Bradley (9-7, 3-4 MVC)
at Valparaiso (5-9, 2-3 MVC)

Game No. 15 – Thursday, Jan. 28 – 6 p.m. CT
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) – Valparaiso, Ind.

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: A game that was originally scheduled to kick off the Missouri Valley Conference slate on Dec. 28 will finally occur precisely a month later as the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team hosts Bradley on Thursday night in a rematch of last year’s MVC title game. Valpo is seeking its third straight victory as the two teams get together for the first of two midweek makeups as a result of the original series being postponed due to COVID-19.  A victory on Thursday would allow Valpo to secure its first three game winning streak since its majestic run of three victories in three days last March in St. Louis to reach the MVC championship game.

Last Time Out: Valpo played its best basketball of the season this past weekend, receiving contributions from a variety of individuals in a two-game road sweep of Illinois State. Donovan Clay (20 points, 12 rebounds) and Eron Gordon (14 points, 10 rebounds) had double-doubles to lead the way to Saturday’s 69-60 victory, then it was the Canadian-born duo of Ben Krikke (25 points, 15 rebounds) and Daniel Sackey (16 points, eight assists) propelling the squad to a narrow 70-66 win on Sunday.  

Following Valpo Basketball: Television/Streaming – The Valley on ESPN Exclusive (ESPN3) – Jordan Bernfield (play-by-play) and David Kaplan (analyst)  

Radio – WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso) – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Garrett Willis (analyst)

Twitter updates - @ValpoBasketball

Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.

Head Coach Matt Lottich: Matt Lottich (78-69) is in his eighth season overall at Valpo and fifth as head coach in 2020-21. Just two years removed from finishing in last place and being knocked out in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament as a first-year Valley member, Lottich’s team did more than hold its own in 2019-2020, ascending into a tie for sixth in the league standings before finishing as the conference tournament runner-up. Valpo became the first team in the history of Arch Madness to reach the title game after playing in the opening round. Lottich, hired as the 22nd head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program in April 2016, graduated from Stanford University in 2004 and New Trier High School (Illinois) in 2000.

Elite Company

With his 25-point, 15-rebound effort in the Sunday, Jan. 24 win over Illinois State, Ben Krikke became just the third Valpo player in the last 25 years to enjoy a 25&15 game, joining Alec Peters (3x) and Dan Oppland. Overall, he posted just the seventh 25&15 game by a Valpo player in the last 33 seasons (since ’89-90). In addition, Krikke accounted for the first such performance by any Missouri Valley Conference player since Missouri State’s Alize Johnson over four years ago on Dec. 31, 2016 vs. Indiana State.

Player                         Pts-Reb          Date                Opponent

Ben Krikke                 25-15               1/24/21            at Illinois State

Alec Peters                 29-15               12/17/16          vs. Indiana State

Alec Peters                 36-15               11/12/16          vs. Trinity Christian

Alec Peters                 25-15               12/28/16          at Green Bay

Dan Oppland               27-16               2/17/05            vs. Southern Utah

Chris Ensminger         34-18               2/20/95            vs. Troy State

Casey Schmidt            25-15               3/7/94              vs. UIC

Oh, Canada

• Edmonton’s Ben Krikke and Winnipeg’s Daniel Sackey accounted for 41 of Valpo’s 70 points (58.6 percent) in the four-point win over Illinois State on Sunday, Jan. 24. The Canadian-born combo produced 26 of the team’s 38 first-half points (68.4 percent).
• Krikke’s 15 rebounds obliterated his previous personal best of eight, achieved most recently on Dec. 17 of this season vs. Purdue Northwest. This marked the sophomore forward’s first career double-double.
• Krikke also established a career high in the scoring column as his 25 points outdid his previous watermark of 21, which came this season vs. Missouri State. He also made 12 field goals, the most by a Valpo player since Javon Freeman-Liberty also had a dozen last January at UNI.
• Krikke’s 15 rebounds marked the second most by a Missouri Valley Conference player this season behind Missouri State’s Gaige Prim, who had 16 on Jan. 9 at Valpo.
• Sackey had his third eight-assist game of the season, joining Drake’s Roman Penn as the only Missouri Valley Conference players with three outings featuring eight or more dimes in 2020-21. Sackey had eight assists in both games against the Redbirds this weekend, one shy of a career high.
• Sackey’s 16-point outburst on Sunday, Jan. 24 accounted for his first double-figure scoring output of the season. It marked the Valpo point guard’s second-highest career point total, behind only his personal best of 22 on Nov. 9, 2019 at Saint Louis.

Double-Doubles Galore

• Entering the Jan. 23-24 weekend at Illinois State, Valpo had just three double-doubles in its last 54 games dating back to the 2018-19 season (only one this year). Valpo matched that total with three double-doubles in a two-game span in Normal, Ill.
• Eron Gordon and Ben Krikke both had their first career double-doubles over the weekend, while Donovan Clay enjoyed his second.
• Clay and Gordon became the first Valpo tandem to have double-doubles in the same game since Alec Peters and Tevonn Walker on Jan. 16, 2017 vs. Green Bay. It was the first same-game double-double not involving Peters since Darien Walker and Vashil Fernandez on Nov. 19, 2015 vs. Trinity Christian and the first dual double-double not involving Peters vs. a Division-I opponent since Ryan Broekhoff and Kevin Van Wijk on Feb. 26, 2013 vs. Youngstown State.
• Clay and Krikke became the fourth and fifth players with 20-point, 10-rebound games under Matt Lottich, joining a quality group that also includes Javon Freeman-Liberty, Derrik Smits and Alec Peters.

