Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men's basketball team will host defending Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champion Indiana State in an instate showdown on Wednesday night as the Beacons attempt to extend their winning streak to three. It's Gold Out Night at the Athletics-Recreation Center as fans are encouraged to wear gold. Valpo is off to its best 15-game start since also beginning 9-6 in 2018-19.
 
Last Time Out: The Beacons led nearly wire-to-wire on Saturday at the ARC, taking the lead five minutes into the first half and holding it for the game's final 35 minutes en route to an 80-73 victory over UNI, the team picked second in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll. Valpo led 43-36 at halftime and the two teams each scored 37 points after the break. The Beacons were led by a season-high 20 points from Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro in the win over the Panthers, a top-100 KenPom team and a top-80 NET team that held a 3-0 league record entering the contest.
 
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Jamie Stangel (analyst)
Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Jack Hutter and Eli Conklin
X updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
 
Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (16-31) 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: These two instate foes will meet for the 97^th time on Wednesday with Valpo holding a 37-59 record against the Sycamores. Indiana State has won four straight with all four matchups over the last two seasons being decided by 18 points or more and the Trees owning an average margin of victory of 24.8 points per game in those contests.
 
With the win over UNI, Valpo…

• Stopped a four-game skid against the Panthers and captured just the program's sixth win in 39 all-time meetings with UNI. Valpo had dropped six of the previous seven matchups with five of those losses by double figures and the lone win requiring overtime.
• Owns a 2-2 record through four league games after starting 0-4 each of the last two seasons.
• Owns a league record of .500 or better through four MVC games for the first time since 2019-20.
• Secured its ninth win of the season with 16 regular-season games remaining after winning seven games all of last season.
• Made it back-to-back wins in league play for the first time under head coach Roger Powell Jr.
• Improved to 9-6, the program's best record through 15 games since also starting 9-6 in 2018-19.
• Improved to 7-2 at home, eclipsing last year's home win total.
• Beat a team that was picked in the top two in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll, snapping a 15-game losing streak against teams picked to finish first or second in the MVC by recording the team's first such victory since Feb. 13, 2021 at UNI.
• Has defeated Missouri State and UNI in the same season for the first time since 2018-19 and just the second time since joining the Missouri Valley Conference.

With a win on Wednesday vs. Indiana State, Valpo Would…

• Match its Missouri Valley Conference win total from last season with 15 regular-season games remaining.
• Hold a 3-2 record through five Valley games after starting league play 0-5 each of the last two years. Valpo was 1-4 in 2021-22, 2-3 in 2020-21 and hasn't been 3-2 or better through five league games since 2019-20.
• Own a three-game winning streak in league play for the first time since January 2023 (Evansville, UIC, Illinois State).
• Own 10 wins in the first 16 games for the first time since 2018-19. Valpo began 11-6 that season.
• Improve to 8-2 at home, already matching the program's home win total from 2022-23 and one away from matching the team's highest home win total since 2019-20.
• Have regular-season wins over Indiana State, Missouri State and UNI all in the same season for the first time since joining the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Snap a four-game head-to-head losing streak and beat Indiana State for the first time since Feb. 5, 2022 (W 79-72, 2OT).
• Beat the defending conference regular-season champions for the first time since Feb. 13, 2020, a 70-57 victory over UNI, and snap a six-game losing streak against the defending MVC regular-season champs.

