After averaging a double-double over three games this past week and leading the Valparaiso University men's basketball team to a pair of victories, freshman JT Pettigrew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook) was recognized as the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday.
 
Pettigrew, who averaged 18.0 ppg and 11.0 rpg this week, played a big role in Valpo's first win at Drake since 2018 on Monday, Feb. 9 as he tallied a career-high 23 points to go along with 12 rebounds, tying a career high on the glass. He became just the second MVC player with a 23&12 game this season, joining Indiana State's Ian Scott.
 
On Thursday at Illinois State, Pettigrew enjoyed his second straight double-double with a 17-point, 13-rebound performance, setting a career high on the glass and becoming the first Valpo freshman on record with a 17-point, 13-rebound game. In Sunday's win over Indiana State, Pettigrew became the first Valpo player since 2011 with a 14-point, eight-rebound, six-assist game.  
 
Pettigrew, who is on the cusp of the program's freshman rebounding record, earned Valpo's seventh total MVC weekly award in 2025-26 and the team's fourth Freshman of the Week Award this year, tied for the most in the league. This represented Pettigrew's second time winning MVC Freshman of the Week this season and was Valpo's 18^th time winning that 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.
 
Pettigrew and the Beacons host Bradley on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the ARC with tickets available at tickets.valpoathletics.com. The game will be regionally televised on the MVC TV Network through Gray Media including Fox Chicago+ in the Chicago market.