Next Up in Valpo Basketball: After improbably winning back-to-back games as the No. 11 seed to begin the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, the Valparaiso University men's basketball team will play for a spot in the Arch Madness title game on Saturday night, taking on second-seeded Bradley in the night's second semifinal, a nationally-televised game on CBS Sports Network. In head coach Roger Powell Jr.'s second season, the Beacons have already clinched their highest win total since 2019-20 and over doubled the team's win total from a year ago.
 
Last Time Out: The only team that pulled off an upset on Day 1 of Arch Madness became the only team to pull off an upset on Day 2 of Arch Madness as well, as the 11^th-seeded Beacons bested third-seeded UNI 64-63 behind Cooper Schwieger's fifth blocked shot of the game, turning away UNI standout Tytan Anderson with four seconds remaining. A putback and another tip try were both off the mark, sending the Valpo fan base into a state of euphoria. Schwieger recorded his third straight double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while All Wright tallied 20 points or more for the ninth time in the last 12 games, pouring in 29.
 
Following the Beacons: Television – CBS Sports Network – Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Avery Johnson (analyst) and Evan Washburn (sideline)
MVC KTRS St. Louis Radio - Brendan Wiese (pbp), Kevin Lehman (analyst) and Rich Zvosec (analyst)  
Valpo Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Paul Oren (analyst)   
X updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
 
Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (22-43) 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.
 
With the Win on Friday vs. UNI, Valpo…

• Has 15 wins this season, the program's highest total since capturing 19 victories in 2019-20.
• Advanced to the semifinals of Arch Madness for the first time since 2020 and the second time since joining the league.
• Will play in three or more conference tournament games in the same season for the first time since 2019-20 and just the second time since 2010-11. Valpo needed to win just twice to garner Horizon League titles in 2013 and 2015.
• Beat the Panthers in both matchups this year, winning back-to-back games in the series for the first time ever in 40 all-time meetings between the two teams. Valpo improved to 2-0 this season against UNI after entering the season 5-33 all-time against the Panthers.

With a Win on Saturday in the Semifinals, Valpo Would…

• Move to within one triumph of the program's 15^th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2015.
• Play four conference tournament games in the same season for the second time ever, joining 2019-20, when Valpo became the first team since Arch Madness went to a 10-team format in 1997 that the team played on Thursday and went to the league title game.
• Make its second MVC Tournament championship appearance since joining the league and first since 2020, an 80-66 loss to Bradley in a game Valpo led at halftime.
• Clinch the program's 15^th conference championship game appearance in the last 31 years.
• Move to within one win of the program's 11^th conference tournament championship and first since beating Green Bay 54-44 on March 10, 2015 at the ARC.
• Increase its win total to 16, which would be the squad's second-highest overall win total in eight seasons since joining the Missouri Valley Conference behind only 19 in 2019-20.
• Snap an eight-game head-to-head losing streak against Bradley, beating the Braves for the first time since 2021.

Notes Wrapping Up March 7 (MVC Quarterfinal) – Valpo 64, UNI 63

• Freshman All Wright totaled a game-high 29 points on 11-of-24 shooting and 6-of-10 from 3. He did the bulk of his damage in the first half, scoring 20 points before the break including 5-of-5 from 3.
• Sophomore Cooper Schwieger recorded a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds with five blocked shots. This marked his league-most 10^th double-double of the season and his third consecutive double-double including two at Arch Madness.
• Wright's six made 3s were the most by a Valpo player since Maximus Nelson had six on Feb. 4, 2023 vs. Drake.
• After tying for third in Arch Madness history for single-game blocked shots and recording the first six-block performance in an MVC Tournament game since Wichita State's Shaquille Morris on March 4, 2016 to start the tournament on Thursday vs. UIC, Schwieger added five more rejections on Friday. In just two games, he already ranks third in Arch Madness history for blocked shots in a tournament with 11, behind only Creighton's Benoit Benjamin (20, 1984) and Creighton's Gregory Echenique (13, 2013).
• Valpo made 11 3s, tying a season high against a Division-I opponent and marking the most made against an MVC squad this year. The Beacons drained 10 of those triples prior to halftime.
• Wright scored 20 points or more for the ninth time in the last 12 games. He delivered his third game with 29 points or more this season and was three points shy of tying a career high.
• Wright climbed into a tie for sixth in Missouri Valley Conference history for points by a freshman with 502.
• Prior to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, there had only been 15 total performances in the nation this season where a player recorded at least 17 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. Now, Schwieger has done so in each game of the MVC Tournament so far.
• Valpo has blocked 17 shots as a team in the conference tournament so far, already the seventh most in Arch Madness history with all six teams in front of Valpo on that list having played three games and Valpo having recorded 17 in two games thus far.
• Schwieger, who has scored at least a dozen points in 24 straight games, moved past Dave Redmon (1992-93, 509) on Valpo's sophomore scoring list on Friday. With 517 points this season, Schwieger now ranks fifth in program history for points by a sophomore.
• Schwieger surpassed Bryce Drew (1994-96, 912) for career points scored before the end of a sophomore season. Schwieger is up to 926 points, the third most in program history prior to the end of a sophomore season.
• Schwieger continues to climb Valpo's blocked shots chart as well. His five on Friday give him 94 in his career, already tied for seventh in program history. He is up to 66 this season, now tied for fifth in single-season program history.
• The Beacons committed just six turnovers (only one in the first half), winning the turnover battle 11-6. This marked the fifth time this season that Valpo has had six turnovers or fewer. The Beacons won the turnover battle for the 26^th time in 33 games and had 10 turnovers or fewer for the 23^rd time.
• Valpo picked up its second one-point win of the season, joining Jan. 1, a 73-72 victory at Missouri State. Prior to this season, Valpo had dropped five straight one-point games and hadn't prevailed by the slimmest of margins since 2021. 
• Through eight Arch Madness games, there are two upset victories, both by Valpo.

