drew (now at Baylor) and Bryce Drew (now at GCU).
• Shaw is the son of Dana Drew Shaw and Casey Shaw. His father Casey was drafted 37th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1998 NBA Draft out of the University of Toledo. After one season in the NBA, he spent the majority of his career in Italy, leading the league in rebounding in 2005. He also played in Poland, Spain and Latvia.
• His mother Dana, a 1990 Valparaiso High School graduate, is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and was an Indiana All-Star and first-team all-state selection before scoring in double figures in every game she played at Toledo, where she finished with a school-record 1,919 career points in addition to a school-record 659 assists. Dana was a two-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and a three-time MAC Tournament MVP. The two-time Academic All-American was inducted into the Toledo Hall of Fame in 2001.
• Isaiah is the second oldest of four siblings. His older sister Anna never got into sports and is in the movie-making industry. She directs and choreographs films, making Christian and family-friendly movies. His youngest brother Luke finished his senior year of high school in Arizona in 2023-24 and set a school record for career points while leading his team to three state championships and earning league MVP honors. He is taking a postgrad year at Athletes in Action Prep in Lebanon, Ohio in 2024-25. His second-youngest sibling is Caleb, who redshirted at Grand Canyon in 2023-24 after transferring from Northern Colorado.
• Isaiah was born in Rome, Italy while his father was playing professionally. Casey's professional season would run from September to April or May, and Isaiah went to Italian school through second grade. The family had a summer home in Valpo and spent the summer months with Bryce and the Valpo coaching staff.
• When Isaiah was about 10 years old, Casey retired from playing and began working for a financial planning company in Chicago. The family lived in Valpo for a year and a half, then in Chicago for another three years.
• The next stop for the Shaw family was Nashville, Tenn. as Bryce departed Valpo to become the head coach at Vanderbilt. Casey joined Bryce's staff at Vanderbilt, and current Valpo head coach Roger Powell Jr. went with Bryce from Valpo to Vandy.
• Isaiah began his collegiate career playing for his uncle and father at GCU from 2021-2024 before transferring to Valpo prior to the 2024-25 campaign.
• With Bryce's permission, Isaiah is wearing jersey No. 24, a number that is retired by the program and was worn by Bryce during his legendary Valpo career including his famous buzzer-beating shot against Ole Miss in the 1998 NCAA Tournament.

Inside the Roster

• The 2024-25 roster features five returning letterwinners (Darius DeAveiro, Cooper Schwieger, Kaspar Sepp, Isaiah Stafford and walk-on Joe Vick), one returning player who redshirted last season (Lucas Scroggins), six transfers (Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro, Devon Ellis, Carson Schwieger, Tyler Schmidt, Isaiah Shaw and Louth-M Coulibaly) and five true freshmen (Justus McNair, All Wright, Jayden Watson, walk-on Ramzi Salem and walk-on Nick Lombardi).
• The Beacons boast three returning starters from a year ago.
• This year's roster features players from four different countries – Mexico, Canada, Estonia and the United States. In addition, six states are represented – Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Arizona, Virginia and Missouri. The Beacons have a heavy Midwest presence including a team-high five players hailing from the state of Illinois.
• The roster is comprised of seven freshmen (two redshirt), three sophomores (one redshirt), four juniors (one redshirt) and three seniors (one fifth-year).

Newcomer Notes

• Freshman guard Justus McNair averaged 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game as a senior at Joliet West High School in 2023-24, when he was Class 4A Honorable Mention All-State and named Herald-News Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
• Junior guard Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro is a transfer from Western Michigan, where he played in 63 games and made 61 starts over the last two seasons. He averaged 8.8 points, 3.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game in 2023-24 for the Broncos.
• Freshman guard All Wright played his first three high school seasons at Joplin High School in Missouri before transferring to Link Year for his senior season, where he averaged 15.0 points and 7.0 assists per contest.
• Junior forward Devon Ellis played in 25 games and made 23 starts for Maryland Eastern Shore of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2023-24 after starting his collegiate career with a junior college season at State Fair CC in Sedalia, Mass. He scored in double figures 16 times last season and averaged 11.6 points per game.
• Freshman forward Jayden Watson spent the 2023-24 season under Dave Maravilla at Bosco Institute after finishing his high school career at Bloom.
• Redshirt freshman forward Carson Schwieger redshirted at Wright State in 2023-24 after averaging 12.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists at Link Year Prep in 2022-23.
• Fifth-year guard Tyler Schmidt spent four seasons at Olivet Nazarene, where he twice earned NAIA All-American status and averaged better than 20.0 points per game over each of his final three seasons, totaling 2,267 points at the NAIA level.
• Redshirt sophomore Isaiah Shaw saw action in 32 of 35 games at GCU last season for a Lopes team that went 30-5 overall, 17-3 in the Western Athletic Conference and won the WAC regular season and tournament titles before beating Saint Mary's in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and falling to Alabama in the Round of 32.
• Redshirt junior forward Louth-M Coulibaly played in 62 games and made 11 starts over four years at Holy Cross.
• Freshman guard Ramzi Salem and freshman guard Nick Lombardi have joined the program as walk-ons.

