\n Story Links
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Valparaiso (6-4, 0-0 MVC)
\nat Northwestern (6-4, 0-2 B1G)
\nGame No. 11 \u2013 Tuesday, Dec. 16, 7 p.m. CT
\nWelsh-Ryan Arena (7,039) \u2013 Evanston, Ill.<\/p>\n
\u00a0
Solid Start<\/p>\n
Scouting the Wildcats \u00a0<\/p>\n
PB Faces Alma Mater <\/p>\n
Another Close Call <\/p>\n
Pettigrew’s Performance<\/p>\n
Other Notes Wrapping Up Dec. 13 \u2013 UNCW 73, Valpo 70 <\/p>\n
Valuing the Rock <\/p>\n
For the Flush! <\/p>\n
Shon’s Stat Sheet Stuffing <\/p>\n
Rookie Rankings <\/p>\n
Dease Honored <\/p>\n
Let’s Get Gritty Notes Wrapping Up Dec. 6 \u2013 Valpo 98, CCSJ 58<\/p>\n
Welcome, Rev. Konkol<\/p>\n
On the Brink <\/p>\n
Other Notes Wrapping Up Dec. 2 \u2013 Marquette 75, Valpo 72 (F\/OT) <\/p>\n
A Game-Changing Investment <\/p>\n
Who is Next? <\/p>\n
Growth Spurt<\/p>\n
One of Four<\/p>\n
A Look at the Schedule <\/p>\n
A Look Back at 2024-2025<\/p>\n
Breakthrough Wins in 2024-2025<\/p>\n
\u00a0Inside the Roster<\/p>\n
Meet the Team <\/p>\n
Beacon Bits
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things <\/p>\n
Inside the Assistants <\/p>\n
Tradition of Excellence <\/p>\n
\nNext Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will close out the nonconference portion of the season with another tough test on Tuesday night as the Beacons battle Big Ten foe Northwestern in Evanston, Ill. Valpo alumni and fans attending the game are encouraged to join the pregame meet-up beginning at 5 p.m. at Bluestone Evanston.
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\nLast Time Out: Valpo led by as many as 12, but the two teams played within four points of one another over the final 15 minutes, 55 seconds as UNCW edged the Beacons 73-70 on Saturday afternoon at the ARC in a high-level mid-major battle. The Seahawks, who were an NCAA Tournament team last season and improved to 10-1 with the victory, prevailed in a game that featured eight ties and 10 lead changes. JT Pettigrew<\/a> led Valpo with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. \u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nGlancing Ahead: The Beacons will open Missouri Valley Conference play on Sunday at 1 p.m. by hosting Murray State at the Athletics-Recreation Center in the final game prior to the Christmas holiday. The Racers finished with a nonconference record of 8-3 and are poised to start their league slate by hosting Drake on Thursday.
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\nFollowing the Beacons: Streaming \u2013 Peacock \u2013 George Savaricas (play-by-play) and Tre Demps (analyst)
\nRadio \u2013 WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com \u2013 Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey<\/a> (analyst); also airing on ESPN 1000 in Chicago (Northwestern call)
\nX updates \u2013 @ValpoBasketball
\nLinks for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
\n\u00a0
\nHead Coach Roger Powell Jr.<\/a>: Roger Powell Jr.<\/a> (28-48) 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.
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\nSeries Notes: Valpo is 2-9 all-time against Northwestern as the two teams get set to battle for the first time since Dec. 14, 2017, an 84-50 setback for the Brown & Gold at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. Each of the first 10 matchups between these teams took place prior to 1980. Valpo has lost seven straight head-to-head engagements and will look to beat Northwestern for the first time since Dec. 16, 1972.
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\nValpo Versus Power Conferences<\/p>\n
\n\tValpo is seeking its first win over a power conference opponent since beating Alabama 68-60 on Nov. 21, 2016.