Series Notes: Valpo is 5-14 all-time against the Braves including an 86-61 setback at the ARC in the lone matchup last season, an 81-75, double overtime defeat in Peoria earlier this season and most recently a 76-65 Senior Night loss at the ARC on Feb. 26 of this season. Bradley has won eight straight showdowns since Valpo's double-overtime victory on Jan. 28, 2021 (91-85). Prior to the thriller in Peoria this season, each of the first six games in that head-to-head skid came by double-figure deficits.
 
Dec. 29 – Bradley 81, Valpo 75 (2OT): The Beacons gave MVC preseason favorite Bradley nearly everything it could handle, but the Braves prevailed 81-75 in double overtime as the curtain closed on the calendar year of 2024 in late December in Peoria. Kaspar Sepp posted a double-double of 11 points and 15 rebounds – establishing career highs in both categories – and Cooper Schwieger poured in 21 points, but the Beacons could not complete the upset in an instant classic.
 
Feb. 26 – Bradley 76, Valpo 65: Valpo celebrated seniors Darius DeAveiro and Tyler Schmidt prior to the team's Senior Night Game, a 76-65 loss to Bradley. Valpo led 29-28 at halftime while holding the Braves to 0-of-7 from 3, but the guests went off for seven made triples in the second half and outscored the Beacons 48-36 over the final 20 minutes. Cooper Schweiger scored a team-high 21 points, while All Wright (17) and Tyler Schmidt (11) joined him in double figures.
 
Scouting the Braves

• Coming of a 70-62 victory over Murray State in Friday's quarterfinal round.
• Own a four-game winning streak and have won seven of their last eight.
• Led by All-MVC First Team selection Duke Deen. Also boast All-MVC Second Team choice Darius Hannah and Third Team pick Zek Montgomery.
• Finished second in the MVC regular season standings and entered Arch Madness as the No. 2 seed.

With Thursday's Win Over UIC, Valpo…

• Snapped a three-game Arch Madness losing streak by picking up its first victory in the event since beating Evansville 81-59 in the first round on March 3, 2022.
• Captured its 14^th win of the season, doubling last season's win total.
• Reversed the result against a UIC team that had won both regular-season matchups.

Notes Wrapping Up March 6 (MVC Tournament Opener): Valpo 67, UIC 50

• The Beacons were -12 and -10 in rebounding margin in the two regular-season matchups with UIC before outdoing the Flames on the boards 43-36 in the conference tournament opener.
• Valpo held UIC to just 29.8 percent shooting, Valpo's best field-goal percentage defense against a Division-I opponent since holding Southern Illinois to .236 on Feb. 12, 2020. This was the team's second-best field goal percentage defense against a Missouri Valley Conference opponent since joining the league.
• Valpo set a season best for fewest points allowed against a Division-I opponent. This marked the team's fewest points allowed vs. a D-I team since winning 59-50 at Illinois State on Jan. 14, 2024.
• The 50 points were the fewest scored by UIC this season. The field-goal percentage of .298 was also a season low.
• The 17-point margin of victory was Valpo's largest against a Missouri Valley Conference team this season, surpassing 15 against Belmont. This marked Valpo's largest margin of victory against an MVC team since beating Illinois State 71-51 on Jan. 21, 2023.
• With the victory, Valpo snapped a three-game Arch Madness losing streak, picking up its first win in St. Louis since beating Evansville 81-59 in the first round on March 3, 2022.
• With the win, Valpo captured its 14^th win of the season, doubling last season's win total.
• Valpo reversed the result against a UIC team that had won both regular-season matchups.
• Carson Schwieger made his first collegiate start on Thursday.
• Cooper Schwieger recorded his league-most ninth double-double of the season and the 11^th of his career, finishing with 17 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.
• Cooper's career-high six blocks marked the most by a Valpo player since Vashil Fernandez had six on March 22, 2016 vs. St. Mary's in the NIT. He outdid his previous high of five rejections, reached twice, most recently Feb. 19 vs. Missouri State.
• Cooper became the fifth player in the nation this season to record a 17-point, 11-rebound, six-block game. He became the first Missouri Valley Conference player to record that stat line in a game between two Valley teams since Southern Illinois' Thik Bol on Feb. 19, 2017. 
• Cooper's six blocks lifted his career total to 89, moving into ninth in program history. He lifted his season total to 61, vaulting from ninth to sixth on the program's single-season blocks list. 
• Cooper scored 12 points or more for the 23^rd straight game.
• Cooper climbed over Dan Oppland for sixth in program history for points by a sophomore with 499.
• Wright cracked the top 10 in MVC history for points by a freshman, finishing the night in eighth in Valley history with 473 points as a rookie.   
• Wright's game-high 22 points represented his eighth time in the last 11 games tallying 20 or more.
• Senior Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro threatened a double-double with nine points and a career-high-tying nine rebounds. He surpassed his previous season best on the glass of six that occurred on Dec. 29 at Bradley and equaled his career best that occurred on Dec. 16, 2023 while playing for Western Michigan, ironically also in a game against UIC.
• Senior Darius DeAveiro tied a career high with seven rebounds, his fifth career seven-rebound game and first since Feb. 16 of this season. Schmidt pulled down six boards as well.
• Valpo won the turnover battle for the 25^th time in 32 games this season and had 10 turnovers or fewer for the 22^nd time. The Beacons held a 9-8 edge in that area.

Going Back-to-Back!

