Next Up in Valpo Basketball: After a grueling stretch that included four of its last five games on the road, the Valparaiso University men's basketball team will play three of the next four at home with the only trip being a quick jaunt into Chicago. The home-heavy stretch tips off on Sunday afternoon as fans are encouraged to wear gold as part of the Going for Gold Game. This is also the Mental Health Awareness Game presented by Compass Counseling. Indiana State comes to town as these two instate rivals clash for the 100^th all-time matchup.
 
Last Time Out: A Valpo team that has played consistently solid basketball of late had a rare bad half in the second half of Thursday's game against Illinois State, being outscored 52-30 after halftime in a game that was tied 34-all at the break in an eventual 86-64 defeat. JT Pettigrew turned in his second straight double-double with a 17-point, 13-rebound performance, leading a trio of Beacons in double figures that also included Brody Whitaker (13) and Rakim Chaney (10). The game was tied at 52 with 13:56 to go, but Illinois State outscored Valpo 34-12 the rest of the way.
 
Glancing Ahead: Valpo will remain home to take on Bradley on Wednesday in a game that has been selected for regional television distribution through Gray Media on the MVC TV Network as part of the league's wild-card selection process. Note that because the game is televised, it will tip off at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Bradley beat Belmont 95-84 in overtime on Monday and had a bye on Thursday. The Braves enter Sunday at Southern Illinois at 17-9 overall, 10-5 in MVC play.
 
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Jamie Stangel
Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Jack Hutter and Eli Conklin 
X updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
 
Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (35-57) 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: Indiana State leads 60-39 as these two teams prepare to lock horns for the 100^th time. Indiana State will become just the third opponent that Valpo has played 100 times, joining Evansville (102) and Butler (103). Valpo is 7-10 against Indiana State since joining the MVC including a victory in Terre Haute earlier this season. Valpo's last three victories over the Sycamores have all come in overtime.
 
Jan. 31 – Valpo 76, Indiana State 72 (F/OT): Valpo rallied from down 10 at halftime to beat Indiana State 76-72 in overtime on Jan. 31 in Terre Haute. Freshman Carter Hopoi led the way throughout the second half and the extra session, finishing with a career-high 14 points while also matching a personal best with seven rebounds. All 14 of his points and six of his seven rebounds came after halftime. Five Beacons tallied double figures, including JT Pettigrew, who recorded a game-high 17 points and was a rebound shy of a double-double. Valpo held a 44-33 rebounding advantage and won the turnover battle 12-9. In overtime, the Beacons made two of their three field-goal attempts and five of their six free throws, while Indiana State went 1-of-8 from the floor and 1-of-5 from 3 in the extra session. The Beacons won in Terre Haute for the first time since a 75-73 victory on Jan. 22, 2022. Saturday's win marked a major turnaround from defeats by 18 points or more in each of the last three visits to Terre Haute, including an 80-62 setback last season. The Beacons went 3-of-14 (21.4 percent) from 3, tied for the team's fewest made 3s in a game this season. The Beacons attempted only three 3s in the second half, making none (not counting OT, when Valpo was 1-of-2 with the make by Hopoi).
 
With a Win Over Indiana State on Sunday, Valpo Would…

• Own a .500 record through exactly 16 Missouri Valley Conference games for the first time since also holding an 8-8 mark through 16 Valley games in 2019-2020.  
• Clinch its second-highest league win total since joining the MVC and move to within one win of matching the 2019-2020 conference win total for Valpo's most since joining the league.
• Pick up its 14^th regular-season victory, surpassing last season's regular-season win total and moving to within one of tying last season's overall win total (including two wins at the conference tournament).
• Clinch its highest regular-season win total (not counting league tournament games) since 2019-2020 (16).
• Have 11 home wins, surpassing last season's home win total and representing the team's highest win total at the ARC since the 2019-2020 season (12).
• Improve to 3-0 against instate conference foes this season.

Dease Approaching 1,000

• Fifth-year senior Owen Dease is within striking distance of the 1,000-point milestone as he enters Feb. 15 vs. Indiana State with 994 career points, all at the Division-I level.
• Dease scored 645 points over three seasons of action at Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
• Dease would become the first Beacon to score his 1,000^th career point in a Valpo uniform during the Roger Powell Jr. Era. The last Valpo player to reach that milestone was Kobe King (January 2023). Prior to that, it was Ben Krikke (November 2022) and Tevonn Walker (November 2017).