Bouncing Back on the Boards

• Entering the Jan. 23-24 weekend at Illinois State, Valpo had been outrebounded in seven straight games, 10 out of 12 this season and 17 of the last 21 dating back to last season. That turned around in a big way as Valpo owned the glass 42-32 on Saturday and 42-34 on Sunday, combining for a +18-rebounding margin in the two games.
• Valpo’s highest single-game rebound total in a league contest since joining the Missouri Valley Conference is 43. Entering the weekend in Normal, Valpo had just two games with 42 or more rebounds in conference action since joining The Valley prior to the 2017-18 campaign. The team matched that total in just two games at Redbird Arena with back-to-back 42-rebound performances.
• Valpo owned a rebounding edge of +8 or better in back-to-back games for the first time since the 2018-19 season vs. Indiana State and Drake.
• The Brown & Gold held a combined 27-15 edge on the offensive glass in the two games at Illinois State and outdid the hosts in second-chance points 31-14. Valpo’s 16 offensive rebounds on Sunday, Jan. 24 were the team’s most since pulling down 18 in the 2019-20 season opener vs. Toledo.

Senior Leadership

• Over the first nine games of the season, Eron Gordon averaged 5.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per outing. Over the last five games, the fifth-year senior has boasted averages of 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds, both team highs in that span.
• Gordon has scored nine or more points in all five games during that stretch after previously scoring nine just twice over his first nine contests.
• Perhaps most impressive has been Gordon’s rebounding surge, as the Indianapolis native has five or more rebounds in six straight games and seven or more in four of his last five.

Road Court Advantage?

• The road team has won Valpo’s first five Missouri Valley Conference games this season. This is the first time in program history (since the program’s first year of Division-I conference affiliation in 1982-83) that the road team has won each of Valpo’s first five league games.
• Valpo has dropped its first three league home games for the first time since 1989-90, when second-year head coach Homer Drew’s team started league play 0-4 at home.
• Conversely, Valpo has won back-to-back road MVC games for just the second time since joining the league and first since opening the 2018-19 conference slate with wins at Missouri State and Southern Illinois.
• Valpo has won its first conference road game in three straight seasons and four times in the last five years.

Staying Busy After COVID Disruptions

• Six of Valpo’s first eight Missouri Valley Conference games were postponed due to COVID-19.
• Valpo didn’t practice from Dec. 20-Jan. 4 leading into the start of the conference season. The team also had a two-week pause shortly before the start of the nonconference slate in November.
• Three nonconference games were cancelled and two were added during a challenging season for schedule-makers.
• In all, Valpo has had nine games either cancelled or postponed. In addition, two Missouri Valley Conference series (at Evansville, at UNI) were pushed back one day from the original dates to make room for makeup games.
• From Jan. 20 (vs. Loyola) to Feb. 21 (at Southern Illinois), Valpo is scheduled for 14 games in a 33-day span. The Jan. 28 game vs. Bradley is the fourth game amidst an especially-busy stretch of six games in 13 days.

Examining the Close Calls

• Valpo won a pair of games in Normal by fewer than 10 points after entering the Illinois State weekend (Jan. 23-24) with an 0-6 mark this season in games decided by 15 points or fewer.
• The Sunday, Jan. 24 70-66 win was Valpo’s first game decided by fewer than five points this season.
• The Brown & Gold won a pair of games by fewer than five points in last year’s MVC Tournament and overall played in an eye-popping 12 games decided by fewer than five points a year ago.

Other Notes Wrapping Up Illinois State (Jan. 23-24)

• Valpo extended its head-to-head winning streak over Illinois State to seven, making the Redbirds the seventh Division-I opponent against which Valpo currently owns a streak of seven victories or more. Valpo has active streaks longer than seven games against just three Division-I programs – Youngstown State (9), Buffalo (8) and Eastern Illinois (8).
• Valpo has won back-to-back road games in conference play for just the second time since joining The Valley and first since 2018-19 (Jan. 5 at Missouri State, Jan. 12 at Southern Illinois).
• Valpo went zero days between road wins after previously going 343 days between road triumphs. Each of Valpo’s last three road victories have come at Illinois State.
• Clay’s 20 points on Saturday, Jan. 23 allowed him to bust out of a rare slump during which he had been held to seven points or fewer in three straight games. Krikke’s epic performance on Sunday, Jan. 24 was also of the bounce-back variety as it came just 24 hours after he battled foul trouble and was held to a season-low four points in the first game against Illinois State.
• The win on Saturday snapped a five-game losing streak and an eight-game road skid.
• Valpo displayed good ball movement throughout the Saturday game, matching a season high with 18 assists on 25 made baskets. Valpo improved to 4-1 when the team has 15 or more assists this season.