Beacon Bits
Random facts on each Valpo player.

• #1 Justus McNair – Went to the same high school as Valpo head coach Roger Powell Jr.
• #2 Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro – From the same area as former Valpo standout Tevonn Walker and the two know each other.
• #3 All Wright – His brother Always Wright is a member of the Rhode Island men's basketball program. His father Joe played at Kansas State University from 1984-1986 and went on to play professionally overseas. Joe holds the single-season scoring record for his team in Iceland after averaging 46.6 points per game in 1992-93.
• #5 Ramzi Salem – Is musically inclined as he knows how to play the piano, produce songs and make beats. He has a software system for music production.
• #6 Darius DeAveiro – Father David is the former head coach at McGill University in Montreal… Also played soccer until his freshman year of high school and traveled significantly for the sport, including a trip to England.

• #9 Isaiah Stafford – Won a national championship at the junior college level at John A. Logan in 2022-23, helping the Vols to a 33-2 mark.
• #10 Lucas Scroggins – Loves to draw and is passionate about art.
• #11 Devon Ellis – Enjoys the outdoors and is good at snowboarding – something some may not expect for his 6-foot-7 stature.
• #12 Jayden Watson – Brother Elijah is also a college basketball player and spent the past two seasons at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. after starting his collegiate tenure with two years at West Liberty University in West Virginia. Elijah is currently playing at Northwood University in Midland, Mich.
• #13 Cooper Schwieger – The fraternal twin brother of Valpo redshirt freshman Carson Schwieger. Many people think they are identical twins.
• #20 Joe Vick – Son of Julie Vick, the administrative assistant for the Valpo men's and women's basketball programs.
• #21 Kaspar Sepp – His national team coach is former teammates with Valpo assistant coach A.J. Moye and his prep coach is Moye's former roommate.
• #22 Carson Schwieger – Stepmother Denise Guth is a Valparaiso University graduate and was part of the women's soccer program's first two seasons in 1993 and 1994 as a goalkeeper.
• #23 Tyler Schmidt – Went to the Valpo basketball camp in fifth grade and frequently attended games when Alec Peters was on the team and Bryce Drew was the head coach.
• #24 Isaiah Shaw - Earned an undergraduate degree from GCU in three years with a degree in business management and a minor in biblical studies. Plays a little bit of guitar, which his dad taught him at a young age. He and his brother play Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo Switch, which like anything in the Drew/Shaw household, gets a little competitive.
• #32 Nick Lombardi – Is interested in pursuing a career as a play-by-play sports broadcaster and is a huge fan of sports cars.

• #44 Louth-M Coulibaly – Graduated from Holy Cross with a degree in international relations and is pursuing an MBA at Valpo. He has known Darius DeAveiro since eighth grade and enjoys watching MMA and UFC fights as well as soccer.

The Game's Biggest Stage

• Valpo head coach Roger Powell Jr. owns the unique distinction of having played and coached in the national championship game.
• Just 12 coaches in the last 25 years have coached in the national title game after previously playing in the national title game, and two others have coached in the national championship game after being a rostered player but not seeing action in the national title game as a student-athlete.
• In the last quarter of a century, only two coaches have coached in the national title game after previously playing in the national title game at a different school – Roger Powell Jr. and Kenny Payne.

Name                          Year, Team as Player              Year, Team as Coach
Sean May                    2005, UNC                              2022, UNC
Roger Powell Jr.        2005, Illinois                          2021, Gonzaga
Jeff Capel                    1994, Duke                             2015, Duke
Nate James                  1999 & 2001, Duke                2015, Duke
Jon Scheyer                 2010, Duke                             2015, Duke
Ricky Moore               1999, UConn                           2014, UConn
Kenny Payne              1986, Louisville                      2014, Kentucky
Danny Manning          1988, Kansas                           2008 & 2012, Kansas
Chris Collins               1994, Duke                             2010, Duke
Jim Thomas                1981, Indiana                          2002, Indiana
Johnny Dawkins         1986, Duke                             2001, Duke
David Henderson        1986, Duke                             1999, Duke
Quin Snyder                1986, Duke                              1999, Duke - DNP
Jeremy Case                2008, Kansas                          2022, Kansas - DNP
 