All Wright Among Valley's Top Freshmen

• Valpo freshman All Wright is averaging 10.3 points per game, one of two Valley freshmen averaging in double figures and second in the league among MVC rookies behind only Evansville's Gabriel Pozzato, who hasn't played since Dec. 12.
• Wright also ranks second among Valley rookies in assists per game at 2.9 per contest, behind only Indiana State's Josiah LeGree, who is handing out 3.5 helpers per game.
• No Valley rookie has scored more points than Wright, as he eclipsed Pozzato on Jan. 4 vs. UNI as the league's highest-scoring freshman with 155 total points.
• No Valpo freshman has finished the season with at least 10.0 points per game and 3.0 assists per game since Milo Stovall in 1998-99 (10.6 ppg, 3.1 apg). Before that, it was Bryce Drew in 1994-95 (13.4 ppg, 6.0 apg).
• No Missouri Valley Conference freshman has averaged 10.0 points per game and 3.0 assists per game since Wichita State's Landry Shamet in 2016-17 (11.4 ppg, 3.3 apg).
• In the last 30 seasons, Valpo has had eight freshmen finish the season with a double-figure scoring average – Bryce Drew (13.4 ppg, 1994-95), Milo Stovall (10.6 ppg, 1998-99), Lubos Barton (13.8 ppg, 1998-99), Samuel Haanpaa (12.0 ppg, 2006-07), Alec Peters (12.7 ppg, 2013-14), Tevonn Walker (10.3 ppg, 2014-15), Javon Freeman-Liberty (11.0 ppg, 2018-19) and Cooper Schwieger (13.2 ppg, 2023-24).

Schwieger Surging

• After scoring no points vs. Drake and having his second straight single-figure performance vs. Central Michigan, Cooper Schwieger has gone on a tear, tallying 13 points or more in six straight games. He's averaging 18.7 points per game during that stretch and has poured in more than 20 in three of his last four games.
• Schwieger has made 29 of his last 30 free-throw attempts and ranks seventh in the league at 86 percent for the season.
• Schwieger finished with 22 points on Jan. 1 at Missouri State, matching his season high that was previously established on Nov. 21 vs. Lindenwood. In the game against the Bears, he was limited to just 20 minutes due to foul trouble.
• That marked Schwieger's third straight game with at least 20 points, and his fourth such performance overall this season. It also marked his fourth straight game with at least 19 points and his fifth straight with at least 16.
• He scored 21 points on Dec. 29 at Bradley despite being limited to four first-half points in just seven minutes due to foul trouble.
• Through nine games this season, Schwieger was averaging 11.1 points per game. He is averaging 18.7 points per game over the last five.
• Schwieger ranks 12^th in the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring (14.1 ppg), seventh in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and tied for third in blocked shots (1.2 bpg). He's the only player in the Missouri Valley Conference averaging at least 14 points, six rebounds and one block per game.
• Schwieger is one of four sophomores nationally averaging at least 14 points, six rebounds and one block, joining South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles, Texas Tech's JT Toppin and Iowa's Owen Freeman.
• The last Missouri Valley Conference player to finish a season averaging at least 14 points, six rebounds and one block was Missouri State's Gaige Prim in 2021-22. The last Valley underclassmen (freshman or sophomore) to do so were Evansville's Deandre Williams and Drake's Liam Robbins in 2019-20.

Limiting the Giveaways

• Valpo turned the ball over just six times in the Jan. 4 win over UNI, the team's second-lowest turnover total of the season behind four on Jan. 27 vs. Northern Illinois.
• That marked the seventh time in 15 games this season that Valpo has had a single-digit turnover total including each of the last two.
• Valpo has won or tied the turnover battle in 12 out of 15 games this season.
• The Beacons are averaging just 10.1 turnovers per game, the fewest in the MVC and 38^th fewest nationally. They rank second in the league in turnover margin at +2.2 per game.

Making the Free Ones

• Entering Jan. 8 vs. Indiana State, Valpo is shooting a conference-best 80.1 percent at the free-throw line this season, ninth nationally. The Beacons make an average of 18.3 free throws per game, first in the league and 22^nd nationally.
• Valpo has posted a better free-throw percentage than its opponent in 13 out of 15 games this season, including Jan. 4 vs. UNI, when Valpo went 21-of-24 for an 87.5 percent clip.
• Tyler Schmidt (t-3^rd, .889), Cooper Schwieger (7^th, .860) and All Wright (13^th, .811) all rank among the MVC leaders in free-throw percentage.
• 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.