Series Notes: Bradley

• These two teams will hook up for the 11^th time with Bradley owning a 6-4 edge in the series.
• The home team has won every matchup between the two teams, so it’s good news for Valpo that both face-offs this year with take place at the ARC. Bradley is 0-4 all-time in Northwest Indiana, while Valpo holds an 0-5 all-time record in Peoria (and 0-1 mark in neutral-site meetings).
• This is a rematch of last year’s MVC title game, an 80-66 Bradley win that allowed the Braves to secure their second straight MVC crown. Valpo led 38-36 at halftime.
• The Athletics-Recreation Center has been a house of horrors for Bradley head coach Brian Wardle, dating back to his tenure leading Green Bay. In his most recent visit to Porter County, Valpo turned a 13-point first-half hole into a 90-78 victory. That was reminiscent of the 2015 Horizon League title game, when Valpo was down by 10 in the opening half before rallying to beat Wardle’s Phoenix 54-44.
• After winning his first visit to the ARC as Green Bay head coach in 2010-11, Wardle has lost nine straight games as the visiting head coach at Valpo (five with Green Bay, three with Bradley).

Inside the Braves

• Fell 71-56 at Illinois State on Jan. 20 and 69-56 on Jan. 24 vs. Loyola before a narrow 65-58 loss to the Ramblers on Jan. 25.
• Projected to finish third in the MVC Preseason poll.
• Have won the MVC Tournament each of the last two seasons.
• Senior forward Elijah Childs was named to the preseason All-MVC First Team. He led the team in rebounds at 8.7 per game last year and was second with 14.8 points per game.
• Childs is averaging 14.6 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game this season, both team highs.

A Fountain of Youth

• Valpo has depended upon freshmen and sophomores to account for 633 out of the team’s 944 points, 67 percent of the scoring.
• With senior Nick Robinson opting out for the remainder of the season, a young team got even younger. Four of the team’s top five scorers among active players are freshmen or sophomores. When you take out Robinson’s points, 72.6 percent of Valpo’s scoring has come from freshmen or sophomores.
• Nationally, the advantage of experience has been magnified this year due to COVID-19 related disruptions to practice time.

Starting Streaks

• Entering Thursday, Donovan Clay has started 47 consecutive games. He made his first start during the third game of his freshman season (2019-20) and has started every game since.
• Clay, Krikke and Sackey have all started the first 14 games this year. Krikke made only one start as a freshman last season.
• After starting six straight games, freshman Connor Barrett came off the bench on Dec. 16 at DePaul. However, he returned to the starting five on Dec. 20 vs. Loyola and has started each of the last three.
• Senior Eron Gordon came off the bench for the season’s first two games, but has made a dozen straight starts.

A Look Back at 2019-20: Just two years removed from finishing in last place and being knocked out in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament as a first-year Valley member, head coach Matt Lottich’s team did more than hold its own, ascending into a tie for sixth in the league standings before finishing as the conference tournament runner-up. Valpo became the first team in the history of Arch Madness to reach the title game after playing in the opening round. 

Preseason Picks

• Sophomore Donovan Clay was named to the Preseason MVC Second Team.
• Valpo was picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll based on a survey of the conference’s head coaches, media members and sports information directors.
• Valpo exceeded preseason expectations a year ago after being picked to finish ninth. The Brown & Gold tied for sixth in the regular-season standings and went on to finish as the conference tournament runner-up.

Who’s Back, Who’s New?

• This year’s team features 11 returning letter winners (nine scholarship, two walk-on) to go along with six newcomers (four scholarship, two walk-on).
• Three letter winners departed from last year’s team.
• Valpo returns 59.2 percent of its scoring and 64.3 percent of its rebounding from last season. Both numbers are up from a year ago, when Valpo returned just 40.1 percent of its scoring and 35.7 percent of its rebounding from 2018-19.
• Last season, the entire roster was from either Indiana, Illinois or outside the United States. This year, Valpo has added three additional states to the mix in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida.
• Still, six players hail from Illinois and four from Indiana. The six Illinois natives are the most since 2015-16.
• Coincidentally, Valpo’s last player from the state of Florida before Sheldon Edwards shares the same last name. Lakeland native Richie Edwards played for the Brown & Gold during the 2011-2012 campaign.
• Goodnews Kpegeol is the first Valpo player from the state of Minnesota since Cory Johnson’s final season on campus in 2010-2011.
• Jacob Ognacevic is Valpo’s first player from Wisconsin since Andrew Ferry in 2008-2009.

Arrow Pointed Up

• Valpo made its first conference championship appearance since 2015, doing so after being picked to finish ninth in the preseason poll.
• Valpo reached the conference title game as only a third-year Missouri Valley Conference member. When Valpo transitioned from the Mid-Continent Conference to the Horizon League prior to the 2007-2008 season, the program didn’t reach the conference championship game until Year 5 and followed by winning its first Horizon League Tournament title in Year 6.
• The men’s basketball program became the first Valpo team in any sport to reach the Missouri Valley Conference championship game during the department’s young tenure in the prestigious league.
• Valpo accepted a postseason tournament invitation for the first time since joining The Valley, agreeing to a CollegeInsider.com Tournament berth before the event was canceled due to the coronavirus.
• The program had its largest win increase from the previous season (four) since jumping from 18 wins in 2013-14 to 28 in 2014-15.
• Valpo finished with a winning record during the nonconference portion of the season for the 10^th straight year. In addition, Valpo continued its history of home dominance and hasn’t finished with a losing mark at the ARC since 1991-92, extending its streak to 28 seasons. Valpo achieved a double-figure home win total for the ninth time in the last 10 years.

