(14) Valparaiso (26-7, 13-3 Horizon)
Game #34 - Thursday, March 21 - 11:15 a.m. CT
2013 NCAA Tournament - Second Round
vs. (3) #9/9 Michigan State (25-8, 13-5 Big Ten)
The Palace of Auburn Hills (22,076) - Auburn Hills, Mich.
Next Up in Crusader Basketball: Valparaiso makes its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2004, as the Crusaders are the 14th seed in the Midwest Region and will face third-seeded Michigan State Thursday at 11:15 a.m. CT in Auburn Hills, Mich. The game will be televised live nationwide on CBS and is the first game of the Second Round to tip off.
Last Time Out: The Valparaiso men’s basketball team is going back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004 after completing a thrilling 62-54 victory over Wright State to earn the Horizon League tournament championship at the ARC on March 12. The Crusaders were led by the standout play of fifth-year senior and tournament MVP Erik Buggs. Not to be denied in Valpo’s second consecutive league tournament title game, Buggs drove to the basket time after time, finishing the night with a career-high 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor to go along with four steals.
Following the Crusaders: Radio - WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso) - Todd Ickow (PxP) and Brandon McPherson (Color)
Television - CBS - Verne Lundquist (PxP), Bill Raftery (Analyst) and Rachel Nichols (Analyst)
Links for the live CBS broadcast, as well as live stats, will be available through ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Bryce Drew: Bryce Drew (48-19) is in his second season at the helm of the Valparaiso men’s basketball program in 2012-2013. Over his first two seasons, Drew has led the Crusaders to 48 victories, including a school-record 26 this season, as well as two Horizon League regular season titles and one tournament championship. Drew ascended to the head coaching position on May 17, 2011 after spending six seasons as an assistant and associate head coach with the Crusaders.
Series Notes: Valpo and Michigan State have played just twice previously in program history. The first meeting between the two squads came in the 2000 NCAA Tournament in Cleveland, a 65-38 Michigan State win. The Spartans also earned a home win over the Crusaders in November of 2009, 90-60. Two current Crusaders - Ryan Broekhoff and Matt Kenney - played in that contest.
Storylines
- Valparaiso is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004 and for the eighth time overall
- The trip to Auburn Hills is the closest to campus that the Crusaders have every played their opening game in the tournament.
- This marks the second time that Valparaiso has been given a 14 seed for the NCAA Tournament.
- Valparaiso enters the NCAA Tournament featuring the nation’s most experienced team.
- Valpo earned the Horizon League’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after capturing the league tournament championship.
- Valpo earned the Horizon League Championship for the first time since joining the league prior to the 2007-2008 campaign.
- The Crusaders were regular season league champions for the second straight year.
- Valparaiso is looking to win its first Horizon League Championship title and earn its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2004.
- The win in the HL title game gave the Crusaders their 26th win of the season, setting a new program record for single-season victories.
@ValpoBasketball...
...and the @HorizonLeague
- @ValpoBasketball was picked to win the @HorizonLeague regular season title.
- The Crusaders received 40 of the 44 first-place votes in the #HLMBB preseason poll.
- This marks the first season since 2002-03 (Mid-Con) that @ValpoBasketball has been preseason league favorites.
- The Crusaders were the only team to place two players on the #HLMBB preseason First Team All-League as well.
...nationally
- @ValpoBasketball was tabbed the preseason @HorizonLeague favorite by @CBSSports and @AthlonSports, among others.
- @ValpoBasketball is currently ranked 10th in the Mid-Major Top 25 poll, voted on by mid-major coaches and produced by @CollegeInsider.
...looking back at last year
- @ValpoBasketball claimed its first @HorizonLeague regular season title in 2011-12, winning the crown by two games.
- @ValpoBasketball played at Miami in the first round of the postseason NIT, the Crusaders’ 11th postseason trip in the last 17 years.
- @ValpoBasketball boasted the #HLMBB Coach of the Year (Drew), Player of the Year (Broekhoff) and a second First Team selection (Van Wijk).
Back to the NCAA
- Valpo is making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2004.
- The Crusaders were a 15 seed that season, falling to Gonzaga in first round action, after winning the Mid-Continent Conference title.
- This is Valpo’s eighth all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament at the D-I level - it owns a 2-7 record in tournament play.
- Both of the Crusaders’ previous NCAA Tournament wins came on their run to the Sweet 16 in 1998.
