The wait is over as the Valparaiso University men's basketball team will take the Athletics-Recreation Center floor in a game situation on Tuesday night as Brescia comes to town for a 7 p.m. exhibition game.
About The 2025-2026 Beacons
Fans will get their first look at a reloaded roster that features 13 newcomers (six true freshmen and seven transfers) and four returning players. Head coach
Roger Powell Jr. and his staff kept elite talent from the states of Illinois and Indiana close to home as 14 of the 17 players hail from either the Hoosier State or the Land of Lincoln. The three players from outside of the Midwest call Arizona, Montreal and New Zealand home. The roster has gotten noticeably larger in terms of height, as this marks the first time during the program's long Division-I history that the team has seven players listed at 6-foot-8 or taller. Valpo enjoyed a 93-84 win against a Division-I opponent that won nearly 20 games last season in a closed scrimmage.
Summing Up 2024-2025
Valpo will look to build on a 2024-2025 campaign that saw the Beacons over double their overall win total from the previous season and double their conference win output before earning a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinal berth. The Beacons finished with 15 wins, the team's highest total since 2019-20, and became the first No. 11 seed in Missouri Valley Conference history to reach the semifinal round at Arch Madness. Valpo boasted the MVC Freshman of the Year for the second straight season, just the third time ever that a Valley school has gone back-to-back with that award. Only four programs in the country have won their league's top rookie honor in each of the last two seasons – UConn, Baylor, Valpo and Harvard.
About Brescia
The NAIA Brescia Bearcats play in the River States Conference and were picked ninth of 12 in their league's preseason poll. SMWC, led by current Valpo assistant coach
Jesse McClung, ended Brescia's season in the league tournament last year as the Bearcats finished 9-17. Linkin Lockhart, who appeared in every game and started 17 while averaging 11.6 ppg, is a notable returner.
Exhibition Coverage Plans
Tuesday's game will not be streamed on ESPN+ and will not have live stats available. Stats from the game will not be posted publicly and there will be no recap on the Valpo Athletics website. However, the game will air on the Valpo Sports Radio Network, 95.1 FM Valparaiso WVUR, ValpoAthletics.com and the TuneIn Radio app, with Todd Ickow and Austin Amburgey on the call. The full coverage you've come to expect will be back in full force for the regular-season opener on Tuesday, Nov. 4 vs. Eastern Illinois with game notes and a coaches show previewing the contest, live stats, live radio, live ESPN+ coverage and a postgame recap.
Preseason Interviews
Media Day Press Conference
Field of 68
MVC Preseason Media Q&A
Valley Hoops Insider
Know Before You Go
The best way to catch Tuesday's game will be in person with single-game tickets
on sale as of Monday.
Free general parking is available to fans in a number of surface lots on campus within walking distance of the ARC. Parking passes are required to park in the Gold Lot (west aisle of lot 43) and the ARC Lot (lot 45). Contact
Ted McCoart at
ted.mccoart@valpo.edu for more information about purchasing a men's basketball parking pass.
Click here for parking map. Accessible parking is always free of charge and is available on a first-come, first-served basis to anyone with a government-issued ADA placard on their vehicle. Please note, the ADA parking is the entire row closest to Union Street in Lot 43.
All tickets are digital. Have your mobile ticket ready on your phone before you arrive. If you need assistance, visit our website
here or contact our ticket office at 219-464-5233. Beginning 90 minutes prior to the game, prices will increase by $5 per ticket. We encourage fans to purchase tickets in advance,
here.
Fans with disabilities may request special seating by contacting the ticket office. Those in wheelchairs should plan to enter the ARC through the main entrance on the southeast corner of the building.
Doors to the arena will open one hour before the game.
The ARC Suite is Valpo's hospitality area for men's basketball and is open for all regular-season home games, beginning with Tuesday, Nov. 4 vs. Eastern Illinois. It opens 60 minutes prior to tipoff and stays open until the conclusion of the contest. Contact
Ted McCoart at
ted.mccoart@valpo.edu for more information about becoming an ARC Suite member.
A selection of food and beverages including beer and wine will be available for purchase inside the ARC. Both cash and card payments are accepted. Please note that a second concession location is available in the hallway behind the upper mezzanine near Hilltop Gym and use of the second concession location helps create shorter lines.
