Next Up in Valpo Basketball: Coming off its best win in five years in terms of KenPom rating and an upset victory over the team picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference, the Valparaiso University men's basketball team will look to extend its winning streak to three on Saturday afternoon at Murray State. The Beacons have another strong opponent in front of them as they battle the lone team in the Missouri Valley Conference that is still undefeated in league play. These two teams will clash for the second and final time in the regular season, as this marks Valpo's first repeat opponent of the Valley docket despite not having yet played four other teams for the first time.
 
Last Time Out: Valpo knocked down an eye-popping 75 percent of its 3-point attempts en route to knocking off preseason MVC favorite Illinois State 77-71 on Wednesday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center. Owen Dease scored 28 points – the most in a single game by any Beacon this season and his career high – to lead an effort that also saw JT Pettigrew pour in 21 for the second straight game. Dease dunked home the clincher with 26 seconds left, using the patented Valpo home-run play after a full-court baseline inbound pass from Brody Whitaker.
 
Glancing Ahead: Valpo will stay in the south to battle Belmont on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in Nashville. Belmont beat UNI 78-65 on Wednesday to improve to 4-2 in league play. The Bruins play at Drake on Saturday.  
 
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Rob Cross (play-by-play) and Scott Edgar (analyst)
Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (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. (30-52) is in his third 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. In the second season of the Powell Era in 2024-2025, Valpo over doubled its overall win total from the previous season and doubled its 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.
 
Series Notes: Valpo is 3-8 all-time against Murray State in a series that began in 1999-2000. The Beacons will look to capture their first Missouri Valley Conference victory over the Racers as Murray State has won all seven matchups since joining the MVC prior to the 2022-2023 campaign, including an 85-79 victory this season at the ARC in the Dec. 21 conference opener.
 
Dec. 21 – Murray State 85, Valpo 79 (ARC): Valpo led for nearly 25 minutes while Murray State was on top for less than 11 minutes, but the guests held the upper hand when it counted most, beating the Beacons 85-79 on Sunday, Dec. 21 in Valpo's Missouri Valley Conference opener at the Athletics-Recreation Center. Owen Dease shattered his previous career high with 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Valpo led by as many as eight with 13:40 remaining in the second half before the Racers rallied to victory. Murray State outshot Valpo at the free-throw line 28-15 and had 23 makes to Valpo's 10.
 
Scouting the Racers

• Currently ranked 87^th in the KenPom, the second-best rating among Missouri Valley Conference teams.
• Picked to finish third in the MVC preseason poll.
• Sit all alone atop the MVC standings as the lone undefeated team at 6-0, most recently winning 79-69 at Evansville on Wednesday.
• Hold a 10-game winning streak with the team's last loss coming on Nov. 24 vs. McNeese State. The winning streak is the ninth longest active streak in the nation.
• Own an unblemished home record at 8-0 and have won 10 straight in Murray dating back to Feb. 4, 2025 vs. Drake.
• Led in scoring by Javon Jackson at 16.8 points per game, leading three Racers in double figures.
• Under the direction of first-year head coach Ryan Miller, who was previously the associate head coach at Creighton.

The Gauntlet Continues

• Valpo is in the midst of a challenging stretch with four consecutive games against teams in the top 100 in the KenPom – Illinois State (90), Murray State (87), Belmont (60) and UNI (97).
• The last time Valpo played four straight top-100 KenPom opponents was the 2016 NIT, facing Florida State (48), Saint Mary's (34), BYU (52) and George Washington (53). Of course, Valpo went 3-1 during that stretch, winning the first three games before falling to George Washington in the NIT title game.
• The four teams that Valpo plays during this stretch – Illinois State, Murray State, Belmont and UNI – are the top four teams in the league based upon both KenPom and NET.
• This stretch pits Valpo against four of the top five teams in the league's preseason poll.

KenPom Progress

• The Beacons have continued to climb the KenPom rankings, currently ranked a season-best 179.
• The Beacons started the season at 284, moving up 104 spots in the rankings since the season tipped off.
• The improvement of 104 puts the Brown & Gold among only 12 teams in the country that have climbed over 100 spots from the preseason rankings.
• Valpo's current ranking of 179 is its best of the Roger Powell Jr. head coaching era and best since Jan. 9, 2021 (169).

A Big Win Over the Birds

• Valpo's 77-71 victory over Illinois State on Jan. 7 marked the team's best win in quite some time.
• Illinois State entered the game ranked 90^th in the KenPom, making that Valpo's first top-100 KenPom win since Nov. 27, 2023 vs. James Madison (98) and best win in terms of KenPom rating since knocking off nationally-ranked Drake 74-57 on Feb. 7, 2021, when the Bulldogs were 55^th in the KenPom.
• Valpo snapped a nine-game losing streak in games against the team picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference, topping the league's preseason favorite for the first time since Feb. 13, 2021 (W 70-57 at UNI). The Beacons improved to 3-14 against preseason favorites since joining the MVC.
• Illinois State entered the game with the top NET rating in the Missouri Valley Conference at 58.
• Valpo improved to 7-0 at the ARC against Illinois State since joining the Missouri Valley Conference and still have not lost to the Redbirds in Northwest Indiana since Jan. 19, 1981. Valpo is now 13-3 overall against Illinois State since joining the MVC.