Winning the Title
- Valpo needed a pair of comeback victories to capture the Horizon League tournament crown last week.
- The Crusaders were down by six points with under six minutes to play against Wright State in the title game.
- Valpo put together a 16-0 run over a five-minute span to secure the win over the Raiders.
- In the semifinal against Green Bay, the Crusaders were down four within the last 10 seconds and down two with the ball late.
- Erik Buggs was Tournament MVP after scoring a career-best 22 points in the win over Wright State.
- Buggs’ previous career high had come in his third career game, 1,573 days prior to the win over Wright State.
- Ryan Broekhoff also made the All-Tournament Team after a 25-point performance against Green Bay.
So Much Drama in the ARC
- Ryan Broekhoff’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer vs. GB invoked memories of “The Shot” by head coach Bryce Drew in the 1998 NCAA Tournament.
- Both game-winning triples came from the right wing and resulted in 70-69 victories by the Crusaders.
- Drew’s shot was also the last buzzer-beater by a Crusader in postseason play.
- The last game-winning buzzer-beater by a Valpo player came at Detroit in Jan. of 2012 on a coast-to-coast layup by Erik Buggs.
- The last game-winner at home came courtesy of Brandon McPherson against UWM in Dec. of 2009 on a steal and layup with 0.9 seconds left.
- The last buzzer-beating 3-pointer was a 65-footer by Greg Tonagel to beat Belmont in January of 1999.
- Broekhoff’s triple placed #2 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays, the second time Valpo has made Top 10 this season.
An Experienced Squad
- The Crusaders do not lack for experience, entering the NCAA Tournament with the nation’s most experienced team.
- Valpo averages 2.72 years of experience according to KenPom, #1 in the nation - the metric is weighted for minutes played.
- Of the Crusaders’ eight main rotation players, six are seniors (two fifth-year) and two are juniors (one fourth-year).
- All five of Valpo’s probable starters are seniors.
- For the second straight season, the Crusaders have not had a freshman play a single minute.
Winning the League Crown
- The win for @ValpoBasketball over Youngstown State Feb. 26 gave the Crusaders at least a share of the Horizon League title.
- Valpo then secured the outright crown with a definitive victory at Green Bay on Mar. 2.
- This marks Valpo’s first back-to-back regular season titles since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons (Mid-Continent Conference).
- Valpo has gone 27-7 in Horizon League play over the last two years after going 36-36 in its first four seasons.
- Valpo has now claimed its conference regular season title in 11 of the last 19 seasons.
Record-Setting Win Totals
- The win over Wright State in the HL tournament championship was the program record 26th of the 2012-2013 season.
- Valpo previously won 25 games in the 2001-02 season - a year in which they won the Mid-Con regular season and tournament titles.
- The Crusaders won 24 regular-season games, the most in the team’s D-I era and matching the 1923-24 team for most regular season wins overall.
- The regular season finale at GB was Valpo’s tenth road win of the year, the most true road wins in a single season in the program’s D-I era.
- Valpo also set a D-I record last Tuesday with the HL title game win over Green Bay with its 16th home win of the year at the ARC.
Milestone Night
- A number of individual milestones were reached in the regular season finale at Green Bay.
- Matt Kenney matched the Valpo record for most 3-pointers in a game without a miss, going 6-of-6 from downtown.
- Jared Nuness (Belmont, Dec. 1997) and Ryan Broekhoff (Detroit, Feb. 2012) had previously gone 6-of-6 from deep in a Crusader uniform.
- Kevin Van Wijk scored his 1,000th career point with 18:03 to play, making him the 32nd player in Crusader history to reach the mark.
- Van Wijk also set a new Horizon League record for FG% within league-only play, hitting at a 69.5% clip during league games.
League Honorees
- Four Crusaders earned awards as the Horizon League announced its postseason awards after the conclusion of the regular season.
- Senior Ryan Broekhoff was named to the All-League First Team for a second straight season.
- Senior Kevin Van Wijk earned Second Team honors after earning First Team recognition as a junior.
- Senior Erik Buggs was named to the All-Defensive Team, Valpo’s first All-Defensive selection in six years as a league member.
- Junior LaVonte Dority was tabbed the Sixth Man of the Year, the second Valpo player to be so honored (Jarryd Loyd, 2007-08).