\n\tThe Beacons last prevailed in a road game against a power conference opponent on Nov. 24, 2015 at Oregon State.
\n\tValpo has dropped 18 straight games against Big Ten teams and will look to prevail against a member of the Big Ten Conference for the first time since beating Penn State 69-56 on Dec. 28, 2004.
\n\tNorthwestern has won four straight against Missouri Valley Conference teams with the last loss coming Nov. 26, 2014 on a neutral floor against UNI 61-42. The last MVC team to win at Northwestern was Illinois State 68-64 on Nov. 17, 2013.
<\/p>\n
\n\tValpo owns a record of 6-4, the team’s best record through 10 games since also starting 6-4 in 2019-20.
\n\tWith a victory on Saturday, Valpo would be 7-4 through 11 games, its best 11-game start since beginning 8-3 in 2017-18.
\n\tThis will mark the team’s nonconference finale. Valpo is 5-5 in nonconference finales over the last decade, going 5-0 when the nonconference finale is at home and 0-5 when it is on the road. Valpo last wrapped up nonleague play with a road win on Dec. 29, 2015 at James Madison.
<\/p>\n
\n\tRanked 58 in the KenPom and 73 in the NET, the second-best Valpo opponent of the nonconference season by both metrics (behind Kentucky).
\n\tComing off a 93-53 win over Jackson State after starting Big Ten play with losses to Wisconsin (85-73) and Ohio State (86-82), the latter of which is under the direction of former Valpo and player and assistant coach Jake Diebler. \u00a0
\n\tBeat MVC member Illinois State 100-65 in a preseason exhibition, while these two teams have one common opponent with both beating Cleveland State, Northwestern doing so 110-63 at home and Valpo 90-75 on the road.
\n\tUnder the direction of longtime head coach Chris Collins. Missouri Valley Conference member Illinois State plays on a court named after his father, former NBA head coach and Redbird great Doug Collins.
\n\tLed in scoring by Nick Martinelli at 21.2 points per game.
<\/p>\n
\n\tValpo assistant coach Pat Baldwin<\/a> is a 1994 Northwestern graduate and was a three-year captain for the Wildcats.
\n\tBaldwin still owns all three Northwestern program records for steals \u2013 game (nine, 1990), season (90, 1991) and career (272, 1990-94). He owns three of the top seven single-season steals marks in program history.
\n\tHe also ranks among NU leaders in career assists (fourth, 452), season free-throw percentage (fourth, .880, 1993) and season assists (t-fifth, 154, 1994).
\n\tThe Northwestern great spent four seasons as an assistant coach under Collins, with the Wildcats increasing their win total in each of his four years. In his final season on staff, Northwestern shattered a program record with 24 wins and achieved the first NCAA Tournament berth in program history.
\n\tWhen Baldwin was hired to join Valpo’s coaching staff prior to the 2023-24 campaign, Northwestern head coach Chris Collins said: “Pat Baldwin<\/a> is a home run hire for Valpo basketball. He has a tremendous basketball IQ, does a great job developing players and is a tireless recruiter. Pat played an integral role in helping us recruit and develop our first-ever NCAA Tournament team in Northwestern basketball history. Most importantly, Pat is a high-character family man who will represent Valpo in a first-class manner in everything that he does.”
\n\tThree members of the Valpo coaching staff face their alma mater this season, as Baldwin joins Sean Taylor<\/a> (Marquette) and Matt Gordon<\/a> (Illinois State). Roger Powell Jr.<\/a> (Illinois) and Quintin Garrison<\/a> (Illinois) have also faced their alma mater in a game during their time at Valpo.
<\/p>\n
\n\tWith a 73-70 loss to UNCW on Dec. 13, Valpo fell to 1-2 in one-possession games this season.
\n\tThe team has a win over Eastern Illinois and losses to Marquette and UNCW all decided by exactly three points.
\n\tValpo had a seven-game winning streak in one-possession games dating back to 2023-24 before dropping each of the last two.