Other Notes Wrapping Up Jan. 7 – Valpo 77, Illinois State 71

• Owen Dease's 28 points marked a career high, the third time in his last five games that he's set a personal best and second time in the last three contests. He outdid his previous best of 26 on Jan. 1 at Southern Illinois thanks in part to going 3-for-3 from long range and 9-for-9 at the stripe on Wednesday.
• Freshman JT Pettigrew matched his personal best of 21 that was set in the previous game, Jan. 4 vs. UIC.  
• The Beacons knocked down nine of their 12 3-point attempts, shooting a season-high 75 percent from distance, outdoing the previous season high of 45.8 percent on Nov. 29 vs. Western Michigan. Two of their best three 3-point shooting percentages of the season have come in the last two games, when they've attempted just 11 and 12 3s after attempting at least 16 in each of their first 14 games.
• The 3-point percentage of .750 was the team's best since Jan. 18, 2007 at Western Illinois (.750 from 3, W 78-60). The Beacons notched the second-best 3-point percentage in the nation this season and best against a Division-I opponent. George Mason went 7-of-8 from 3 on Nov. 11, 2025 vs. Catawba. Valpo became the first team nationally to shoot 75 percent from 3 with at least nine makes since USC was 12-of-16 (75%) on Feb. 11, 2025 vs. Penn State.
• This was the first time a team shot above 70 percent from 3 against Illinois State since Jan. 11, 2006, when Missouri State made 71.4 percent of its 3-point attempts (5-of-7) in a win over the Redbirds.
• The Beacons continued to do a good job of getting to the free-throw line as they were 26-of-35, their third straight game with at least 24 makes and third straight game with at least 29 attempts.
• Dease and Pettigrew shared the team lead in rebounds with six apiece. Illinois State did grab 17 offensive rebounds to Valpo's four and outscored the Beacons 14-0 on second-chance points.
• Illinois State leading scorer Chase Walker got to 20 points, but he was just 8-of-19 from the floor thanks in large part to the defense of Shon Tupuola.
• Dease led the team in plus-minus again at +8 followed by Pettigrew at +6.
• The Beacons shot 51.2 percent from the floor, the team's best against a D1 opponent since Nov. 19 at Cleveland State and third best overall on the season.
• Valpo limited Illinois State to 5-of-16 (.313) from 3, the ninth straight game Valpo has forced an opponent to miss at least two thirds of its 3-point attempts.
• Valpo led by as many as 15 in the game and held the lead for over 30 minutes with Illinois State in front for only 1:13.

The League's Leading Scorer

• In conference-only games, Owen Dease leads the Missouri Valley Conference with a scoring average of 20.8 points per game over five games. Tyler Lundblade of Belmont is second at 18.7 ppg.
• Dease is shooting a robust 55.6 percent from 3 in league play, a figure that ranks third in the MVC.
• The fifth-year senior is also The Valley's second-best free throw shooter in league play at 88.2 percent, behind only Lundblade at 94.7 percent.
• Dease has scored 18 points or more in four of his last five games and 17 or more in seven of his last 10.

Pettigrew Peaking

• JT Pettigrew poured in a career high for the third straight game on Jan. 7 vs. Illinois State, tallying 21 points to match his personal best set in the previous contest.
• The freshman has scored 18 points or more in three straight games and has been in double figures in seven of his last nine contests.
• Pettigrew is also getting it done on the glass, as he's squeezed at least six rebounds in four straight and six of his last seven.
• On Jan. 4 vs. UIC, Pettigrew finishing with 21 points including a glowing 10-of-10 at the free-throw line. He scored in double figures for the sixth time in his last eight games and grabbed precisely seven rebounds for the third straight contest.
• Pettigrew became the first Valpo player to go perfect at the free-throw line with at least 10 attempts since Tevonn Walker also went 10-for-10 on Jan. 3, 2018 at Bradley. Walker (twice), Alec Peters (twice) and Ryan Broekhoff are the only Valpo players to do so since 2007.
• Pettigrew became just the fifth freshman nationally to go perfect at the free-throw line with at least 10 attempts this season, joining Isaiah Johnson (Colorado), Kam Sanders (Air Force), Caleb Wilson (North Carolina) and Roman Domon (Murray State).