2019-20 Team Statistical Feats

• Led the Missouri Valley Conference in assists per game at 15.2, the first time Valpo led a conference in that area since pacing the Horizon League in 2011-2012. The 15.2 assists per game was Valpo’s highest total since 2010-11 (15.8 apg) and the team’s second-highest output over the last 13 seasons. The squad ranked 29^th nationally in assists per game and 12^th in total assists.
• Averaged 7.7 steals per game to rank second in the MVC and totaled 270 steals, a number that ranked 18^th The team had its highest steals average since 2010-11 and the second-highest over the last 16 seasons.
• The team averaged 72.3 points per game, second in the MVC. That was the team’s second-highest scoring average over the last eight seasons. In addition, the team jumped 5.5 points per game from 2018-19 to 2019-20.
• Valpo made 287 3-pointers, the team’s second-most since 2008-09 and the third-most over the last 30 years.
• The team had 922 made field goals, its third most over the last 30 years.
• Valpo committed just 12.7 turnovers per game, the team’s lowest total over the last 30 seasons.

2020 Arch Madness Accomplishments

• The Valpo/Loyola quarterfinal was the 18^th overtime game in MVC Tournament history and the 20^th game decided by a single point. It was the first one-point game in the MVC Tournament since Indiana State’s 51-50 victory over Evansville in 2013.
• Valpo’s 89 points in the MVC semifinal against Missouri State were the seventh-most in a game in the 30-year history of Arch Madness. It was the highest scoring output in any MVC Tournament contest since Creighton put 99 on Evansville on March 3, 2012.
• Valpo scored 287 points in the MVC Tournament, the third most in the history of the event and the most since Indiana State scored 310 in 1978.
• The team’s 138 rebounds were the fourth most in MVC Tournament history and the most since Tulsa had 143 in 1978.
• The 107 made field goals were the third most in MVC Tournament history and the most since Indiana State in 1978.
• The 29 made 3-point field goals tied for the second most in MVC Tournament history (despite going 0-for against Evansville), joining 2009 Illinois State (32) and 1999 Evansville (29).
• The 90 3-point field goal attempts shattered the previous tournament record of 76 (Drake 2008, Illinois State 2009).
• Valpo made 10 3-pointers in the conference championship game, tying for the fourth most in the history of the MVC Final just a few days removed from hitting no 3s in a win over Evansville. Valpo became the first team to make zero 3s in an MVC Tournament Game since Southern Illinois went 0-for-6 on March 5, 1994 vs. Missouri State.
• Valpo’s 29 3-point attempts in the MVC final tied for the second most in the history of the title game, joining Illinois State in 2009 (35 vs. UNI 2009) and Illinois State in 2012 (29 vs. Creighton).
• Only one team since 1994 had made 15 or more field goals in the first half of an MVC title game (Drake 16 vs. Illinois State in 2008), and Valpo and Bradley had 15 apiece in the first half of this year’s championship game.
• Valpo made seven 3s in the first half of the title game against Bradley, tying the MVC Tournament title game record of seven set by Southern Illinois on March 7, 1989 vs. Creighton. Valpo set the conference title game record for 3-point attempts in the first half with 16, eclipsing the previous mark of 15 set by Illinois State on March 8, 2009 vs. UNI.
• Ryan Fazekas’ 21 3-point attempts in the MVC Tournament tied for the ninth-most in the history of the event.

Staff Sidebars

• Associate head coach Luke Gore is in his 19^th year on staff and has served under four different head coaches. The Valpo veteran has helped the team to eight postseason berths in the last 10 years and was on staff for the three winningest seasons in program history. He oversees the team’s post players in addition to leading Valpo’s scheduling and scouting efforts.
• Assistant coach Rob Holloway is back for his third season after spending the previous two years on staff at Eastern Illinois, his alma mater.
• Assistant coach Matt Bowen returned to Valpo’s staff in 2018-19 after previously spending four seasons with the Brown & Gold from 2002-2006. He was the head coach at the University of Minnesota Duluth from 2012-2018. Bowen coordinates the team’s offense.
• Director of Basketball Operations Jason Karys is in his second season in that capacity, but has been around the program in a variety of roles, spending two years as a graduate assistant, one as a walk-on player and three as a manager.
• Bob Brooks is in his 17^th year as Valpo Director of Strength & Conditioning at Valpo and has returned to oversight of men’s basketball strength & conditioning in 2020-21. He has worked with Valpo teams since 1994.
• Graduate Assistant Peter Funk is in his second year in that role after three years as an undergraduate manager.
• Athletic trainer Ken DeAngelis is in his second season full-time at Valpo after previously earning his master’s degree from the University in 2012 while spending two years as a graduate assistant athletic trainer.