Offense Clicking on All Cylinders
- Valparaiso ranks among the nation’s most productive teams on the offensive side of the ball.
- The Crusaders rank sixth in the nation in FG% (48.9%), third in 2PT% (56.1%) and 38th in 3PT% (37.6%).
- Valpo also goes to the free throw line often, ranking 33rd nationally in FT Rate (42.3).
- The Crusaders’ adjusted offensive efficiency ranks 44th in the nation as well (109.8).
- Valpo failed to score at least one point per possession in the win over Wright State for the first time in 18 games.
- The Crusaders have scored at least 1.25 points per possession in four of their last 10 games.
Winning Away From Home
- While Valpo has not played a neutral-site game this season, the Crusaders have had no problem winning games away from the ARC.
- The Crusaders won a D-I school record 10 true road games this season and own a 10-5 record on the road.
- This will be the first year Valpo has finished at least .500 on the road since 2001-02.
- Valpo won its last road game of the regular season at Green Bay and has won eight of its last nine road games.
- Valpo had two separate streaks of four consecutive road victories this season.
- The four straight true road wins were the first for Valpo since Jan. 23-Feb. 27, 2003, when it won six consecutive road games.
- The Crusaders owned a 7-1 mark in Horizon League road games this season, only falling at Youngstown State.
Gallimaufry
- Valpo lost for the only time this year against Detroit when leading at halftime (21-1) and when scoring at least 70 points (18-1).
- This marks the third straight year that Valpo has held at least a share of the Horizon League lead at any point past the halfway mark.
- Valpo had a six-game winning streak solely within league play earlier this year, its first since Jan. 15-31, 2004.
- The Crusaders have hit at least 10 3-pointers and shot >50% from beyond the arc in consecutive games twice this year.
- The 15 triples against UIC matched the most in a single game by the Crusaders since they hit 16 against Chicago State on Dec. 15, 2007.
- Valpo earned its largest league win since joining the Horizon League with a 31-point win (71-40) over Milwaukee.
- It marked Valpo’s largest win within league play since defeating Oakland 95-64 on Jan. 2, 2006 when both were members of the Mid-Con.
- Valpo posted one of its top defensive efforts in a long time in the victory over Milwaukee, surrendering just 40 points.
- The 40 points also was the fewest given up by Valpo to a D-I opponent since a 35-33 win over Green Bay on Jan. 21, 1984.
- The 24-point margin at UWM was the largest by a Valpo team in a road league game since a 74-42 win at Chicago State on Jan. 21, 1999.
- The Crusaders have not lost two straight games this season and haven’t dropped back-to-back league games since Feb. 21/24, 2011.
- @ValpoBasketball tallied 16 steals in the win over Purdue Calumet, its most in a single game in over 10 years.
- The Crusaders’ 52 points in the paint vs. IUPUI are the most they’ve had in a single Division I game since at least 2005.
- With the win over Kent State, Valpo has now won three straight OT games and is 6-2 in extra time since the start of the 2010-2011 season.
- The Crusaders went 34-for-41 from the free throw line in the win over Kent State.
- Valpo had not hit 34 free throws in a single game since a Feb. 8, 1997 win over Northeastern Illinois.
- Valpo allowed 50 points or less in back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 2003 (NIU 46, Nebraska 50).
- The 50 points scored by Nebraska was the fewest @ValpoBasketball has given up in a loss since Jan. 16, 1984 vs. Western Illinois (41-40).
- Valpo defeated Georgia Southern by 31 points in its opener, its largest season-opening win over a D-I school since moving to D-I.
@MSU_Basketball
- Michigan State earned an at-large bid and a 3 seed after finishing 25-8 overall and 13-5 in Big Ten play.
- The Spartans had a pair of close decisions in the Big Ten Tournament, beating Iowa 59-56 and falling to Ohio State 61-58.
- Michigan State is a strong defensive squad, allowing just 59.3 ppg while opponents shoot under 40% from the floor.
- Offensively, Keith Appling leads the way with 13.6 points per game on the year.
- Gary Harris adds 12.5 points per game, while Adreian Payne chips in 10.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.
Bryce Drew
- Bryce Drew is in his second season as head coach of @ValpoBasketball and is in his eighth season overall on the coaching staff.
- Drew was named #HLMBB Coach of the Year in 2011-12 in his first season as head coach.
- Drew was the first Crusader men’s basketball Coach of the Year since 2001-02, when dad Homer won the honor in the Mid-Con.
