Sophomore forward Alec Peters (Washington, Ill./Washington) has been named a preseason First Team All-Horizon League selection, while the Valparaiso men’s basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League standings in 2014-15, according to preseason polling of the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and media members.

Peters is the only underclassmen on the preseason First Team, earning the accolade after a tremendous freshman campaign last year.  Peters was an All-Freshman team selection and earned Freshman of the Week honors four times.  He averaged 12.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game on the season, making him the highest-scoring Crusader freshman since 1998-99.  Peters also pulled down the most rebounds by a Valpo freshman since the 1999-2000 season.  He finished the season among the league’s top-15 in five different statistical categories, and closed the year strong, leading the Crusaders in scoring in eight of their final ten games.

Coming off of its fourth consecutive postseason appearance and an 18-win campaign, Valparaiso totaled 228 points in the preseason polling to finish fourth in the projections.  Green Bay earned the top spot with 32 first-place votes and 357 points, while Cleveland State claimed the other nine first-place nods and 335 points.  Detroit edged out the Crusaders for the third spot with 239 points.  Behind Valpo in order in the polling were Wright State, Milwaukee, Oakland, Youngstown State and UIC.