Consecutive Double-Doubles

• Valpo freshman JT Pettigrew had his second straight double-double on Feb. 12 at Illinois State, turning in 17 points and 13 rebounds against the Redbirds.
• He notched his fifth double-double of the season, becoming just the fourth player in the conference to record his fifth double-double this year, joining Fredrick King of Murray State (eight), Rolyns Aligbe of Southern Illinois (five) and Ian Scott of Indiana State (five)
• Pettigrew's 13 rebounds were the most by a Valpo freshman since Cooper Schwieger had 13 on Jan. 14, 2024, also at Illinois State. He joined Schwieger, Ben Krikke, Donovan Clay, Javon Freeman-Liberty and Alec Peters as the only Valpo players with a 17-point, 13-rebound game in the last decade and is the only player on that list to do so as a freshman.
• Prior to Pettigrew's five this year, no Valpo freshman had more than two double-doubles in a season in over 20 years.
• In the first of his back-to-back double-doubles, Pettigrew's 23 points on Feb. 9 at Drake represented a career high, surpassing his previous best of 21 reached against UIC (Jan. 4) and Illinois State (Jan. 7). He also pulled down 12 rebounds, at the time tying a personal best set on Jan. 13 at Belmont.
• The list of Valpo players who have had at least 23 points and 12 rebounds in a game since 2004 puts Pettigrew in good company – Dan Oppland, Alec Peters, Javon Freeman-Liberty, Ben Krikke, Cooper Schwieger and now Pettigrew. Pettigrew is the only player on that list who was a freshman at the time of a 23-point, 12-rebound performance.
• In the last 20 years, there have only been five instances of a Valpo player with at least 23 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks – Peters (twice), Krikke, Schwieger and now Pettigrew.
• Nationally this season, only five freshmen have had a 23-point, 12-rebound, two-block game – Duke's Cameron Boozer, North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, New Mexico's Tomislav Buljan, Fairfield's Brandon Benjamin and Pettigrew.
• Pettigrew became just the second MVC player with a 23&12 game this season, joining Indiana State's Ian Scott.

Pettigrew Closing In On Valpo Freshman Rebounding Record

• JT Pettigrew has a chance to break the program's freshman rebounding record.
• The freshman record book is getting a workout during the Powell Era, as All Wright set the school's freshman scoring record last season.
• With his 13 rebounds on Feb. 12 at Illinois State, Pettigrew broke into the top five on the program's freshman rebounding list, surpassing Cooper Schwieger (168, 2023-24), Alec Peters (164, 2013-14) and Donovan Clay (162, 2019-20).
• With 171 rebounds as a freshman, Pettigrew is chasing only Raitis Grafs (184, 1999-00) and Lubos Barton (178, 1998-99).

Valpo Freshman Rebounding – All-Time Top 5
Rank    Name                          Reb.     Yr.
1          Raitis Grafs                 184      1999-00
2          Lubos Barton              178      1998-99
3          JT Pettigrew               171      2025-26
4          Cooper Schwieger      168      2023-24
5          Alec Peters                 164      2013-14

Mostly Close Calls

• The 86-64 setback on Feb. 12 at Illinois State was the exception rather than the rule as most of Valpo's games have been tightly contested.
• Valpo's previous six games were all decided by single figures. This was the first Valpo game decided by double figures in either direction since a 54-44 win over UNI on Jan. 17. Of Valpo's first 14 MVC games, only one was decided by more than 10 points prior to the game in Normal.
• This was Valpo's second most lopsided defeat of the season behind Nov. 7 at Kentucky as this game seemed to be a true aberration. Valpo had not experienced a 20-point loss in league play since the 2023-24 season, attesting to the consistent competitiveness of the team over the last two seasons.

Other Notes Wrapping Up Feb. 12 – Illinois State 86, Valpo 64

• JT Pettigrew led the way with his second straight double-double, this time with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
• Brody Whitaker contributed 13 points, his second straight 13-point output.
• Rakim Chaney finished with 10 points, scoring in double figures for the fifth time in his last six games.
• Illinois State shot 59 percent in the second half, while Valpo shot just 29.7 percent after the intermission.
• Valpo won the turnover battle 10-8 and had 12 offensive rebounds to Illinois State's eight, outscoring the Redbirds 17-8 on second chances.
• Valpo led for 13:24 and by as many as seven in a game that featured eight ties and six lead changes.

With Last Week's Win Over Drake, Valpo…

• Surpassed last season's conference win total, making this the best season in league play under head coach Roger Powell Jr.
• Matched last season's overall regular-season win total as Valpo won 13 regular season games and 15 total including Arch Madness last season.
• Has clinched the team's highest league win total since 2020-21 (also seven). 
• Moved to within two wins of matching Valpo's highest league win total since joining the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Snapped an eight-game head-to-head losing streak, beating the Bulldogs for the first time since 2021 and first time at Drake since 2018.
• Owned a winning record through 25 games for the first time since 2018-2019 (also 13-12). 
• Owned a .500 or better record through exactly 14 Missouri Valley Conference games for the first time since joining the league prior to the 2017-2018 campaign.
• Picked up its fifth win in a seven-game stretch.