Other Notes Wrapping Up Jan. 4: Valpo 80, UNI 73

• Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro led the team in scoring for the first time this season with a season-high 20 points, three better than his previous season peak on Dec. 29 at Bradley. He came within one point of a career high of 21, reached twice while playing for Western Michigan including most recently Feb. 3 of last season.
• De La Cruz Monegro went 6-of-10 from the floor and grabbed five rebounds while handing out three assists and swiping two steals. He scored in double figures for the seventh straight game and has tallied at least nine points in all 15 games this season. His two highest rebound totals of the season have been in the last three games – a season-best six on Dec. 29 at Bradley before the five vs. UNI.
• Tyler Schmidt scored 15 points, his third time reaching double figures in the last four games. He went 8-for-8 at the free-throw line over those two contests and drilled three triples and was 4-for-4 at the stripe against the Panthers.
• Cooper Schwieger had 13 points, his sixth straight double-figure effort. He was 7-for-7 at the free-throw line.
• Darius DeAveiro posted 13 points, tying a season high set on Nov. 29 at DePaul. This marked his second double-figure performance of the season and first in the last nine games.
• Kaspar Sepp secured seven rebounds, pacing the team for the eighth time this season and the 12^th time in his career. It marked his ninth game with seven or more rebounds this season.
• Freshman All Wright added seven points and a team-high four assists.

Scouting the Sycamores

• The defending MVC regular-season champions went 32-7 overall, 17-3 in MVC play and reached the title game of both the MVC Tournament and the NIT last season.
• The Sycamores were picked eighth of 12 in the MVC preseason poll, two spots ahead of the Beacons.
• They enter this game at 178 in the KenPom and 180 in the NET. Valpo ranks 193 in KenPom and 174 in the NET. The Beacons moved ahead of Indiana State in the NET with Saturday's win over UNI.
• The Sycamores lone league loss came in overtime against Bradley. They are coming off a 66-62 win at Evansville and also own victories over Murray State and Missouri State.
• Head coach Matthew Graves is in his first season at the helm after spending the last three seasons as associate head coach for the Sycamores.
• Indiana State is led in scoring by Samage Teel, who has a league-most seven 20-point games and ranks second in The Valley in scoring at 17.1 points per game.

New Year's Day Sharpshooting

• On Jan. 1 at Missouri State, both teams shot at a high clip.
• Valpo shot 52.8 percent from the field, while Missouri State shot 58 percent. This marked Valpo's season-high in terms of field-goal percentage against a Division-I opponent, but on the flip side the Bears' 58 percent shooting was a Valpo season-worst in terms of field-goal percentage defense.
• The Beacons shot at their highest clip against a Division-I opponent since shooting 57.4 percent on Jan. 21, 2023 at Illinois State.
• This marked the first Valpo game where both teams shot 52.8 percent or better since Dec. 8, 2018 at George Washington.
• This also marked the first time Valpo won despite an opponent shooting 58 percent or better since the aforementioned 2018 game against George Washington, an 82-79 victory. 
• The Bears had their highest single-game field goal percentage since Nov. 25, 2023 vs. South Carolina State. Missouri State had won seven straight when shooting at least 58 percent, suffering their first loss under those circumstances since Jan. 18, 2014 at UNI and falling to 27-3 since 2004-05 when shooting at least 58 percent. The Bears were 20-0 when shooting 58 percent or better at home prior to the Jan. 1 loss to the Beacons.
• Missouri State also shot 44.4 percent from 3, the second highest percentage against Valpo this season behind only Northern Illinois at 45.5 percent on Nov. 27.

