2011-2012 Crusader Men’s Basketball Game Notes Contact: AARON LEAVITT Office: 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 2011-12 Schedule and Results Valparaiso (5-2, 0-0 Horizon) Date Opponent Time/Result Game #8: Saturday, Dec. 3 - 1 p.m. CST Oct. 29 Hillsdale ! W 73-71 Nov. 3 Augustana ! W 74-65 at Butler (4-3, 0-0 Horizon) Nov. 7 at #16/16 Arizona # L 73-64 Hinkle Fieldhouse (10,000) - Indianapolis, Ind. Nov. 11 at Georgia Southern W 90-81 Nov. 14 Holy Cross [Ind.] College W 88-38 Next Up in Crusader Basketball: Valparaiso opens Horizon League play on Nov. 18 Akron # W 62-59 Saturday afternoon as the Crusaders travel to Indianapolis to face off against Nov. 19 IU Kokomo # W 79-48 in-state rival Butler. The game is the lone league contest for Valpo until the Nov. 20 Duquesne # W 84-68 heart of Horizon League action starts on Dec. 29. Nov. 25 at #3/3 Ohio State L 80-47 Dec. 3 at Butler * 1 p.m. Dec. 7 at IPFW 6 p.m. Last Time Out: Valparaiso was within four points at halftime Friday evening Dec. 10 Bowling Green 7:05 p.m. at #3/3 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, thanks in large part to 15 first-half points Dec. 17 Oakland 7:05 p.m. from sophomore Jay Harris, but the Buckeyes hit their first eight field goal Dec. 20 at Northern Illinois 7 p.m. attempts of the second half as the Crusaders eventually fell by a final score of Dec. 23 at IUPUI $ noon 80-47. Harris would end the game with 18 points, but was the only Crusader in Dec. 29 Milwaukee * 7:05 p.m. Dec. 31 Green Bay * 4:05 p.m. double figures. Ryan Broekhoff pulled down a team-best 11 rebounds. Jan. 6 at Detroit * TBA Jan. 8 at Wright State * 2 p.m. Following the Crusaders: Every game this season will be available on the Jan. 13 Youngstown State * 7:05 p.m. Valpo Sports Radio Network, with Saturday's game broadcast live on WAKE Jan. 15 Cleveland State * 1:35 p.m. (1500 AM, Valparaiso) and WEFM (95.9 FM, Michigan City). Todd Ickow is Jan. 19 at Loyola * 7 p.m. Jan. 21 at UIC * 3 p.m. back for his 20th season on play-by-play, while Aaron Leavitt will join him on Jan. 26 at Green Bay * 7 p.m. color commentary Saturday. The game can be seen in the Indianapolis area on Jan. 28 at Milwaukee * 1 p.m. WNDY-23 and online via the Horizon League Network, or on your mobile Feb. 2 Detroit * 6:30 p.m. device with the HLN Live app. Links to the live audio and video webcasts, as Feb. 4 Wright State * 7:05 p.m. well as live statistics, will also be available at www.valpoathletics.com. Feb. 9 at Cleveland State * 6 p.m. Feb. 11 at Youngstown State * 6 p.m. Feb. 14 UIC * 7:05 p.m. Head Coach Bryce Drew: Bryce Drew made his head coaching debut at Ari- Feb. 18 at TBA (BracketBuster) TBA zona on Nov. 7, as he was named the 21st head coach in the history of the Feb. 21 Loyola * 7:05 p.m. Valparaiso men’s basketball program on May 17, 2011. Just the fourth new Feb. 24 Butler * 6 p.m. head coach to grace the Crusader sidelines in the last 31 years, Drew had spent Feb. 28- Horizon League Championship Mar. 6 (campus sites) the last six seasons as a member of the Crusader coaching staff before earning All times Central. the head position. He famously hit the game-winning shot against Ole Miss Home games in bold and played at Athletics- for Valpo in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament to cap an illustrious Recreation Center. Crusader career, before going on to a seven-year professional career, six of ! – indicates exhibition game which were spent in the NBA. # – 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer (Campus sites) $ - played at Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Ind.) Series Notes: Valpo is taking on its most common all-time opponent this Satur- * - indicates Horizon League game day, as the Crusaders have faced Butler 100 times in program history. The Bull- dogs hold a 67-33 lead in the all-time series, but it was Valpo which earned the Media Relations Information victory in the last matchup, downing Butler at the ARC in overtime, 85-79. Four Requests to cover home men’s basketball games should be made through Aaron Leavitt, Associate Director of Media Relations, Crusaders scored at least 15 points in the game, with Howard Little hitting a pair by