Getting It Done on D 

• Valpo is much improved on the defensive end of the court this season. The Beacons are holding opponents to shooting 30.2 percent from 3-point range (second MVC, 55^th nationally), 42.3 percent from the field (fourth MVC, 113^th nationally) and 69.8 points per game (fourth MVC, 94^th nationally).
• All of these numbers are improved from a year ago, when opponents shot 34.6 percent from 3 (sixth MVC, 245^th nationally), 46.2 percent from the field (11^th MVC, 306^th nationally) and scored 73.9 points per game (ninth MVC, 234^th nationally).
• Valpo's KenPom defensive metrics are even more stellar as they own an effective field-goal percentage of 48.0 (64^th nationally, third MVC), improved drastically from last season, when they finished at 53.7 (309^th nationally) and in Year 1 under Roger Powell Jr. at 54.5 (349^th nationally).
• Valpo's current effective field-goal percentage both in terms of number and national ranking would be the team's best since the 2017-18 season, Valpo's first year in the MVC.
• Valpo's current defensive field goal percentage would be the team's best since joining the Missouri Valley Conference and best since the 2016-17 NIT runner-up team. The team's defensive 3-point percentage would be the squad's best since 1996-97. The 69.7 points per game allowed would be the team's best scoring defense since 2020-21 (67.9).  

Valuing the Rock

• Valpo ranks 16^th nationally in offensive steal percentage, the percentage of the team's possessions that result in a steal for the opponent.
• Only 7.2 percent of Valpo's possessions this season have resulted in the opponent swiping a steal, 16^th best in the country. 
• Valpo ranks third in the MVC (114^th nationally) in turnover margin per game at +1.6.
• The Beacons have committed 11 turnovers or fewer in 13 of their 16 games including five straight.
• Since the start of last season, Valpo is averaging an MVC-best 10.0 turnovers per game, ranking 27^th nationally in that category combining last year and this year.

Rookie Rankings

• JT Pettigrew is one of two Missouri Valley Conference freshmen averaging at least 10 points and five rebounds per game (Murray State's Roman Domon). The only MVC rookie to finish at those marks since 2019-20 was Valpo's Cooper Schwieger in 2023-24.
• Pettigrew is one of 27 rookies nationally at those marks.
• Valpo boasts two of the top five freshmen in the league in terms of scoring average with Pettigrew third at 11.6 ppg and Rakim Chaney fifth at 9.9 ppg.
• Pettigrew has the best league-only scoring average among MVC rookies at 13.8 ppg, 10^th best overall in the league.
• Pettigrew leads all MVC rookies with 5.8 rebounds per game.

Dease, Pettigrew Obtain MVC Weekly Awards

• Owen Dease was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week on Jan. 5, while JT Pettigrew secured the league's Freshman of the Week honor.
• Dease averaged 17.0 points per game over three contests, while Pettigrew averaged 15.0 points and 7.0 boards over the three games that week.
• Pettigrew was tabbed the league's Freshman of the Week for the first time, while Dease earned his second MVC Newcomer of the Week honor, becoming the first player in the league with multiple MVC Newcomer of the Week awards this season.
• The Beacons have collected five total weekly awards this season. This marked the 10^th time that a Valpo player has won the MVC Newcomer of the Week honor since the program joined the Missouri Valley Conference.
• This represents the 17^th time Valpo has earned the league's Freshman of the Week award since head coach Roger Powell Jr. arrived at Valpo prior to the 2023-24 season, which coincided with the year the league added a Freshman of the Week Award. Valpo has accounted for 17 of the 44 total MVC Freshman of the Week awards since the honor began, leading the league by a wide margin. Valpo's three this season also represent a league most.
• This is the first time Valpo has ever had both the league's Freshman and Newcomer of the Week in the same week.

Freebie Frenzy

• Valpo made a conscious effort to get the ball inside on Jan. 4 vs. UIC, as the Beacons attempted a season-low 11 3s, five fewer than the previous season low for 3-point attempts. When they did shoot 3s, they went in at a higher clip, as the squad's 3-point percentage of 45.5 was its second best of the year and best since 45.8 on Nov. 29 vs. Western Michigan.
• Valpo created 40 free-throw attempts, the team's most since Jan. 8 of last season vs. Indiana State (43) and most in regulation since Nov. 27, 2024 vs. Northern Illinois (44). This marked Valpo's highest free-throw total in a regulation conference game since joining the Missouri Valley Conference.
• The 31 made free throws (77.5 percent) were Valpo's most since Jan. 8 of last season vs. Indiana State (32) and most in a regulation game since Nov. 27, 2024 vs. Northern Illinois (35). This marked Valpo's most made free throws in a regulation conference game since joining the Missouri Valley Conference.
• The 11 attempted 3s marked the team's lowest total since Jan. 22, 2025 at Drake (also 11) and tied for the team's lowest total since March 5, 2020 vs. Evansville (10).