With the Win at Missouri State, Valpo…

• Snapped a nine-game head-to-head losing streak, capturing its first win over the Bears since the 2020 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament game semifinal.
• Picked up its eighth win of the season, surpassing last season's win total with 17 regular-season games remaining.
• Earned its second road win of the season, surpassing last season's road victory total.
• Won on New Year's Day for the first time since 1945, a 56-53 win over Hamline in Buffalo, N.Y. Valpo had played on New Year's Day just twice since then – a 76-59 loss at Butler in 2011 and a 68-50 setback vs. Indiana State to open 2023.
• Snapped a four-game losing streak in Springfield, picking up its first road win over the Bears since an 82-66 victory on Jan. 5, 2019.
• Improved to 2-0 on Wednesdays this season after going 0-10 on Wednesdays last season. Valpo entered this season with a 15-game Wednesday losing streak. The Jan. 1 win at Missouri State snapped an 18-game Missouri Valley Conference Wednesday losing streak that dated back to Jan. 19, 2022, an 83-80 overtime victory over UNI.
• Improved to 3-0 this season in games decided by five points or fewer (Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, Missouri State).

The Slimmest of Margins

• Valpo snapped a five-game losing streak in one-point games by winning 73-72 at Missouri State on Jan. 1, garnering its first win in a game decided by the slimmest of margins since beating Southern Illinois 66-65 on Feb. 21, 2021.
• This was Valpo's first one-point game since Feb. 3, 2024 vs. Evansville. The Beacons also had one-point defeats to Chicago State, Murray State, UIC and Charlotte since their previous one-point win.
• Missouri State and Valpo previously played a one-point game on Jan. 29, 2019, a game the visiting Bears won 55-54 in overtime at the ARC.
• Valpo's last three games against Division-I opponents have all come down to the final second or overtime – at Western Michigan, at Bradley and at Missouri State.
• All three of Valpo's Missouri Valley Conference games this season have been decided by six points or fewer.

DeAveiro Enters All-Time Top 10

• Senior point guard Darius DeAveiro entered the program's all-time top 10 in career assists on Jan. 1, lifting his career total to 331 with two assists against Missouri State. He moved over Matt Kenney on the program's all-time list, climbing into 10^th in program history.
• DeAveiro is up to 333 assists for his career. The next threshold is 359 to tie Jamie Sykes (1993-98) for ninth in program lore. 
• 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. 9-13
Rank    Player                          Years               Assists
9          Jamie Sykes                1993-98           359
10        Darius DeAveiro         2021-pres.       333
11        Matt Kenney               2009-13           330
12        Rob Cavanaugh          1990-94           329
13        Tracy Gipson              1989-93           316
            Brandon McPherson   2005-10           316
 
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
 
Notes Wrapping Up Jan. 1 – Valpo 73, Missouri State 72

• Cooper Schwieger paced the team with 22 points. All Wright, who was playing near the town of Joplin, Mo. where he spent most of his youth, had 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting. That marked his fifth time in double figures in the last six games.
• Tyler Schmidt scored 14 points, his eighth double-figure game of the season and his highest scoring output in the last six contests.
• Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro turned in 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, his sixth straight game in double figures, his 12^th double-figure scoring output of the year and his 14^th time in as many games scoring at least nine points this year.
• Devon Ellis finished with seven points and a team-high six rebounds.
• Missed free throws by Missouri State aided the Beacon cause, as the hosts shot just 37.5 percent at the line, missing 10 of their 16 attempts. Valpo shot better than 70 percent at the charity stripe for the 11^th time in 14 games this season, finishing the night at 73.3 percent (11-of-15). Valpo posted a better free-throw percentage than its opponent for the 12^th time in 14 games this season.
• The free-throw percentage of 37.5 was Missouri State's fourth-worst in a single game in the last 20 years. It was the worst by a Valpo opponent since Judson went 3-of-11 (.273) on Dec. 6, 2020, the worst by a Valpo Division-I opponent since Northern Kentucky went 2-of-8 (.250) on Jan. 29, 2017 and the worst by a Valpo opponent on the opponent's home court since Loyola Chicago went 3-of-8 (.375) on Jan. 19, 2012.  
• Valpo held a 14-8 edge in the turnover battle, committing single-digit turnovers for the sixth time this season. Valpo has won or tied the turnover battle in 11 out of 14 games this season.
• Dez White, who entered the night as the Missouri Valley Conference's leading scorer, was held below his average with 13 points, but Vincent Brady II went off for 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting to lead the Bears. Makhai Valentine made a surprise contribution off the bench with eight points on 3-of-3 shooting.

