One of the top shooters to ever play at Valparaiso, Casey Schmidt made the most of his two seasons playing basketball for the Brown and Gold, and because of his success will be inducted into the Valpo Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon.

            Arriving at Valpo as a transfer from the University of Arizona to play closer to home, he was nearly automatic from the free throw line. Schmidt holds the top two spots on Valpo’s single season free throw shooting list, making 92.6% of his free throws as a senior and 89.7% of his attempts as a junior.  Out of more than 150 career attempts, he missed just 14 times over two seasons.

            A two-time All Mid-Continent Conference selection, including a First Team pick as a senior, Schmidt was named to the league’s All-Tournament Team following the 1994 championships.

            Besides having success from the free throw line, he is one of the top long-range shooters in school history, ranking sixth all-time shooting 41.0% from the three-point arc.  His 47.7% clip in 1992-1993 ranks third in school history, and ranked him among the top 10 in the country that season.  As a senior, he was named Valparaiso University Athlete of the Year.

            Following his Crusader career, Schmidt played professionally in Europe, where he was twice a First Division All-Star.  He helped lead Benetton, Italy to the European Cup championship, and helped Valencia, Spain to a runner-up finish in the same event.

            He is now a vice president and owner of Associated Contractors, Inc. in Hattiesburg, Miss. and also owns Bella Capelli Salon & Details in Valparaiso with his wife Monica.

            The Valparaiso University Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will be held on Saturday, February 23 at 11 a.m. at the Strongbow Inn Banquet Center.  The inductees will also be recognized at halftime of both the men’s and women’s basketball games on the same day.