Valparaiso Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Crusaders

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EUGENE, OR – NOVEMBER 17: Tyler Dorsey #5 of the Oregon Ducks drives to the basket on Shane Hammink #11 of the Valparaiso Crusaders in the first half of the game at Matthew Knight Arena on November 17, 2016 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

Non-conference Schedule

Nov. 6 Concordia Chicago#

Nov. 15-18 Myrtle Beach Invitational (Western Kentucky, West Virginia/Saint Joe’s, TBD)

Nov. 21 SIU-Edwardsville

Nov. 24 at West Virginia

Nov. 28 at UNLV (MVC/MWC Challenge)

Dec. 2 UC Riverside

Dec. 4 High Point

Dec. 8 at George Washington

Dec. 17 Ball State

Dec. 19 at Texas A&M

Dec. 29 Purdue Northwest#

It’s easy to be underwhelmed by a schedule that features a pair of games against non-D1 competition, but Valpo has put together a decent schedule, headlined by their trip to the Myrtle Beach Invitational, which begins with a game against Western Kentucky. The trip to George Washington in early December sets up a return game to boost next year’s home slate, while the Crusaders will also travel to play a pair of tough power conference teams in West Virginia and Texas A&M.

Scheduling becomes even more difficult next season at the UNLV game will be the final entry in the MVC/MWC Challenge, leaving both conferences with an extra non-conference game to plan in the immediate future. Fans already upset over the weak home competition will not be satisfied by filling those games with more inferior competition, but that’s the struggle of a mid-major trying to build a competent home schedule.

As opposed to last year’s soft beginning, the Crusaders are immediately thrown into the fire in Myrtle Beach, and the odds of an 8-0 start again this season are remarkably low. The round-robin nature of MVC conference play will give Valpo two shots at every team, hoping to avenge some of the sweeps handed down in their first year in the league.

All six home games are winnable, but every road game poses a challenge to the team, especially as coach Lottich configures his rotation and determines each player’s role. Finishing non-conference play above .500 would be a solid start to the season, requiring the Crusaders to win at least one of their games away from northwest Indiana, though this team clearly dreams of a much hotter start.