Tradition of Excellence

• Valpo has 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and four NIT berths in the program’s proud history, with the team’s postseason success highlighted by a Sweet Sixteen run in 1998.
• The program has produced nine All-Americans, won 18 regular season conference championships and 10 conference tournament crowns.
• Valpo also boasts eight NBA players, 10 conference players of the year and 20 20-win seasons.
• Nine of the team’s NCAA appearances have come since 1996.
• Valpo has qualified for the postseason eight times in the last 10 years, including last year where Valpo accepted a postseason berth but the tournament was not played due to COVID-19.
• Valpo has developed a myriad of professional basketball players over the last quarter century, most notably a pair of NBA players in the last three years. Ryan Broekhoff (class of 2013) signed a contract with the Dallas Mavericks in the summer of 2018 after spending five seasons playing internationally in Russia and Turkey. Alec Peters (class of 2017) was the 54th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. Peters appeared in 20 games for the Suns in 2017-18, highlighted by a 36-point performance in the season finale against Dallas – a new single-game high by a Valpo alum in the NBA. He has gone on to a successful career overseas with CSKA Moscow (2018-2019), Anadolu Efes (2019-2020) and Kirolbet Baskonia (2020-present).
• Valpo has produced over 50 professional players in the last 25 years.

#0 Goodnews Kpegeol, R-So. (St. Paul, Minn.)

• Squeezed a season-high seven rebounds on Jan. 16 at DePaul to share the team lead. Also went 6-for-6 at the free-throw line to finish with eight points in addition to swiping three steals.
• Posted the first double-figure scoring output of his collegiate career with 10 points on Dec. 9 vs. SIUE.
• Scored his first collegiate points and finished with nine in 27 minutes of action on Dec. 4 at Purdue.
• Made his Valpo debut in the Nov. 27 season opener at Vanderbilt.
• Joins the program as a junior college transfer after averaging 12.0 points and 5.8 rebounds at Southwest Mississippi in 2019-20.
• Started the 2018-19 season at Taylor Made Prep in Pensacola, Fla., then transfered to Kansas State at the semester break and sat out the remainder of that season due to transfer rules.
• Was a four-year letter winner at North High School in St. Paul, leading his team to a 22-5 overall mark and 15-1 conference record as a senior.
• Played his high school basketball for Damian Johnson, who played collegiately at the University of Minnesota before going on to a professional career from 2010-2016. Johnson was teammates with Valpo head coach Matt Lottich when both played for the Oita Heat Devils in Japan in 2010-2011.
• First name comes from his parents’ belief that he could bring something good into the world.

#1 Sigurd Lorange, So. (Trondheim, Norway)

• Appeared in nine games in 2019-20 before having his rookie season cut short by a hip injury.
• Averaged 2.9 points per contest while shooting a robust 60 percent (6-of-10) from 3-point land in limited action.
• Played all kinds of sports as a child. His best three sports were soccer, handball and basketball. There were phases of his life where he wanted to pursue soccer or handball, but eventually figured out that basketball was the most fun sport for him.

#2 Zion Morgan, R-Sr. (Chicago, Ill.)

• Made his season debut on Jan. 28 vs. Bradley after missing the season’s first 13 games.
• Appeared in 28 games during his first season at Valpo in 2019-20.
• Joined the program as a junior college transfer after two seasons at Wabash Valley College.
• Started his collegiate career by playing in 27 games and making five starts at UNLV in 2016-17.
• Was teammates with Valpo’s Nick Robinson at Kenwood Academy in Chicago.

#3 Steven Helm III, R-So. (Valparaiso, Ind.)

• Hit four crucial free throws, two in each game, to ice Valpo’s victories at Illinois State in the closing seconds on Jan. 23-24.
• Handed out a team-high five assists and scored his first collegiate points in the Dec. 6 victory over Judson.
• Made his Valpo debut on Dec. 4 at Purdue and recorded a plus-minus of +12 to lead the team.
• Spent the last two years in Japan serving a mission for his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Started his collegiate career at Carroll College, where he competed in both basketball and track & field.
• Connected at a 47.1 percent clip from 3-point range and a 94.2 percent clip from the foul line.
• Qualified for nationals in track & field and helped his basketball team to the national tournament while at Carroll.
• Transferred to Valpo and sat out the 2017-18 basketball season while competing in track & field that spring.
• Led his Valparaiso High School team to a 20-7 record as a senior, averaging a team-high 16.1 points/game along with 3.5 assists/game.
• Mother is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Valpo. Father Steve Jr. was an NAIA Third Team All-American at Montana State University-Northern and went on to play for the American Basketball Association’s Indiana Legends after his collegiate career. Steve Jr. followed his playing days with a coaching career that featured four seasons as an assistant on the Valpo women’s basketball staff.
• Considers himself a "movie buff" and "Star Wars nerd." Saving Private Ryan and Star Wards Episode 3 are his favorite movies.