Rookies Roll in Win at Drake

• Valpo played with four freshmen on the court for much of the final stretch of the Feb. 9 victory at Drake.
• Rookies played a key role in the win. When Sader Servilus began defending Jalen Quinn late in the game, the Missouri Valley Conference's leading scorer finally slowed down in crunch time. Quinn finished with 33 points in the game.
• Servilus was also a beast on the boards, securing a career-high seven rebounds in just nine minutes of action. Servilus and Murray State's Brock Vince from earlier this season are the only Missouri Valley Conference players with seven or more rebounds in nine minutes or fewer since 2016. Only 16 players nationally have accomplished that this season.
• Freshmen JT Pettigrew (23 points) and Rakim Chaney (20 points) were the team's top two scorers in the win over the Bulldogs. They became the first pair of Valpo freshmen to each score 20+ in a game since Cooper Schwieger and Jahari Williamson did it in December 2023 at Elon.

Off The Chane(y) from 3

• Valpo's Rakim Chaney finished with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting on Feb. 9 at Drake, his highest scoring output in league play and highest since scoring 23 on Jan. 19 at Cleveland State.
• He drained a career-high five 3s, and pulled down six rebounds, marking his highest total in league play.
• Chaney became the second Valpo player to hit five 3s in a game this season, joining Owen Dease at Belmont.
• He became the fifth freshman in the Missouri Valley Conference to hit five 3s in a game this season.
• Chaney scored in double figures for the fourth time in his last five games and bounced back from a tough shooting game vs. Evansville, when he went 2-of-10.

Scouting the Sycamores  

• Coming off a 74-72 home loss to Murray State on Thursday in which they trailed 43-21 at halftime before outscoring the Racers 51-31 in the second half.
• Led in scoring by Ian Scott at 13.5 points per game. Camp Wagner (12.0) and Sterling Young (10.0) also average in double figures.
• Currently 214 (10^th/11 MVC) in the KenPom and 218 in the NET (10^th/11 MVC).
• Currently sit in 10^th of 11 in the MVC standings.
• Under the direction of head coach Matthew Graves.

Other Notes Wrapping Up Feb. 9 – Valpo 81, Drake 76

• After missing the previous game due to an injury, Brody Whitaker tallied 13 points, his second-highest total in league play.
• The Beacons outrebounded the Bulldogs 42-34 and shot at a 50 percent clip from the floor and 40.9 percent from 3. Drake was held to 25.9 percent from beyond the arc.
• Owen Dease made it four Beacons in double figures with 10 points, his fifth straight game in double figures.
• This marked the third straight victory in which Valpo has trailed by at least seven points in the second half.

Nothing But NET

• Valpo currently ranks 156 in the NET.
• This season, the Beacons have earned their top NET rating since finishing the 2019-20 season at 138.

KenPom Progress

• The Beacons have continued to climb the KenPom rankings, currently ranked 155 and ranked as high as 151 this season.
• The Beacons started the season at 283, moving up 128 spots in the rankings since the season tipped off.
• The improvement of 128 puts the Brown & Gold tied for sixth in the country in KenPom improvement.
• The full top five in KenPom improvement nationally is listed below.
• Valpo's current ranking of 151 is its best of the Roger Powell Jr. head coaching era and best since the 2020-2021 preseason ratings (149). 

Rank    Team                           Improvement
1          Central Arkansas        181
2          Cal St Fullerton          160
3          Stephen F. Austin       148
4          Austin Peay                 138
5          Buffalo                        137
6          Valpo                          128
 
OD Among League Leaders

• In conference-only games, Owen Dease ranks fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference with a scoring average at 16.5 points per game.   
• The Valpo fifth-year senior ranks among league leaders in conference-only free-throw percentage (.828, seventh) and 3-point percentage (.433, fifth).
• Dease has scored 15 points or more in six of his last nine games. 
• Overall for the season, Dease is shooting 47 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3 and 85 percent from the free-throw line. He is one of 10 qualified players nationally averaging at least 14 points per game while meeting the aforementioned percentage thresholds.
• The last two Valpo players to finish a season at those marks were Alec Peters (2015-16) and Casey Schmidt (1992-93).

Among The Valley's Top Rookies

• Valpo has two of the league's top six freshmen in scoring average in JT Pettigrew (11.4 ppg, third) and Rakim Chaney (10.2 ppg, sixth).
• Pettigrew is the league's leading rookie rebounder at 6.6 per contest.
• Entering Feb. 15 vs. Indiana State, Pettigrew is 44 points away from cracking the program's all-time top 10 for points by a freshman. Three of the top four players on that list (All Wright, Alec Peters and Cooper Schwieger) were recruited by current Valpo head coach Roger Powell Jr.

