Valparaiso men's basketball head coach Homer Drew announced today that the Crusaders have signed 6'7”, 235 lb. forward Milos Milosevic (Bar, Montenegro/Oakmont [Calif.] H.S. [Yuba College]) to a National Letter of Intent. He will join the Crusaders for the 2009-2010 campaign with three years of eligibility remaining.
Junior Cory Johnson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East [Iowa State]) and incoming sophomore Brandon Wood (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo [Highland (Ill.) C.C.]) will represent the Valparaiso men's basketball program as they join eight other Division I players on an Athletes in Action team that will embark on a one-week competitive tour against teams in Poland and Berlin, Germany later this month.
Valparaiso senior guard Jake Diebler (Upper Sandusky, Ohio/Upper Sandusky) was one of five players league-wide named to the Academic All-Horizon League men's basketball team, as announced by the league Wednesday.
Valparaiso's men's basketball team will be hosting three basketball camps this summer for youths of all ages and skill levels.
Valparaiso rallied from a 12-point deficit to take the lead for the first time early in the second half, but Wright State responded with a 14-0 run to take back the lead for good, as the Raiders went on to defeat the Crusaders, 68-56, in the first round of the Horizon League Championship Tuesday evening in Dayton, Ohio.
The postseason starts Tuesday for Valparaiso, as the Crusaders travel to Dayton, Ohio to take on the Wright State Raiders in the first round of the Horizon League Championship.
Crusader senior forward Urule Igbavboa (Oakdale, Minn./Tartan) has been selected as a Second Team All-Horizon League honoree by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media members after a standout 2008-2009 campaign.
Valparaiso is the ninth seed for the 2009 Speedway Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship and will open tournament play Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. CST in Dayton, Ohio against fourth-seeded Wright State.
Valparaiso men's basketball seniors Jake Diebler (Upper Sandusky, Ohio/Upper Sandusky) and Urule Igbavboa (Oakdale, Minn./Tartan) went out winners at the Athletics-Recreation Center one last time on Saturday evening, as the Crusaders rallied from nine points down to defeat Youngstown State, 67-59.
Valparaiso concludes regular season play Saturday at the ARC against the Penguins of Youngstown State. It will be Senior Night at the ARC, the final time that seniors Jake Diebler and Urule Igbavboa step onto the floor at home.
Valparaiso held an eight-point lead midway through the first half and trailed by just three at halftime, but Cleveland State shot at a staggering 82.4% clip in the second half to hold off the Crusaders, 71-64.
Valparaiso continues a three-game homestand Thursday against the Vikings of Cleveland State. This weekend marks the final weekend of regular season action.
Possibly more than any other single team at Valparaiso University, the 1997-1998 men's basketball team put the school on the national radar following its improbable run to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament and, on February 28, the team will be inducted into the Valparaiso University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Trailing by 18 with 6:29 to play in the first half, Valparaiso rallied to within five at halftime and then locked down on defense in the second half, allowing Akron just six field goals after the break as the Crusaders earned a 74-66 victory in non-league action Saturday at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
Valparaiso kicks off a three-game homestand to close out the regular season on Saturday night, hosting Akron in a non-conference matchup.
Valparaiso was within one point at the half at the Horizon League's second-place team in Green Bay Wednesday evening, but the Phoenix took advantage of ten Crusader second-half turnovers, scoring 19 points off the miscues in the final 20 minutes to pull away for a 76-61 victory.
Valparaiso makes its final road trip of the regular season on Wednesday as the Crusaders travel to Green Bay, looking to knock off the league's second-place team.
Despite matching a season-best with 13 3-pointers, Valparaiso was unable to outscore UIC on Sunday at the Athletics-Recreation Center, as the Flames scored the game's final ten points to take an 83-76 victory in Horizon League action.
Valparaiso looks to make it two wins in a row as it takes the floor for a rare Sunday afternoon matinee at the Athletics-Recreation Center against UIC.
