After leading his team to a 2-0 start, including an upset win at RV/No. 24 Purdue, Valparaiso University men's basketball head coach Roger Powell Jr. has been named the Division-I National Coach of the Week by HoopDirt.com.
 
Valpo is off to its first 2-0 start since the 2017-18 season thanks in large part to an 83-80, double-overtime victory over Purdue that featured buzzer-beaters to end both the first overtime and second overtime. Powell led Valpo to its first-ever true road win at a Top-25 opponent and the fifth all-time Top-25 win in any location. This marked Valpo's first win over a power-conference opponent since 2016 and first against a Big Ten opponent since 2004.
 
Valpo faces another challenging test on Wednesday night as the Beacons battle South Dakota State in a battle of two programs that are ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25. The game tips at 7 p.m. in Brookings, S.D. on Midco Sports Plus.