contacting 219.464.6953 or [email protected] . Press of big shots with the shot clock running down in the last 90 seconds of overtime. row seating is available at the ARC for working media only. Updated statistics and notes from both schools will be available The Road Ahead: Valpo concludes a three-game road trip on Wednesday, in the media room. traveling to IPFW for a non-league matchup. The Crusaders then have a pair During the week, all player and coach interview requests should of home games bookending the final exam period, taking on Bowling Green be directed to Aaron Leavitt. Media planning to attend practice on Dec. 10 and Oakland on Dec. 17. should call ahead to confirm practice time. Game-day interviews prior to the contest are not permitted. Coach Drew and requested players will be available following the game in the media room. 2011-2012 Crusader Men’s Basketball Game Notes Contact: AARON LEAVITT Office: 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 Scouting Butler: The Bulldogs enter Saturday’s game with a 4-3 record and are coming off a 98-53 victory over Oakland City on Tuesday. Butler is Horizon League Standings outscoring its opponents by better than five points per game this year, led by (through games of Nov. 29) 12.9 points per game from Chrishawn Hopkins. Andrew Smith adds 11.4 points Overall Horizon and 7.3 rebounds per game. Team W-L Pct. W-L Pct. Cleveland State 6-1 .857 0-0 .000 Starting League Play on the Road: Since the Crusaders joined the Horizon Milwaukee 5-1 .833 0-0 .000 League prior to the 2007-2008 season, league play has opened with one week- Youngstown State 4-1 .800 0-0 .000 end in early December. For the fifth straight year, Valpo will play that opening Valparaiso 5-2 .714 0-0 .000 weekend on the road, but the Crusaders haven’t let that stop them from gener- Butler 4-3 .571 0-0 .000 ally experiencing success in the early going. Valpo owns a 5-2 record in the Detroit 3-4 .429 0-0 .000 last four years in the opening weekend, including a pair of two-game road UIC 2-3 .400 0-0 .000 sweeps. The Crusaders played at Butler in the opening weekend in 2009-2010, Wright State 2-4 .333 0-0 .000 falling to the then-nationally ranked Bulldogs. Green Bay 2-4 .333 0-0 .000 Loyola 1-4 .200 0-0 .000 Tournament Success: The Crusaders won the Valparaiso Subregional of the 2K Sports Classic last weekend, continuing their success in in-season tourna- Around the Horizon League ments over the last couple years. Last season saw Valpo take the Upper Divi- sion Championship of the Las Vegas Invitational by defeating Northern Colo- Thursday, Dec. 1 rado and Texas A&M-CC, as well as the Lou Henson Award Tournament with *Youngstown State at Detroit, 6 p.m. wins over Eastern Michigan and Oakland. *Cleveland State at Wright State, 6 p.m. *Loyola at Milwaukee, 7 p.m. Quick Start to the Season: Never in Valpo’s Division I era had it played so *UIC at Green Bay, 7 p.m. many games so early in the calendar (six games by Nov. 20), but the Crusaders utilized the front-loaded schedule to get off to a strong start to the season. Saturday, Dec. 3 After dropping its opener, Valpo won five consecutive games before falling at *UIC at Milwaukee, 1 p.m. Ohio State last Friday. It marks just the second time in the last 13 years that the *Valparaiso at Butler, 1 p.m. Crusaders picked up at least five wins before their second loss, as only the *Youngstown State at Wright State, 2 p.m. 2007-2008 squad had a better start, beginning the year 10-1. *Cleveland State at Detroit, 6 p.m. *Loyola at Green Bay, 7 p.m. Valpo Tabbed Fifth in Preseason Poll: Valparaiso was picked to finish in fifth place in the Horizon League preseason poll conducted of the league’s Monday, Dec. 5 coaches, sports information directors, and media members. The Crusaders St. John’s at Detroit, 6 p.m. tallied 255 points in the polling. Preseason league favorite Butler received 28 Milwaukee at DePaul, 7:30 p.m. of the 50 first-place votes, while Detroit was picked second and received 19 first-place votes. Cleveland State (2 first-place votes) and Milwaukee (1 first- Tuesday, Dec. 6 place vote) were chosen third and fourth ahead of the Crusaders, while Green Fredonia State at Youngstown State, 6:45 p.m.