- Drew led the Crusaders to 22 wins and the Horizon League regular season title in his first year at the helm.
- This season, Drew guided Valpo to its second straight regular season title, its first tournament title and a school record 26 wins.
- Prior to coaching, Drew spent seven seasons playing professionally, including six seasons in the NBA.
- Drew was a two-time Mid-Con MVP in his playing days with @ValpoBasketball, helping the team to three NCAA tournament appearances.
- Drew hit “The Shot”, a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in the first round of the 1998 NCAA tournament, to lift the Crusaders over @OleMissMBB.
- “The Shot” was named one of the top-35 All-Time Madness Moments by the NCAA as part of the celebration of 75 Years of March Madness.
#DrewFamilyDynasty
- Bryce is the third member of the Drew family to serve as head coach of @ValpoBasketball.
- Father Homer was head coach from 1988-2002, and then returned to lead Valpo from 2003-11.
- Brother Scott (current head coach of @BaylorMBB) led the Crusaders during the 2002-03 season after nine seasons as an assistant under Homer.
- A Drew has been at the helm of the Crusaders for the last 24+ years. #DrewFamilyDynasty
- The Drew family has combined to lead @ValpoBasketball to 439 victories and 11 postseason appearances. #DrewFamilyDynasty
- Overall, the trio of Drews owns 881 collegiate victories over a combined 43+ seasons of head coaching. #DrewFamilyDynasty
#CoachesWhoCanPlay
- @ValpoBasketball boasts one of the nation’s highest-scoring staffs, as a trio of coaches combined for 4,146 points during their D-I careers.
- Head coach Bryce Drew scored 2,142 points during his four-year career with the Crusaders.
- Assistant coach Jake Diebler also suited up for four years at Valpo, scoring 826 points.
- Assistant coach Roger Powell Jr. tallied 1,178 points during his four-year career with Illinois.
- Assistant coach Luke Gore also played collegiately at NAIA Bethel [Tenn.] College.
Ryan Broekhoff
Honors
- Ryan Broekhoff earned First Team All-Horizon League honors for the second straight season in 2012-13.
- Broekhoff was honored four times as the league’s Player of the Week, the second-most in a single year in the last decade.
- Broekhoff was named the #HLMBB Player of the Year in 2011-12 after helping guide @ValpoBasketball to the regular season title.
- Broekhoff was also named an Honorable Mention All-American by the @AP.
- Broekhoff was picked as a Preseason First Team All-@HorizonLeague member entering his senior season.
- Broekhoff was recently named one of 25 finalists for the Lou Henson Award for mid-major player of the year.
- Broekhoff earned Lou Henson Award mid-season award honors from College Insider.
- Broekhoff was chosen as a preseason Third Team Mid Major All-American by NBC Sports College Basketball Talk (@CBTonNBC).
- Broekhoff appeared on @CBSSports lists by @jeffborzello of the nation’s top-30 under-the-radar players (#6) and top-50 wings (#43).
- Broekhoff also was picked as the nation’s #28 shooter by @goodman_CBS on his list of top-50 shooters.
Playing Overseas
- Broekhoff was selected to the Australian Boomers squad, Australia’s senior national team, in the summer of 2012.
- Broekhoff was one of 25 players called into the 2012 @aussieboomers squad to try out for the Olympic team.
- Broekhoff was on the 12-man roster for the @aussieboomers YouYi Games series against China, making his senior international debut.
- Broekhoff saw 23 minutes of action for @aussieboomers in the three-game series, scoring four points and grabbing a pair of rebounds.
- Broekhoff was one of 15 finalists for Australia’s 12-man Olympic squad.
- Broekhoff previously represented Australia in the World University Games (2011) and the @FIBA U19 World Championships (2009).
This Season
- Broekoff scored 25 points in the Crusaders’ semifinal win over Green Bay, culminating with his buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
- Broekhoff hit a key 3-pointer in the title game against Wright State and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
- Broekhoff led the Crusaders in the regular season clincher against YSU, posting a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
- Broekhoff hit five first-half 3-pointers and scored 19 of his game-high 22 in the opening period against UIC.
- Broekhoff hit a career-best 14-15 from the free throw line, going for 19 points and nine rebounds in the win over Green Bay.
- Broekhoff scored 12 points in the final 2:17 of Valpo’s come-from-behind win over Wright State, ending with 18 pts/10 reb.
