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 (11-4, 1-1 Horizon) Date Opponent Time/Result Game #16 - Sunday, Jan. 8 - noon Nov. 5 Hillsdale (exhibition) W 78-63 Nov. 11 Southern Utah ! W 79-65 Detroit Mercy (2-13, 0-3 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 facaes a quick turnaround as it attempts to split this weekend’s pair of Nov. 23 vs. BYU ! W 92-89 home Horizon League games, matching up with Detroit Mercy Sunday after- Nov. 27 Ball State W 79-73 noon at noon. The game will be televised live nationally on the American Sports Nov. 29 #21/25 Rhode Island W 65-62 Network, including in the Chicagoland area on Comcast SportsNet Chicago. Dec. 7 at #6/7 Kentucky L 87-63 Dec. 10 at Missouri State W 84-81 Last Time Out: A poor shooting night hampered Valpo’s effort Friday night at Dec. 17 Indiana State W 89-71 the ARC in Horizon League play against Oakland, as the Crusaders fell to the Dec. 22 Santa Clara L 87-80 (2ot) Golden Grizzlies by a 78-66 fi nal. The Crusaders never led in the game and Dec. 28 Chicago State W 80-61 shot just 36.2% for the game. Alec Peters (20 points, 11 rebounds) and Jaume Dec. 30 at UIC * W 70-59 Sorolla (11 points, 10 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles. Jan. 6 Oakland * L 78-66 Jan. 8 Detroit Mercy * noon Jan. 12 at Youngstown State * 6:45 p.m. Following the Crusaders: TV - American Sports Network - Dave Armstrong Jan. 14 at Cleveland State * 2:30 p.m. (PxP) and Rich Zvosec (Analyst) - Also available online on the ASN website Jan. 16 Green Bay * 7 p.m. and the WatchESPN app Jan. 22 UIC * 2 p.m. Radio – Valpo Sports Network [WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso); WVLP (103.1 Jan. 27 Wright State * TBD FM, Valparaiso)] - Todd Ickow (PxP) and David Huseman (Analyst) Jan. 29 Northern Kentucky * 1:30 p.m. Links for the video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com. Feb. 2 at Milwaukee * 7 p.m. Feb. 4 at Green Bay * noon Head Coach Matt Lottich: Matt Lottich is in his fi rst season at the helm of Feb. 9 Cleveland State * 7 p.m. the Valparaiso University men’s basketball program in 2016-17 after being Feb. 11 Youngstown State * 7 p.m. named the 22nd head coach in program history on April 7. Lottich previously Feb. 17 at Oakland * 6 p.m. served as an assistant coach for the last three seasons, helping Valpo earn 78 Feb. 19 at Detroit Mercy * 1 p.m. victories - including a school-record 30 last season - and a pair of Horizon Feb. 21 Milwaukee * 7 p.m. League regular season titles. Feb. 24 at Wright State * 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at Northern Kentucky * noon Series Notes: Valpo owns a 16-11 advantage in the all-time series over Detroit Mar. 3-7 at Horizon League Championship Mercy, including a 7-5 mark at the ARC over the Titans. Last season, the Cru- (Detroit, Mich.) saders swept the season series from UDM, winning 92-74 in Detroit and 90-74 at the ARC - the latter win clinching the Horizon League regular season title. All times Central. Alec Peters stood out in last season’s pair of victories, averaging 35.5 points Home games in bold and played at and 12.5 rebounds per game over the two wins. 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... - It was Walker’s fi rst time pacing the Crusaders in the scoring column since ...and the @HorizonLeague dropping 24 in a win at Oakland last season on Jan. 8. - Valpo was picked to win the Horizon League in preseason polling, earning - Despite struggling from the fl oor, Alec Peters fi nished with 18 points, thanks 35 of the 39 fi rst-place votes. in large part to a 7-of-8 effort from the foul line. The senior also pulled down - The Crusaders have not fi nished worse than their preseason projection a game-high 11 rebounds for his fi fth consecutive double-double. in the last six years. - With his third rebound of the day, Peters moved into second place in - Senior Alec Peters was named the league’s Preseason Player of the Year, Valpo’s program history in career rebounds. fi rst league preseason player of the year since Lubos Barton (2001-02, Mid-Con). - Derrik Smits fi nished with a season-high 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting in his - Senior Shane Hammink joined Peters as a preseason All-League choice, second career start. The freshman also pulled down a season-best six rebounds. earning a spot on the Second Team. - Valpo out-rebounded UIC by a 41-28 margin – the fourth time this year the Crusaders have held a double-fi gure edge on the glass. 