\n\tThe team’s most recent cliffhanger came against a quality opponent as UNCW improved to 10-1 and extended a nine-game winning streak.
\n\tThe Seahawks went 27-8 and went to the NCAA Tournament last season. At the time of the game, UNCW was 106 in KenPom and 98 in the NET. For context, they would be fourth in the MVC in KenPom and fifth in the MVC in NET.
\n\tThere was a big disparity in experience in the Valpo\/UNCW matchup as UNCW ranks 17th nationally in experience according to KenPom, while Valpo is 325 out of 365 nationally in experience.
<\/p>\n
\n\tJT Pettigrew<\/a> finished with his second double-double of the season on Dec. 13 vs. UNCW, posting 17 points and 10 rebounds. He scored in double figures for the third straight game and sixth time this season while tallying nine or more for the fifth consecutive contest. \u00a0
\n\tPettigrew’s 17 points marked a career high, eclipsing his previous best of 16 on Dec. 2 at Marquette. His performance against the Seahawks marked the first 17-point double-double by a Valpo freshman since Michael Rogers on March 1, 2008 (21 points, 12 rebounds vs. Wright State).
\n\tPettigrew’s 17 points marked the most in a double-double by a Missouri Valley Conference freshman since the 2022-2023 season (UNI’s Michael Duax).
<\/p>\n
\n\tJustus McNair<\/a> tallied 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, his second straight double-figure output and third of the season. He was the first Valpo player to shoot at least 85 percent with a minimum of six attempts since Lucas Scroggins<\/a> went 6-for-6 on Nov. 8, 2024 vs. Concordia Ann Arbor and first against a Division-I opponent since Tyler Schmidt<\/a> on Nov. 4, 2024 vs. Liberty.
\n\tMcNair had a plus-minus of +9, second on the team behind Marcus Brown Jr.’s +13. Each of them played 17 minutes.
\n\tShon Tupuola<\/a> finished with nine rebounds, the ninth straight game he’s had at least six and the eighth time in nine games he’s had at least seven.
\n\tIsaiah Barnes<\/a> scored in double figures for the second straight game and fifth time this season, finishing with 10 points.
\n\tThere were a combined 40 offensive rebounds in the game and a combined 38 second-chance points (including numerous tip-in tries by both teams that count as offensive rebounds).
\n\tValpo committed just six turnovers, a season best and the eighth time in 10 games that team has had 10 or fewer.
\n\tBoth teams were 2-for-2 on challenges as all four challenged plays in the game were successfully overturned. Valpo’s first challenge of the day was the first in program history (this is the first season the NCAA has team challenges in place).
\n\tValpo incurred its first loss when leading at halftime this season, dropping to 6-1.
\n\tThis was the first time a Valpo opponent erased a double-figure deficit to win since Feb. 24, 2024 at Murray State. The 12-point UNCW rally was the largest by a Valpo opponent since Feb. 26, 2023 at Murray State, when the Racers overcame a 12-point hole to win.
<\/p>\n
\n\tValpo ranks third nationally in offensive steal percentage, the percentage of the team’s possessions that result in a steal for the opponent.
\n\tOnly 6.2 percent of Valpo’s possessions this season have resulted in the opponent swiping a steal, third best in the country behind just Arkansas (5.6) and Vanderbilt (5.7).
\n\tValpo ranks fourth in the MVC and 59th nationally at 10.5 turnovers per game
\n\tThe Beacons have committed 10 turnovers or fewer in eight of their 10 games.
\n\tSince the start of last season, Valpo is averaging a MVC best 9.9 turnovers per game, ranking 21st nationally in that category combining last year and this year.
<\/p>\n
\n\tIf you enjoy hearing longtime Valpo public address announcer John Bowker’s signature “for the flush” call, you’ve been in luck this season.
\n\tThe Beacons are up to 34 dunks on the season, already breezing by last season’s total of 22.