Other Notes Wrapping Up Jan. 4 – Valpo 66, UIC 59

• Justus McNair tied a career high with six rebounds, matching his total from Nov. 19 at Cleveland State. His 12 points marked his third-highest total of the year and highest in his last five games.
• Owen Dease was the team leader in plus-minus at +24 in 30 minutes, followed by Pettigrew at +20.
• Valpo held UIC to two made 3s, the fewest by a Valpo opponent since the season opener when the Beacons held Eastern Illinois to a pair of triples as well. Valpo's defensive 3-point percentage of 16.7 was a season best and the best since holding Illinois State to 5.6 percent from 3 in a 59-50 victory on Jan. 14, 2024.
• The Beacons picked up their second win of the season when trailing at halftime, reversing a 32-31 deficit by outscoring the Flames 35-27 after the break.

Whitaker Approaching 1,500

• Valpo fifth-year senior Brody Whitaker is approaching 1,500 points at the collegiate level.
• He scored over 1,000 points in three seasons at NAIA Marian University before adding to his total in 2024-25 at Division-II University of Indianapolis, finishing his fourth season at 1,385 collegiate points.
• Entering Jan. 10 at Murray State, Whitaker has 1,488 career points.

Let's Get Gritty
After each victory, the Valpo coaching staff hands out the coveted "Grit Chain" to the grittiest player in that game. Grit Award winners are listed below.

• Eastern Illinois – Carter Hopoi
• Nicholls – Shon Tupuola
• Bryant – Rakim Chaney
• Cleveland State – Justus McNair
• Western Michigan – Shon Tupuola
• CCSJ – Joe Vick & Isaiah Barnes
• UIC – JT Pettigrew
• Illinois State – Brody Whitaker

Welcome, Rev. Konkol

• On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Valparaiso University announced Rev. Brian E. Konkol, Ph.D. as the institution's 20^th President.
• Rev. Konkol, who took over for retiring President Jose Padilla on Jan. 1, 2026, brings more than two decades of combined experience across higher education leadership, global service and mission-centered work.
• Rev. Konkol and his family have ties to athletics. He competed on the men's basketball team as an undergraduate student at Viterbo University.
• Rev. attended the Valpo vs. CCSJ men's basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 6. He was recognized and introduced to the crowd during a media timeout, and joined Todd Ickow on the ESPN+ broadcast at halftime before visiting the team in the locker room after the game to congratulate the players and coaches on the victory. 

A Game-Changing Investment

• Thanks to the generosity of Jan Sievers '59 Schrage and Paul Schrage '57, the Valparaiso University men's basketball program has received a significant boost to its recruiting and retention efforts.
• The couple has committed $1 million to establish the Paul D. and Janet C. Schrage Basketball Excellence Fund, in alignment with the recently-launched Men's Basketball Excellence Fund, which provides resources to the program's greatest areas of need, such as team travel, nutrition and new student-athlete benefits.
• This generous gift continues a lifetime of the Schrage family making a transformational impact on the University, athletic department and men's basketball program. Since developing a close friendship with legendary Valpo men's basketball head coach Homer Drew, the Schrages have provided philanthropic support that has benefited every men's basketball coach and student-athlete who has donned the brown and gold.
• Longtime benefactors to the University and ardent supporters of the basketball program, the Schrages funded the Schrage Basketball Wing addition to the Athletics-Recreation Center, which houses the men's and women's basketball offices. Along with the gift to construct the addition, they established an endowment to provide ongoing support for the facility on an annual basis.
• Paul Schrage earned a bachelor of arts in business administration from Valparaiso University, a master of science in advertising from the University of Illinois and an honorary juris doctor from Valpo. He served on the Valparaiso University Board of Directors from 1996-2004 and from 2009-2015.
• Schrage's 30-year career with the McDonald's Corporation began in 1967 when Ray Kroc hired him to start the marketing department. By the time he retired in 1997 as a senior executive vice president and chief marketing officer of McDonald's Corporation and member of its board of directors, he had made McDonald's one of the most powerful brands in the world. In recognition of his career, Schrage was inducted into the American Advertising Hall of Fame in 1997. He is also a lifetime trustee and former chair of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Board of Directors.

Who is Next?

• A trio of incoming freshmen have signed to continue their basketball careers at Valpo during the November early signing period.
• 6-foot-4 guard Justin Curry II (Noblesville, Ind.), 6-foot-7 forward Hudson Scroggins (Lake Bluff, Ill.) and 6-foot-1 point guard Rajan Roberts will join the program next year.
• Curry averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game as a junior at Noblesville last season. He is a reigning Indiana Junior All-Star.
• Scroggins was a 1,000-point scorer in the high school ranks at Lake Forest (Ill.) and is spending this year at a prep school, Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire.
• Roberts is a highly-rated prospect from Chicago and was considered one of the top available point guards on the west coast at the time of his commitment. He is among the highest-rated recruits in Valpo history, according to 247Sports. His high school stops include a year each at Proviso West, Kenwood, Prolific Prep (Miami, Fla.) and AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.).

