Mar. 20 - After ten days of anticipation and preparation, Valpo's wait came to a conclusion at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. The tip originally scheduled for 4:45 pm local time was pushed back nearly a half hour as Buffalo/West Virginia endured a very lengthy tilt.  

Mar. 19 - The Crusaders arrived at Nationwide Arena around noon for an open practice inside the 18,500-seat venue. A short press conference was held prior to the shootaround. Head coach Bryce Drew addressed reporters after Alec Peters and Vashil Fernandez spoke with the press to lead off the event. Peters reinforced the team's focus and commitment to the finer details leading up to Friday's matchup versus Maryland.

Once the team took to the hardwood, shots fell left and right for the Brown and Gold. Sure, they were unguarded; however, the acclimation to a tall arena requires more than one may think. Depth perception - especially when shooting - is largely based on the height of a facility. Nationwide Arena and the Athletics-Recreation Center represent opposite ends of the spectrum.

"It's a huge difference. There are teams that are bad big-arena shooters. I'm pleasantly surprised with how quick this team is adapting, based on the results here now," long-time Valpo broadcaster Todd Ickow said during shootaround.

Following the team's unveiling to the public and media, the Crusaders immediately retreated to the Schottenstein Center at Ohio State for another fine-tuning. Spirits remain high while focus stays precise.

E. Victor Nickerson and Jubril Adekoya spent a few minutes with ValpoAthletics.com after the closed practice. You can view it here: http://youtu.be/Qa8xAHIC8E4

Check out Valpo Basketball's Facebook page for photos from today's open practice at Nationwide Arena.

Mar. 18 - (5:00 pm ET): The team and its accompanying entourage arrived in Columbus. Valpo held a light, but focused practice at the Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State. Pictures have been posted on Valpo Athletics' Facebook page, and we'll have video of player interviews tomorrow. 

A full practice and press conference awaits us tomorrow at Nationwide Arena.

(10:00 am CT): Fans, cheerleaders, and staff gathered outside the Athletics-Recreation Center to send off the team to Columbus. The team departed Valparaiso a little after 10:00 am CT. For a quick video, visit Valpo Athletics' Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/valpoathletics

Mar. 16 - Darien Walker and Keith Carter, both Chicago natives, spoke briefly with ValpoAthletics.com about returning to the Windy City area for the latter parts of their collegiate careers. Walker won a pair of Class 4A state titles while at Simeon Career Academy. Carter was a star for the rival Proviso East Pirates, a squad that finished runner-up to Simeon. On a personal level, he finished second only to Jabari Parker for Illinois Mr. Basketball 2012. 

Cutthroat competitors at the prep level, the basketball court reunited the Chicago duo as allies at Valparaiso. 

"I was kind of excited because I knew I was getting a teammate close to home. We played similar styles. We knew each other through AAU and played against each other my senior year of high school so we knew how each other played," Walker recalled upon learning he would be teammates with Carter.

For Walker, Valparaiso represents his third school in three years. He attended Arizona Western his freshman season. After leading the Matadors to a 25-win season, Walker left Yuma for John A. Logan College in Southern Illinois. He again enjoyed success, carrying his team to 20 wins and grabbing All-Region and All-Conference along the way.

Now, just a little more than an hour from where he grew up, Darien Walker feels at home.

"It's great here. It's a family-oriented environment with a good group of guys. I fit in easily here," he said.

Walker certainly fits the mold of a team marked by its resilience and toughness. Walker caught an inadvertent forehead to the nose from Keifer Sykes in last Tuesday's Horizon League Championship game versus Green Bay. Blood cascaded from the junior's nostrils as head trainer Rod Moore attended. The game was delayed several minutes while managers did their best Dexter impression to scrub the blood from the center of Homer Drew Court. 

His return was ruled doubtful, which, in terms of in-game injury reports is usually code for grim news.

But Walker, like the Crusaders, made a resounding second-half return. He knocked down three free-throws towards the beginning of the closing period that served as a harbinger for the Brown and Gold's come-from-behind, NCAA-tournament clinching triumph.

He cites proximity and ease of travel for family as inherent strengths of returning to the Chicagoland area. 

"My family gets to come to most of my games which is a great thing. And just the peace of mind of knowing that I can go home if I need to is amazing," Walker said.

Carter's path to Valparaiso was a little more unplanned.