\n\tValpo has also surpassed its Year 1 under Roger Powell Jr.<\/a>, when the team had 33 dunks in 2023-24. Valpo had 43 slams in 2022-23.
\n\tTupuola has a team-high dozen dunks, one shy of Cooper Schwieger’s<\/a> team-high total of 13 from a year ago.
<\/p>\n
\n\tShon Tupuola<\/a> is averaging 1.5 blocks per game (t-fourth MVC), 7.3 rebounds per game (third MVC) and is scoring 7.9 points per game.
\n\tHe is one of just 29 players in the country averaging 7.9 points, 7.0 rebound and 1.5 blocks per contest.
\n\tTupuola and Murray State’s Fredrick King are the only Missouri Valley Conference players in that group of 29.
\n\tLast season, only one player in the Missouri Valley Conference finished the season at better than 7.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks \u2013 Valpo’s Cooper Schwieger<\/a>.
\n\tBefore Schwieger, no Valpo player had finished a season at those thresholds since Mohamed Kone in 2005-06.
<\/p>\n
\n\tJT Pettigrew<\/a> is one of two Missouri Valley Conference freshmen averaging at least 10 points and five rebounds per game, joining Murray State’s Roman Domon.
\n\tPettigrew is one of 26 rookies nationally at those marks.
\n\tAt 11.9 points per game, Rakim Chaney<\/a> ranks third among Missouri Valley Conference rookies behind UIC’s Andy Johnson (14.3 ppg) and Murray State’s Roman Domon (12.4 ppg). Pettigrew ranks fifth among MVC rookies at 10.3 ppg. \u00a0
\n\tChaney’s 1.7 steals per game rank 18th nationally among freshmen and leads all MVC rookies (t-fifth overall in MVC).
<\/p>\n
\n\tRedshirt senior Owen Dease<\/a> was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week on Monday, Dec. 8.
\n\tHe scored 17 points in each of his two games during the previous week (at Marquette, vs. CCSJ), leading the team in both contests.
\n\tThis marked the team’s third weekly award of the season and Rakim Chaney<\/a> has twice been named MVC Freshman of the Week.
\n\tDease earned Valpo’s first MVC Newcomer of the Week honor since Nov. 20, 2023 (Isaiah Stafford<\/a>).
\n\tDease became the ninth Valpo player (eighth different Valpo player) to win the MVC Newcomer of the Week award since the Beacons joined the league prior to the 2017-18 campaign. He joined Stafford, Quinton Green (Jan. 23, 2023), Thomas Kithier (Nov. 15, 2021), Sheldon Edwards (Feb. 8, 2021), Donovan Clay (March 1, 2020), Javon Freeman-Liberty (Feb. 11, 2019) and Ryan Fazekas (Jan. 2, 2019 and Jan. 7, 2019).
<\/p>\n
\nAfter 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.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe 40-point margin of victory was Valpo’s largest since last year’s matchup between these two teams, a 50-point win on Dec. 22.
\n\tThe 98 points marked Valpo’s highest since a 101-86 win over Belmont on Feb. 12 of last season.
\n\tThe last time Valpo had even five players in double figures was Feb. 22, 2025 at Southern Illinois before boasting seven vs. CCSJ.
\n\tOwen Dease<\/a> led the balanced effort with his third straight game of 17 points or more, scoring 17 on 7-of-10 shooting and 2-of-4 from 3. He also brought down four rebounds.
\n\tCarter Hopoi<\/a> (12) and Tucker Tornatta<\/a> (10) both enjoyed season highs. Tornatta’s came on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting, the first Valpo player to go perfect from the field with at least five attempts since Devon Ellis<\/a> on Dec. 22, 2024 vs. CCSJ.
\n\tFifth-year senior Kyonte Thomas<\/a> played a season-high 18 minutes and tied Dease for the team’s best plus-minus at +27.