Sepp Squeezing Boards

• Sophomore Kaspar Sepp turned in perhaps his best game in a Valpo uniform on Dec. 29 at Bradley, delivering a double-double of 11 points and 15 rebounds that helped the Beacons give Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite Bradley a scare in an 81-75, double-overtime defeat.
• His 15 boards outdid his previous career high of 12 set on Dec. 6, 2023 at Central Michigan. This marked Sepp's first career double-double as he recorded Valpo's fifth double-double of the season and became the third different Beacon with a double-double this year, joining Cooper Schwieger and All Wright.
• Sepp became the first Valpo player with a 15-rebound game since Jaxon Edwards on Nov. 17, 2023 at Illinois and just the fifth different Valpo player with 15 rebounds in a game in the last decade as Sepp and Edwards are joined by program greats Ben Krikke, Javon Freeman-Liberty and Alec Peters.
• Sepp became the first Valpo player since Krikke on Jan. 24, 2021 at Illinois State to notch a 15-rebound double-double.
• Sepp's big day came on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting and he knocked down his lone 3-point attempt of the game. Six of his 15 boards came on the offensive glass, and he also dished out three assists, tying a season high.
• His 11 points marked his first time with more than seven this season, while he notched his fourth double-figure rebounding game and his second straight.

Valpo 15-Rebound Double-Doubles (Last 20 Seasons)
Player              Date                Opponent                    Pts/Reb
Kaspar Sepp    12-29-24         at Bradley                   11/15
Ben Krikke     1-24-21           at Illinois State            25/15
Freeman-Liberty 1-29-19       vs. Missouri St            12/15
Alec Peters      1-16-17           vs. Green Bay             20/16
Alec Peters      1-12-17           at Youngstown St       17/15
Alec Peters      12-17-16         vs. Indiana State         29/15
Alec Peters      11-12-16         vs. Trinity Christian    36/15
Alec Peters      2-28-16           at Green Bay               25/15
Ryan Broekhoff 3-3-12           vs. Butler                    19/16
Michael Rogers 1-10-09         vs. Wright State          12/15
Dan Oppland   12-17-05         vs. Southern Utah       27/16
 
Bonus Basketball

• Valpo's double overtime loss at Bradley on Dec. 29 marked the first overtime game of the Roger Powell Jr. head coaching era. It was the team's first OT contest since a 77-76 loss at Murray State on Feb. 26, 2023.
• The Beacons played their first double overtime game since Feb. 4, 2023 vs. Drake (L 85-82).
• Valpo has now dropped each of its last five overtime games.
• Bradley has played double overtime twice in the last nine seasons and both have come against Valpo.

Other Notes Wrapping Up Dec. 29: Bradley 81, Valpo 75 (2OT)

• This marked Valpo's best performance ever in Peoria as the Beacons slipped to 0-8 all-time when visiting the Braves. Prior to this game, which was Valpo's first road game against Bradley under head coach Roger Powell Jr., five of Valpo's seven all-time losses at Bradley had come by 20+ points, and the seven losses had come by an average of 23.6 points per game.
• Bradley extended its overall head-to-head winning streak against Valpo to seven. Coincidently, Valpo's last victory over Bradley came in double overtime on Jan. 28, 2021 at the ARC with Valpo prevailing 91-85.
• In addition to the aforementioned big games from sophomores Cooper Schwieger and Kaspar Sepp, Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro had only two points at halftime but finished with a season-high 17 points despite a tough shooting day. He did a good chunk of his damage at the foul line, where he was 8-of-10. He scored at least 13 points for the fifth straight game and has scored at least nine points in all 13 games this season. De La Cruz Monegro also established a season best on the boards with six against the Braves.
• Tyler Schmidt threatened a double-double with nine points and a season-high eight rebounds.
• Valpo fell to 0-2 in league play but the losses have come by six points apiece against the league's top two teams according to both NET and KenPom. For further context, Bradley's other MVC game was a 23-point road win at Southern Illinois, and Drake improved to 2-0 in the league with a 19-point victory over Belmont on Dec. 29.