Valparaiso head coach Homer Drew earned his 600th career victory in easy fashion Friday evening at the Athletics-Recreation Center, as the Crusaders led from start to finish in a 71-47 win over Loyola.
Valparaiso returns home to the ARC for the first time in three weeks Friday night when the Crusaders host Loyola. The game kicks off a stretch in which the Crusaders will play five of their last six regular season games at home. It will be broadcast locally on Lakeshore Public Television and is available nationwide on ESPN Full Court.
Detroit's Woody Payne split a pair of free throws with 2.3 seconds to play Saturday afternoon in Detroit, Mich., accounting for the final margin as Valparaiso fell to the Titans, 56-55.
Valparaiso concludes its three-game road swing Saturday afternoon with a matinee showdown at Detroit. The Crusaders sit just one game outside of sixth place in the league standings, which is the last spot that grants a home league tournament game.
Valparaiso took a six-point lead just over one minute into the second half Thursday evening in Dayton, Ohio, but Wright State responded with a 17-4 run to take the lead for good, going on to a 68-58 victory over the Crusaders.
Valparaiso continues its final multi-game road trip of the 2008-2009 campaign on Thursday, as the Crusaders travel to Dayton, Ohio to face off against Wright State.
The Valparaiso men's basketball team will host Akron at the Athletics-Recreation Center on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 7:05 p.m. in a matchup derived from the ESPNU BracketBusters pool.
A tenacious Valparaiso squad earned its first lead of the game with just over six minutes to play, and following 11 straight Butler points fought back to within two with 90 seconds remaining, but the 13th-ranked Bulldogs hit enough free throws down the stretch to hold off the Crusaders' upset bid Friday evening, 59-51.
Valparaiso returns to the national stage as the Crusaders travel downstate to take on #13/13 Butler in Indianapolis on Friday evening at 6 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast live nationally on ESPNU.
Valparaiso put together its best offensive performance against a Division I opponent this season Saturday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center, but Green Bay's Ryan Tillema had a career-best 36 points to lead the Phoenix to an 83-76 victory over the Crusaders.
Coming off of a big home win over Milwaukee on Thursday evening, the Crusaders welcome Green Bay to the ARC for a Horizon League contest Saturday. Valpo head coach Homer Drew will be gunning for his 600th career victory after reaching 599 with Thursday's victory.
Trailing by 11 with four minutes remaining in the first half, Valparaiso went on one of its biggest runs in recent history, scoring 26 consecutive points while holding Milwaukee scoreless over a 12-minute span, completely turning the tide of the game. The Crusaders would go on to a 63-51 victory over the Panthers Thursday evening at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
Valparaiso continues Horizon League play Thursday night against the Panthers of Milwaukee. The game will close out the first half of the Crusaders' 2009 league slate.
The Valparaiso University ticket office is now accepting ticket reservations for the 2009 Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship.
Playing with just six scholarship players Saturday afternoon at Loyola, Valparaiso showed determination in fighting back to within five points with under six minutes remaining, but that was as close as the Crusaders would get, as the Ramblers closed out a 71-56 victory.
The Horizon League schedule continues Saturday for Valparaiso, as the Crusaders make their second trip to the Windy City in a three-day span to take on Loyola. The game can be seen live throughout Chicagoland on Lakeshore Public Television, and is available nationwide on ESPN Full Court.
Valparaiso held as much as a seven-point lead in the first half Thursday evening in Chicago, Ill., but UIC put together a 17-0 run in the latter stages of the opening stanza on its way to a 77-52 victory over the Crusaders.
Valparaiso plays the first of two consecutive games within the Chicago city limits on Thursday, as the Crusaders travel to the Windy City to face off against UIC.
Crusader men's basketball head coach Homer Drew announced today that Beas Hamga (Douala, Cameroon/Decatur [Ill.] Christian), a 7'0”, 225 lb. transfer from UNLV, has enrolled in classes for the spring semester at Valparaiso University and will become eligible to play at the end of the fall semester for the 2009-2010 season.