• All Wright was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year on Wednesday, becoming the second straight Valpo player to earn the award after Cooper Schwieger did so a year ago.
• This marks just the third time since the award began in 1986 that a school has had back-to-back MVC Freshmen of the Year. Wichita State's Markis McDuffie (2016) and Landry Shamet (2017) are the most recent duo to go back-to-back. Before that, it was Southern Illinois' Tony Harvey (1989) and Ashraf Amaya (1990).
• Wright became just the fifth Valpo freshman to win a league Newcomer/Freshman of the Year Award, joining Schwieger (2023-24), Lubos Barton (1998-99), Bryce Drew (1994-95) and Lance Barker (1991-92).
• Wright was also tabbed to the league's All-Freshman Team. He becomes the sixth Valpo player to be named to the MVC All-Freshman Team, joining Schwieger (2023-24), Preston Ruedinger (2021-22), Sheldon Edwards (2020-21), Donovan Clay (2019-20) and Javon Freeman-Liberty (2018-19).

All-MVC Second Team Honors

• Cooper Schwieger was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference Second Team on Wednesday, becoming the first Valpo player to be named specifically to the All-MVC Second Team since the school joined the conference.
• He becomes just the third Valpo player to earn All-MVC First or Second Team honors, joining Javon Freeman-Liberty (2019-20) and Ben Krikke (2022-23), who were both All-MVC First Team choices.
• In league-only games, Schwieger finished eighth in scoring (16.3 ppg), second in rebounding (7.45 rpg), eighth in field-goal percentage (.498), fourth in free-throw percentage (.860) and second in blocked shots (1.95 bpg).
• Overall, Schwieger ranks sixth in scoring (15.55 ppg), second in rebounding (7.65), eighth in field-goal percentage (.491), fourth in free-throw percentage (.848), second in blocked shots (1.77 bpg), eighth in offensive rebounds (2.03 per game) and first in defensive rebounds (5.61 per game).

Schwieger Named to MVC Most-Improved Team

• After being named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 2023-24, Schwieger was named to the MVC Most-Improved Team this year, as announced by the league office on Tuesday.
• Schwieger, who started all 31 regular-season games, averaged 15.5 points per game in the regular season, an increase of 2.3 points per game after averaging 13.2 ppg last season. He has made significant strides in the rebounding area, increasing his rebounding average by over two per game from 5.4 last season to 7.6 this season.
• Schwieger's blocked shot numbers have also made a significant jump as he finished with 28 last year (0.9 per game) and has 55 this year (1.77 per game). He has improved his free-throw percentage from .789 last season to .843 this season. Schwieger has 16 steals this season after 11 as a rookie. He has an active streak of 22 straight games with 12 points or more.
• Schwieger tallied eight double-doubles this season after two last season.
• This is the seventh time since joining the Missouri Valley Conference that Valpo has had a Most-Improved Team selection and Schwieger became the sixth different Beacon to earn that honor. Most recently, Ben Krikke was tabbed to the Most-Improved Team in 2022-23 for the second time in his career. Derrik Smits, Javon Freeman-Liberty, Mileek McMillan and Sheldon Edwards are other Valpo players who have earned this honor.

National Player of the Week Nod  

• Cooper Schwieger was recognized as an Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association on Tuesday, March 4.
• He becomes the first Valpo player to win a National Player of the Week honor since Alec Peters in February 2016.
• Schwieger joined Georgia's Silas Demary Jr., Villanova's Eric Dixon, Arkansas State's Izaiyah Nelson and Mercyhurst's Jeff Planutis as National Players of the Week for the final week of the regular season.

A Performance for the Ages

• Sophomore Cooper Schwieger had statistically one of the best performances in program history in the March 2 regular-season finale at UIC with 33 points, 18 rebounds and five assists.
• He became the first player in the nation with a 30-point, 15-rebound, five-assist game this season and first nationally since Weber State's Dillon Jones on Feb. 29 of last season vs. Northern Colorado.
• Schwieger became the first player in the nation with a 30-point, 15-rebound, five-assist game in a regulation contest since Chattanooga's Jake Stephens on Dec. 18, 2022 vs. Belmont.
• Schwieger became the first player in the nation with a 33-point, 18-rebound, five-assist game since Houston Baptist's Darius Lee on March 5, 2022 in a four-overtime game. He became the first player nationally to record that stat line in a regulation game since Cleveland State's Norris Cole had 41 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists on Feb. 12, 2011 vs. Youngstown State.
• Schwieger's 33 points were the most by a Beacon since Ben Krikke scored 34 on Feb. 19, 2023, also at UIC. In the last 15 Valpo seasons, only Brandon Wood (twice), Cory Johnson, LaVonte Dority, Alec Peters (three times), Krikke and Schwieger have scored 33 or more in a game.
• Schweiger's 18 rebounds marked the most by a Valpo player since Zoran Viskovic on Jan. 7, 1999 at Oakland (18).
• Schwieger became the first Valpo player with a 30-point double-double since Krikke's aforementioned game at UIC and joined Alec Peters (6x), Javon Freeman-Liberty and Krikke as the only players with 30-point double-doubles in the last 15 years.
• Schwieger posted Valpo's first 30-point, 15-rebound, five-assist game on record. This marked just the third known 30-15-5 game by a Missouri Valley Conference player, joining Larry Bird on March 24, 1979 vs. DePaul and Oscar Robertson on March 31, 1959 vs. Louisville.
• Schwieger surpassed his previous career high of 28 points, which came in last year's regular-season finale on March 3, 2024 vs. Illinois State. His rebound total surpassed his previous best of 15 on Jan. 14, 2025 at Belmont. His assist total surpassed his previous best of four, achieved twice, most recently on Feb. 16 of this season at Evansville.

