The Valparaiso University Athletic Department has announced plans to hold a celebration of legendary head coach Homer Drew’s induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame during the men’s basketball game against Central Michigan on Sunday, Dec. 8.

Drew was a fixture on Valpo’s sidelines for more than two decades, leading the program to 371 victories and nine postseason appearances. He is among three coaches and six players who comprise this year’s Hall of Fame class. The Valpo legend will be joined by coaches Lute Olson and Rick Majerus as well as Indiana’s Calbert Cheaney, Duke’s Shane Battier, Purdue’s Terry Dischinger, Providence’s Ernie DiGregorio, UNLV’s Larry Johnson and Stanford’s Todd Lichti, who have been selected as players. The induction is slated for Nov. 24 in Kansas City.

Drew and his wife Janet will be in attendance for the Dec. 8 game against Central Michigan, and a banner commemorating his Hall of Fame induction will be raised during a pregame ceremony. The game is slated to tip off at 1 p.m. at the Athletics-Recreation Center.

“We know there are numerous supporters of our program and members of the Valparaiso community who want to celebrate with Coach Drew but may not be able to make it to Kansas City for the induction,” Valparaiso University Director of Athletics Mark LaBarbera said. “We are thrilled to honor Coach Drew’s amazing Valpo basketball legacy. We can’t wait to have him back at the ARC to celebrate all he’s meant to the game of college basketball, particularly here on our campus.” 

Drew ended his career, which also included stints at Bethel (Ind.) and IU South Bend, with 640 victories over 34 seasons, a total that ranked sixth among active Division-I coaches at the time of his retirement. The nine postseason appearances included seven trips to the NCAA Tournament, highlighted by Valpo’s run to the Sweet 16 in 1998.

A four-time Mid-Continent Conference Coach of the Year, Drew led the Brown and Gold to eight regular season conference championships, eight conference tournament titles, and 10 20-win seasons.

Drew was presented with the Lumen Christi Medal, Valparaiso University’s highest honor, in recognition of a lay person’s distinguished service to church and society in 1999. He was also honored as one of the 150 most influential people in Valparaiso University history as part of Valpo’s 150th anniversary celebration in 2009.

Drew received the Naismith Good Sportsmanship Award in 1998 and was presented with the Mid-Continent Conference’s Commissioner’s Award of Merit in 2002. In 2010, the playing floor in the arena of the Athletics-Recreation Center was named in his honor.

Drew is the third former Valpo coach to earn a spot in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. George Keogan (1919-1921) was selected as part of the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 2006, while Gene Bartow (1964-1970) was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame is located inside the College Basketball Experience (CBE), a world-class experiential entertainment facility adjacent to Kansas City’s Sprint Center. The Hall of Fame’s 14th induction celebration will precede the 2019 Hall of Fame Classic powered by ShotTracker, which will showcase Missouri, Oklahoma, Butler and Stanford competing Nov. 25-26 at Sprint Center.