\n\tShon Tupuola<\/a> and Sader Servilus<\/a> had six rebounds apiece to lead the team. For Servilus, that marked a season high.
\n\tJoe Vick<\/a> added two assists and two rebounds to his two points as the walk-on tallied his first collegiate basket, much to the joy of his teammates.
\n\tValpo moved the ball to the tune of 25 assists against 10 turnovers. This was the seventh time in nine games this season that the Beacons committed 10 turnovers or fewer. The 25 assists were the team’s most since Nov. 8, 2024 vs. Concordia Ann Arbor (28).
\n\tValpo outrebounded CCSJ 42-27, held a 26-4 edge in points off turnovers, outscored the Crimson Wave in the paint 46-18 and owned a 61-8 edge in bench points.
\n\tValpo shot 58.6 percent from the field, the team’s best since Dec. 22, 2024 vs. CCSJ (.597).
\n\tThe Beacons held the Crimson Wave to 38.6 percent, Valpo’s fourth straight game holding an opponent under 40 percent.\u00a0
\n\tValpo slammed home 11 dunks in the win.
<\/p>\n
\n\tOn Tuesday, Dec. 2, Valparaiso University announced Rev. Brian E. Konkol, Ph.D. as the institution’s 20th President.
\n\tRev. Konkol, who will take 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.
\n\tRev. Konkol and his family have ties to athletics. He competed on the men’s basketball team as an undergraduate student at Viterbo University.
\n\tRev. 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.\u00a0
<\/p>\n
\n\tValpo was on the brink of a signature victory, falling 75-72 in overtime on Dec. 2 at Marquette.
\n\tMarquette has gone to four straight NCAA Tournaments including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2024.
\n\tThat was the closest Valpo has come to beating a team from the Big East Conference since a three-point loss to Marquette on Jan. 27, 2006 (L 65-62) and the closest Valpo has come to a road win over the Big East in over a quarter of a century.
\n\tThis was the closest Valpo has come to a road win over Marquette since an 80-79 loss on Dec. 1, 1965.
\n\tThis was the closest Valpo has come to beating a member of the Big East, Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12 or PAC-12 since defeating Alabama 68-60 on Nov. 21, 2016 in a neutral-site game and the closest Valpo has come to winning on the road against a member of those conferences since Nov. 24, 2015 at Oregon State.
\n\tValpo was hoping to snap a road losing streak against Marquette that reached 10 and was seeking the program’s first win at Marquette since 1964.
\n\tValpo’s game at Marquette was the closest any Missouri Valley Conference team has come to beating a Big East opponent since Loyola Chicago’s 68-64 win over DePaul on Dec. 4, 2021.
<\/p>\n
\n\tOwen Dease<\/a> led the team in scoring for the second straight contest with 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting and 5-of-5 at the free-throw line. He also pulled down six rebounds, his season high.
\n\tDease has scored 17 or more in each of his last two games and has tallied nine points or more in five straight including four of those in double figures.
\n\tJT Pettigrew<\/a> racked up 16 points and eight rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting. He owned a team-best plus-minus of +13 before exiting for good with cramping. The 16 points marked a season high for the freshman.
\n\tRakim Chaney<\/a> scored 13 points before fouling out in 20 minutes of play. He did so on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting and 3-of-5 from 3. He has scored in double figures in six of the team’s eight games this season.
\n\tPettigrew and Shon Tupuola<\/a> shared the team lead with eight rebounds apiece. Tupuola had seven or more for the seventh straight game.
\n\tThe charity stripe played a key role in the outcome, as Marquette outscored Valpo at the line 27-8 and had 32 attempts to Valpo’s 12. This was the first time Valpo had 20 fewer attempts than its opponent since back-to-back games last season at Murray State and at Belmont. This was the first time Valpo had 19+ fewer made free throws than the opponent since Nov. 27, 2022 vs. James Madison.