Wright Sets Freshman Record 

• All Wright has scored 502 points this season, the seventh most by a freshman nationally and third-most by a mid-major freshman.
• On March 6 in the MVC Tournament opener vs. UIC, Wright moved past three players and into eighth in Missouri Valley Conference history for points by a freshman.
• On March 7 in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals vs. UNI, Wright climbed into a tie for sixth in league history for points by a rookie.
• On March 2 in the regular-season finale at UIC, Wright surpassed Lubos Barton's freshman single-season record of 441 points.

MVC Season Freshman Scoring List
Rank   Player, Team                                     Year                Points
1          Doug McDermott, Creighton             2010-11           581
2          Cleo Littleton, Wichita St                   1951-52           555
3          Mitchell Anderson, Bradley               1978-79           545
4          John S. Williams, Indiana State         1982-83           520
5          AJ Green, UNI                                    2018-19           509
6          Tucker DeVries, Drake                       2021-22           502
            All Wright, Valpo                               2024-25           502
8          Milton Doyle, Loyola                         2013-14           478
9          Shea Seals, Tulsa                                1993-94           470
10        Tarise Bryson, Illinois State               1998-99           465
 
Valpo Single-Season Freshman Scoring List
Rank   Player                         Year                Points
1          All Wright                 2024-25           502
2          Lubos Barton              1998-99           441
3          Alec Peters                  2013-14           433
4          Cooper Schwieger      2023-24           409
5          Larry Dougherty         1984-85           397
 
Other Notes Wrapping Up March 2: UIC 77, Valpo 73

• Darius DeAveiro racked up six steals, one shy of tying a program record achieved three times, most recently by Lexus Williams on Nov. 12, 2016 vs. Trinity Christian. DeAveiro became the first Valpo player with six or more since Williams had a half a dozen on Nov. 27, 2016 vs. Ball State. He became the fifth Missouri Valley Conference player with six steals or more in a game this season.
• In addition to his aforementioned stat stuffing in the points, rebounds and assists columns, sophomore Cooper Schwieger had one block, lifting his career total to 84, moving into a tie for ninth in program history with Antti Nikkila (1999-2003). He moved into sole possession of ninth in program history for blocked shots in a season with 55.
• Schwieger increased his season point total to 482, seventh among sophomores in program history, and his career total to 891, fourth in program history for total points as a freshman and sophomore.
• Wright's 24 points marked his third time in the last four games with 24 or more and his seventh 20-point performance in his last 10 games. He also grabbed four steals, surpassing his season high of three set at Missouri State.
• Schwieger and Wright combined for 78 percent of the team's scoring on Sunday. Schwieger had over half of Valpo's total rebounds.
• Valpo shot 38.6 percent for the game and 31.8 percent from 3. Valpo was outrebounded 43-33 but won the turnover battle 18-10. The Beacons returned to form at the free-throw line, going 12-of-13 (92.3 percent) after a rare rough night at the stripe on Wednesday vs. Bradley.

Weekly Honors for Final Week

• Cooper Schwieger was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week for the final week of the regular season on March 3, while All Wright was tabbed the league's Freshman of the Week.
• Schwieger became the first Valpo player to garner the league's Player of the Week Award since Ben Krikke on Feb. 20, 2023. He joins Krikke (three times) and Javon Freeman-Liberty (three times) as Valpo's MVC Players of the Week since joining the league.
• Wright received his seventh MVC Freshman of the Week Award of the season. He garnered the honor in each of the final four weeks of the season.
• This marked the eighth time a member of the program has won the Freshman of the Week award this season and the team's 14th MVC Freshman of the Week Award since head coach Roger Powell Jr. arrived at Valpo prior to the 2023-24 season.

Sepp the Scholar

• Sophomore Kaspar Sepp was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Second Team on Monday, March 3.
• Sepp owns a 3.78 cumulative grade point average in bioengineering.
• He became the first Valpo player to be named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team since Ben Krikke was a first team honoree in each of his final three seasons concluding in 2022-23. He became the fifth different Valpo player to be named to the first or second team since the program joined the league, joining Derrik Smits, John Kiser, Thomas Kithier and Krikke.
• Sepp finished the season ranked tied for 10th in the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding at 5.9 per game. He averaged 3.8 points per game while playing in all 31 regular-season games and making 21 starts.

Wright Second in the League in Final Month

• Valpo freshman All Wright reached 20 points for the seventh time in the last 10 games with 24 in the regular-season finale on March 2 at UIC. 
• Wright has scored 20+ points 10 times this season, one of just five Missouri Valley Conference players with 10 or more 20-point games, joining some of the league's brightest stars in Drake's Bennett Stirtz, Indiana State's Samage Teel, Evansville's Tayshawn Comer and Southern Illinois' Ali Dibba.
• In the final month of the regular season, Wright averaged 21.1 points per game, second in the Missouri Valley Conference in that time behind Stirtz at 21.6. Valpo boasted two of the league's top five scorers down the stretch as Cooper Schwieger was tied for fifth in scoring average over the final month at 18.8 points per game.