- Broekhoff hit the go-ahead free throws with 17 seconds left at Detroit, finishing a line of 18 pts/9 reb/5 ast/3 stl/2 blk.
- Broekhoff posted double-doubles in Valpo’s first two HL road games - 21 pts/10 reb at UIC, 26 pts/10 reb (career-high 7 3’s) at Milwaukee.
- Broekhoff DNP for the first time in his career Dec. 22 vs. Purdue Calumet, snapping streaks of 113 straight games and 50 straight starts.
- Broekhoff matched his career high in the first half alone in the win over Bethune-Cookman, scoring 26 points (7-8 FG, 3-3 3PT, 9-9 FT).
- Broekhoff ended the win over the Wildcats with 30 points and seven rebounds.
- Broekhoff scored 16 of Valpo’s 23 first-half points in the win over Northern Illinois, ending the game with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
- Broekhoff leads the league in FT% and 3PT/gm, and also ranks among the top-3 in scoring, rebounding, and 3PT%.
- Broekhoff is the only player ranked among the top-20 in the nation in both free throw percentage and 3-point percentage.
- Broekhoff moved into @ValpoBasketball’s all-time top-20 in career points at Saint Louis and into the top-10 Feb. 1 against Milwaukee.
- Broekhoff currently ranks sixth in Crusader history with 1,583 career points, 38 points shy of fifth position.
- Broekhoff also ranks 3rd in rebounds (836), 4th in blocks (99), 2nd in 3-pointers (251), 7th in 3PT% (.412) and 7th in FT% (.817).
Last Season
- Broekhoff led @ValpoBasketball, averaging 14.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in 2011-12.
- Broekhoff led the @HorizonLeague in rebounding and finished fourth in the league in scoring.
- Broekhoff’s total of 290 rebounds on the year was sixth-highest in a single season in program history.
- Broekhoff became the 31st player in @ValpoBasketball history to score 1,000 career points, surpassing the milestone Feb. 17 at @LMULions.
Kevin Van Wijk
- Van Wijk earned Second Team All-Horizon League honors after being a First Team selection in the preseason.
- Van Wijk set a new Horizon League record by shooting 69.5% from the floor in league-only games.
- Van Wijk leads the Horizon League with a .650 field goal percentage, a mark which is good for ninth nationally.
- Van Wijk now tops Valpo’s career FG% chart, connecting at a .614 clip for his career.
- Van Wijk posted a double-double in the Crusaders’ title game win over Wright State with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
- Van Wijk tallied 17 points and five rebounds in the Crusaders’ semifinal victory over Green Bay.
- Van Wijk became the 32nd player in Valpo history to reach 1,000 career points, doing so in the regular season finale at Green Bay.
- Van Wijk ripped down a career-best 14 rebounds in the home win over YSU and added 15 points (5-6 FG) for a double-double.
- Van Wijk was a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor for 10 points and nine rebounds in the home game against Detroit.
- Van Wijk went 8-of-10 from the field en route to a team-high 20 points and nine rebounds in the win at Wright State.
- Van Wijk was named HL Player of the Week after scoring 49 points on 79.2% shooting in Valpo’s earlier wins against WSU and Detroit.
- Van Wijk tied for team-high honors with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the win over WSU, also tallying seven rebounds and four assists.
- Van Wijk had a career game in the comeback win at Detroit, going 13-of-15 from the floor for a career-high 31 points.
- Van Wijk set a then-career high with 25 points (6-8 FG, 13-14 FT) in the OT win over Kent State, including the game-tying putback.
- Van Wijk is coming off a junior season where he was named a First Team All-League selection.
- Van Wijk led all #HLMBB players with a 61.7% FG pct, good for fifth in the nation and third-best in a single season in Crusader history.
Erik Buggs
- Buggs was named HL Tournament MVP after dropping a career-high 22 points against Wright State in the title game.
- Buggs’ previous career high had come in his third career game, 1,573 days before last Tuesday’s title game victory.
- Buggs broke Valpo’s all-time career games played record earlier this season and has currently appeared in 137 career games.
- Buggs was named to the HL All-Defensive Team, Valpo’s first choice to the squad since joining the league.
- Buggs is currently ranked fourth in the league in steals and eighth in assists, and was seventh in HL-only play in field goal pct.