Sophomore guard Michael Rogers (Kingston, Jamaica/Redemption [N.Y.] Christian) put up a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 15 rebounds Saturday evening, but Valparaiso came up on the short end of a 64-48 decision against Wright State at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
Coming off a win over Detroit on Thursday, Valparaiso welcomes Wright State to the ARC on Saturday. The two squads are tied for fifth place in the league standings heading into Saturday's action. The game will be broadcast live on Lakeshore Public Television and can be viewed nationwide on ESPN Full Court.
Valparaiso held Detroit scoreless for a near-ten minute stretch in the first half and allowed the Titans to hit just 14 field goals for the game en route to an easy 64-41 victory in Horizon League play on Thursday. Senior forward Urule Igbavboa (Oakdale, Minn./Tartan) scored his 1,000th career point with 13:32 to play, making him the 28th player in Crusader basketball history to reach the milestone.
Valparaiso returns home for a weekend of Horizon League action beginning with a Thursday night tilt against Detroit. Urule Igbavboa enters the game just eight points shy of reaching the 1,000-point milestone for his career.
Valparaiso was up by as many as 11 points in the first half and held a five-point halftime lead at Milwaukee Monday evening, but the Panthers started the second half on a 17-4 run to take the lead for good en route to a 61-47 win over the Crusaders.
Valparaiso continues Horizon League action Monday, traveling to Milwaukee to take on the Panthers. The Crusaders enter the game at 1-2 in league play, while Milwaukee sits atop the standings at 4-0.
Valparaiso's second unit sparked a 19-3 run midway through the first half to rally the Crusaders from an early deficit and put them in position for a halftime tie, but #25/RV Butler came out of the break on a 19-4 run and went on to post a 75-62 victory over Valpo Saturday evening at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
The 2009 calendar year kicks off Saturday for the Crusaders as they host their most common all-time opponent and in-state rival #25/RV Butler. This marks the third straight season that the Bulldogs have been ranked when they have visited the ARC. The game will be televised live throughout Chicagoland on Lakeshore Public Television, the first of seven Crusader contests that will be broadcast this year.
Valparaiso snapped its five-game losing streak in emphatic fashion Tuesday evening at the Athletics-Recreation Center, handling Division III opponent North Park easily on its way to a 78-47 victory.
Valparaiso returns to the ARC Tuesday to host Division III foe North Park in its final game of the 2008 calendar year. The Crusaders and Vikings, out of Chicago, Ill., are meeting for the first time ever on the hardwood. Valpo has captured its last 14 regular season contests against non-Division I opponents, dating back to the 1997-98 campaign.
Valparaiso led for a good portion of the first half Sunday afternoon at #10/15 Purdue and trailed by just two at halftime, but the Boilermakers connected on four of their first five 3-point attempts in the second stanza and the Crusaders got no closer than six the rest of the way, dropping a 59-45 decision.
Valparaiso takes on its second top-ten opponent in a nine-day span on Sunday, as the Crusaders travel downstate to face off with #10/15 Purdue. The game will be broadcast nationwide on the Big Ten Network, with a 3 p.m. CST tip time.
Valparaiso's Jake Diebler (Upper Sandusky, Ohio/Upper Sandusky) was named the U.S. Army Horizon League male Scholar-Athlete of the Week for the week ending Dec. 21.
Valparaiso allowed UCF to connect on 13 3-pointers Monday evening in Orlando, Fla., propelling the Knights to an 85-60 victory over the Crusaders.
Valparaiso plays the back end of a home-and-home series with UCF Monday evening in Orlando, Fla., the return trip from the Crusaders' 69-52 victory at the ARC earlier this season.
Valparaiso jumped out to a 12-3 lead on unanimous #1/1 North Carolina Saturday afternoon at the Windy City Hoops Classic, played at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., and still led midway through the first half, but the Tar Heels eventually pulled away for an 85-63 victory.