Valpo at Arch Madness

• Valpo is 7-7 all-time in 14 Arch Madness games. Three of the six victories came during the 2019-20 run to the title game, which featured wins over Evansville, Loyola and Missouri State, and two of the wins have come this season.
• With Thursday's game vs. UIC, Valpo has played each of the three newest Missouri Valley Conference teams at Arch Madness.
• Each of Valpo's first two Arch Madness opponents were teams Valpo has never played in the event before, as Friday marked the first Arch Madness faceoff between Valpo and UNI. Drake, Illinois State and Southern Illinois are the only remaining teams that Valpo has yet to play in the MVC Tournament.
• This marked the second time Valpo and Bradley have hooked up in the conference tournament and first since the 2020 MVC title game.
• In 2020, Valpo became the first team in the history of Arch Madness to win three games in three days to reach the MVC title game. As a No. 7 seed, Valpo became the lowest seed to ever play in the title game. The Beacons led Bradley 38-36 at halftime of the title game and were 20 minutes from clinching an NCAA Tournament berth, but the Braves eventually prevailed 80-66.
• Valpo entered Arch Madness as the No. 10 seed in 2017-18, No. 9 seed in 2018-19, No. 7 in 2019-20, No. 6 in 2020-21, No. 7 in 2021-2022 and the No. 10 in the league's first year with 12 teams in 2022-23. The Beacons were the No. 12 seed in 2023-24 and No. 11 in 2024-25.

Valpo in St. Louis

• The program's history in the building now known as the Enterprise Center goes beyond the team's MVC Tournament appearances.
• Valpo's Sweet Sixteen game against Rhode Island in 1998 was played in the building, which was then known as the Kiel Center.
• Valpo also appeared in the 2002 NCAA Tournament in St. Louis, but the first-round date with Kentucky was played at the Edward Jones Dome.
• Head coach Roger Powell Jr. played in the Final Four in St. Louis in 2005, when he led Illinois to a 72-57 win over Louisville in the national semifinal before a 75-70 setback to North Carolina in the national title game. The event was held at the Edward Jones Dome.

Playing Back-to-Back

• This marks the second time in a three-year span that Valpo has faced the same opponent in the regular-season finale and the first round of Arch Madness.
• Valpo finished the 2023 regular season with a 77-76 overtime loss at Murray State before falling 78-50 in the first-round league tournament matchup.
• Valpo closed the 2016 regular season with a 70-68 win at Green Bay before falling to the Phoenix 99-92 in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament.

Program Progress

• With two wins at Arch Madness so far, Valpo has 15 wins this season, over double of last year's total of seven.  
• Valpo finished with six Missouri Valley Conference wins, doubling last year's league win total of three.
• The Beacons surpassed the team's 2022-23 conference win total of five and tied with 2021-22 for the team's highest MVC win total over the last four years.

Significant Wins

• On Feb. 14 vs. Belmont, Valpo snapped a seven-game head-to-head losing streak, beating the Bruins for the first time since joining the Missouri Valley Conference. This marked the team's first win in the series since Dec. 3, 2015, a 61-57 nonconference triumph.
• By beating Indiana State on Jan. 8, Valpo snapped a four-game head-to-head losing streak and topped the Sycamores for the first time since Feb. 5, 2022 (W 79-72, 2OT).
• With that Jan. 8 victory, Valpo beat the defending conference regular-season champions for the first time since Feb. 13, 2020, a 70-57 victory over UNI, and snapped a six-game losing streak against the defending MVC regular-season champs.
• The Beacons won 73-72 at Missouri State on Jan. 1, ending a nine-game head-to-head losing streak and beating the Bears for the first time since the 2020 MVC Tournament semifinal.
• Valpo's 80-73 win over UNI on Jan. 4 snapped a four-game head-to-head skid and snapped a 15-game losing streak against teams picked to finish in the top two in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll.
• Valpo has 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.
• Valpo beat Missouri State 66-64 on Feb. 19, securing the team's first time winning a season series from the Bears in a combined 16 seasons of sharing league affiliation between the Missouri Valley Conference and Association of Mid-Continent Universities.
• Valpo stopped a seven-game skid against Southern Illinois with an 83-79 victory on Feb. 22 in Carbondale. 

Youthful Beacons

• In recent games, six players taking the court for Valpo are freshmen or sophomores in eligibility.
• In conference play, six of the team's top nine scorers are freshmen and sophomores. The team has gotten over 60 percent of its scoring in league games from players who are freshmen or sophomores in eligibility.
• In the Feb. 22 win at Southern Illinois, true freshmen scored 16 of Valpo's final 17 points and 16 straight prior to Darius DeAveiro's free throw in the closing seconds as Justus McNair and All Wright propelled the Valpo rally.

Rookie Rewards

• All Wright has been named the MVC Freshman of the Week seven times this season including each of the final four weeks – Dec. 2, Dec. 16, Jan. 6, Feb. 10, Feb. 17, Feb. 24 and March 3. Wright had over twice as many MVC Freshman of the Week honors as the next closest player. 
• Valpo players have won that award eight times in 2024-25 and 14 times 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.

Schwieger The Shot Blocker

• After his 11 blocks in the first two games at Arch Madness, Cooper Schwieger leads the Missouri Valley Conference in blocks with 66 (2.00 per game).  
• Schwieger moved into the top 10 in program history for career blocked shots on Feb. 19 vs. Missouri State, surpassing current member of the Valpo coaching staff Lubos Barton (1998-02, 74).
• Schwieger moved into the single-season all-time top 10 on Feb. 22, tying Zoran Viskovic for 10^th with 51.
• Schwieger has turned away three shots or more in a game 11 times this season. 