#4 Daniel Sackey, Jr. (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)

• Matched a season high with eight assists in each game on Jan. 23-24 at Illinois State. In the second game against the Redbirds, he poured in 16 points for the second-highest scoring output of his career and highest this season.
• Contributed a season-high nine points and six boards on Jan. 16 at DePaul, equaling a career high on the glass with his fourth career six-rebound game and first this season.
• Finished with his highest assist total since his nine-dime effort on Dec. 18, 2019 by handing out eight helpers on Dec. 9, 2020 vs. SIUE. Also swiped four steals, matching a career high with his second career four-steal effort.
• Put together a balanced line of six points, five rebounds and six assists in the Nov. 27 season opener at Vanderbilt - the first time in his collegiate career that he’s had five or more in all three categories in the same game. Also swiped four steals, equaling a career high.
• Ranked fifth in the MVC and second among sophomores at 3.6 assists per game… Had a team-high 121 assists to go along with 6.3 points per game, 2.5 rebounds per game and 35 steals while averaging 25.5 minutes over 34 contests (25 starts) as a sophomore in 2019-20.
• Made a buzzer-beater to upstage Canadian powerhouse Carleton in overtime in August 2019, making an appearance on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays at No. 9 that evening.
• Has been a drummer since elementary school. The basement of his family’s home in Canada includes a small recording studio. He has a deep passion for music.
• Became just the sixth Manitoban to earn a scholarship in Division-I men’s basketball since the NCAA reorganized into its current competitive format in 1973.

#5 Donovan Clay, So. (Alton, Ill.)

• Enjoyed his second career double-double and first 20-point, 10-rebound effort on Jan. 23 at Illinois State. He became the fourth Valpo player during the Matt Lottich Era with a 20-point double-double, squeezing 12 rebounds in the triumph.
• Enjoyed the fourth 20-point game of his career and his second this season with a season-high 21 points on Jan. 9 vs. Missouri State.
• Became the second MVC player with a 13-rebound effort this season on Dec. 19 at Toledo, in the process securing his first career double-double and the first by a Valpo player in 2020-21. He scored a team-high 17 points to complement his effort on the glass.
• Became the first Missouri Valley Conference player with a five-block game this season on Dec. 17 vs. Purdue Northwest, also becoming the first Valpo player to stuff five shots in a game since Jaume Sorolla on Jan. 26, 2019 vs. Drake.
• Enjoyed his first 20-point output of the season and the third of his collegiate career to lead the team on Dec. 12 at Central Michigan. That marked his first 20-point effort in a road game at the collegiate level.
• Led the team in scoring with 12 points on Dec. 1 at UIC.
• Named to the MVC Preseason Second Team
• Leading into the season, put a lot of time into his shot, agility and being able to run faster and jump higher.
• Was one of two Valpo players to compete in all 35 games and made 33 starts during his freshman campaign.
• Was third on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.6 ppg) while leading the team in blocked shots with 36 in 2019-20.
• Earned a place on the MVC All-Freshman Team in 2019-20.
• Scored in double figures on 19 occasions including eight outputs of 15+ points and two of 20+ points. He scored in double figures just once over his first seven games and then did so in 18 of the next 28.
• Is a high-level video game player, following in the footsteps of former Valpo sharp-shooter Ryan Fazekas. Enjoys playing NBA 2K games online all the time. Also enjoys tossing a football or baseball in his spare time.

#10 Eron Gordon, R-Sr. (Indianapolis, Ind.)

• Posted his first career double-double by matching a season high with 14 points and pulling down a personal-best 10 rebounds in the Jan. 23 win at Illinois State.
• Led the team in scoring for a third straight game and rebounding for a fourth straight game with five boards to go along with a season-high 14 points on Jan. 20 vs. Loyola.
• Led the team in rebounding for the third straight game on Jan. 16 at DePaul, pulling down seven boards to go along with a team-high 12 points. He paced Valpo in scoring for the second straight game after not doing so at all in any of his first 44 career contests.
• Shared the team lead with a season-high 13 points on Jan. 10 vs. Missouri State, pacing the squad in scoring for the first time in his Valpo career.
• Posted the eighth double figure scoring output of his Valpo career and his first of the season with 10 points on Dec. 9 vs. SIUE.
• Made his first start of the season, his fifth overall at Valpo and his first since Jan. 29, 2020 at Bradley in the Dec. 4 game at Purdue.
• Led the team on the glass for the first time in his Valpo career by squeezing a career-high eight rebounds in the Nov. 27 season opener at Vanderbilt.
• Was one of two players on the team who appeared in all 35 games in 2019-20.
• Made the go-ahead layup with three seconds left in overtime in Valpo’s 74-73 upset win over Loyola in the MVC quarterfinal to help the Brown & Gold complete an 18-point rally. That was the 25th time since the start of the 1992-93 season that Valpo prevailed on a game-winner in the final five seconds.
• Became the third Valpo player to hit a game-winner in the final five seconds of a conference tournament or postseason game since 1992-93, joining Ryan Broekhoff (2013 vs. Green Bay) and Bryce Drew (1998 vs. Ole Miss).
• Joined the program in 2018-19 but sat out due to transfer rules. Appeared in 48 games over his two years at Seton Hall.
• Oldest brother Eric was the seventh pick of the 2008 NBA Draft and has played 11 seasons in the NBA. Father Eric is one of the Top 20 all-time scorers at Liberty. Brother Evan is playing in the CBA after scoring over 1,300 points at the Division-I level at Liberty, Arizona State and Indiana.
• Enjoys filming and editing videos and podcasting.
• Enjoys travel and features his destinations on one of his YouTube channels.
• Future plans include playing professional basketball, pursuing broadcast journalism and contributing to the family business, E3 Basketball Academy.