Growth Spurt

• Valpo's roster has gotten noticeably larger in terms of height this season, as the squad boasts its highest average height of the Roger Powell Jr. head coaching era.
• The Beacons have seven players on the roster listed at 6-foot-8 or taller – Jayden Watson (6-8), JT Pettigrew (6-8), Owen Dease (6-8), Tucker Tornatta (6-8), Kobe Walker (6-9), Shon Tupuola (6-10) and Carter Hopoi (6-11).
• This marks the first time during the program's long Division-I history that the team has had seven players listed at 6-foot-8 or taller.
• The 1999-00, 2000-01, 2013-14 and 2022-23 teams each had six players listed at 6-8 or taller.

One of Four

• Only four programs in the nation have had their league's Freshman of the Year in each of the last two seasons – UConn, Baylor, Valpo and Harvard.
• All Wright was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 2024-2025, becoming the second straight Valpo player to earn the award after Cooper Schwieger did so in 2023-24. 
• This marked 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) were 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).

A Look at the Schedule

• The 11-game nonconference slate featured seven home dates and four road contests.
• Valpo played at Preseason AP No. 9 Kentucky, a Sweet 16 team from last season, on Nov. 7.
• Nicholls, the Nov. 12 opponent, was a 20-win team last season.
• Bryant, which was at the ARC on Nov. 16, went 14-2 in the American East and totaled 23 wins on the way to a conference tournament crown and NCAA Tournament appearance last season.
• Cleveland State, which hosted Valpo on Nov. 19, went 23-13 overall last year en route to an appearance in the Purple College Basketball Invitational.
• Big East foe Marquette, the Dec. 2 opponent in Milwaukee, reached the NCAA Tournament and accrued 23 wins last season.
• UNCW, the Dec. 13 opponent at the ARC, won the Coastal Athletic Association championship and totaled 27 wins on the way to an NCAA Tournament berth last season.
• The nonconference portion of the season concluded on Dec. 16 at Big Ten adversary Northwestern.
• Valpo had three road nonconference games against teams in the top 60 in the KenPom preseason ratings, including Kentucky, rated No. 4 by KenPom.

A Look Back at 2024-2025

• Valpo finished with 15 wins, the team's highest total since capturing 19 victories in 2019-20.
• The program advanced to the semifinals of Arch Madness for the first time since 2020 and second time since joining the league.
• The Beacons played 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.
• The program over doubled its overall win total from the previous season (seven) and doubled its Missouri Valley Conference win total from the previous season (three).
• Valpo was one of eight teams in the country that shot 78 percent or better at the free-throw line and had 10.0 turnovers per game or fewer.
• Valpo won or tied the turnover battle in 26 out of 34 games last season and had 24 games with 10 turnovers or fewer.
• The Beacons had a better free-throw percentage than their opponent in 25 out of 34 games last season.
• Valpo broke the modern program record for single-season free-throw percentage (.775 in 2016-17) by finishing at .790.
• The team led the Missouri Valley Conference and ranked 11^th nationally in free-throw percentage.
• Valpo also broke a modern program record for fewest turnovers per game at 9.7, a number that led the Missouri Valley Conference and ranked 19^th nationally.
• Valpo had three double-figure comebacks, coming from 10 down to beat Missouri State, from 16 down to beat Southern Illinois and from 22 down to beat Western Michigan. Prior to last year, Valpo had not rallied from 15 or more behind to win since 2019-20, but last season the team did so twice.
• According to KenPom, Valpo's win probability of beating SIU was 4.2 percent when trailing 65-55 with 9:24 to play.
• In the win over Western Michigan, Valpo trailed by 22 with 6:51 on the clock, tying the largest comeback in program history. The rally was the second latest in NCAA history when trailing by 22 points or more and the latest rally of 22 points or more to finish in regulation. The 22-point comeback also tied for the fifth largest in Missouri Valley Conference history. According to ESPN, Valpo had a win probability of 0.1 percent with under seven minutes remaining. KenPom gave the Beacons a 0.3 percent chance of winning.
• Valpo's 83-79 win at Southern Illinois marked the program's highest point total in a road Missouri Valley Conference game since joining the league and the team's highest point total in any true road game since December 2019.
• All Wright had a game-winning layup with two seconds remaining on Feb. 19 vs. Missouri State, and Justus McNair made a buzzer-beater from nearly halfcourt to beat Western Michigan on Dec. 20. Valpo now has 24 game winners in the final five seconds since the start of the 1992-93 season.
• Valpo beat Belmont 101-86 on Feb. 12. The 101 points eclipsed 98 on Jan. 8 of this season as Valpo's highest scoring output in league play since joining the Missouri Valley Conference. The Belmont game was Valpo's highest point total against a Division-I opponent since a 117-108 triple overtime loss to Mercer on Nov. 11, 2013 and first time scoring 100+ in regulation against a D-I opponent since 103 on Dec. 21, 2010 at Oakland. It marked Valpo's highest point total in league play since a 102-74 Mid-Continent Conference win at Chicago State on Jan. 31, 1998. The 101 points were the most allowed by Belmont since Dec. 15, 2004.
• The team finished with a nonconference winning percentage of .636 (7-4), the program's best since 2017-18 (9-4, .692).