- Buggs closed the regular season at Green Bay by going 4-of-5 for eight points and seven assists while committing just one turnover.
- Buggs matched a career best with six made baskets for 12 points while also handing out eight assists against Detroit.
- Buggs posted 11 points and eight assists in the Crusaders’ win last Saturday at Cleveland State.
- Buggs went 2-2 from the floor and 6-6 from the foul line for 10 points in the win over UIC.
- Buggs set a new career high with six steals and also tallied nine points and five assists in the win over Green Bay.
- Buggs posted eight points, five rebounds and six assists in the win at Detroit, including a pair of assists in the game-closing run.
- Buggs came off the bench in the win over IUPUI Dec. 20, snapping a streak of 70 consecutive starts.
- Buggs opened the season with a career-high nine assists to go with six points in the Crusaders’ win over Georgia Southern.
- Buggs came up just one point shy of his career high with 15 points in the OT win at Kent State.
- Buggs currently ranks fourth in @ValpoBasketball history with 423 career assists, as well as seventh in steals (152).
Matt Kenney
- Kenney knocked down a 3-pointer with 6.8 seconds to play in the HL semifinal win over Green Bay to bring the Crusaders within one point.
- Kenney ended the night with 14 points and also handed out five assists without committing a turnover.
- Kenney matched a Valpo record by hitting six 3-pointers without a miss in the regular season finale at Green Bay.
- Kenney finished the game against the Phoenix with a game-high 21 points, going a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor.
- Kenney went 6-of-8 from the floor, including four 3-pointers, for a team-high 18 points in the home game against Detroit.
- Kenney scored 13 of his 15 points off the bench in the second half in the win at Wright State.
- Kenney became just the second Crusader in program history (Lubos Barton) to reach 400 reb/300 ast, doing so against UIC.
- Kenney came up one rebound shy of a double-double, going for 10 points and nine rebounds in the win over Green Bay.
- Kenney posted near-season highs across the board with 15 points, four rebounds and six assists in the win over WSU.
- Kenney responded with 15 points and six assists in his first start in nearly a year Dec. 20 against IUPUI.
- Kenney scored all 16 of his points in the win over Northern Illinois in the second half.
- Kenney was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor (3-for-3 from 3-point range) over a span of 9:31 against the Huskies.
- Kenney filled up the stat sheet in the OT win at Kent State, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists.
- Kenney matched his career high with seven assists while not committing a turnover in the Crusaders’ win vs. Chicago State.
- Kenney currently is 11th in @ValpoBasketball history with 328 career assists.
Will Bogan
- Bogan currently ranks fifth overall in the Horizon League, as well as sixth in league-only play, in 3-point percentage.
- Bogan has moved back into Valpo’s career top-ten in 3-point percentage, where he currently ranks eighth (41.0%).
- Bogan knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in a 14-point effort in the HL title game win over Wright State.
- Bogan set a new Valpo best, handing out five assists without a turnover in the home win vs. YSU while also scoring 10 points.
- Bogan tied for team-high honors with 13 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, in the BracketBusters win over EKU.
- Bogan knocked down three 3-pointers in a season-best 16-point effort in a win at Loyola.
- Bogan hit a season-best five 3-pointers in a 15-point performance at home against Detroit.
- Bogan scored 11 points, including a perfect 3-of-3 effort from behind the arc, in Valpo’s win at Cleveland State.
- Bogan connected on four triples and tied for team-high honors with 12 points in the victory over Milwaukee.
- Bogan returned to the starting lineup Jan. 4 against CSU, scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor, including three 3’s.
Ben Boggs
- Boggs posted a 10-point effort off the bench, eight of which came in the first half, in the BracketBusters win over EKU.
- Boggs returned to the starting lineup against Milwaukee, tying for team-high honors with 12 points.
- Boggs missed the Cleveland State game, snapping streaks of 35 straight starts and 39 straight games played.
- Boggs scored a season-best 12 points in both of Valpo’s pre-Christmas wins over IUPUI and Purdue Calumet.
- Boggs posted nine points and tied a career high with eight rebounds in the Crusaders’ win over Chicago State.
- Boggs became eligible after the end of the first semester last year for @ValpoBasketball and appeared in 24 games, starting 20.
- Boggs averaged 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game for the Crusaders, who were 14-6 in his starts.
Bobby Capobianco
- Capobianco earned Newcomer of the Week honors twice from the Horizon League this season, including the final award of the regular season.
