Busting Brackets
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MVC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

By Harry Schroeder

Mar 6, 2022; St. Louis, MO, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Darian DeVries reacts to a call against the Loyola Ramblers during the first half in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2022; St. Louis, MO, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Darian DeVries reacts to a call against the Loyola Ramblers during the first half in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Valparaiso Crusaders forward Ben Krikke Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Valparaiso Crusaders forward Ben Krikke Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Valparaiso Beacons – Head Coach Matt Lottich
 
2021-22 record: 14-18 overall; 6-12 in the MVC

If there is a coach on the proverbial ‘hot seat’ it would be Valparaiso’s Matt Lottich. We don’t believe his seat is hot, but the Beacons need to show some progress for it to avoid heating up during the offseason. Since joining the Valley, the Beacons are 21 games under .500 (35-56) during conference play.

Lottich’s teams have been hit with transfers and injuries and some covid bad luck. This needs to be a season that heads in the other direction.

Valpo’s ‘K-Squared’ attack provides real hope. Third-team all-conference performer Ben Krikke is what we call ‘sneaky good’. You rarely notice his play until you look at the box score and see that he tallied 14 points and grabbed five or six rebounds. Nothing about his game is flamboyant, but he is highly efficient making 54% of his shots and 84% from the charity stripe. At 6’9 the Canadian lefty also blocked 23 shots and collected 23 steals.

The other half of the K-attack is 6’4 wing Kobe King. After averaging 14 points and nearly five rebounds per game, King is poised to be a force in the Valley. He missed over a year before returning to college hoops last season. The former Wisconsin Badger has lost weight and is ready to expand his game.

Losing last year’s starting center Thomas Kithier due to ongoing back issues was a blow to Valpo’s hopes, but Lottich added 6’7 junior college transfer Jerome Palm and a pair of 6’8 freshmen in Maximus Nelson and Ibra Bayu to help out upfront. Senior Emil Freese-Vilien is 6’10 and hoping for an injury-free year.

Former walk-on Preston Ruedinger (3.3 ppg) could get some backcourt help from grad transfers Nick Edwards and Quinton Green. When healthy, both have been highly productive at the Division 2 level.