The Valparaiso University men's basketball program and head coach Roger Powell Jr. have announced the signing of Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Rockford Auburn [212° Sports Academy]), who will join the team as a freshman for the 2025-26 season.
 
"Rakim is a great young prospect," Powell said. "He has the ability to play point guard. I love his leadership, maturity and ability to come in right away and make an impact. He has great size at the point-guard position. Rakim will have the chance to play close to home as we continue to recruit our neighboring state of Illinois."
 
After graduating from Auburn High School in Rockford, Chaney spent this past season at 212° Sports Academy in Sarasota, Fla., where he averaged 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists en route to Florida Sun Basketball League Player of the Year honors.
 
"The strength of my game is that I'm a tough-minded player," Chaney said. "I can do everything and play defense. As a point guard, I like to get everybody involved. I can lead a team. I can score the ball. I'm going to have a really high level of energy. I'm the type of player who is going to dive on the floor for loose balls and get a lot of deflections. I want to be a player who can lead a team to close out a win when games are tight. I like being a point guard who can do everything."
 
Chaney's favorite basketball memory is a run to the super sectionals during his junior season, when a talented group did not have a great season but hit its stride at the right time. Chaney was a key part of that run, stringing together a few 20- to 30-point postseason performances.
 
"I learned from my high school coach to always be tough minded," Chaney said. "Players who come out of Rockford always bet on themselves and have confidence in themselves on both ends of the floor. Never let anyone score on you."
 
While at 212° Sports Academy, Chaney played with teammates who hailed from Japan, France, Serbia and Turkey and developed close relationships with players from around the world. He learned from those around him and experienced a great deal of winning during his time in Sarasota. That stop in his journey led to identifying the perfect fit for his next chapter at Valpo.
 
"It was a great fit when I got to campus and spoke to Coach Powell and his coaching staff," Chaney said. "They were all great people. They were funny, but also all about their business. When they saw me play, they felt that they could develop me really well and that I could be a good addition to their team. Everything was a great fit."
 
Chaney's father Bo played high school basketball and went on to play at the junior college level at Parkland. Both his maternal and paternal grandfathers have been involved with high school basketball in the Chicagoland area over the years. Chaney's older brother Rob is two years his senior and played at Clarke University. Off the court, Chaney spends a lot of time with his family.
 
"I've been following who the coaching staff has been picking up since I committed, and I can tell this is going to be a really exciting year," Chaney said. "I can't wait for everybody to get a chance to meet and learn about each other. Coach Powell is a man of faith, and I'm also a man of faith, so we can find a relationship in that. He wants to play me as a freshman, and he's known for playing freshmen. I want to get an opportunity at that level, and when I get that opportunity, I'm going to deliver."