Points-Assists Double-Doubles

• Freshman All Wright turned in a double-double of 10 points and 10 assists on Dec. 22 vs. CCSJ. This marked not only his first collegiate double-double, but according to Wright, it was his first double-double at any level.
• Wright became just the sixth Valpo player to record a points-assists double-double in the last 20 years, joining Darius DeAveiro (Feb. 14, 2024 vs. UNI), Nick Edwards (Dec. 21, 2022 vs. Stonehill), Urule Igbavboa (Feb. 5, 2007 at Chicago State), Ron Howard (Jan. 24, 2005 vs. Oakland) and Seth Colclasure (Jan. 10, 2005 at Oakland).
• Wright became the fifth freshman nationally with a points-assists double-double this season, joining Boogie Fland (Arkansas), Robert Wright III (Baylor), Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois) and Egor Demin (BYU).
• In the last 15 years, there have been only seven double-doubles recorded by Valpo freshmen. Wright joined a list that also includes Cooper Schwieger (twice last season), Javon Freeman-Liberty (2018-19), Jaume Sorolla (2016-17), Alec Peters (2013-14) and Michael Rogers (2007-08).

First-Half Double-Double

• Valpo sophomore Cooper Schwieger clinched a double-double with 7:27 remaining in the first half of the Dec. 22 game vs. CCSJ. He finished the contest with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds.
• The 13 rebounds were one shy of a season high set on Nov. 8 vs. Concordia Ann Arbor and his point total was one away from a season high, set on Nov. 21 vs. Lindenwood.
• The double-double represented Schwieger's third of the season and the fifth of his collegiate career. This marked the second time this season that he eclipsed 20 points.
• Schwieger went 3-for-3 from 3 and 4-for-4 at the free-throw line, extending his run of made free throws to 12, as he went exactly 4-for-4 for the third straight game. He has scored at least 16 points in each of those three contests.
• Schwieger, who also had three blocks, needed just 12:33 of total game time to clinch the double-double. This marked Valpo's first first-half double-double since Alec Peters on Jan. 12, 2017 at Youngstown State.
• By securing the double-double with 7:27 left in the first half, Schwieger notched Valpo's earliest first half double-double in the last two decades, surpassing Dan Oppland at 5:03 of the first half on Feb. 8, 2006 vs. Niagara.

Valpo First-Half Double-Doubles Since 2005-06
Player                          Date                Opponent                    Time Remaining
Cooper Schwieger      12/22/24          CCSJ                           7:27
Alec Peters                  1/12/17            at Youngstown St       0:48
Alec Peters                  12/17/16          Indiana State               1:06
Ryan Broekhoff          12/20/11          Duquesne                    1:33
Dan Oppland               2/8/06              Niagara                       5:03
 
Successful Nonconference

• Valpo closed out the nonconference portion of the schedule with a nonleague record of 7-4 (.636).
• This marked the team's best nonleague regular-season winning percentage in six years, since going 9-4 in 2017-18.
• The seven nonconference wins matched the program's full season win total from last season.

Valpo Regular-Season Nonleague Records By Year
Year                Record             Winning Percentage
2024-25           7-4                   .636
2023-24           4-7                   .364
2022-23           6-5                   .545
2021-22           7-6                   .538
2020-21           3-6                   .333
2019-20           7-6                   .538
2018-19           7-6                   .538
2017-18           9-4                   .692
 
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
 
Rookie Rewards

• All 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.

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.