"The Rev" in the Community

• Since head coach Roger Powell Jr. was hired to lead Valpo's program, he has made numerous community engagement appearances including IBCA State Wide Clinic, Popcorn Fest, Valpo Kiwanis, Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana, Big Shoulders NWI, the Valpo Athletics Coaches Tour and many more.
• An engaging speaker with an active social media presence, Powell has launched a video series featuring local restaurants called "Powell Party of Six," showcasing the Powell family meals in the community. Several editions have been released.  
• Nicknamed "The Rev" because of his strong faith and calling as a preacher, Powell's hire as Valpo head coach made an immediate media splash. The news was featured prominently in the Chicago Sun-Times, on CBS 2 Chicago's 4 p.m. news and WGN-TV's GN Sports. He appeared on the Mully & Haugh morning show on 670 The Score in Chicago and Indiana Sports Talk with Bob Lovell out of Indianapolis.

Inside the Assistants

• Valpo's staff features two coaches who have played in the national title game – Powell and A.J. Moye. Powell has also coached in the national title game.
• Powell, Moye and Matt Gordon have all either coached or played in the Final Four.
• Powell, Moye, Gordon, Pat Baldwin and Lubos Barton have all either coached or played in the NCAA Tournament.
• Assistant coach Pat Baldwin brings head coaching experience to the staff as he spent five seasons at the helm at Milwaukee before serving as an assistant coach under Patrick Ewing at Georgetown during the 2022-23 season. He also worked under Chris Collins as an assistant during a successful run at Northwestern, so he has recent stops in the Big Ten and Big East to go along with head coaching experience.
• Assistant coach Matt Gordon spent two years in the Big 12 Conference at Oklahoma as Director of Recruiting and Special Assistant to head coach Porter Moser. He joined Moser in Norman, Okla. after they previously worked together for a decade at Loyola. Gordon knows what it takes to win in the Missouri Valley Conference as he played a key role in a turnaround that saw the Ramblers post a 156-80 (.661) record during his seven seasons as an assistant coach. He helped the team to two Sweet Sixteen appearances in a four-year period including a historic run to the Final Four.
• Assistant coach A.J. Moye was a standout during his playing days at Indiana, where he took the Hoosiers to the 2002 national title game before beginning a professional playing career. He trained professional and collegiate players from 2011-2023 as part of Rising Talent Development (Mamba Sports Academy), serving as the Master Basketball Trainer for Kobe Bryant's academy. Moye played against Powell in the Big Ten and they later finished out their playing careers as teammates with Skyliners Frankfurt in Germany in 2010-11.
• Recruiting & Player Development Coach Lubos Barton returns to Valpo over two decades after wrapping up his storied career donning the brown and gold. After retiring from his professional playing career, Barton stayed in the game of basketball by beginning his coaching career overseas in 2016. A member of the Valpo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2017, Barton was a standout on the court from 1998-2002, leading the team to three Mid-Continent Conference regular-season titles, three conference tournament championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
• Special Assistant to the Head Coach Quintin Garrison served as the associate head coach at Trinity International University from 2018-2023.
• Assistant Player Development Coach Sean Taylor served as SIUE's graduate assistant/video coordinator from August 2021 to May 2023.
• All six of the aforementioned members of Powell's staff plus graduate assistants Jacob Lindsey and Collin Walls are back for their second season in the program in 2024-25.
• The program welcomed Seamus Glennon as its sports performance coach prior to the 2024-25 season. He previously served as a strength & conditioning assistant for the VCU men's basketball program, a position he held for the last two seasons. He also spent time at Temple and Clemson.

Tradition of Excellence

• Valpo has 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and four NIT berths in the program's proud history, with the team's postseason success highlighted by a Sweet Sixteen run in 1998.
• The program has produced nine All-Americans, won 15 regular season conference championships and 10 conference tournament crowns.
• Valpo also boasts eight NBA players, 10 conference players of the year and 20 20-win seasons.
• Nine of the team's NCAA appearances have come since 1996.
• Valpo has developed a myriad of professional basketball players over the last quarter century, most notably a pair of recent NBA players. Ryan Broekhoff (class of 2013) signed a contract with the Dallas Mavericks in the summer of 2018 after spending five seasons playing internationally in Russia and Turkey. Alec Peters (class of 2017) was the 54th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. Peters appeared in 20 games for the Suns in 2017-18, highlighted by a 36-point performance in the season finale against Dallas – a new single-game high by a Valpo alum in the NBA. He has gone on to a successful career overseas with CSKA Moscow (2018-2019), Anadolu Efes (2019-2020) and Kirolbet Baskonia (2020-2022) and Olympiacos (2022-present). 
• Valpo has produced over 50 professional players in the last three decades.