Dominant Defense

• Valpo's defensive numbers are much improved from recent seasons.
• See below for more details on how this year's Valpo "D" stacks up against that of earlier seasons in the Roger Powell Jr. Era. National and MVC ranks are listed in parentheses.
• Valpo's field-goal percentage defense is currently its best since 2018-19 (43.2), 3-point defense is tied for its best since 1996-97 (30.5) and scoring defense is its best since 2020-21 (67.9).
• This season is on pace to rank tied for second in program history in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.314), behind only 1996-97 (.305) and even with 2017-18 (.314).

Year                Scoring Defense         FG% Defense             3pt%Defense
2025-26           70.8 (4^th/96^th)              43.7 (6^th/159th)           31.4 (3^rd/68^th)
2024-25           73.9 (9^th/234^th)            46.2 (11^th/306^th)          34.6 (6^th/245^th)
2023-24           75.5 (11^th/273^rd)          47.8 (12^th/341^st)          35.4 (11^th/295^th)
 
Battling Back

• Valpo has overcome a double-figure, second-half deficit in two of its last three victories and has trailed by at least seven points in the second half in each of its last three wins. 
• The Beacons overcame a double-figure deficit for the second time this season and the second time in a seven-day period by coming from 13 down to beat Evansville on Feb. 6.
• That marked Valpo's sixth victory when having trailed by double figures in the Roger Powell Jr. Era. Valpo had three such comebacks last season (at Southern Illinois, vs. Missouri State, at Western Michigan) and one in 2023-24 (vs. UIC).
• The 13-point rally was Valpo's largest since coming from 16 down on Feb. 22 of last season at Southern Illinois.
• In the Jan. 31 victory at Indiana State, Valpo trailed 37-27 at halftime.
• The Jan. 31 victory over Indiana State marked the first time Valpo rallied from a double-figure halftime deficit to prevail since Dec. 20, 2024 at Western Michigan, when Valpo was down 42-26 at the break and won 76-73.

Lineup Tweak

• Valpo utilized the starting lineup of Owen Dease, JT Pettigrew, Shon Tupuola, Brody Whitaker and Rakim Chaney in 10 consecutive games prior to Feb. 6 vs. Evansville.
• The game against the Purple Aces marked Valpo's first with a starting group other than that quintet since Dec. 29, 2025 at UNI.
• With Whitaker sidelined by an injury for the game against Evansville, Justus McNair made his first collegiate start in the sophomore's 57^th collegiate game.
• Although Whitaker returned to the rotation for the Feb. 9 game at Drake, Valpo used the Dease/Pettigrew/Tupuola/Chaney/McNair starting lineup for the second straight game, then did so for a third straight game on Feb. 12 at Illinois State.

Channeling "The Rev"

• At a media timeout during the second half of each Valpo men's basketball home game, a randomly-selected fan has an opportunity to win $10,000 by making a layup, free throw, 3-pointer and halfcourt shot within 25 seconds.
• The promotion is presented by Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute.
• For the first time since the contest began, there was a winner on Feb. 6 vs. Evansville as student Christian Hack came out of the student section and completed the challenge.
• A left-handed pitcher on the Valpo baseball team, Hack was mobbed by his teammates and other Valpo students after hitting the halfcourt shot.
• Hack was sporting a "43 Powell" jersey from the Valpo head coach's playing days with the Illini when he completed the challenge.

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
• UNI – Sader Servilus
• Southern Illinois – Sader Servilus
• Indiana State – Carter Hopoi
• Evansville – Shon Tupuola
• Drake – JT Pettigrew

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. 

Valpo Athletics Mourns the Passing of Paul Schrage '57

• The Valpo family is saddened to share the news that Paul Schrage '57, a tremendous supporter, fan and friend of Valpo Athletics, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at the age of 90.
• A Celebration of Life service and reception will be held on Feb. 25, 2026 at 1 p.m. local time at Desert Foothills Lutheran Church, 29305 N Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85266. The service will be simulcast at https://www.youtube.com/live/YU1o617c9yY.
• Life-long generosity from Paul and his wife Jan Sievers '59 Schrage has made a long-lasting impact on the Valpo men's basketball program. The couple recently committed $1 million to establish the Paul D. and Janet C. Schrage Basketball Excellence Fund, which provides resources to the program's greatest areas of need, such as team travel, nutrition and new student-athlete benefits.
• That generous gift continued 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.
• 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. His 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 was 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.