A member of the Valparaiso University men's basketball program posted on social media. Then another. Then another. And several more after that.
 
In an era where end-of-season social media posts from key players often contain bad news for programs all across the country, these posts carried good news for the Valparaiso University men's basketball program. The messages from sophomore Justus McNair (Joliet, Ill. / Joliet West), freshman Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Rockford Auburn [212 Sports Academy), freshman JT Pettigrew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook), freshman Sader Servilus (Montreal, Quebec, Canada / Fort Erie International Academy) and freshman Carter Hopoi (Tauranga, New Zealand / Mount Maunganui College NZ) were simple, yet they said it all about something special that is happening within the walls of the Schrage Basketball Wing inside the Athletics-Recreation Center and represented yet another turning point to cap a season filled with those for the Valpo men's basketball program – I'm back.


 
"One of the biggest things for me is that I believe in what Coach Powell is building," Pettigrew said. "This year throughout the season, the support grew and Valpo Basketball became bigger. My story with Valpo wasn't finished. We still have more to do. The Valpo community is very special and they've made me feel very welcome. This season, the group that we had was very special – it was probably the closest group of guys that I've played with. Seeing others say they're coming back means something; we have a special group that can do something next year."
 
Special is a good word to describe Pettigrew's freshman season, as he became the first Valpo rookie to earn all-conference honors since 1999 when he was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference Third Team. He was the runner-up for the MVC Freshman of the Year Award, earning a place on the league's all-freshman team. The four-time MVC Freshman of the Week averaged 12.5 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game overall, 13.0 ppg and 7.1 rpg in league play and 17.4 ppg and 8.6 rpg over the season's final month. He ranked third in the MVC in rebounding average, breaking the program's freshman rebounding record and ranking fourth on the program's freshman scoring list.
 
In his final game of the season, Pettigrew had 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in the MVC quarterfinal vs. Bradley, becoming the first player nationally in 2025-2026 to finish with at least 24, 13 and nine against a Division-I opponent. He was one assist away from Valpo's first triple-double since 2007 and the second in program history.
 
"College basketball is changing from what it's been, you can't blame any of the guys out there who do what's best for them and choose to leave the school that they're at, but for me, that's not what it's about," Pettigrew said. "I believe in Coach Powell; I believe in my team. I believe that we are building something here. Coming back was special to me. We made some noise this year, but next year is going to be a whole different level."


 
Chaney, a two-time MVC Freshman of the Week, averaged 10.3 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game while totaling 92 assists and 46 steals as a freshman. He ranked third in program history for steals by a freshman behind only Javon Freeman-Liberty and Lubos Barton and sixth in program history for assists by a freshman, the most since Jarryd Loyd in 2004-05. He also made 60 3-pointers, the sixth most by a freshman in program history.
 
"The people at Valpo were a big factor in the decision to return," Chaney said. "We've been building a really good culture. The fans, the community and the people in the program have been a big part of that. We have a really special group here. We're young, and we feel like we have a good chance to be one of the top teams in the league next year. We all started speaking about it after our last game, and we knew we wanted to stay together and come back. We jell off the court, which is really special as well."
 
In 2025-26, Valpo won 18 games including 17 in the regular season, the program's highest regular-season win total since 2016-2017. The team's 11-9 Missouri Valley Conference record represented its highest league winning percentage and win total since joining The Valley before the 2017-2018 campaign.
 
"It's very special for us to come back together; Valpo hasn't had that the past few years," Chaney said. "I feel like now that we have that, the fan base and community feel like they can trust us and believe in us a lot more. You look at the Northern Iowa team that won the Missouri Valley Conference Championship, and a lot of them stuck through it with each other. I love the people here at Valpo. There's not a dollar amount in this universe that is worth more than the relationships that I have on campus and with the fans, and the memories and bonds that I've been making at Valpo. There's not a price that can be any bigger than that."
 
McNair was named to the MVC All-Bench Team and MVC Most-Improved Team this year, the conference's only player tabbed to both units. He averaged 7.9 points per game off the bench and 8.9 ppg in league play. The lone returning scholarship letterwinner in 2025-26, McNair is ready to run it back again in 2026-27, this time with some company.


 
"Looking at the two years I've been here, I've built a lot of bonds and developed relationships with our coaches and players," McNair said. "This past year, we won a lot of games and had a historic season. We knew right after the season that if we all decided to return, we could win this thing. I really believe that. We talked with each other about winning a championship next year. It's bigger than the outside noise and the money that we may have been offered. We believe we can build something and win the MVC next year."
 
The 2025-26 season was an underdog story in the sense that only three scholarship players – McNair and two others – had played in a Division-I game prior to the start of the season. The team ranked 325 nationally in KenPom's experience factor, and started the season ranked 283 overall in the KenPom only to move up 133 spots to finish the regular-season at 150, tied for the fourth-largest improvement nationally. Picked to finish last in the preseason poll, the Beacons finished tied for sixth and were just one game out of a tie for third in the tightly-packed league.
 
"One thing that made me stay is valuing the memories and winning and the people around you more than the money," McNair said. "I believe the 'bag' or more money will come later down the line in my career because I trust in God. We believe winning next year is crucial for us. We love being around each other and battling for each other, and we believe in staying with each other and coming back and winning this next year. The memories and the winning are more valuable than any amount of money you could have."


 
Servilus played a key role off the bench, seeing action in 25 games and serving as a pest on the defensive end.
 
"I really love the fans and the support they give us each game," Servilus said. "I want to help make Valpo great again. The fact that we were fighting for each other, playing for each other and we get along led me to return. After practice, we talk about our lives in the locker room. I like my teammates. I know for a fact that we are going to be good and make a run next year."


 
Hopoi played in all 39 games and made two starts as a rookie, blocking 24 shots while notching 3.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
 
"I really like our team; I think we had a good connection this season, especially us freshmen," Hopoi said. "Seeing the announcements of the other freshmen coming back made me excited to come back. We got a glimpse of what we could do this year, and now having a full offseason and a previous season together, it looks good for what we can accomplish next season."  
 
The program has shown an incredible forward trajectory under Powell, who doubled the team's Missouri Valley Conference win total from Year 1 to Year 2 from three to six and nearly doubled it again in Year 3 with 11. Now, the returning core provides a foundation for the next step in the resurgence of Valpo Basketball.
 
"It's extremely special to have players at Valparaiso University who value our program and believe in the vision that we've laid out for them," Powell said. "These guys are motivated. They are connected, and that is a special thing when you're trying to build a program and keep upward momentum going like we've been doing over the last three years."