- Capobianco set a new career high with 16 points in the win in the regular season finale at Green Bay, going 7-of-8 from the floor.
- Capobianco set a then-season high in the Crusaders’ win at Cleveland State, scoring 13 points in just 13 minutes.
- Capobianco nearly picked up a triple-double in the win over UIC, tallying 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
- Capobianco was the first Division I player to reach those marks off the bench in nearly five years.
- Capobianco approached a double-double in the win over Milwaukee, tallying eight points and nine rebounds.
- Capobianco debuted for Valpo against Chicago State after missing the Crusaders’ first four regular season games due to injury.
- Capobianco doubled up in his debut, posting 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, including six offensive, against the Cougars.
- Capobianco’s double-double was the first in a Valpo debut since Mohamed Kone vs. IPFW on Nov. 23, 2005 (15 pts, 11 reb).
- Capobianco made his first Crusader start Dec. 22 vs. Purdue Calumet.
- Capobianco scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds, including five offensive, in the win Dec. 20 against IUPUI.
- Capobianco played his first two seasons at @IndianaMBB and sat out last season after transferring to @ValpoBasketball.
LaVonte Dority
- Dority was named the Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year.
- Dority scored 12 points in the BracketBusters win over EKU, including a perfect 5-of-5 effort from the foul line.
- Dority connected on three 3-pointers en route to 13 points in the Crusaders’ win over UIC.
- Dority came up with 13 points off the bench for the Crusaders at Youngstown State.
- Dority returned to his hometown of Chicago with an 18-point, four-assist performance in the win at UIC.
- Dority made his Crusader debut with a game-high 20 points in Valpo’s win at Missouri State.
- Dority became the first Crusader to debut with a 20+ point effort since Brandon Wood dropped 25 at Ball State in Nov. of 2009.
- Dority again led Valpo in the loss at Oakland, scoring 14 points.
- Dority led the Crusaders for the third time in his first four games with a 19-point effort versus Purdue Calumet.
- Dority transferred to Valpo from South Florida at the semester break last year., where he appeared in 35 games.
Jordan Coleman
- Coleman scored seven straight points in the second half and ended the home win over UIC with nine points and a pair of blocks.
- Coleman approached a double-double with nine points and a season-best eight rebounds Jan. 4 in the win over Cleveland State.
- Coleman tallied 10 points Dec. 29 in the Crusaders’ win at Murray State.
- Coleman led the Crusaders with four steals in their win Dec. 22 against Purdue Calumet.
- Coleman made his Crusader debut against Georgia Southern, scoring 15 points and grabbing five rebounds off the bench.
- Coleman knocked down the first five 3-point attempts of his Crusader career before missing his only try from deep at Nebraska.
- Coleman is eligible to play for @ValpoBasketball immediately after transferring from Southwestern Illinois College.
- Coleman was an All-Conference selection for SWIC last season, finishing second on the team with 10.2 ppg.
- Coleman started his collegiate career as a freshman at Hawai’i.
Vashil Fernandez
- Fernandez matched his season best with six rebounds in 10 minutes of action last Saturday in the win over EKU.
- Fernandez set a new season high with six points, including a pair of dunks, and also blocked two shots in the home win over Milwaukee.
- Fernandez pulled down a season-high six rebounds Dec. 22 in the win verus Purdue Calumet.
- Fernandez recorded a team-high four blocked shots in the Crusaders’ win over Northern Illinois.
- Fernandez is eligible to play for @ValpoBasketball this season after sitting out the 2011-12 season and has 3 years of eligibility left.
- Fernandez made his senior international debut this past summer for Jamaica (@goteamja) at the FIBA Centrobasket tournament.
- Fernandez helped @goteamja to a 3rd place finish, its best ever at Centrobasket.
- Fernandez debuted in a win over the USVI and also played in the bronze-medal win over Panama.
Alex Rossi
- Rossi connected on the first five field goals of his Valpo career before missing his only attempt from the floor at Nebraska.
- Rossi debuted with 11 minutes of play in the season opener against Georgia Southern, hitting all three of his 3-point attempts for 9 points.
- Rossi scored five points and grabbed two rebounds in 14 minutes Dec. 22 against Purdue Calumet.
- Rossi is eligible to play for @ValpoBasketball immediately after spending his first two years at @calmensbball.