Breakthrough Wins in 2024-2025

• Valpo defeated UNI in both matchups last season, winning 80-73 on Jan. 4 at the ARC and 64-63 on March 7 in the MVC quarterfinal in St. Louis. Valpo won back-to-back games in the series for the first time ever in 40 all-time matchups between the two teams. Valpo was 2-0 last season against UNI after entering the season 5-33 all-time against the Panthers.  
• 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. That 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 (79-72, 2OT).
• With that Jan. 8 victory, Valpo beat the defending conference regular-season champions for the first time since Feb. 13, 2020 and snapped a six-game losing streak against defending MVC regular-season champions.
• The 73-72 win at Missouri State on Jan. 1 ended a nine-game head-to-head losing streak as Valpo beat 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 abolished a 15-game losing streak against teams picked to finish in the top two in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll.
• Valpo picked up 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 only time winning a season series from the Bears in a combined 16 seasons of shared league affiliation between the Missouri Valley Conference and the Association of Mid-Continent Universities.
• Valpo stopped a seven-game skid against Southern Illinois with an 83-79 victory on Feb. 22 in Carbondale.

Inside the Roster

• This year's roster is comprised of 13 newcomers and four returning players.
• Recruiting the Chicagoland area successfully has been key for the program. Eight of the 17 players hail from the state of Illinois.
• The Hoosier State is another recruiting hotspot for the Beacons. Six members of the team are playing college basketball in their home state, and 14 of the 17 players hail from either Indiana or Illinois.
• The three players from outside the Midwest call Arizona, Montreal and New Zealand home.
• The roster has five seniors, four of which are in their fifth season of college basketball. The Beacons also boast a pair of juniors, a trio of sophomores and seven freshmen (six true freshmen, one redshirt freshman).
• Of the 13 newcomers, six are true freshmen and seven are transfers.

Meet the Team

• Freshman guard Rakim Chaney spent the 2024-25 season at 212° Sports Academy in Sarasota, Fla., where he averaged 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game and was named the Florida Sun Basketball League Player of the Year.
• Sophomore guard Justus McNair is the team's only returning scholarship letterwinner from last season. He was named MVC Freshman of the Week on Nov. 25, 2024. His rookie campaign is most remembered for his buzzer-beater from nearly halfcourt to lift Valpo over Western Michigan 76-73 on Dec. 20, 2024, completing an epic 22-point comeback.
• Fifth-year senior guard Brody Whitaker is a transfer from the Division-II University of Indianapolis, where he spent the 2024-2025 campaign after beginning his collegiate career with three years at NAIA Marian University. He entered the 2025-2026 season with 1,385 collegiate points.
• Redshirt freshman forward Jayden Watson sat out as a redshirt last season, and suffered a preseason injury leading into 2025-2026.
• Freshman guard Camden Webster is a walk-on who attended nearby Kankakee Valley High School.
• Freshman forward JT Pettigrew averaged 16.0 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks during his senior season at Bolingbrook High School. A second team all-state honoree, he recorded just the second triple double (points/rebounds/blocks) in program history. He scored over 1,000 career points and finished as his school's all-time leading scorer.
• Junior guard Mark Brown Jr. averaged 13.3 points and 4.3 assists per game in 2024-2025 at Snow College, where he totaled 669 points, 220 rebounds and 215 assists over the last two seasons. He was ranked No. 61 among JUCO players nationally according to JUCORecruiting.com.
• Redshirt senior guard Isaiah Barnes spent the last two years at Tulsa after starting his career with two seasons at Michigan. He started 54 games and made 57 appearances in his two seasons with the Hurricane after playing on a Michigan team that went to the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
• Redshirt senior forward Owen Dease spent his first four collegiate seasons at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, where he redshirted as a freshman before playing in 85 games and making 50 starts over the last three seasons. He was part of the program as a redshirt in 2022 when the team reached the NCAA Tournament and then played on the 2023 team that won a game in the Big Dance.
• Freshman forward Carter Hopoi played at the FIBA U18 Asia Cup in September 2024 and has played with the New Zealand NBL's Tauranga Whai.
• Freshman center Kobe Walker averaged 19.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game as a high school senior at Normal Community, earning all-state honors. He broke his school's rebounding record, which had stood for 52 years.
• Senior Joe Vick is in his fourth year in the program as a walk-on.
• Fifth-year senior Kyonte Thomas tallied 1,325 points and 513 assists in his four-year career at the NAIA level, playing at Trinity International, University of Pikeville and Southeastern.
• Junior center Shon Tupuola averaged 14.5 points and 12.2 rebounds per game for NAIA Saint Mary-of-the-Woods last season, playing a key role on a team that won regular-season and conference titles before beating nationally-ranked opponents in each of the first two rounds of the NAIA National Championship.
• Sophomore guard Nick Lombardi is in his second season in the program as a walk-on.
• Sophomore Tucker Tornatta was named to the Great Lakes Valley Conference All-Freshman Team in 2025 while playing at the University of Indianapolis.
• Freshman guard Sader Servilus averaged 18 points, five rebounds and four assists in 2024-25 for Fort Erie International Academy. He earned National Preparatory Association Defensive Player of the Year honors, helping his team to a 30-3 record.

