2016-17 Valparaiso University Men’s Basketball Contact: AARON LEAVITT Offi ce: 219.464.6953 Valpo Sports Media Relations [email protected] Cell: 219.476.6680 Athletics-Recreation Center www.valpoathletics.com 1009 Union Street Valparaiso IN 46383 2016-17 Schedule and Results Valparaiso (19-5, 9-2 Horizon) Date Opponent Time/Result Game #25 - Thursday, Feb. 9 - 7 p.m. Nov. 5 Hillsdale (exhibition) W 78-63 Nov. 11 Southern Utah ! W 79-65 Cleveland State (7-17, 3-9 Horizon) Nov. 12 Trinity Christian W 89-75 Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) - Valparaiso, Ind. Nov. 14 Coppin State ! W 78-58 Nov. 17 at #4/4 Oregon L 76-54 Next Up in Crusader Basketball:The Valparaiso University men’s basketball Nov. 21 vs. Alabama ! W 68-60 team takes aim at win number 20 as it returns home to the ARC Thursday eve- Nov. 23 vs. BYU ! W 92-89 ning to host Cleveland State. The Crusaders are looking to bounce back after Nov. 27 Ball State W 79-73 having an eight-game winning streak snapped last time out. Nov. 29 #21/25 Rhode Island W 65-62 Dec. 7 at #6/7 Kentucky L 87-63 Last Time Out: The Phoenix of Green Bay dealt the Crusaders an 86-69 Dec. 10 at Missouri State W 84-81 defeat Saturday afternoon in Green Bay despite 20 points and eight rebounds Dec. 17 Indiana State W 89-71 from Alec Peters. With the loss, Valpo’s lead over Green Bay atop the Horizon Dec. 22 Santa Clara L 87-80 (2ot) League standings was cut to one-half game. Dec. 28 Chicago State W 80-61 Dec. 30 at UIC * W 70-59 Following the Crusaders: Video - ESPN3, WatchESPN and the ESPN app Jan. 6 Oakland * L 78-66 - Todd Ickow (PxP), David Huseman (Analyst) and David Horak (Sidelines) Jan. 8 Detroit Mercy * W 81-74 Jan. 12 at Youngstown State * W 78-62 Radio – Valpo Sports Network [WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso); WVLP (103.1 Jan. 14 at Cleveland State * W 78-67 FM, Valparaiso)] Jan. 16 Green Bay * W 80-56 Links for the video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com. Jan. 22 UIC * W 96-65 Jan. 27 Wright State * W 70-55 Head Coach Matt Lottich: Matt Lottich is in his fi rst season at the helm of Jan. 29 Northern Kentucky * W 65-58 the Valparaiso University men’s basketball program in 2016-17 after being Feb. 2 at Milwaukee * W 71-53 named the 22nd head coach in program history on April 7. Lottich previously Feb. 4 at Green Bay * L 86-69 served as an assistant coach for the last three seasons, helping Valpo earn 78 Feb. 9 Cleveland State * 7 p.m. victories - including a school-record 30 last season - and a pair of Horizon Feb. 11 Youngstown State * 7 p.m. League regular season titles. Feb. 17 at Oakland * 6 p.m. Feb. 19 at Detroit Mercy * 1 p.m. Series Notes: Cleveland State holds a 30-19 advantage in the all-time series Feb. 21 Milwaukee * 7 p.m. over Valpo - including a 13-11 mark at the ARC - but the Crusaders have a Feb. 24 at Wright State * 6:30 p.m. 12-9 edge against the Vikings since joining the Horizon League for the 2007-08 Feb. 26 at Northern Kentucky * noon season. Valpo has won each of the last six meetings between the two squads and Mar. 3-7 at Horizon League Championship 10 of the last 12, including a 78-67 win earlier this season in Cleveland. Valpo (Detroit, Mich.) trailed that game early, 16-4, but rallied to take a 34-28 halftime lead and led by as many as 17 points in the second half. Alec Peters paced the Crusaders in All times Central. the win, scoring 30 points. Home games in bold and played at Athletics-Recreation Center. ! – Men Who Speak Up Main Event * - indicates Horizon League game @ValpoBasketball Valpo Men’s #ValpoGameday Basketball #GoValpo 2016-17 Valparaiso University Men’s Basketball Contact: AARON LEAVITT Offi ce: 219.464.6953 Valpo Sports Media Relations [email protected] Cell: 219.476.6680 Athletics-Recreation Center www.valpoathletics.com 1009 Union Street Valparaiso IN 46383 @ValpoBasketball... ...looking ahead ...and the @HorizonLeague - Valpo closes out its brief two-game homestand on Saturday evening as the Crusaders - Valpo was picked to win the Horizon League in preseason polling, earning 35 of host Youngstown State on Hall of Fame night. the 39 fi rst-place votes. - The Crusaders will then make the annual road swing through the state of Michigan - The Crusaders have not fi nished worse than their preseason projection in the last six years. next weekend. - Senior Alec Peters was named the league’s