\n\tTaking care of the ball had been a strength of Valpo’s throughout the season, but the game at Marquette proved to be the rare exception as the Beacons committed a season-high 21 turnovers and were outscored 20-7 in points off turnovers and 33-3 in fastbreak points. The 21 turnovers marked the team’s most during the Roger Powell Jr.<\/a> Era and most in any game since 21 on Dec. 10, 2022 at Ole Miss.
\n\tValpo shot 45.2 percent while holding Marquette to 35 percent from the floor. The Golden Eagles shot just 28.6 percent from 3.
\n\tValpo held Marquette to just 65 points in the regulation 40 minutes, the sixth time in eight games this season that the Beacons have limited an opponent to 65 points or fewer in regulation.
<\/p>\n
\n\tThanks to the generosity of Jan Sievers ’59 Schrage and Paul Schrage ’57, the Valparaiso University men’s basketball program has received a significant boost to its recruiting and retention efforts.
\n\tThe couple has committed $1 million to establish the Paul D. and Janet C. Schrage Basketball Excellence Fund, in alignment with the recently-launched Men’s Basketball Excellence Fund, which provides resources to the program’s greatest areas of need, such as team travel, nutrition and new student-athlete benefits.
\n\tThis generous gift continues 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<\/a>, the Schrages have provided philanthropic support that has benefited every men’s basketball coach and student-athlete who has donned the brown and gold.
\n\tLongtime 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.
\n\tPaul 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.
\n\tSchrage’s 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 is also a lifetime trustee and former chair of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Board of Directors.
<\/p>\n
\n\tA trio of incoming freshmen have signed to continue their basketball careers at Valpo during the November early signing period.
\n\t6-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.
\n\tCurry 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.
\n\tScroggins 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.
\n\tRoberts 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.).
<\/p>\n
\n\tValpo’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.<\/a> head coaching era.
\n\tThe Beacons have seven players on the roster listed at 6-foot-8 or taller \u2013 Jayden Watson<\/a> (6-8), JT Pettigrew<\/a> (6-8), Owen Dease<\/a> (6-8), Tucker Tornatta<\/a> (6-8), Kobe Walker<\/a> (6-9), Shon Tupuola<\/a> (6-10) and Carter Hopoi<\/a> (6-11).
\n\tThis 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.
\n\tThe 1999-00, 2000-01, 2013-14 and 2022-23 teams each had six players listed at 6-8 or taller.
<\/p>\n
\n\tOnly four programs in the nation have had their league’s Freshman of the Year in each of the last two seasons \u2013 UConn, Baylor, Valpo and Harvard.
\n\tAll Wright<\/a> 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<\/a> did so in 2023-24.\u00a0
\n\tThis 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).
\n\tWright 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).
<\/p>\n
\n\tThe 11-game nonconference slate will feature seven home dates and four road contests.
\n\tValpo will play at Preseason AP No. 9 Kentucky, a Sweet 16 team from last season, on Nov. 7.
\n\tNicholls, the Nov. 12 opponent, was a 20-win team last season.
\n\tBryant, which will be 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.
\n\tCleveland State, which will host Valpo on Nov. 19, went 23-13 overall last year en route to an appearance in the Purple College Basketball Invitational.
\n\tBig East foe Marquette, the Dec. 2 opponent in Milwaukee, reached the NCAA Tournament and accrued 23 wins last season.
\n\tUNC Wilmington, 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.
\n\tThe nonconference portion of the season concludes on Dec. 16 at Big Ten adversary Northwestern.
\n\tValpo has three road nonconference games against teams in the top 60 in the KenPom preseason ratings, including Kentucky, rated No. 4 by KenPom.
<\/p>\n
\n\tValpo finished with 15 wins, the team’s highest total since capturing 19 victories in 2019-20.
\n\tThe program advanced to the semifinals of Arch Madness for the first time since 2020 and second time since joining the league.
\n\tThe 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.
\n\tThe 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).