Valpo Career Blocked Shots – Top 10  
Rank    Player                          Years               Blocks
1          Vashil Fernandez        2012-16           289
2          Raitis Grafs                 1999-03           228
3          Zoran Viskovic           1996-99           127
4          Joaquim Gomes          2000-04           111
5          Ryan Broekhoff          2019-13           100
6          Jaume Sorolla             2016-19           95
7          Harry Bell                   1984-88           94
            Cooper Schwieger      2023-pres.       94
9          Morris Smith               1979-81           90
10        Antti Nikkila               1999-03           84

Valpo Single-Season Blocked Shots – Top 5
Rank    Player                          Year                Blocks
1          Vashil Fernandez        2015-16           119
2          Vashil Fernandez        2014-15           98
3          Moussa Gueye            2013-14           71
4          Raitis Grafs                 2000-01           67
5          Raitis Grafs                 2001-02           66
            Cooper Schwieger      2024-25           66

Coop Can Hoop

• Cooper Schwieger has been incredibly consistent for the majority of the season, tallying 12 points or more in 24 straight games.
• Schwieger's rebounding average of 7.8 per game is Valpo's highest since Alec Peters' 10.1 in 2016-17.
• Schwieger's rare combination of positive attributes includes free-throw shooting and shot blocking. He is only player in the country shooting 84 percent or better at the free-throw line (among qualifiers) and blocking at least one shot per game.
• Schwieger's free-throw percentage of .846 ranks first nationally among those 6-foot-10 or taller, ahead of North Dakota State's Jacksen Moni at .837. Schwieger's current single-season free-throw percentage ranks first in Missouri Valley Conference history among those 6-foot-9 or taller. Ben Krikke's 2021-22 season for Valpo at .843 is second and Larry Bird's 1976-77 season for Indiana State at .840 is third.
• The last Missouri Valley Conference player to finish a season shooting above 85 percent at the free-throw line (minimum 50 attempts) and averaging at least 1.0 blocks per game was Illinois State's Sean Riley in 1998-99.
• Schwieger's free-throw percentage is the best by a Valpo player since Alec Peters shot 88.7 percent from the line in 2016-17.
• Schwieger has scored 926 points combined over the last two seasons, second in the Missouri Valley Conference in that time span behind Bradley's Duke Deen (942). He has 426 rebounds over the last two seasons, the second most among MVC players in that time behind UNI's Tytan Anderson (440).
• Schwieger ranks sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring (15.7 ppg), first in rebounding (7.82 rpg) and first in blocked shots (66, 2.00 bpg). He's the only player in the league averaging at least 14 points, seven rebounds and one block per game.
• In league-only games, Schwieger ranked eighth in the league in scoring (16.3), second in rebounding (7.5) and second in blocked shots (1.95).
• Schwieger is one of four sophomores nationally averaging at least 14 points, seven rebounds and one block, joining South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles, Texas Tech's JT Toppin and Robert Morris' Alvaro Folgueiras.
• The last Missouri Valley Conference player to finish a season averaging at least 14 points, seven rebounds and one block was Missouri State's Gaige Prim in 2021-22. The last Valley underclassman (freshman or sophomore) to do so was Drake's Liam Robbins in 2019-20.

DeAveiro Climbs All-Time Assist List 

• Senior point guard Darius DeAveiro ranks among the program's all-time assists leaders.
• DeAveiro is up to 380 assists for his career, sixth 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.
• 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. 5-10
Rank    Player                          Years               Assists
5          Jarryd Loyd                 2004-08           405
6          Darius DeAveiro         2021-pres.       380
7          Todd Smith                 1985-89           368
8          Lubos Barton              1998-02           360
            Scott Anselm              1985-89           360
10        Jamie Sykes                1993-98           359
 
Sophomore Scoring

• Cooper Schwieger ranks fifth in program history in points by a sophomore.
• Schwieger ranks third in program history for total points as a freshman and sophomore, joined in the top four by Alec Peters, Javon Freeman-Liberty and Bryce Drew, all of whom went on to play in the NBA. 

Valpo Single-Season Sophomore Scoring List
Rank    Player                                      Year                Points
1          Javon Freeman-Liberty          2019-20           628
2          Alec Peters                              2014-15           570
3          Brandon Wood                       2009-10           565
4          Bryce Drew                             1995-96           551
5          Cooper Schwieger                 2024-25           517
6          Dave Redmon                         1992-93           509
7          Dan Oppland                           2003-04           486
8          Raitis Grafs                             2000-01           441
9          Tracy Gipson                          1990-91           438
10        Jeff Simmons                          1979-80           413
 
Valpo Career Points Through Sophomore Season
Rank    Player                          Years               Points
1          Alec Peters                  2013-15           1,003
2          Javon Freeman-Liberty 2018-20        992
3          Cooper Schwieger     2022-2025       926
4          Bryce Drew                 1994-96           912
5          Lubos Barton              1998-99           778

Low Turnovers, High FT%

• Valpo's strongest categories this season have been avoiding turnovers and knocking down free throws. Valpo is one of eight teams in the country shooting 78 percent at the free-throw line and turning it over 10.0 times per game or fewer, joining Duke, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Villanova, Pittsburgh, St. Thomas and Lipscomb.
• Valpo has won or tied the turnover battle in 26 out of 33 games this season and has 23 games with 10 turnovers or fewer.
• The Beacons are averaging just 9.8 turnovers per game, the fewest in the MVC and 21^st fewest nationally. They rank second in the league in turnover margin at +2.2 per game.
• Valpo is shooting 78.9 percent at the free-throw line this season, first in the MVC and 11^th nationally. The Beacons make an average of 15.7 free throws per game, second in the MVC.
• Valpo has posted a better free-throw percentage than its opponent in 24 out of 33 games this season.
• 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.
• The modern program record for turnovers per game is last season at 11.0.