Beacon Bits
Random facts on each Valpo player.

• #0 Rakim Chaney – 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.
• #1 Justus McNair – Went to the same high school as Valpo head coach Roger Powell Jr. (Not at the same time, obviously.)
• #3 Brody Whitaker – Hopes to stay around sports in the future… Was teammates with Valpo's Tucker Tornatta last year at the University of Indianapolis.

• #4 Jayden Watson – Brother Elijah played five seasons of college basketball –two years at West Liberty University in West Virginia, two years at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. and one year (2024-25) at Northwood University in Midland, Mich.
• #5 Camden Webster – Loves going to the lake, wakeboarding, skiing, tubing, being outside, being in the water, listening to music and going to his grandmother's house. His eighth-grade team went to the Jan. 2, 2019 game when Valpo rallied from double figures down with less than two minutes remaining to beat Illinois State 58-56 on a half-court buzzer-beater by Markus Golder.
• #7 JT Pettigrew – Mother Bonnie Bremner-Pettegrew was an All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year during her volleyball career at Penn State, where she was the setter for a national championship team. His father Titcus Pettigrew played football and basketball for the Nittany Lions. His brother Trey also played college basketball and has made stops at Nevada, Bradley and Eastern Michigan.
• #10 Mark Brown Jr. – Older brother Brandon began his career in the JUCO ranks at Phoenix College, where he won a national title as a freshman and lost in the semifinals as a sophomore before going on to play two seasons at the NCAA Division-I level at Loyola Marymount… Mark enjoys clothing and putting on outfits in his spare time. He also likes sightseeing and going on adventures.
• #11 Isaiah Barnes – Older brother Daniel played at Eastern Michigan (2008-09) and UIC (2010-13). He attended games at Valpo to watch Daniel play in the Valpo/UIC Horizon League matchups. He enjoys spending time with his dog. He graduated from Tulsa in 2025 with a degree in organizational study and is pursuing a master's degree at Valpo.
• #12 Owen Dease – Enjoys spending time with his daughter Cohen, who was born in 2024… Graduated from Texas A&M Corpus Christi in May 2025 with a degree in kinesiology/exercise science… Pursuing a master's degree at Valpo.
• #13 Carter Hopoi – Growing up, played various sports including soccer, cricket and volleyball.
• #15 Kobe Walker – Enjoys going to church, golfing and watching movies… Played AAU for Gavin Sullivan, who is close with Valpo legend Alec Peters.
• #20 Joe Vick – Son of Julie Vick, the administrative assistant for the Valpo men's and women's basketball programs.
• #22 Kyonte Thomas – Favorite hobby is bowling with a top score of 278… Graduated with a degree in business management and is pursuing a master's in sports administration at Valpo.
• #23 Shon Tupuola – Was a boy scout as a child and enjoys being outdoors including water rafting, extreme downhill biking and four-wheeling. He also enjoys amusement parks and hopes to at some point try skydiving.
• #32 Nick Lombardi – Is interested in pursuing a career as a play-by-play sports broadcaster and is a huge fan of sports cars.
• #35 Tucker Tornatta – Has been watching the Missouri Valley Conference since he was a kid going to games at the University of Evansville… Enjoys playing golf, watching NBA games and swimming in his spare time.
• #44 Sader Servilus – Enjoys watching Anime… Originally played soccer as a child, but transitioned to basketball because all of his cousins were playing the sport.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

