Valpo plays dark horse role - Tulsa World (3-3-2007)

[ORUTerry]

Valpo plays dark horse role

By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

3/3/2007

Story Link

The third-seeded Crusaders could sneak into the Mid-Con finals.

Homer Drew hasn't talked up Valparaiso's basketball tradition to prepare his players for the Crusaders' last Mid-Continent Conference tournament.

"I haven't even mentioned it," Drew said. "I'm not sure these young people know the history and tradition like (the news media) and I do."

The Crusaders won nine league titles in a 10-year span (1995-04) and made seven NCAA appearances.

But Valpo's youngest players were in elementary school when Drew's son and current assistant, Bryce Drew, led the Crusaders into the Sweet Sixteen in 1998.

Sophomores Brandon McPherson, Urule Igbavboa and Jake Diebler and freshman Samuel Haanpaa may know less about history than they do about playing ball.

The quartet helped Valpo finish third in the league after losing five seniors last year.

The Crusaders played their best down the stretch, and rival coaches think they could steal this year's Mid-Con tourney, opening Saturday at the Union Multipurpose Activity Center.

"To finish third and win 16 games with the youngest team in the Mid-Con has been really rewarding," Drew said. "We've seen a lot of improvement from beginning to end."

Coaches say the third-seeded Crusaders could derail the expected showdown between top-seeded Oral Roberts and second-seeded Oakland (Mich.) in Tuesday's championship game.

ORU plays eighth-seeded Centenary and Oakland faces seventh-seeded Western Illinois in Saturday's first-round men's games. Valpo takes on sixth- seeded Missouri-Kansas City and fourth-seeded IUPUI plays fifth-seeded Southern Utah in Sunday's games.

A Mid-Con charter member since 1982-83, Valpo will leave to join the Horizon League, clustered in a five-state area around the Crusaders' northwest Indiana campus.

"We'll miss friends we've made in the Mid-Con. We won't miss the travel," Drew said.

Barring any upsets, the Crusaders will play Oakland in the semifinals.

"They're talented and they've got size that can score," said Oakland coach Greg Kampe. "The top three teams have size that can score. It's what separates us from the rest of the field."

ORU has Caleb Green, Shawn King and Marchello Vealy. Oakland has Vova Severovas, Shawn Hopes and Derick Nelson.

Valpo has the 6-foot-8, 220- pound Igbavboa, with 7-1, 245-pound Calum MacLeod coming off the bench.

Valpo also has outside shooting and veteran leaders capable of making big shots. Shawn Huff hit circus 3-pointers in Valpo's win over ORU.

Haanpaa (.452) and McPherson (.446) lead the league in 3-point percentage.

But not everybody is sold on the Crusaders.

"I'd be worried about how they play on the road," said Centenary coach Rob Flaska. "They're a substantially better team at home."

The Crusaders were 7-0 at home but only 3-4 on the road over the final 14 games.

UMKC struggled through a 1-7 conference stretch, but won three straight before losing at Valpo.

The Kangaroos' 70.9 scoring average is second to ORU's 72.0, but they haven't found a consistent third man to complement Quinton Day and Dee Ayuba.

IUPUI has advanced to the tournament semifinals six years in a row under coach Ron Hunter. Southern Utah hasn't advanced since 2003, and won't this time -- unless it cures its shooting woes.

"We're not shooting it very well," said SU coach Bill Evans. "I think we're a little tired, but everybody's tired. People have started to defend us differently, but I don't have any excuses for the way we're playing."

No eighth seed has won a tournament game, but Western Illinois threw a scare into ORU last season.

The Leathernecks escaped the cellar and will face Oakland in the first round. WIU won at Oakland 64-63 on Feb. 8.

Mike Brown 581-8390

mike.brown@tulsaworld.com