2020-21 Men’s Basketball Game Notes Contact: BRANDON VICKREY Office: 219.464.5396 Valpo Sports Media Relations [email protected] www.valpoathletics.com Athletics-Recreation Center 1009 Union Street Valparaiso IN 46383 2020-21 Schedule and Results Valparaiso (3-7, 0-2 MVC) Date Opponent Time/Result at DePaul (1-4, 0-4 Big East) Nov. 27 at Vanderbilt SEC Network L 77-71 Game No. 11 – Saturday, Jan. 16 – 3 p.m. CT Dec. 1 at UIC! ESPN3 L 66-50 Wintrust Arena (10,387) – Chicago, Ill. Dec. 4 at Purdue Big Ten Network L 68-61 Dec. 6 Judson ESPN3 W 85-45 Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men’s basketball Dec. 9 SIUE ESPN3/+ W 80-58 team has made the latest adjustment during a season that requires flexibility Dec. 12 at Central Michigan! ESPN3 L 84-79 Dec. 17 Purdue Northwest ESPN3 W 89-71 from all involved. After the team’s scheduled Missouri Valley Conference Dec. 19 at Toledo ESPN3 L 71-57 weekend series at Southern Illinois was postponed due to positive COVID-19 Jan. 9 Missouri State* ESPN3/+ L 81-68 test results within Southern Illinois’ Tier 1 personnel, the Valpo staff added a Jan. 10 Missouri State* ESPN3/+ L 78-68 nonconference matchup with Big East foe DePaul at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Jan. 16 at SIU * Valley on E3/+ Exclusive PPD This marks the first meeting between the two geographically nearby schools Jan. 17 at SIU* ESPN3/+ PPD since the 1979-1980 season. The game will be televised nationally on FS1. Jan. 16 at DePaul FS1 3 p.m. Jan. 20 Loyola* Valley on E3/+ Exclusive 6 p.m. Jan. 23 at Illinois State* ESPN3/+ 5 p.m. Last Time Out: After 20 days without a game and limited practice time, Valpo Jan. 24 at Illinios State* ESPN3/+ 5 p.m. dropped both games of last weekend’s home series with Missouri State to start Jan. 28 Bradley* Valley on E3/+ Exclusive 6 p.m. Missouri Valley Conference play. The hosts trailed by just four at halftime on Jan. 31 at Evansville* Valley on E3/+ Exclusive 3 p.m. Saturday despite the Bears shooting a robust 70.8 percent in the opening half, Feb. 1 at Evansville* ESPN3/+ 6 p.m. but the Brown & Gold fell 81-68 despite 21 points apiece by sophomores Ben Feb. 6 Drake* ESPN3/+ 1 p.m. Krikke and Donovan Clay. Four Valpo players scored in double figures on Feb. 7 Drake* ESPN3/+ 1 p.m. Feb. 10 Bradley* ESPN3/+ 6 p.m. Sunday led by Eron Gordon and Jacob Ognacevic with 13 each, but Valpo fell Feb. 13 at UNI* MVC TV Network (NBCSCH) 7 p.m. by the similar score of 78-68. Feb. 14 at UNI* NBC Sports Chicago, ESPN3/+ 6 p.m. Feb. 17 at Loyola* MVC TV Network (NBCSCH) 7 p.m. Following Valpo Basketball: Television – FS1 Feb. 26 Indiana State* Valley on E3/+ Exclusive 6 p.m. Radio – WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso) – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Feb. 27 Indiana State* ESPN3/+ 5 p.m. Brandon Vickrey (analyst) March 4-7 MVC Tournament% (St. Louis) Twitter updates - @ValpoBasketball All times Central. Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com. Home games in bold and played at Athletics-Recreation Center. Head Coach Matt Lottich: Matt Lottich (76-67) is in his eighth season overall ! – multi-team event at Valpo and fifth as head coach in 2020-21. Just two years removed from % - 2021 MVC Tournament (St. Louis) finishing in last place and being knocked out in the first round of the Missouri * - indicates Missouri Valley Conference game 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. @ValpoBasketball #GoValpo 2020-21 Men’s Basketball Game Notes Contact: BRANDON VICKREY Office: 219.464.5396 Valpo Sports Media Relations [email protected] www.valpoathletics.com Athletics-Recreation Center 1009 Union Street Valparaiso IN 46383 2020-21 Valparaiso Men’s Basketball Roster # Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown/High School [Prev. School] 0 Goodnews Kpegeol G 6-5 200 R-So. St. Paul, Minn./North [Southwest Mississippi CC/Kansas St] 1 Sigurd Lorange G 5-11 185 So. Trondheim, Norway/Metis Videregaende Skole 2 Zion Morgan G 6-5 190 R-Sr. Chicago, Ill./Kenwood [Wabash Valley College/UNLV] 3 Steven Helm G 6-2 180 R-So. Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso [Carroll] 4 Daniel Sackey G 5-9 175 Jr. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada/Thornlea 5 Donovan Clay G/F 6-7 205 So. Alton, Ill./Alton 10 Eron Gordon G 6-3 205 R-Sr. Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral [Seton Hall] 11 Emil Freese-Vilien C 6-10 255 So. Copenhagen, Denmark/Falkonergarden Gymnasium 12 Tyler Fricke G/F 6-1 170 Fr. Arlington Heights, Ill. / Buffalo Grove 13 Sheldon Edwards G 6-4 180 Fr. West Palm Beach, Fla./Palm Beach Lakes[TLAP Sports Academy] 15 Luke Morrill G 6-2 200 So. Lombard, Ill./Montini Catholic 20/21 Brock Pappas F 6-4 205 Jr. Valparaiso, Ind./Washington Township 22 Mileek McMillan F 6-8 230 Sr. Merrillville, Ind./Merrillville 23 Ben Krikke F 6-9 230 So. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada/Jasper Place 25 Nick Robinson G 6-5 215 R-Sr. Chicago, Ill./Kenwood [Saint Joseph’s] 34 Jacob Ognacevic F 6-8 210 Fr. Sheboygan, Wis./Sheboygan Area Lutheran 35 Connor Barrett G/F 6-6 200 Fr. Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy Coaching Staff val-puh-RAY-zo Pronunciation Guide Head Coach: Matt Lottich (Stanford, 2004) – 5th season Matt Lottich - lot-ICK Associate Head Coach: Luke Gore (Bethel [Tenn.], 2001) – 19th season Mileek McMillan - muh-LEEK Assistant Coaches: Rob Holloway (Eastern Illinois, 2005) – 3rd season Emil Freese-Vilien – uh MEAL FRACE Vil-ee-EN and Matt Bowen (Indiana, 1995) – 3rd season, 2nd stint Ben Krikke – Crick-E (last part is like the letter E) Director of Basketball Operations: Jason Karys (Valparaiso 2017) – 2nd season Sigurd Lorange – SIG-erd Lor-ANG Graduate Assistant: Peter Funk (Valparaiso 2019) – 2nd season Eron Gordon – Aaron Kpegeol – Peh-gay-OLE (K is silent, last syllable rhymes with mole) Jacob Ognacevic – Og-NOSS-uh-vic Valpo vs. DePaul Tyler Fricke – Frick-E (last part is like the letter E) All-time series: DePaul leads 16-8 At Valpo: Tied 7-7 At SIU: DePaul leads 9-1 Among the MVC Leaders Current streak: DePaul W7 (Through 1/15) Current streak at Valpo: DePaul W3 Individual Leaders Current streak at DePaul: DePaul W9 Player Category Rank Value Last 10 Meetings: 9-1 DePaul Ben Krikke Points/G 15th 12.2 Donovan Clay Rebounds/G 15th 5.2 Daniel Sackey Assists/G 4th 4.1 Date Site W/L Score Nick Robinson Steals/G 4th 1.5 Feb. 13, 1980 Valparaiso, Ind. L 95-71 Donovan Clay Blocks/G 5th 1.5 Feb. 21, 1979 Chicago, Ill. L 104-76 March 1, 1978 Valparaiso, Ind. L 89-62 Team Leaders (among top 3) Feb. 28, 1977 Chicago, Ill. L 88-72 Category Rank Value Jan. 16, 1960 Valparaiso, Ind. L 81-64 Free Throw % 3rd .735 Jan. 16, 1959 Chicago, Ill. L 89-64 3ptFG% Defense 2nd .323 Feb. 15, 1944 Chicago, Ill. L 69-38 Blocked Shots/G 2nd 3.8 Steals/G 1st 8.4 Jan. 15, 1944 Valparaiso, Ind. W 65-57 Turnover Margin/G 1st +3.20 Dec. 3, 1938 Chicago, Ill. L 55-32 Dec. 1, 1937 Chicago, Ill. L 47-37 2020-21 Men’s Basketball Game Notes Contact: BRANDON VICKREY Office: 219.464.5396 Valpo Sports Media Relations [email protected] www.valpoathletics.com Athletics-Recreation Center 1009 Union Street Valparaiso IN 46383 Noteworthy Trends - With the postponement of this weekend’s scheduled series against - If Ben Krikke reaches doubles figures on Saturday vs. DePaul, Southern Illinois, six of Valpo’s first eight slated Missouri Valley it will be his ninth time in double figures in the first 11 games of Conference contests have been postponed. his sophomore season, matching his total number of double-figure - Saturday’s game at DePaul (Jan. 16) marks Valpo’s latest regular- outputs in 33 games as a freshman last season. He has scored in season nonconference game since hosting Eastern Kentucky as part double figures in five straight entering this weekend. of the ESPN Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters event on Feb. 23, - After going 0-for-7 from 3-point distance over the season’s first 2013, an 82-60 victory. four games, Krikke did not attempt a 3 in the next four games before going 2-for-2 on Jan. 9 vs. Missouri State. Notes Wrapping Up Jan. 10 vs. Missouri State (Missouri State - Jacob Ognacevic is an efficient 8-for-12 shooting over his last 78, Valpo 68) four games despite two games in that stretch where he totaled - Valpo hosted home games on back-to-back days for the first time just one field-goal attempt (Dec. 19 at Toledo, Jan. 9 vs. Missouri since starting the 2016-17 season with home dates vs. Southern State). He went 4-of-7 for 13 points in just 12 minutes on Jan.