• Favorite Song
  • Shon Tupuola – Into You by Tamia
  • Tucker Tornatta – Any songs by Drake
  • Carter Hopoi – Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars
  • Rakim Chaney – Freestyle by Ra Lee
  • Camden Webster – Free by Zac Brown
  • JT Pettigrew – All Mine by Brent Faiyaz
  • Owen Dease – Do U by G Herbo
  • Isaiah Barnes – One Blood by G Herbo
  • Justus McNair – Greece or Sweden by No Cap
  • Nick Lombardi – Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield
  • Jayden Watson – Greece or Sweden by No Cap
  • Joe Vick – Nights Like This by Kehlani
  • Brody Whitaker – Lying 4 Fun by Yeat
  • Mark Brown Jr. – Night Time by YoungBoy
• Favorite Movie
  • Shon Tupuola – Harry Potter
  • Tucker Tornatta – Creed
  • Kobe Walker – Love & Basketball
  • Sader Servilus – The Dark Knight
  • Carter Hopoi – How to Train a Dragon
  • Rakim Chaney – Love & Basketball
  • Camden Webster – Hannah Montana The Movie
  • JT Pettigrew – Inception
  • Owen Dease – Toy Story
  • Isaiah Barnes – Juice
  • Justus McNair – Coach Carter
  • Nick Lombardi – Casino Royale
  • Jayden Watson – The Dark Knight
  • Joe Vick – Captain America: Winter Soldier
  • Brody Whitaker – Iron Man
  • Mark Brown Jr. – Above The Rim
• Dream Vacation or Favorite Summer Destination
  • Shon Tupuola – Antarctica
  • Tucker Tornatta – Florida
  • Kobe Walker – Italy
  • Sader Servilus – Montreal
  • Carter Hopoi – Japan
  • Rakim Chaney – Dubai
  • Camden Webster – Panama City Beach, Fla.
  • JT Pettigrew – Japan
  • Owen Dease – Hawaii
  • Isaiah Barnes – Paris
  • Justus McNair – Tampa, Fla.
  • Nick Lombardi – Florida
  • Jayden Watson – Bora Bora
  • Joe Vick – Hawaii
  • Brody Whitaker – Bora Bora
  • Mark Brown Jr. – Dubai
• Favorite Dish
  • Shon Tupuola – Chicken Bacon Alfredo
  • Tucker Tornatta – Chicken
  • Kobe Walker – Pizza
  • Sader Servilus – My Mom's Food
  • Carter Hopoi – Sushi
  • Rakim Chaney – My Mom's Mac 'n Cheese
  • Camden Webster – Steak
  • JT Pettigrew – Salmon
  • Owen Dease – Soul Food
  • Isaiah Barnes – Sea Food
  • Justus McNair – Steak Tacos
  • Nick Lombardi – Steak
  • Jayden Watson – Shrimp
  • Joe Vick – Chocolate Chip Pancakes
  • Brody Whitaker – Steak
  • Mark Brown Jr. – Salmon
• Favorite Sports Team
  • Shon Tupuola – Philadelphia 76ers
  • Tucker Tornatta – OKC Thunder
  • Kobe Walker – Golden State Warriors
  • Sader Servilus – Golden State Warriors
  • Carter Hopoi – Arsenal F.C.
  • Rakim Chaney – Houston Rockets
  • Camden Webster – Green Bay Packers
  • JT Pettigrew – Chicago Bulls
  • Owen Dease – Indiana Pacers
  • Isaiah Barnes – Los Angeles Lakers
  • Justus McNair – Los Angeles Lakers
  • Nick Lombardi – Chicago Cubs
  • Jayden Watson – Chicago Bears
  • Joe Vick – Portland Trailblazers
  • Mark Brown Jr. – Arizona Cardinals

Inside the Assistants

• 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 stops in the Big Ten and Big East to go along with head coaching experience. This marks his third season on Valpo's staff.
• 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. This marks his third season on Valpo's staff.
• Assistant coach Jesse McClung is in his first year on staff after a successful two-year run as the head coach at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, where he posted a 53-15 overall record and a 30-4 mark in River States Conference (RSC) play in a two-year stint leading the Pomeroys program. Under his leadership, SMWC made back-to-back NAIA men's basketball national championship appearances, the only two in school history, highlighted by a Round of 16 appearance. He was named the 2024 RSC Coach of the Year.
• Assistant coach/General Manager Quintin Garrison served as the associate head coach at Trinity International University from 2018-2023. He was promoted to his current position prior to the 2025-26 seasons after spending two years as Special Assistant to the Head Coach.
• Recruiting & Player Development Coach Lavonte Dority is in his first season on the coaching staff at his alma mater, where he finished his collegiate playing career in 2014. He was head coach Roger Powell Jr.'s first recruit during Powell's first stint on Valpo's coaching staff. He played professionally for eight years in Europe and prior to joining Valpo's staff, he worked with Adidas Basketball. Dority was the 2012-13 Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year, earned first-team all-league honors in 2013-14 and garnered All-District 12 Second Team status that season. He was part of the 2013 Horizon League championship team and was a senior on a young team in 2013-14 that featured Alec Peters as a freshman.
• Assistant Player Development Coach Sean Taylor served as SIUE's graduate assistant/video coordinator from August 2021 to May 2023. He is in his third season on staff.
• Creative content guru Jacob Lindsey (third season) and former Valpo football and basketball player Anthony Sciarroni (first season) serve as the program's graduate assistants.
• Seamus Glennon is in his second season as the team's sport performance coach. 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.
• Caleb Moreau is in his first season as the team's athletic trainer. He earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Virginia in 2023 before going on to earn his master's in athletic training from Virginia in May 2025.

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.