Celebrating the Seniors

• The career arcs of the two seniors who were recognized during the Feb. 26 game vs. Bradley are in stark contrast to one another but equally compelling.
• Tyler Schmidt joined the program as a graduate transfer this season after graduating from Olivet Nazarene with a degree in business administration. After four years as an NAIA standout, he had the opportunity to play Division-I in his hometown for his fifth year of college basketball. Schmidt grew up attending Valpo games and attended Valpo kids camps as a child.
• On the flip side of Schmidt's one-year appearance in his hometown, Darius DeAveiro closed out a four-year career at Valpo with his final home game on Wednesday. After playing two seasons for head coach Matt Lottich, he remained with the program and became a team captain under head coach Roger Powell Jr. for his junior and senior seasons.
• DeAveiro played in his 116^th game in a Valpo uniform on Senior Night. He delivered an emotional speech to the Valpo fanbase following the contest. After this season wraps up, DeAveiro plans to stay in the game of basketball as either a player or coach.

Rally Time

• The 16-point comeback to beat Southern Illinois on Feb. 22 marked Valpo's third double-figure rally this season including the second consecutive game in which Valpo overcame a double-figure deficit.
• The Beacons have overcome a deficit of 15 or larger twice this season. Prior to this year, Valpo had not rallied from that far behind since the 18-point comeback in the 2019-20 MVC quarterfinal against Loyola.
• The Feb. 22 win over Southern Illinois marked Valpo's largest comeback in a regular-season conference game since coming from 17 down to beat Illinois State in 2019-20.
• According to KenPom, Valpo had a win probability of 4.2 percent when trailing the Salukis 65-55 with 9:24 to play. 

Year                Opponent                    Deficit             Score
2024-25           Southern Illinois         16                    W 83-79
2024-25           Missouri St                  10                    W 66-64
2024-25           Western Michigan      22                    W 76-73
2023-24           UIC                             12                    W 84-77
2021-22           Evansville                   10                    W 74-69
2021-22           Eastern Michigan        11                    W 67-55
2021-22           Tulane                         12                    W 68-64
2020-21           Bradley                       14                    W 91-85 (2ot)
2019-20           Loyola                         18                    W 74-73 (ot)
2019-20           Bradley                       13                    W 90-78
2019-20           Illinois State                17                    W 65-62
2019-20           Indiana State               11                    W 86-77
2019-20           SIUE                           10                    W 89-76
2019-20           Toledo                         14                    W 79-77
2018-19           Illinois State                12                    W 58-56
2018-19           George Wash.             10                    W 82-79
2018-19           UNLV                         11                    W 72-64
2017-18           Bradley                       10                    W 77-64
2017-18           UNCW                        10                    W 79-70
2016-17           Wright State                10                    W 84-74
2016-17           Cleveland State           12                    W 78-67
2016-17           BYU                            12                    W 92-89
2016-17           Trinity Christian         16                    W 89-75
 
Valley Point Peaks

• After notching the team's highest scoring output in league play with 101 vs. Belmont on Feb. 12, Valpo turned in its highest road point total since joining the league in the 83-79 victory at Southern Illinois on Feb. 22.
• This represented Valpo's highest road scoring output in a league game since Feb. 24, 2017 at Wright State, an 84-74 win.  
• This marked the team's highest point total in any true road game since an 87-72 win at High Point on Dec. 18, 2019.
• In an incredibly strange coincidence, High Point was both the last team to give up 83+ to Valpo on the road and the last team to score 83+ at Southern Illinois prior to the Feb. 22 game. High Point went to Carbondale and won 94-81 on Dec. 21 of this season.
• The 83 points tied with Bradley this year for the most scored at Southern Illinois by a visiting Valley team since Evansville had 84 on Dec. 28, 2020.

More Last-Second Heroics

• All Wright's game-winning layup with two seconds remaining on Feb. 19 vs. Missouri State marked the second time this season that a Valpo player hit a game-winner in the final five seconds, joining Justus McNair's buzzer-beater on Dec. 20 at Western Michigan.
• The last time Valpo had two last second game-winners in the same season was 2019-20, a year that was bookended by Javon Freeman-Liberty's heroics on opening night vs. Toledo and Eron Gordon's game-winner vs. Loyola in the MVC Tournament quarterfinal.
• This marks Valpo's 24^th game-winner in the final five seconds since the start of the 1992-93 season. A full list can be found below.

Valpo Basketball Game-Winning Shots in Final Five Seconds
Date                Player                          Opponent        Score
2/19/25            All Wright                  Missouri St      W 68-64
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)
 
An All Wright Second Half

• Freshman All Wright's game-winning layup to lift Valpo past Missouri State 66-64 on Feb. 19 capped an evening where he scored 22 of his game-high 24 points after halftime, including 20 points in the final 11:06 and 16 in the final 6:20.
• The 22 points in a half were the most by a Valpo player since Isaiah Stafford had 23 in the first half on Nov. 17 of last season at Illinois.
• Wright's 22-point second half was the most by a Valpo player after halftime since Javon Freeman-Liberty had 23 on March 7, 2020 in the MVC Tournament semifinal vs. Missouri State.
• Wright's 22-point half was the highest scoring half by a Valpo freshman in at least 20 years.
• Wright's 16 points in the final seven minutes were the most by a Valpo player in the final seven minutes of a game since Jarryd Loyd had 16 in the final seven minutes on March 8, 2008 and 18 in the final 7:11 on March 8, 2008, a 78-73 loss to Cleveland State in the Horizon League semifinals. 

Brooms Against Bears

• Valpo's 66-64 win over Missouri State on Feb. 19 at the ARC secured a season sweep of the Bears after the Beacons entered this season on a nine-game head-to-head losing streak. The Beacons won the two tightly-contested games by a total of three points.
• This marked the first (and last with Missouri State joining Conference USA next season) time that Valpo swept a two-game regular-season conference series from Missouri State.
• This was the 14^th time that Valpo and Missouri State have engaged in a regular-season conference home-and-home including both the program's time sharing Association of Mid-Continent Universities (AMCU) conference affiliation from 1982-1990 and Missouri Valley Conference affiliation from 2017-2025.
• In the first 13 of those home-and-homes, there were eight Missouri State sweeps and five splits.
• This marked the 16^th season in which Valpo and Missouri State have shared conference affiliation as they met only once in the regular season in two seasons – 1982-83 and 2022-23. Valpo lost the lone matchup in those two years, so this marked the first time in 16 seasons that Valpo won the regular-season series against Missouri State after previously losing the series 10 times and splitting it on five occasions.

