Valparaiso University forward Alec Peters (Washington, Ill./Washington) was drafted in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft Thursday evening by the Phoenix Suns with the 54th overall pick.

The Valparaiso University men’s basketball program will have the opportunity to participate in a conference challenge series for the first time during the 2017-18 season, as the Crusaders will host Utah State on Tuesday, Nov. 28 as part of the Challenge Series between the Missouri Valley Conference and the Mountain West Conference.

Valparaiso University president Mark A. Heckler, Ph.D., announced today that the University has accepted an invitation to join the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1, 2017. The Crusaders will begin competing for MVC championships in the 2017–2018 academic year.

Continuing a long-standing partnership, the Valparaiso University men’s basketball program will send associate head coach Luke Gore and current Crusaders Micah Bradford and Derrik Smits on an Athletes in Action tour to the Czech Republic and Poland – a trip which begins May 23. Gore will serve as head coach for the 10-player team.

The Valparaiso University men’s basketball program is currently searching for students who are interested in joining the program as student managers for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Valparaiso University men’s basketball head coach Matt Lottich announced today that the Crusaders are adding to their tradition of welcoming international players to the program, as Marten Linssen, a 6’8” forward from Dusseldorf, Germany, has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Crusader program as a freshman for the 2017-18 season.

Registration is open now for the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team’s three basketball camps this summer. Two camps will run concurrently June 19-22, with a third camp being hosted at the ARC July 24-28. The camps are open to youths from ages 5-14.

The Valparaiso University men’s basketball program continues to welcome local talent into the fold, as head coach Matt Lottich announced today that Ryan Fazekas, a native of Chesterton and 2015 graduate of Marquette Catholic H.S., has signed to join the Crusaders as a transfer from Providence. Fazekas will have to sit out next season and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining starting with the 2018-19 campaign.

Valparaiso University men’s basketball head coach Matt Lottich announced today that Markus Golder, a 6’6” swingman out of North Idaho College, has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Crusader men’s basketball program for the 2017-18 season. Golder will be a sophomore for the Crusaders next season and has three seasons of eligibility remaining.