Widely recruited out of Proviso East, Carter and former Saint Louis University head coach Rick Majerus developed a fulfilling relationship that ultimately resulted in the Chicago native landing in the Gateway to the West. Carter was a Billiken until Majerus' passing on December 1st, 2012.

"His death really hurt me. I grew up a lot at Saint Louis. After his death, it made re-evaluate a lot of things and that's how I decided upon here," Carter said.

The guard, who modeled his game after fellow Pirate guard Shannon Brown, echoed Walker's sentiments about playing close to home.

"It means a lot to me to be here. It wasn't easy for my famiy to travel to St. Louis, but they're at almost all my games now," Carter concluded.

Mar. 15 - The Crusaders didn't have to wait long to hear their name called inside a packed Harre Union ballroom. Valpo garnered a No. 13 seed and a first-round matchup against the Maryland Terrapins inside Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on Friday. The tilt represents a rematch of the two team's 1999 NCAA Tournament meeting, a contest in which both teams entered with the same seeds. If the Brown and Gold can unseat Maryland, the winner of West Virginia and Buffalo awaits them Sunday.

CBS Chicago was just one of multiple media outlets on hand to capture the moment as the ballroom erupted in excitement following Greg Gumbel's announcement. Head coach Bryce Drew shifted from interview to interview while the rest of the team celebrated with family and friends.  

Once the room began to clear, the coaches returned to the Athletics-Recreation Center for a meeting of the minds in preparation for Friday's game.

The destination came as great news for fans and alumni. A flight to one of the coasts was the odds-on favorite for prognosticators leading into Sunday night, but Columbus emerged as Valpo's stop. The four-hour drive represents a much easier commute for those eager to cheer on the Brown and Gold in person. 

Mar. 14 - More practice for the Crusaders, as Valpo sits in a holding pattern.  Without an opponent to prepare for, the Crusaders focused on themselves today, going through shooting drills and shoring up their offense and defense.

Once the selections come out Sunday evening, the preparations will start hot and heavy for whatever team Valpo will face in its first game. Without a real consensus among the Bracketology sites, the Crusaders just sit back and wait for what the NCAA selection committee presents them in their first game.

Valpo looks to be slotted in as a 12 or a 13 seed, depending on how the final conference tournaments break out with their automatic qualifiers.  The opponent for that first game is still very much up in the air as well.  Paul Oren, from the NWI Times, did a good job earlier this week breaking down the possible locations for the Crusaders for their games in the first weekend: http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/valparaiso-poised-to-take-flight/article_3da37c28-c88a-11e4-a688-b3d0fa866361.html

Be sure to tune in, if you can't attend the Selection Show party at the Union, to your local CBS affiliate at 5 p.m. CT on Sunday to find out where the Crusaders will be sent and who they play in their first game.  CBS 2 Chicago will be there to capture the excitement and the immediate reaction from various Crusaders after the pairings are unveiled, as will the Valpo Athletics YouTube account.  Head coach Bryce Drew will make numerous radio appearances Sunday night as well to talk about the Crusaders' opener.

Mar. 13 - The nets are back on the hoops, and after a couple days to relax, recuperate and enjoy capturing the 2015 Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship, Valparaiso went back to work this afternoon.

The Crusaders convened at the ARC mid-afternoon, starting off by taking care of various media obligations with the NWI Times and the Post-Tribune, as well as a few phone interviews for feature stories on the Internet. The team then got a good lifting session in back in the weight room, before heading out to the arena floor for the first time as a team since claiming the league crown.

Valpo will hit the practice floor again tomorrow and Sunday before heading over to the Harre Union Sunday evening to find out who it will play in the opener of the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

Mar. 12 - The Valparaiso University Alumni Association invites you to join your Crusaders on Selection Sunday as they find out their opponent and destination for the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Gather with alumni, friends, students, faculty, and staff to celebrate and hear Coach Bryce Drew’s thoughts on Valpo's first game. 

Doors to the Harre Union Ballrooms will open at 4:30 p.m., and the selection show will begin at 5 p.m. Desserts and beverages will be available throughout the event. Space is limited and pre-registration is required no later than Friday, March 13, at 11:59 p.m. Register online or by calling Alumni Relations at 219.464.5142. Admission is $5 per person. Valpo students and children under 12 years old must register online, but will be charged no admission fee during registration.

Following the event you will have the opportunity to reserve NCAA Tournament tickets in Valpo’s allotted section. Please note that no pricing will be available at that time. The ticket office will be open on Monday, March 16, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. to purchase tickets.