\n\tValpo 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.
\n\tValpo won or tied the turnover battle in 26 out of 34 games last season and had 24 games with 10 turnovers or fewer.
\n\tThe Beacons had a better free-throw percentage than their opponent in 25 out of 34 games last season.
\n\tValpo broke the modern program record for single-season free-throw percentage (.775 in 2016-17) by finishing at .790.
\n\tThe team led the Missouri Valley Conference and ranked 11th nationally in free-throw percentage.
\n\tValpo also broke a modern program record for fewest turnovers per game at 9.7, a number that led the Missouri Valley Conference and ranked 19th nationally.
\n\tValpo 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.
\n\tAccording to KenPom, Valpo’s win probability of beating SIU was 4.2 percent when trailing 65-55 with 9:24 to play.
\n\tIn 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.
\n\tValpo’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.
\n\tAll Wright<\/a> had a game-winning layup with two seconds remaining on Feb. 19 vs. Missouri State, and Justus McNair<\/a> 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.
\n\tValpo 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.
\n\tThe team finished with a nonconference winning percentage of .636 (7-4), the program’s best since 2017-18 (9-4, .692).
<\/p>\n
\n\tValpo 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.\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tOn 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.
\n\tBy 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).
\n\tWith 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.
\n\tThe 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.
\n\tValpo’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.
\n\tValpo 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.
\n\tValpo 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.
\n\tValpo stopped a seven-game skid against Southern Illinois with an 83-79 victory on Feb. 22 in Carbondale.
<\/p>\n
\n\tThis year’s roster is comprised of 13 newcomers and four returning players.
\n\tRecruiting the Chicagoland area successfully has been key for the program. Eight of the 17 players hail from the state of Illinois.
\n\tThe 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.
\n\tThe three players from outside the Midwest call Arizona, Montreal and New Zealand home.
\n\tThe 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).
\n\tOf the 13 newcomers, six are true freshmen and seven are transfers.
<\/p>\n
\n\tFreshman guard Rakim Chaney<\/a> spent the 2024-25 season at 212\u00b0 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.
\n\tSophomore guard Justus McNair<\/a> 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.
\n\tFifth-year senior guard Brody Whitaker<\/a> 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.
\n\tRedshirt freshman forward Jayden Watson<\/a> sat out as a redshirt last season, and suffered a preseason injury leading into 2025-2026.
\n\tFreshman guard Camden Webster<\/a> is a walk-on who attended nearby Kankakee Valley High School.
\n\tFreshman forward JT Pettigrew<\/a> 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.
\n\tJunior guard Mark Brown Jr.<\/a> 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.
\n\tRedshirt senior guard Isaiah Barnes<\/a> 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.
\n\tRedshirt senior forward Owen Dease<\/a> 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.
\n\tFreshman forward Carter Hopoi<\/a> played at the FIBA U18 Asia Cup in September 2024 and has played with the New Zealand NBL’s Tauranga Whai.
\n\tFreshman center Kobe Walker<\/a> 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.
\n\tSenior Joe Vick<\/a> is in his fourth year in the program as a walk-on.
\n\tFifth-year senior Kyonte Thomas<\/a> 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.
\n\tJunior center Shon Tupuola<\/a> 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.
\n\tSophomore guard Nick Lombardi<\/a> is in his second season in the program as a walk-on.
\n\tSophomore Tucker Tornatta<\/a> was named to the Great Lakes Valley Conference All-Freshman Team in 2025 while playing at the University of Indianapolis.
\n\tFreshman guard Sader Servilus<\/a> 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.
<\/p>\n
\nRandom facts on each Valpo player. <\/p>\n
\n\t#0 Rakim Chaney<\/a> \u2013 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.
\n\t#1 Justus McNair<\/a> \u2013 Went to the same high school as Valpo head coach Roger Powell Jr.<\/a> (Not at the same time, obviously.)