For the third time in seven seasons, Valparaiso takes to the home court of the NBA's Chicago Bulls, hosting current unanimous #1/1 North Carolina in Chicago's United Center. It also marks the fifth consecutive season that the Crusaders will take on the nation's top-ranked team.
Due to high demand, additional tickets for Valparaiso's game on Saturday at the United Center against #1/1 North Carolina at 1 p.m. have been released and are now available for as little as $15 at www.ticketmaster.com.
Valparaiso was within one point of Miami for a five-minute stretch of the second half and cut the RedHawks' lead to three points with 7:49 remaining, but the Crusaders could not take the advantage, as Miami held off all of Valpo's advances for a 62-50 victory Saturday afternoon in Oxford, Ohio.
Valparaiso plays its first non-league road game of the 2008-09 campaign on Saturday afternoon, traveling to Oxford, Ohio to take on Miami in a return game from last year's epic ESPNU BracketBusters matchup. The Crusaders have lost in four of their last five games, while Miami has won four of its last five.
Valparaiso never led Wednesday evening at the Athletics-Recreation Center, as IPFW used an early 14-3 run to jump out to a double-digit lead on its way to a 63-46 victory over the Crusaders.
Valparaiso returns to the ARC for the first time in nearly a month Wednesday as the Crusaders host in-state foe IPFW. The Crusaders snapped a four-game losing streak last time out, while the 3-5 Mastodons enter Wednesday on a three-game losing streak.
After trailing by 14 points 16 minutes into the game, Valparaiso ended the first half on a 15-4 run and took the lead for good with 13 minutes to play, eventually pulling away for a 68-57 road victory over Youngstown State in Youngstown, Ohio Thursday evening. Urule Igbavboa (Oakdale, Minn./Tartan) set a new career high with 27 points in the victory.
Valparaiso closes out its brief foray into December league play on Thursday evening when the Crusaders take on the Penguins of Youngstown State.
Cleveland State held Valparaiso to just five first-half field goals Tuesday evening in both team’s Horizon League opener to open a 17-point halftime lead and went on to defeat the Crusaders, 66-42, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Valparaiso begins Horizon League play on Tuesday evening with a meeting against preseason league favorite Cleveland State. The Crusaders will look to snap a three-game losing streak, while Cleveland State enters the contest on a three-game winning streak.
Valparaiso fought back from a nine-point halftime deficit Monday afternoon against La Salle and sent the game to overtime on a free throw by Benjamin Fumey (Bremen, Germany/Freie Hansestadt), but the Explorers never trailed in the extra session, downing the Crusaders 75-70 in both teams’ final game at the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.
Valparaiso connected on just 4-of-30 first-half shot attempts en route to a 75-55 loss to Iona in the consolation bracket at the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Saturday night. The Crusaders will take on La Salle in their final game at the tournament at noon CST on Monday.
Valparaiso twice cut double-digit second half deficits to within one possession and was still within three points with 1:28 to play, but could never gain the lead in the final 20 minutes, as San Diego captured a 73-66 victory in both teams' opening game at the Paradise Jam at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Having started 2-0 for the fourth straight season, Valparaiso will look to extend its season-opening winning streak this weekend at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Crusaders will take on San Diego in the opener before facing either Iona or Wisconsin in their second game. Miami (Fla.), La Salle, Southern Miss and UConn are on the other side of the tournament bracket.
Valparaiso improved to 2-0 for the fourth consecutive season, taking the lead just over three minutes into the game and holding it the rest of the way, defeating UCF 69-52 Tuesday evening at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
The Valparaiso men’s basketball team received its fifth National Letter of Intent during the early signing period Monday, as head coach Homer Drew announced that Brandon Wood has officially signed to attend Valpo beginning next year.
Coming off of a season-opening victory for the fourth straight year, Valparaiso will look to make it a 2-0 start on Tuesday evening as the Crusaders host Conference USA foe UCF.