Preseason Player of the Year, Valpo’s fi rst league preseason player of the year since Lubos Barton (2001-02, Mid-Con). ...on the road - Senior Shane Hammink joined Peters as a preseason All-League choice, earning - Valpo enters this season having posted a winning record in true road games three a spot on the Second Team. of the last four years, after having not done so the previous 10 seasons. - Last year, the Crusaders posted a 12-4 record in true road games - including an 8-1 ...looking back at last year mark on the road in Horizon League play. - The 2015-16 Crusader squad won a school-record 30 games, fi nishing the year 30-7. - This year’s team had just three true road games on the slate during the non-league - Valpo claimed the Horizon League regular season title by going 16-2 in league schedule and currently sits at 5-3 in true road action, including a perfect 4-1 mark play, winning the league by three games. so far on the road in league play. - The Crusaders were the fi rst Horizon League team to win the league title by at least three games since 2009-10. @CSU_Basketball - The regular season title was Valpo’s fourth in a fi ve-year span, a feat accomplished - The Vikings enter Thursday’s game with a 7-17 overall record and are in last place only by Butler and Xavier previously within the league. in the Horizon League standings with a 3-9 mark. - Valpo set new Horizon League records in league-only play for scoring margin, - Despite their record in league play, CSU has only been outscored by 0.6 points rebounds, rebounding average and rebound margin. per game in league action, as six of its nine league losses have come by fi ve points - The Crusaders received an automatic bid into the NIT and were awarded a 1 seed or fewer. as one of the First Four Out of the NCAA Tournament. - Rob Edwards leads the Vikings, averaging 16 points per game, while Demonte - Valpo defeated Texas Southern, Florida State and Saint Mary’s at the ARC to Flannigan and Bobby Word each score 11.4 points per game. advance to the semifi nals at Madison Square Garden in New York City. - The Crusaders beat BYU in a thriller at MSG before falling in the championship Bouncing Back Following Losses game of the NIT to George Washington. - The Crusaders have proven adept over the last three seasons in games following - Vashil Fernandez led the nation in blocked shots, was named National Defensive a loss. Player of the Year and repeated as Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year. - Valpo has lost 15 times (not counting the fi nal game of the season) since the start - Alec Peters was an AP Honorable Mention All-American and earned a spot on the of the 2014-15 campaign, and each time has rebounded with a victory next time out. All-Horizon League First Team for a second straight year. - Nine of those 15 wins have come by double fi gures, including six wins by 20 or - Bryce Drew repeated as Horizon League Coach of the Year. more - the Crusaders’ average margin of victory has been 15.9 points. - Valpo has not suffered back-to-back losses since closing the 2013-14 season with ...notes from Green Bay a loss in the HL tournament semifi nals and a defeat in the fi rst round of the CIT. - The Crusaders entered the game 19th in the nation in rebounding margin (+7.1) and were a league-best +10.4 on the glass within Horizon League-only play, but were 20x20 dominated on the glass by the Phoenix. - With the Crusaders’ next win, they will reach the 20-win mark on the year. - Green Bay out-rebounded Valpo, 53-32 – 20 of the Phoenix’s 53 rebounds came - This year’s team will be the 20th team in program history to win 20 or more games. on the offensive boards. - 15 of Valpo’s previous 19 20-win seasons have come within the last 23 years. - The -21 margin on the glass was the Crusaders’ worst since the 2014 squad was - With a win Thursday, this year’s squad would be the third-earliest (based on calendar out-rebounded by 22 by Milwaukee in the second round of the Horizon League date) to reach the 20-win mark - the 2014-15 team won its 20th game on Jan. 31, Championship at Green Bay. while last year’s team earned win number 20 on Feb. 6. - Meanwhile, the Crusaders surrendered 20 offensive rebounds on the road against the Phoenix for a second straight season – Green Bay converted those opportunities Streak Comes To A Close into 17 second-chance points on Saturday.