#11 Emil Freese-Vilien, Fr. (Copenhagen, Denmark)

• Appeared in 16 games and averaged 6.6 minutes per contest while totaling 16 points, four blocked shots, five assists and 15 rebounds (six offensive boards) during his rookie campaign in 2019-20.
• Started playing basketball in November 2014 after playing badminton during his younger years.
• Played for Denmark at both the U16 and U18 FIBA Euro Championships in 2015 and 2017, respectively.
• Shortly before coming to Valpo, played for Vaerlose in the Danish Basketligaen, the highest professional league in Denmark.
• Majoring in civil engineering
• Has been very interested in drawing for many years. Wanted to become an architect for a long time and still has that dream in the back of his mind. Spends a lot of time drawing blueprints and houses.

#12 Tyler Fricke, Fr. (Arlington Heights, Ill.)

• Made his collegiate debut and scored his first points with a pair of free throws in the Dec. 6 victory over Judson.
• Joined the Valpo program as a walk-on for the 2020-21 season.
• Father Scott coached Valpo head coach Matt Lottich at New Trier High School during Lottich’s playing days.
• Brother Zach pitches for the Valpo baseball team.

#13 Sheldon Edwards, Fr. (West Palm Beach, Fla.)

• Scored 19 points over the two games vs. Missouri State on Jan. 9-10.
• Poured in a personal-best 20 points on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting with eight rebounds on Dec. 9 vs. SIUE.
• Reached double figures for the first time in his Valpo career with a 10-point showing on Dec. 6 vs. Judson.
• Became the seventh Valpo freshman in the last 20 years to start the season opener on Nov. 27 at Vanderbilt.
• Averaged 21.2 points and 7.6 rebounds as a senior at Palm Beach Lakes High School in 2018-19.
• Spent a postgraduate year at TLAP Sports Academy in Port St. Lucie, Fla. during the 2019-20 season, averaging 32 points per game and five rebounds per contest while turning in two games of 40+ points.
• Favorite NBA player is Steph Curry, but he models his game after the likes of Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal. When he’s not playing basketball, the Valpo freshman spends much of his free time watching it.

#15 Luke Morrill, So. (Lombard, Ill.)

• Joined the program as a walk-on prior to the 2019-20 season.
• Saw action in five games, totaling nine minutes and accruing five points and two rebounds during his first season on campus.
• Majoring in computer engineering.
• Considers Valpo teammate Donovan Clay "like a brother" to him after the two were roommates as freshmen and during the spring 2020 COVID-19 quarantine.
• Enjoys fishing and wakesurfing, which is surfing in the boat’s wake without being directly pulled by the boat.

#20/21 Brock Pappas, Jr. (Valparaiso, Ind.)

• Made his season debut on Dec. 6 vs. Judson.
• Nursing major who joined the program as a walk-on in 2018-19.
• Is a Valparaiso, Ind. native and a graduate of nearby Washington Township.
• Mother (Lisa) has worked on Valpo’s campus for 32 years, currently serving as an administrative assistant in the Department of Education. Brother (Bryce) and father (Steve) are both Valpo graduates.
• Is the first boys basketball player in Washington Township High School history to play at the Division-I level.
• Grew up attending Valpo games and remembers being a young child who looked up to Valpo basketball players.
• Has always been interested in working with kids. Initially wanted to be a teacher but decided pediatric nursing is the field for him.

#22 Mileek McMillan, Sr. (Merrillville, Ind.) 

• Drained four 3s on his way to a team-high 18 points on opening night at Vanderbilt on Nov. 27, when he finished two points shy of a career high and equaled a personal best with seven made field goals.
• Was named to the MVC Most-Improved Team after upping his scoring average from 2.8 points per game as a sophomore to 8.8 points per game as a junior in 2019-20.
• Started all 34 games that he played as a junior after making just one start and averaging 8.1 minutes per game as a sophomore.
• Over doubled his rebounding average from the previous season, going from 1.5 to 3.2 in 2019-20. After making 10 3-pointers as a sophomore, he made 40 during his junior campaign and shot 42.3 percent from distance during conference play.
• Enjoys playing with his dog, roller skating and playing chess... Likes to look at the sky, especially prior to rainfall or during a sunset... Is a big fan of nature and the sound of trains.
• Twin brother Mahqueese attends Cal State Los Angeles.
• Was cut from his middle school basketball team in seventh grade, made the "B" team in eighth grade and missed his freshman year of high school with an injury.