Michael Rogers (Kingston, Jamaica/Redemption [N.Y.] Christian) led four Crusaders in double figures with a career-best 23 points, and Valpo put together a 19-3 run in the middle of the first half to pull away from Marian, going on to a 87-56 victory Saturday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
Valpo men’s basketball head coach Homer Drew announced today that the Crusaders have received a National Letter of Intent from Ryan Broekhoff and that he will join the program as a freshman for the 2009-2010 campaign.
Crusader men’s basketball head coach Homer Drew announced today that forward Chris Halvorsen has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join fellow signees Matt Kenney and Tommy Kurth as freshmen in the Valpo program for the 2009-2010 season.
Valparaiso head coach Homer Drew announced this afternoon that guards Matt Kenney and Tommy Kurth have both signed National Letters of Intent and will join the Crusader program as freshmen for the 2009-2010 season.
Coming off of a 22-14 season and a berth in the inaugural CBI in its first year of Horizon League play, Valparaiso kicks off the 2008-09 campaign Saturday evening at the Athletics-Recreation Center against NAIA foe Marian.
Ahead by just two at the half, Valparaiso stormed out of the gate in the second half with a 23-4 run and rolled from there, finishing the night with an 85-63 victory over Elmhurst in an exhibition game at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
Heading into the 2008-2009 season, Valparaiso knows the landscape of the Horizon League. No longer are the trips and venues unfamiliar. The team knows the demands that the league schedule brings, knows that there are no off nights in league play. This year, however, it will be a relatively inexperienced squad taking the hardwood, as only five letterwinners return from last year’s squad. But with a trio of three-year senior starters leading the way, the Crusaders are taking aim at another finish near the top of the league standings and a repeat berth in the postseason.
The Valparaiso men’s basketball team will be featured on national television at least three times during the 2008-2009 campaign, with the possibility of up to four more national broadcasts during the regular season. In addition, Lakeshore Public Television will broadcast six Crusader men’s games along with one Crusader women’s game over the course of the season.
Valparaiso’s success at placing players into professional basketball after graduation continues, as both Jarryd Loyd (Latvia) and Calum MacLeod (Japan) have signed professional contracts. With the pair of signings, all three members of the Crusaders’ 2007-2008 senior class will be playing pro basketball this year.
Former Crusader swingman Ron Howard is suiting up with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks during training camp in hopes of making the Bucks opening-day roster.
Crusader senior forward Urule Igbavboa (Oakdale, Minn./Tartan) has been named to the Horizon League’s preseason Second Team All-League squad.
The Valparaiso men’s basketball team has been picked to finish seventh in the Horizon League for the 2008-09 season, according to polling of the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and media members.
Fans are invited to get their first glimpse of the 2008-2009 Valparaiso men’s and women’s basketball teams at Valpo Hoops Mania presented by Cardinal Bus, to be held Friday, October 10 at the Athletics-Recreation Center. Doors will open at 9:15 p.m., with festivities beginning at 9:30 p.m. Admission to the event is free.
Season tickets for Valparaiso University basketball are now on sale for the 2008-2009 season.
Shawn Huff, who closed out his Crusader career at the end of the 2007-08 season, has signed a three-year contract to play professional basketball with the Greek club Maroussi Athens BC.
A game Dec. 20 at the United Center in Chicago, Ill. against likely preseason #1 North Carolina highlights the Valparaiso men’s basketball schedule for the 2008-2009 campaign, as released today by Crusader head coach Homer Drew.
Former Valparaiso men’s basketball player Joaquim Gomes, who sported the Crusader uniform from 2000 through 2004, is currently playing for his home country of Angola in the 2008 Olympic Games being contested in Beijing, China.
Valparaiso guard Samuel Haanpää (Kerava, Finland/Cornerstone [Texas] Christian) has reached a three-year agreement with Orlandina Basket, a Serie A Italian team, and will forego his final two years of collegiate eligibility.