\n\t#3 Brody Whitaker<\/a> \u2013 Hopes to stay around sports in the future\u2026 Was teammates with Valpo’s Tucker Tornatta<\/a> last year at the University of Indianapolis.
<\/p>\n
\n\t#4 Jayden Watson<\/a> \u2013 Brother Elijah played five seasons of college basketball \u2013two 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.
\n\t#5 Camden Webster<\/a> \u2013 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.
\n\t#7 JT Pettigrew<\/a> \u2013 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.
\n\t#10 Mark Brown Jr.<\/a> \u2013 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\u2026 Mark enjoys clothing and putting on outfits in his spare time. He also likes sightseeing and going on adventures.
\n\t#11 Isaiah Barnes<\/a> \u2013 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.
\n\t#12 Owen Dease<\/a> \u2013 Enjoys spending time with his daughter Cohen, who was born in 2024\u2026 Graduated from Texas A&M Corpus Christi in May 2025 with a degree in kinesiology\/exercise science\u2026 Pursuing a master’s degree at Valpo.
\n\t#13 Carter Hopoi<\/a> \u2013 Growing up, played various sports including soccer, cricket and volleyball.
\n\t#15 Kobe Walker<\/a> \u2013 Enjoys going to church, golfing and watching movies\u2026 Played AAU for Gavin Sullivan, who is close with Valpo legend Alec Peters.
\n\t#20 Joe Vick<\/a> \u2013 Son of Julie Vick<\/a>, the administrative assistant for the Valpo men’s and women’s basketball programs.
\n\t#22 Kyonte Thomas<\/a> \u2013 Favorite hobby is bowling with a top score of 278\u2026 Graduated with a degree in business management and is pursuing a master’s in sports administration at Valpo.
\n\t#23 Shon Tupuola<\/a> \u2013 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.
\n\t#32 Nick Lombardi<\/a> \u2013 Is interested in pursuing a career as a play-by-play sports broadcaster and is a huge fan of sports cars.
\n\t#35 Tucker Tornatta<\/a> \u2013 Has been watching the Missouri Valley Conference since he was a kid going to games at the University of Evansville\u2026 Enjoys playing golf, watching NBA games and swimming in his spare time.
\n\t#44 Sader Servilus<\/a> \u2013 Enjoys watching Anime\u2026 Originally played soccer as a child, but transitioned to basketball because all of his cousins were playing the sport.
<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\n\tAssistant coach Pat Baldwin<\/a> 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.
\n\tAssistant coach Matt Gordon<\/a> 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.
\n\tAssistant coach Jesse McClung<\/a> 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.
\n\tAssistant coach\/General Manager Quintin Garrison<\/a> 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.
\n\tRecruiting & Player Development Coach Lavonte Dority<\/a> 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.<\/a>‘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.
\n\tAssistant Player Development Coach Sean Taylor<\/a> served as SIUE’s graduate assistant\/video coordinator from August 2021 to May 2023. He is in his third season on staff.
\n\tCreative content guru Jacob Lindsey<\/a> (third season) and former Valpo football and basketball player Anthony Sciarroni<\/a> (first season) serve as the program’s graduate assistants.
\n\tSeamus Glennon<\/a> 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.
\n\tCaleb 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.
<\/p>\n
\n\tValpo 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.
\n\tThe program has produced nine All-Americans, won 15 regular season conference championships and 10 conference tournament crowns.
\n\tValpo also boasts eight NBA players, 10 conference players of the year and 20 20-win seasons.
\n\tNine of the team’s NCAA appearances have come since 1996.
\n\tValpo 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 \u2013 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).\u00a0
\n\tValpo has produced over 50 professional players in the last three decades.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Story Links
Valparaiso (6-4, 0-0 MVC)
at Northwestern (6-4, 0-2 B1G)
Game No.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":348217,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":["post-348216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=348216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348216\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/348217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=348216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=348216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=348216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}