The Valparaiso University campus and the Northwest Indiana community have come to know and love Roger Powell Jr. for everything he brings to the table in his role as the head coach of Valpo's men's basketball program, but this past week gave Valpo nation and far beyond the opportunity to appreciate and celebrate The Rev's legendary playing career.
 
Powell accumulated 1,178 points and 531 rebounds during his four-year career at Illinois, finishing his tenure among the top 30 scorers in the proud history of the program before going on to a professional career that included time in the NBA. Powell's playing days were in the spotlight this past week, as his alma mater reached the Final Four for the first time since 2005, when Powell was a starter for the national runner-up Illini squad.
 
One of the few men who can say he has both played and coached in a national championship game, Powell had another connection to this year's Final Four. Arizona also reached the Final Four, under the direction of head coach Tommy Lloyd, who was an assistant alongside Powell when Gonzaga played in the 2021 national championship game.
 
As this year's version of the Illini dominated headlines and air time across the nation leading into the Final Four in Indianapolis, Powell accommodated over a dozen interview requests from media outlets wanting to hear his perspective on this year's team and his memories of the 2005 Illini. That presented a prime opportunity for Valpo exposure, as many of the outlets also posed Powell questions about Valpo, highlighting the team's best season since joining the Missouri Valley Conference in 2025-2026 and subsequent player retention leading into 2026-27.
 
Powell appeared on three of the highest-rated newscasts in Chicago as he was interviewed by WGN-TV, Fox 32 and CBS 2. His voice was also heard on the Chicago radio airwaves, with clips airing on multiple newscasts on WBBM Newsradio (780 AM & 105.9 FM), a 42,000-watt 24/7 all-news station in Chicago. He was interviewed by Mully & Haugh, the popular morning show on WSCR The Score, 670 AM and 104.3 FM Chicago, a 50,000-watt blowtorch and the official radio home of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Cubs. His interview on The Score, the top-rated sports talk station in Chicago, was also heard across the country via the Audacy app and was simulcast on television on the Chicago Sports Network, the TV home of the Bulls, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Blackhawks.
 
The media exposure for Powell and Valpo reached national levels, including an appearance on "Unsportsmanlike," the ESPN Radio National Morning Show, when he joined Freddie Coleman, Chris Canty and Harry Douglas on Friday, April 3. The show is televised nationally on ESPNU, and Powell sported a Valpo logo on his shirt during the interview. Unsportsmanlike is part of ESPN Network Radio, which reaches over 32 million listeners per week on approximately 500 stations across the country. The show has 1.2 million followers on X and another 52,000 on Instagram.
 
Powell also appeared on Sirius XM's College Sports Radio and on The Drake Toll Show, Westwood One Radio's national morning show. The Drake Toll Show is heard in hundreds of markets across the country including New York, LA, Chicago, Callas, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit and more.
 
Powell also made several appearances on outlets that cover the Illini in the Champaign-Urbana media market, as he was featured on Fox Illinois Champaign, WAND-TV News Decatur, ESPN 93.5 FM The Drive, News-Gazette Radio WDWS Champaign (Flagship for Illini Athletics) & WSOY Decatur and more.
 
Links to Coverage and Interviews
"Unsportsmanlike" on ESPNU and ESPN Radio
"GN-Sports" on WGN-TV
Fox 32 Chicago (Full Interview)
Fox 32 Chicago 9 p.m. News Segment
WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM Part 1 and Part 2
CBS Evening News March 31, 2026 4:30 p.m. Sportscast
CBS 2 Chicago Final Four Preview Special April 3, 6:30 p.m.
The Drake Toll Show (Westwood One Radio National Morning Show)
News-Gazette Radio WDWS Champaign & WSOY Decatur
The Mully & Haugh Show on 104.3 FM & 670 AM The Score Chicago
SiriusXM College Sports Radio
FOX Illinois Champaign
WAND-TV News Decatur
ESPN 93.5 FM The Drive
ABC 7 Eyewitness News at 6 p.m. April 2, 2026