Basketball 101

• The Beacons cracked triple digits in a 101-86 victory over Belmont on Feb. 12. The 101 points eclipsed 98 on Jan. 8 of this season vs. Indiana State as Valpo's highest point total in a Missouri Valley Conference game since joining the league.
• The aforementioned game against the Sycamores went to overtime, so before Wednesday Valpo's highest point total in regulation in league play since joining The Valley was 90 on Feb. 22, 2020 vs. Bradley.
• The Beacons posted their highest point total against a Division-I opponent since a 117-108 triple-overtime loss to Mercer on Nov. 11, 2013.
• This marked Valpo's first time scoring 100+ points against a Division-I opponent in regulation since 103 on Dec. 21, 2010 at Oakland.
• This was Valpo's first time scoring 100 points in league play since Feb. 7, 2002, a 100-63 win over Chicago State in Mid-Continent Conference action. This marked the team's highest point total in league play since Jan. 31, 1998, a 102-74 Mid-Con victory at Chicago State.
• The 101 points were the most allowed by Belmont since Dec. 15, 2004, a 107-76 loss at UAB.
• The 15-point win was Valpo's largest margin of victory in league play since a 71-51 win at Illinois State on Jan. 21, 2023.
• Valpo became the second Missouri Valley Conference team to eclipse 100 points in a league game this season, joining Bradley (118 on Jan. 15 vs. Indiana State).

Valpo Highest Scoring Outputs vs. D-I Opponents in Program History
Rank    Date                Opponent                    Score
1          3/3/1996          vs. Chicago State        W 118-83
2          11/29/2013      Mercer                        L 117-108
3          1/7/2006          Longwood                   W 105-73
T-4      12/2/1998        Norfolk State              W 104-69
T-4      1/15/1996        at Troy State               L 115-104
T-4      1/9/1995          Chicago State              W 104-68
T-4      3/1/1993          at Western Illinois      W 104-100
T-4      2/6/1989          at Butler                      W 104-83
9          12/21/2010      at Oakland                   W 103-102
T-10    1/31/1998        at Chicago State          W 102-74
T-10    2/8/1997          Northeastern Illinois   W 102-84
T-10    2/10/1996        Troy State                   W 102-92
T-13    2/12/2025        Belmont                      W 101-86
T-13    2/6/1993          at UIC                         W 101-94
 
Wright Records Known Freshman Record

• All Wright became the first Valpo freshman to score more than 30 points in a single game in at least 35 years and surpassed the known freshman single-game scoring record with his 32-point output on Feb. 5 at Indiana State.
• The previous known Valpo freshman record of 30 was shared by Raitis Grafs (Jan. 10, 2000 vs. Belmont) and Alec Peters (twice –Dec. 14, 2013 vs. Loyola Marymount; Nov. 20, 2013 at Evansville).
• Wright's 32 points were the most by a Missouri Valley Conference freshman since Bradley's Darrell Brown had 34 on Nov. 21, 2016 vs. Hofstra and marked the most by a Valley rookie in a league game since Indiana State's Marico Stinson had 37 on Dec. 30, 2006 vs. Drake.
• Wright's 32 points marked the highest by a Valpo player this season, and the most by any Beacon since Isaiah Stafford's 32 on Jan. 31, 2024 at Drake. Since the start of the 2011-12 season, only Wright, Stafford, Ben Krikke, Javon Freeman-Liberty, Alec Peters (x5) and LaVonte Dority have games of 32 points or more.
• Wright recorded the third-highest point total by any Missouri Valley Conference player this season and the second-highest in league play. UNI's Leon Bond III had 37 points on Dec. 16 vs. Montana and SIU's Ali Dibba had 33 at Belmont on Jan. 8.

Remembering Connie

• Valpo Athletics is mourning the loss of longtime Valpo men's basketball fan Connie Bretscher, who passed away at the age of 104 on Sunday, Jan. 19.
• The Valpo Family held a moment of silence prior to Saturday's game vs. Evansville to honor Connie's memory.
• Bretscher celebrated her 104^th birthday on Friday, Jan. 10. Bretscher, who has been battling illness over the last month, was not able to attend the game that week, but received two visits from Valpo head coach Roger Powell Jr. the week of her birthday.
• On Wednesday, Jan. 8, Powell visited prior to the game against Indiana State. The team beat the Sycamores 98-95 in overtime that evening, and the next day Powell returned with a game ball signed by the team to present to Connie, dedicating the victory to her.
• Connie graduated from Valpo in 1942 with a degree in music, earned a graduate degree in education in 1971 and took German classes at age 96 in 2016-17 in preparation for the Reformation trip to Germany.
• Powell's visit to Bretscher was highlighted on the NBC 5 Chicago news and WGN's "GN Sports" that evening.

Schmidt Surpasses 2,500

• Tyler Schmidt hit another career milestone on Jan. 18 vs. UIC as the fifth-year senior eclipsed 2,500 for his career, combined between NCAA and NAIA.
• Schmidt scored 2,267 points while appearing in 113 games at Olivet Nazarene over the last four years.
• Schmidt's 2,500^th point came as part of a 17-point performance in the Jan. 18 loss to the Flames.

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.
• 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.

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
 
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.