15 of the Crusaders’ ...looking back at last year boards came on the offensive end, leading to 20 second-chance points. - The 2015-16 Crusader squad won a school-record 30 games, fi nishing - The Crusaders, who entered the nation fi fth in the nation in free throw the year 30-7. percentage, continued their strong effort at the foul line this year. Valpo went - Valpo claimed the Horizon League regular season title by going 16-2 in 16-of-19 at the charity stripe, including 14-of-15 over the fi nal 20 minutes. league play, winning the league by three games. - The win was the Crusaders’ 16th consecutive victory over the Flames, - The Crusaders were the fi rst Horizon League team to win the league title including their eighth straight at the UIC Pavilion. by at least three games since 2009-10. - The regular season title was Valpo’s fourth in a fi ve-year span, a feat ...looking ahead accomplished only by Butler and Xavier previously within the league. - The Crusaders hit the road next weekend, traveling to Youngstown State - Valpo set new Horizon League records in league-only play for scoring (Thursday) and Cleveland State (Saturday). margin, rebounds, rebounding average and rebound margin. - The Crusaders received an automatic bid into the NIT and were awarded ...at the ARC a 1 seed as one of the First Four Out of the NCAA Tournament. - Valpo has 17 regular season home games scheduled at the ARC during - Valpo defeated Texas Southern, Florida State and Saint Mary’s at the ARC the 2016-17 season and is 7-2 to date at home this season. to advance to the semifi nals at Madison Square Garden in New York City. - The Crusaders set a program record last year with 17 home victories, - The Crusaders beat BYU in a thriller at MSG before falling in the cham- posting a 17-1 mark. pionship game of the NIT to George Washington. - Valpo has recorded a 39-4 record in home games since the start of the - Vashil Fernandez led the nation in blocked shots, was named National Defensive 2014-15 season. Player of the Year and repeated as Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year. - Over the last 21-plus years, the Crusaders own a 274-60 (.820) record on - Alec Peters was an AP Honorable Mention All-American and earned their home court at the ARC. a spot on the All-Horizon League First Team for a second straight year. - Bryce Drew repeated as Horizon League Coach of the Year. @DetroitMBB - The Titans are just 2-13 on the year entering Sunday’s game, having ...notes from Oakland dropped four straight since a win over Western Kentucky. - The Crusaders shot just 36.2% from the fi eld Friday night – their third- - Detroit Mercy has lost each of its fi rst three league games by double fi gures. worst performance from the fl oor this year – and connected on just three - Four Titans average in double fi gures, led by 14.3 points per game from 3-pointers, matching a season low. Jaleel Hogan, but the Titans surrender 84.7 points per game. - Valpo also committed 16 turnovers which Oakland converted into 18 points. Bouncing Back Following Losses - Valpo did continue its strong effort from the foul line, going 21-of-24 - The Crusaders have proven adept over the last two-plus years in games (87.5%) as a team from the stripe. following a loss. - Alec Peters led the way for the Crusaders with his sixth consecutive - Valpo has lost 14 times (not counting the fi nal game of the season) since double-double, fi nishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds. the start of the 2014-15 campaign, and each time has rebounded with a - Peters was held without a 3-pointer (0-2) for the fi rst time since Ball State.