#23 Ben Krikke, So. (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

• Became just the third Valpo player in the last 25 years with a 25-point, 15-rebound game on Jan. 24 at Illinois State.
• Shattered his previous season high by halftime with 17 first-half points on Jan. 9 vs. Missouri State on his way to a career-high 21. He joined Javon Freeman-Liberty, Tevonn Walker and Alec Peters as the only four Valpo players with 17+ points in a first half during Matt Lottich’s head coaching tenure (fifth season).
• Posted 16 points and seven rebounds on 8-of-11 shooting in the Dec. 19 game at Toledo. The eight field goals marked a career high and the 16-point game was two shy of a personal best.
• Tied a career high with seven rebounds on Dec. 17 vs. Purdue Northwest.
• Had his fourth double-figure scoring output in the season’s first six games with 12 points to go along with a career-high three blocked shots on Dec. 12 at Central Michigan. He became the first Valpo player with three blocked shots in a game this season.
• Scored in double figures in each of the first two games of the 2020-21 season (at Vanderbilt, at UIC), the first set of back-to-back double-figure outputs in the sophomore’s collegiate career. His second straight double-figure showing featured 11 points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting on Dec. 1 at UIC.
• Made his second career start and first against a Division-I opponent in the Nov. 27 season opener at Vanderbilt. Finished with 13 points, all in the second half, in a career-high 34 minutes.
• Leading into the season, spent time working on improving his shooting and hitting shots at a higher rate, especially from 3. Also worked on bulking up and improving his strength, dribbling and ball-handling. Hopes to be versatile enough to play on the perimeter if needed.
• Appeared in 33 games and made one start during his freshman season… Averaged 6.7 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per contest while blocking 15 shots, coming away with 15 steals, shooting 79.2 percent at the foul line, draining 14 3s and handing out 22 assists… Shot 55.0 percent from the field, finishing fifth in the conference and second among freshmen in field-goal percentage.
• Hails from Edmonton, a very devout hockey city, but says basketball there is on the upswing.
• Never played ice hockey, but did compete in badminton, volleyball and various track & field events.
• Loves to go fishing in the summer. Also enjoys mountain biking and chess, which he learned from his grandfather.

#25 Nick Robinson, R-Sr. (Chicago, Ill.)

• Has opted out of the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

#34 Jacob Ognacevic, Fr. (Sheboygan, Wis.)

• Shared team high honors with 13 points in just 12 minutes on an efficient 4-of-7 shooting on Jan. 10 vs. Missouri State.
• Went off for 20 points in the home opener on Dec. 6 vs. Judson. This marks the seventh consecutive year that at least one Valpo player has scored 20+ points in the home opener. He and Connor Barrett became the first freshman tandem to each score 17+ points in the same game in over 20 years.
• Drained four triples in just 14 minutes of action to achieve double figures for the first time in his collegiate career with 12 on Dec. 4 at Purdue.
• Made his collegiate debut in the Nov. 27 season opener at Vanderbilt, knocking down a 3 with his only shot attempt of the game to account for his first career points.
• Named to The Associated Press All-State First Team following his senior season at Sheboygan Lutheran in 2019-20 while also earning Herald Times Player of the Year, All-Big East Conference Player of the Year and Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association All-State First-Team status.
• Was a finalist for Wisconsin Mr. Basketball.
• Led his team to a 27-2 record and the state championship in Wisconsin Division 5 during his junior season in 2018-19 and was on the way to a repeat before the 2019-20 season was cut short due to COVID-19.
• Became the 38th player in the history of Wisconsin high school basketball to accumulate 2,000 career points, reaching the milestone on Jan. 23, 2020 with a 54-point game against Ozaukee
• Shattered the Sheboygan Lutheran scoring record that was previously held by Sam Dekker, who played in the NBA from 2015-2019 with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards…
• Is a big fan of mixed martial arts and roots for all Boston professional sports teams.

#35 Connor Barrett, Fr. (Chicago, Ill.)

• Finished with 12 points thanks to four made 3s on Jan. 23 at Illinois State, his fifth double-figure output as a freshman and his fourth game with three or more 3-pointers.
• Had five steals on Jan. 9 vs. Missouri State, joining the short list of Valpo players with five or more steals in a game during the Matt Lottich Era (fifth season): Javon Freeman-Liberty (3), Lexus Williams (3) and Tevonn Walker (2).
• Scored 14 points on Dec. 12 at Central Michigan, his second double-figure scoring output in a three-game span. That effort was highlighted at the foul line, where he went 6-for-6.
• Knocked down five 3s in the home opener vs. Judson on Dec. 6, becoming the first freshman with five treys in a game since 2013-2014 and the first Valpo player to do so in the first four games of his freshman season since 2006-07.
• Accrued his first collegiate points (3), rebounds (3) and assists (2) on Dec. 1 at UIC. His 3-pointer marked Valpo’s lone made triple of the contest.
• One of three Valpo freshmen to make his collegiate debut on Nov. 27 at Vanderbilt.
• Spent a postgraduate year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire during the 2019-20 season.
• Averaged 11.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game at Loyola Academy as a high school senior during the 2018-19 season while knocking down 64 3-pointers and shooting at a 37.9 percent clip.
• Led his high school team to back-to-back regional championships and sectional final appearances. Winning roots go back to his middle school days, when his team won three straight championships in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Says winning at a young age helped him mature for the next level.
• Is an avid golfer whose best score is 73.